Excuses, excuses....

    Yeah, I know..... It's been a while, but no news is good news right? At least I've heard it said that way a time or two. Come to think of it, better late than never, would also work in a situation such as we have here.

    Have you ever maintained a blog? Yeah me neither. Reading and writing are usually the last things on my mind after a long day of work. Even after a long day of idleness, I don't go running with a book to a corner somewhere or scrounging for a journal and writing device. I suppose I missed the tune of the hick'ry stick...cause if we stop next door at Mr. Left Brain's place and take a look around the math department, my calculation abilities are in the negatives as well.

     Enough about my non studious nature, let's talk about earthly nature. It's now Spring, and we've had a few warm days here, but the majority have been relatively cool. Probably after ranting in blog after blog about the aqueous conditions here and the hydrophobia caused by it, you would probably never expect to hear the following words come out of my mouth......

"When's it going to rain again?"

    Well it has... it's presently a balmy 60 degrees and the rain that's currently falling on our tin roof, doesn't show plans of stopping anytime soon.

    If you were living here in Puerto Montt, ((more specifically under the same roof as Kim and I) and even more specifically than that, listening in on one of our many conversations about the weather.)) you would have heard me issue such a statement.

     It was about three weeks ago, we were in the middle of November, and we hadn't seen but a drop or two in the last 18 days or so. I was beginning to think that planting a garden in the sandy, well draining soil on Isla Tenglo this Spring, may not have been such a good idea. Fortunately I have a couple of friends with a watering can and a love for fresh veggies, living near by, for the times when I am not around.

    By the end of November, with comments like "it's the driest I've seen, in these here parts"(in Spanish of course) and "this is the first time I had to water my garden in years" it's no wonder I jumped right on the band wagon with my bullhorn and protest posters waving, in defiance to the current weather conditions.. I might be exaggerating a bit, but it sure was dry.

     The end of November brought visitors from the North and cool rains from the South, East and West. We welcomed an injection of  warm Lancaster Cawnty love. And Santa's sleigh....packed full of goodies, had arrived early, driven by mustached German and his slightly taller American sidekick.

    Good times were had by all. We ate together, shared stories together, traveled together, and really just got to know each other and this country, a little better. Lots of laughs, lots of laughs... The time was good, but short lived. Before we knew it, we were stacking up bags, and handing out hugs before they boarded a bus to the Santiago International Airport. Kim and I then hopped on an overnight bus back to Puerto Montt, after ten days of  encouragement, refreshment, and adventure.
   
     In summing up, I guess I don't have much to say.. nothing profound anyhow, but much like the weather, my life circumstances fluctuate and change regularly. Maybe it's raining and cold today,and I wish for the sun to come, and surround me with beams of warm light. Maybe it's warm and dry and becoming quite parched, and I'm asking, "where the heck's the rain at?" Maybe I'm in a routine, and I say to myself "wouldn't a change be interesting, let's move halfway around the world" Maybe I'm exploring  new lands, meeting new people, reconfiguring my reality, and I say " man, I sure miss my family and friends and the way it used to be." There's always something, right?  I want to be thankful. I really want to be thankful.

     Thank you special Northern visitors for spending a week and half with us here in Southern Chile. Thank you God for sending cool rains when we need them, and thank you everyone, everywhere, for remembering us, with your prayers and amor and your gifts. We feel so loved by all of you! Here's a space hug coming your way....  

 \(*-*)/