The Joy of the Lord is my strength

This week seems to be dragging very slowly. Our bodies are both really physically tired from the heat and humidity we're working in. Today at 6am it was 25 C with humidity running from the camper. Instant wetness as you walk out the door. I would love to say that it does get better during the course of the day, but unfortunately it does get worse as the day goes on. That type of heat mixed with humidity is enough to make a person very very sleepy. It is not as bad as the summer heat we experienced in New Iberia Louisiana, but it is next to it. We are supposed to be having a major temperature drop in the next day or two, down to 10 C. So we will see if this comes true. The clouds have been hanging and passing by all week and we have been waiting for rain, but alas, no rain has come. We haven't had a drop here in Diamond since we arrived. Our neighbor at the house I am mudding at, leaves his garden hose running full force allllllllllllll day long, everyday, in his garden. I think it must just go straight down into the ground! He has been so kind and fills up a container of water for us (the picture of us washing our tools) daily. I felt bad at first for him wasting his water, but then figured it must be pretty cheap to be watering gardens all day long. The man often sits in a chair in the back yard under a tree. This is a very common sight here in Louisiana. Either that, or groups of people during the day, visiting on porches, sitting on steps. Both young and old. This week Wes has been helping build a portable-take-apart-able shed here on land, and they moved it piece by piece onto the trailor, then onto the boat, then onto the bayou. This shed is to store MDS tools in safely while the new build is beginning. They also are attempting to straighten poles (like hydro poles) in the ground (swamp) to build the house on top of. Apparently this is not working too well. Tomorrow Wes requested he come help me and 2 other ladies mud. Yay! He is a fast mudder so I look forward to the extra help! We finished taping today and all first coat, third coat in the kitchen area, and the rest has 2 coats done. They are trying to get this house done by Christmas. Tomorrow we only work till 1pm, because we have a house dedication in the afternoon. We have 6 or 7 people coming to join us by this weekend, some as long term, one for 2 weeks, some sort of camera crew and a lady who is writing a book on MDS. Then, come Sunday night, we'll have another 17 joining us for the week. This will be one huge group or people, people, people. This week, I spotted a crab (I think that's what they called it) in front of the door of our work truck one morning. I think he lost one of his grabber claws and maybe a tiny one was starting to grow back. The Mississippi river is a few hundred feet from us so we think he was just taking a stroll in the morning. Today we chased (okay, I didn't, but I watched) a huuuuge cockroach out of the house we're mudding. Those things are FAST! The gecko's come to visit most every day going to and fro, and Wes and the guys spotted (and killed!) a black widow spider the other day. And Wes almost stepped on a snake in the dark the other day while taking out the garbage. He said it really scared him cuz he doesn't like snakes. And he said yesterday he killed a lizard. These are the things that keep us entertained. On another note, God has answered our prayers and has found us a place to house sit this winter, for 3 months. We are overjoyed!! We have also found a place to buy come summer, so we very much look forward to a place of our own once again! 1 1/2 weeks left here in Diamond Louisiana, and 4 left in Pass Christian Mississippi. We're on the home stretch. The Joy of the Lord is my strength! He is the only thing that keeps us going throughout the day. And that's the only way we'd have it.