Calling Gators

We went on a swamp tour yesterday. It seemed more than a little weird that our swamp tour dude was calling out the gators names and inviting them to the boat. We were pretty sure we saw a very similar setup in the movie Anaconda. But we all survived without incident, which is too bad, because incident would have resulting in better photos. I'm sure FOX would have bought them in a heartbeat. They being the producer of all things extremely artistic when it comes to animal attacks.

So far things are going well. We are working in what will be a neighborhood of 80+ houses. It will be quite a special neighborhood I imagine. A lot of history here already, and a tremendous amount of hope. There seems to be levels of loss in the eyes of the families we are building with. Some have lost their homes and everything they own, some have lost that and people as well. Some have seen things that you see still haunts them a year later, as I'm sure it will for years to come. Hopefully this neighborhood will help them start to build some more positive memories, I think it already has.

Our team is great, I put together a mix of young and old. We have three 17 year olds, up to retired people. Of course the retired people are kicking the crap out of the 17 year olds. The teenagers were kinda over the whole working thing by about day 1.5, but they have parents here that are continuing to make them lift and hammer. I'm sure they will survive, although it is touch and go.

We are staying in volunteer housing on cots, 10 people to a house. It is very cozy, but somehow after hours of manual labor, anything seems comfortable, as long as it involves being horizontal and an A/C. Standards tend to shift a bit here.

We are having fun and have crossed over the midweek hump. We'll be done tomorrow and then we'll go our separate ways. I'll go into New Orleans and work at a food kitchen next week and try my best not to offend anyone with my meager cooking abilities.

Tonight we go on a nighttime gator boat tour thing. We will be on fast boats. There will be many a gator. I'm thinking the teenage boys may finally enjoy one of our activities. Although I may enjoy it even more. Frankly I enjoy any activity that doesn't involve sun.

peace out.