Another new state!

  So it has been well over a week since my last blog and obviously, a lot has happened, as it tends to do on this trip. It's hard to even decide where to begin, or how to simply share the most interesting details with you. They all seem so interesting!

  Every host stay seems to outdo the one before it! Everyone we meet is so welcoming and takes such amazing care of us. A couple of highlights include the accidental detour onto the interstate on the way into Ohio... followed that evening by a lovely BBQ on the lake. I have officially swam in two Great Lakes at this point - Erie and Ontario. So that makes life pretty awesome.

 Since my last post we have leant a hand at two habitat sites. The first was in Rochester, NY, where we helped to prepare lots for landscaping and for new houses. Imagine a lot overgrown with weeds as tall as a person. Ok well, not any person, just as tall as me. Make sure you imagine dense growth. Good... now multiply that density by ten. That's what we got to attack with various garden tools. By the end of the day we had cleared the jungle, removing not just weeds but dead trees, a giant stump (definitely bigger than me), and rocks and you could recognize it as a space where someone might live. And just so you know, landscaping = a lot of hard work. Good thing there are 30 of us. 

 Our other build day was in Cleveland. We had arrived in Avon Lake the previous evening and had just enjoyed a rare treat... real beds. The members of the United Church of Christ in Avon Lake, OH graciously invited us into their homes. So we had an excellent night's sleep at our hosts to prepare us for a day of building. Good thing! We needed it to get through the day. 30 people did the work of heavy machines that day as we moved MOUNTAINS of dirt. We were backfilling the house. Piles of dirt made there way into the ground to give support to the foundation. But we were well rewarded for our toils. The great city of Cleveland decided to thanks us (and perhaps apologize for the bumpy roads!) by inviting us into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There we got to tour 6 floors of Rock History... for free. New fact I learned - The Song "Hey Jude" (goes with out saying... Beatles song!) was originally "Hey Jules" and was written for John Lennon's son, Julian. Also, the factoid blurbs on the wall confirmed that "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was written in reference to a drawing done by Julian, not LSD... as I have been trying to tell people for years!

  And a very quick rundown, because the lights have been turned out and it is well past bedtime.!! Yesterday, after our longest day yet (97 miles) we rolled into Bowling Green for our last night in Ohio. Now you may know that Bowling Green is home to a college with an excellent music program. But let me tell you the more important fact. Bowling Green is home of the one and only Scott Hamilton, a fan favorite for years. So that was pretty exciting! Today we finally made it through Ohio and the land of bumpy roads. After miles of corn fields, wheat fields, and thankfully rolling hills, we made it to Michigan. So now I have finally been to Michigan. If I can just get to Kentucky, I'll have been to all of the states east of the Mississippi, so that will be awesome. 

 A few shout outs!

Thanks to my mommy for some great trail mix in Lockport.

Thanks to Katie for an excellent care package in Camden.

And Thanks to Joy's mom: I'm in Michigan and you're not! 

Until next time.. All we are asking, is give peace a chance!