Loving Hands

Hello everyone,

Our successful inaugural-workweek is coming to an end with a re-opened Hostel that shines brighter than before. 32 hands, 16 Humans, 10 Gallons of Simple Green and a small army of spray bottles and rags is what was needed to get the Hostel to its most Vital Glorification.

The 'forever list' was given love and attention this week and some of the tasks have been checked off the list, such as... the ceiling of the Cobb Kitchen was painted, we deeeep cleaned Dragons Lair and the Cobb Hut and gave TLC to all our structures, especially the screens. The roofs were cleaned, some of the boardwalks scrubbed and precarious railings were replaced. All of the structures now have a 10 feet fire brake to give them a little protection from potential wildfires. Laundry Land was repainted to protect it from the palmetto beetles and for overall prettiness. We took an inventory of all of our sheets, pillows and flipped the mattresses. We cooked up weird items from the freezer and had fantastic dinners. The boardwalk from the library to Phoenix has been retired and replaced with a Huegel mound. New signs were painted in browns and greens and were put up to mark structures and pathways. We inspected and discovered the reasons for the malfunction of the SunMar in staff village, cleaned it and will be putting it back together. Our hard- and pine wood storages are full and ready for the remaining cold nights of the year.

The crew we had the chance to work with this past week was amazing. A special thank you to Kate and Eddie who provided the overview of what was needed and helped with directing people to their jobs. Daily morning check ins kept people motivated and on task and made this week so successful. We learned things for next year's week that we are happy to share.

Pam and I are full of gratitude for all the hard working people that showed up. The love people have for this place makes them achieve incredible things and has set us up for an amazing spring season ahead of us.

Sending forest love to all of you!

Pam and Consti

Hostel Managers