Escapades in Africa: Garden Pics, Curry Night and Chicken Drama...

In case this blog is getting a bit medical, here are some pictures of the garden. I know my mum wants to see them, even if no one else does! And let's be honest, the whole point of blogs when you travel is to keep mums happy!

This is the front where I've planted some sunflowers, and the first one has just come out. I think the plants on the sides are cannas.

Then at the back I've got courgettes:

Sweetcorn:

Mange tout:

Basil:

And a few other bits that haven't grown much yet (tomatoes, carrots, swish chard). It's funny how some things have grown really well and some things have completely failed - I also planted chillies, salad, peppers and sweet peas which haven't grown at all.

Look what I brought back from home! Sorry about the mess, the grass is left from Benson fixing my fence.

I'm keeping the hammock in doors, but left the ropes on the papaya trees and annoyingly someone has nicked them... but I'm sure I can find some more rope somewhere.

Over Christmas we had a lot of storms and a lot of my fence completely fell down. I got Benson to rebuild it while I was away. He did a great job, but then I woke up the other morning to find my neighbours papaya tree had fallen down and broken it again! (Knocking down one of my sunflower too...) Luckily the leftover grass meant Benson could fix it again without too much trouble.

We get a lot of power cuts so I bought a fire pit in town. It's quite difficult to light, but once it gets going it's great. Made tandoori chicken tikka on it for our curry night last night.

(No this is not chicken...)

We had so much food, it was great! We've had a lot of new doctors arrive since I last put up people photos, I think all in medicine.

Left to right: Raqib (medicine F5), Pete (medicine F4), Adam (surgery CT3), Kars (research officer), Nicola (medicine F3), me (O&G F3)

Sammy (surgical F3), Tim (GP), James (O&G ST5), Kate (physio), Becky (medicine F3)

There's also Marloes (surgery F4), Alex (surgery ST6), Ken (medicine F4) and James (medicine CT3) who are in various places ranging from South Africa to the hospital! And 4 medical students who are in Malawi/Livingstone at the moment.

There's some sad news about the chickens... since coming back from UK a couple of weeks ago Martha hasn't been seen - she's missing, presumed eaten! Pete's trying to persuade me that Chicken Run is a true story ("Apple pie? My favourite!") and that she's off enjoying life in a field somewhere... but I'm sure she's become someone's dinner. Possibly someone human, possibly someone dog!

Chicken photos as promised!

Martha, RIP!

Nkuku and Chicken Licken actually seem happier without her; I think she was a bit of a bully. They seem friendlier and are now BOTH laying most days, which is the most they've laid since I've had them. I was thinking of buying a replacement, but I don't actually need more than 2 (small) eggs per day so probably won't bother.