Saturday

We have a phrase that we say a lot here... “Never a dull moment” Which means days here include anything from fuel tanks falling off, hilarious comments like, “Cats, when you eat their feathers, it’s giving you like a pot belly.” ??? someone carrying a basket of chickens on their heads, or like this Saturday traipsing through the jungle that is our backyards. I guess that is just the adventure of living in Uganda.

So here is a typical (or perhaps not so typical) Saturday.... I actually slept in, thanks to the earplugs that blocked out the loud music from town, noisy neighbors and motorcycle horns from the road. Ate a bowl of homemade granola with milk from our cow. Piddled around in my pajamas for a bit getting things done around the house. Answered knocks at the door and sent some kids asking for work to get a pineapple and charcoal from the market. Headed to town a bit later to do a bit of shopping of my own. Perused outfits made from colorful African kitangi, hung on sticks outside the market. Already feeling sweat collecting on my upper lip. Chatted with Christine, a seamstress I like, about getting a dress made. Hurried to get the rest on my list and and get out of the equator sun. Feeling hot, tired, thirsty, and increasingly hungry stopped at a chapatti stand and got 2 to go. Sprawled out on the couch drinking a cold beverage. Up... and there went the power. Hopefully it will be back on so I can check email in the afternoon. Neighbor kids played cards on our porch. Paid a Esmo to weed in my garden that now has corn almost as tall as me!! Yay. Still no power so Chrissy and I accompanied the Johnsons down to the river to cool off. Down the ravine, trying not to slip or run into a banana tree. Boys hanging around shimmied up trees for fear of the Johnson’s dogs. Waded around, gave 2 dogs a bath. Went on a little safari adventure in search of a swimming hole, through the bush and peoples gardens to follow the river, avoiding impali (viscous biting ants) and groups of bathing men. Just one of the things we do for fun around here :)

Once we were back the plan was to grill on little Ugandan charcoal grill. I had only done this once before and I had a kid help me get the fire started... which at the time seemed really easy. After burning 10 sheets of scrap paper, melting 2 plastic bags, dumping the charcoal out 3 times to rearrange it, about 20 matches, some black and burned fingers later it was finally burning. Chrissy was in the kitchen skewering veggies and I started grilling the chicken. It promptly caught on fire and turned the outsides black. I started the veggies a little later and took off the blackened chicken. Due to some skewer flesh wounds, Chrissy and I switched jobs. I cutting into the chicken and seeing blood put it back over the coals. The power was still out so I lit candles, while Chrissy labored away over the fire, shooing away the 2 salivating, hovering dogs. After the 3rd check while veggies were on the table getting cold the chicken looked cooked and we sat down to enjoy. The chicken was pretty tasty once the quite crispy skin was removed. And after dinner a special treat. We had found mmmMallows (a pink and white version of marshmallows) in Kampala and were going to make s’mores. We loaded up some skewers with the non-pink variety and turned the marshmallows over the dying embers. Then put some America chocolate on rather stale cookies over the grill grate to melt and dry. The cookies ended up a little black too but it was definitely mmmGood. And a great end to a great day... with not one dull moment.

Owen showing off fire making skills I have yet to acquire