Bees, snakes, trash & a final team celebration

My early morning scouting trip lead me again to the laundromat(to figure out plans for tomorrow morning), to the Trading Post to pick up a gift card for Ross, to the NH to meet the new administrator and confirm that Friday pm Bingo is still a go and lastly to the Elder Feeding program to see if we could do some painting.  The maintenance person told me there was paint, when I asked to look at it, I noticed large buckets of paint, but no brushes, rollers, trays etc.  When I inquired, he said they were gone, and no they couldn't get any more supplies.  While I was pondering my next steps, Ross called to ask if we could come over to the fairgrounds to help remove the skirting from a trailer that needed to be moved.  Since that solved the problem of a morning project, I told him I would go get the team and we would meet him at the horse barns.
Having just finished a hearty breakfast prepared by the teens, the team jumped in the van and headed out.

On arrival we found an old trailer surrounded by tall grass, bees, snakes and trash.  Ross wanted the skirting and insulation removed.  Those with bees phobia chose to collect trash around the horse barns.  The family in residence chose to stay inside, until Ross asked them to help, at which point they drove away.  The remaining brave volunteers used a variety of tools and strategies to remove the skirting, clean the trash, and cut the grass. After several bee stings, snake scares and dramatic heat(to 99 degrees), I told Ross we had done what we could, which was quite alot actually, and it was time to quit.  It turned out that they wanted to move the trailer because the family had essentially been squatting, with the tribe paying  their electrical bills.  The tribe wanted the area cleaned up, and the trailer moved.

We returned to the Head Start building to cool off and get ready to go to Billings to help out with the Head Start fund raiser car wash, when the Head Start staff pulled up and said they had been to Billings(an hour away) and the car wash was cancelled.  The team, somewhat relieved with the break, headed inside for lunch and a debrief of how they felt to be put in a somewhat dangerous, and certainly unpleasant situation.  They were particularly aggravated that the family didn't help, and that no appreciation had been expressed by Ross or any other community members for the tough work that had been done.  After a long discussion, with many view points aired, there was a feeling of  getting a difficult and frightening job done, and an understanding that in a small way it was definitely helping the community.

The team spent the next few hours doing an amazing cleaning and straightening job at the Head Start building in order to prepare for the next Global team that arrives tomorrow. Late afternoon found part of the team running a Bingo game at the blessedly cool Nursing home, where the staff were delighted to see us coming as they had no one to run the game, and the "regulars" were all set up and ready to play.  Fifty cents a game, one dollar for blackout.  We had a lovely time, and enjoyed a brief tour of this small, spotless, and person centered nursing home.  It did seem somewhat ironic to me, that the last project of the week took me straight back to my primary comfort zone: working with older adults.  By the way, I did fit in a quick trip back to the Elder Feeding program, to find Brenda and photograph her.  She asked me to write to her from home.

Our day and week culminated in a glorious evening celebration at the Trading Post, with copious amounts of buffalo steaks, Indian tacos, fry bread and pies of all types.  Superhero gift bags and thank you certificates were awarded to the volunteers, and I was surprised by a pair of gorgeous Crow beaded earrings that I had been lusting after all week. Most importantly was the tremendous sense of team cohesiveness, goodwill, and appreciation for a job well done, despite many obstacles. No surprise to those who know me, the evening ended with a lovely shopping spree at the Trading Post.

As I write , the team is packing up, the teens are singing, the adults are making plans for the next great service adventure.....stay tuned, and I will be in touch from wherever that may be,

With love and gratitude to all of you  who cared for things at home and work, so that I could lead this extraordinary team,

Goodbye for now,
Barbara

Rough team dynamics and falling in love with riding , again

Some of you noticed my absent blog yesterday.  The team had a rough and long day.  A combination of unlikely events lead to frustration with lack of work projects:  waiting for paint that never arrived in the morning, and then again in the afternoon, administrative change at the nursing home (from non Native to Native management), and  lack of director at Elder Feeding program so we couldn't paint.  We did have the opportunity to visit with the Elders at the lunch feeding program.  They were warm and welcoming, and very interested in Global Volunteers.  Around here, you are an elder if you are age 55 or over.  Think about that.  As we were leaving, one of my volunteers summoned me urgently:  "over here, I need help".  I turned the corner to find Brenda, a 71 year old , stranded in the driveway , sitting on her walker, too scared to move or walk on her own.  Thus ensued 30 minutes of helping her get up, walk part way, be pushed part way, finally making it back to her front porch where it took another few minutes to get her chair just right.  In the meantime we learned that she had diabetes, had had a stroke, and two hip fractures.  Just I was getting ready to return to my team, she said she needed a cup of coffee.  I went to the dining room to get her coffee, returning to find her lighting up her cigarette.  After promising to return in a few days to see her, I asked if I could bring my camera.  With a wink and a grin, she said:  "Yes, of course, I will be here with my coffee and my cigarette".

In the late afternoon we drove to Yellowtail Dam and the Bighorn Canyon, about an hour from Crow Agency.  This magnificent early evening drive lead us to a fantastic marina and swimming beach where we eagerly enjoyed the cool water and spectacular canyon, rounding the trip off with a picnic dinner.  Unfortunately the magnificence was marred by serious issues with one of the team members.  After many hours, much thought and discussion  I had to make the most difficult decision of asking her to leave the team.  Those of you who have been team leaders know this could be the hardest decision ever.  In this case, and I will spare you the details, it was the only choice.  She and her son left for Billings this morning.

The rest of team awoke ready to understand what had happened and move on.  Much relieved with the dramatic decrease in stress and tension, the team was highly energized.  We drove to Pryor, visited with our friends at Plenty Coups State Park, helped with scaffolding, and then painted at the high school.  Early afternoon found us on our way to Falls Down Lane to get started on our riding adventure.  We were greeted by Larry Falls Down and his team with a wonderful BBQ lunch and tales of Pryor.  After lunch we headed to the arena for riding lesson and a trail ride.  Even the most anxious and afraid relaxed and rode well under Larry and Steven's gentle guidance.  The ride through high meadows, with spectacular views and a cool breeze was fantastic.  The most nervous rider, in the end, was the last to get off her horse.  Returning to the cook house, Larry regaled us with more stories, accompanied by his guitar.  Finally an exhausted but elated team headed back to Crow Agency.  Hard to believe our last day will be tomorrow.  Who knows what it will bring:  we have several plans in place, so stay tuned.

Thanks to those of you who knew a bit about what was going on with the team, and for your love and support.  hard as it was, I am convinced I made the right decision.  Lots of lessons learned.

Love from Crow country,
Barbara

Celebration BBQ and whose trash is this any way?

The rain clouds held off as the team finished the work of staining and touching up the Chief's house and store.  By now the two teams felt comfortable with each other , and were able to get right to work to finish up the job.  The Global team headed to the Pryor High School to paint the inside walls and do trash duty outside.

Lunchtime brought us back to the State Park for a celebratory lunch BBQ, with staff, volunteers, Crow Youth and the head of the Montana State Parks.  The Global Volunteer young adults provided the entertainment with a rousing rendition of their Chief Plenty Coups rap.  After thanks and goodbyes, the Global team headed back to the high school for more painting and more trash.  This lead to a heated discussion of whose trash was it anyway and why weren't they present to be picking it up?  On the other hand, Ross was thrilled with the outcome:  a clean and welcoming entrance to the school.

Meantime, I took a ride to the top of the ridge, magnificent view of the valley, where I met with Larry Falls Down, to arrange for a lunch and trail ride for our team later in the week.  He regaled me with tales of the Crow, and his ranch , then wanted to hear all about Global Volunteers, and finally gave me a price that couldn't be beat, because , he said, we were giving so much to his community.

The trip home included the promised stop at Dairy Queen, The Dollar Store, The Hardware Store(more air mattresses), and the grocery store.  Tired and hungry, the team fell into showers and then dinner.  The evening meeting was followed by an informal conversation about prior and future volunteer trips, the impacts(negative & positive) and general philosophizing about domestic and international volunteering.  This is a team of hardworking, dedicated, thoughtful and creative people.  They will have a huge impact wherever they choose to go next.  Meantime, I need to figure out a project plan for tomorrow morning here in Crow Agency!

Love to all of you,
Barbara

Inflated spirits, deflated air mattresses

Cool and clear early am when we headed out for Pryor armed with water bottles, snacks, and great intentions.  After a quick 75 minute drive through hay-fields, few houses, few cars , and few people we arrived at Chief Plenty Coups State Park.  Our greeting included a quick history of the Chief, his family, and his bequest to have some his land turned into a park to promote peace and understanding among different peoples.  The team received gifts of water bottles, sunglasses, and disposable coveralls, met their fellow volunteers from the Crow Summer Youth Program, and off they went.  In this beautiful isolated spot, the group of over 20, set to work to stain the outside of the Chiefs historic home as well as his store.  Fantastic team work resulted in the first coats being done by lunch.  After a break for food and a stroll through the park, the second coats were applied, right before the torrential rains began.  The young adults took the lead all day in forging friendships and understanding with their Crow co-workers.

Tired, hot, and stain covered we headed back to Crow Agency for showers, downtime, and then a fabulous chicken dinner prepared by several on the team.  At the evening meeting, all agreed that it was a day filled with hard work, great impact, new understanding and great accomplishment.  Several team members commented that the day exceeded their expectations.

Meantime, I dealt with the headaches and logistics of a new program:  deflating air mattresses, not enough blankets, hosts who don't act like hosts, and planning for the next few days.  Great support from my Global colleague and leader, Andrew Philbrook, helped ease my anxieties.

Hope for a clear day tomorrow,
With love from Crow Country
Barbara

Custer's last stand, orientation rap, and showers!

Headed out to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument this AM while we awaited the last two team members to arrive.  Those of you who know me, realize that history, especially about wars, is not really my thing.  But this National Monument is a hidden gem.  On a quiet hillside rests the story of Custer's last battle and the courage and ferocity of the Native Americans who fought that day.  A wonderful film, followed by a ranger re-enactment of the battle, with a walk through the granite and concrete memorials, made the history come alive and served as a great cultural and historical context to set the tone for the week to come.  A quick stop at the Trading Post rounded off the morning.

The last team members arrived, and orientation started in earnest.  After getting through the usual policies, mission, and team goals I set the young adults off to work on a rap or song to teach the rest of us about Chief Plenty Coups, and the adults to use a skit or poem to teach us about Crow Agency and the Crow Nation.  You guessed it:  the young adults were enthusiastic and creative; the adults more reticent and reluctant.  See attached for the terrific young adult product.

Orientation ended in time for much needed showers, food shopping, and a stop at the Dollar Store, before returning for a  spaghetti and garlic bread dinner.  All is quiet now, everyone getting settled for some rest before the start of our big project tomorrow.  We will be travelling to Pryor(about 70 miles away) to stain and restore Chief Plenty Coups'

historic home.

Be well ,
Barbara

Old & New Team Members: settling in, where are our hosts?

A good night's sleep, followed by an early morning walk and I was off to the airport, an hour away in Billings.  First arrival, Kathy , a colleague of Phil's and prior teammate from West Virginia.  Since then she has been to Cuba and Portugal with Global, ironically, both with Joe T, the team leader who preceded me here in Montana.  We got to spend a couple of hours catchingup, before the arrival of Ellie and Claudia(also from the West Virginia team) and new team members: Marie and her son David, from Lexington, MA.(first Global team for them).

Back in the van to return to Billings, some anxiety, much excitement.  Arrival at the Head Start brought about the usual nesting in issues, where am I sleeping? (a few necessary adjustments to the plan) where is the shower(well......no showers till tomorrow), how about the food and cold water?  How about some cold air?
Off for a short walking tour of Crow Agency, back for a rest, and chicken dinner.  Ellie's enthusiasm is contagious.  She wants to do everything:  can we hike? can we ride horses? can we build something?  The adults, and newcomer, David are more reserved.

Strange to me that since yesterday we have not seen or heard from anyone from the tribal office, the Head Start leadership, or the local Junior College team.  It seems they don't get involved over the weekend.  It did lead one volunteer to ask:  "Do they even know we are here?  Do they even want us here?"  Questions to be pondered through the week.

Meantime, our late evening walk, through the "suburbs" of Crow took us through a poor and dilapidated section of old, poorly maintained homes with junk and debris outside, and in great need of repair.  Outside one of them, a 6 year old girl on her bike stopped to ask us for help:  "there's a man in that house cussing and drunk, I am worried he is going to hurt my friend".  While we considered our options, the boy exited the home and his 6 year old friend and protector said " are you ok?" as they rode away on their bikes.

Hugs from here, and be sure to hug and hold your loved ones closely,
Barbara

Team leader is height challenged and it is VERY hot here!

It was cool and clear when Phil and I left Genesee early this am.  Such a beautiful day, always makes me wonder why I am leaving.  The quick flight(in first class!) was uneventful, I spent the time rereading my team leader manual, and reminding myself of all my responsibilities as well as the overall Global Volunteers mission and principles.  Many of you have heard it before, but Global only works where invited, lets the local community lead, works in partnership with local volunteers and workers etc.

Ross Whiteman met me at the airport.  He had originally learned of Global when he lived in Browning , Montana on the Blackfoot reservation.  He was so impressed with the work and the volunteers that he asked Global to consider sending teams here to Crow Agency.  He no longer works for the Crow Tribal government, but has retained his role as host and facilitator.  Longterm his goal is to turn the responsibility over to the local agencies who are in need of volunteers.  From the airport, he drove me on a grand tour:  first to Pryor, about 30 minutes from Billings, to meet the head of the team at the State Park where we will work next week on restoring the Chief's house.  Wide open spaces, hay, horses, rivers, and rolling hills. Few homes, few cars, and even fewer people.  The State Park is lovely, and I received a warm welcome.  Plans are set for our Monday morning start.

Back in the van, to head the opposite direction for Crow Agency.  Off the interstate now, even fewer cars, fewer people.  The landscape is vast.  Horses and cattle have free roam.  90 minutes later we arrived in Crow Agency, for a quick tour of the Senior Feeding program, the nursing home, and finally to Head Start, which will be our home this week.  Initially the reception was luke warm at best. Apparently the last team left the kitchen unacceptably dirty, and there seemed to be high sensitivity on the issue.  We will be using classrooms as bedrooms and dining hall.  All the attendant gear had been stored by the prior team, in the shed.  First team leader challenge of the week!  See attached for a birds eye view of the problem.  Les, the Head Start director(about 6 ft 5 inches himself), looked up and said:  "there's your stuff, see you later".  Hmmm........ingenuity, a chair, and yoga muscles prevailed.  All the boxes came down, no injuries.  The air mattresses are inflated, the rooms straightened, groceries in the fridge, and I even had a chance to find the Hardin Community Center pool(a cavernous place, built in the 1950s it appeared) where I had a delicious swim and shower( drop in cost: $1.00 for those 60 and over, haha).What a relief to cool off and have a shower(you guessed it, no showers here at our Head Start home).

Very quiet now, looking forward to some rest before I head to the airport in the morning to pick up the first arriving team members.  From what I've seen of Pryor and Crow Agency so far, we will have lots of opportunity to assist with repair, construction, and spending time with elders.  Although Crow Agency sits just feet off of Interstate 90, it feels like a whole different world here.

Love to all of you,
Barbara