To the Salton Sea!

Yes, I know, two blogs within a week's time! You're welcome. Today was just so interesting, I had to share.

So, about 15 minutes southeast of Mecca is this giant body of water, the salty Salton Sea. We figured hey, let's go check it out! So we drove to the visitor's center at the Salton Sea State and Recreation Area. We learned that the sea used to be a large whole between two fault lines that filled in with ocean thousands of years ago and left a foot of salt at the bottom when it dried up. Around 1905, the levees for the Colorado River broke and began filling in the dried up ocean hole. After everyone was like, "oh crap! it's flooding!" they decided to make bank by building resorts and marinas around the newly formed body of water. From the early 1900's to the 1960's, the Salton Sea was a huge hotspot frequented by Hollywood actors and singers such as Frank Sinatra and the Beach Boys. Unfortunately, around the 1970's the sea began to become polluted from runoff of growing urban areas and it became pretty gross. All of the resorts and marinas were shut down and abandoned, and today it's practically a ghost town with a few trailer parks around the edges.

After the visitor's center, we walked to the shoreline full of crusty, salty briny sand and dead salt-cured fish. It's such a beautiful view of the sea surrounded by mountains, until you look at your feet, or trip over a dead fish. Good times.

Then we drove to this area pictured on the front of a photography book I purchased called Bombay Beach. It was essentially a square mile of trailer homes with a dirt levee around it protecting it from the salty sea. Half of the homes were abandoned and decaying. We decided to climb the levee and walk around the shore. It was absolutely bizarre. There were remnants of old homes and some trailers, phone poles, an old crane and some old docks that were all half buried and covered in this salty briny stuff. It was really quiet and no one was around. A bit eerie I must say, but very interesting.

Then we drove to this oasis in the desert where we hiked a trail through this group of palm trees with a stream running through. It was super cool. There were walls of dried leafy palm trees and a thick canopy. So cool!

So, that was our sweet adventure. I reccommend people to wikipedia the Salton Sea. It's pretty interesting!

Tomorrow we're doing a service project for MLK day. It should be a good time! Hope everyone has a great third week of January!

<3 anne

It's Always Sunny in Mecca

Hey Everybody!

It's halfway through January already. Can you believe it?? We have a week and a half left in Mecca!

This week we found out our next project! It will take us from February 8 through April 1. And the project is......dum dum dum........









Tutoring 9th and 10th graders at Woodland high school in Sacramento! Yes, do you recall the monthlong training I had there? The pain? The stress? The torture? In two weeks I will be back where it all began. I am trying to have a good attitude towards our next challenge. We will be at the high school from 8 am until 5 pm Monday through Friday. It's definitely going to be a challenge, but I will hang in there and keep everyone updated. My TL said this will probably be one of the most important projects we will have because education is everything. Let's hope I don't fail these kiddies!

An update of the past week: Last Sunday, Blue 6 (my team that is), ventured to Joshua Tree National Park, about 40 minutes north of Mecca. The park is so enormous, it contains two different deserts and ecosystems: the Colorado Desert to the southeast, and the Mojave Desert to the northwest. All the awesome stuff (Joshua trees, for example) is in the Mojave. So, we had to drive an hour and a half through the park before we stopped for anything. Well, if you don't know what a Joshua Tree is, imagine an oak tree and a yucca plant mated and had babies. It looks like a regular tree trunk with spiky yucca plants sprouting out of the branches. Bizarre. So, these trees dotted the desert land. A very interesting landscape. Also, it looked as if God's kids played with giant boulders and then just tossed them into the flat desert. It was so cool! We were able to climb them all over the place. If anyone is ever in SoCal at some point, go to JTNP. It's awesome!

The rest of the week included doing service at the FIND food bank in Indio, then getting famous "date shakes". We also were able to sample different types of dates. I have never had a date, but I think I will start eating more. They're delicious! It's like a candy with a pit in the middle. As for the shake, I asked for banana in my date shake and it pretty much just tasted like banana ice cream. The banana flavor kicked the date flavor's butt. Still delicious!

For work this week, we layed tar paper on top of 7 roofs (the black stuff you see on roofs before the shingles/tiles go on), shortened window blinds, shoveled dirt around, and cleaned up the site. Very productive! Oh, and if graphic design doesn't work out, I'm going to be a roofer.

Including tomorrow, we have 8 days of work left in Mecca. I said today that I plan to come back to this area in 15 years to see how it turns out. Maybe Mecca is going to be the next hot spot! You never know!

That's all for this week. We will be in touch!

<3 anne

Happy New Year!

Winter break was too good. It was such a wonderful time seeing family and friends and boyfriend, it was hard to come back! Although I am starting to count down the days/months until AmeriCorps is over, I am trying to enjoy each day and each experience. Wishing away time is never a good way to live. I am also attempting to be more myself and make a few allies on my team. I haven't felt incredibly close to anyone on my team, so I am actually making an attempt to open up to people. Hopefully 2010 will be as interesting as last year! I can't wait to see what happens!

We arrived back to Mecca on Monday after a grueling 9 hour drive, in which I drove 4 hours. Tuesday we landscaped and planted trees and shrubs. Very fun! Then Wednesday, we shoveled dirt and removed a giant dead bush from the side of the road and dragged it on a 20 foot long tarp and threw it into the dumpster. Not so fun. Then, today, I painted the faccia (no idea how to spell that one) on the side of the roofs. It took us 7 hours to paint 2 houses by hand, with paintbrushes, the old fashioned way. The weather here has been perfect (70's all week) and the days are getting longer. It feels like July in Michigan minus the humidity.

This weekend, we're planning a trip to Joshua Tree National Park and I'm pumped! I will take lots of pictures, don't worry!

Hope everyone had a fantastic New Year!

<3 anne

See You in the New Year!

Well, we're back in good old Sacramento. We decided to leave at 3 am this morning to avoid LA traffic, and it worked! But we're all exhausted. Car sleep is never good sleep.

This past week we were relatively productive. We worked on more sprinkler systems, gluing pipes together and burying them. Then on Thursday, Kyla and I built column structures on a porch. Now, it sounds simple, but it took us about three hours to build one. We have to attach 3 steel beams around a cement block and then screw in boards around it. Not as easy as it sounds!

And for the staff Christmas party Wednesday...never happened. We received a call from the CVHC and they said there was a miscommunication and they didn't have enough food for us! Very sad indeed. But, in return, they treated us to lunch at a restaurant called Cero's and it was fabulous. Possibly the best minestrone soup I've ever had. Everything in it was supersized and chunky, even the noodles! YUM.

It's time to go home, and I'm SO excited!!! It's going to be very difficult to come back. I have to look positively about the experience and get pumped for more AmeriCorps adventures. It's been a crazy and amazing year. I did not think I would have experienced anything I have done in 2009. I can't wait for what is to come.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

See you in 2010!

anne

It's Tamale Time!

Photo: a trail at Ladder Canyon

Hey Everyone!

Well, I will be back in GP on Saturday for two weeks. Wahoo!

As for news in Mecca: This past week I screwed screws into steel for 2 days. I don't recommend it. It's awful. Then I assisted in sawing 2 by 4's to put onto peaks of roofs for roof tile. Yes, all the houses will be Spanish-style with stucco walls and tile roofs! Adorable. Then, I helped build wooden archways for the house porches. Everything is looking good! Today, we dug ditches in backyards and assembled pipes and sprinkler/irrigation systems. Then, we filled the holes back up! I have to admit, it went by pretty quick.

We only have 1.5 days of work left! Tomorrow, we work in the morning and then attend the CVHC (Coachella Valley Housing Coalition) staff Christmas party. Wahoo! Then we have work all day Thursday, then Friday we drive back to Sacramento at 6 am. FUN. But at least I'll be going home to see the fam and friends and Dan! So excited!

This weekend, we attended a Native American pow-wow in a casino in Indio. A strange setting, but it was such a cool experience. There were a bunch of vendors selling jewelry and crafts. Lots of turquoise and silver! And then, in the middle of the theater room, they had tons of people dressed in traditional costumes doing different dances. Apparently, it was a competition, and I was able to view the "fancy shawl" dance. There was also live drumming and chanting to accompany the dance. VERY cool. I wanted to run up and dance too! I think I was a bit underdressed...

Then, Monday, a few of us went on a hike to Painted Canyon/Ladder Canyon. This particular hiking trail has ladders to climb up the rocks and canyons. It was sooooo awesome! There was a part of the trail where we climbed these huge boulders and then took a ladder down into this canyon crevice barely three feet wide. It felt like Honey I Shrunk the Kids! Great movie.

We're really glad we were sent to Mecca/the Coachella Valley. It is such a gorgeous area. Mountain ranges on both sides (very close ones too!) and then this giant sea to the south. It's incredible. I'm sure not many people know about it. I would have never come here if it weren't for AmeriCorps. America is truly a beautiful, amazing country.

Alright, enough of the enlightenment. Things are going very well here, but I can't wait to come home and see everyone!

I hope everyone is well, and Feliz Navidad!

<3 anne

P.S. I'm getting interviewed for the gpnews so keep an eye out!

There's snow in the mountains!

Photo: Mexican dancers at the International Tamale Fest

Hey Everybody!

Yes, I know, it's been over a week since I've been on a computer. Bad Anne.

Anywho, Mecca has been great since Thanksgiving break. Last week we had a five-day workday. We finished the roofs! Wahoo! On Saturday, the families made us a delicious lunch of carne asada, beans, rice, and tortillas, while we contributed corn bread. It was sooo good! Very authentic.

On Wednesday, I made Mom's vegetarian chili and it was a hit! Thanks Mom!

Sunday, the team headed over to the International Tamale Fest 2009 in Indio. My goodness, it was fabulous. Lots of vendors and lots of food! Tamales to be exact. Yes, surprising. I had an authentic chicken tamale and it was very spicy, but very good. Then I sat and watched some Mexican dancing. It was essentially lots of Mexican girls with big colorful skirts swinging them around. I will have pictures soon! Then, I had a dessert tamale from this gourmet tamale vendor. Dessert tamales are apparently very common and often made with strawberries or pineapple. The one I tried was Belgian chocolate, raspberry and carmelized walnut. WOW it was good. I want to learn to make tamales then make all sorts of them! I'm pretty excited about it.

Monday was a rainy, cold, windy day in the desert. I, along with three others, stayed in and cleaned and did laundry and read while others ran errands. It was so nasty outside! And the power went out for an hour. That was fun... Now, thanks to the rain, there is snow on the mountains surrounding us! So awesome. Oh, and tomorrow, it is supposed to be low 29 and high 62 degrees. Bizaare weather here in the desert!

This week at work we are finishing up working on closets (putting in steel tracks for sliding doors and screwing in boards to hold shelves) and working on framing. I think the next step is putting tar paper on the roofs. We shall see.

Things are going great out here in Mecca, and I hope things are well for all of you! I miss everyone! Winter break in 11 days! Wahoo!

<3 anne

It's Christmastime in the Desert

Photo: The view right outside Palm Springs airport

Hello everyone! Happy December! I hope everyone had a swell Thanksgiving.

Last Wednesday I left for Fort Myers, Florida to hang with the Reinhards for the holiday. They built a house "down there" a couple years ago, and if I must say myself, it's quite lovely. The kitchen is fabulously beautiful. Robin's egg blue paint, white cupboards, cream quartz counters, high ceilings, dark wood furniture, and steel appliances. And, there's a pool and hot tub! Who doesn't love a hot tub?

As for activities, we had the typical turkey, stuffing, potatoes dinner on Thursday, then headed over to Aunt Debbie's house (all the relatives are more or less Mrs. Reinhard's aunts and uncles) and had dessert. This was the first time I met this side of the family so I had my game face on. Lauren (Dan's sister) made a sweet potato pie, and it was out of this world. I may or may not have had three pieces...

Friday, I asked Dan to go to the mall with me so at least I could do the traditional Kopf woman post-Thanksgiving shopping trip. It's odd being in an outdoor mall with palm trees and Santa Claus is Coming to Town blasting out of the shops. But that didn't stop us. I bought a sequined shirt for Christmas and Dan made out like a bandit at BR.

That evening, we went to a restaurant on the water called Doc Ford's with the entire extended family. It could have been a bust, seeing it was chilly and we had to sit outside, but there was a live band. You know what that means. We all put on our dancin' shoes and hit the floor. I danced with Grandma, Lauren, Aunt Peggy and Aunt Eileen until the band headed home. Unfortunately, later in the evening, as Dan and I watched the Land Before Time and had pudding cups (wait, we're 23?) I began feeling ill. Around 1 am, I threw everything up I had that day and that was the beginning of Anne's stomach fluud poisoning (we still don't know what it was). So, I felt ill pretty much until I left on Sunday morning. Alas, I had a wonderful time with Dan and his family. As always!

Yesterday, back in Mecca, my team and I bought a Christmas tree!! And after grocery shopping, we came home and decorated it, and everyone contributed to making a decoration/ornament. My egg carton fat Santa is looking good. Everything was made of garbage: egg cartons, nails, plastic bags, tape, paper clips, etc.. Good times in Mecca.

Today we were back to work, hammering, sawing, screwing. I nearly sawed the cord of the saw in half. That would have felt good as I was electrocuted...

It's dinner time and I must go! Less than three weeks til Christmas break! Woohoo!

Love,
anne