It's heating up out here ...

In two ways, as we are rolling over into summer in
the southern hemisphere. I just realized this morning
that I hadn't experienced rain in almost 7 months.
The clouds are beginning to come so hopefully soon
there will be a little precipitation to change up the day.
Also, another way that it is heating up is in the picture above.
Today, me and one of the Romanian guys that are here
in the village made a solar oven. It isn't quite finished as
we need to paint the inside a flat black so as it heats up
better. Also, will probably paint the outside so as to
make it look real pretty like.
But, we've been talking about this for at least over a
month and today just happened to be the day we got
to it. It cost about zero to make only because we
scrounged the wood around the village and the nails
we already had.
We could use a little more insulation around the glass at
the top and we will find something that will work.
This solar oven was a difficult concept to sell. I explained,
drew a diagram, took pictures of one that my colleague
has and ... did I mention something about pleading?
In the end, we made it and have a live model that when
the people see it work, then they have to believe.
My goal in all this is, yes, save wood and resources, but
at this point it is ... open up the mind to new things.
So, we finished a little late and it was around 3:30 pm
when we first put it in the sun. Too late to cook for the
day, but tomorrow is CWS day (cooking with sun) and
I hope that it does the job despite the lack of black
paint.
Another good thing that happened is that we are knocking
on the door of finally finishing the expansion of the support
group garden. All you who have been in villages know
that at times it just ain't easy to get the easy accomplished.
This expansion should have been finished in about 2 days
of about 5 hours of work each. But, it has been 1 hour
here and 1 hour way over there and on and on.
A miracle happened and one man actually stepped up
and is taking a lead in the enlargement of the gardening
area.
It is how it goes out here and after all this time, for me, it
is just, have patience and keep perseverance and go
with the speed of the flow. If not, as many of my ex and
now colleagues can testify to, it will drive ya bonkers.
All in all, it is a pretty good time. We're not breaking any
type of records but there is some building going on.
Building is a sure sign of progress as it takes the mind to
be convinced to get the ball rolling.
So, with the garden becoming bigger and the solar oven
coming online, we can make the food and cook it too.
All good thoughts to end this week on.