Day 19: A full day.

I left off with almost finishing the preparations for cement. Well, that is done; I finished it in the morning. This is the first time I've done this, so it has been a good experience in learning. Can I ever really learn enough? I think not. My appetite for information and experiences is never sated. I remember as a kid reading the encyclopedias that my mother bought. She got the whole set, that's right. I would read about a thing and while reading about that become curious about another and so on. When we had to do chores I'd hide in the bathroom and read. I thought I was so smart because who would think to look in the bathroom. Well, everyone, that's who. But I wasn't just a bookworm. I had to be outside mostly naked and running through the woods. I was what might be termed ferrel. I was with this girl for eight years, and she claimed to have tamed me. I'm chuckling as I sit here mostly naked and a lot stinky from this mornings work (Again, this is a yesterday yesterday plus a yesterday and today. I'll bet more today on there tomorrow when it'll be yesterday.). I've figured out that the harder I make it on myself the easier it is to be me. I mean, really, planning to live two months in the Negev but not knowing what I'd be doing or with whom. And yet here I sit, eating with my hands at meal times, munching on garlic cloves, and howling at the stars. Too good.

So we knocked off of work an hour early and had another art lesson. Today we did some color theory mixed in with water color painting techniques. We work from 10-12 and then from 2-4. This family is so into the lessons. I'm doing much to help the farm, no doubt. But the art lessons are my gift to them. I do this during the time I'm free. But they love them so much--the whole family does, that I feel so good in spreading what I love.

 We finished the lesson late, about 4:30, and we were supposed to go back to work. But Avi surprised us with a trip to the pool. What kind of a Cracker would I be if I didn't jump on a chance to swim?



Then last night I had to make some supports for the tomato plants. I'm an old hand at this now. It was nice to work in the garden instead of doing manual labor--which I love to do. Still, for a guy who loves a regimen, some change is just fine. Which is really why I'm in BFE. Okay, an aside here. When we were kids and we were lost or in the middle of nowhere we would say that we are in "Bum fucked Egypt." I still don't know what that means, except the middle of nowhere, but if I turn around I can see Egypt. Crazy. So I am here because I'm out of balance. I've never been in the Negev with the Arazuni family doing organic farm stuff. Imagine how much I'm growing! I can feel it. Not my peasant body--I must thank my mom and dad for creating it. I am really strong and powerful, which is good for farm stuff. And I'm resilient, so working in the desert doesn't bother me. I mean, I do go to Miami in the summertime because I love the heat.

 And then there is Lulu. She is absolutely one of the highlights of my trip thus far. She is a 10 year old alpha girl with very little fear and much common sense. She is my tour guide, Hebrew teacher, alarm for anything that needs to be done or will happen imminently, and so much more. The car was full, and when this is so the girls ride on the roof for the three kilometer ride from the orchard to the house. I couldn't pick a favorite, maybe you can.