The following reports are from Executive Director Joel McCarty. The photos are being recorded, labeled and emailed by VMI cadet Charles Bryan.

Saturday, March 20

People are feeling good, most of them. It's great to see all our pals again, and the energy level continues to rise, although the concrete floor is taking its toll on some feet and backs. Dave Dauerty provided back-cracking services to several of us, to great effect. I think next time we should get a massage or dance movement therapist on the team, too.

At 9am, right on schedule, the rafter heros arrived in the person of Al Anderson and his big old red truck (and the Mafell band saw). This resawn yellow pine was well above grade, reducing the anxiety of the engineering division, representing a significant contribution from both Dreaming Creek and Blue Ridge. Very nice material, originally spec'ed as 5x12 yellow poplar, now looking a lot like 3 1/2 by 10 southern yellow pine; officially number one and better, but actually much much better. Ellen Gibson (of MassArt) and John Miller (of Dreaming Creek) immediately setup a rafter layout studio with cadetpower, in the spring sunlight, far from the madding crowd inside. Square rule reductions are looking good, transitioning with an adzed scoop, dubbed by the Mass Art students as a 'whoop-de-doo'.

Right next door to this sylvan scene is another herd of students working for Dan Fadden; they seem completely overwhelmed with the upper ties beams and two chisels in every mortise.

There's a whole lot of teaching going on out here, while inside it's production city. Roger Nair is laying out the last post, the big B-line posts are being cut by a crew barely restrained by Peter Bull, while each corner of the building has a tapping gang at full speed.

Scarf joints are laid out, and being roughed out by a cast of thousands.

Here are some photos taken this afternoon during lunch break and at the staging area.

March 20. Lunch. Please click on the small photo above to view a larger version.

A W&L student handles a chain mortiser. Cadets, digesting their lunch.