My days begin at 7:00 am when I go out in search of my workers.  Usually they find me, or I track them down pretty quickly.  This day I saw Lopez riding by on his bike.  When he saw me he said "No trabajo hoy!" (No work today) I just laughed and said "funny" because it was something he says every day.  "No really, they need our help on the farm picking elote, all the papis are helping too" (Elote is corn when it is picked young. It is more tender, but nothing like  sweet corn in the states).  I found out he was telling the truth so I went to help out also.  Apparently someone had been stealing the corn, so they decided to pick it all at once and sell it.  

As I approached the field I didn't see anyone.  But then from somewhere in the maze of corn stalks I could hear sounds.   Then I would see a ear of corn fly over the top of the stalks.  Then another.  And another.  All coming from different places, but landing in basically the same place, somewhere out in the rows.  A few minutes later they emerged and I got to try my hand at it.  The corn is taller than me, so it is a strange feeling to be out in the middle of the field and not be able to see anywere.  I walked down the row, snapped off the ears and then tossed them into the pile that was closest by.  It took me a while to figure out where the piles were, but by watching the trajectory of other flying ears I could approximate where I should be throwing them.  Everyone else was wearing long sleves.  I soon found out why.  After picking for a little while my arms were red and burning from the corn leaves rubbing over them as I walked by.

In about 3 hours we has finished picking all the corn.  Then they cut down a few rows here and there revealing the piles we had made.  Some had to be moved so they would be in the cleared path.  After this it was put into big sacks and sold. 

I never really know what I am going to be doing each day when I get up in the morning.   I wonder what it will be tomorrow. . .