rain and other fun things

At about 2:30 AM, I woke up. The electricity had run out. Thus, the fan was off and a slick gleam had formed on my face. My legs were tangled in my thin and, by now, sweaty sheets. Mosquitoes buzzed around my ears and shoulders. Within a few minutes, the distinct sound of approaching rain reached my ears. Soon it was falling hard around the quad. It was a peaceful sound, mainly because it either drowned out or silenced any other but also because it meant water for our desperately thirsty land. The clang of mangoes dropping onto tins roofs still sounded sporadically.

I gave in to my insomnia, turned on a flash light and dove into the magical adventures of Wart, Kay and Robin of the Wood. T. H. White kept me company through the early morning hours.

This morning, the skies look pregnant – as though it may rain again at any moment. This is very good for the growing season, our dry fields, and the rice paddies of our neighbors. This majorly stinks for the utterly awful road leading out to our farm. How I desperately wish for a 4-wheel-drive vehicle. The roads, covered in slick, glistening mud, may as well be covered with oil.

Later today or tomorrow, MINUSTAH will come out with their pump truck and empty our septic system. They visited on Monday with one of their superiors from Port-au-Prince. We are all set to launch into this next project with them but there are several hitches: for one, our back ho is missing a piece and we can’t dig a hole in which to deposit the waste. But the United Nations is working to help us, which is wonderful. We hope to be able to repay them somehow.

Regarding the fundraiser I had while back in the States, we’re up to nearly $5,000. I am so grateful to everyone who helped, came and contributed. Your generosity is overwhelming. Next time, with better planning and better weather, we could double this.

The work here continues. On Monday, I learned how to run a back ho and helped dig a trench (pictures to come – I swear). Our quad kitty had kittens a few weeks ago. They become noisier and more precocious as the days go by. Some kid discovered how to make whistles from thin metal and kindly distributed them to many of our little ones. Never a dull – never a quiet moment.