Summer Cleaning

The past two weeks have flown by! There are many new faces at the gardens now that classes are starting up again. An Aussie from England, a fellow American (Hawaii) and a guy from Portugal are all settling in. We have been clearing the planting beds for the winter crops. Here in the sub-tropics they don't really have an Autumn. The weather turns a bit cooler as it reaches Winter, but that's about it. The Winter planting is also the most productive here. It is known as European Summer because many of the popular cool temperate vegetables and fruits can be grown. Many new projects are underway (bamboo gates, nursery construction) including the maintenance of existing ones.

Today a group of us hitched to the Channon Market in the mountains. Hitching is extremely safe (in groups of course) and is considered the norm here for rural traveling. The market was tucked in a valley on the far side of the mountains. When I arrived, I was overwhelmed with a medley of aromas and colors. We had some good food and took in some local music. The weather was fine until about 3:00, when it started to rain. Instead of seeking shelter most of the locals gathered around a stage to dance in the rain. It is obvious that the people in the valleys love the rain and realize that it keeps everything an electric green. Anyone with an umbrella (like me) stands out a bit. That's about it for now. More pictures to come soon!

-Matt