One whole year

Tomorrow is my one year anniversary, living in Africa. Wow time flies. Today I am sitting at my desk in my little house working at the computer - I am hopelessly behind on paperwork. I'm watching mousebirds, sunbirds and bulbuls as they flit in the bushes just outside my window. It is sunday afternoon and about 75 degrees in the dry season - the sun is bright and the ground is dry and dusty. It is cold at night though (well, 50s...) - GREAT climate! Ama and Boots are asleep at my feet, and I can hear the neighborhood kids laughing and hollering, crows and hadada ibis calling in the distance, and a circular saw is running almost constantly as a house goes up two doors down. I'm re-reading George Schaller's "The Year of the Gorilla" in my spare time, and it is so much more meaningful to me now - I recognize the places he names, I can see his descriptions of trekking through the forest and gorilla behavior in my mind's eye. I am still amazed that I work here. That I see mountain gorilla groups weekly if not more often. That I am privaleged to work in 3 countries with a wonderful team of dedicated people. That my family understands this crazy notion of mine that working in Africa for 2 years is okay...