This weekend, 50 of Keiko's organic food customers (as best as I can understand, Keiko distributes her food directly to customers--maybe like a CSA? She rarely goes to public market) came to the farm to plant the rice. Many farmers do this by machine, now, but Keiko still does it by hand. What a cool process...at least I assume it was, because a few days ago while cleaning up the farm before they arrived, I stepped on a rusty nail and it went through my rubber boots! yikes. Fortunately (thanks to the cat that bit me in Thailand...), my teatnus vaccine is current and I washed the small puncture right away (regretting leaving my irrigation syringe behind...), applied some anti-biotic cream, and bandaged it with my second favorite traveler's friend (right after my sarong (because of course I travel with a towel!)), duct tape!
Keiko saw my bandage and made me take it off so she could see. She wanted to cut it open a little more to squeeze out the possible infection and I said nononononono!! I had already squeezed it and washed it...it's good. Mondainai--no problem. Everyone else tried to scare me by showing how big my foot was gonna swell to, but I stuck to my guns: no Japanese farm-style surgery for me! Too bad I punctured my foot the day before rice planting...I took the day off while everyone else finished up. The next day, I did get to walk around in the paddy with one barefoot and one foot in my borrowed big rubber boots to help install an electric fence. Wet and squishy for about 6 inches, but then solid clay soil. very difficult to walk in in boots, no problem barefoot.
The fence is to keep the agaimo (sp?) ducks in the paddy. They arrived today, and the babies are sooooo cute! They will eat the worms and bugs that would otherwise eat the rice plants, and after the rice harvest, Keiko and friends will eat them! It all goes round in a circle...
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