The Usual

So my project is continuing well and I cannot complain about life.  I have gotten into a good rhythm for the week.  Wake up at 5:45 to 6:00am to either my alarm or the trucks and dirt bikes passing by my window.  Eat a wonderful breakfast prepared by Doña Isabel, my house mom.  Pack my bag  and head for the bus at 7:00am.  It´s a short 20 minute bus ride into the countryside to the bus stop shown below.  Up that dirt road lives what I would estimate to be 10 families and my project site.  Throughout the day people pass by and say hello on their way to the bus stop, very friendly people I must say.

This bus stop recently had a makeover which is why there is such clear marketing for the cafe.  It use to be falling apart with a bench that on one side rested solely on a single bolt head. 

The past two weeks the intensity of the work has picked up quite a bit.  It was always hard work but it has shifted to only sifting dirt and rocks, shoveling dirt and rocks, or pounding on concrete which gets tiresome.

This doorway had to be readjusted for later work when fitting the door.  This meant I needed to hammer and chisel between 1 to 2 inches off the entire length of the wall which was about 2 inches thick.  It took awhile to knock all the cement off but I did get it rather square for using a hammer on cement.  Additionally that same day I hammered two more holes through the cement walls for plumbing purposes and chiseled a channel in a wall for electrical cables to run from the roof down close to the floor.  I chipped away quite a bit of cement this day and all the while was wishing they used power tools, wood, or both. 

Experienced my first rain storm recently and it was pretty intense.  Full on thunderstorm.  The rain droplets began very slowly and dropped so sparsely I could stand and not be hit by them and yet they were very large drops and fell heavy into the dirt.  Then it really picked up and got incredibly loud as they hit the aluminum roof.  This all started around 11am or so.  Then the thunder and lightening kicked in and we called for lunch.  While eating lunch I recall 1 instance where the lightening and thunder occurred within a second of each other.  The rain kept falling and the thunder and lightening continued in the distance until 1pm. 

The house is coming along though with me doing more of the interior work.  The roof is complete and the front porch pillars are built and ready to be coated with more cement.  I cut out the mixer on this shot, makes the house look more appealing and farther in progress.

So one of my favorite things about the family I am working with is the number of pets and animals they have.  Currently there are 6 dogs, 1 cat, 2 box turtles, 1 parakeet, 2 full grown geese, 2 baby geese, and maybe 2 dozen chickens.  I have played with all but 1 dog, it is referred to as ´scrappy´and looks the part.  I will get that dog, I will get that dog.  I have seen some funny animal anomalies and this below is another for the list.

Yes that is a chicken with 4 legs.  This baby chick has 2 dwarf legs that are growing at a much slower pace behind its two strong legs.  If only they could breed chickens with 4 healthy legs, or maybe they already do?

Well I am exhausted from another day of work and my bed is calling me so I will be heading back now.  I´ll try to get more posted within the week.  I do miss my family and friends, I hope all is well with you at home.  Take care, adios.