Gorilla Doctors post

New post on Gorilladoctorsblog.org

Sorry for the cross post, but my blog writing time is a little limited these days!

Rumangabo

Spent the day at Rumangabo, DRC, at a meeting about design and construction of the Senkwekwe center, where Miasha and Kaboko will go in a few months. Saw a large group of Colobus monkeys including a mom with a little gray baby (they are born white then turn black and white during their first year of life). Saw a mongoose cross the road in Rwanda and almost get hit (I would have had to stop and help it if it DID get hit), but couldn't seen the volcano today because of the haze...

Dinner with Team Rwanda (national bicycling team) tonight!

Ama's new friend

Ama has a new friend. Meet Boots! He was found on the road to Uganda and is such a cutie pie. My friend Molly Feltner is going to take him home this summer. Lucky pup!
Ama is a great big sister.

what really happened

So I hope you all read the gorilladoctorsblog post about Agahazo, a young male in Pablo group that we had to assess because he had an abscess on his neck. You know, the one where it took over 5 hours to get to the group and I was exhausted? I think the blog is called "New Baby in Group 13". Now let me tell you the reality of that day. It was freakishly difficult. It took me 6 hours (everyone else 5 hours), and 30 minutes of that was me sitting on the side of the trail trying not to lose my lunch, only to lose it at the end of that 30 minutes. I thought about turning back, letting Magda and Jean Felix deal with the medicine, but then I summoned every bit of strength I had - I evoked the strength of my mom when she still went to horse shows and Bayfield even after bad rounds of chemo. I thought about Tucker, who walks even when they said she wouldn't, and NEVER gives up. And Leigh Ellen who is a breast cancer survivor, and had her treatments during some of the most difficult years of our lives. And Linda who coached volleyball even when she was recovering from a broken back, leg, ribs... I thought of those long hard portages, or hiking up the mountain on Isle Royal with huge blisters and a 60 pound pack. And I thought of the gorillas, and that I wanted/needed to be there. Sounds totally sappy I know, but I was having quite a mental battle with myself as I sat shivering and retching on the side of that mountain in the rain, hoping Joseph the porter wasn't watching me too closely. Sooooo, I after I furtively cleaned my mouth and pulled myself together, I told Joseph to lead on, and as it turns out we were only another hour from the gorillas, and in the end, as you read in the blog, we did not have to do an intervention. But I was ready if we did - I made it to the site! And the 5 hours down was a LOT easier than going up. Something happens to my body at 10,000 feet or higher... I'm working on getting over that...

What else is happening? I went to Congo to move this huge silverback gorilla from where he was hanging out OUT of the forest, eating people's crops, likely to be killed by the locals (see gorilladoctors FB). The move went well, but I felt a little like I was in a king kong movie - we anesthetized him and put him on this big wooden platform for people to carry him. It was crazy - we walked through villages, surrounded by hundreds of people, and finally woke him up back in the forest.



That night I stayed in this hotel room on Goma and here is the painting on the wall in my room:



Made me feel so comfortable in Africa!

And then last week I went to a tennis tournimant! Right here in Central Africa! Julie Ghrist, from the NGO Art of Conservation (check out her website) had a group of kids who are learning tennis. She's been doing this with them for the past several years, and this year she held a big tournament. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the kids really did well! Parents were proud, awards were given. It was a fun day. Reminded me of camp and horse shows all at the same time. Jim and Linda - do you recognize the clothes on these kids?!








Things are going well here. Busy as usual, dangerously behind on paperwork, but still good. Sara comes for a visit in 2 weeks!!! Can't wait to show Sara, Aaron and Scott around.

Back home again in Rwanda

Can't believe it has been over a month since I've written here... geez time flies.

I had a great week at home (went to a meeting for the first week in the states) - visited with family and friends, got the taxes done, planted flowers, relaxed! Bob and I puttered around the yard - it was such a beautiful spring week while I was there (I totally missed winter this year...). Leigh Ellen drove down from Wisconsin and we had a great time at Linda's! Bob and I had drinks with the zoo hospital folks - it was great to see everyone. And Diane Houk had her first communion party so we got to visit with the whole family!


Sara is coming to visit with Aaron in June! And Taylor next Christmas time! Yay!


My cousin Nancy,with Andy and granddaughter Izzy (cutie pie)


Cousins!


More cousins!!!


I love my sisters!!!!


Leigh Ellen tried Aaron's night vision goggles...


I miss my Fred!

Dave looks almost normal these days!


Misty still looks good for an old girl.

This was just the refresher I needed to fill me up for my return to Rwanda. It has been very rainy and very busy here since I got back the end of April. I'll have a gorilla story on gorilladoctorsblog.org this Wednesday and will try to write more regularly now that I am sort of caught up from being away. Little Ama was happy to see me when I got back! She is all ears listening to my stories from home!

Leaving on a jet plane....

Africa is my reality.

My here and now for the past 8 months.

Tomorrow I head back to Indiana for the first time in 6 months, and I'm sooooo looking forward to seeing family and friends, Fred and the kitties, my spring flowers. My American reality. It has been too long. But I'm not sure how well the re-entry into excess is going to go. I live here almost like I do when I camp - I have what I need, and some of what I want. I like it this way. Simple. Maybe I can capture this simplicity in my American life.

Ama, my little African dog, is climbing onto my lap just now with her toy, wanting my attention. She is finally getting a little nervous with all the suitcases and my strange packing behavior. Molly, one of my friends here, is staying in my house to keep Ama company while I'm away, as will Julie, John, Magda, Felicien, Faustin, Schadrack, Leon, etc. Our little community is just that, community. I am so fortunate.

I'll have to stay away from the gorillas for 2 weeks when I get back - quarantine from being on an international flight. I was just getting to the point that I could get to 10,000 feet without feeling like I was going to pass out! I suspect I'll reacclimate quickly, but that first time back up the mountain is going to be painful! But worth it. The view from the top is amazing, and so are these guys.

I am leaving on a jet plane tomorrow, but I know when I'll be back again, at least for a bit.

Gorillas in the sun!!!!

No rain for my forest visit today - it was WONDERFUL! Saw Titus group and Bwenge group. Watch for a long post on gorilladoctors blog, but here is a sneak preview.