Mucky Stuff!

There is a line in the Pageant that has taken on a whole new meaning. Charles Makepeace and King Follette are digging a ditch to let the water drain off the swampy area of Nauvoo into the Mississippi River. "This is mucky stuff, your Majesty!" Charles Makepeace says.
Glenn is covered with that mucky stuff. It is very black dirt that just sticks to you!

We had a big thunderstorm during the night and another inch of rain. Today it was 93* and extremely humid. Glenn and John Ricks and two other men were out digging ditches with a back hoe in preparation for laying an additional pipe to help drain the water off the preshow field. We have had so much rain and the ground is so saturated with water that the water is just sitting on the field. They figure it will probably take a week for the water to quit running down the ditch. Then the pipe will be laid and the dirt put back in place.

We are exercising our faith that things will dry out and be okay for the start of Pageant on July 7. However, we decided that we had to do all we can to correct the problem and then rely on Heavenly Father to help us the rest of the way. It is pretty worrisome!

We have gained a whole new appreciation for what the Nauvoo Saints went through when they were trying to drain the swamps in Nauvoo and build their city!

" It's mucky stuff, your Majesty!"

The pageant stage.

Notice the dirt and water that is falling out of the bucket.

It's like a little river running under the ground.

More standing water.

Glenn and John would have thought it fun to run the back hoe if we weren't facing such a bad problem!