Blog

November, 2006

RAINS

Ah...the rains appear to have begun. Yesterday it rained in the evening and today it rained hard in the morning. Many people express curiosity of the weather here. Most think of Africa as jungles as many parts are. However, we are in a semi-arid area of Africa where we have two distinct seasons - dry and wet.

The temperature remains between 40 and 100 degrees - during the northern summer it is winter here getting down to 40s. In October and November it gets up to 100 with some humidity...nothing like the southern US. The rains normally begin in later November or early December. In this country of little irrigation the rains are incredibly important. Last year's rains were very good and the crops were therefore adequate to get the people from one growing season the next. When there is a bad crop, there are many people starving and much stealing.

For those of us that won't go without food the rains mean a cooling of the temperature on almost a daily basis. It normally rains very hard and clears up - both the clouds and smoke from cooking and fields.

Read full entry

November 14, 2006 | 0 Comments | View or add comments
Back to TOP