The Naranjo farm and other odds and ends

Guess what?

I'm tired again tonight and feel the need to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

Today we worked in the fields. This time, our goal was to complete six transects on two separate farms near El Salado.

William Naranjo's two acre farm was our first stop.

The 45-year-old farmer greeted us as we pulled up to the assigned meeting place. He smiled and shook Jose, our driver's, hand. He told us the road to the farm was going to be difficult and rough due to all the recent rain.

Our caravan of three vehicles decided to proceed up the steep and muddy mountain despite the warning.

We had a lot of work to do.

After some of hemming and hawing, Jose threw the Mitsubishi into four-wheel drive and courageously navigated us through one of the worst roads I've ever seen as far as mud goes.

At last, we made it to a drop off point where we could begin our work.

We finished our day as a downpour arrived. It wasn't an easy one, but it had been productive. Naranjo had invited the team over, so we joined him and his family for sweet bread and watery coffee.

Just like that, another day had come and gone. I can't believe its been a week already.

Tomorrow will me more of the same... a.k.a. coffee farm mapping, farmer interaction, and plenty of good laughs.

Enjoy.

William Naranjo.
Machete Man II.
Naranjo tells Jose that the drive up will be steep.
Louis chose not to look over the edge.
Finally, we made it to a safe spot for the cars to turn around.
The mud was pretty bad.
Everyone focuses on one step at a time.
The view of surrounding coffee farms from the top.
Amongst the coffee bushes there are a lot of spider webs. This one looked nice in the morning light.
We took our lunch break once we finished Naranjo's farm. Our tortilla-rice-beans-potato-egg, beef-plantain dish was fantastic.
The team didn't really feel like working on another farm.
Carmen Naranjo, William's daughter, watches us sip coffee from the door jam to the Naranjo home.
Deserted soccer cleats sit near a bench at a soccer field near Naranjo's home.
The Naranjo mutt.
I thought this was a bit ironic.
Lights out for me!