6 August 2018 - Week 70

2 August - We actually received our flight plans to return to America.  We have loved our assignment in Romania, but we are very happy to be arriving at the time when we can go home. 

The building where we is live is supposedly the first in a group of about 8 or 9 identical buildings. There has been talk about a new building since we arrived in April 2017, but it is just beginning to happen.  With the background we have in building construction, we thought it would be interesting to watch, but it has turned out to be way different than we expected.  

They excavated a 9-foot hole ( that was crazy because it exposed lots of concrete and pipes that had to be taken care of ) and then they filled that hole back in a little at a time only with different materials that looked like coarse sand.  Then they ran a compactor over it.  On top of that, they built a three-foot-high maze of varying sizes of rebar and tied it all together.  Each joint was individually wrapped with tie wire. On the right side of the photo, you can see the yellow forms are beginning to be placed.  Brent talked to the project manager who said they will pour the whole bottom concrete layer in one pour.  They estimate it will take 24 hours.  

One of our walks in the forest this week coincided with the lumber haulers arrival.  They use tractors and wagons as shown here and sometimes trucks, which are so different than the trucks in America.  The stubby nosed fronts and rusty beds are well used but seem to keep doing the job.  We can often hear the sound of chainsaws and falling trees but the vegetation is too thick for us to see them.

The vegetation is growing like crazy.  So much rain and heat the vines climb way up the trees.  

This road sign is on the freeway entrance as you leave Arad.  I am not sure what it means!?!?!?

 The cemetery where our branch member was buried is on our way home from the forest.  We decided to stop one day.  Look at this cute little grandma who is selling flowers from her garden for people to take and put on graves.   So cute.  These cute little grandma types appear all around town.  In twenty years they will probably be all be gone taking away a sweet flash from the past. 

The sisters in the branch wanted to get together for ice cream and graciously allowed Elder Andersen to come along.  These sisters are so good at loving and taking care of each other. Hmm . . .  .  seemed to miss myself in the selfie.