It seems the entire continent is getting hit with extremely strange weather.
We had three days of constant rain, which is unheard of – we’re in the middle of our supposed dry season (though our longer term folks are beginning to doubt the validity of our dry season as it has been raining, a small amount, every few weeks or so). We found out important things, like in the two main buildings the roofs leak – in some cases, right over people’s beds.
Our cisterns captured lots of water, which with more people in our system is definitely needed. The new cistern at Bliss Point, which was constructed after the rainy season this year, is 2/3 full. The plants are greener and happy. Below is a photo of one of our water capturing systems.
During the first day of rain we drove three new arrivals directly to the Bosque, rather than having them walk through the forest on slippery trails. Wet, cold, and walking from a village nearby:
The second day our volunteers came to work and we tried to be as productive as possible – making signs, doing computer work indoors, and making some paper-maché mask prototypes.
And the third day we decided not to try to work, and instead built fires, took saunas, tried to stay warm and dry.
Yesterday the rain stopped! Sunshine! But… COLD. Everyone is wearing hats and lots of layers. We’ve had frost, which nearly never happens. And there was even ice in a wheelbarrow that was full of rain. We had some concern about the many small plants in the forest, but most should be ok because it wasn’t a deep freeze.
Odd weather patterns in lots of places. The place a few hours from us, Angangueo, where the monarch butterflies come in the winter got hit very badly – tornado even. Towns evacuated, and unfortunately some injuries and deaths due to mudslides and flooding. We are feeling lucky that all we got was monstrous weird rain. News reports do indicate that the rain has filled lots of reservoirs in Mexico City, which are a critical source of water for the city. Just like the results here; while the rain was unexpected and caused damage, the water we collected is very positive news.
For those who are coming to visit soon – pack warm clothing! It is warm during the day but quite chilly at night, though we make lots of fires for warmth and fun.
We are looking forward to many weeks of sunshine and warmth as winter comes to an end.
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