Cameron

So everything I have been doing for the last few weeks kind of came billowing to a splendid catharsis this weekend. First of all, the wood drying shed team went down to Oregon and helped load our logs onto a truck that brought them up to Evergreen for us. This was a crucial milestone in the process, as the logs would later be milled into the wood we will use for building the entire shed, which we have been planning and designing for two and a half quarters now.

My parents also came up on Friday evening from California. Actually, my dad got a job in Seattle working for the Cascadia chapter of the U.S.G.B.C., so I’ll be seeing him more often now. Anyways they came up for Arts walk and the Procession of the Species. Arts Walk was on Friday night, and I got to be in something called The Luminary Procession, which is an incredible event where people process through the streets with lanterns and walk to the waterfront by Capitol lake and set off small hot air balloons and they ignite baskets full of papers with everyone’s wishes with fireworks! Sound amazing? Well, it was, but what was more amazing was that a man I met randomly is in a class at the UW with the woman (an Evergreen grad) renting my dad a room in Seattle let me carry the lantern he made in the front of the procession! Olympia is funny that way.

But the fun was just getting started. The Procession of the Species was on Saturday, and my roommates and I donned the 20 foot + long shark costume we had barely managed to complete on time and marched (or should I say, swam) along the streets of Olympia. It is mind blowing how many people come out to see the procession, and the kids really loved the shark. Now that it is over the shark will be hanging from the ceiling in our living room, and serve as a reminder of all the good times we had making it (there is a free art studio downtown that opens up to the whole community to prepare for the Procession every year).

On Monday, more excitement was on its way. The wood drying team got to mill the logs we got on Friday. We met the miller at school at about 7:00 am, and after only about 2 cuts, he told us that we would not be able to get the cuts out of the logs that we needed to complete our design (there was too much checking). so n the fly, we had to redesign the shed  (for what must have been the 5th time) so that we could get something out of the logs we had. We worked for 8 hours, and hopefully got all the lumber we will need out of the 15 or so Douglas fir logs. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, life throws me another curve ball. But if this project hasn’t been a learning experience, I don’t know what one is. Now I just have to roll with the punches and build a different shed in just four weeks. Think I can do it? 

I guess we’ll see. 

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