Work Days 2 & 3

Trudy's husband's name is Ed, not John, by the way. My mistake.

We have been really productive the past two days. I have personally gotten to know a fellow named Keith, a career Air Force officer and Vietnam veteran. He and another man named Howard are from the Diocese of Florida, and they are volunteering this week with us. Their guidance has been crucial to our success in rebuilding the Davis' house.

I should say something about the others here. There are almost 100 people at camp this week, over sixty of whom are in a high school church group from Illinois. A few others are from Wyoming, and a few of the leaders here are AmeriCorps volunteers. The actual on-sight leaders are Camp Coast Care staff. We have worked with two such staff: Doug and Jim. They have done an excellent job.

Last evening we walked on the beach, which was fun. Tonight the Illinois group is having a cook-out on the beach, and the rest of us will be eating burgers, hot dogs, or vegetarian alternatives here at camp.

The Gulf of Mexico is one of the more peaceful bodies of water in which I have set foot. Looking out at the scenic view, I would turn around and see probably irreparable damage done by Hurricane Katrina. In his poem "The Tyger," William Blake asks the evil, opportunistic subject, "Did he who make the lamb also make thee?" If God is responsible for the beautiful ocean, then is S/He also responsible for Katrina? Nobody is qualified to answer that question with any certainty or confidence, I think.