Porch Fun

The porch is the center of activity here.  In Paraguay, most folks live outside because a hot breeze is better than no breeze at all.  The heat is just intolerable in the house.  In a typical country house, the kitchen and washroom and eating area (aka dining room) are outdoors, and bedrooms plus a small sitting area are inside. Gotta have somewhere to be if it rains, right?  The home we've been living in here at Hogar Ganar is designed with a front porch that offers shade and lots of space for hanging out, so we take full advantage of that.

One of the first things Ken did for me when we moved in was put up our hammock, which has followed us all over Paraguay.  It's there that I spend a lot of the day, because I can stretch out my leg in front and do my exercises.  A few chairs scattered around make an easy terere circle for socializing, and also for Bible studies and homeschooling.   

praise and worship in the shade

baby Zoe's favorite place to nap

Today we had visitors of another kind.  The girls and I were all studying quietly when the cows and horses made their way into our yard, and the next thing we knew, they were practically on the porch with us.  

They're only a week from finishing the 2011-12 school year, so not even wild horses could draw Camille away from her work!

Caroline was really hoping this cow would come close enough that she could feed him her math book. (Can you see him hiding behind the tree?)

This is the cow they tell me is crazy and will charge you, so for a split second I thought he might actually join us.  I had my crutches ready in case I needed to skedaddle!