Hello ticket holders,
I’ve been married to this property for so long now that it’s easy to forget that you might be a little confused about what’s what, or more accurately, what’s where on the property. So, I thought it might be fun to take you on a “walking tour” of the place. The elevation is about 5000 feet and we’re awfully close to the equator, so grease yourself up with Bull Frog, go get a big hat and a walking stick. I’ll bring the snacks.
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I spared no expense getting this schematic drawn up and couriered over. Hang on to it, we’ll be using it all the way through. I think the best way to do this is to click on and enlarge each photo as you go along, and look back at the map as often as you need to to keep your bearings. Good luck.
[SinglePic not found]The X’s ringing the property are the ten thousand acacia trees we’ve planted there as a barrier and a sustainable source of firewood.
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We’re going to start on the way into the property on the easement road just off the map to the right . We’re going to come down that road and turn right, through the gate, take a look around, continue up the road, make the left hand turn, look at the kitchen and the other stuff from that angle, head toward Gilbert’s old house and the newly excavated and back-filled foundation sites for the kids’ houses. Then to the container and murram pile and the dam and Gilbert’s new house. We’ll walk up on the berm of the dam behind Gilbert’s new house, follow it around toward the murram pile and the water entrance and the spillway. Then we’ll head over to the far side of the dam and turn left there and walk all the way around on that berm to the three acre piece and the loading dock. Then we’ll break out the snacks and talk it over for a while. Ok?
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This is the easement road leading from the main dirt road to the property. Our red gate is barely visible up on the right hand side. The neighbor's red gate is there on the left.
This is the first corner of the property. The one on the bottom right of the map. The building in the distance is the Wooden House on the top right hand corner of the map. More about that later.
Here's the Golden Gate. Designed by us and fabricated by Edward from Athi River, a small, spiritual guy who is more fun to tease than just about anyone I know. Sometimes I stop by on my way to the hardware store just for the pleasure of his company.
We're just through the gate. That's the small wooden house that we saw a couple of photos ago. It will eventually be a volunteers' quarters. If we looked to the left, standing where we are...
you'd be looking down the fence/tree line toward the dam and the loading dock.
And if you turn just a little to the right, here's what you'd see. The berm separating the road from the main living area of the property, the murram pile and Gilbert's old house in the distance, and the corner of the kitchen on the right.
As we come farther down the road just before the left hand turn, here's the wooden house on the right. In this photo it's not quite finished. It still needs the facia boards and eventually the guttering. There will be another one next to it, and they will be used for visitor housing.
Now we're just beginning to make the left hand turn in the road. The admin/kitchen building is on the left. The greyish pile closest is ballast, small rocks that we use in mix in different proportions with sand and cement to make concrete. That's the sand pile next to it and the yellow hood of Al's Birthday cement mixer.
This is a little closer view from the same angle. You can see the entryway into the small courtyard and the building. That's Makau walking past.
Just a few steps farther down the road. The far end of the kitchen building, the open area where we will do the cooking. And next to that, the tent, or field office as I like to think of it. I have a table and a couple of chairs set up in there. It's the control center for our operations. Our remaining quarried stones are lined up there. We'll use them in future construction.
Looking straight ahead down the road is Gilbert's old house, yard and the small cooking shed just behind the pick up. The Bedford truck is past that, and the white structure that looks like it's in the back of the Bedford is actually the container.
If we turn around and look back from where we're standing, this is what we'd see. The kitchen, the tent and part of on of the foundations for the kid's future houses.
If we walked about ten yards off the road we're on toward the middle of the property, this is what it would look like, looking back.
We're back on the road and we've walked past Gilbert's old place for a better view of our beautiful old Bedford, the worker's tent and our twenty foot container. The new container, filled with all sorts of useful things, will sit parallel to this one about forty feet away. We will put a roof over both of them and a back wall, and we will have our workshop there.
Now we've joined the Bedford at the murram pile, just a few meters from where we just were. It's taking a rest today and since it's full of murram that the guys have shoveled into it, it has to be towed over to the foundation site.
That's Erastus' truck doing the towing. He just brought a load of hardcore and is on his way back to the quarry for another.
Here's the foundation sites nearly finished.
This is the murram pile where we just towed the Bedford. This angle doesn't really show how huge the thing is. We got it from both excavations of the dam. It's just below the four or five feet of black cotton soil on the property. It is top notch for making weather proof roads, like ours. If you have to have it brought in, it's 9000 shillings($115.00) for an eight ton truck load, and we have hundreds and hundreds of tons. I love this stuff.
Here's the out house, or pit latrine, as we call them here. It semi-collapsed after the first big rain this spring, and has been a big problem since then. I'll spare you the noisome details.
Just to the left of the murram pile, this is Gilbert's new house. I have lots of other photos of it which I'll show you soon.
Now we've climbed up the bank of the dam just behind Gilbert's new house and we're looking across the dam, to the far edge of the property.
We've turned to the right and begun to walk toward the water entrance. The murram pile is unseen on the right.
We've come to the main water entrance to the dam. Yo can see the water course that fills in heavy rains and fills the dam. The rocks you see are in gabion boxes, wire structures 1meter x1meter x 2meters. They are partially buried, and they momentarily slow the water as it comes pouring into the dam, and cause the soil/silt that the water is carrying to drop to the bottom and stay there. The area just in front of them is a siltation pool. So instead of going into the dam and filling the dam with silt, and reducing its water storing capacity, it collects here. After every big rain, we dig the silt out of the pool and set it aside so we can use it for agricultural purposes. It makes great top soil. Really rich in nutrients and the like. That's one of the Cohen Brothers, standing there. He's filming a sequel to The Big Lebowski, called The Kenyan Dude Abides.
Now were just a few meters to the left of the water entrance, at the spillway. This is where the dam overflows when its full. It's happened twice, both this spring. Lots more gabion boxes and a highway of hardcore that stretches down to the back property line, about twenty meters. You can't see it so clearly because the grass has grown up between the stones. It doesn't look like it here, but this is one of our best structures.
Now were standing on the dam, just above the spillway, looking back across to Gilbert's new house and the murram pile.
We've walked around the far side of the dam that marks the far end of the property. The land that you see on the other side of this fence is our three acre piece, which is across the easement road. This is where we will do all of our agricultural stuff. I'll tell you about the specific plans another time.
If you turn just a little to the left, you'll see the loading dock. When we had the excavator here for the dam, I had him dig this angled near the fence. The near end of it is ground level and it slants down to five feet below ground level on the far end -- exactly the height of the bed of the Bedford. So when we need to load something really heavy into the truck, we just back it in and then roll whatever we have to load into the back, which is at ground level.
We're back at the tent, where we're going to have the snacks I promised. Mandaazi and tea. A kind of deep fried sweet dough and loose leaf tea, boiled with water and milk and sugar. Just like you'd get at Joyce's.
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Well, I’m not sure if our walkabout gave you a better idea of the layout of property and the stuff on it, or if it just gave you vertigo. But either way, there you go. If you’re still mystified go ahead and ask any questions you have in the comment section at the end of this entry, or you can just come on over and parse it out for yourself. We’ll be here.
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Hope you don’t have sore feet,
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David
Posted on July 11th, 2009 by david
Filed under: Recent News
Great tour Bunky! Your story telling as well as your picture tour bring this dream to life. I can hardly wait to return with you in September. Sleep well tonight knowing that all is well and Gilbert is about to have a real home for his family. Now lots of work here to continue the growth. Have a blessed day. Hugs and Love from Lake Tahoe. Pat
Dave,
I cannot believe how the property has changed since I was there 3 years ago when we planted some trees (about 35 or 40 ).
The dam, the lake and all the trees you’ve planted are unbelievable.
Now the first house, almost too much to comprehend after being there 3 years ago.
What a great job you have done. My hats off to you and everyone there.
Ed Richardson
Dave,
I cannot believe how the property has changed since I was there 3 years ago when we planted some trees (about 35 or 40 ).
The dam, the lake and all the trees you’ve planted are unbelievable.
Now the first house, almost too much to comprehend after being there 3 years ago.
What a great job you have done. My hats off to you and everyone there.
Ed Richardson
Dave,
I cannot believe how the property has changed since I was there 3 years ago when we planted some trees (about 35 or 40 ).
The dam, the lake and all the trees you’ve planted are unbelievable.
Now the first house, almost too much to comprehend after being there 3 years ago.
What a great job you have done. My hats off to you and everyone there.
Ed Richardson
Bravo! No vertigo here, just appreciation and admiration for solid planning and serious labor. Again and again, well done good and faithful servant!
Jim Micheletti
It’s a real delight to see the progress — to see Gilbert’s home up and the visitor’s house. Everything indeed is falling into place, but not “falling” in the sense that it just has happened like gravity. The hard work and concentration is everywhere evident.
Much love, brother. See you soon. Enjoy dear California while you’re here.
Chris
Hi Pat,
We’ll be back at almost exactly the same time in September. Gilbert and Masa and everyone else is excited for your return. Have a great time in Tahoe and I’ll see you when you get back.
Love to all there,
David
Hi Ed,
Yes, a lot has changed since you were here. We’ll have to start planning for your return soon. We’ve still got shovels and there are trees to get in the ground.
Thanks for the encouragement, as always, and hope to see you and Dottie soon.
David
Hi Jim,
Great to have you and the ladies back from the tundra. Lots to talk about and figure out. Let’s get Monterey up and running for the project. See you all soon in sea otter country.
Big love,
David
Hi Chris,
Welcome back from your and Debi’s Magellan journey. So many tales to hear there.
Some of the construction pictured has your thumb print on it. I remember a concrete-speckled muzungu in a wide brimmed hat snatching flying karais out of the air in the during the ring beam spectacle.
When you and Debi decompress we’ve got some long dinners and hopefully some Rocky Creek hikes to talk our way through.
The hemishpere is happy for your return and so am I dear brother,
Love and prayers (beads)
David
yea yea looks great and all that, but what i want to know is where the basketball court is going to go.
martin
Dear Martin,
The b-ball court will find its place in the center of things..as it must, with the Africa stone firmly at center court. We will be counting on Tarheel scholarship funds for several of our future D-1 prospects. They’ll look good in light blue –don’t you think?
Say hi to Roy,
David
Hi David,
Thanks so much for the tour. Can’t wait to see it all in person. God is so good! What a mighty work He is about doing. Thank you for your faithfulness in carrying out that work. Take care.. with much love.
Pam
Hi Pam,
Great to hear from you, one of the intrepid members of the ‘94 inaugural tour. We’re all anxious for your return. You’ll see some old faces and lots of new ones. Hopefully Joel and the kids can make the trip too.
Lots of love to you all,
David
I so enjoyed your visit to Presentation this past weekend. The good news you brought about the continued growth and improvements of the orphanage property, caring of the children, and the wonderful people who work so hard to make a better life for them is truly the work of the Holy Spirit embracing all of you. God bless all in this unselfish and loving labor. The truth be told, once in the care of the RROP, the children are no longer orphans. They are home.