We just got back from Tamale. We had to go to the bank and get the money that we were going to deposit in the bank in Yendi. We have done this for the past few years and it works out beautifully. It is so much better for the workers to be able to get money out of the bank in Yendi than it is for them to go to Tamale on the bus to get money and it is far safer!
While we were in Tamale we picked up 5 rolls of razor wire. We are not sure if we will have time to put them up before we go back to the states but at least we will have them when we get back.
It rained on us on our way back to Yendi. We called Mr. Iddrisu to see if it was raining in Yendi, he said he was still at the mission house and it had been raining most of the afternoon.
The men that are working on the bridge at Kulkpeni hauled the gravel we ordered today. We wanted enough to fill the pit that they harvested gravel from to build mud ball buildings. The gravel was harvested about 15 years ago. The pit is an eyesore and a waste of land. The driver estimated that it would take 7 dump truck loads of gravel to fill the pit. The gravel was about half the price they sell it for in town because it is excess from digging out the river to make the supports for the new bridge. They didn’t have to haul it very far but they picked a terrible day to haul. The ground had not fully dried from the last rain and then we got more rain today. The dump truck got stuck twice; they had to call another driver and big vehicle to come pull them out. The vehicle that pulled them out charged them 200 Cedis (about 20 dollars). Guess who had to pay to get them unstuck? Why we have to pay for your mistake is beyond me! They could not actually pour the gravel in the pit; they piled it around the pit which is going to make more work for the men that do the leveling.
While we were in Tamale this afternoon Steve took me to the cultural center so I could do a little shopping. I did very little shopping; I only bought a couple things because they did not have what I was looking for. Maybe I will have better luck when we get to Accra next week!
Steve was supposed to have continuing education class this morning and we were going to leave for Tamale after his class was over but when he got to the hospital he found out that it had been cancelled. We got to leave for Tamale ahead of schedule which gave us a little extra time to run our errands.
We talked to my (Kandie’s) brother Paul today; everything is going well in Wa. The clutch on the truck messed up but they got it fixed today. We tried to talk to him yesterday but the network was so bad that we never could hear each other. I had the same problem when I tried to talk to my Aunt Daris.
Enjoy your day!
In HIS Service,
Steve and Kandie
The Monkey Shines
I have learned another new trick and this one does not make Mom happy at all! I figured out that I can not only remove the blue button thing on the end of a BIC ball point but I can also pull the ink cartridge out of the pen. Now the trick is to bite the metal end off the pen cartridge. The ink will then come out of the pen. When Mom saw what I was doing she went into a panic, “Oh! NO! NO! NO! SKEETER! YOU WILL GET INK ALL OVER EVERYTHING!” Then the chase begins. All the while she is trying to catch me she is saying in her stern voice, “GIVE ME THAT PEN! GIVE ME THAT PEN! YOU BETTER COME BACK HERE!” When she finally caught me I was still holding the ink cartridge tight in my teeth. She had to pry it out of my mouth! It was a great time had by all except Mom! It still makes me smile when I think about it!
I did not appreciate being left alone today when the parents went to Tamale. Mom started this new feeding program which I am not sure I am going to like. She is turning all my feeding over to Donkey and Mr. Iddrisu. She said that she is not going to give me my night time bottle before I go to bed anymore because she is trying to get me ready for next week when they go back to the states and leave me alone for a long time! I can’t like this new plan! I can’t like them leaving me! I am still supposed to get 3 bottles a day; morning, noon and late afternoon. But I am also supposed to get a dish of fresh fruits and vegetables and a dish of dried treats. Mr. Iddrisu and Donkey are supposed to give me the fruit and dried treats before they leave for the day. I am supposed to eat the fruits and treats for supper and a mid-night snack. What, no warm milk and cereal before I go to bed? Seriously, how will I ever be able to go to sleep? I am not happy about this turn of events! There are so many things wrong with this plan!
Sleepless in Yendi!
Love Skeeter
