Today was spent with more carpentering. Got up bright and early to be at work at 8. We went looking for more wood, but as it happens, there is a shortage of inexpensive, dry wood in the Cusco wood district. So no new wood was to be had, and we returned via the Batman bus to the woodshop. We have almost completed a new crib for the 2 babies at the orphanage.

I am constantly impressed with the type of high quality furniture that Fernando turns out with limited wood resources, as well as a limited number of machines. He is really a very talented carpenter, he knows a lot about his trade. My duty is basically to help him complete the more time consuming tasks so that he can turn out the items for the orphanage faster. He has built nearly everything in the house, from the cabinets to the diningroom table. It´s kind of interesting to learn his methods, and use the machines that he built himself with his own hands. I found it to be somewhat of a problem that there seemed to be a real lack of safety equipment, and I think I have inhaled a great deal of wood fibers. But, that problem was resolved with the discovery of the hidden safety goggles and facemask.

I donated a box of pencils today as I saw that there seemed to be one real pencil and several stubs circulating to do the work. I may also try to find some more goggles and masks, as it seems to me, if you cannot hear, and you can´t talk, the last thing you´d want to lose is your eyesight. Just seems to me sort of common sense.