The Change to Fall

The changing of the season has been different here. Its been hard to put a finger on, but after some discussion with fellow PCT’s, I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of it has to do with how intrinsically the sights and smells and sounds of changing, crunching, burning leaves are woven into my understanding of fall. The trees here do not change in the same way; there are no leaves, no familiar smells. However, when I start to look for it I realize how much the season is indeed marked in some really neat ways.

This year Fall came accompanied by a few big changes: The installation of our wood petch (phonetically, not correctly spelled) and running water in the kitchen, as well as the arrival of home-canned fruits and vegetables.
The petch may be fantastic enough to satisfactorily replace crunching leaves (almost). For those who don’t have one, here’s what it is: Imagine a big metal box about the size of a duffel bag with feet and a stovepipe sticking into the wall. The arrival of the petch coincides with the temperature dropping, as it is the one and only source of heating on our property. It lives in the kitchen which I can only imagine over the winter will be THE place to be. It is fueled by wood and trash-a perfect solution for refuse in a neighborhood which will not have trash pickup or recycling for at least as long as I’m here. The radiant heat from the petch’s burning fabric scraps, candy wrappers and coke bottles keeps the room wonderfully warm and the three kettles sitting on top of it guarantee hot tea anytime you like! It’s also great for re-heating. I placed the metal pan with Mathias’ apple crisp on top and within moments have deliciously toasty left-overs. Microwaves don’t stand a chance against this baby!
We also now have a sink with running water INSIDE the kitchen, thanks to the handiwork of my teenaged host brother. My host family explained that they are getting water inside because it’s getting too cold to wash dishes outside. My question of “Why not have water inside all the time?” did not seem to translate.
And last but not least-my host mom’s jarred tomatoes and peaches have arrived from under the stairs!! I have to say, they are delicious. It was explained to me that over the summer the tomatoes are placed in the big jars along with garlic, herbs and boiling water then sealed. We also eat pickled cabbage, carrots, cucumber, and green tomatoes every day. At breakfast time the family breaks out the homemade strawberry preserves, the best I’ve ever had. Hopefully our next host family will also have these skills and I will be able to learn!

Postscript:
Since the writing of the original post, the temperature has indeed dropped. We received a delivery of wood that will last about two months from a gentlemen who collects it from…well I’m not really sure, but I can say it’s mostly two-by-fours with nails still attached. At night the kitchen is indeed the place to be and very toasty. The only other option is under the covers in our room as our thermometer has be registering 54-57 degrees consistently for the last few days. Our host family asked how we heat our homes in America and I did a rather silly reenactment of air coming out of the floor and ceiling. I took that air for granted for sure. To sign off, I’m going in my two pairs of long underwear and leg warmers to sit by my new favorite household object, the petch!!
~Emma