Plant a seed...

Negra delivered! If you remember back to July and August, we mentioned a few times that Hector and Suzanna had a cow that was pregnant. As of Sunday late afternoon, Negra was quite large. Seriously large. Well, Hector found a little delight come Monday morning: a negrita already cleaned up and on her feet. So the handlers had to go see the new baby and congratulate the grandparents Monday evening. Mama Negra made sure they didn’t get too close.

 A friend of the handlers is returning for a visit. Bill had business in July across the river in Buenos Aires, but came over on the ferry for a day to stay the night at the ranch (our previous place). He brought a bag of goodies consisting of all sorts of seeds. You’d think he had brought a suitcase of tuna by the way the Handlers reacted to the gift. So apparently Bill is scheduled back in Buenos Aires in late October and he’s going to come over to see the farm, and hopefully spend longer than 24 hours with us. His only three requests were: 1) warmer weather, 2) to see some progress on the seeds that he brought over in July, and 3) hold the volcano ash (which delayed his July return flight to Houston by a day). That has prompted some action on the handlers’ part because:

• That would mean that they’ve decided on what they are going to plant
• Deciding on what they were going to plant required carefully comparing the seed packet options to what was already grown locally in abundance
• Before the seeds could be planted, the soil needed to be worked over
• Working the soil required picks, shovels….
• Purchasing the picks and shovels required weeks of research and cost comparisons.

(If this reminds you of the 1985 children’s book by Laura Numeroff,  If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, I have made my point clear. For those of you who don’t know this book…you must get it. Everything this household does is another potential story for Ms.Numeroff).

But the good news is that the pressure of showing SOMETHING to Bill prompted a spur of activity that I could really only compare to the moment last March when FH told MH that the North Carolina house was being listed on the market the following Thursday…

A shovel was purchased a couple of weeks ago. This was settled on relatively quickly as there is only one style shovel offered in the entire departamento and even MH saw the ridiculousness of asking his parents to bring one in December when they were scheduled to visit. Although it serves its intended purpose (of shoveling), it was surely designed by a person who was only 4ft tall. A used pick was purchased this past Wednesday from a nearby seller of antiques. And….a wheelbarrow was purchased yesterday. I’m kidding you not! Today FM got to work turning the soil one last time and then sowed seeds that will eventually amount to….

4 Zebra Tomatoes

3 Thai Basils

13 Thai Chilis

9 Dills

MH’s only comment in between his never-ending grass clipping was  … “Isn’t that a lot of dill?” FH patiently explained that not everything planted needs to be eaten.