Cleaning and Clamming!

Ended up being a beautiful day for the first day of the shack week. They dropped their stuff off at the shack first thing this morning, walked their kids to school and then came back to the Big House to do some work. They washed windows inside and out, cleaned the patio (which was disgusting after all the rain washed the dirt off the roof), washed all the dishes and organized the cupboards and started sweeping the driveway.

Matt, Em and Shane disappeared while they were supposed to be sweeping. Turns out that they went back to the shack to change into shorts. No one was impressed when I docked their days earning 10 pesos each for the three people that left the work site without the permission of the boss.

After a lunch break we headed off to meet the clamming crew. After a few hours we had a total of 43 clams that were big enough to keep for a total income of 120 pesos. Nicest possible day for us to do the clamming after a couple days of rain.

It took them a while to get organized when they got back from the store with their groceries. They were pleasantly surprised at what they were able to get with their money and still have leftovers. David and Maggie came by to check on them and gave them a hand with some plastic David got from the ranch he works at, helped them get a fire going and showed them how to clean up the few clams the guy let us take home. They were in good spirits most of the day. In the evening Angelina taught me how to make tortillas and then she insisted on taking some fresh ones with butter over to the students. They are definitely being spoiled by their friends/neighbours. But it seems like that’s what people do for each other here.

Tomorrow it’s off to work in the tomato fields.

Rose, School of Leadership Mexico Facilitator