Life out here in the campo is pretty much a vacation. I pass my time planting trees, swimming in the river, and walking around the countryside and mountain. It is hot, but everyone here wants to help; whether it is delicious food or ice-cold, fresh chinola juice.

Everyone working with the foundation is great and a lot of fun. Being a part of their work is both fun and meaningful. There are a lot of laughs and plenty of singing. I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Postcard from Hannah

I am very busy being thoroughly humbled by the generosity and grace with which the Dominicans here share themselves. If I let them, everyone on my walk home would feed me un monton of rice, sate my thirst with fresh chinola juice, give me their chair.

Simple living is the way of life here. In the context of my current environment, I find myself fairly high maintenance – although, I must admit, I spend most of my time very very grubby (and revel in it). Fortunately, the river running through the villages here is cold and always accessible.

For the most part, I’m thriving on life here (and the mosquitoes are thriving on my life here), loving my mountain summer - gardening, hiking, eating, swimming, sitting. I’ve been inspired to adopt a few chickens and a goat when I return stateside – family and friends, you have been forewarned. Expect to see a tan, rustic woman with dirt under her fingernails and a rice belly upon my return.

Sending cool green love from the mountainside…

And, finally, greetings from David

Well, what is there to say about Loma Quita Espuela? On the days we aren’t taken on walks through the reserve our work in the nursery keeps us warm, walking, and ant-ridden. The feeding here is on a scale undreamed of. Our families persist in giving us multiple mountains of food, three times a day, and our rice bellies have begun their development.

Despite copious amounts of carbs and insects, we enjoy almost daily swims/baths in the river, visiting and avoiding food at each other’s houses (Hannah lives in a small village some 2 km from Brian and I), and a weekly trip to the city to participate in the Reunion Equipo Tecnico with the Loma Quita Espuela .

A couple nights, we’ve even been treated a couple times with fresh water eels and jaiba (freshwater crabs) that our dad caught from a nearby creek.