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We’ve trimmed the trees to get a better view. This is the third part of my story about the gradual transformation of the land I bought in Guatemala and my new life here. If you missed the earlier parts, feel free to read Part 1 and Part 2.
As I start my third week here, I’d like to introduce our new residents: three hens that have been living on the beach for the past few days. We built an enclosure with a thatched roof and four pillars, circled with cage wire to keep them from escaping. The first day the roof wasn’t sealed properly, so they got out and hid in the neighboring bushes, making it challenging to catch them. Now they return around 4:30 PM to sleep under the roof.
I named the hens Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Breakfast lays the most eggs as she’s the youngest, Lunch is a bit older, and Dinner was initially bought just to be eaten. Since we recently had another hen for soup, the handyman kept Dinner at his house for a while, and we decided she could stay here for now. It’s like having a living food storage, so no deep freezer is necessary!
Sorry if my vegetarian friends found that disturbing. For those of us who eat meat, it’s good to remember where it comes from. Handling just-slaughtered meat is one thing, but I still can’t bring myself to kill anything larger than a scorpion. I either need to get used to it or consider going meatless, as it feels odd to eat meat without preparing it myself.
The entrance wall and gate are now finished. Despite some frustrating mistakes by the mason, the job is done. We added six layers of blocks and some wiring on top, which we plan to cover with bamboo and ivy or some kind of climbing plant. We chose a darker shade of green for the wall, and though I’m not a huge fan, it’s done. I also painted the wall white with lime, which is both cheap (about $5 for the whole wall) and effective at deterring insects.
Inside the house, we did a thorough spring cleaning and noticed a lot of debris falling from the thatched roof. We removed many of the leaves (the roof is covered in plastic anyway), which sent a lot of unwanted guests scurrying. After using some bug spray, we put the furniture back in the kitchen and room. We tried to create a fake ceiling with plastic and wood we found around the house to catch the falling dust.
We’ve patched the deck’s holes with new leaves, which look a bit funny as they’re still green and brown compared to the old ones. I managed to thatch the deck myself, which wasn’t too difficult once I got the hang of it.
We’re planning to build a safe room soon, one that’s so well-sealed that no insects can enter. We’re still debating whether to tear down the house and build anew or work with what we have. The house is better than expected, but it needs improvements for safety from both bugs and people, as the windows are just mosquito nets that anyone can easily get through.
A big help for my zero food waste goal this November has been the arrival of a deep freezer! We also got a great deal on a blender, which will be perfect for making ice and blending frozen margaritas. I enjoy cooking, and since the supermarket is a $20 gas trip away, the freezer makes my life so much easier. It cost $300, and we got the blender, normally priced at $100, for just $30 since we also bought a motorcycle for the handyman that he’ll pay back with his work.
I recently stocked the freezer with a full lamb from BF’s ranch, some fish from the lake, and some delicious grapefruits also from the ranch. These grapefruits are so huge they barely fit in my hand and are super juicy and sweet. I peeled them, separated the flesh, and stored them in small sandwich bags so I can easily grab one, blend it with a bit of water for fresh juice every morning.
That’s it for now! How is your week going?