Hanging in Trees and Ants in Pants


The hives are now hanging. After a second episode with siafu ants, we decided to try and take the legs off the ground. Tim told me just to "do it" with Joseph and it seemed it would be easy, but I came in afterwards rather harried and had-it with all things bees. Joseph is a great worker, and incredibly fast, but sometimes just too quick! While I wanted to stop and think and make a plan, design a pulley, measure and cut ... he was jumping up and out of trees, cutting ropes and tying knots faster than I could think. It got a little stressful! In the process, Joseph slipped out of the tree once - almost wiping out a hive. I got an army of siafu ants up my trousers and had to hightail it inside to strip off and pinch the ants from every hidden part of my body. A serious case of ants in my pants. And my wonderful kitchen scissors were broken when Joseph managed to get them stuck up the tree and yanked to get them back. Snap. The whole process getting three hives in trees took ages and far more rope than was necessary. I should have made a plan first. I seriously can't believe the lengths I must go to for the sake of the bees.

Anyway, the deed is done, although I think we will need to make serious modifications. But that will have to wait until I have time to make a plan. But there are now no siafu ants in the hive and we tempted the bees back and are once again, hoping for the best.


We got there in the end! Hanging hives
(now wait for the winds in the rainy season; I think they will take off!)

Peanuts!

And now for an update on the peanuts ... I love growing our own peanuts and have the head gardeners permission to grow lots more next season! We roasted many in their shells, we tried boiling some (not so popular) and Lucy shelled raw peanuts to roast for peanut butter which I made today. Seriously, who needs a gym? All that pounding was great exercise!


Lucy shells some raw peanuts

Pounding the roasted nuts into peanut butter

And Then There Were Three

Tim left yesterday and is winging his way to England as I write. It is so good he is able to be there for his Dad and the family at this difficult time. It wasn't so good when he kept sending texts from his relaxed horizontal position by the Indian Ocean, cappuccino in hand, to me running around with lists and busily translating notes, with no power and a very pongy problem with the shower drain which smelled suspiciously like a rat and rather urgently needed dealing with! But all in all, we are doing well ... today we managed to get both girls out of the house all dressed up for World Book Day (yes, we do it here too!), with a Sleeping Beauty and what happily turned out to be an award-winning Susan from Narnia costume. I ticked everything off my list for the day (which is an amazing and rare occurrence and particularly good given the circumstances!) And we had a most interesting excursion with Dr Bernard Makori this afternoon which I will save for another post now!

Purse Dancing

Just to finish, here is photo of the church service on Sunday. We were with Pastor Charles' church in Mkuyuni and it was Mamas Sunday. This means the Mamas plan and organize special songs and presentations for the morning (and means it is a rather lengthier service than usual!) It was lovely watching and listening to these women sing and dance ... even a procession and dance with purses on their heads! We love this church; and this week as we said our goodbyes, and they prayed for us, their love was so beautifully expressed. So thankful!


Mamas Sunday singing

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