Berta and Elise from Lakeland #2

After the first restful night in the converted school bus, we were awakened by the rays of the sun and the chirping of fantails. A couple of these birds, which have indescribably graceful and precise flying abilities, lived in the immediate vicinity of the bus. Many moments, especially in the morning, were spent in awe watching these birds, simply indescribable. They are quite small and able to open their tail feathers like a fan. With this, they are so agile that they can even catch the tiniest insects directly from the air. We started the day with a self-prepared breakfast consisting of avocados from our own tree, fresh fruit, tomatoes, cheese & sausage, toast, coffee, and the best eggs we have ever eaten.

Well fortified, we started our first day of work. The F. family had the wish to revive a small former garden plot that was completely overgrown. The plan is to plant beans and corn there. So off to work... and there we are, because while tying our shoes, we were already stuck in the tangle of plants. Depending on which side we left the bus, the distance to work doubled to seven meters. Diligently and full of energy, equipped with gardening tools and gloves, we started the project. At first, we didn't even know where to start and started digging wildly. After just a few minutes, it became clear that the roots of the plants reached much deeper than expected. So there was more work involved than we initially expected. Various tools were tried out and after two hours, we realized that the soil had to be dug at least 60 cm deep. It took a lot of strength, but at least the soil wasn't rock hard, but dark and fertile. Apparently, two residents of the F. family were aware of this fact as well, and so we were accompanied in the small garden plot by two greedy, clucking beaks every day. Always on the lookout for everything that crawls and creeps, the two of them behaved anything but shy. Standing on our shoes, daringly forcing the discovered worm before the next shovel stroke, there was complaining and laughing. Although they drove us to white heat in some moments, we quickly grew fond of the two hens. Caro and I agreed that our loyal companions naturally needed names as well. The next morning, eagerly and hungry, we were picked up right at the entrance of the bus by Elise and the chubby Berta. During dinner, we told Mrs. F. our story of how we named them, and she was so enthusiastic that she considered adopting the names. We had a lot of fun with Berta & Elise and we are sure that their unstoppable appetite contributed, as mentioned before, to the best Sunny Side Eggs.

The work on the small field and an adjacent pile of soil took up almost the entire stay in Lakeland, with the exception of two days off. The collected roots and weeds were collected on the loading area of a small truck and regularly taken to a pile on the property. On the 3rd day of work, Tim had the opportunity to use the right front door of the truck for the first time. With the words 'Don't break my truck and be careful with the trees', Tim was unexpectedly asked to start a driving attempt. With some initial difficulties and a brief explanation, the truck started moving after releasing the handbrake, which could be found with a small rotating handle next to the steering wheel. The trees remained intact and Caro was highly amused sitting in the passenger seat. Upon arrival at the pile, the vehicle had to be positioned correctly and the load had to be pushed off the platform. After that, it was uphill on the field. With high RPM and little propulsion, Tim's head and the clutch quickly smoked. After two or three gentle attempts, Tim quickly lost his courage, thinking of Mr. F.'s words. Caro was doubled over with laughter and Tim waddled disappointedly and humbly through the tall grass in search of Mr. F. He had also watched the scene with amusement from a distance and rescued his truck from the precarious situation.