As of September 18, 2021. the roof framing system of the farmhouse is
essentially completed. The GI roofing sheets, gutters and end flashings
are already on site, ready for installation starting on September 20th.
The fascia boards are painted white first before the gutters and
flashings will be installed.
When the roofing system is in place, we can start storing finishing
materials inside the farmhouse. Rain showers, short of a full blown
typhoon, will no longer delay the construction work.
The non-stop rains brought by Typhoon Kiko (Chanthu) temporarily halted our construction work at the half-finished farmhouse. After inspecting the newly delivered GI roofing materials, I visited a couple of trees that are currently fruiting.
We have three mabolo trees that are now about 9 years old. For the first time ever, I saw them bear fruit. It looks like this is their first season of maturity.
A rain-drenched mabolo fruit (velvet apple, Diospyros discolor) yet to ripen. This was a favorite fruit of mine when I was a kid. We used to rub these against the grass to remove the velvet-like fur covering the skin. I haven't eaten one in decades, and I've almost forgotten how it smells or tastes like. I'm eagerly waiting for these ones to ripen. I'm sure a flood of childhood memories will come rushing back after the first bite of a ripe mabolo.
Over at the guava stand, fruits are everywhere, mostly unripe yet. In a couple more weeks, the birds around the Orchard will have a feast on these.
Guavas are great to be eaten fresh off the tree (after washing these, of course). Some folks prefer the manibalang ones (just before fully ripened), while others like the ripe ones better. For me, the best use of ripe guavas is as a souring agent for sinigang na baka sa bayabas (soup made with tenderized beef ribs, string beans and guavas). This was a special dish prepared by my granny in Batangas when I was young.
Meantime, in another fruitingtree beside the farmhouse, a mixed flock of birds are having their lunch. This tiny bird was
feasting on the fruit of an aratiles tree (Muntingia calabura). For a
sense of scale, the berry-like fruit is typically about 1.5 cm in
diameter.
Red-keeled Flowerpecker (Dicaeum australe, a Philippine endemic)
Habitat - Canopy of forest, edge and flowering trees.
Size - 4 inches total length
Shooting Info - filmed in habitat at Maambal Orchard, Pangasinan,
Philippines on September 11, 2021, Nikon Coolpix P1000, fluid head +
tripod + shotgun microphone, manual focus, manual exposure in available
light, 4K/29.97p.
We are now doing full welds on the numerous joints of the roof framing
system. The GI sheets and other accessories will be delivered in a week
or so, and we hope to mount the roofing within a couple of weeks after
that.
Once the roof is covered, our finishing work inside the farmhouse can
progress rain or shine. We can then start decongesting the garage (now being used as temporary storage) and transfer the bulk of construction materials to the farmhouse.
