On the lighter side

This week we want to share with you some enjoyable events and observations.

Seen on the highways (CA 1 – the Pan American, CA 2, CA 4) and the byways:

yoked oxen pulling carts with large wooden wheels and loaded with firewood, corn and other basic supplies; horses being ridden and herded, free range and herded cattle

beat up bicycles ridden by males of varied ages (unusual sightings – a man with a child about 2 years old standing on the center bar holding onto papa’s shoulders, a man with a propane gas tank strapped to the back fender and him holding onto a second on the handle bar as he steered with one hand, a family of 3 – mama on the back fender, child sitting on the middle bar and papa pedaling doggedly)

large and small buses, 3 wheeled mini-taxis, high sided cargo trucks filled with livestock or large items or bags of produce or people, pickup trucks full of stuff or people, flatbed trucks loaded with sugar cane stalks, semitrailers, farm equipment, men on motor scooters wearing German style WWII helmets, and of course cars, SUVs and minivans, and always much traffic

along the sides of the roadways – pigs, chickens, dogs; people of all ages walking, women carrying large loads in baskets on their heads, men carrying large loads on their backs or shoulders; long stretches of corn kernels spread out to dry, swept up and bagged at days end.

Seen in communities:

futbol (soccer) fields everywhere you go usually with games happening, either specific team competitions or just for fun; children running, climbing trees, playing futbol in flipflops; a teeter totter created from a sturdy branch placed in the Y of a tree stump with preschoolers having great fun, large kettles of food cooking over open fires, beautiful babies everywhere

Seen in cities:

houses freshly and brightly painted for Christmas and the new year (an annual custom for those who receive bonuses and choose to enjoy this luxury), cars with open baskets of bakery rolls or fruit on top, motor scooters delivering for Pizza Hut, Pollo Campero and KFC, more beautiful babies

Comfort cravings:

course ground pepper, oatmeal raisin cookies, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sunday edition, a juicy rib steak from Reis’ meat department, and more . . .

Civilized Slinde progress:

Nancy “invented” solar powered hot water by putting a full gallon water bottle on our porch in the morning and . . TA-DA! . . . in the evening we have hot water. Yes, hot water. Wash with cold, rinse with hot. Now we have two gallons heating for washing and rinsing. Such luxury - life is good!