may07

May 15 - john and joyce have just received another email from Basso, in Benin, West Africa. They would like to share it with you. john owes Basso a reply, which has been coming slowly because of the Spring work on zenpond. Here is Basso's email received a few minutes ago:

Electricity in Benin is not improving at all. At contrary it is going worse and worse. And it became contagious to other countries beside Benin. The shortage lasts 18 hours on 24 in Togo; Ghana is not treated better in the shortage. Niger has problems too; Cameroon is not safe in electricity power troubles.
On the TV we can see authorities saying that they are taking some measures in order to solving the trouble, but nothing comes. Most of the people who are able bought emergency power generators. I did it also, but it is a very small generator. It can only permit to switching light on. It cannot run the fridge with it. We try to deal with. I bought it because the children need to study in the evening for their tomorrow classes. The authorities are promising the end of June for our misery. Let us wait for that time to terminate such sufferings.

About the damaging cold snap at Easter time in Kansas, here it is sunny every time. It is very hot, and drought is making people very uneasy in agriculture. Everything is drying in the fields. That can lead to starvation in the following year.

Radio France International talked also about melamine in pet food. It talked also of China. Why would it be like that.? If they put it in human food also it will be the end of the earth. I could be safe for a period for I rarely take can food.

I am very glad for your Mallard ducks and also, I am proud of my doves who continue to nest and hatch in the tree in my yard court. It is nice to feel animals so close to human. If they could come closer it would be wonderful and paradisiacal.

What is that new affair with the President of World Money Founds? USA is every time in Heart Affairs. After President Bill Clinton, it is now Mr. Volvovitch or something like that. That is not good for the reputation of the States.

Here in Benin, we begin to feel some disappointment in your President’ politics. His politics in the social area is very far from the promises he made during elections campaigns. No electricity power, no cement, cotton production is lesser, food is getting more expensive, and, and and…I am afraid of the continuation.

Auf wieder zehn
Basso from Benin

May 28 (Memorial Day) - yesterday a mother duck brought four babies to zenpond. They are two - three weeks old. The last mother had brought 12 ducklings into zenpond, but they left the same day because they couldn't get out of the pond. The water level was a little too low for them to hop up. When they finally did get out, mom took them elsewhere. joyce says she saw the twelve at a nearby creek . john will probably add a float to keep zenpond's water level consistently high. The new babies are old enough to go anywhere they want ... and they are everywhere!

A ruby red water lily is opening every morning and closing every evening. Two small lotus leaves are now floating on the water in the small pond.

john has slowed down painting because of all the work outside on zenpond. He and Eddie, john's pond helper, is building a new garden wall of gray Pavestones 3 blocks high. They ran out of blocks and will have to purchase about 200 more. After that, john will order a couple of yards of amended topsoil to fill in the elevated garden.

Eddie's partner, Luther, has lung cancer and has been told he has less than a year to live. Eddie smokes as much as Luther, but probably will not stop smoking. Luther says that giving up smoking is harder than when he gave up cocaine four years ago. That was more information than john wanted to hear, but is probably true.

Many ducks are coming to eat every morning, both Mallards and Wood ducks.

Joyce is fixing a Memorial Day dinner for her sister Carol and her children and grandchildren. One of Carol's children is Rachel (see painting above).