We´re Smokin´

Yes, the roads were closed today after a few fatal accidents due to smoke from field burning. Our trip to San Pedro was cancelled, and we had a free day for resting, walking, eating (which we seem to be doing a lot of) and working on our presentations for the district conferences in Pergamino and Pendleton. The smoke is still quite bad tonight, so tomorrow´s trip to a neighboring town might be cancelled as well. Tonight we discussed ¨plan B¨ for tomorrow in case we can´t get out of Dodge. However, Liliana and Alfio are such wonderful people, we won´t feel ¨stuck¨ tomorrow even if we can´t go anywhere.

After another television interview, we attended the meeting of the Baradero Rotary Club this evening. Our host, Liliana, is president of the club. Our presentation went over very well tonight. The feedback we have been getting is that it is the most original presentation that has ever been given, and the locals enjoy the mixture of comedy, personal information, and our agricultural message of ¨Water is Life¨. In typical fashion, tonight´s meeting was called for 930 pm, and the meeting got started around 10 pm after some socializing. We did not put on our presentation until 1155 pm, and the meeting ended at around 1225 am. It is now 1 am and I am just getting to sit down to blog. Quite different than our Rotary schedule in Oregon, no?

I don´t know if I have written about the ¨sedes¨ of the Rotary Clubs here. All clubs outside the greater Buenos Aires area have their very own buildings with kitchens. Since the Rotary owns the building, they can meet there any time, and don´t have to worry about storage of banners, etc. At the Rotary meetings, a Rotarian or a local person usually cooks everything for the dinner in the kitchen from scratch, and the Rotarians also serve the meal. The sede is also available sometimes for the use of others in the community.How nice it must be to have a club building to call your own. Tonight, we enjoyed home made pasta prepared by a local Rotarian, Reynoldo.