Day 5 - Elfun Service Week at Ohana Camp

Thursday was fantastic! It started with the usual perusing of Deb’s “to do” list, but there was an awareness that today was the Elfuns’ last full work day, so the approach was: Let’s make this Victory Day. And victory was achieved!
The Sugar House got its coat of attractive light yellow paint just before the drizzling rain began. All the other major projects were under cover, including completion of window frame painting for the barn and running wire for the fabled Area 51 building. It got a bit crowded in Area 51 when reinforcements arrived, but the progress was awesome.
Highlight of the mid-morning break was an impromptu piano session with Al Jankowski at the keyboard. He was so good that he inspired Gene Bratton to begin singing. Mighty nice duo! As chance (spelled: good planning) would have it, Andy Williams just happened to place a couple of new tables which needed polyurethaning under cover on the porch. So John Betchkal and Gene grabbed two brushes, applied the polyurethane, and finished just in time for the group photo before lunch.
Once again the Vermont weather was cooperative as the rain stopped just long enough to gather for a picture with Lake Fairlee as a backdrop. Everybody showed up, everybody smiled, and after the picture was taken the light rain began once again.
At lunch time the mood was somewhat serious. The Elfuns knew they had only another four hours to work so the camp area became a blur of moving, hardworking volunteers doing wrap-up tasks. And just for fun at lunch, Deb Williams said she’d really be pleased if some renovation work could be started in the office. She got her wish, and the new look is classy along the wall between the reception area and office.
Every fine effort deserves some kind of celebration. So in anticipation of a Friday morning tree planting Joel Albert dug holes for three lilac bushes to join the lush Ohama Camp grounds right at the entrance to the main gate. Tomorrow the Elfuns will toss ceremonial shovels of Vermont topsoil and then head down the highway with good thoughts about their achievements and happy moments together at Ohana.