Charlas y Caminatas

Hi everyone!
Charlas y Caminatas (Talks and Hikes) have been a big part of things for me lately. I´m now doing little talks in the schools, going from kindergarten up to 4th grade. It keeps me hopping, It´s getting easier...at least I´m not as nervous about it... I just jump right in...with both feet into my mouth.I´m doing some talks to mothers, those who are recieving food aid and those recieving scholarships for their kids. Latest topics The right way to wash your hands, Preventing infection to cuts and scrapes, Keeping Skin Healthy...I´m also leading a couple of groups of hikers into the countryside on Saturdays. I talk with them about Nature and Taking care of our world. There were 11 kids in the 10 to 12 year old group. ´We had all been to the dump the day before, kind of a nightmare scene with garbage trucks rolling in every minute, hundreds of people picking through the trash for usable and recyclable stuff, vultures flopping around, and buzzing flies. We talked about what it was like and who was responsible and what we could do to keep the world from becoming like that. Then we scampered up a nearby mountain. I felt like I was herding wild goats. The younger kids about 20 of them went a little slower. We caught a lot of crickets. Besides talking about caring for the earth, we talked about the pine that grow here and Nance, another fire resistant evergreen(broadleaf) that puts out sweet little yellow fruits. I picked up an old scout book and hope to use some of the ideas as we get out into the wilds each week. It looks like I´ll be doing some talks for the staff on health issues, too.

We´re moved into our place now. Nice and quiet in the morning. The rains have come and things are greeening up beautifully. We´ve got some chorchas (orioles), bright orange and black birds that make hanging nests. A brilliant accent to this bucolic scene. We´re getting around OK on the busses, although it´s a challenge ( packed in, 3 to a seat and standing jammed together) to see out of the bus to know where to get off. Getting off is a something you have to start working on 5 minutes ahead.

We get thunder and lightning daily along with the rains and at night afterwards there are hundreds of lightning bugs shining everywhere we go. My mom would love it, having grown up in Arkansas.

I´ll sign off before the power goes off.