The more we find out about the deal Kulkpeni church made with the contractor that is building the bridge on the road from Yendi to Kulkpeni sounds worse and worse. They said they needed 8 rooms. It was presumed that 8 rooms meant 8 men. Today we found out that they do not even know how many men will be staying on the property. They said that they would put at least 4 men in each of the small rooms and up to 10 in the big pavilion. That is a whole bunch of people! The men started moving in yesterday and already the verandas on the rooms are covered with the clothes they washed. They are planning on staying until November! Can you imagine working on that crew? We know that Kulkpeni wants to help but it appears that they may have bitten off more than they can chew! Oh! Well, it is over to the Church to do what they want to do. We are just there for advice.
The work on the building has gone a little slower the past 2 days because not all of the masons have shown up for work. Maybe more will come tomorrow. We just want to hurry and finish the project but it looks like they will be working for the rest of the week. When Mr. Iddrisu went to buy cement this morning they called and said that there seemed to be a shortage of cement in Yendi. Steve told them to buy it at Kulkpeni even though the sales tax is higher. We were happy this afternoon when we saw a couple of fully loaded 18 wheelers off loading cement in Yendi. Maybe the price will come back down. When it gets in short supply the price always goes up.
Red came and picked up the cage we are going to use for the monkey this morning. Later this evening he brought it back. It looks good but he made the monkey’s sleeping box huge so there is not much room for Skitter to play in the cage. He also oriented the cage backwards. To feed Skitter we have to go around to the back of the cage but all in all it is much better now than when it was a chicken coop. He made the food and water containers like little doors that can be rolled out and food added without Skitter being able to escape.
This morning Zorash and I went to town to buy the smoked dried fish that the nutritional nurse wants Adamu’s aunt to add to her food. The fish are about the size of minnows; they are smoked and dried with the scales and heads on and the guts left inside. They are a great source of protein and calcium. Amama washed the fish to get out the grit and we will pound them into a powder which can be sprinkled on whatever Adamu is eating. We are hopeful that prepared this way the fish will actually get into Adamu’s stomach instead of into the family stew pot. While we were in the market we bought gourd seeds and dried yellow field corn for us. We will take the corn to the grinding mill and have it cracked and the hulls will fall off the corn. It is delicious cooked with spices and dried black-eyed peas served over rice. That is actually what we had for lunch today. We will also wash, dry and grind the gourd seeds. They go in the green leaf stew.
Enjoy your day!
In HIS Service,
Steve and Kandie
Skeeter’s Monkey Business
I told you that Mom got me a bell which I hated at first but I have decided that I like the bell. I will even stand semi-still while Mom puts the bell on me in the mornings. She does not make me wear the bell when I am sleeping; I sure am happy about that because I am such a light sleeper that the bell would wake me up when I rolled around in my sleep. Mom also does not make me wear a diaper or clothes when I go to bed. I am free as a bird when I sleep!
I have heard about the cage remodel and I can tell you that I will not like the changes. One of Mom’s nieces used to say “I can’t like that!” when something was going on that she did not like. Well, I can tell you that “I can’t like changes to my cage!” I will give you a full report on the new condo tomorrow. I heard Mom say that she was not going to put me in it until tomorrow.
I did not get my supper until almost 7:00 tonight. I thought that I was going to starve. I hunted around and found a mango and tore into it. I did not even wait for it to be peeled. This foraging for my own food is not what it is cracked up to be! It took an eternity for Mom to get my bottle made and heated. Then she got it too hot and I had to wait for her to add ice water to it. Please! The trauma I have to endure is just too much at times!
I may be house hunting!
Love Skeeter
