Adios Finca Quijote!

So somehow blogging has managed to evade my attention for quite some time and now we find ourselves saying 'adios' to the farm that has been our home for the last 5 months.

We're saying goodbye to some fantastic people who have endured our awful pigeon spanish and worked hard to improve it. Through various embarrassing incidents we now know the difference between 'We'll be waiting in our house (casa)' and 'We'll be waiting in our bed (cama)', along with the difference between drunk (emborracho) and pregnant (emborazada). Along with everyone else, we'll miss the awesome kids in Esperanza, who have played goodness knows how many games of checkers, snakes and ladders and cards with us and now insist on wearing plastic bags hats for the journey across the street when it's raining (all from my one time suggestion!). We're extremely grateful to people for adopting us and including us in their families, despite our communication difficulties.




Ready for the walk across the street after playing checkers.

 

I'm sure that I'll be remembered as the apologetic English girl who still can't work out how full a wheelbarrow can get before she's completely unable to control it and bizarrely wishes for a weed free garden. While Ethan will be remembered for being able to knock together stunning pieces of wooden furniture, even if he does insist on wearing impressive '70s safety glasses whilst doing it.

Cool? Me? No.... this is natural!

 

We're also saying goodbye to some of the most character-filled dogs I've ever encountered... the hobbling guard that is Chica (all 4 feet and legs work but she prefers 3!), the diplomatic temptress that is Barbie and the cutest, most playful puppy ever to have been rescued from fleas and abandonment.

 

Barbie

Puppy


 I personally, have had a fantastically varied experience here... from creating a green house garden from scratch, to making humanure, to trying my hand at carpentary for the new improved chicken coop, butchering a cow and making whatever we can from garden produce (juice, marmalade, chutney, salsa, thai curry paste, cake...). It's been a pleasant mix of daily routines and new challenges and at every turn we've learned something- whether it's a new fact or technique or just patience.

The nearly weed free greenhouse. Just look at how much it's grown!
We've enjoyed all of the leaves, tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs it's produced.

 

Chickens happily feasting on their daily rations of leaves and windfall guavas.

Ethan putting in poles for the improved chicken runs,
which now features 6 runs each planted with a chicken feast.

Philip and I working on the first leg of the cow.
Who knew that scissors are the best tool for butchering?!

Making curd, marmalade and juice from the
mountain of oranges the guys harvested.

So we're heading out again to go romping around other people's farms in the hope that one of them will fulfill our ever-growing list of criteria. Both of us are excited and feel better equipped... we know more Spanish, we have more practical knowledge of agriculture in the tropics, we know more about people here and the way things work. I also think we know now, more than ever before, that we're both committed to being here for the long haul and creating a farm that we can be proud of. That's a good feeling to go farm hunting with......