Another month of making lists of what to write about but still preferring the odd sentence on Facebook instead of sitting down and applying myself to the blog. I’ll never be a writer as I have not got the discipline to sit down and write little and often. It always becomes a marathon and then I find myself putting it off and making excuses.

The last Friday in April the kids were off school in lieu of May Day which being a Saturday is counted as a working day in Africa so Saturday was the Public Holiday. We had planned to make a trip to Nairobi National Park followed by a visit to the Elephant orphanage. On my previous visit there I, for the family, had adopted a baby elephant called Tano which allows us the privilege of free visiting at 5pm any day (following an advanced phone call) and seeing the babies put to bed. Anna was not too well and the weather was foul so we decided to sideline the National Park trip and just visit the elephants later in the day. Just Luke and I had been before (this is a major tourist attraction in Nairobi and after residing here 16 months we finally made a family trip there.) To be fair the other side of the city (Karen) is tough to get to, but we have now discovered, with the help of local friends, a back route which takes just 30 minutes to Karen and then depending on traffic about another 20 minutes to the elephant place. http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org These babies are just the cutest things you have ever seen and it is hard to believe that they grow into such huge animals with aggressive tendencies. We now know 2 people who have died at the hands of an elephant charge and heard of many more. The keepers bring the orphans from their play area to the stables and they bumble along, jockeying for position not unlike school children being competitive for a position in the lunch queue. They are guided into their own stable where the keepers give them a bottle of milk before settling them down for the night. The youngest have to be fed every 3 hours so the keepers sleep in the stable with the baby. In one stable there was a grey blanket hung up and the keeper was hiding behind it offering the baby the bottle and pretending to be the mother. When the babies bed down they are then covered with a mattress which makes them feel safe and protected much like wrapping a newborn human baby in a shawl for comfort BUT this looks hilarious – the trunks and sometimes heads sticking out like they are playing peek-a-boo from under the mattress. The cutest was a baby rhino with his little horn exposed and his eyes flickering as if faking sleep. We shall make the effort to go again as it is such an experience and will be good to see how our adopted baby progresses.

As I sit at the desk working on the computer looking out to the front garden I have been reviewing our car situation. Steve has, for the most part, continued cycling to work so his little car has sat at home. I was beginning to think that this was a gross extravagance and that we should consider selling his car. How wrong was I? Yes TRAGEDY car strikes again ... and it HAD to be when I was in it although for a change not driving!! We were on the way to the fracture clinic for Anna to have her cast removed and as parking is notoriously bad our driver was taking us OR NOT – as we got out of the compound the car just died. I went back to get the little car which can squeeze into spaces that other cars cannot and left the driver to get help and push El Tragedy back into our drive. The diagnosis was not good – a belt had snapped in the engine, not the timing belt (the engine which has done 23000kms!!) They have been able to replace all the bent valves and put in new belts and head gasket – all in 5 working days which is quite miraculous. Just days after the incident we had the car back – our bank balance is worse off for it but at least the Trajet rides again!! SO coming back to the original point the ‘spare car’ was extremely useful over those few days (our driver is not insured to drive our new car – no explanation needed I hope ?) There were a few mornings when it was wet so I ran Steve to work (with bike in car) and then he cycled home. The last 2 weeks have been VERY VERY wet and he has barely been able to cycle at all. I finally found and purchased a rain gauge about 3 weeks ago. I had thought this may bring about a cessation of this rainy season – but not. Last week, in a 30 hour period, the rain gauge over flowed indicating more than 100mm of rain had fallen. I have NEVER seen rain like it – just coming down in sheets and flooding roads. There was a rumour going round that Noah was alive and well and building an ark in Nairobi!! This is on top of 7 months of rain (except for a brief 3 week period earlier in the year when it was dry) The TWO rainy seasons seem to have merged into ONE – we were desperate for rain though and the met office has forecasted another week or so of rain then dry season. It is clear from the weather maps that the ITCZ is moving west so fingers crossed, as we are all damp and fed-up!! The upshot of this is that the pool has dropped to 20 degrees – hopefully a bit of sun will do the job and raise it by a couple of degrees – 22 degrees is about my minimum limit!!

Two weeks ago I took the puppy to be spayed. She would be due to come into heat while we are away in UK and the thought of coming back to puppies was far from inspiring! I felt so guilty leaving her at the vet as she was so happy and of course had no clue as to what was coming!! In the late afternoon I collected her and she was SO tired she did not know what to do with herself. Harry was worrying her and she just wanted to be left alone. I actually felt sorry for her. The cone around her neck to stop her licking the wound lasted less than a week but she was very good and did not touch it after that. She finally had the stitches taken out yesterday and is now totally fixed.

Anna did not win the HS speech contest so next year intends to write a speech entitled ‘Always the bridesmaid....!!’ The overall winning speech was fantastic – the guy is a real gem has a wonderful delivery and won last year too. For Anna there is always next year ....

We are in the middle of a busy time at school. Lunches, Leaving Dos, concerts and parties seem to be the order of the day just lately. The HS principal’ and his family are leaving – sad for us as he was also Luke’s Cub Scout leader and Father of one of Luke’s friends – this week there is a Farewell party for HS parents organised by the PTO. Last weekend they had a private party, to which we were invited, with a live band. There were not many non ISK payroll people there so we felt a bit weird mixing with the teachers, director and other staff. Anna declined to come with us for obvious reasons!! This time of year in x-pat land is when people move on – all the embassy staff who are moving on rotation leave at the end of the school year and other organisations also use this timetable (UN is not one of them which is why we came 2^nd semester) In August there will be whole bunch of new faces around (about 30% new students throughout the whole school) along with new teachers and parents. The new HS principal was visiting last week so it was good to get a glimpse of the guy. He seems great – coming from Nigeria (Abuja) with teaching spouse and 3 boys – one Luke’s age – Anna just cannot escape a connection with her principals!! I have said we will have them round for a braai before school starts as they will be living close to us and hopefully Luke will make friend with their sons.

Last week just 15 days after Anna had her cast removed following a broken left wrist ...... Luke broke his right wrist – this is definitely a family failing – 3 of us in a little over 3 years. He is OK and coping, as am I!!

OK nearly 4 pages is more than enough for now ... until next time from sunny Nairobi – yes really, but it is sun in-between the rain!!