Feathered Friends

 I thought I'd show you some of the birds we've seen around the house and garden over the past few months.  

Paradise Fly Catcher

Plum-coloured Starling

Meyer's Parrot

Lizard Buzzard

Black-chested Prinia

Fork-tailed Drongo

African Grey Hornbill

Little Bee Eater

Trumpeter Hornbill

The trumpeters sometimes came in a huge group, (upwards of 30 on a couple of days) here are 3 of the ladies

Masked Weaver Birds

Lilac-breasted Roller

African Hoopoe

Bike Ride

 This morning I (Bridget) went for a bike ride so I thought I'd take some pictures and show you a bit of what it's like here.

Through the market

Quick stop for a bottle of water because I forgot to bring one.

Past the new bus station

Onto the tarmac road, which lasts about 300 yards!

Past "ma sewage"

Past the fire station

And out of town onto the open road.

A short pause in the shade

Past farm land.  The stalks of last season's maize still standing.

And bush.

And back through the market to buy veg.

Traditional Dance

 Before the break for the long Easter weekend, the school children gave us a display of traditional dance.  Enjoy..

Baby Shower

 Well, it's been a long time, sorry about that.

I thought I would chat about a baby shower I went to recently.  Here in Zambia, the baby shower happens when the baby is about a month old and marks the day when the baby is taken out of the house and seen with the mother out and about.  It is an opportunity for the mothers of the community to get together and give the new mother advice about taking care of the baby, the other children and her husband, as well as bringing gifts.  It is a very joyous occasion and is very much a party.  The men are excluded.

This baby shower was for the grandchild of a friend of Amos.  I was invited, and the grandfather appealed to Amos to escort me there so that they could spend the afternoon together, exiled from the house!

It was a lovely party, lots of talking, sharing words from the Bible, praying and singing.  After the gift giving the baby was taken out of the house and the ladies sang and danced in celebration.  You will see from the video that the baby is handled very vigorously and doesn't seem to mind.  This is the way it goes at all the baby showers I've been to.  However much the baby is tossed into the air, I have never seen one complain!