34., 34.1 March 5, 1968, From Barbara to her folks and from Diane to grandparents Line

34. March 5

Dear Mom and Dad (Line from Barbara)

Our half term turned out to be a little damp, so much so, that we finally didn’t go anywhere. We did get to Nairobi to do the shopping we didn’t get to do when taking Diane back last week. We left here Friday around noon, and came back Saturday evening. It rained part of Thursday night, and so we decided it was best to stay home. We had planned to go up toward Meru. One of our group, the Rhienhiemers, live there. They came down and stayed last night on their way to Nairobi. He had been out hunting and killed four antelope, all different kinds. One was a waterbuck with a beautiful gray hide. I can’t remember what the others were. He was taking the hides down to be tanned.

He told about getting his hunting license. He had to take a test on identifying a large number of animals by their pictures and answer questions concerning the laws and regulations. He had to buy a permit to buy and keep the gun and promise to keep it locked up in a safe. Getting the gun itself is quite an item, for all of them are imported and have a sizable duty on them. It is impossible to bring one in. It is not allowed. You cannot bring even a B-B gun into the country.

He had been hunting north of Meru near a game reserve. He said it was real bushy country, and they walked about forty miles in the two days they were there. There are a bunch of Africans who followed them all the time, to see what they would shoot. Most of the Africans are not allowed to own guns and probably couldn’t afford them anyway. One way they can get fresh meat (and perhaps the easiest way) is to follow the white hunters and get part of the meat by doing the dressing and carrying. Mr. Rhienhiemer figured they got about half of each animal counting what they had been given, plus what they took!  It is pretty handy to have someone around like that for three of the animals had to be carried out about eight miles. It all sounded pretty exciting. I hope Frank gets to go out at least once.

I got my birthday present from the family early. I had my hair cut while in Nairobi. I’d gotten plumb tired of looking scraggly. Five shakes after I comb out my hair in this weather it’s straight again. I had it cut real short, about two inches all over! No one likes it very well, but I do. At least I won’t have to worry about curling it for a while. I may get a permanent after it grows a while. It will be a real pleasure not to have to feel so stringy. Wish I’d had it this short for the trips.

We looked at our pictures from the trip to Uganda with the projector the other night. Almost every picture with me in it, I have on the same dress! At least you’ll know it’s me. We got some real good ones. My favorite is a silhouette of a lion in a tree. I have black and white in my camera and am working on some pictures to send to you.

Our electricity did not make it by March 1, but the wires are strung on the poles from here toward Embu for three miles. That leaves four miles on into Embu. None of the lines are strung between the pole at the generator house and the houses on the compound. But it is getting closer. We bought a transformer, so we can use the sewing machine, the washing machine, and the toaster! That will be really welcome! I have burned enough toast under the grill in the stove to feed us for a month! We borrow the school transformer to use the projector. 

We have word that the ship carrying our sea freight (washing machine, etc.) is due in Mombasa the middle of this week. It will take another week or so to get to Nairobi and another week to get up here! At least it is on this side of the ocean!

We had our first experience with chiggers this week. Amy and Kiva each had one in their toe. Chiggers are little female fleas that burrow into the skin at the corner of your toenail and proceed to lay their eggs and take up residence. If you don’t discover them and get them out completely, they can eat away a whole toe. Of course that takes some time! It looks like a little white spot at first and doesn’t even hurt, just itches. I didn’t realize that’s what Amy’s was until I dug into it. I did get it out but hurt her pretty bad. When I discovered Kiva’s I took her to Miss Gass and had her cook take it out. He is a real expert and got it out neat as a whistle and Kiva didn’t holler once. He speared it neatly on a pin and lifted it right out. I made a slide of the head for the microscope. You pick up those things by going barefoot or wearing sandals, but I’ve heard tales of people getting them, even when they wear shoes all the time. They had told us about chiggers in New York. Both toes are almost healed up. We’ve been real lucky not to have infection anywhere yet.

Boy, is it pouring down rain again, and thundering too. This is the second real loud thunder storm we’ve had. They don't last very long but are really loud when they do come. 

Frank bought sweet peas, morning glory, and delphinium seed the other day. Now that the squash are producing and the strawberries look good, I guess he thought it would be nice to have something pretty. Most of the flowers that were here when we came are beginning to look a little scraggly. There are volunteer cosmos and marigolds everywhere. A lot of the flowering trees are beginning to bloom again. This could be considered the first spring with the second one coming around August.

By now you probably have some new calves. I hope the crop is a good one and that your weather stays drier than it is here! I’ll bet this shower tonight will measure more than three inches!

We stopped to visit Diane a few minutes while we were in Nairobi. She is going to play the piano in the music festival and is very enthused about it. Her teacher thinks she has a good chance to win the medal for the best pianist. She has been working real hard to get some merits in her studies. I feel pretty pleased with the things she is doing. Love from us all, Barb.

 34.1. March 4, 1968

Dear Grandma and Grandpa (Line from Diane)

It was nice to get your letter. Sorry about the address mixup. Now it’s straightened out, and I hope it won't get mixed up again.

Your workshop in Twin Falls sounds real interesting Grandma. What is “French rope”? Is it anything like Chinese rope?

The winter you’ve just had sounds exciting! Did you get a lot of snow? I really missed the cold weather and the snow this year. We’re right in the middle (or beginning) of the rainy season. It rains almost in torrents every day. It’s not the rain that gets to me so much, as it’s the half-cold weather. It’s not cold enough to be crisp, it’s just cold enough to make your hands feel like ice and your nose feel like it isn’t there. Of course the classrooms have those stupid little vents at the top of the room, so you couldn’t heat the room if you wanted to.

I got my first merit mark yesterday. It was for an English Poetry test. I was quite proud of it! The boredom of the classes has worn off a little. My history teacher said I should be moved up into a high form. I hope I do get moved up. The class I’m in now is too elementary.

We had our half term vacation last week. I really had fun! The vacation lasted from Saturday morning to Monday night at 6:00. We had twenty people at our house Saturday night. Since we’ve got seven beds, you can imagine the scramble. We had people sleeping everywhere, but it was a lot of fun.

The crowd consisted of the Fergusons, an American family from Boston who came over with us, the Schmids, another American family from New Plymouth, Idaho, and us. It was so much fun. There were five of us big kids and all we did was goof off! The Schmids had come to visit Dad. It seems like they knew Uncle Byron. It sure was good to hear an Idaho accent again. We stayed up until the electricity went off that night.

The next morning we went for a ride to a trout stream. It was a nice campground and a beautiful stream. No one went fishing, but we played all the usual picnic games and had a ball 

After lunch we got ambitious and drove up the road for three miles, where there was supposed to be a haunted house. The house was locked, but there were some beautiful waterfalls nearby that made up for the unhaunted house. I hope we get to go back there. Love, Diane