hi, everybody !!



glad all you busybees got your decorations down.

me, I've got it easy, didn't put any UP, so... none to put away.



as of today, we are "International" sales-wise...



a woman and her son (Ciomara y Osman) crossed the border from Melchor de Mencos in Guatemala, because they heard we have tasty chickens for sale.

talk about a comedy... unlike 90% of Belizeans who at least have *some* English, these Guatemalans didn't habla any Ingles.

and our Espanol is still pretty limited, but somehow, we managed to conclude a deal (point, catch, weigh, and pay) por cuatro gallinas y patos.

while DH struggled to convey various weights and costs, the poor woman was struggling to convert Guatemalan quetzales into Belize dollahs, so there were wrinkled brows all around.

I took little 6 yr old Osman around to show him all the baby animals, and he helped me count out carrots, bok choy leaves, lechuga y repollo (lettuce and cabbage) for all the guinea pigs and rabbits.

uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete ocho, nueve, DIAS !!

Osman was especially happy to hold the new babies (3 born on New Year's Day, and 3 more today), and laughed merrily while feeding the goat babies.

we also fed the chuntitos, the patitos, y pollitos (turkey poults, ducklngs, and chickie babies)

it's amazing how much one can communicate, without language.

we all had a good time, Ciomara was happy with her purchase, and we were happy to make the sale.

DH is puttering in the kitchen, sauteeing duck breast slices with veggies, and baking loaves of sourdough bread.

the house is a mess, the laundry's only half put away, and the bed's STILL not made, yet I am content.

my flocks of birds are settling down for the night, all the chickens, ducks and turkeys are in their coops, the goats are milked, and everybody's fed, watered, hayed, and happy.