Thirteen hours later ...

The P.A.W. team boarded the bus in Nashua at 3 a.m. and, 13 hours and two plane changes later, disembarked at Louis Armstrong Airport in NewOrleans. Luggage and tired teens were piled into five minivans and we were on our way. (The pilot on the Boston toTexas run talked about us over the plane's intercom.) We took I-10 east, passing through neighborhoods still recovering from Katrina. We stopped at Burger King for a snack, giving workers a fast and friendly rush of business.
We eventually arrived at Camp Hope where we unpacked and then played basketball/pool/guitar/naptime depending on energy level and inclination. The dorms are furnished with rough bunks fashioned with 2 x 4s and drywall screws, but they are air-conditioned. Dinner was varied and filling. Pat opted to skip the traditional fare and instead dined on an old MRE (meal ready to eat) he found. Nearly everyone got to try the cheese and jalopino spread included in the meal.
That's it for now. On tap for the night are a couple of orientation meetings and, likely, an early bedtime. Nighty-night.