gac

Levi sipping a coconut on the porch

The landlords of our little jungle box are our neighbors, a family who live in two houses on our lane. The elderly patriarch of the family, a giggly, toothless, sun-weathered fellow, spends much of his time in galoshes and a straw hat, splashing around in the swamp and tending to his various crops of fruit, flowers, and the carcinegenic nut he chews as a stimulant. The result is the verdant setting of our weird, wonderful house, as well as a few treats.


Yesterday a member of the family dropped by with two coconuts. He hacked off the tops with a machete and instructed us to stick a straw in it. Yum.
 

Unripe gacfruit in our "yard"

A little while later, his sister sold us, for about 75 cents each, two bottles of the juice she and her husband have been squeezing from gac fruit, an orangey-red spikey thing that grows outside our living room window.The juice is a vivid red and tastes sweet and mild and fantastic. I threw some vodka and soda into it and enjoyed an immensely relaxing Sunday afternoon.