Happy Fall and Spring

Happy Fall to you; Happy Spring to me.

Here in Paraguay, flowers are blooming around my house and the cherry tomatoes I planted months ago are finally started to fruit. Heavy field burning, which is a common but unsustainable way to clear fields and sterilize the soil, along with the subsequent forest fires, has made for weeks of hazy days and blood red moons. The huge toads (kururu in Guaraní) are back in full force from their winter hibernation; their croaking sounds like a herd of very persistent, hungry cats. They like to squeeze under the doors and find dark corners and shoes to live in. Baby cows are being born it seems like everyday and so there is milk and cheese to be made and bought once again. Everyone is out clearing fields, planting staple crops like mandioca and corn, and enjoying the “haku porâ” (good hot) weather. We are starting to térere (the cold version of herb tea) again with refreshing ice, mint, and lemongrass instead of the constant soothing yet scalding maté (the hot version), designed to keep both our hands and our insides toasty warm.

Back in Michigan, I imagine some remaining warm sunshine-y days combined with just a slight crispness in the air, maybe frost on the ground in the early morning. I especially love going down Lone Tree Road in mid-fall – the canopy of huge maples and other species turning to colors other than their normal leafy green. New school clothes, buses rumbling down the gravel road again, apple cider a plenty, and hot cinnamon sugar donuts if you’re lucky. The marching band music from the Friday night High School football games finds its way through the evergreen, crosses the marsh, and reverberates off of the aluminum-sided pole barn to give anyone sitting on the back porch a first-row-of-the-bleachers seat to the show.

Fall is usually my favorite season of the year. But for right now, maybe I should revise that to just saying September through November. The weather may be getting hotter here, but when I think of what the next few months have in store, I must admit that it has a lot in common with what I like about fall. First off, it’s busy. I am anticipating a number of new and continuing projects including a demonstration plot, Book Club, World Map painting in another Volunteer’s site, green manure planting, onion harvest, my garden, and a possible weeklong trip to the Chaco region of Paraguay. Secondly, it’s the start of the “school year.” As of yesterday, September 24^th, I have been living in Paraguay for one full year. Not only does that mean I feel old, it also means that soon I will be one of the “old” ones in terms of experience – the next group of Agriculture and Environment Volunteers come next week! This also adds to the “busy-ness.” I will be helping to train the new group and welcome them to campo life. One of the most exciting pieces of news is that I have been asked to host a Long Field Practice. This is 5 days of training when groups of 3-4 trainees and a language teacher go to a Volunteer’s site to live with host families, practice their Guaraní, learn some agricultural techniques, and basically get an insider’s look into a Peace Corps Volunteer’s life in the Paraguayan campo. I feel very honored to be asked and very excited to share my amazing community with new soon-to-be Croppies! It is also an excuse to push some projects that are difficult to get people to commit to otherwise, such as marking out contour barriers and planting green manures. Thirdly, Thanksgiving is coming up! While it is significantly different not to be with family for this holiday, I am looking forward to joining in, for the first time (last year I was still in Training), the Peace Corps Paraguay tradition of Thanksgiving in the southern city of Encarnación. I am on the cooking committee, there are rumors of a talent show and numerous fundraiser auctions, and just about all of my good friends here are going. It is also close to the famous Jesuit ruins, which are a UNESCO site, and I plan on going to check them out.

And then, of course, Christmas. And going home to see all of you!! It will be here before we know it, I’m quite sure. Besitos a todos.