But there on Rock Hill's Irwin Street, in the mud, on the ladders, cutting siding, hammering nails, there the ladies were.

I circled, warily. I live in a house filled with nothing but women, and I spend my days getting out of the doghouse -- and I don't own a dog.

The house is a Habitat for Humanity house, where volunteers build for people who need homes for families. This house, where several crews of men and women have volunteered, is the precursor to next year, right next door, where the house will be built entirely by women. This week, with Mother's Day coming up Sunday, is National Women Build Week. So women were building Friday.

It is not true that no men helped Friday. A few grizzled male veterans, like Max Sigmon and others, gave guidance and tips. The only male Habitat board member, Luis Machicao, a construction company owner by trade, joked, "Today, I am just the boy toy."

The heating ducts were done by licensed men who didn't seem to mind that a normal job site of foul-mouthed male construction workers had been replaced by ladies.

And what ladies there were, just in the time I was there. Karen Turner, a volunteer from Lowe's Home Improvement, who is giving time and money to the project, hammered her first boards maybe ever. I asked if she knew anything about hammers and she said, "I sell 'em. I know where they are located in the store."

But she hammered anyway. I don't laugh at women with hammers.

Michelle Pack, whose parents owned a construction company, was the only lady working Friday with any real experience. She was outstanding. I say that not because she held a hammer: She knows a lot more about siding than I do.

There was Jane Sharp, the soon-to-be-retiring principal from Belleview Elementary School. Theresa Jackson worked Friday. She is the lady with four children who will get this house when it's finished.

June Kay, on the board for Habitat. Arsha Evans and Tina Gargiulo and Anne Haefner from Lowe's. Meredith Kramer at the top of a ladder put up soffet instead of working at the Museum of York County. Teena Benton, who used to be in landscaping. Dawn McGarity, a stay-at-home mom. Kathy Emerson, homemaker and foster parent. Debbie Abels, publisher of this newspaper, who also held a hammer and put up a corner of siding. I am smart enough not to make fun of the boss with a hammer. Besides, I asked somebody who knew about siding and the guy said Abels' work was outstanding, then he told me I looked like I couldn't hammer a nail straight and to quit cracking wise.

Also there were Sally Herlong, who works at York Technical College, Mary Hoppmann from the guardian ad litem office, D.C. Horne the minister, Karen Roof the gym teacher, and Jamille White, administrative assistant at a church and a Habitat homeowner who said, "I know how much these houses mean to people."

As I was leaving, Elaine Copeland, president of Clinton Junior College walked up ready to swing a hammer. There were others, too, early and late.

All hammered.

Now that I think about it, there was once a person with a hammer, a carpenter, who did good works for others who had little or nothing. He was a guy, not a woman like these great volunteers, but in spite of his maleness a decent person nonetheless.

His name was Jesus Christ.