The rain lasted another week, but finally over the weekend it cleared up and we have even had some sunshine.
On Tuesday we harvested black bamboo poles, which was hard work, but with six of us out there we harvested enough to fill the pressure vessel in the morning, breaking what my boss calls a world record. My job was the easiest, cutting off branches with the portable saw, but it was still vigorous leaning over the bamboo, turning it, and balancing the vibrations of the saw.
Wednesday morning we processed the pigeon pea seeds that we harvested the other week by shelling them and grading out the unmature, moldy, and shriveled. We threw in a handful of charcoal to kill any weavels that might remain. In the afternoon I went up to help move the horse fence. We climbed up the mountain with alfalfa in our hands, calling for Mana. We finally found her up by the mango tree, but she didn’t want to come without a lead so we staked out the poles and laid down the line first, and then returned with the lead. With the ocean sprawling out so round and blue, every shade of green in between, and a beautiful black horse next to you, it felt less like work and more like heaven.
Thursday morning Maria and I harvested forty pounds of turmeric to be sold for juice. Thursday afternoon I helped with the fruit harvest, where we collected chico sapotes, bananas, avocados, jackfruit, and coconuts to be sold in town.