Tribute to Sam

Sam

Yesterday was kind of a sad day for the Palmtree compound. One of our fellow permanent residents decided that it is high time to return to civilization as he knows it*, so he packed his bags and is headed for home. Here's to a safe journey...we're gonna miss that happy chuckle, Sam!

*There are some lingering arguments as to whether Las Vegas can really be considered civilization ;)

Physiotherapy à la Rumbek

Tom's Workspace

Last Thursday, I spent several hours running around Rumbek trying to help my new Dinka tutor, Matur (bottom right), locate appropriate medical facilities. He has a traumatic cataract blinding his right eye, which we discovered can only be treated by way of surgery. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that Rumbek will be entertaining any eye specialists in the near future, so he will simply have to wait until the next team of surgeons comes through -- at least six months -- and hope that there will be someone with the proper expertise among them.
However, thanks to an NGO called Medical Care Development International (MCDI), we did get some good news about his fractured finger, which was apparently badly set at the time of the injury -- poor guy!! Tom (left), who is a Kenyan working as a physical therapist for MCDI, has assured us that the finger can be put back in order as long as Matur shows up for regular therapy.

So we have a deal now...I promise to make Matur proud by studying hard and he promises to work on getting his hand back in shape, so I can read his handwriting. I think that can be categorized as a "win/win" situation, don't you?

P.S. Also pictured: Zachary (top right) is VEGA's local Program Officer and he was kind enough to take the time to guide us through the maze of medical facilities. Besides that, he's just good company and deserves a little bit of recognition. Cheers, Zack!

Velvet Mite

Dinothrombium spp.

In keeping with the insect theme, I thought I'd add this little critter to the collection. I know it's already been posted on Kirk's blog, but I think it's cool enough to deserve a double viewing. Especially since it carries the added bonus of being 100% harmless to anything except winged termites!

Anyway, these little guys, commonly known as Velvet Mites, are categorized as arachnids and have the privelege of being known as the world's largest mites. They live underground most of the time, but come out after a good rain to check and make sure we surface dwellers aren't destroying everything beyond repair.

This Week's Public Enemy

Paederus Beetle

This little guy is my new favorite insect to hate. Apparently, it doesn't bite, but its "blood" is toxic, so when someone -- such as myself -- unwittingly crushes it as it crawls along the back of one's neck, it sprays a nice dose of acid onto the spot in question. The after effects are not terribly pleasant, so I'll spare you the details. Suffice it to say that, should you ever encounter one of these little gems, do be kind to it. Gently blowing it off yourself is far better than dealing with the consequences of a momentarily satisfying whack.

Windhoek Anyone???

Thievery at it's Best!

I realize I'm on a bit of a monkey kick lately, but who can resist when in the presence of the lovely and delightfully mischievous Nina?? This photo was taken last Sunday when our neighbors over at Safari Style kindly invited us to join in on their picnic in the bush. The flies were outrageous to say the least, but the food was excellent and the beer was at least luke-warm, so a good time was had by all. Especially the little imp who snatched up an open bottle of Windhoek beer and proceeded to obscond with it into her leafy haven. I only wish we'd managed to get a shot of her actually guzzling a good portion of the brew before losing interest and dropping it very unceremoniously to the ground.