December project is definitely one to remember!

The NCCC kids (they are all way younger than we are but they are not really kids) are still here and we have had a great month.  We have stuccoed walls and painted them.  We have torn up carpet and replaced it and we have decorated 3 pontoon boats and sailed them in the luminary float parade.

The December project started with a new Sower, a lady we had never met and one we will not soon forget.  Meet Marilyn Olson.

Just before the project got underway we took a side trip to the Cowboy Museum in Las Cruces.

The history of the Cowboy in the region was a very interesting one to view.  They had a hard and demanding life but they made the best of it all.

In the lineup of older machinery was this early cotton picker.

There was also a number of the early sheep and goats that had been brought to the area from Mexico and Europe.

They were beautiful (and healthy) animals---

---and they produced some very fine wool.

 Back to work!  Amy learned how to stucco and became pretty proficient at it.

 Mike took on the job of cutting the last row of carpet---

 While Michelle---

 ---and Ashley laid the main floor carpet.  Several of the others also laid carpet.

 Meanwhile, Sophie learned the stucco process as well and filled in a lot of broken areas.

 We had another problem.  The roof was leaking onto the area where we were laying the new tile.  Answer, repair the roof.

As you can see they really "got into" their work.

We took a break for Thanksgiving at the home of a friend who lives on the bank of the Rio Grand river.

 

Everyone took part in the festivities, including the two dogs thanks to Eric.

We carved the turkeys and ham and prepared the rolls and cranberry sauce---

---while Billie and Eria took time to have a wonderful chat.

 The whole crew took a little time to rest on the bank of the river and digest the wonderful meal we had just shared.

 Back to work!  Now the time had come to decorate the pontoons.

 Everyone pitched in to produce the decorations for the 3 boats---

 ---I even got to help since Billie was taking pictures for us.

 This may look a bit gaudy but it is supposed to as the theme is "The Ugly Christmas Sweater".

 NCCC also had a boat to decorate---

 ---and they mainly wanted to tell people who they were---

 ---and what better way to do that than---

---put their name on it.

 The third boat was decorated for the Boys and Girls club.

 The chosen theme is the Blue door and---

 ---shown standing in the middle of the boat---

 ---and the theme panel "when school is out, club is in".

 The final touches included hundreds of lights---

 ---a panel for the other side---

---and a costume.

 

Work is all done and now the lights go on as the sun goes down.

 The "Ugly Christmas Sweater" was a big hit and won first place---

 While NCCC was by far the easiest to recognize from the shore.

 At last the NCCC group's time was over and we gave them a well deserved certificate of appreciation for all the good things which had been accomplished in the 6 weeks they were here.

 We just happened to find out on the last night that one of the group played the violin.  We asked her if she would give us a short concert and she did.  Thank you Amy.  That looked more comfortable than stucco. 

Off to Truth or Consequences for our next project.

It is a long trip from Purdy, Mo. to Truth or Consequences, NM.  Along the way we passed through the length of Oklahoma and the panhandle of Texas.

At one of the rest stops in Texas we found this great area ---

---and while we were resting we heard the sound which we heard so often when we lived in Nebraska, sandhill cranes flying south for the winter.

Our nest stop was the Santa Rosa Lake and state park.  We spent a quiet and restful night at the park and took note of how low the reservoir was. 

We spent the evening walking along the shore of the lake and---

---;\looking at the local vegetation.

At last we pulled into the Orchard in T or C.  The bugs had made a real mess of the windshield---

---and the rest of the windows could stand a bit of elbow grease as well.

Finally we were all leveled and ready for the project.

One of the distinctive features of the area is Turtle mountain.  To me it is a bit of a stretch, but to the locals this is definitely a turtle.

Just after we got there Apple Tree held a Harvest Fest for the local children.  The lady leading the charge and pictures here is the CEO of apple Tree.  She really gets into the event.

Right behind her is the accountant.  That isn't a calculator she has but her I-phone.

Of course there were games to be assembled---

---tickets to bag---

 

---and popcorn, too.

On a trip to the Elephant Butte reservoir we were surprised at how low it was as well.  

When the work began we were introduced to the National Civilian Conservation Corp group who would be helping is demo an old church which had been donated to Apple Tree.  The renovated building will be used as a local art center for the kids of the community.

Part of the demolition was to remove this entryway.

We decided to do it with a little flair.

Now that that is done, we must remove the roof and walls.

These young people put their crow bars and hammers into it---

and had a good time while they were at it.

Some preferred the higher road--- 

---but eventually it all had to come down---

--- and the hole where the entry doors had been had to be closed again.