What to do with papaya?

The drought is now pretty much over with non stop rain almost all week last week. Although great for the garden, which is now growing like topsy, everyone else was getting pretty fed up with it. Some of the areas on the north coast flooded very badly, with many losing all of their possessions in floods over waist height as the rivers broke their banks. It is even said that in Sabaneta de Yasica, the cemetery flooded so badly that the bodies were washed out of the graves and disappeared. No doubt they will turn up somewhere.

Here, we luckily don't have flooding, apart from inside the house via the badly fitting windows, and through the roof where the men sorting the internet aerial stomped about on it in hob nail boots. But the dogs were fed up with the rain, and while I was concentrating hard, writing on my computer, they had a silent pillow fight early one morning.

It started off with the puppies, nearly a year old now, Panda and Pandora who managed to pretty much destroy a cushion. I had no idea that the cushions had so much estuffing.

Belinda ended up with the empty cushion cover, leaving the Pandas to frolic in the bits of foam.

Which Meg then robbed and  took out the lining. A good time was had by all, although I was a tad scared about Danilo's reaction when he got up. Surprisingly enough he was happy as said that the chickens would love the estuffing to build nests so it all got scooped up and given to the happy hens.

Chivirico arrived for the weekend and began by harvesting the papaya, known as lechosa.

Now, I know it is very good for you, but I just don't like it and there are not many things I don't like here. Danilo and Chivirico adore the batida, or milkshake, they make with it. If anyone knows a way to make it palatable then please let me know as we have loads.

Danilo was in Guayacanes for a big meeting with all his supporters last week. He tells me it went very well and now some of the major employers in the area have met with him and promised to support his launch day which is planned for early January. We still need to raise money for that and although I can repay people in a year's time when I come into my pension lump sum (no comments on pensionable age please), we have been unsuccessful in raising any more funds. So an American friend of mine racked her brain and me having said no to a cake stall, and a garage sale, as not enough people here and we give cakes as gifts to the neighbours, she came up with the idea of a 50/50 raffle. The idea is that people buy tickets, $10 for one and $20 for three with no limit on the number, and then the raffle is drawn on 15th December. The money raised is then divided into two with half going to the lucky winner, and half to Danilo's campaign. I was hoping to raise US$10,000 in total but it is going a tad slowly, so if anyone wants a ticket, the Facebook link is here. Anyone who wants to take part but isn't on Facebook you can email me on yoursaucepans@hotmail.com.