Back in the swing

I was back in PA for a quick family vacation time.  It was a wonderful time in a wonderful place.  

Now I'm back in the swing of Haitian summer.  It was really hot the first couple of nights.  I learned (once again) after the second night that this is the time of year when I need to take a bath right before I lay down.  Otherwise the night is longer and hotter.

The sun is directly over our heads at noon now.  You have no real shadow.  And the heat from the sun is real.  It was 96 degrees on the outside wall of my office the other day.  

And then...it happened.  Last evening.  Rain.  Real, prolonged, extended, wet, refreshing rain.  After a dry spell (which we've had lately), rain is such a welcome sight.  It makes people giddy.  I put on a pair of shorts and went outside in the rain to inspect the new spouting system.  It works about 80%.  It did fill up the 200 gallon tank that I bought this spring, but there is some leakage.  As I moved around in the yard enjoying the cool rain, the two young men who live with me came out as well.  They ended up washing the dishes in the rain and washing the two steel buildings.  I washed the outdoor shower stall.  Normally, those tasks are mundane and require some kind of 'bribery'.  In the rain, it was all laughing and playing.  

Rain means life.  It ends the choking dust.  And it means gardens will produce food.  Rain is good when you live close to the land.  Rural Haitians no about ra