I have been tossing around ways to try and keep you updated on the goings on here while dealing with decreasing amounts of time with which to do that. I’ve landed for now on an occasional diary entry in skeletal form, that is, a bullet list of some of the day’s events without much editorial comment. We’ll just give it a try and see what happens.
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18 June 2008
– brought Mildred and baby David to Athi River Health Clinic, the same one that first turned Mbini away when she was in labor. Doctor said it was worms and that David would outgrow them at three months. I disagree.
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– drove to Kitengela to Jane’s lumber mill and then to Floken Hardware (in a green cargo container)
Bought:
1 liter Crown varnish
1 liter white spirits to thin it
4 rolls 10 gauge 4′ chain link fencing, 18 meters long ea.
3 kgs fencing staples
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– went to Lenana’s Agro Vet, Kitengela
Bought:
10 kg chicken feed
1 bottle Furadan – to poison the rats that have been chewing through sections of our perimeter drip lines every night to get the water there. They destroy the drip lines hours after we mend them, and have prohibited us from getting water to a good many of our acacia trees. Now it’s war. This is the same poison that the Masai here use illegally to poison lions and hyenas who are threats to their cattle.
– to Joel’s place to see how the ring beam on Paul’s under-construction house is set up for the concrete pouring, and to devise a locking mechanism for the fuel tank on the Bedford truck, to prevent further theft of very expensive diesel. Decided against welding and settled on a riveted hasp and padlock.
– saw the remains of the big cobra that Gilbert and Benson were finally able to get the best of
– replanted some small trees so Erastus could fill in an old depression near the fence with the dirt he has been bringing from Patrick’s
– designed with Gilbert the small wire mesh rat poison “houses” that will keep the birds and dogs and chickens and Tuffy the cat safe during the rat wars
– pumped water from the dam to the 3000 liter tank on the 3 acres
– electricity off at home for a while. Finished E.B. White’s One Man’s Meat by headlamp.
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I forgot my camera for most of the day, but here’s a picture of the basic design for the wire mesh rat house.
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All for now,
David
Comments(2)-
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Tom Scott says
June 23, 2008 at 9:19 pmHi David, I think of you often and of the work you are doing and will continue to pray for your health and success in your very important work. I have a boom box that belongs to you that was left behind at Dexta. If you like, I would be delighted to send it to you; if it needs any additional apperatus to make it work (power supply or a buttload of batteries), I would glady do what needs to be done to make it usable. CD’s too. Make me alist of music you are particularly jonesing for and I will do my best to get these things for you.
God’s richest blessings on you, your family and your work.
With love,
Tom
david says
July 1, 2008 at 3:07 amHi Tom,
Great to hear from you. Keep the boom box and blast it whenever possible in celebration of our good lives. I’m ok music wise, my brother downloaded his music collection, about 1700 CD’s onto a small external hard drive for me. So I’m swimming in it.
Send my regards to everyone at Dexta, and love to Colleen. Thanks for your prayers, my dear brother.
Love,
David