World Help Training Center - A Convertible Community

While not related they both pose ver interesting stories about how this week is unfolding at WHTC.

On Sunday afternoon, the StuffIt Container lady was to deliver the storage pods out onsite that contain a quite eclectic mix of stuff. Our time was arranged and the first pod was loaded. We parked her truck and the pod at the entrance of the property to survey the potential spots. No one slight problem in sight. The toads had supported the movement of two bui buildings onsite. The buildings had both beem empty and the weather had been consistently dry. On this past sundy there had been several days of rainy and damp weather and there were some obvious signs of it on the road. The left side of the red clay road had been gouged with the rainwater runoff. Btu it looked manageable. So I left her to her delivery business and  drove off only to receive a call before I could reach the interstate saying that the truck was already stuck. I returned and looked at the muddy mess. The truck had slidden to the left, into the gouged trench and was up to th rear axle in mud - blocking the ENTIRE road. Only reverse seemed like an option, but the spinning wheels nor the boards were an effective solution. So having done all we could...we left. I dropped her of at her vehicle and we decided to try removing the stuck truck on Monday morning.

On Monday morning I received a call saying that a truck with chain was no match for the mud and that another wrecker was being called to pull her wrecker out of the mud. We secured a flat, non-muddy space down the road to place the pod.

My confidence was rewarded as I returned to the property later in the morning to find the road clear and passable, albeit with a few more deep gouges from the wrestling match that I can only imagine that was required to free the truck.

So what does that have to do with lost phones? NOTHING! The continuing saga is that upon returning on Monday onsite I managed to lose my phone in the woods. I had no idea where I had lost it, only that the day had been rather quiet and I had not heard it ring. This morning I decided to retrace the path that I had followed with the visitor and dog, Egypt yesterday. And there it was! Under the fallen tree that I had limbo'd under yesterday; a bit moist frm the light sprinkles and fog, but working nonetheless!

This week has definately started with its own excitement. I cant wait for the rest of the week to unfold!

There are not many things that say wilderness better than a wood fire going! And not much says simple living than a wood burning cook stove.

This week's adventure has included the adoption of a blue and rust colored old fashioned cook stove for WHTC. Naomi Davis of Davis Farms in Roberta Georgia met our heat/cooking need by allowing us to adopt her grandmother's old stove.

With the help of Kim and Jim (driving the tractor to carry the stove) and the generosity of Naomi...we have a wood burning stove out at WHTC. I have committed to cook up something AND grilled cheese sandwiches and have the folks over at Davis Farms over after I get it cleaned up and working.

Thanks Naomi. Thanks Davis Farms! Be sure to check out the video and pictures!

Well I am not one that enjoys just part of the story so here is the conclusion of the building moving project. If you followed the youtube videos (more located on youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheOpenToolbox) you saw 4 brave men, 3 tow trucks, 2 buildings and 1 amazed me! The WHTC site is approximately 15 miles away so the caravan of tow trucks make the trek onsite. I drove up the road about 1/4 mile (well it's probably not that far, but it feels like it), parked and ran back down the road to guide the trucks up. I was met by the tow truck (with nothing in tow). They had come up the road to survey the land. By this time they were shaking their heads. The road is dirt, and about 12 feet wide. We decide to go for broke and send for the first smaller building. After holding our breath, it made it to the top and was deposited. The concern was for the large building. Twelve foot road, 12 foot building. See the problem? Because of the height of the building on top of the truck, there was great concern for the not-too-big but overhanging pine trees that formed a canopy over the road. The decision was made to try to move the building as far up the road as possible without causing damage...BACKWARDS for fear that the  building could not go all they way up, and they didn't want the wrecker stuck with no way out. So backwards we started. About 20 yards up the road we realized we were going to need to do some cutting. We stood there wishing we had a chainsaw. Then I realized, there was an ax in the building. So one brave professional leaped the 6 feet off the ground into the building to retrieve it.

Slowly, slowly, slowly they backed the building up as we cut and dragged trees out of the way. To everyone's surprise we made it to the top of the road with only minor damage. One window screen was torn and one corner of the trim was slightly bent. But success! Two buildings, and an ax are now onsite at WHTC.

Stay tuned for the next project. We will be building hexayurts and drilling a well next! Contact us if you are interested in coming out for the next project or build.

There are many things to learn about forestry when you begin working with raw land. The WHTC site consists of good 'ol Georgia red clay and the abundance of pine trees. Much of the surrounding land has been for decades pine forests. This site was cleared several decades ago and what is in place currently is naturally seeded pines with a few persimmon and crab apple trees mixed in, a few hardweeds and a lot of vines and a few ornamental plants left from perhaps an old homesite from decades ago. As we begin mapping out the design for the convertible community we will begin working with a timber agent as well to help us market the timber that we will be clearing. I am certain that we will learn much more about timber.