After the November rains subsided, the dry season began. It has now become too dry to plant anything with much hope for success. Even seedlings that are watered have to get daily attention. Most of my time is spent painting and building furnishings, and hacking away at the long grass that grows waist high when you don't allow cows to graze what has become pastureland. I can buy tree seedlings for only 40-cents each, but the limitation is that a small garden plot must be cleared for each one. The good news is that I am strong and healthy and the exercise will make me live longer and enjoy the growing forest longer. When I walk down to the bus stop, I am inspired by the work of Dr. Lynn Carpenter who has grown a jungle right across the highway from me.
I am planting papaya, oranges, lemons and bananos. I probably won't harvest much of this, and fruit is very cheap to buy. The other trees are a selection of large growth forest specimens. Some are protected. I have been promised a single seedling of Ceiba(Kapok), and will build a protection for it to keep it from being trampled by cows that may stray in while it is growing. The planting will wait until just before I return in April so the rainy season can work for me in my absence.
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