November 23 Thanksgiving”If you have the hardback book, that is pages 212-230.
When Paul goes to school he sees that a lot of the kids are absent. Henry tells Paul that they’re all at their groves, fighting the freeze. Henry explains that families that depend on citrus and vegetables need their kids to say home to help them fight off the cold. They build bonfires, he says, among other things to fight the cold. Paul wants to go help the Cruz family save their tangerines. He asks Henry if he wants to come with him after school. Then he leaves a message with his mom, telling her that he’s going to the Cruzes.
After school Wayne gives Henry and Paul a ride over. When they arrive they see that there’s ice all over the Golden Dawn trees. Paul doesn’t understand, but Wayne tells him that they spray the trees with water to encase them with ice, because the ice keeps them at 32 degrees. If they go any lower, they die. The ice acts like a protection. But they don’t have the ability to spray all the trees because they need pumps that take diesel fuel, which is too expensive. It’s also risky because the ice has to stay slushy: if it freezes hard, the trees can crack.
People in Tangerine are farmers and understand what is at stake. They work hard to ensure their survival. People in Windsor downs just turn the heat up in their houses and have little concern for farmers.
