The Augean Stables

    Yesterday was our first day of work on the 1802 Madison Project and several of the "stakeholders" (Project managers Christy Anderson and Cindy Keeping, investors Rich Anderson, June Jernigan, Karen Pell, Tim Henderson, Mendel Brown and N.D. Seibel) came together for a day of work.  Our plan of action was to clear away brush and wisteria from the porch, clean off the porch, and assess how much flotsam needed to be cleared out of the house.  N.D. wielded his mighty chainsaw to great effect against the cherry laurels and scrub trees that had grown up beneath the magnolia on the east lawn (despite appearances, Mendel is not actually fleeing in terror from the chainsaw wielding maniac behind him).

As the morning progressed, the house began to emerge from beneath its shroud of vegetation.  Tim surveys the progress:

Cindy and Christy cleaned off the cluttered porch and secured some weak spots in the floor (after Christy discovered one-ouch!).  Never one to be put off by adversity, Christy continued sorting and moving salvageable materials from the porch:

     At the end of the day we were left with a clean porch (except for the bags of cans removed from the house for recycling).

     Next Saturday, May 18 will be our first opportunity for volunteers to help out.  Details will be posted tomorrow.  Thanks for checking us out!