ANZ's Farms: Good bye, JeanCarlo and Ruben

Good bye JeanCarlo and Ruben, two close neighbors who moved to California yesterday. These young men are goat-birth partners and ... hmmm, shall I say reluctant, farmhands. As latch-key kids, they often came to my house off the bus after school for a snack. In exchange, we made them do a little work around the farm. They are typical American pre-teens, gaining experience from Facebook's Farmville rather than getting dirt on their hands and sunshine on their faces. We wanted to be part of their coming of age, making men from boys. I lament that we didn't get enough time with them. A 50-lb bag of grain was still too heavy for them to handle on their last day and they never knew the pleasure of a job well done. I will miss them and hope that California is the fresh start they anticipate.

Marly and Alexander

We had a block party so that the neighbors could send them off knowing they will not be forgotten. Unfortunately, the guests of honor were not able to come at the last minute. But, rather than be upset about NOT getting to say good bye and giving them their parting gifts, I am pleased that the family who will be renting their house was able to come so we could begin to get to know them. The weenie roast was a success and the s'mores were a big hit. It was a new experience for me that English was not the predominant language spoken at our home. The new family is from El Salvador and the across the street neighbor is an ESL teacher ... thankfully ... so that our new family felt included and warmly welcomed. Furthermore, the kids go to school together, so that was a happy small-world discovery.

We are so blessed with great neighbors:

My shadow and her dad who live around the corner.