Daily Hugz

A long day always starts with a hearty vegan breakfast of fresh bread, hummus, cucumber salad, fresh olive oil and zaatar

In Asira, olives are harvested by knocking them out of the tree with a stick then picking them up from  a tarp beneath the tree.  Other villages hand pick the olives, but I have to admit the Asira method is pretty fun.

Taking time out between trees.

Charlie (far left) and Theo (2nd from right) came to help out. They came from the UK to volunteer to build a skateboard park in Asira. Their grand opening was yesterday and it looks pretty cool.

Maad sharing tea with Osama and his dad

Sure beats sitting behind a desk for a living

Our neighbors were also out picking olives today

I'm not sure we were doing it right, but the kids next door seem to enjoy watching us try

Enjoying a lunch break with Abu Ayman, Nidal, Maad, Charlie and Theo

Great food and conversation over lunch.  The neighbors cooked vegan stuffed eggplant and squash especially for us.

Yes, time for another break.

Our stash of olives piling up

By the end, our pile of olives is about the size of the car.

Opening up our stash of olives at the presser. We had about 12 large potato sacks of olives.

Our olive harvest at the presser about to be turned into oil

Our olives being dumped into a big grinder

First step is to wash the olives in bubbling water

Maad hand-picking any leaves and stems that remained after washing

After being cleaned, the olives pass through a filter

Pure, fresh oil pouring out of the press

Maad skimming off the impurities that floated to the top...want to make sure the olive oil is as pure as possible

Filling containers with pressed oil

Daily Hugz' take of the harvest (4 16-liter containters).  The workers took the other half.

Doesn't get any better than this...pure, clean fresh oil