Tijuana Skyline

8,000 pounds. That's four tons. And that's only the gravel that we hauled and mixed yesterday to make the foundation for America's house. That doesn't count the sand, which probably topped three tons, or all the yellow dirt we had to haul for the underlay. My share of that had to be at least two tons of shoveled gravel and dirt. Not quite up to Tennessee Ernie Ford standards, but it was enough to earn me a good night's sleep.

We leave Tijuana tomorrow, most of us for home, so this was the day to finish what we started earlier in the week.

So, like an army of ants, we reshaped, to a very limited degree, the Tijuana skyline. We put a roof slab on Nico's house, moving by one person's estimate, 12 tons of cement. Like a conveyor belt, the gravel, sand and water were dumped into the cement mixer before being shoveled into buckets that snaked their way along one side of the house and up a scaffolding to be dumped in the waiting frame of wood and rebar, before the empty buckets were tossed back down to ground level for refilling.

Everyone was a hero today, but the one I noted most closely was Deana Barrow, who shoveled non-stop for a few hours to keep those buckets moving. Using a square-bladed shovel, she kept digging into a "canoe" of cement  and dumping loads into buckets almost without pause, accounting for half of the estimated 12 tons of cement that were hauled up the scaffolding to become part of Tijuana's skyline.

Deana, center, shoveled cement non-stop.

You have probably heard at least one version of the folk song about that steel drivin' man, John Henry. Here's one example:

John Henry had a little woman
Her name was Julie Anne
John Henry got sick and was laying in his bed
Julie drove steel like a man.
Yeah, Julie droved steel like a man.

Well, here's another one for you to chew on, based on the undaunted performance of Deana, who didn't stop until the roof slab was done.

There was this stubborn woman
The woman's name -- Deana
She stood right by that  see-ment tub
Deana shoveled mud like a man, oh Lord,
Deana shoveled mud like a man.

Well, I hope I  haven't embarrassed her with bad lyrics or too much attention.

The photos that follow show more of how the day went:

A continuous, almost rhythmical bucket line brought the concrete from ground to roof level

Dan Soukup used the "gravel drag" method to fill buckets fast enough to keep up with the serpentine line to the roof.

Jose, America's nephew, filled sand buckets.

Messy Greg Seiler was too busy mixing cement to keep his shirt clean.

Just as we were about to run out of gravel, the cavalry arrived -- a dump truck with another load.

The water man also showed up, to replenish the site's water supply.

Mike and Jan Kline failed to grasp
the concept that when you do a parody
of American Gothic, you're not supposed to smile.

With the roof slab nearing completion, Ben Larson hands up a bucket to Dennis Dooley.

Kelsey Barrow estimated that she had performed 1,800 bucket returns before the work was done.

Done! The bucket line's works is over, and Rigo, an Esperanza employee, smooths out the surface.

Two families express their appreciation for the work on their new homes: to the left, spouses Roberto and Nico, and far right, America. Their children are also pictured above.

 Thanks from the family was followed by a blessing of the house, led byJonathan Cheever, a student for the priesthood.

Final Photo:

Impatient with the slow pace of the bucket line,
Karen Maxwell simply heaves a cement bucket to the roof as a stunned and incredulous Annette Schwientek looks on.

And if you believe that...

Love,
Robert

Note: This blog is independent of any organization; errors, omissions, exaggerations and misinterpretations are solely the responsibility of the author.