Cancer Symposium, Bugs, and Makuru Farm

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The most amazing Bug

With our final days in Moshi facing us, we dodged our way into some chaos—definitely always, packed days.  We had massive rain on two days, which left things very very muddy, but also brought some of the most amazing bugs I have ever seen.

Amazing moth on our porch

The most amazing bug I have ever seen

flying moth

Honda Honda birds waiting to get avocados

The rains also brought down more avocados.  My highest count is 15 in one day.  We cannot eat that number clearly, but everyone in the compound is enjoying our fabulous tree! 

No way to show the avocados on the ground...just trust me!

Pauli and Lucy's Jonathan turned 3 months old this week.  Now all he wants to do is stand and is smiling from ear to ear.  Things change so very much with babies and so quickly.  Makes me miss my granddaughter and get more and more excited about our new grandchild to be born.

He is quite a little man now

We participated in a Cancer Symposium that was very interesting.  A group of MD’s from Minnesota is raising money to build a proper Cancer Center at KCMC.  KCMC was supposed to be one of the cancer centers in the country some years ago, but as politics are always complicated, so has gone the cancer center.  But these Radiologists are committed, and have been working for the past year to raise at least enough money to get a specialized Radiation Therapy project going and we all hope that they are successful.  John wound up being quite a bit more involved than he had first imagined.

Dinner with leads at Cancer Center Fundraising at A-5

Daudi talks about Alibinism and Cancer

Dr. Olomi opens the Symposium

Masenga talks about Skin Cancers

Note the bright colored flags.  The group climbed the Kilimanjaro carrying prayer flags.

Our very own Mzee Radiologist Helmut Difenthal discussing Retinoblastoma

My very own John talking about the MEPI, KCMC/Duke collaborative

Mark Jacobson speaking about needs for Cancer Care in this area

Our younger Masenga talking about Cervical Cancer (Tz highest rates in Africa)

The final part of the week was filled with our plans for setting the hash on Sunday, and visiting our friends Nic and Sylvie who, as I have said previously, have one of the most peaceful homes I have ever been to, and who are dear dear friends. Makuru Farm is stunningly beautiful with views of the Pare mountains on one end and almost bookend views of the two big mountains.  There is something about newly planted crops, corn, beans, and of course the older coffee plants, the smell of the soil and green that is magical.

John walking a trail

walking through beans and corn

Irrigation pond around which the hash was set

Honey boxes (I saw tons of bees--yea!)

Dudu meowing at birds that torture him flying all around at sunset

Hash group after running (3 cases of beer, 4kg of pork, 4 batches of cookies, 4 doz each samozas and spring rolls)

John, Bob Kassworm and a very gorwn Nikoli chat

Friends try on cute sun hats

Trish and Terrie lovin' our beer!

So, with the sunset on both Mt. Mehru and on Kilimanjaro, we face our last week in Moshi for this trip!

Kilimanjaro right after sunset

 

Mehru sunset

The week of Rain in Moshi

Shamba near our House

Our muddy Road

Because it has not rained in many weeks in Moshi, this week and the rain every day has been greeted with cheers and delight.   People are out with hoes trudging around in the mud and finding every available spot to drop a few seeds.  In only a few days the weather has changed drastically.  Instead of Hot dry weather, we now have very muggy, hot in the day and very cool at night weather. From the times when we were running in the morning through the shambas  (planting spaces/small farms) and being covered with dust, we are now covered with mud and have to be extraordinarily careful about where we step or even if we go in the shambas at all.  One missed step and you are down.  The mud is unforgiving.  On the other hand, it does help you grow tall and for me that is always a sort of fun thing. 

Shoes after kicking off excess mud

Happy little girl and mud!

Despite the terrific mud, the fields are full of people calling out “Shikamoo Mama” and “Mazoezi nzuri” (I kiss your feet (literally) Mama, and Exercise Good!) I call back, “Marahaba Dada au Kaka” (Don’t bother {to kiss my feet} sister or brother) and “ Asante sana, mimi ni mzee sana” (thanks very much I am very old)  We carry on happy conversations from there and by the time I get back covered in mud to the compound gate I have a whole group of new friends. 

The rains have brought little shoots of corn up, and have also brought down trees and power lines.  The rains have created terrific potholes in the shoddy tarmac roads where corners are cut and corruption is evident in the terrible materials used to pave our roads. 

The rains brought a little frog into the toilet. Heart attack!

Only one example of power lines and trees and branches down

Cute little corn among the dirt

Rain catchers in the road!

Pretty Road to KCMC becomes an obstacle course with potholes everywhere

John and I celebrated our 21^st anniversary, and I tried to teach our waitress how to push down the button on the camera. We had a fabulous lunch in Sanya Juu with our friends the Mlays who coincidently are involved with the Duke Divinity School. (Chrissy eat your heart out with the plantains!).

Wilfred and John in Sanya Juu

At the table with Faith and Wilfred in Sanya Juu

Pretty curios

Anniversary dinner and me focusing on teaching the waitress to push the button DOWN!

Wilfred and delicious plantains

We celebrated Palm Sunday and I played my second alto recorder solo in a row.  Obviously not complicated music but just the same, alone!  And, this afternoon I walked under the avocado tree and reveled in the bounty.  

Avocados loading down the tree

Sadly, we won’t be here when they start to fall, but hopefully all the A-5 residents (Chrissy?) through the rest of the spring and summer will eat to their hearts content with everything.

The week will be busy with Easter coming up on Sunday, and only 3 more days in Moshi after that.  Hard to think about….