2014 MDS--Crisfield, Maryland

 Our MDS service this year takes us to Crisfield, Maryland, a small fishing village that was once the crab capital of the US.  The damage here was flooding from Hurricane Sandy and we are told that 500 homes were flooded although by now it is hard to see the evidence.  The homes look okay, but there is a lot of damage and mold in a lot of them.  MDS is housed in an old radar building that is on American Legion property.  We left home on a cold morning on Dec. 31, flew into Baltimore, rented a van there and drove another couple of hours the next day and arrived in Crisfield just before noon on January 1st.  Travelling with us were Larry and Sandi from home, and Carl and Lydia from Hepburn, SK.  Joining us later in the week were Paul and Ruth, our cooks from South Bend , IN, and this past Saturday we joined by Art from Kleefeld, MB

 This is the RV that we are calling home for the next weeks.  It is good to have our own space, but this trailer sits up pretty high and on the windy days there is a lot of shaking and swaying, banging and flapping that we have to contend with.  Not great for a sound nights sleep, at least in the beginning.  We are more relaxed about it by now because it has not tipped over yet, so we are thinking that maybe we will be ok.  Still are not used to being rocked to sleep though.   There are 3 other RVs on site for the other long term volunteers and we spent lots of time in the first couple of days here getting the sewer and water hooked up, lighting furnaces and water heater burners  and doing lots of trouble shooting.  I think as of this weekend everyone can have a hot shower in their own RV, and stay warm at night.  Those very cold nights gave us some trouble but nothing broke.

 The inside of our place, standing just inside the door.  The bedroom is to the right up a couple of steps.

 The bedroom and bathroom are all kinda one big room.  The shower is in the corner next to the sink and the potty is in a small  "closet" across from the sink.  The bed is queen size and pretty comfy.

 Inside the building is where the volunteers sleep and shower, eat and relax.  Inside the main door is the coffee room, and off to the left is the kitchen.

 Off to the right is the big main room where we eat and relax.   We have rearranged it since this picture but it is a nice big room with lots of windows and light.  We were glad for the couches a couple of windy nights early on, they made comfy beds.  We currently have 3 houses that we are working on, with the fourth one coming on stream maybe by Friday.  There are a couple more signed up but so far permits and other things are not in place.  We have survived a snow storm and some heavy frost, some rainy days, and some very pleasant ones, and are doing fine.  We are on our second week of volunteers and have met some interesting folks, there is lots of game playing happening evenings, and some of us have sampled the local cuisine, enjoying fish and crab cakes, but are told we need to try a soft crab sandwhich, which is apparently a whole crab, but a soft one and you eat everything...... we'll see....   There is also something called Smith Island cake, which sounds way more appealing.