We woke up early in the morning with jet lag on the one hand and excitement on the other. With the first step out of the door, we were surprised by the high morning temperature. But we didn't think it could get much hotter.

When we arrived at Jubilee Farm, the sister farm to our residence at Woodlawn, our task was to weed the extensive gardens. In the beginning, as with all ventures, it went well; the sun rose as did our effort. At our first break, a very tasty, cold and refreshing beverage was served --- iced tea. Delicious.

Klara pulling weeds, more weeds, and more weeds.

The expression "many hands make light work" is clearly not just a saying. We've experienced the result of work and reward. And what was our reward for our amazing work --- weeding 1/2 acre of gardens in one day? We got to go kayaking.

Maggie showed us how to kayak through Blake Creek and back to the head waters. She guided us through the still waters until we arrived at the beaver huts. The beavers were too shy to show themselves, but we saw a Terrapin turtle and several herons.

Jana is on the left; Lisa Neundlinger is on the right.

This is a Maryland Terrapin, an endangered turtle species. He is sunning on a beaver log.

Amazingly, we didn't even capsize. All in all, it was a great first day of work and we are excited about many more experiences to come.

--- Jana Adali and Klara Lobmayr, Slack Farm Austria Team 2018

First Workday Impressions