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Sunday, October 10, 2004

Let's Talk About...

...the Weather!

The last week has been very nice here! What are the chances of that?! Probably not even hitting a hundred degrees during the day and practically cool at nights. Very nice Fall weather here in Kirkuk. We even had clouds, not once, but three days this week! Partly cloudy. For instance, see this beautiful sunrise from this morning below.

Notice also the radar truck on the hill to the right and the trailers below, typical of what we live in. the second pic, is of course, another lovely "warning poster" found on the walls of one of our shops. I still find them amusing and apparently some of you did too!

So, we were supposed to do AOA (add-on armor) to Humvees to protect the soldiers better. But we've pretty much burned through the 80 kits that were here and so we are picking up regular mechanic work on similar vehicles.

Since most of the boys here are....well, boys, I spend time telling/showing them how to fix their vehicles better, faster. The new plan is for us to have our own shop and do it all ourselves. However, at this point I am also "training" a few of our own crew, who came in with less than expert expertise, as it were.

So it's kind of a pioneer program--we are the first and will set up what will probably be a new but on-going program to support the military, freeing them up to do what they do best: Kill people and break things; bringing freedom and liberation to these poor people in the process. Ironic, isn't it?

The army brings local Iraqi contractors in to do electrician work and cleaning, for example. The Iraqis I've met are very courteous and pleasant people. They seem to be prospering in their new freedom, often entrepreneurial. I kinda like them. The kids seem enamored by the armored Americans and wave often.

Have a great Saturday, and we'll see you tomorrow, my talk for church almost ready...
Ernie

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