Cat update

The cat has been working out well. I have seen a marked decrease of the larger lizards, and I know he has been eating the 6-8 in variety ( I saw him catch 2 today). Sardinia also recruited a helper...one of our guards, Charles. I knew Charles has been giving the cat fired fish heads from his lunch but two days ago I witnessed something very funny. Charles passed by the open door of the work station with a stick up in the air, along the wall. Soon after he passed, the cat was seen stalking after him. Apparently, Charles knocks lizards down or scares them enough that they drop off the wall and the cat eats them. Talked a bit with some USAID guys. Discovered a couple days ago that Vanuatu is not going to be headed my way, so I'm looking for other things to do with myself when my final year of service is up.

Thanx is coming...

I just got the last of the thanksgiving packages (french fried onions from Ryan). The Alibori have another turkey this year. A couple PCVs have his at their house fattening him up. It was touch an go there for a little while because the turkey hated the neighbor's roosters and would continually try to kill it...the stress was making him not eat. But now he is eating and looking good. He dies on friday. Tabaski (islamic holiday where everyone kills a ram) is coming but people here don't know exactly when. It could be thrus-sat. Locals say it is because the people in Mecca have to do something first, i don't know. I have been eating well recently....my new post has cooked chicken and fries at a nearby cafeteria and it is GOOD. Unfortunately chicken and fries cost 1,500 CFA and we get paid 3,000 CFA a day, making this a pricey luxury...but I'm glad to make some other sacrifices to be eating meat again. Favre is leading my fantasy team to another victory (along with sticky-icky-Ricky) but I hope he loses sooner or later...I have a bet against the Viks getting to the Super Bowl this year. I have stayed busy at the workstation and have made some visits to local classrooms to help the terminale (12th grade) students with their english. Still looking for environmental work.

Harmattan!

It dropped below 80 degrees last night! The last few days have been classic harmattan weather. The winds have picked up and the dust limits visibility to maybe 1/2 mile. It looks a lot like a foggy day, but you can taste the grit as you breathe and your eyes dry out quickly. Power and water at the workstation have been intermittent these last weeks. We had no town power for 5 days and had to run on a generator at night for the security lights. Trying to get a Wii to the Alibori. Down to 5-5 in fantasy...if only I could stop running into opponents who average 20pnts from their WRs.

Another sign of changng seasons

I almost forgot to mention the TRUCKS! Cotton season is coming to a close in the next month or so. People will be out picking all the buds and piling them in huge mounds. Many, many trucks come from down south to transport the cotton from the fields and weighing stations to the factories in Kandi, Banikora, N'Dali, and Kahlale. They are all over the place and the drivers are not very careful / considerate. Since there are no sidewalks here, one must be very careful when you walk to town or go down the road to get something to eat. The winds have picked up and you can really start to see the dust in the air. I have imported Amy Van Goey's cat to help rid the Work Station of it's large lizard problem. He seems well adjusted to his temporary home and he has already had an impact on the lizards...I only wish his name was not Sardeenia (Amy thought is was a girl when she bought him)

Changing of seasons in the Alibori

The rainy season is coming to a close and the harmattan is starting. The air is getting drier (your sweat actually starts to evaporate off you) and dustier. And the nights cool down to the mid-70's...so that is cool. I was not in the Alibori for this last year so it is cool to see it firsthand. I emailed the CD in Vanuatu to see if PC was still involved with the Reef Check program over there and he said it was. But, he also said that the current PCV there who is in charge of the program might extend :( I'll keep everyone updated. Just spent some time with a Ivory Coast transplant and we talked about being foreigners in Benin.