Do You Think- Will It Rain Soon?

At sundown clouds are building into dark grey crowns on green mountains and everyone is hoping for rain. Like South Texas, this year has been a dry one. Last night, as I went on a nightly quick walk in darkness, I could see flashing over the mountains but not close enough to hear thunder, thus, no rain last night. (I did notice a bright star high overhead and a little to the north that had an unusually large halo around it….?)

Tonight wind is rolling over mountain tops with a hint of a chance of approaching rain.

I have, again, been well fed. Fresh beans and rice with grated white cheese and toasted tortilla, of course, with sweet coffee. (may be that is why it took so long to fall asleep last night!) It was perfect for me. I hope they have come to understand that I like their cooking but just not in such volume as hard working people like themselves are used to. Tomorrow Marisela is making a kind of treat, which I can not remember the name of but will be made with corn, sugar and cream and, I think, fried. Sounds good, with coffee.

Maynor brings out his prized pair of binoculars for me to use often. He is proud of them even though their magnification is low. We sit on a log from an old cut down guanacaste tree and look out over the valley. Afternoon golden rays sparkling through leaves of a huge cieba tree and painting a spent corn field gold. He is so energetic and friendly. Yesterday he gave me a ride down the mountain path on his bike which he had just put new tires on, worn out after 6 months. He says these are ‘mas duro’ and should last 2 years! I told him, maybe so, but not if he carries me too many times. It is quite rocky.

The men are eating around the table and Marisela can be heard blowing through a wooden tube to get the stove fire turned up, while pushing 1 inch dry sticks closer to the end as they burn. My room usually gets this smoke but it must discourage bugs. Speaking of them, I have not seen the big ants on the move which always indicates sure rain within a day. I am not sure how many family members are outside my door, eating and talking but this is certainly family time.

I have ordered two ‘sticks’ from Marcelo, the carpenter down the way, who makes many things out of wood: doors, beds, and I am sure many others. I need templates to use when putting together steel angles to take to a welder. This way they will be ready to weld without me having to explain measurements……just ‘weld here’. This will make a channel to slide solar panels into and by locking the ends will hopefully discourage any would be thieves. It is not a large project but a real challenge here. Few tools, few parts available.

It will get done all the same as does everything else that really needs to be done. Mauro and George are building a panel. It is progressing slowly. I think of when Joy and I were fixing up the Keltic house and how many times we buzzed over to Lowes or Home Depot for anything we needed. No so here.

Speaking of Joy, she seems to be up to similar things these days helping her brother Robbie, Laura, Gordon and Phillip build pump houses, tame the wild, plant seeds, corral chickens and enjoy the fruits of all that labor. I hear they had a great crop of watermelons, not to mention potatoes and all sorts of other veggies. Kind of makes you think, ‘hey, we can actually grow a lot of our own food!’. I think, at times, Joy is really enjoying herself and I am sorry I am missing their company and experiences. Hopefully soon.