Photos from Mom's visit

Camouflaged

Kente Fest!

Matilda's release

The Lake Volta

Public Pick

Privacy is different here. Many people aren't comfortable eating in public. However, it's perfectly acceptable to urinate while facing on-coming traffic and chatting with the local authorities at a police checkpoint. And bath time is the perfect opportunity to soap up and wave hello to the neighbors. Many Peace Corps volunteers, myself included, get a strange satisfaction from trying unusual, embarrassing and sometimes disgusting things in the name of cultural integration. While I haven't yet urinated in front of a police officer or taken a bath in full view of a church congregation I have tested my own comfort limits from time to time. And sometimes these acts of machismo (or stupidity) do turn out to be gratifying experiences. This is one tame instance that I felt ok posting where my grandmother could read it.

Not too many day's ago I was trying to find some shade while I waited for the taxi home from Nkwanta to fill up. The Harmattan, a month long bout of dusty skies brought over from the Sahara, was still in full force and I felt a felt an unwelcome sensation in my left nostril. Once I became aware of it I wasn't able to take the dried clump of mucus and dust lodged in my skull off my mind. I suffered for a good five minutes before a vivacious young vendor walked by. She had a big glass box on her head, filled with something meaty and she kept calling out “YeeeEEEEeeeess gizzzaaard!” She noticed me staring and walked in my direction, probably assuming I wanted a gizzard kabob. Then, while looking me in the eye, she unabashedly shoved her index finger up one of her nostrils, hooked it and pulled out the offending crust. I was inspired.

In America it is taboo to pick your nose at all, especially in public. This is a regrettable and unreasonable expectation put on us by our society. There are some boogers that simply can't be rubbed or blown away. While I would never advocate habitual picking (I learned my lesson during the memorable Dodgeball Incident of '96) I do think it's time we acknowledged and embraced the occasional need to pick.

I then remembered that I had seen this many times before while in Ghana. I had always admired Ghanaians for their ability to do it in public but I hadn't yet had a chance to test my own bravado. Well here it was. I'll admit I hesitated. I had to look around and make sure there weren't any other Obronis walking by. But I was eventually able to take the plunge. I'm proud to say I removed it with all the expertise of a six-year old, right there in front of hundreds of people in the Market day crowd. This was liberating in more more ways than one. The vendor stopped in front of me, her eyes still fixed on mine. She smiled. We had a moment.

Cobra

It’s snake season in Kecheibi. I started noticing them about a month ago. Small green snakes squirming under logs and big dark shapes vanishing in the grass. Maybe it’s the colder nights, I see them basking in the late afternoon on foot paths and rocks. A few weeks ago a volunteer in a neighboring village woke up to the thud of rocks on her door and the violent barking of her dog. That’s her story to tell but the long-short of it is there was a Cobra hanging out on her stoop. This sort of thing has happened before; earlier this year a volunteer in my district managed to kill a cobra and a green mamba in his bedroom. Its obvious to me these serpents are crying out for attention. In a country that is positively slithering, young cobras have little elbow room when it comes to being noticed. It’s pathetic really. Last week I had my own visitor, a young black cobra, maybe only five or six feet long, waiting on my stoop. He was no doubt hoping I would let him in. Every time I cracked the door open for a better look at him he would stare back at me with an expectant look. This sort of behavior is normal for adolescents, no doubt he was abandoned by his parents at a very young age – I would be surprised if he ever even knew his own father. But even with troubled youth –especially with troubled youth- you have to be firm. I grabbed my machete (known locally as a cutlass –which I prefer because I sound like a pirate when I say cutlass) and a frisbee which I quickly drew eye-spots on (I wasn’t sure yet whether or not it was a spitting cobra, they aim for your eyes) and charged out the front door, hoping to surprise and corner him. But he was a little quicker than I gave him credit for; he darted over to the compost heap and out of sight. I went back inside and collected myself. But before long the stranger was back at his post, practically begging for my attention. Well, like I said you have to firm, firm and unrelenting, that’s the only way to get through to them. I made a second charge, brandishing the underside of my frisbee with a menacing look on my face, and followed him into the long grass. I haven’t seen him since. I’m not proud. In fact I feel a little empty inside. Maybe I’ll be easier on the next one, you know let him in for a while, make some coffee or something.

Home

Road to Nkwanta

Nkwanta

I Don't Need Anything.......... here's a list

I've been at site for a little over two months now and I'm starting to really get comfortable. My home is coming along, as of today I will have propane for my stove (being able to cook for myself regularly is a big deal). And yes Mom, I'm making plenty of friends here -I'm also figuring out who to avoid. Just in the past week I've met some people that I think will make my work much more productive and enjoyable. Specifically, I met a beekeeper in a nearby village called Ambrose. He's got a 50-box operation and has been successful in getting others into apiculture. His work is in the fledgling stages, and I think I can play a role in vamping up production and securing markets. More on him later... the point is I have plenty of meaningful work for the next two years, and more importantly I've met some capable, forward thinking people. And I've already mentioned my garden project etc. In a lot of ways I will be spending the next two years as a gardener.

I've been pretty persistent so far about not letting my friends waste their money back home to send me things. But now I have a few requests. Mostly I need seeds for my garden. There are plenty of seeds for tropical varieties. but I want to tryout/introduce some new varieties from back home. Don't bother running to the hardare store and sending a box full of seeds. I would much rather people just sent a single packet enclosed with a letter here and there. And I'd be even happier if you chose stock from your own gaardens (ie if you've been growing some giant pumpkins for halloween). Also don't rush, I won't sow anything until february/March. And I will happily plant anything throughout my service. So this is just a standing request. Don't go overboard. Its always hot here and either really wet or really dry. Annual plants should do fine during the wet season, especially if they like a lot of water.

Seeds I'm interested in:
Bushbeans, Large disc/ornamental sunflowers (not the wild types that spread quickly), lettuce (especially "summertime" and "optima" which are heat tolerant), chives, Perrenial Kale, nasturtium, Bell bean, Pinto beans, Sesbania, cowpeas, kiwi, Scarlet runner beans, ALL Herbs (parsely, Oregono etc.), Bread root, goldenberry, Olive, Grapes, red bell peppers, ALL squash/Pumpkins (epecially the kind that will attract attention to my garden), ALL melons (the Coloradoan who can get me some Rocky-Fords will have a special place in my heart). And whatever else you think might grow here.

Also: I get a lot of visitors to my house. Alot of them are young children who love to flip through my field guides. They get really exited when they see pictures of monkeys and antelopes. I've had some success in getting them to read about the animals and in general this has been a great way to start conversations about wildlife. So my second request is for magazine clippings. Specifically about African (or North American) wildlife. Anything you think might spark their interest. The more daring amungst you might send a larger envelope containing a "Ranger Rick"or other wildlife magazine. I could also use a copy of "Reptiles" magazine or a similar publication. My friends here are fascinated by the fact that Obronis keep snakes as pets. Also Gardening magazines would be amazing.

[For those of you insistent on sending larger packages (this should be a short list of people, namely my parents): I wouldn't skoff at a few field guides. Plants, insects, mammals etc. I already have a copy of West African Birds and the National Geographic African Wildlife. But I'm a nerd who likes to ID things -they don't have to have pictures, Dichotomous keys are great too. Use your highspeed internet powers and look around, please.]

Don't stress. I have no particular expectations. I won't be upset if I don't get something from you. But I will be upset if I don't get some letters. So send those at least.

Thanks to all.

-Jon

It's hard to get pictures that aren't all green.

From my porch.

Tiny Praying mantis. She must be an ant mimic.

When I was twelve I spent a lot of time scheming how I would sneak a Savannah Monitor lizard into my house. This one is living in a "Lizard pit" in my front yard. With luck he'll grow 5-6 feet. He enjoys giant land snails, grasshoppers and the occasional smallboy.

Registered Badass Beekeeper Ambrose prepares a hive. He and I will be working together closely. I've known him three days and he is already designing beeboxes witch bamboo (which should reduce the start up cost immensely) -on his own initiative.

From neighboring Tutukpene (50 minutes South on bike)

Kecheibi is at the base of the mountain in this photo




From "Breast Mountain" (specifically the left one) in Kyabobo National Park. About an hour and a half ride from my house.






"Obroni feet"

Forecasting

The rainy season has lasted several weeks longer this year then it has in recent past, according to my friends at Kecheibi. Like many others Nana, my chief, is quick to blame climate change –Africans don’t enjoy the same economic incentives to pretend certain things don’t exist. While I may be more hesitant to jump to certain conclusions I definitely notice the storm clouds rolling through. If there is any way to describe the weather in my little corner of the world I would say it is unpredictable. Though I’ve only been at site for some two months I would have expected to notice some sort of pattern in the almost daily storms passing through. They come from all directions, though more seem to come from the east, forming above the mountains. Half of the time my mountain is blanketed in mist that may or may not come our way (no matter- it makes for gorgeous scenery). I have noticed that storms coming from the north are particularly violent. They come at all times of day and may last for twenty minutes or four hours. It’s almost impossible to tell which clouds will dump and which will sweep through. Some systems are absolutely buzzing; you can’t close your eyes for ten seconds with out feeling another shock of thunder vibrate through the house.
When it’s not raining its hot. Really hot. But being that it’s Africa I won’t elaborate. That’s for the dry season, which should be coming any day now. It’s marked by the Harmatan, a dry wind from the Sahara which makes yam farmers shudder to talk about. But the vegetation around Kecheibi is fairly lush (especially by the river) so I have a feeling we won’t be engulfed in any major dust storms. But as a rule, I’m usually wrong over here, especially when it comes to weather. Also the mango and papaya season are fast approaching, which my nurse informs me, spells for a rapid increase in diarrhea cases. But we all look forward to it nonetheless.
I’m itching to start my garden. I’ve only chanced a few perennial plantings thus far, some fiery flowering bushes and of course my bamboo (which is now growing several inches a day). Other volunteers are gardening happily, but I’m afraid that the approaching dry season would soon desiccate any seedlings, especially annual vegetable crops. And that could be really bad for my credibility as an “Agric” volunteer. But preparations are under way for a PERMACULTURE DEMONSTRATION GARDEN around my house. –If you don’t know what permaculture is, look it up, the definition sounds a bit granolaesque, but it’s founded on solid ecological/social knowledge. It’s the wave of the future (man).
My other projects you ask? Well I think about that all day everyday and my options have been narrowed down only slightly. Kecheibi in a lot of ways is currently in a far more sustainable environmental state than any community I’ve seen back home and, for that matter most of the places I’ve passed through here in Ghana. Fields are left fallow for three or four years after one year of cultivation and mixed plantings are the norm rather than the exception. Heavy machinery is almost non-existent; it’s the gardener’s shadow that provides most of the fertilizer and weed control. There is room for improvement, certainly, but more than anything it will be my job to encourage farmers to hold on to these practices and to help make it more lucrative –which is possible.
One of the most obvious issues here is a lack of wild animals. They have all been eaten. There are few large mammals, there was once a Chimpanzee population –but that’s probably gone, elephants are restricted to a single national park and the only hoofed animals to speak of are small, flighty antelopes known as duikers. I don’t mean to paint the picture too bleak; there are plenty of conservation success stories in Ghana including various sanctuaries for hippos, crocodiles and monkeys. And there remains a diversity of smaller creatures to keep this nerdy naturalist happy. But I have met only a handful of Ghanians who see wildlife as more than tomorrow’s (or rather last night’s) meal. Peace Corps prepared us for this, with a number of alternative livelihood projects featuring animal rearing (grasscutter, rabbits, snails etc.). With some luck and a lot of hard work we may be able to get Kecheibians raising more of their own meat (rabbits). And I’m plotting the rise of a youth wildlife club. Also members of a nearby village have requested my help in building a beekeeping collective (you’ve never tasted honey so good). I also intend to develop a backyard garden project which will include my own permaculture demonstration site and a youth club directed at establishing productive food gardens between people’s homes. The village has already designated a place for my future tree farm and I’m in the process of collecting native seeds, which will eventually be mixed with moringa, acacia and fruit species. I will begin planting the seeds around early March. There are other ideas I’m playing with and the details are too many for today’s post.
Most of this should begin as the dry season sets in, and I hope it will begin to take shape as the rains come again. At least, that is the forecaste.

*Internet was down for a month. Please excuse my lack of posts/communication. But really, I think I’m more consistent about keeping in touch now than I was when internet was virtually free, fast and available*