I'd like to tell you about a friend of mine.

Their name is Rio Cruz, and they recently moved to freshwater from San Juan, Puerto Rico, with their dad's Javi and Kevin.

They live just a quick bike ride from me in a small and really pretty blue brick home.

With their Labradoodle, Sana.

The cruises are super close to each other.

They have a cruise family tradition that I will let Rio describe.

Thanks Rebecca.

So every Thursday my dads and I break out a giant soup pot that has been

passed down for generations. It makes something called asapal de pollo. Asapal is a delicious,

and I mean delicious stew that can vary in recipe. But ours has rice, chicken, corn, tomato sauce, and so many delicious

seasonings like oregano, sassonne, adobe, sofrito, and more. Did I mention it's delicious?

You definitely did, Rio. Well, it's true. My family and community back home believe in a creation story where our ancestors were created by a hummingbird god that turned pollen into people and who lives among the stars.

So my dad's and I cook the Assopalal, together, light, and place a bowl of stew at our altar to thank

the ancestors for a tasty meal, all under the shine from a hummingbird constellation called

Community Colibrie, hummingbird community. It's not as visible here in freshwater as it is in PR, but it's still

pretty beautiful. We spend the rest of the night catching up on our weeks, listening to music,

and just enjoying each other's company. It's my favorite night of the week. I love my dad's so much, which is why I basically went

to the ends of the earth to find them. Well, Zala and I did. You did. And Rio is here to tell you

all that unbelievable frog-filled story.

It all happened about a month after me and my dad's moved in.

It seemed like a regular Thursday.

I had gone that morning to pick up some post-dinner treats from the bakery,

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