Post 23 A disappointing roast and other daily happenings

The heat was quite trying until in early May we enjoyed a very welcome cool change brought by a strong south wind.  The suraso*  lasted for a few days, the temperature gradually rising to the normal 90°F again, but we appreciated having a blanket on the bed for a couple of nights. 

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Garden Produce

With the rainy season behind us, our gardening efforts were a little more productive, and also we were able to buy fresh milk each day.  From our box of lettuce we were getting about three salads per week, picking two leaves from fifteen plants one time, and then the same number of leaves from the other fifteen plants the next time.  The plants then went on growing and producing while we gradually ate closer to the top! 

Meanwhile there were more seedlings coming on in the table-garden.  The tomato plants produced just a few big tomatoes and then died.  The radishes were all tops, so we cooked them as a green vegetable.  In the matter of food, disappointment came in other ways besides failure of garden crops.  

Disappointing Roast

Back in April, we had purchased a hen to roast for our wedding anniversary dinner, but before we had time to chop its head off, someone came to claim it, informing us that it had been stolen from their house.  So we lost our money as well as our roast chicken dinner!  Of course we were still very much new chums, and had lots to learn about the people around us. 

Cure for Dog Bite

At times neighbours tried to give us bits of helpful advice such as a sure cure for dog bite. Our native neighbours were the Chonono family. They were becoming more friendly towards us each time they came into the town from their chaco (small plot of farming land) out in the country.  

On this particular occasion the old lady told me that a dog had bitten her daughter and the cure had been to catch the dog, cut some hair from its tail and burn the hair.  The burnt hair had been applied to the area of the bite, and it had healed well.  However, she did also mention that someone had painted the bite with iodine before the hair treatment.