It'll be a greeeen Chrissstmassss without snow...

It’s a good thing there are other reminders that it’s soon Christmas time, otherwise it may pass me by completely. I have spent most of my life’s Christmases in the tropics but even so, unless it’s white, it really doesn’t feel all that much like Christmas! A few odd events this week got me humming Christmas carols though.

The first was, “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!”

I was doing a routine morning sweep of the house since we had been inundated with a gazillion flying ants the night before. We had a heavy rainfall and, as always happens after it rains here, flying ants emerged in droves from the ground. Because they’re drawn to light, and our house is lit at night, they descended on our house beating their translucent wings in a frenzy around our lights. They do this until their wings detach and they fall to the ground. Multiply 1 ant and 4 detached wings times 100 or more! It’s always a laborious task sweeping up ant wings the following morning. I imagine it’s a bit like trying to sweep downy feathers--you almost can’t because even the tiniest air current picks up your “dust pile” and carries it where you don’t want it to go! And then there are the bugs, that are still alive, trying to crawl out of the dust pile at the same time. Oh the joys. Anyway, turns out that this week, Edmonton had 4 foot snow drifts from a blizzard and they’re told to expect -40C temperatures. ☹ Maybe heat, rain and sweeping ant wings isn’t so bad afterall…

Then a few things got me singing “The twelve days of Christmas” even though it’s a bit early for that.

The first was that we managed to catch those pesky pigeons that had decided to move into and nest on our veranda. Poor shot here, but there they are nestled in "their" corner.

The song mentions gifts of a variety of birds so it seemed an appropriate enough song at the time. Catching the pigeons took a bit of climbing and risking of life and limb in the dark when they couldn’t see us

Chasing them down off the roof

Ebony, the cat, waits wistfully

but in the end we were victorious. (Dwight did most of the climbing and the actual catching of the birds, just didn't have my camera ready at the time.)

Here the pigeons are, safely in our kitchen in a “gift box” (read: any box big enough to hold them til morning). They were given to a very happy Raimundo the next day.

The next event was when Dwight started building a closet in our fairly-bare house. The closet is far enough along now so we can hang our clothes rather than stack them on the floor.

Many things are gifts. In fact, every day is a gift, Christmas or no Christmas.

A few other items this week:

Here Bero, a student who is doing summer volunteer work, helps me gather information on health post consults. While he does hours of counting and adding of figures for me, I will be putting together a brochure about him to help raise the funds needed for his corrective surgery.

Roof sheeting was picked up in town this week. Its job will be to cover latrines at the school, guardhouse and training center.

The health work finally got to purchase this bike and bring it “home” to be used. Its job will be to facilitate home visits by health care workers in villages when needed. But first, all the nuts and bolts need to be tightened and the headlight needs to be checked. Oh yes, and the gift wrap removed ☺

“It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas”…if only there were a little snow.

ttyl

PS: Check out the Unique Christmas Gift donation opportunities.

PPS: Also, check out the mission farm on Google Earth.

PPPS: If you're on facebook, we are too. Look up S.A.M. Ministries Inc.