Mim In Mali: October Heat

Another day that started out hot and dry, with even our white painted outside door radiating heat by 7 am. We have not had rain for more than a 10 days now. I know that may not seem like a lot in a temperate climate, but here, that means DRY and dusty as soon as the wind stirs, I can hear it gritting on our metal roof. The plants really need watered daily, and Adama has that job first thing in the morning. I am trying to get him to see the needs of the garden with his own eyes and not wait for me to tell him what to do. He also is responsible to empty the “dumuni kolo”(food wastes) bucket into the compost area and sprinkle a shovelful of dirt over it.

Both the Malian 'kaba' and the American sweet corn that we planted earlier are finished now, and he has removed those stalks and put them to rest as humus where we will be planting more bananas. We have replanted both kinds of corn, and some sweet-grass in an area near the water tower, knowing that it will need regular watering-- maybe even 2ce a day-- after the rains stop entirely. We still have a couple of eggplants bearing, and 5 tomato plants coming into their own.

It is hard to visualize what the landscape will look like after there is NO rain for 4-6 months. (Dec-Feb have an 'average' of “zero” rainfall, and the shoulder months of November and March-April only an inch or so each. We are hopeful that Ray will be able to rig a gray water tank to make use of the significant amount of hand, dish, and clothes washing water that currently just goes into the septic tank. That, along with the drip irrigation bucket kits that we have ordered should go a long way to watering the gardens during this next 6 months. We will see!

Adama, our main gardener and grounds worker, had a chance to show Claudia the gardens today, which have majorly grown while she was in the states this last trip. You should have seen his face light up when he told me that she was coming to look. He absolutely beamed! This summer we purchased and planted 5 or 6 banana plants, 5 citrus trees, 2 'sun-sun' bushes and 2 grafted mango trees that are about 5 ' tall. They are all doing well! Then there are the tomatoes, a patch of sweet grass, some mint tea, and a few melon vines under the shadow of the water tower. New corn plants are waist high, where before there was only a weeds and grasses area. Nearby we are babying about 2 dozen mango starts, a nursery bed of bouganvilla cuttings and some sun-sun that we started from seeds 2 months ago. Most recently we have started a nursery bed in the shade of the western wall near the water source. Some seed scatterings of goyo(bitter green tomato), foronton(chili peppers), and gan(okra) are coming up there, and we hope to replant them in the new drip irrigation garden in a couple of weeks. Now if we can just keep them alive and productive this winter thru the dry season, so that output gives some return on input. :)) At least it is a training school for fledgling gardeners, and will hopefully equip one or more of these young men to seek employment in the future as a tender of gardens and grounds.

Ray will be busy again working on the newest building- what will serve as main quarters for Claudias as well as guest quarters. The electricity needed some verification and review, and he did that work with Claudia this morning after the gardens tour. Tile for the floors and bath walls was delivered this week and will soon be started. Ray also showed Claudia where the ants(termites) had found a way up thru the soft, uncased concrete floor and started making dinner of her kitchen cabinets. They were moved and the hole sealed, but it just emphasizes the need for ALLthe steps to be finished during construction. Thanks to all of you who have given construction funds to keep this project moving along. It will be greatly appreciated when it is ready for occupancy. Ray has also picked up responsibility for driving this last couple of weeks, as our driver cannot drive while he is waiting for his new liscense to be issued. That has meant a lot of extra hours on Ray schedule, and he and Julie have had to adjust her pick-up time to accommodate all the school childrens schedule. (He has also used to moto to give Hama a little extra attention. Hama, a 10year old, is handicapped and the only one that does not go to school, so Ray has given him a ride around the yard on the motorcycle after bringing Julie home.)Julie is also helping with the kids at homework time.

Oh, Yes. One more thing! I celebrated my 60th birthday here in Mali! with a delicious chocolate cake with (real) peanut butter icing, which Julie made for us. Paul 'distracted me' to the upstairs deck to play a game of Qwirkle while the gang prepared the party venue downstairs-- and then the game was forgotten, when they called me to come down on some pretext or another. :)) I have gotten a delighful assortment of gifts, the likes of which I never would have been given had I celebrated in the US.
We are doing well-- I think :))
It is plenty hot, to be sure, and dusty, but do-able with God's grace.

Being blessed in the heat of October in Mali.

Hope you too are being blessed and being a blessing.