Interesting Trip From Paoay

Elder Eddington and I are branching out with our Member Records Project.  We have pretty much finished phase one in the Laoag Stake, so on to other areas.  Yesterday we attended a district meeting of elders and sisters in one of the Paoay Districts.  Because of Elder Eddington's knowledge and expertise of spread sheets and computers, he is a perfect fit for this project.  He has organized member records by address to make it easier for the missionaries to find and reactivate members. His reputation is spreading.  Whenever we meet missionaries we don't know, one of the first things they ask us is, "When are you going to fix the member records in our area?"

We are also traveling around so Elder Eddington can give mini-classes in district meetings.  He is educating the missionaries as to the different types of member record reports that can be generated.  These various member record reports will help the missionary cause. My job is to be Elder Eddington's travel companion and executive secretary. Hard job, but someone has to do it!

Here are a few of the interesting sights we saw coming back from our half-hour trip to Paoay. Actually, this first picture was taken on a previous trip, but I had to include it.  It is SO gorgeous!

Calendar perfect!

Not a very artistic view, but these authentic houses are so quaint. The roofs are palm leaves. The walls are either bamboo or woven palm leaves. I can't tell what the walls are made of in these homes.
 

It is rice-and-corn harvest season. After manually cutting the rice stalks, which is hot and back-breaking work, the rice goes into a rice thrasher, which separates the rice kernels from the stalks.  The rice is then spread along the shoulders of the roads to dry.  Sometimes the rice is spread into the lanes of traffic and is driven over. 

After the grains are dry, they are scooped into large bags.  This is a community affair: women, men, chickens, dogs, and children help. The drying process seems very unsanitary, but the rice is still in its husks.

Grain being scooped into bags

Bags being put into trucks

More bags being loaded onto a truck.

I have wanted to create a post: "Strange Things We Find In The Streets", but it would be too hard to capture everything.  The best one so far was when we encountered a litter of puppies owning the road.  Some were sunning themselves in the middle of the street.  Others were kind of on the side of the road, getting their nightly nip, if you know what I mean. We had to wait for mother dog and puppies to reluctantly toddle to the shoulder.

But I did capture this picture that can go under the category of: "Strange Things We Find In The Streets".

What a bad mother to let her babies play in the street! OK, so they aren't playing. So adorable!

This next series of pictures is priceless! Absolutely priceless.  I tried taking a picture from my open window as we passed.  This is all I managed to capture:

A hard-working carabao (a subspecies of the water buffalo)

So we pulled over to get a better shot.  I tried taking the picture from a distance so the gentleman wouldn't see me, but this is all I got:

Still an inferior shot.  At this point the old fellow saw what was going on and stopped to pose for the next pictures.

He was so gracious to let me have this photo op!  Your dad gave me p10 to give to him for being so cooperative. He was very confused when I offered him the money, but put out his hard-working, calloused hand and smiled an almost toothless grin.  What a wonderful moment! "National Geographic", eat your heart out!

By the way, I have picked up a service project.  Your dad has his Member Records Cause, which I help him with when I can. But sometimes your dad is working on computer projects that I can't help with, therefore I have nothing to do. I read the scriptures as much as I can during these down moments, but I can only read so much in one sitting.  So yesterday before we got back to our apartment we stopped at a hospital to offer my services. It's a new hospital, therefore they are very appreciative to accept any charitable assistance.  So I bought some flannel, crochet thread, and a crochet hook.  I'm on my way to making baby blankets to be given to poorer families when they leave the hospital with their newborns. I questioned whether blankets are needed in a tropical climate, but the hospital staff we talked with assured me they are used.....as well as hats, mittens, and booties.  Prickly heat waiting to happen, as far as I'm concerned.

Love, Elder and Sister Eddington