Opportunity Knocks!

Yesterday was crazy so I didn’t have time to write. Got up and wrestled with the chickens. I held the bag while Dario and the couple that work on the farm caught them and stuffed them inside. Ugh, I didn’t have the heart to do it. Collected 60 chickens and 45 roosters. Delivered them to a farm in the valley below. One of the sacks fell through the hole in the bed and the wheels ran it over…gads. The farmer found it and ran to tell us. They were waiting for us with big vats of boiling water to kill and prepare the victims for market. No, I haven’t eaten chicken for so long and feel thankful I don’t crave meat.

The truck nearly got stuck in the muddy hillside and we both breathed a sigh of relief when the tires caught on the gravel.

Picked cabbage and eggplant for the clients, weighed oranges and tomatoes then organized the boxes for delivery into the city. Had to stop and chat with several neighbors on the way into town…well Dario and Ana conversed while I sat like a bump in the backseat, not having a clue what transpired. When I am behind someone and there is more than one person speaking at a time, it is impossible to keep up. Smiling and nodding is the status quo for the moment. Work at not being frustrated with myself. I would be checking the dictionary for every third word if I insisted on knowing what is going on…crud!

Registro is a small city and very clean. One long street of shops and restaurants held my interest while Dario and Ana delivered most of the produce. Bought some much needed socks to fit into the work boots. My slipper socks just weren’t cutting it! Kept sliding down into the toe of the boot, having to stop to pull them up with my muddy wet gloves just didn’t work. I could see myself toppling over after losing my balance on one foot. Geez, where are those documentary film makers when I look like I am working hard? I also bought what I believe is conditioner and bath soap. Snuck some cookies in the sack as well. I was desperate to eat them on the way home but no one eats in the car…drat! We headed to the local bar to meet the last clients to deliver their boxes. Of course, as we waited we had a beer (the bottles are giant, snuggled in a Styrofoam container divide with your friends. Sat and talked about the possibility of recycling the woven cloth bags the chicken corn comes in to make delivery bags. I suggested using old seat belts for the shoulder straps or rubber from bike tires. They have a contact for a bamboo piece to cover the bottom of the bag…We will find someone to make them, I’m sure. Also took some notes regarding the supplies, delivery schedule and keeping track of the accounts. The clients mostly maintain an “I’ll pay another day” balance. Each box had a slip of paper with the items, price per pound and a total scratched on the bottom…yes, a bookkeeping background is going to help!

On the way home, in the wee hours, we ran into an accident on a dangerous curve. They had used a backhoe to pull the two cars out that had slid in the muddy street. The mud is reddish brown and coats everything with a slimy smear. My shorts (not to mention the white socks I bought) will have to be thrown out after this adventure!

We ran out of gas. I suspect I am the culprit since I made lunch the other day. Must not have turned the knob off all the way…ugh! So, for two days we have been using the stove to heat water. Made spaghetti and sauce over the fire and coffee afterwards. They do have a microwave so I used that this morning to heat up the milk for my coffee. We have yet to crack open the Dun Bros coffee Taelor gave me before I left Minneapolis. It is my favorite…Ethiopian!

I pulled the weeds and dead leaves from the eggplants and added an herbal soil mixture to them. They are suffering from a fungus. Have to make a liquid soap to spray on them tomorrow. Struggled along the long rows with a wheelbarrel and in the slippery crevasse.  We will plant the new rows tomorrow. Dario is worried the new growing eggplants won’t overlap the diseased ones.

Washed my clothes in the sink out back with rivets on the side for scrubbing. I’m sure the maid would be laughing if she could see me flapping the clothes around in my inexperience with scrub brushes and trying to figure out what product is for what. There is no smiling woman on the package bleaching or scrubbing or ironing to differentiate one from the next.

The cat caught a small rodent. Initially thought it was a rat but when I turned on the light, it is black and white. I picked him up with my glove and he moved around so I tossed him in the brush in hopes that the cat didn’t go after him again. Ana saw him later, climbing up the tree. Whew! Wish now that I had taken a picture. It looks like a raccoon and drops down from the trees to capture the unsuspecting chickens!

Off to make some coffee and eat chocolate cookies!

Paula