Morning Exercise

Almost every morning except Sunday we exercise: Bill walks and skips rope; Ann walks, dances, and stretches.  We have a favorite route through the garden: 200 long steps = 200 meter track.  This blog is mostly for us.

Off the porch and past the monk's hood.  

Around the garage.  Notice the triple padlocks on the rear gate.  

Out of the garage toward the front gate.  To the left are lovely tiny yellow-flowered bushes and the sentinel's shack.  We don't have a night sentinel but rely on the Lord to protect us.  The gardener uses it for his stuff.  

A peek through the front gate.  We are on the busy road from the airport: men and boys pushing bicyles laden with plastic yellow water jugs, carts, motorcycle taxis , school children, street children,  jobless men (90%+), and always women with babies strapped derriere and something on the head.  .  Some mornings the army peace-keeping unit marches by counting cadence.   Lately we have trucks with loudspeakers spouting music and political slogans.  Hope the election at the end of the month is peaceful.  

Some mornings the little lizard living in the bush suns himself.  

We have 3 pepper plants - all volunteers.   Now they are tall and producing little red peppers, very hot.  All our visitors go away happy.   

Here is our volunteer pumpkin.  It is growing in the dirt accumulated at this drain. The vines are now about 15 feet long with lots of flowers and 4 pumpkins have appeared with two already victims of brown rot.     

At the steps into the gazebo this lovely 5-pedaled white flower  keeps producing.  

Today on the gazebo the air-condition repairmen has left some parts for cleaning by his little assistant.  I gave them both  "Restoration" pamphlets and Frere Tyty and his wife have now accepted baptism.  Frere Tyty knew our Frere Beau Beau in school in Kananga and now those seeds are coming to fruition.  

Another day on the gazebo 2 papaya and 10 mangos grace our blue table.  A Mr. Simon Pierre dropped them off.  He also showed interest in the Church but the missionaries have not been able to make a rendezvous.
Of interest is what is no longer on the gazebo: our table and chairs.  Thieves scaled the wall one night and stole 6 chairs and the table.  We had at one time brought all the chairs into the house at night but we got lax.  The gardener says this is the first theft in his six years here.  Astronomical unemployment and poverty increase crime.  But the police shoot thieves.  

Obstacle: the kitten hiding on the step from the gazebo.

Past the voyager palm.  It's called "voyager" because new leaves appear in the middle, one  growing to the left, the next to the right. 

The gray truck with the "laissez-passé" in the window.  The paper used to get me into the airport inner parking plot but no longer.  

This moth decided to spend the day on the concrete wall of our house.

Sentinel lizard on our yellow wall against the background the the neighboring hotel.  I checked out the hotel a couple of days ago (on the same occasion as I complained to the loud-speaker truck).  Rooms are $80 and $60.  Showers in the morning if you tell the clerk and two buckets for flushing the toilets.  He said there was air conditioning.  

After the 20 minute walk is the jumprope.   I'm up to 250 repetitions. Looks like I really enjoy it.

After her walk, Ann swept the front porch.  

This is what she swept.  If she had waited an hour, these little ants would have completed the sweeping for her.

We look forward to continuing our walks, especially around Oquirrh Lake and down Lake Bridge past the temple.  

Bamboo Kitchen

(Double click on images to enlarge)

The bamboo kitchen prior to food prep.

Who would think that somewhere on this beautiful savannah is the making of a perfect setting for an outdoor kitchen?

The basics of cassava preparation includes the manioc flour,  corn flour, water, a big paddle and hard work.

The bamboo kitchen is in full swing.  

The kids know exactly when it is dinner time.  Does anyone recognize little Willie from the previous blog?

Another group of waiting children.  Little Willie is included again.  His sister is the beautiful girl in the orange dress.

The pot of greens.  These are amaranth leaves.  Notice the ingenious cooking fire.   These two bamboo poles are crossed under the pot and pushed in when the fire need arises.

She is grinding peanuts.  They are usually put in with the greens and add a little protein.

 

These are the cassava balls cooked, shaped with a plastic bowl and ready for eating.  Pinch a little of the ball and rub it into the vegetable dish for a nice little flavor with each bite.

If you make enough noise you are the first one served.  This little guy loves the green sauce and knows the secrets of dipping deep.  The dog waits around for a spilled treat.

These two girls are probably a little lethargic with malaria.  They have a nice little blanket spot and yes, the sandals look brand new!

Clean up time in the bamboo kitchen.

You can never rest too long!  Time to get ready for another meal.