12/28/18, Only a few days left in 2018 so I'd best get a blog out. As most of you know I am back in my village after a few weeks in Dar for my snakebite. It was an interesting series of events that taught me a few valuable lessons, but now I am back home trying to pick up where I left off. That is not too easy to do, even my Swahili took a big drop after the six weeks of not using it (3 weeks in America and 3 weeks in Dar). We were just starting the village medical volunteer program and the primary school renovations before I left. Both will have to wait until after the holidays to get going again because people are very busy right now with the holidays and the start of the rainy season.

Life in a farming community like this revolves around the planting and harvesting seasons. When the rains begin everyone heads to their farms to plant their crops. I'm included in that, while I was away my neighbor had the field around my house cleared and planted with corn. We also planted Moringa trees (photo). This tree meets many of the nutritional and functional needs of the villagers, and grows rapidly in this type of arid environment. The second photo is of a meeting we had with some of the mamas to review the benefits of the Moringa tree, how to plant, and how to maintain. I also distributed seeds to these mamas and the others who showed up later. We also discussed trying to get the chicken coop project started again after the unfortunate death of my previous counterpart.

On a more personal level, my battle with the local mice has entered a new phase. Mice in the house becomes a real problem because they love to destroy my food supplies. I have tried various techniques with limited success. Putting food in containers (never have enough), and mouse traps (never caught one yet). My best luck has been just a bucket with water. During the dry season they would just fall in (sorry animal rights activists). Then I learned to put a stick across the top with food dangling down by thread. That worked good for a while.......until now. Apparently they are not only smarter than me, but pretty big too. The picture shows the bucket with the stick. It pulled the stick to the side and ate the bread. But the tomato has been eaten where it hangs. How could a little mouse reach down that far and eat something round? I picture a velociraptor or maybe one of those hyenas (a very small one).

So my next plan will be much more complex (see diagram). Since it is around Christmas I'm going with the Santa milk and cookie plan. So it sits in the chair and has to have a cup of tea. When it picks up the cup that frees the pendulum which swings striking the bowling ball which slides down the ramp hitting the book which falls over and puts an end to this charade. Thinks he's smarter than me huh?

On a more positive note, I made my first loaf of banana bread. It was delicious, and I ate most of it before I thought to take a picture of it. Not bad for a pan on coal stove if I do say so myself.

From my house to yours Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

Now where do I find a small chair and bowling ball....

Brian