Ground Level-Our Tent In The Back Has The Maroon Bottom
Tuesday, June 6th, 2017
Yesterday had been a day of settling in and getting used to the immediate surroundings. Today began in the early hours as I woke to dogs barking off in the distance. Dogs here are not pets, but animals that follow their owners at a slight distance and are used to warn people of predators and/or danger. Something must have been near a neighbor’s home area called a “Boma.” Several large birds called from the trees as well. From the gathering light, I thought dawn was arriving, so I pulled out my books and wrote in both my daily and blog journals on the previous day. After writing, I stepped out of the tent for a minute and realized the moon was the source of the light. Later, someone from our Team would tell me that the time had only been around 12 midnight. I went back to bed, only to wake a while later to the sound of jackals carrying on just beyond the thorny hedge next to us. I’m guessing the presence of our tents set them off from their typical hunting pattern. As they made their way off to the south, hyenas laughed and yipped beyond them. I drifted off to sleep again before later waking to the sounds of birds and zebras in the distance. I could tell these birds were calling as part of their morning routine to set their territories. Although a bit broken, I had slept well, and so I pulled out my books again and prepared a devotional lesson that I could share with the Team at some point on the trip; something each of us will do during our tenure here. By then it was light out, although the sun itself was hidden behind clouds.
John Fay and I set ourselves to cutting up potatoes and peppers. His son Paul did the same with the onions. We cooked this over a propane cooker in a large skillet; adding eggs once they were tender. It tasted delicious as the Team ate in two shifts since we could only get half of the cut up food into the skillet at one time and still stir it. We gathered around the fire afterwards, as Brian Dellamater shared his devotional from a chapter in a book called, The Master Carpenter. It was about sharp tools, and how we ourselves can sharpen ourselves to be resourceful and grow in God’s purpose for our lives. Kristin Scholz played from her guitar as we sang a few songs. It was a good way to begin the day.
Preparing Breakfast
Morning Around The Fire
Almost Ready To Eat
Our Devotional Time
A "Von Der Decken's Hornbill" Landed In The Tree While We Met
Brian then said he was going to need to run his neighbor John to the Dr. in a village just south of us, and proceeded to list some projects that needed to be completed. We could jump in to anyone of those projects based on our interest and gifts. Todd and I began emptying out the shed to be reorganized, and set ourselves to building a shelf for the chainsaws. We both found it interesting that we wanted to be involved in something that required organization. He would continue doing this with Noah Dellamater and Nyles Bates to the point where they even labeled the shelves between food, tools, and supplies. Patty Scholz and his wife Kristin worked with Jake Rogers, and Gabe Dellamater along with John and Paul Fay; setting up the generator (which was surprising quiet compared to most) and began sizing and cutting older boards laying around the building structure to be fashioned into saw horses we could use for both tables and elevated construction. I went around and began trimming tree branches within the Kijani Farm boma area. The boma is specifically the home area within the property area (called the shomba), sectioned off by a hedge of thorny branches piled at hip to shoulder height. The trees within the boma had been hacked off with machetes a few months back to help make the hedge. I was simply smoothing out the cuts with a hand saw. Raphael and John from the Maasai were concerned with what I was doing apparently, but were reassured that I knew about trees. Raphael came over and tried the saw on a few branches and then offered advice on what branches I should take. He did well when he tried considering he usually uses his long knife (called a “Kisu”) and only has his left arm; having lost his other as a child in a car accident.
Laying Out The Supplies To Organize
The Shelf Is Complete
Patty Scholz Cutting A Board
Noah, Paul, And Jake Measuring Boards
Paul, Nyles, And John Assembling The Saw Horse
We broke for lunch as the clouds parted and the sun came out. We also made sure we were drinking water and putting on sunscreen. Paul Fay and I then began constructing the frame of a rectangular prism that could be used as a sort of seat over the hole in the outhouse. It would help with the otherwise necessary squatting. Our only interruption came from Brian who had just come back from his second run to the doctor; this time with our neighbor John’s wife. Brian informed us that two giraffes were on the edge of the property. We quickly walked down the two-track road and were able to get close to them; close enough to get some fantastic pictures. It’s the kind of thing that just doesn’t happen in everyday life for most people. We savored the experience. On the way back, Nyles found a tortoise shell behind a termite mound, and brought it back to clean it up; eventually sticking it into some tree branches. Later we would learn that this had become a sort of gag/joke that people before us would hide so that it could be “rediscovered” by the next group. That was pretty funny.
The Outhouse Before
Paul And I Cutting Boards For The "Prism Seat"
Paul Sanding The Seat Smooth : )
The Outhouse Seat Is Ready For Use
Giraffes Right Next To The Camp
Nyles And His Tortoise Shell
Noah Dellamater
Jake Rogers Organizing The Remaining Lumber
I went back to trimming a few other trees as we finished our tasks and began to clean up. I did stop at one point and talked to a young boy named Amos who came by and was watching us as his cows grazed. We scratched our names in the dirt with a stick so we would know who each other was. I followed him out to look at and talk about his 17 cows.
Brian In One Of His Many Discussions-Communication Is Key!
Amos And His Cows
Amos And I Watched Ants Putting Seeds Into Their Hole In The Ground
Patty And Krisitn Scholz With Todd Making Some Final Cuts
The Team Finishing Up The Day's Work
Todd And Noah Try Out A Hammock Out In The Shomba
Gazelles
For dinner, John Fay put some water on to boil for our macaroni & cheese and flavored rice dinner. About that time we also saw some gazelles browsing as they walked by. In different groups, in different places around the boma, we talked and caught our breaths. A delivery truck was coming with supplies and we were waiting. When it finally came, Brian found warped and poor lumber in addition to the wrong roofing. What had been built so far, came from this same company back in February and March, but this had been an obvious case of trying to unload some unwanted product, so it had to be sent back. Already there had been some issues using the series of rutted roads to get into the Kijani property, so this added to the frustrations. We set some previously made doors on top of the newly made saw horses to use as tables around the fire in the gathering darkness, and then the Team talked. We shared the highs and lows of the day and then prayed. We thanked God for his goodness, the things that we had seen, and the things we had accomplished on this day. We also admitted to Him that the goals we want to achieve (specifically on the building and while at Kijani) are not always His goals. We needed to be open to His plans, and let the frustrations of changed schedules go. Sometimes it’s good to remember that life has complications that you have to patiently work through; even here on the flip side.
At
7:00 a.m. Todd’s phone alarm played us a melody. I think it did twice. We wrestled our bodies from the pillow after
six solid hours of sleep. Easily we
could have taken more, and would have obliged with half a chance, but we were
definitely refreshed. In the distance I could hear the calls of farm animals. Dressing quickly
and arranging some of our gear, we went downstairs to meet the others of our
Team. The hotel provided a
complimentary, continental breakfast.
Back home in the States this would have meant you could pour yourself a
small box of dry cereal in a styrofoam bowl and added a piece of fruit and
yogurt barely bigger than a mouthful. If
you were lucky and living right, they might even provide you with a waffle machine; which could be fun if you figured out how to use
it. At the “67 Airport Hotel” our
breakfast was more like a twelve dollar, all-you-can-eat buffet. Call it what you will, but I enjoyed it;
having a little bit of fresh fruit, potatoes, plantain, sausage, a hardboiled
egg, spinach, bacon, and some water and juice.
I ate enough, and something balanced, but not too much. We packed, loaded, and once they finally got
the rented truck started, left. The
convoy included the truck and two rented vans from Moriah African Safari Tours
Company, that Kijani Farm uses quite often to help get teams from point A to
point B. The vans were led by a man
named Anthony Wachira, who is also a good friend and member of the board for
Kijani Farm.
Loading Up
A Nearby Building Under Construction-Check Out The Scafolding
The
drive into and out of the hotel is what can best be considered as a rutted alley
amongst empty lots and newer brick and cement construction; most have walls
built around them. We saw traffic of
cars, motorcycles, buses, and semi trucks, but many people were walking;
heading somewhere, most to work. People
stood outside of shops and businesses, and may not have had much, but they
dressed elegantly, and you could tell they had pride.
Nyles Bates, Kristin & Patty Scholz, Jake Rogers & I In The Van
We
traveled to an ATM machine for the shillings we might need later (one shilling
is about one U.S. cent), and also stopped at a small grocery store (Naivas Supermarket). We bought eggs, fruit, and vegetables. Having worked in a small store like this in
high school and summers through college, I loved the atmosphere. It also reminded me of when my cousins and I
stop at a small store each summer before heading into the back country of
Northern Michigan to camp and fish. One
of the differences was that there were more workers here, each with their own
little aisle that they were in charge of, and a security man walking the
parking lot outside. I guess they also
had a couple of guards with metal detector wands they would wave over you when
you entered, so that you wouldn’t bring in your knives, but they said thank you
and smiled warmly when you left.
Brian Dellamater In The Grocery Store
At
this point we once again loaded ourselves into the two vans, while Brian and
Gabe drove the truck with some of the gear lashed to the back. The driving was almost indescribable. The vans have a governor in
them that prevent them from going over 80 km/hr (approx. 50 miles/hr), but it’s
the weaving and jostling for position that’s crazy in a city without traffic
lights. They make it work though, and
our two drivers, Nicholas and David, were excellent. In the ditches alongside of the road, were
deeply trenched tracks and paths with steep sides. Yet, if you needed to turn around before the
next street you took the ditch. I saw a
bus going across the ditch at an angle I couldn’t have deemed possible, but
somehow it did. Taxi transportation was
on the motorcycles which weaved like so many water bugs between the bigger
vehicles. Many were parked in packs in
the busier market places, like gangs, but were in actuality waiting for
customers. It was different, but
exciting; I was glad I was riding just so I could take it all in. Everything was happening on the opposite side
of the road from what I was used to; figuratively and literally.
Make Way!
We
headed south by southwest for the next three hours seeing the signs of
civilization slowly disappear except for the two other towns that we drove
through. Rock, plastic litter, bushes,
trees, flocks of sheep & goats, and herds of cows could be seen from the
windows of our van. People also dotted
the landscape. I wrote in my journal
about the previous day & took pictures as we drove.
One Of The Surrounding Towns South Of Nairobi, Kenya
Eventually
Brian passed us, and led us onto a rutted dirt track with the Black Hill and a
low mountain range on the horizon. We
bounced and weaved our way through the brush, passing herders with their
animals, and a couple of different dwellings.
We waved as we passed. Throughout
this entire ordeal, Anthony, riding alongside our driver Nicholas in the front,
patiently answered and explained any question I had for him. I learned a lot from his open and honest
conversation of the city, the people we saw, and the land; everything from
commerce to the intricacies and complexities of how a termite hill works.
Brian Leading The Way In On The Rugged Two Track
The Black Hill In The Distance
And
then we were there; Kijani Farm. The
square shed, that held some equipment and the water tank, was in the center of
the area, surrounded by the framing for the soon to be living residence, plus
the tent that Brian and Gabe had been living in. That was it.
We unloaded, and then were ushered over to the edge of the thorny walled
hedge where 8 to 10 Maasai men were cooking us a goat over an open fire to
celebrate our arrival. We cut up an
excellent blend of onions and tomatoes and all ate together. It was interesting listening to the
conversational dialogue. I tried
learning the names of the Maasai men, and did manage to remember Raphael,
Benson, and John. Their two wild dogs
roamed around the outside of our gathering.
(L to R Facing The Camera) John, Benson, and Raphael Kneeling Down
Gracious Hosts Cooking Us A Meal
A Gathering For The Special Feast
Yum!!
With
food now in our bellies, the Team weed wacked, shoveled and raked an area level
for our tents and set them up under cloudy skies that were beginning to
clear. We were still in shorts, a
T-shirt, and tennis shoes, but we changed into our boots and long pants as we
prepared for a walk around the border of the property (called the
“Shamba”). I brought along a water
bottle and my camera. The walk and views
were amazing. Brian Dellamater and
Raphael explained aspects of the land and the surrounding neighbors. I took pictures often. Everyone has their thing, I suppose, that
captures their heart. Mine is nature in
the form of plants and animals along with the scenery, lighting, and the
experience that surrounds it. I tried my
best to capture that with limited skills.
Herds of cattle, occasionally crisscrossing the landscape, could be
tracked by the sound of the bells that select ones in the herd wore. With his permission, I took a picture of
“Mospa,” the boy herding his cows on the property. I saw large birds with a strange call,
spiders that wove webs on the ground and hid in a carefully weaved hole for
another insect to happen chance upon its sticky platform. I saw zebras running away in the distance
beyond the wall of thorny branches that had been stacked along the property’s
border. It kept in the cattle, who were
allowed to browse in it, and some of the wilds out; other than gazelles that
could easily leap it. Everywhere were
cool shaped, thorny trees and bushes. We
returned in time from our walk to climb the building structure and watch the
sunset over the hills. It was only a
little after 6:00 p.m., but it was a sight to behold.
The House Frame
Todd
Thorns Are Everwhere!
Paul Fay and Raphael
Jake Rogers, Gabe Dellamater, and Nyles Bates
Members Of The Team At A Corner Of The Shamba
Zebras Running Off In The Distance
A Spider's Lair
A "White Bellied Go Away Bird" - That's Its Name!
Jospa And Some of His Herd
Raphael Waiting For Us To Catch Up
Flowers In The Red Soil
Termites Covered Sticks Laying On The Ground With These Tunnels
Termites At Work In A Mound
John Fay Checking Out A Termite Mound
Our Setting In The "Boma" (An Island Walled Off Within The Shamba)
At
dusk we got out the six chickens, that had been bought and kept within one side
of the outhouse, and let them out to scratch around in the dirt. I showed the others an old farm boy trick of
“hypnotizing” them by gently holding their beaks to the ground and tracing a
straight line out in front of them in the dirt.
They remain spellbound to that line for several minutes after you
release them. It worked perfectly on
several of the roosters, and the other members of the Team tried it. Lessons can be learned from both sides;
admittedly with different levels of importance.
Todd "Hypnotizing" One Of The Roosters
While
several members of our Team watched and partook of the meat that some of the
Maasai cooked from the head of the goat that had been butchered for the earlier
meal, John Fay and I set water to boil.
We added some leftover goat meat from lunch along with some
potato/cheddar rice packets that we had.
It was like a soup, and tasted good.
We cleaned up as members of the Team split up and either sat around the
campfire near the tents, or lamps up near the shed. It had been a long first day to reach Kijani
Farm, but a good day. I felt like my
body was quickly falling into the rhythms of this time zone. By that I meant the day and night; for beyond
that I had no idea what the specific time was, and frankly didn’t care. I had been given a gift; a small glimpse of
life on the flip side.
