Ticks, Toads, and Roaches

These are just a few of the friendly creatures we've encountered this week. A toad found his way into our house- We kindly showed him the door back outside- not a huge deal. He was actually kinda cute! However the big story is the stupid roach that came inside- I told Will there was a roach on the wall so he went and got the bug spray and fly swatter (we have a routine figured out). Will hit the roach with his swatter and instead of it falling to the ground it flew onto my leg- Will started swatting my leg and spraying me with bug spray- of course I was screaming like a little sissy the entire time! At least we killed the nasty thing. The final creature came to us while we were out visiting some organic farmers. We managed to get into some ticks (uol eap a tick about 20-25)- well Will mostly- It made me quite happy because we could go home and well...I could check him for ticks!

As for work we're starting to get some things going- however we're trying not to get our hopes up just yet. Will is still working very hard on the crop estimates program with the extension officers and the head office. He has a meeting in Kingston on Friday to hopefully get a program created on the web and train the entire island on it. He is also working on getting farmers connected by providing some computers to PMO (Production and Marketing Organizations) groups. This will help them keep better and more accurate farm records, connect them to current farm gate prices so they know when and what to grow, and a data bank of current production costs for all the crops that can be grown in Jamaica.

I am still trying to get my school garden up and running. A student at the school where I work was killed two weeks ago by a motor vehicle therefore the school and parents are grieving. He will be buried this Saturday, a very sad accident. My biggest project that I'm hoping to get off the ground is a community center in Malvern- a town in the Santa Cruz mountains. Currently there is a facility in place but it needs a new roof and doors along with toilets, sinks, and a refrigerator. It is my hope to work with the community to repair the center and then run a small business out of it. I would be working with women that need a source of income. I have identified a market for goats milk soap- therefore I will teach the women how to make the soap and provide them with an income every month. It is also my hope to add a small computer lab in the center along with space for meetings and other various events in the community. Finally I've also been helping out with 4-H. Right now they're doing an Environmental Challenge- so I have been working with a couple schools to help them complete their projects and of course learn more about the environment- this years theme: Water is Life, Protect and Preserve It!

The above picture is a field of sugar cane that we visited in Elam- a community not far from Santa Cruz- Pictured below from left to right :
--I find that by doing yoga not only do I feel more grounded but it helps keep me more sane!
--I made homemade pizza last night- It tasted so good- I know it doesn't look gourmet- Thanks Jesse for the crust recipe
--Will must have found some more ticks- maybe it's his way of telling me that he loves me!