Spike 1 OVER!!!!

Spike 1 Reflection

Location: Ferncliff Presbyterian Retreat Center
Project Duties:
Disaster Relief Kits
General Outdoor Maintenance of Facility
Laying Carpet indoor over concrete slab floor
Burning Stuff

Well, we finally had our first Spike. Looking back on it, I would say it was a Spike most memorable by the smells involved. During the first night, the propane heater was exhausting into our room. We couldn’t smell the carbon monoxide, but the detector could. Ryan of course cant smell at all, something that I failed to remember throughtout the Spike.

The most prominent smell was soap, as all the kits we assembled to be sent to disaster areas included lots of soap, in different forms. Soap and cardboard were the combined scents in the storage areas where the boxes are held until they are sent out.

The other smells that stick in my brain are the general smell of work mixed with woods. It’s the smell of oil and wood chips, or dirt and engines running. Chainsaw and wood dust, pine, or oak. We did get a chance to finally do some chainsawing, which made me happy and proud to work. Sawdust and chain oil makes for black boogers.

Indoors, we laid a lot of carpet. Glue and carpet smell actually is quite pleasant. It reminded me of the earlier grades when glue was a staple for activity.

The final day, we burned a pile of brush. Burning brings back the memories. The smell of charcoal that permeates your clothes. Smells like old cowboy, or farmer, or cook. Smells like wildfire or prescribed burn. Smells like (or rather tastes like, as Ralph would put it) burning.
This is supposed to be a reflection, but I feel too forced. My real story will be much longer and written over the next week, maybe published in a book someday. Not a whole lot of deeper meaning for me in this Spike project. Just being a Grunt like I wanted.

Be great
Dalen "Will"