More Stuff to Look At......(and even more stuff, still)

What a relief!! Last night I completed this posting and hit the button to publish when the generator ran out of gas again! I panicked but there was nothing I could do. When we were able to get more gas this morning, I checked my blog and my posting was GONE!!!! NOOOOO! I said, to myself. Then I logged in and found it was still there! Whew!
That would have been a lot of work lost. So, now my adrenaline is back to normal and my pulse has slowed down. Now I am very happy to share it with you. Please view it again to see the added pictures and read all the captions.
Today I had the great pleasure of walking to OFCB once again. Our replacement generator ran out of gas so that meant we were without the Internet. Apparently the generator is also leaking gas. Okay, God, we are ready for our miracle now. Thank you, in advance, for your blessings.
It was a fantastic and beautiful day to be out. Sun shining, cool breeze and smiling faces to greet. The only problem was that the road conditions are still pretty bad. I know I say that a lot but you have to see for yourself. Below are some pictures of just a small portion of what the path to OFCB and the road out of Bayonnais looks like after all these months of rain.

This is the road directly in front of our house. (House is on the right side) Notice the narrow path on the left? Even the donkeys have to walk on that. The mud is thick and deep.

This is down the road a bit, looking back towards the house. If you look closely, you can see the silhouette of a person at the far end of the photo. They are walking on the narrow path (now on the right) shown in the picture above.

A little bit further, heading towards OFCB. There is another dead sandal stuck in the mud. Hard to see; I know. (lower left corner, for those who really feel a need to see it) :)

More of the same. Someone tried to make a difference by putting some large rocks in the thickest part. Still have a ways to go.
Here is an example of the many piles of rocks stacked on the side of the road waiting to be purchased by anyone who wants to make improvements. They are carried on the tops of the heads, of mostly women and children, from the river. They are stacked, measured and sold by the cubic foot. Those are some pretty heavy rocks!
This is the area near the market by the river before the bridge. In the lower right hand corner you can see the beginning of a new path that was created by the pedestrians to avoid the road hazards. Hundreds of children have to take this path to get to the schools in our area. It is about a four foot drop back down to the road. A steep jump for the little ones.
A closer look at the same area. To the left of the road, near the center of the photo is a public water fountain. It runs continuously which only adds to the mess that the rains created. Just in front of that are some rocks that were once stacked, but now scattered around by an earlier flood.

Another area that also has a public water fountain. The canopy of trees shields the sun from drying the ground. In the near seven months I have been here, this little stretch has always been a mess.

This is Mapou. One of the oldest trees in Haiti. I posted a different picture of this tree in June. (Click here on A Wonderful Weekend to see the base of the tree. Click on the <-Back button to return here). Notice the size of the lowest limb.

Here is another view of the lowest limb from a distance. There is a nice clump of moss growing on the side.

This is what happen to Mapou after Hurricane Noel came through. I was so sad for him. (I have decided it is a male tree)

He really is old. Guess he just couldn't hold up any longer. The rest of him is still standing strong.

Some fancy braid work done by the little sister of our housekeeper. She is only 13, but very creative.

A couple of kids pounding some grain for their supper.

The job is almost finished.
Someone parked their pig while they went to visit a friend.

Four cute little girls heading to the river to wash some clothes.

Someone already finished with their laundry. I should note here that these clothes are hanging on a line of cactus that serves as a fence. I don't think I would want to hang my clothes there. They say it's the best place because the wind won't carry them away. Okay, so never mind all the holes in the apparel or the stickers that may be found later. Ouch!

A typical day at the market in Bayonnais. I'm always wondering who is doing the shopping if most of them are working? Many of the vendors sell the same thing. This is a place where it's good to have friends or a really large family. Another wonderful view to get lost in. :) I'm glad that I finally got this posting finished. I hope you enjoyed the tour. It was a nice trip for me as well. I appreciate those who took the time to visit. <this is a hug!>