Raining On the Amazon

Yesterday was a beautiful day. It started out hot and muggy, but by noon it was raining. It rained long enough that the temperature cooled right off and we had a cool afternoon. Usually it is like a sauna around here in the afternoon and we just exist until the sun sets and it cools off. But yesterday Fred and I even went out and took a walk around campus. Fred showed me some of the projects that the guys have been working on since we came. We watched the high school kids having their PE classes; guys learning basket ball drills, girls playing volley ball. We walked out to the track where one of the student teachers was running laps. Macy, Phil and Cindy's daughter-in-law, and kids were out walking and had found some ripe mangoes. We picked a couple, they tasted sooo good.We have not had as much fruit this year. The orchard is not producing very well right now.

We have seen a lot more critters this year. Cindy had a 6ft snake on her back porch. We had someone get bit by a black scorpion. We have seen 2 of them, after they were caught in a jar. Cindy had a couple of tarantulas that live just above the clothes line on the side of the house. One of them is about the size of my hand. Someone said that a small alligator was seen walking across the soccer field. I have lots of insect bits.....I never seem to notice when I am getting bit but the nice welts and itching later I do notice. They say I am fresh flesh.

This morning we are sitting out under the covered porch. I was such a nice cool night and is still cool this morning. Now it has started to rain again. The first week here was cool but the last 10 days have been hot and muggy. Cindy says they are just cooling us off so we will be ready to come back next year.

Phil and 6 or 7 guys have been up river working on a house all week. They have been camping out with hammocks and cooking their own food. Heard they are pretty tired and ready to come home. It is a 24hour slow boat ride back. The plan is that they will be home on Sat. night.

We fly out on Sunday night at about midnight. Monday, Phil and Cindy start their monthly buying for the base. It takes 3 days to do the buying each month. They stock a coop grocery and house hold supply store. They also keep 2 dorms stocked with cleaning supplies, shampoo, soap and paper products. There is also a full time laundry facility for the dorm that they keep stocked. They buy for the cafeteria that feeds 3 meals a day for 50 people. Phil is also in charge of all the maintenance on the base, with 30 buildings, 2 diesel generators, a 50 passenger launch and all these people (85 live here full time) there is always maintenance supplies that need to be found and bought. Cindy says lots of lists from lots of different budgets.

My observation..... these people live very well here because of a all the work and preparation of Phil and Cindy.