We finally have rain. Lots of it. Just in time to save crops that were days away from being ruined. Rainy season usually starts in June so planting centers around that time. When the rain didn't come this year the disappointment was immediate but countered with an unsured optimism. No one wants to believe it's going to be a dry season. There is too much at stake. The prediction "Va a llover" was heard wherever you went. Conversations always gravitated towards the weather. Comparisons were made to other years. When we passed into July then August without rain there was this horrible sense akin to a child slowly dying and no one being able to do anything but watch. This a community that depends on the production of crops to feed their families, send the kids to school, repair items that are long past the need. For many el campo is their only source of income. As time went on without rain it was like being in a community in West Virginia when rumors began to spread that the local mine and only employer was going to shut down. Fear creeps into every part of life. Beth and I had never lived in an area where so many people were dependent on agriculture. And we certainly weren't used to anyone planting a crop without a way to water it. Anyway it's raining. Everyday. Some days it's just a sprinkle which probably help spirits grow more than crops. But the change in vegetation is undeniable. Overnight plants change from brown to green. 

We had the brush cleared back about thirty meters in front of the house. This now defines the line of our property. We plan to plant shade trees in this new area. The young man that did the backhoe work was from Matatlan. After work we chatted for a while. His story has become a very familiar one. He left home at the age of fifteen and went to the states where he worked for five years. At the end of the five years he'd saved enough to build his home, buy a truck, and most importantly, buy a used backhoe which he uses to make his living. With all the talk in the US of unemployment and the lack of opportunities Beth and I are continually amazed with the stories of returnies. It's like they are talking about a different America. Recent times have changed though. Work has become more scarce. Fewer go and more are coming back. The young man from Matatlan believes that US policies are to blame for the welfare state that America is drifting towards. 

We recently planted about forty pine trees and a variety of various fruit and shade trees. Before the rain started it was quite a task to get everything watered. I hooked a half horse pump to water with. We can even use the pump to run a sprinkler. I attached the sprinkler to an old tripod I had. I have another so nothing lost. The tripod works perfectly though. We plan to water through the dry season next year. It turns out we have a special reason to do so.

This is Lily with Beth. She is about six years old and is the latest in grass cutting technology. When we got her we named her Michelle but she's proved to be far too intelligent, color blind, her ass is smaller porportionally to her body than the other michelle, and she doesn't try to tell us what to eat, for her to have that label. What incredible animals burros are. The internet has provided us with much needed info. A major surprise was the dispelling of the myth that burros are stubborn. Actually they get scared and will refuse to move. Another interesting fact is that unlike a horse when it is afraid a burro will not gallop far away. Burro's run for a little ways then stop to assess the situation ( I've seen Lily do this). While she is gentle and friendly Lily doesn't know what to make of the idea of being petted and scratched. She likes it but is apprehensive. I made a pretty careless mistake with her the other day. When we bought her the rope that was tied  to her was old and scratchy so I thought I'd change to a fresh one. Not thinking anything about it I removed the rope and let her run free for a while. When I later tried to attach the new rope she wasn't having anything to do with it!! For three days she went without a rope. She ran and jumped like a baby burro. We enjoyed watching her enjoy the freedom but were afraid that she might wonder off. Finally our neighbor was able to attach a new rope. With the new rope she seemed to resign herself to once more being a captive. We plan to make a corral so she can continue to run free. Lily has changed what going outside feels like.  She always raises her head and acknowledges our presence. She fits and belongs here. Lily eats constantly. We believe the reason for this is that she is pregnant. We can't wait to have a little burro running around the property. She loves carrots and apples. Corn curnals are her favorite. Now when I shake a few curnals in a plastic bowl her ears perk up and she makes her way to me.

The priest from Tlacolula is coming for dinner tomorrow. We are looking forward to spending the evening with him. We were asked by a commitee to create a web page describing the history and restoration process of an incredibly old pipe organ (1791) that's in the church in Tlacolula. It's a bit tedious but interesting. I'll post the page when it's completed. 

Fiestas continue to occupy a lot of our time. The drinking is done in amounts that is simply brutal. You really have to be careful! It's very easy to allow yourself to always embrace mezcal as a form of celebration. You have to learn to say no and mean it. Or easier yet turn down a few fiestas. I believe that saying, "work hard play hard", applies here. 

Felipe called me the other day to photograph a coyote that he'd killed. I'd never really been close to a coyote and was shocked by it's size and structure. It was the size of a large dog and filled out not skinny as I had imagined. It's teeth were like spikes and very long. No wonder dogs here are reluctant to mix it up with them. 

Here are some prices of goods and services here: