Day 5

More bread making today and this time I got photos. Sofia is K's oldest sister, in front, rolling out the dough, particularly wanted to be named in the photo. I helped knead the dough but the rest of it is beyond my skillset, and really hard work. Tuba, youngest sister, 15, is cooking the bread--she turns it with a flat wooden stick. With the last pieces of bread they made gozleme for lunch--sprinkled homemade cheese and butter and folded the bread into a package and toasted the whole thing and we ate outside under the tree. K's mama and Deniz are in the background. Below is the stacked bread.

In the afternoon, the grown-ups and babies walked to the gardens again with the donkey to pick pomegranates and figs. K's sisters were fearless, climbing trees for figs in the heat wearing long skirts and scarves.

That's a field of cotton on the left. Minor fracases with sofias son parking the donkey in the wrong place and then falling off of it or getting bucked off. I missed that last action as I was climbing into a delightfully frigid pool of water with all my hot heavy clothes on, which may have been the highlight of the day. And no, I'm not posting photos of my outfit, suffice to say far too much clothing for a 90 degree walk and fruit picking. K says the ladies get used to wearing so much clothing, I have my doubts. I think they are more long suffering and very strong, physically and mentally.
A truly incredible amount of people and baggage piled into one car to leave when we got back to the village--4 adults, 7 children, luggage for all, 3 sacks of pomegranates, 4 buckets of figs and 2 buckets of fresh yogurt. And the car was a normal sized 4-door sedan.
K's mama unexpectedly asked me to cook dinner which sent me into a complete panic. Limited ingredients, time and facilities combined with cooking for 8 people that are eagerly waiting to see what the strange daughter-in-law can do in the kitchen equals a hectic Becky. I made risotto with onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes and thyme and k's mama made chicken and eggplant kabobs baked, I think she was worried that my rice might not be eatable. Everyone was pretty concerned that I was putting cheese into the rice and the neighbor lady who walked into the kitchen was openly horrified by the risotto. She also  told me I was serving too much when I dished it out. Everyone said they liked it and most people finished their plates so hopefully they liked it. Next visit, if I ever consent to come to the village again, I will be prepared for this and bring ingredients for something.
With all the children gone it was blissfully quiet and I anticipated a great sleep, which would have happened except for the huge beetle that crawled on my nose and woke me--gah!!! I didn't really sleep much after that.