activities participated in so far:
1. trash clean-up outside a daycare center in new orleans. this is the site of some planned bioremediation, which as i understand it is all about removing the toxins in the soil (of which there are many from a variety of sewage spills, oils spills, and general chemical mishaps resulting from the hurricane), and getting regular plant life to grow in it again. instead of using other man-made chemicals to do this, chemicals are generated through hippie flower power. various composting concoctions, mushrooms, etc. general the right chemicals and microorganisms to get rid of this stuff. there were some pretty bad chemicals that spilled during the hurricane and the flooding and a lot of the land has toxic chemicals that have seeped into its nooks and cranies. these are chemicals that apparently can cause neurological damage among other things, so it's a pretty important part of the effort to help people reestablish residences.

2. carl's house. carl is a retired u.s. marine whose house was ruined in the flooding. besides generally ridding the house of its mould infested objects, it's also been completely stripped down to its plywood floors and stud-walls. we've been using clorox to clean the mould that's left and scrubbing it down with brushes. respirators, biohazard suits, safety goggles, and gloves are a must. i arrived to help with the end of the bleaching and scrubbing. yesterday we began installing insulation. today we began installing drywall. in the meantime, carl had to go bail some relative out of jail in mississippi to the sum of some five grand. the fun never stops.

3. jen's house. i've not been yet, but it's more or less the same situation as carl's house. it needs to be gutted, cleaned of mould and then redone.

4. bayou liberty relief camp. the home base has been gradually accumulating upgrades, from a roof over the outhouse to new paint on walls and general cleaning.

that's about it for now. hopefully i'll get to post again soon about the group and life at the camp.