The rains have come marking the end of the dry season. We have had 5 rains so far, the first coming the beginning of this month. One would think that after 5 months of no rain at all rain would be incredibly welcome. But in fact the first few storms have been quite strong they have come as a shock to me. These were no light drizzles but extreme wind and buckets of rain dropped. I lay awake one evening with the rain pounding down on the tin roof in a fury , tense and slightly uneasy. And for good reason. The second rainstorm in our village whipped through with such winds it tore off the rooves of many houses, both tin and thatched. And it also knocked over my newly built brick wall! Apparently the rainy season always starts, and ends, very dramatically with destructive storms. And because the rains have started so early, people in village who have procrastinated, are scrambling to finish construction projects that they had waited on all dry season, as each time it rains the mud bricks melt away. In addition, with the coming of the rains, people are turning their thoughts towards this season of cultivation, starting to prepare fields and getting ready to plant peanuts and corn, cotton and sorghum. Soy will come later on. Busy time of year! Soon, the rains will settle down, become more regular, and I'm sure become a joy rather than source of worry, once people (including me) finish construction projects. It is amusing how unused to the rain I became though!
After 2 rains little sprouts of grass started popping up everywhere. Such an incredible and fast transpormation! It is as if someone came in the night and splashed green paint on the sides of all the paths. Grass? What's that! Arriving in village in December, I had not experienced any rain in village and in addition, have not seen the village with its green, rainy season face, only in it's light yellow and red bare dirt dry season landscape. The trees on the mountain are starting to fill out with thicker leaves, covering the bare ground and dry yellow grasses of last season. Everything is changing dramatically, and beautifully and it is wondrous to see it for the first time.
patches of green among yellow and brown
