Monday 27 February 2012

Today was Deanna's and Ian's last day, they were planning to leave after breakfast, but we were also expecting some new volunteers, whose numbers - and arrivals - always seem to change. You can only believe it when they arrive!

I did the mula run this morning - 60 litres, as measured by the milkman, for whom I was just in time. I felt for the mule as it struggled with its heavy load, slipping and sliding, once quite badly, and so only rushed him on less steep parts of the walk and where it was more track than rock.

There were two kids at the bottom who asked for a ride on the mula so I hauled them up (the boy was quite heavy to lift so high) but only allowed them on for about 15 to 20 minutes. Afterwards, having hauled the unwilling mule back to its paddock - it always gives me trouble then rather than on the path up or down - on the way back from the stables to the volunteer house, I saw a grey-blue bird as well as a flash of the yellow and black bird.

The afternoon, Anya and I spent hoeing, weeding and planting radishes; thinning lettuces, and transplanting the thinned lettuces. We were joined by the two new volunteers: Gabriel from London and Beau from Cleveland, USA. In the middle of dinner, we were joined by Joel, a fashion photographer, who will be staying for 4 weeks, taking photos for La Hesperia and himself, including us (!)

It rained so hard after dinner, it was at times as noisy as the Thursday I previously described as being next to Niagara Falls.