Sunday, December 18, 2011

Pink Painted Skies and the End of Round One


my team, green 7 at agua caliente park with our sponsors


Green 7 seized the moment.

Agua Caliente park is the only place I can count how many shooting stars I see in one night, spot Jupiter, and lay under the huge Milky Way every night. I'd never camped before and now I am sleeping outside, under the stars, among coyotes, scorpions, quails and bobcats.

Green 7 built memories.

Although, our projects at Camp Stevens and baking Christmas cookies in the Shelter Valley community were a blast the general consensus of our favorite independent service project thus far has been volunteering with 20 others on Thanksgiving at the Julian Town Hall, feeding 420 senior citizens, lower class and tourists who arrived with hungry bellies for a fresh cooked meal.

green 7 in julian, ca feeding the hungry on thanksgiving


By working and laughing together the team came a long way as a community of their own. I couldn't have asked for a better first project.

myself and lindsey laugh while we rock- line a hot springs stream


Green 7 built communication and leadership skills.

While planting over 100 palm trees and cacti, removing 750 pounds of invasive species, excavating 3,500 pounds of sand for soil erosion control, using the sand for trail work, rock-lining trail and streams, building horse corrals and clearing hiking trails, Green 7 learned the urgency of finishing projects in a short amount of time. Because we did so well at Agua Caliente, no other teams are needed this year!

kayla and jenna building horse corrals

myself, helping to extend a trail


It can be frustrating being within arms reach of ten other people at all times but I learned to love. Personally, I wasn't sure if I could endure 6 weeks of camping in the desert but it is funny how quickly my comfort level adjusted after just 5 days out in the dust bowl. The scenery is phenomenal in the Anza Borrego, whether it be sunrise, mid-day, or my favorite, sunset.

me, shauna and the beautiful pink sunset after a long day of service


Despite my crazy dreams of vacuuming it, I never thought I would sleep so well, in a tent, in the desert. I'm saddened to leave San Diego County but I leaving my footprints in the deep desert sands of Anza Borrego.

at camp stevens

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