Yesterday I really enjoyed myself. In the morning we collected some more corn samples. We got two from an uncle of Enrique {Villalobos} who is a real character. The little old fellow lives all alone in an unpainted wooden shack full of corn he is storing. He dresses as if he was poor as a church mouse, but owns 2 farms and had some kids picking oranges & loading a big truck with them when we came by. He has a little metal cart with rubber tires and a big horse to pull it. He has some beautiful plants around his house. I took a cutting from one, a bush with many-colored leaves.
Enrique says the old fellow used to drink a lot, and through the family he got the one little farm so he could get away from civilization and perhaps “dry out.” he then won the national lottery and bought the second farm with the money.
Later in the day I got to meet Enrique’s dad who owns a dairy farm near Zarcero and milks about 20 cows. The guy could as easily be a farmer in Adams County, WI. He showed us his calves, and talked about how this one was out of a Carnation bull and that one out of a NOBA bull. NOBA, ABS and Carnation are 3 {US-based artificial insemination} companies that are widely known & used by Costarican dairy farmers Enrique told me.
Mr. Villalobos may go up to Wisconsin for the World Dairy Expo in 1978. I told him I’d like him to meet my dad if he does. If it weren’t for the language barrier I’m sure they’d find lots to talk about.
<At about 7:15 PM I arrived in front of Sofia’s house with half a sack of oranges and my small suitcase. Sofia wasn’t home, but her younger sister came out to help me carry my cargo in. Carlos {Reed} and Enrique fell in love with the sister.>
<Sofia has her first month’s supply of “the pill.”> She went to see her doctor yesterday, and he did a preliminary exam and then gave her the contraceptives to start taking on the first day of her period. She was excited about it & took them out to show me them, etc. I sure hope she doesn’t experience any serious side effects. I hate taking any medicine & am not too comfortable with the idea of her taking something with as many confirmed bad side-effects as the pill. It’s the best contraceptive for us to start out on I guess, but she says she’ll only use it for six months and then we’ll have to find an alternative. I’ll use condoms if necessary. I won’t pressure her to use a method she has a lot of doubts about.
And on & on. She has got a sound system lined up for the reception, but we aren’t sure about the hall, El Ande, yet. She is also lining up an organist and a singer for the wedding, which will cost about 400 Colones. I promised to pick up the rings and her shoes today, and talk with a guy who I hope can be talked into taking pictures at our wedding. She’s going to talk with the padre {priest} about music in the church and continue her physical.
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