Now that makes scents

 

 Angel's Trumpets everywhere .....

 

 

 

I've previously reported on  my good fortune surprisingly brought on by Covid19. I don't mean to trivialize or lessen the horrific life and death outcomes of this  horrible disease, but do appreciate this amazing house that I live in due to the disruption it has brought to our lives. You see, when Covid19 struck, our charity was so affected that many of my colleagues went home and I ended up with the house -- at least for now. La tee dah!!! 😁

 

 

So the architecture is lovely with it's high ceilings and patio doors that so beautifully marry inside and outside on a sunny African afternoon, but for me, it's the communion with the natural world that makes this place so amazing.

 

You see the designers had the good sense to plant four Angel's trumpet trees around the house.  These flowers flower persistently and give off the most fantastic scent. Morning and night , the whole house is perfumed by this light but unmistakable fragrance. It's the stuff of fairy tales and movies but a part of my real life that I do appreciate the forethought so much. According the wiki - it has another more fun side.....

  

 

 

 

Angel's trumpet is a plant. The leaves and flowers are used to make medicine. Despite serious safety concerns, people use angel's trumpet as a recreational drug to induce hallucinations and euphoria.  

 Really now!!! Friday nights just got a whole lot more interesting 😀

 

 

 

That communion with nature does comes with unintended and not wholly appreciated consequences. All manner of insects also appreciate the wide open patio doors and join me in my home as uninvited guests. The big black crickets are my least favorite, and as mentioned previously in "Geckos on the ceiling", I live reluctantly with this band of merry little cold blooded hooligans who eat the bugs while I sleep somewhat peacefully through the night. I guess I should be a bit more appreciative of these ruffians.

 

They do however peek out at me through the day from behind drapes and cupboards looking for a thank you I suspect. In my mind -- food and lodging for free ought to be sufficient. Ha ha - as I type this, and as if on cue, one of these mischievous buggers zipped across my desk and is now chattering noisily from behind the book case admonishing me for disturbing him. The nerve!

 

 

 

 

A recently arrived guest is a Black Mamba who has taken up residence under my front door mat this week. At least I think it was, and given it's reputation for aggressive behavior leading to death of the the "disturber" I gave it a wide berth regardless. 

 

Last week a green Mamba greeting me from the front deck in much the same manner as his darker skinning reptilian buddy. There is no place in the house for snakes ..... and would prefer that they not join the other reptiles who have taken up residence. 

Maybe I'll put up a sign -- something like " if you are venomous and slither" -- please bunk with Trumps. You'll be in good company there. Good riddance to both!!!!!

 

 

 More important than my trivial ramblings about flora and fauna....

 

 

I received sincere thanks from the Majengo community for the food we delivered yesterday. Grace, our champion in the slum greeted me with a big hug and kiss on the cheek as I rolled up in the Land Cruiser with our donations of corn flour, rice, cooking oil and wheat flour.

 

 

 A special thanks to Uncle Bob & Auntie Linda, Cousins Jen and  Ron, Jill and my Mom. Also Barry, Cliff and DJ, we still have money in the pot which will take us through to at least the end of February. That along with quite a number of recent donations will help keep those kids fed and in school until probably June!!.  Many thanks all. We are doing good stuff here 😀😁

Sonny and Lucky say hello and for the record also hate snakes. They are helping me with the sign.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading .........Layno at Kilifi last week!!!