This job is a workout! From head to toe, and everywhere in between. I have bruises on the inside of my knees because my current chores require me to use my whole body as much as my head. I'm beginning to understand what people mean when they say WWOOFing is "labor intensive". At the same time, I can't stop grinning like a madwoman because I'm having a ton of fun.
Our day starts around 6 am as the sun is coming up, that's about the time of day when the night has reached its coolest and by then we have goosebumps. Just as the sun is coming up over the edge of the volcano we're able to enjoy its warmth on our face while we sip fresh brewed Kona coffee. This coffee is out of this world, unbelievably good. Seriously. I usually have to doctor my coffee with copious amounts of cream and sugar before I can choke it down, but this steaming brew I take black, then return for seconds and thirds. Yum.
Then we start making our way up the sharp incline of the lava trails. These trails are as treacherous as they are scenic, some of the large slabs of lava rock are stable and large enough to be considered pavement, while others are loose, unsteady, and ready to roll with the right encouragement, or wrong step. With the help of some walking sticks carved from ancient coffee branches we make quick work of the trail, cumbersome equipment and all.
Once we arrive at the location of our day's work we establish a sort of base camp. A place to replenish our canteens and meet up to enjoy a freshly plucked avocado or papaya. Then we get right to work, Tony with his weed whacker and I with my ratcheting loppers. Tony mows down weeds and snares of flowering vines while I cut down invasive saplings that threaten to overtake the nutrient-dense fields where the coffee grows. I just take it one snip at a time, one step at a time, and by the time we've finished for the day I'm often surprised to find a few dozen neatly-stacked piles of kindling in my wake. I find this almost as rewarding as finding a chameleon hanging out among the branches.
Our day starts around 6 am as the sun is coming up, that's about the time of day when the night has reached its coolest and by then we have goosebumps. Just as the sun is coming up over the edge of the volcano we're able to enjoy its warmth on our face while we sip fresh brewed Kona coffee. This coffee is out of this world, unbelievably good. Seriously. I usually have to doctor my coffee with copious amounts of cream and sugar before I can choke it down, but this steaming brew I take black, then return for seconds and thirds. Yum.
Then we start making our way up the sharp incline of the lava trails. These trails are as treacherous as they are scenic, some of the large slabs of lava rock are stable and large enough to be considered pavement, while others are loose, unsteady, and ready to roll with the right encouragement, or wrong step. With the help of some walking sticks carved from ancient coffee branches we make quick work of the trail, cumbersome equipment and all.
Once we arrive at the location of our day's work we establish a sort of base camp. A place to replenish our canteens and meet up to enjoy a freshly plucked avocado or papaya. Then we get right to work, Tony with his weed whacker and I with my ratcheting loppers. Tony mows down weeds and snares of flowering vines while I cut down invasive saplings that threaten to overtake the nutrient-dense fields where the coffee grows. I just take it one snip at a time, one step at a time, and by the time we've finished for the day I'm often surprised to find a few dozen neatly-stacked piles of kindling in my wake. I find this almost as rewarding as finding a chameleon hanging out among the branches.
No comments:
Post a Comment