August 02

Let me try this again. Yesterday I was experiencing more computer challenges and in my consternation I inadvertantly deleted the entry I had prepared for our blog. So, back to Lesotho: The major news for today is that we have moved. We were just beginning to find ways to take the chill off the evenings in our little house, and now we are off to something different.

The "little house" is the right half of this duplex.

There is a young couple here who are also volunteers at Beautiful Gate (BG). They were living in the larger BG staff house, the one where 3-5 folks live, and where there are only single beds. They asked if we might consider trading places. So now they are in the little house with the double bed, and we are in the big house.

But, while Wendy and I are now sleeping in different beds there are advantages to living in the big house. The big house has a coal heater!! What a difference!! Now if we don’t carefully damper the heater the house gets too hot. So, no longer are we sitting around in blankets or with our coats on. (The Wendy and Dylan pictures are the ones from Jo’burg that I finally have found a way to compress and load.)

Other advantages: Wendy now has a garden. She is pleased with that, though she may be looking to hire a local gardener to assist with learning what flowers to plant. In addition, the big house is on a hill (the little house is in the valley) so we get more sunshine in the morning and the evening.

Our new home, the "big house".

Currently we have one room mate and the longer term plan is that Wendy and I will manage the large house including the little outside guest room. Once we fix up and set up the guest room, it will be available (at a most modest cost) for folks visiting BG or their friends here in Maseru.

The warm glow of burning coal. :) :)

Other news: The Director has been away so my exact role remains undefined until his return. In the meanwhile I am finding work to do, including joining the bob cat crew. The construction effort continues to be a major focus, so I have no problem helping out where I am able.

The weather here in Maseru is as I came to suspect from tracking it from Red Deer the last couple of months before we left. There are no drastic day to day changes like is normal in Alberta. Rather, what we had today will likely be pretty close to what we can expect tomorrow, plus or minus a couple of degrees. The past week has been like an extended Indian summer. Frost, minus 2-5 C, at night, cool crisp mornings, and warm mid teens blue sky afternoons. I am so enjoying the weather. But, I also understand the bit of underlying anxiety of the locals.

Last year they had a severe drought. And while the clear blue skies are nice now, they are anxiously looking forward to the rains arriving in September. But August looks to be more of the same, only slowly warming up. Now that I do not have to bundle up in front of the heater when I get home I am fully enjoying the cool, sunny days.

‘Til, next time.

~ Benno ~