Two Months in Moshi

Charlie, King of A-5

Kili after rain....Most snow gone today

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Last week was hysterical for a variety of reasons.  There were the usual crazy things happening, our OB/GYN folks arrived at staggered times and filled the house with new conversations.  It is always fun to discuss our favorite STD at the dinner table in this family, but the focus is of course on HPV and Genital Warts with John and Peyton here.  Lovely. 

John S. arrived just in time for Bob (from Machame’s) hash.  We were told that it was more family friendly than most of Bob’s, but at the end of the day, I think it was a typical Bob hash.  Everyone knows Bob as Dr. Bob in Machame, thus other than the peril of the map, we were all safe and would always meet someone who knew where Dr. Bob lives, but it was definitely more the steep hills and water crossings that were our potential sure death! I felt perilously close to death several times and ran with a bloody hand most of the way, but made it back to Bob’s house in tact and was happy for beer and even some cigar puffs before we headed back down the mountain.  John S. took the “easy” last stretch and was grateful as well to be alive, and several friends did not arrive until after dark, including our dear friend Sylvie Emmanuel, a brave senior of the Machame community who finished the entire hash. 

Sylvie and Dr. John chat after hash

Nikoli is beat!

The second Dr. John has a nice puff of cigar

A happy Coy

Dr. John and Molly finish the hash without death

Brave new Pastor handles the hash and the baby!

My friend Agnes and her husband brought quantities of cow manure over for our garden.  So exciting!  We will for sure be ready for the short rains that do not seem to be coming.  But I suppose it will be fine for the long ones as well.  We piled it up by our eggplant and the chickens raced to it to bathe.  Who would have known that cow manure could be the happy bath water for chickens who toss it all over them and then peck in looking for worms or other delicious bugs, and other horrifying things.  I believe I reported that my rooster Charlie had stolen one of Pauli’s other hens and was having his way with her.  She is now very loyal to him and will not even consider going back to her old love (Floppie).  She seems to be held quite dear with Charlie, though the other hens are not nearly so fond of her and have pecked off her little crown so that she is not terribly attractive.  Hopefully, she will be accepted soon, though we are all laughing about how Charlie parades around convinced he is the king of A-5.  

The pathetic Kahawa Ndogo (little coffee) with no comb because of other hens

One of 11 bags of manure itching to be mixed with the dirt

Mound of manure

John (JB) returned from the US and thankfully will be with us for the remaining time we are in Moshi.  We are already planning a big Thanksgiving Dinner in the yard and cannot wait!!!!!

I’m so very excited about learning this week when our dear Lucy (wife of our gardener) will have her baby.  Sadly, we won’t have returned to Moshi, but hopefully a little boy or girl will greet us when we return.  She is a beautiful pregnant lady!  Every time I see her, I think about the new grandchild that will be coming into our family in the US in May.  May I just say that John is beside himself and all of us are really happy to think about grandchild number 2.  John is now seriously looking at his plans to build a play house in the mountains, and I’m sure Ella will be happy to be in charge!

We were in the world of high fixing this week.  Our ceiling fan began to make terrible noises and shake so badly that it seemed the whole fan would fall and kill us.  Chrissy refused to be in the same room with it when it was running, and I felt like fingernails grinding on black board surrounded us.  Thank goodness a nice nice man appeared to take it apart.  Looks like the fan will carry on but only after a new bearing is put in it. Since it is incredibly hot and dry right now, we are happy!  It is so hot that without the fan, we would be very uncomfortable.

Fan Fundi

In the US, the fan would be declared dead and we would have only the choice of a new one.  Here, everything is salvaged and nothing is declared dead until the last part is tried.  This has been true of our car which is I’m sure being held together with Duct Tape.  Each week, something new goes wrong and back to the “fundi”.  The next day it returns and for a very reasonable price, we have it for another week until the next thing happens.

 We had a wonderful meeting with the EDR at the end of the week.  I believe that the whole KCMC/Duke project should be proud of the work that they have completed this year.  Despite the huge disappointment of the ACTG grant, work continues and every person has given his or her all.  There is no question that we are making a difference in the Kilimanjaro region and will make our best efforts to continue to do so.  We are even recruiting goats, sheep, cows, and humans for one study.  I’m imagining the consent process for the cows, sheep and goats.  

Have you read and do you understand the consent?

Wait, come back, you have to sign this consent!

And for our IMPAACT studies, we have 3 babies ready to be born any time.  So exciting.  

We have had no rain for over a week, and now everyone is worried that the short rains won't come.  It is dry, hot and dusty, and yet....even next door, burning leaves is the way to take care of the yard.  It is almost unbearable.  Yet--here it is

Great burning on the other side of "Mawenzi" peak.

Chrissy overtaken with smoke

smoke and watering

This week, Katrina arrives and we have a week of hectic showing everything off. May the force be with us.