Some fresh air

We finished lunch and decided to go to the farm, as we had planned. Of course as soon as we walked out of the house it started raining but we decided to continue on regardless of the weather. Enough of the house... we desperately needed to get out!

The past few weeks I have noticed that one of my tires has been losing air. No amount of nagging would get hubby to take it to have it checked out. Today was the day it decided to go flat - thankfully we made it to the farm and it went flat as we pulled into the driveway. It also stopped raining at the same time, so Yusef got to work changing the tire.

Last week Yusef found an injured hawk and he's been taking care of it. Some fool had cut off most of it's wings in an attempt to keep it from flying away - but it managed to escape anyway. Yusef is going to keep it safe until it can fly again and then he will release it. Hopefully the damage to it's wings won't be permanent. Why does it seem that Libyans always treat animals so cruelly?

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I took a chance while the weather cleared a bit to take a walk. The kids were busy with the tire and the hawk. One of the dogs came along to keep me company. He was sniffing in all the greenery. The recent abundance of rain has resulted in the wildflowers coming in thicker and taller than I have ever seen them before. Too bad the fields were plowed up last month - had they been left there would have been a thick carpet of flowers and grasses.

Every year the yellow flowers appear first. Next will be purple and then pink. I noticed two red poppies but the rain had damaged their petals and they weren't pretty enough to take a picture.

I walked through the trees and noticed the first bud. Spring is around the corner.

The dog and I walked back towards the house. Yusef had taken the tire to be repaired and had returned and put it back on. As soon as he'd finished the rain began to pour down again. After a bit we piled back in the car and came home. The fresh air had been good for us. We were all in a better mood.

Today's my oldest sister's birthday.
Happy Birthday Andi!

Seeing the light

Blue skies this morning! If they hold out I will venture forth this afternoon with the kids to the farm for some fresh air. The forecast says more rain but we'll see. Meanwhile, I'm doing laundry and cooking lunch.

Thing 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6!

We had a big storm this afternoon. The sky went black and it got really windy. Then it started raining hard and hailing. The wind was blowing the rain horizontally and it was hitting the windows with such strength that I thought for sure the glass would break. After the downpour the temperature dropped and it has been icy-cold outside tonight. It's been raining off and on all night. The streets are flooded and it's dangerous to drive around because you don't know if the puddles you drive through are a few inches deep or if there is a deep hole hiding beneath the water's surface. The weather is supposed to be pretty much like this for the next four days.

Actually I enjoy this kind of weather but the kids have school holidays and are stuck inside. Remember that Dr. Suesse book the Cat in the Hat? The story starts out with the two kids staring out the window at the rain, complaining about being bored with nothing to do. Along comes the Cat in the Hat and the Things.... hmmm... I think I have given birth to things! Not one of my kids sits still and gazes out the window, and they certainly don't get upset when the house is turned upside-down. My house looks a sight and I have given up trying to keep it straight.

The kids go back to school on Sunday... I cannot wait... I'm counting the minutes.

Buildings - Tripoli

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Bad Weather and a Shopping Crisis

My weekend plans collapsed under the buckets of rain that fell from the skies. Thursday we hung around the house mostly but decided to go out to Cinnabon in the evening to get a change in scenery.

Friday's plan was to go to the mountains - more rain. Instead of a hike in the hills the kids watched TV in the living room and I ended up in my bedroom watching the movie 'The Kingdom'... a power-packed propaganda film... uuugh.

Later in the evening we took a drive around the neighbourhood because I needed to pick some things up from the supermarket and pharmacy. We drove down Jaraba Street and found the walls in between the shops splashed with red paint; marking that the shops would be torn down, some of them going as far back as 7 metres. It makes absolutely no sense to me to tear down probably one of the nicest shopping districts in the area... but then nothing that happens in Libya makes much sense to me most of the time.... sigh...

The weather-ruined weekend and the thought of demolition is depressing. Still one day left of the weekend... see what happens tomorrow.

School holidays... what to do?

The kids have a 15-day holiday from school and they have spent it so far just hanging about the house, getting under my feet and driving me insane. I promised them I would take them someplace this weekend. I'm taking an extra day off work partly to keep the kids happy and partly because it coincided with the Muslim holiday of Ashura; meaning most of the students wouldn't bother to show up that day anyway.

We're still not sure what we'll do with our extended weekend. As usual no one seems bothered by the lack of definite plans but me.

Ring... Ring... Ring... Hello!

I found my mom online today. We had a nice chat. She told me that she's been giving telephone sales people my phone number here in Libya. Eventually some idiot will call me.