Gheorghe and Ioana Diertic of Slătioara are former teachers. Like most Romanians who live in rural areas, they own a small-holding which consists of some pasture, an orchard, a vegetable garden and some cows and pigs. Their two daughters are pursuing successful professional careers in Cluj and Bucharest.
The Diertics have to maintain the land themselves, by hand (although in 2006 Gheorghe invested in a diesel powered grass cutter modelled on the principle of an old-fashioned allen scythe). Haymaking is one of the most important activities during their year and it continues with little break all summer long. They cut the hay with scythes, turn it on the ground to dry and gather it together into clai, big rounded haystacks which stand on a base of branches and are supported inside by young fir poles that have been stripped and cut to leave spikes. Building successful haystacks takes great skill. Villagers admire the best ones as objects of beauty and manly (or in this case, womanly) virtue.
It’s a tough but healthy life. Generally speaking the Moroşeni appreciate that they are the better for spending so much time outside in the clean air and growing their own food instead of buying it from an unknown source. But the economic and physical pressures on an ageing population mean that their slow but in many ways satisfying existence is bound to disappear.
