Waiting...

I am in the unusual position of sitting at an internet cafe waiting for an email to come in. Maria Elena and I are getting started on a project making sweet squash "jam" and sent some samples to Quito so an ingeniera could do nutritional tests, etc. She had a list of things we should record, and Manuel, who is either related to Maria Elena or a friend of a relative or something, is in theory going to email me this list. Meantime, I'm waiting.

There is apparently some sort of fiesta tomorrow in San Lorenzo involving people bringing their cows in from all over and handing out fresh milk to everyone. Given that drinking milk out of the cow without boiling it first is seriously not a good idea around here, as it can give you TB, and that it will undoubtably make me ill due to the whole lactose intolerance thing, I'm hoping to get out of the actual milk drinking. But it should be interesting, and of the many things I'm doing here in Guaranda, getting stuff to make our squash jam to give out is one.

We went to Sauce yesterday to start the garden, on a spot someone'd agreed to loan the school. But it turned out that the kids hadn't actually brought tools like we'd asked them to, or their parents, and that the land we'd been loaned is absolutely pure grey clay. So it'd be great for making pots, but not for planting veggies, especially since it's wet and sticky, and just awful to work with. So I got a bunch of vetch and oat seed to plant for green manure, and I'm going to go up there and just broadcast it all over and rake it in. Hopefully by the time we work that in and let it rot and mulch and etc. it'll be at least worth planting. It's also on a really steep slope, which is probably why the soil's bad, and isn't great in terms of absolute yield, but is great in terms of demonstrating soil conservation stuff, so here's hoping it works out.

Also, Don Nelson, my APCD (the head of the Ag program) is coming to visit next Thursday. This is not ideal, as I have plans in Marcopamba, but I figure I'll just take him to Marcopamba with me and explain that I can't actually do all the planting, transplanting, etc. because, well, he's here.

My garden is coming along, although sadly all but one of my zucchini seeds rotted in the incessant rain (it may be lightening up a bit, but I'm not holding my breath), as did most of the swiss chard I planted. I should have started the chard in seedbeds first, but I thought I could get away with just planting it. No such luck, though. I got some more seeds, though, so I'll do it right this time. The brocoli I transplanted is doing well--that's one thing that's loving the cool rainy weather.

Well, that's most of the news. I'm still having fun, relatively healthy and busy, missing folks at home. Write me more letters, my mailbox is empty and sad. Well, not exactly. I got a note that says I have a package, but the people who would give it to me are not there on Saturdays. I haven't a clue when I'll get in on a weekday, but I'll have to make it work sometime soon. And no, I still don't have my list, but I can't think of anything more to write.