My Saturday in UY

We really appreciate the opportunity, every other week, to buy fresh-as-you-can-get-it organic produce at bargain prices. Here Ricardo has just harvested a variety of acelga (Swiss chard) for us. Acelga is arguably the vegetable in Uruguay — if you order ravioli or canelones con verduras in a restaurant the verduras will be acelga. You can get it year-round. It took us a year or two to realize this was our desirable spinach substitute, since spinach is only occasionally available. And needs much more washing.

So then off to our chacra nearby where the in-places knee-high grass needed cutting. A couple of wild ducks flew into our tajamar, but decided the noise of the lawn mower was offensive, and left. I had seen one on my previous trip. Other posts about the pond we created. It’s an interesting experiment in “letting nature do its thing.”

Then there was the twice-monthly (because “bimonthly” can mean either twice a month or every two month; thanks English language) Atlántida-area English-speakers’ get together. 23 people showed up. Many lively (and funny!) discussions. Nationalities included Uruguay, US, Canada, England, Holland, and Germany. On other occasions we’ve had South Africans, Argentines, and no doubt others I can’t think of right now.

And this Saturday Occupy Couch performance art.

Tajamar

This was our “test” pond two years ago. We didn’t know if it would fill with water or not.

Indeed, it did. So this year we enlarged it. And no rain came. And it went to almost bone dry a few weeks ago. Fortunately, we had never put any fish in it.

To get a feel for the difference in size, note that the earlier version ends on the left partly past the front of the neighbor’s ugly barn.

Now to go near Tienda Inglesa, trim some willow branches, and try again to get trees started.

That was fast!

Look at the amount of tall grass on the left, then look at the photo from less than three months ago. Note the color of the water then …

… and now. I’m not quite ready to put fish in, but I’m tempted.

But guess what there’s no sign of? There should be lots of frogs, but I didn’t hear a single one—not a single splash.

If you dig it, it will fill

Remember the pond-digging last month?

After a few days of heavy rain, we have a pond which almost looks like it’s always been there.

And you spotted the local wildlife enjoying it? This is locally called Tero-Tero for its call. Up north, Southern Lapwing. Same bird exists in Australia: very territorial, spurs on wings. Rather aggressive if you happen upon them with young.