The big of it is that it is my daughter Amy’s 31st birthday, and I talked to her and so felt both her presence and her absence more keenly. Boo Boo promised to send one of her swimming ribbons with Pat when he comes in July, and Bubba told me everything important.
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It’s Independence Day, a holiday mostly only the US and Denmark celebrate, so here in Kenya, we marked the day putting chain link fencing over the barbed wire for better security on the five acres, and laying out the measurements for the kitchen, our first building project.
Kenya, for all its difficulties is still free and democratic, and we are happy for that freedom here. A good friend just wrote, “Thank God you are not in Zimbabwe.” And I would add to that, Somalia, Congo, Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic and others who are having difficult times. And so we do thank God. All the time.
Here are some photos of the fourth day of July, 2008, from this side.
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This, our rather homely hen, had four new chicks a few days ago. Let's hope they take after their father.
Our work sometimes brings visitors. This is from left to right: Rosie, Esther, Sylvia and Agnes. On their way home from school, having walked the five kilometers from Kinani.
They were shy but really wanted to see themselves in the pictures.
A lot of hilarity ensued after showing them the photos.
Our medium sized neighbor stoped by. She's second of four.
He's third of four, about three years old, I would guess. Now that their mother has a job in Daystar, he is often left to care for his one year old sister about half the day, while the two oldest are in school. We keep an eye on them.
Group self portrait on the fence line.
I left for Joel's to borrow the sight level and found "stretch" eating some acacia tree leaves just at the side of the road.
A Fourth of July ray on a very cloudy and then rainy day.
Gilbert and I laying out the measurements for the kitchen, which we will begin to build in a couple of weeks.
Moses and Benson were putting up the chain link fencing. We have added it to all the five acres to improve security.
And Mildred was doing washing and taking care of young David.
The three remaining puppies were busy pestering one of their mothers for some Independence Day milk. She was more interested in their independence than milk. Chubbysean, the black puppy, also known as Chinneus is now about half as big as she is.
They interrupted the pursuit for a photo op.
And they found a little protection from the rain on the leeward side of the cooking shack.
While the rest of us rode out the brief shower in the container. Agnes, Mbini, Rosalie, Gilbert, Moses, Benson and I. It has been very dry and the cattle are beginning to be in some jeopardy. This was very small and not efficacious rain.
Gilbert stepped out into the rain to get this shot. That's Benson rolling up the barbed wire. Pronounced wonderfully here, "barb-ed wire." Just after this shot, one of the rolls of chain link fell and toppled the sight level, our only truly indispensable--and borrowed--piece of equipment, on its tripod, which I had put near the back for safety. We are working through this one as I write.
The women, waiting for the weather break.
Their feet.
Gilbert's feet.
Everybody's feet, but mine.
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So, Happy Birthday to Amy and the country where she lives, and for all the things that make us happy, birthday or no: Federer and Nadal are in the finals again, the Big Sur fire may spare a particularly beloved piece there, we are all here and there and very much alive, and Ingrid Betancourt, after all these years, is free. That all seems like more than enough.
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Yours for fireworks,
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David
Posted on July 5th, 2008 by david
Filed under: Recent News | No Comments »
![7/5/08: The sign on this cart says, \"Mysterious Junior Chariot--We are miles ahead.\" I\'m dying to see the Senior version.](http://www.rrop.org/wp-content/uploads/photosjune-2008/img_4386.jpg "7/5/08: The sign on this cart says, \\"Mysterious Junior Chariot--We are miles ahead.\\" I\'m dying to see the Senior version.")
