This Week in the Toaster

It's been about 5 weeks since we've had rain, and although there have been longer stretches of dryness in history, we are SO HOT and SO DRY and SO READY FOR RAIN!!! We've been taking our baths at the river every day (a 300 meter walk), pumping well water to drink (and carrying it 100 meters to the house), and praying our brains out for a good cooling rain.

In the meantime, we're still studying, and raising our kids (trying to anyway...). Here's Q trying to climb the gate Phil built to keep him from falling out the back door.

A small series of photos to show how nicely the kitten and puppy (Mr. Grey and Zippy) get along. They gnaw on each others legs,

Claw at each other's faces, follow each other everywhere (and they both follow us everywhere - so we are officially a parade everywhere we go),

And sleep in the same box or on the same towel. :)

Nadia loves her little Zippy. And Zippy wants to do everything Nadia does. It's complicated and adorable.

Because of our recent huge holiday here in-country, our normal vegetable seller guys have not been coming around. So, we've been running low on veggies and meat. Thankfully, the jungle still has a little bit of bounty to be picked over until the next rain - or the veggie guys come back... whichever comes first. Above is pictured some rabung, or bamboo shoots. It's what's for lunch. This is what it looks like after it's been dug up out of the ground, peeled and washed.

And this is what it looks like after it's chopped, cooked and ready for our rice. Thankful for the provision of food just when we need it most!

And last but not least - the world's ugliest dog. Honestly, the people who judge that contest, didn't really dig too far - because this dumb dog is really worthy to be in the running... He's furless due to some gross dog disease, he's a thief (like every dog everywhere), and he stinks to high heaven. I asked his owner the other day what his problem was (the dog's, that is...), and she rolled her eyes and said, "He doesn't know how to die." 

:)