Back Upcountry

That's today's project. We leave early Sunday morning for Gatab (a 2 day drive). So today is Pack The Car day. This will be a challenge. Five people, a dog, and 2 months worth of groceries all in one landcruiser. Oh for a trailer.

In Nairobi

Time to shop...for groceries for the next two months. Plus we have a bunch of administrative stuff to deal with like turning books back in to the school, taxes, flight physicals, and so on.

So far so good...knocked out several of the minor things already, and we have company for the road back up the first week of June, and a ride back for me to get the airplane.

Not much exciting to put in the post today, we're just dealing with the niff naff and trivia of life.

Gatab vs Nairobi

Gatab wins, no question.

I spent a few days in Nairobi last week, helping install a new engine on my airplane (the previous one having reached its overhaul time). Driving home, I got as far as the u-turn after leaving the airport before thinking/saying "I hate driving here."

Anyway, that observation aside, we'd already decided to stay in Gatab until the Barnetts return. So we may be here until November or December.

We had some fun, or rather Susan did, with goats on the airstrip last week. She and the kids were down at the hangar (I was in Nairobi doing the engine change) with the dog. The airfield worker/guard went up for lunch, and as soon as he left a bunch of goats were let out on to the airstrip to graze. We've (all the missionaries here) been saying for years "keep your animals off the runway!" Hunter (the dog) decides to take matters on. She gets free from Alex and tears off after the goats, circling them like a wolf would to pick out lunch. Eventually the goats are driven off to the family's property and Hunter makes her way home later.

Later, a man comes to the house and tells Susan one goat is injured and another missing. "They were on the runway. They're not supposed to be on the runway. My husband told you a few weeks ago (when the dog chased a bit a goat on the soccer fields behind the runway) that if that had happened on the runway (yes, this is the same family and same herd of goats) he wouldn't have done anything." The man said something else. Susan reminded him, "Didn't John (the station manager) and the other missionaries tell you not to have your animals on the runway?" The answer, "Yes, but we didn't know there'd be a dog!" Hunter's earning her keep.

A similar situation at Nolpilipili...I went there yesterday to pick up a sick woman to bring to the hospital here. The last time I'd been there I'd told them "fix the fence and keep the cows off the runway or I won't come back. " They'd fixed it, as I saw a week or so later when I went back to pick up a child who'd been bitten by a snake. I landed and stopped...and saw that next to where I'd stopped (the old road) they'd pulled the fence aside. Cow tracks all over the runway. I had to chase two groups of cows off the runway while I waited for my patient. Grrr. I'm not going back until it's fixed. This Saturday is the grand opening of the Nolpilipili church. Lots of folks from Gatab want to go, including a group of 5 ladies who want me to fly them down. They're going to be disappointed, I suspect. Unless the fence is fixed, the airplane isn't going.

We leave Sunday for Nairobi, flying down. We'll be there for 2-3 weeks to resupply and take care of administrivia. Kenya taxes, school stuff, US flight medical, previous internet provider last bill, and so on and so on. Our return date is in flux, depending on when we can find someone to drive back up with. The roads are not secure, so traveling alone is not a good idea just now. Some of the tribes are fighting (Turkana and Pokot south of Baragoi, Turkana and Gabra around Mt Kulal), and there are common thieves, highwaymen, working the road from Maralal to Rumuruti. It's much safer (as well as more fun) to travel with someone else.

So...back to Nairobi for a bit. And then back to Mt Kulal and civilization.