Rain

Winter is over, spring is here. Since spring started out with deathly hot days that I had hoped wouldn't come around until high summer, I was seriously considering spending the entire October-March season lying in a cool bucket bath eating custard and fruit, scratching my mosquito bites. Fortunately, the rain has come; selfishly, I am most excited about this because it means that it is cool and overcast most days--the rain comes mainly at night, keeping the mosquitos away.

The rain has other effects. It means that drought is less likely (the rain came late this year), so no more five day stretches without water like two weeks ago! And our mango trees have a chance to flourish.

Less expected effects include the fact that the goats seek shelter in our pit toilet. I don't blame them, since their kraal (paddock) isn't roofed and the pit toilet is very nice and watertight (cement rather than corrugated tin), but it definitely took me aback when I went to use the bathroom a couple of days ago and had to chase the goats out first. Now I'm used to it. Fortunately, the toilet seats are covered so that wandering goats and chickens don't fall in (it's a 10 foot drop, any goat that goes down isn't coming back up).

Also less expected, though eminently predictable, is the amount of mud I have managed to track in EVEN THOUGH I TAKE OFF MY SHOES AT THE DOOR. I don't know where the mud comes from. Maybe the bottom of the laundry bucket? I'm daunted by the prospect of cleaning it. However, it's a small price to pay for not coming home dehydrated every day.