Sep 4-6

Sunday I spent updating the blog and not doing too much as it was the day of rest.

 

The last two days seems to have blended into one. Monday I awoke early with the baby and got him settled. The ladies were here and took him so I could have a break to sit down and eat breakfast with Daddy. It painfully aware to us all how much this morning ritual of ours will be missed very soon. We enjoyed the fresh juice and coffee and talked about what we had planned to accomplish for the days. This conversation would continue at dinner reviewing what came up, what got done, and all that is between. It is amazing how the luxury of sharing a meal with a parent is not appreciated until the ability to share that time is so few and far between.

 

The baby's caretaker arrived late so I got a last nap in with baby phillip before he was to go home. She arrived about mid morning and I made sure she knew that the ones she enlisted to help her care for him were not doing their job. I showed her how in the last 2 days he gained nearly 4 ounces and I would need to see him again Wednesday to show me she can take care of him. I am worried that taking care of a premie is just too much for her. We will see how he looks tomorrow before I make decision about additional aid.

 

For the rest of Monday I worked on the documents that needed updating, the office procedure guide, team checklist, and software updates. Only a few more days left and I need to make sure all is ready and up to date. Daddy had to work on the batteries that lost their charge, projects check-up, and other items in the shop as well as meet with some people. I would catch Daddy running in and out and would catch him to get some information for a form and zoom he was off again.

 

I also got my Ham Radio licenese renewed. I rarely use it except for here but I do keep a 2 meter radio in the states too. There are so many good memories associated with the HAM radio. It used to be our primary means of communication in the 1980's and 1990s. So many nights I would spent curled up in a blanket on the floor in my Dad's office listening to him communicate with people all over the world. We used it to communicate with family back in the USA. The way that worked was my Dad would call out asking for anyone in a given are who could make a phone call. The person replying would make the call and relay over the radio what the person on the phone was saying to my Dad, who then answered. There are all kinds of restrictions on what can and cannot be said. There is more than once these radios saved lives. My mom, when she and my brother were over taken by the river, was able to communicate with dad just before, so he knew where to go find her. They are still used when satellites are down and the in-country cell phones. Which is actually more often than you would like to think.

 

Last week I had decided I really wanted to take some Haitian coffee back with me but the factory has been out of commision since being distroyed last year. Well me and my WALL stubborness decided to tract down the owner and email him. Using the internet I was able to find the contact information for the owner down in St. Marc. Dad followed it up by trying the incountry cell phone number I tried and got ahold of the owners. Long story short.....I HAVE COFFEE!!!!!! The factory should be up and going again next year so the rest of y'all can get it again soon too. LOL

 

We took a brief stop for lunch and we were off again.

 

In the afternoon I showed Dad how to use some of the software to help speed up translation work and some of the other item I did. Dad has totranslate a lot of documents for the classes he teach. Through out the day we used skype to keep in touch with my mom and sister who were traveling in the rain from Storm "LEE". They made it safely home by mid afternoon.

 

I made dad and I some chicken and rice for dinner. I might be limited on resources but I can cook almost anything. I checked up on espn.com to ensure that YES the yankees are still beating boston. That alone makes any day better. My allergies were acting up from cleaning old files, books, etc (I'm allergic to ink) so I took two benedryl and wow did I sleep.

 

I woke this morning at NOON. Can you believe it?! 14 hours sleeping. Next time I have to remember only 1 benedryl. WOW I missed a whole day. The ladies were not here which is good. I would have bee so embarassed. Dad had already been well into the days projects, dirt was delivered, and so on. I quickly made us a sandwich for lunch and got to work. Over the next few hours, I finished the documents I was working on answered some technical question for folks via skype. I have been nick named "TECH SUPPORT" LOL. I cooked dinner.

 

Now I am sitting here wishing I could clone myself. I love being here so much and the thought of leaving is crushing my heart. The tears have already begun to fall. This is my home but more than that.

 

As an MK we learned that home can be where the heart is, where the family is, where your stuff is or where you live. You have to choose what home means to you. Does seeing the thing of your childhood scream I am home. Does being in a place you know you will be for years to come make it home. Home for me has been a house, an rv, a hotel room, or even a car (not that it is where I lieved but it was home).

 

We grow up overseas in a blend of USA traditions, Haitian traditions, and some we made up. We have things our parents brought that represent their past, things from our childhood, and we aquire things along the way. Some MKs like to keep thinking about when they are going back to the USA, some dread leaving to go back to the USA, and some take the back and forth in stride. I dreaded leaving Haiti always. This is something I never outgrew.

 

This country is my home and holds my heart. The people here are a source of joy for me. The land is a source of strength. The familiarity is a source of peace. The work is a source of purpose. The day a source of hope. The night a source of rest. When I am here the whole world fades away and  the USA seems just like a fantasy place I read about in books.

 

Just like many MKs I have migrated back to the US, went to school, started a career, and aquired a family. I am now sitting here contemplating and thinking of all the reasons I should stay. I think about those in the USA awaiting my return and I think of why I should return there. My Dad has threatened to hide my passport and I must say I am so tempted to let him.

 

The lump remains in my throat and I wish to stop time, but I have to put on my big girl panties and to what is needed. I need to get back and get a job (I have been unemployed over a year now) .  A job will  allow me to return again shortly. I never want to be separated from this place but its in going that I am to do the most good. Forever I am in two places, forever in two pieces, and forever trying to get home.

 

 

 

Sep 1- Sep 3

Well It has been a few busy days around here. The Thursday plane was cancelled so we did not need to go to the airport. Construction on the generator house has to stop due to lack of cement. We are about 6 bags short. Cement cost about 8 dollars a bag. We should have enough sand remaining. The walls are about midway up. Next will be the doors which the major security measure and the most cost. All said and done about $1000 to finish the project. Now to protect the generator which would cost $15,000 to replace and to ensure we have electricity for the house, shop, depot, and clinic, you can see the benefit.

 

The sodas arrived today. We normally keep a few cases on hand so when the teams are here they can have cold sodas. They are purchased in a nearby town. There are no Pepsi products sold in Haiti unless imported. Coke (including sprite) is bottled here in country. We send the cases of empty bottles to the distributor and they exchange for the full bottles and cost just went up to $28/US for a case 24. So with transportation etc they cost just over $1.00/each. Today a friend allowed his driver who was hauling a load of sand to pick them up for us. The cases sat in the soft sand for the bumpy ride here with no breakage.

 

Dad got BIG RED working. The radiator may not look pretty no more but she runs.

Baby Phillip came by and he was looking ok, so I issued another 2 days of supplies. He weighed 3 oz heavier. It rained most of Thursday afternoon. I did some studying and read a book. It was actually a nice day.

 

Friday only one of the ladies came by as one had a headache and was unable to come. Right after breakfast we got into the truck and went to Gran Letanye where a team recently help finish building a high school which is to open in a month. The pastor of the church had called my dad to say the tin was pealed back on one side. We drove out there which took about 30 minutes to go the 6 miles to the location. When we drove into the yard on the far left side of the building the ridge cap was curled up.

 

My dad, who seem to be on the roof of a building every day lately, got the ladder out of the truck and climbed up with his tools and straightend it out and fix it. Turned out the folks hired to finish the roof neglected to put screws in the whole length. He only put 6 screws in the 10 foot length.

 

While dad fixed the roof, I chatted with some kids in the yard. We talked about the goats they were watching. A man walked by and tied his cow and calf up in the yard.Its common for the chuch folk to tie their animals in the church and school yards. It keeps the grasses low and gives the animals nice

grazing.

 

The school is due to start in a few weeks and they will do so with no doors or black boards. Its a simple building of 7 rooms to house aproximately 50 students per class. Each room will house a single grade. They do not move about as they do in the US. While the government does dictate certain items that much be taught. The church can add to the classes but not take away anything. The minister of education sends out monitors to check out the schools durring the school year. Each year there is also a test to make sure the child can advance. These test are not given by the school, they are tested in government testing center. If a school has a high percentage of student failing three years in a row the school is shut down. Can you imagine if schools in the states had to ensure their students were learning or lose their license?

 

When we got back dad met with several people and a pastor from one of the churches he works with. The pastor's shoes were worn and we were able to find him another pair in those left by a past team. For those of you who often wonder what happens to the items you leave, this is it. They are past on to those who come from far away. Thanks to the simple task of you deciding not the pack them and take them home with you, a man's feet are now protected as he walks the hours too and from his home.

 

Friday afternoon we again had thunderstorms and rain. I worked on computer stuff and Dad worked on the newsletter.

 

Saturday I woke early and had an early breakfast. Baby phillip arrived about 10am. He had lost 3 ounces and his rash was getting worse. I checkes and he had not been cleaned properly after his diaper was changes and still had a speckeles of mess on this bum and leg. After talking to the caretaker she agreed to let him stay with me for the weekend so I could try and get his weight back up.

 

Dad worked in the shop today trying to coax life into some solar batteries we got from a missionary who left the country after a family tradgedy. Her husband who was very dear to us passed away suddenly. Dad put 3 gallons of water into them as they were near dry. After hooking them up into a sequence and charged them for a few hours, they seem like they might work. We will have to charge them periodically and equilize them to know for sure.

 

I looked after phillip and did some computer work. The baby was badly constipated and dehydrated again so I had to feed him every 1-2 hours. My goal for the day was to finish organizing and assembling information and proceedures in the office which had to just stoping to handle the baby. Because he was constipated he was VERY fussy. I used my Grandma's recipe for formula to fix that. I did not get much sleep as his body reacted about 11pm and kept working LOL. We had a nice BIG thunder storm last night and if flickr will be nice tonight I will get a video of it uploaded.

 

The roads are mud and this morning you can hear the yelling and gunning of the engines as a truck tried to get themselves out of the mud. So we were unable to pass the ravene to get to church. We spent some quiet time this morning. Baby phillip is sleeping and is almost back on schedule.

There is already thunder in the area and we are expecting more rain. The cistern has over 12,000 gallons in it and only 10 inches from the top. This is good as it will need to last most of the year. You should take a look at your water bill for house and times it by 12 months to see how much you would need to collect in a rain season. Just a fun math problem.

 

I am hoping to go get a shower before the rain and maybe a nap if Phillip will stay asleep.

Thank you to all who read this and pray for us. Thank you also especially to those who write me and let me know you are reading.

Bless you

 

 

 

New pics from haiti

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60652475@N02/sets/72157627591460588/

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60652475@N02/sets/72157627467455009/

Aug 31 pics

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60652475@N02/sets/72157627574657528/

Aug 31

Today started out well. I got up about 7:30am after going to bed about 4am. I was up loading the pics and updating the blog. The drums and the uploads took longer than I thought. After breakfast I checked in with mom about what I am doing here to make sure I was on tract with my task here.

 

The ladies were here today and we caught up on the last few days and how the check up went with Baby Phillip. One of the ladies had gone by to see him. The mom is voiced her consideration of giving him up to the foster family. Lets hope she does. I have some concerns and would feel better knowing he is well cared for before I leave.

 

We finally got the satellite in alinement today. We found a pair of walkee talkees and were able to finally coordinate and communicate with Dad on the roof and me below. One of the walkee talkees had a battery exploid in it and acid had leaked. Its amazing was cetron (like a key lime) will do. I just dabbed some of the juices onto a Q tip and cleaned the corosion off and it worked. The walkee talkees will be a good system for the other things he does up there like the solar panels etc. It beats me running outside to yell up the settings while Dad makes the adjustments. It still took a few hours of tighten bolt, move dish, test. NO....Tighten bolt again, move dish, test, etc. But It is done and we are now good on the communications, the solar batteries are doing what they need to do until we can replace them, and the radiator is back in the truck and the truck is working.

 

The generator house was started today as well. The current one is plastic (as seen in the photos I posted) and not very secure. With the dramatic increase in residence from far away cities since the quake, the road in front is becoming even more heavily travelled and security is becoming a concern. For those who knew what Mom and Dad have been through with security you will understand this need. For those who do not know, Mom and Dad have been victims of break ins and even armed robbery while here. When ever there is a shift or influx of folks from the larger cities crimes tend to go up. Percautions must be taken. A simple building addition with vents is being added to the depot to secure and house the generator.

 

 

Its hard to believe another month is ending. Tomorrow will be September first already. Time does fly when you are not looking.

 

Aug 30 pics

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60652475@N02/sets/72157627560272032/

Aug 30

I am sitting here typing this at 2:44 am. Yes I should have done it last night but too busy (I'll explain as we go).

 

Today Aug 30, I woke late yet again. My dad is determined that I get sleep while I am here. Another 9 hours for me. While I am in the states this is unheard of. There 5 hours is normal if I am lucky. But here there is just something about sleep that is a natural part of the day. There is no wondering about the to do list, stresses about bills, getting up and cleaning at 2am. There is a general acceptance that at night its a time to conserve energy. This is a time to have as many power devices (if you have them) turned off. A time to let the body recoop for you will need it the morning. A lesson I really should take home with me.

 

I woke about 9:30 am and listened to the sound of my Dad's voice in the other room as he greeted my mom on skype. They were sharing their morning cup of coffee. It always amazes me how they can stay so connected even while apart. For any of those who have or had loved ones in other countries due to missions or deployments, you can appreciate this more than most. I listen to them be serious as they discuss the households, laugh talking about inside jokes and the grand-kid, even flirt when my dad comments how cute my mom looks. Its such an honor to be able to call this couple my parents.

 

 I think how strong my folks were for coming and staying here so long. My parents brought 6 kids between the ages of 3 and 17 to a foreign country to help where they could. After 30 plus years they are still doing that work. I love that they allow me to come down from time to time and pitch in. My brother and his wife are now preparing to come over full time. Each of my brothers and sisters have returned multiple times. This may have started out as a place for my parents to serve, but it became our home. This land is tied to us, the people, the buildings, and everything here is part of who I am. When I leave I don't leave that behind and there is a certain peace in knowing it is all here. It allows me to go challenge corporate America so that I can afford to do more here.

 

This afternoon, we got to host some friends from down the road south of us. These are folks that are very dear to me. I have watched as what started as a chance meeting on a visit to Haiti turn into a family and a powerful work. I got to see the two Amazing young ladies that have grown up so much since I last saw them. They used to come and hang out here with me. We would play in the rain and sing concerts on the cistern which we called our stage. It has always been great to relive some of the carefree childhood moments as an MK (missionary's kid) through them. They are so bright and articulate it was great to see it in person again. This visit they were even able to bring their cousin.

 

We all had lunch together. Dad and I made tacos which is a nice treat for here. I used tomatoes out of the garden. We got to sit around talk about all the changes coming to our little mountain here. There are electric poles coming up and should be here in the next year or so. The country finally got its second cell phone carrier and the new one has internet on their handsets. This is a huge thing for here that back in the US is considered common place. The town close by (30 min or so) now carries liquid bleach which we were thinking we would have to send away to the larger cities (1-3 hours away) to get. We can get sodas in town but we have been able to for many years. its still new to me because I have not been here to enjoy this luxury. I am still getting used to having the indoor toilet here now and internet.

The friend we were having lunch with is an RN and agreed to look at Baby phillip for me.  Baby phillip is doing good. His skin was a little dry but not too bad Of course I was looking for all the reason I should grab him and run inside to keep him safe, but there was no cause. He was well fed and happy. He woke from his nap with his usual grin as he looked up at his audience. The girls all kept him company while I made up the next set of supplies. This time I gave two days supplies. I need to make sure they can manage getting the milk only twice a week before I leave. As long as he continues to progress then he will be able to remain with his momma. If not the foster family is still willing and will be checking in on him just to be sure. Our friends gave baby phillip and his caretaker a ride the mile back to their home. This was extra nice since the thunder warning of the afternoon rains had already started.

 

I cleaned up while dad when back to the shop to continue his work. The goal is to have the truck put back together by tomorrow (Wed). The radiator is currently still beside the truck and you have to see the pics of it. I am posting them in the link to follow this blog.  I cleaned up from lunch and prepared for our evening guess. The kind gentleman from down the road was returning to check on the inverter. The batteries had been boiling and there was an acid smell last night. Come to find out the batteries were getting too much charge. We got this fixed. Truth be told a lot of the issues the power changes etc is because the batteries are about 2 yrs overdue for replacement but finances being what they are have to keep on going. We hope in future updating the solar system can go into the budget or project list.

When looking at the project list and I see a few to upkeep and fixing the house here, I remind myself that my parents have been in this house for nearly 20 yrs. This building I call a house is a home and dorm in one. There is a men's dorm room, female dorm room, bathroom, my parent's bed room, kitchen, living room, dinning area, computer area/office, supply room, and battery room. Its not luxurious but it is functional and comfortable. My parents try to make sure those who donate their time and finances to come help out down here are comfortable during their stay.

 

While the men checked on the solar system, I made dinner. We got to visit over dinner and catch up with the town news. The town is a few miles North of us, but unless there is great cause, we do not make it up there. It takes about 30 minutes over the roads to make the trip. Between the roads, fuel cost, and time, there has to be a really good reason for going.

 

After everyone left Dad and I got to spend some time talking. We also got to visit with folks on skype and make sure family in the past of the hurricane were all back to having power and clean up was going well. I even got to talk to loved ones back in California. Before I knew it the generator was getting cut off and I needed to get to bed. This is why the blog is late posting but it was a busy day indeed.

 

Ok Its 3:20 and the drums are just showing sighns of stopping. The bugs on the computer screen are at the annoying level and the mouse in the file cabinet is causing me to jump every so often with his racket. LOL

I am going post pics in a hurry and dash back to bed. NIGHT ALL

Aug 29

Not sure where last night ended and today began. I was up most of the night with the baby, but the ladies came today so they took over about 7am and let me go back to sleep. And boy did I ever sleep in. TILL NOON. For you math fanatics, yes that meant a total sleep of just over 5 hours but still NOON!!! This is not a resort and I should have been up long before.

 

I got up and went to the kitchen. Everyone was making a fuss of baby Phillip and passing him around. LOL They were commenting how much better he looked. We weighed him today and he had gained 4 ounces. He has been eating. The milk substitute is just lighter so he was only sleeping 1 hour per bottle which made for a long night. We found another mix that enable him to get more substance and he began sleeping longer.

 

After a quick lunch, I got ready for the care taker of the baby to come and Dad worked on getting the ATV up and going. There was a flat tire and some spoiled fuel in a tank. It took a while but he flushed the lines and got it going. With the truck being down we are currently with no mode of transportation. The ATV are economical and can get some places the truck cannot not. Many of the places we go are nothing more than trails up into the hills. He got them working and I took a great video of him running one in the yard. I will try to post in the morning. It was a relief to know we had one mode of transportation going since we are expected at a church Wed in the outback.The truck would be best so we can take some supplies with us but something is better than nothing.  

 

In prepartion for baby Phillip to go home, we gave him a bath and I took note of the condition of his infected diaper rash. No more white heads and the skin is not nearly as red and inflamed. There was some pealing but not sever. I put ointment on the whole rash and make sure he got a good bottle and nap before the care taker came. He screamed enough durring the bath that he slept well.

 

The care taker came and after giving her supplies and lots of instructions, I watch my baby Phillip go back with her to his mom. I was so torn but I have give her a chance to take care of him. He is to return tomorrow by noon for me to see that she is following instructions and get another day's worth of supplies. Because I do not know this family I will only give 1 day's supply at a time. There is too much temptation to use supplies for others in the household or sell it for needed monies and I will not put the caretaker in that position.

 

After the baby left it was so quiet. I did some computer work and help dad work on some stuff on the roof. We had a simple dinner because we were too tired to chew much less cook anything LOL Its been a long last few days.

 

The radiator for the truck arrived this afternoon. WOW I forgot just how "creative" a repair can be. For those of you who do not know a radiator allowes water to FLOW and cool. Well the "repair" done is SOLID. There is no flow. I will be uploading pictures.

 

We are planning to be in bed early when Daddy realized the solar battery's water was boiling heavy. Somehow the batteries are now getting too much current. He is trying to resolve that before we go to bed. I am sending this early in case we have to shut down the computers for lack of power.

 

 

Aug 28

To say it was a long night would be an understatement. We went to bed at 10pm when the generator cut off. At 11pm I woke with a start and realized baby Phillip was gasping for air and not getting any. I lifted him out of the make shift crib and realized he had thrown up and it's in his nose and mouth preventing him from breathing. I immediately cleared his air passages and relished in the sounds of his crying being assured he was breathing again. SCARED ME TO DEATH!

This would be the first vomit in a long series over the next several hours. After every bottle part or most of it would come up. I had to stay extra watchful in case his airways got blocked again. The light in the room never went off and I was lucky Dad and the kind gentleman down the road had fixed the batteries. We never lost power.  

I had to keep the baby right beside me all night so when he twitched I would wake and make sure he had not vomited again. He still ate and it was hit-or-miss  if he would give a simple spit up or a full vomit. This could happen immediately or as much as 40 minutes after he ate. This told me his stomach did not like what he was eating. No fever, no chills, no diarrhea, or other symptoms. I am not ashamed to say more than once last night, I said the words…"I WANT MY MOMMIE!"  

After being able to talk to mom in the morning via webcam, I learned the most likely reason is poor Phillip is allergic to milk. GREAT! All I have in formula is regular. So mom taught me the substitute with watered down powdered milk. So we tried that with great success. No more vomiting and he still ate it. The trick was getting the ratio right so it was filling enough for him to sleep. We have a good ratio and thanks to that and a pacifier, I am able to get more done. You should have seen me before the pacifier trying to make sandwiches for lunch while holding the baby. Tonight I made dinner, cleaned up a bit, made a surplus of bottles for tonight, and all while baby stayed entertained. YEA!!!!  I also managed to get a walk in today for just over 1mile. I am determined to lose more weight while I am here.

Someone sent me 6 ears of grilled corn and a request for diaper cream. I considered this a sweet offer and sent the diaper cream to him. LOL. There are certain treats I am just a sucker for.  I so wished kenips were in season.

Now the only problem is he eats a little less but more frequent so 1 oz every hour and a half. Guess who will get less sleep for one more night. Has anyone noticed that a crying baby at 2am is less cute than a cooing baby at 11am? The care taker had arrived to take baby home but due to the rain could not take him. This is not a bad thing as he is making progress but I would like to monitor his eating for another 24 hours. We had a major rain storm tonight and got 2 .7 inches in one hour. It was incredible the force in which it was falling.

Other than that the day was relatively quiet (between crying baby) and looking forward to a busy week.

 

 

 

pics for 8/27

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60652475@N02/sets/72157627411611787/

August 27

Today has been a highly productive day, but WOW I am so tired. Bed at 10pm. Up at 11pm. Down at midnight up 1am. There was an alarm going off and I went to ask dad what it was. Before he got fully out of bed I realized it was his cell phone's battery dying and told him I would take care of it. After plugging it in, I decided to go ahead and do my uploading of pictures after feeding Phillip and ended up being up until 4am. This meant going out into the main room and bringing up the modem after checking to make sure the batteries had power. They did and I got it taken care of and shut the modem back down and went back to bed. Down at 4 and up at 5. Down at 6 and up at 8 down 8:30 and up at 10. Then I gave up and just stayed up.

 

Baby Phillip is making progress and gained almost an ounce in the last 30 hours. He will stay with me a bit longer until hopefully I get him up to 5lbs. I have a monitor in place to work with the family and a Plan B in case the family is unable to take care of him. My best friend in the region who has already taken in 2 kids and raised them as her own offered to take him and foster him. She also worked with my mom in the clinics so I am confident in her skills. This was a great relief to me. Now I can just concentrate on getting his rash under control and weight up.

 

The day began with Daddy and Odino working on Big Red. The transmission lines had come loose the other day. The radiator was accidentally pressed too hard into the fan blade by a young assistant and developed 3 holes. It had to be sent to a nearby town for repair. Another part will come in from Port au Prince on Monday.

 

 I went to the clinic to get more baby supplies. Its amazing how much little babies use.

I was able to use the web cam for mom to do a virtual exam of the baby and discovered he is older than we were told. His umbilical cord had fallen off and completely healed and his body shows evidence of dramatic weight loss. He smiles, has wet tears, immolates expressions, and other facts led us to determine he is most likely 2 months or slightly older. This makes his current weight all the more sad.

 

At lunch time Marie came over and I made lunch for all of us. Odino decided to work and eat and I got a really cute picture of him eating and working at the same time. Marie and I went ahead and ate while Daddy helped Odino. He joined us afterward. We got to sit and visit with her catching up on the kids she took in, the cost of schooling these days, and more. She works at another clinic down the road a few days a week. She was taken with baby Phillip and knew the family who took him and his mother in. They attend the same church and plans on speaking with them tomorrow. She agreed to help monitor his progress and even offered to foster him. I went with her down to the clinic to get some clothes and grooming supplies for her and her kids before she left.

 

A mission who had borrowed Dad's scaffolding returned it today and it took several phone calls and a person to go direct them to help them find the place. LOL I told y'all we were in Lapila (translates there and a little further) or the middle of no where. Unless you know where we are or have been here you are likely to never see the entrance.

 

In the early afternoon the radiator problem was discovered and it had to sent to the nearby town. Hopefully it will all be put together by Monday. Until then we are without transportation. I wish I knew how to rebuild carburetors, then I could get the ATV going and be mobile. Oh well I will have to add mechanics to my "THINGS TO LEARN" list right behind patience and tack.

 

I took a shower about 5am and enjoyed the rain clouds overhead. Rain came shortly after I steped out. I took pics of the clouds and we will see if I am up in the upload window I will post them. We got just over 1/4 inch of rain and it was pounding. Did not last long but it cooled the air. Since the temps had gotten up to 101 today, that was a welcome thing.

 

I got Phillip to sleep and then I fell asleep while Dad took his shower and I woke at 7pm to the baby crying. He is now fed, changed and back asleep. Should be another interesting night.

 

pics from Aug 26

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60652475@N02/sets/72157627403979281/

Aug 26

Wow what a day!! I am writing this while looking down at this tiny baby sleeping in the backshift crib. I woke up at 6am and got my day started. NO BLACKOUTS!!!!!! YEA!!!!! This was a HUGE deal. So the batteries and system are back up to working properly. As I got dressed I had to smile. That smell of lye soap and sunshine. The clothes are stiffer than if they were in a dryer, but wow what great memories. Also there is nothing like Rosita Lye soap to get stains out. We got today laundry out to be washed and should be caught up from all the rain. I checked E-mail and got some morning correspondance done. I really appreciate all the E-mails y'all have been sending letting me know you read and like this blog.

 

After breakfast I began to gather the school supplies that have been donated so that we can distribute the local pastors and school. A while later the rash that has been developing on my neck was not getting better with the itching and burning, so I took some benedryl. WOW I forgot how that stuff can knock me out. The rash is from comming in contact with a plant, spider, or insect. It grew from my neck up to my chin. Not very attractive but not a health hazard either. I laid down with a cold wet cloth on my neck and fell asleep for a almost an hour.

 

After the nap we went to go unload the fuel. This is a process follks. I will be posting pictures tonight. So here is how you unload fuel. You put rope around a 60 gallon drum. You wrap the rope over the cage frame on the back of the truck and the group pulls the drum to the edge. Now from here you have one man on the ground holding the rope and keeping the drum from running away. You place two planks of wood in place as a ramp. Next you left just the edge of the drum over the cage frame and approach the ramp. Next you place a cut piece of pipe under the drum and slide the drump onto the pipe. This allows it roll forward while the man on the ground keeps controls its speed. Now the two men in the truck jump down and roll the drum forward. When it rolls off the pipe, the pipe is brought to front of the drum and placed back under and the drum is rolled forward again. This is repeated until the drum is on the ground. Then it is maneuvered into the depot near the fuel tank. Now that process is repeated until all three drums are unloaded and in place.

 

Now you need to transfer the fuel to the tank. Dad was able to fix the hand crank pump. We stuck the long pipe into the drum and the hose into the fuel tank. There is a fuel filter between (WHICH IS NEEDED) and then you crank until the drum is empty. This requires about 30 minutes of constant cranking per drum. By the end of the process Dad's shirt was covered in diesel fuel and had to be change.

 

Dad met with quit a few people visiting today. Its amazing how fast news travels that he is here. We had our sandwiches for lunch. Today I had double avocado to change it up a bit LOL.

 

After lunch my patient arrives. For those with a tender heart grab your tissues. This one will pull at your heart strings. The patient who I named Phillip today is just under a month old. No one knows how old he really is. His mom was mentally ill and an outcast. She went to the big city of Port au Prince where most go when they are not welcome locally. She came back pregnant and does not know who the father is. One of the local ladies took her in and help her through the delivery. Now there are many motives for taking someone is. 1) Good intentions and heart 2) The opportunity to get assistant from missions for the household 3) Good reputation 4) obligation are just a few. I am unsure of the intention of the woman but this unfortunately is not an uncommon situation and we are grateful no matter the motivation that the mom and baby have someone to help them. The caretaker brought the baby while the mother remained at home.

 

Phillip is between 20-30 days old and weighs 4.25 pounds. He has a full head of hear but his soft spot is sunk in a bit. This means dehydrated. We were told the mom is unable to nurse. I made up a bottle of baby formula and he ate almost 2 oz right away. He also almost immediately got diarrhea. He has a bad diaper rash from not being changed often enough. Based on his state I decided he should stay in residence for 24-48 hours where I can monitor him. The woman who brought him agreed.

 

I had to go down to the clinic building and get some diapers, formula, and other supplies to help take care of him. So for the rest of this afternoon, I have been feeding, changing, holding, and attending this cute little bundle. Now once I get him re-hydrated and eating well, I will need to see if we can get them enrolled in one of the local feeding programs to ensure he continues to get formula needed to grow. I have pictures of him to post in the next upload window.

Aug 25

Today has been a good one.
I didn't get o sleep until after 1am. Word to the wise.....if you leave a light on above your bed, every flying bug (including roaches) will find you. It will also takes them a while to decide to leave you alone after you turn off the light.

 

While laying there I became reaquainted with the night sounds of my youth. It brought a smile to my face and a great feeling inside. In the distance I could hear a donkey singing his song. The mice running over the ceiling tiles in the attic. The flying bugs hitting the wall. The chicken and her chicks that have taken up residence in the yard searching for food. I hear singing in the distance (that is sound I always love hearing....especially in harvest season).

 

I slept in until almost 9am. That is huge. The day SHOULD start no later than 6am. Dad of course was up early. This time the batteries lasted until 4am. We are making progress. Each time the batteries are holding their charge more and more. There is sulfur that has to boil out of the batteries and that is happening now that the inverter is on the right setting.

 

We were able to get 24 gallons of fuel this morning and hope to get more tomorrow. This allows us to breath a little easier knowing the power issues are getting better. So as week one comes to a close we have fuel, lights, and communication. Not bad for a day's work.

 

After charging the batteries that lasted all day until 4pm. We should be using the generator only a few hours a day now. This will significantly help in conserving fuel.  

 

Dad had to transfer the fuel from the drum into the fuel tank which takes some time and a steady hand. The hand pump had stopped working. This means pouring fuel into a bucket and then pouring it into the fuel tank. He worked on his other projects in the depot and saw people who came to see him today. Some had walked hours to see him.

 

My baby patient did not come today but is suppose to show up later this week. The mud here is making any commuting a little hard. I went to the clinic and got some baby formula, bottles, and other essentials to try and help them out. Seeing those buildings made me really wish I had studied medicine and knew how to help more. Today one of the people seeing my dad had gone to a local hosptal. After spending the equivilant of nearly a years salary, he was given vitamins and antacids. There are so many issues here that vitamins and antacids can help but to cost a person a years salary for what we often buy and leave untouched in our cabinets until they expire is just so wrong.

 

My patient from yesterday is doing great and we were lucky the cut on his wrist was not too deep. He gave me such a smile. I made Dad and I some lunch and enjoy another treat of roasted corn. I am getting spoiled with all these things I can't get back in the USA. For those keeping track.....why yes, yes I did eat avocado again today. LOL

 

I worked on some documents that need updating and saw online that my Yankees were able to hit 3 count them 3 GRANDSLAMS in one game. Oh yeah!. Now if Boston could please lose the next 5 I woud be happy. I can't believe I am saying this but Texas please play a mean game of baseball tonight. Yes I may be out of the country I still like my sports.

 

I made salad for dinner, boiled the water for dishes and cleaning counters and got the kitchen cleaned up. This evening I am reading a book and taking a one day break off studying. My brain needed a break after all the stake holder, contengency plans, and monitoring flow charts I am studying. I did get to enjoy visiting with a few family and friends on skype. Amazing how I do that more here than I do when I am stateside.

 

 

 

 

August 24

WOW its hard to believe tomorrow I would have been here one week. Time is going by way to fast. Its leaving me a little sad this evening, but I need to focus on the time remaining so I can make the most of it. There is still so much to do.

 

Today was full of challenges but we will overcome. Another black out at 2am. The batteries are not lasting half as long as they should. We are still not sure why and trying to isolate the cause. Dad put on the generator for a few hours and did some computer software updates durring our upload window. He went back to bed at 5am for 2 hours.

We were both back up by 7am. The ladies were able to come today but wash did not happen due to minimal sunlight. This meant even more need for the generator. We had to turn on the generator about every 3-5 hours. The clouds were overcast and we had some more rain today, so we go very little sun to power the batteries.

 

Dad also worked on some equipement outside, the indoor toilet, and other projects. He was runing around so much today it was hard to keep up. I would hear him call for something and he would be in the attic, on the roof, outside, in the dorm room, or office. LOL he can sure move fast when I am not looking.

We did not get the fuel we were counting on from Port-au-Prince so we are looking for another source. For now we have a miracle that the fuel we have is not depleating as fast as aniticipated. We still only have enough for about 1 or 2 days as our current rate of consumption.

 

The ladies and I have been cleaning the dorm areas and storage room to prepare for teams to come. So any of Y'all looking for a place to bring a work team, just let me know.

 

I delivered some of the gifts and visited with folks today. I also got to perform first aid on someone who cut their wrist. Tomorrow I have at least 1 patient coming. This is when I wish my mom was here or that I had taken up nursing instead of business.

 

I need to go study before bed so this will be sent early tonight.

 

 

August 23

Today was an interesting day to say the least. We woke at 2am with another blackout. It was raining outside but not much wind. The hurricane was north East of us about 130 miles. We got about 3 inches of rain and continue to get showers from time to time tonight.  Considering north of us got over 12 inches. You can understand the miracle in the storm missing Port au Prince and the tent cities there. Its amazing after all time there is still so many in tent cities. The storm is heading north towards virginia. While they need the rain due to the swamp wild fire, not sure they wanted as much as is coming.

 

With no electricity in the house, Dad went out to start the generator. That started to charge the batteries while I uploaded the pictures on the computer during our free upload window. Shortly there after the power started to go out again.  Daddy had to investigate. He checked the inverter, the batteries, and the generator. After a while it looked like it was resolved and I went back to bed about 4am for a few hours. I feel kind of bad because while I can sleep though anything, it was not fixed and Dad did not get sleep. I woke back up about 7am

 

After a few hours one of the problems that came to light was 4 of the batteries were wired incorrectly and did not allow them to contribute power to the household. Another problem was the inverter was on the wrong setting and not interpreting the power from the generator correctly and would click off. We are still not sure how that one happened except there may have been some damage due to the lightening strike that took out the transmitter.

 

Daddy called a friend down the road who specializes in electricity to come help. He arrived about noon. He and Dad began to check the equipment while I made lunch. I got everyone fed and began studying for my Project Management Exam coming up in a few weeks and started a pot of homemade chili. Yes its almost 90 degrees but there is rain and that needs chili.

 

After some investigation work they found out that the generator had a kink in the fuel line where it passes through the wall, preventing it from being able to pull up fuel out of the tank properly. That got that fixed, the batteries rewired, and the inverter set correctly. So Praise the lord we got it all put back together and have electricity again. If the rains stay off for a while tomorrow we will be able to fix the panels on the roof and boost our power intake.

 

The generator fuel pump is going out and will have to be replaced in the near future. Dad, our friend and I worked to elevate the fuel tank to make the pump have to work less in drawing the fuel out. The friend could not stay for dinner so I packed him some chili to go.

 

Dad and I enjoy bowls of chili with jalapenos and cheese. I added Avocados to mine, because what can I say, they are just the most awesome food. LOL

 

I cleaned the kitchen and we both caught up on the correspondence we missed this morning due to no electricity (IE: no computer or Internet) and are ready to drop into bed.

 

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers

Its has been a great day over all with lots accomplished.

Tomorrow is another day.

 

 

AUG 22 Pictures

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60652475@N02/sets/72157627374633417/

 

Pictures from Aug 22.

August 22

Today has been a great day. I got up about 7am after laying in the bed enjoying the sound of the rain on the roof. The ladies did not come today due to the rain which makes walking the just over mile between their house and here treacherous. Walking is the main mode of transportation here. If you are middle class you have a bicycle or donkey. If your on the high end of middle class you might have a motorcycle. Only the well off or mission backed person have vehicles. There is a place here called ravine kaiman. This particular ravine is a step downgrade that bottoms out to a brook and steep upgrade on the other side. When we have rain it becomes a hill of nothing but slick mud. The commercial vehicles drive down and slide around tearing up the road and then more often then not one will get stuck. An attempt to dig or push it out is made. Next a pair of oxen are called or they wait for the sun to come dry out the mud enough to get it out. 

 

We received some good news the storm has change course which can be attributed to none other than lots of prayers. Port-au-Prince was helpless to prepare the tent cities for the amount of rain that was anticipated. The storm is passing far enough north that they had minimal rain an is not expected to get much more. There is definitely a sign of relief for many. Two missionaries from here on the plateau were in route to the big city. Rain can make that trip not only difficult but dangerous. We are thankful they made it safely. We here in the north will still experience heavy rain fall. There is a reported 10 inches due over the 24 hour period. We got rain all day in waves and the rain is now getting harder as the storm approaches Haiti.

 

Dad measured the fuel tank and we are very low. Consider we have been using about 10 gallons a day due to no sunlight and low solar batteries, we are need to get some fuel ASAP. He called but could not get any from Hinch. He called one of the missionaries headed to Port-au-Prince and was able to get a drum of fuel and it should be here Wed. Now we just have to get what we have to last until Wed. Right now there is more draw on the solar system than what is coming in. Dad has been working on the roof solar panels (yes he was up there and got caught in the rain). I took some pictures of that. He checked the batteries and saw that the water was low in a few. We used the last of the distilled water on hand getting them leveled out. Thanks to the generosity of a friend in Florida, we now have a distiller and are in the process of making more. Here is the fun part. We have to run the generator to make the water. It takes 3 hours to make one gallon. Running a generator for 3 hours just toake distilled water cost $36,That folks is some expensive distilled water(hench,we only distill at night when we HAVE to run the generator) . Now we have to have that water for the solar batteries to keep their charge so we wont need to run the generator as much. Yep this is just one of the paradox we live in here daily.

 

A neighbor brought us a gift of avocados and dry corn. Dry corn is roasted over a fire and has no milk in the kernels. The flavor is unique and a wonderful treat I have enjoyed since childhood. When folks come to visit here they often make appointments and I have a few coming up on Friday. Just like the gifts I received, it is also customary to give a form of gift to those close to the family. The gift can be as simple as a pack of razors for men or a baby's garment for the new mothers. Its more the gesture than the gift itself. I have a few more to make up before Friday.

 

After lunch Daddy was determined to get the panels rewired on the roof and make another attempt but another rain shower over took us and he had to come down. metal roofs get slick in the rain. Before the rain made it to us we got to see the most amazing rainbow. I was able to get some great pictures of both Daddy on the roof and the rainbow. I will post the link once I get them up during the upload allowance window.

 

We worked on things here in the house and Dad was able to make contact with mom and a few others. I am trying to get the office organized and still find time to study for my project manager exam.

 

Tonight I got a phone call from a girl I went to elementary school with. She and I are working on a class reunion for May of 2012. I am getting excited about that. 

Dad and I  have also spent time trying to find any energy suckers that might be causing power draw to be high. We may have found a few and corrected them or are in the process. By Wednesday we should have the power and fuel issues under control.

 

Progress is being made daily and its great to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aug 21, 2011

Today has been a nice relaxing day kind of. I got up at 4am to upload the pictures. I finished about 7am. I went back to bed from 7am till 11am. Dad had his last cup of coffee. I can't believe after 70 years my dad is giving up coffee but he is.

Unfortunately we managed to go over our allotted 435 Mbs download per day. This means they take us down to minimal internet access for 24 hours. This makes it really difficult to get communications out. I was able to make contact with Hughes Net and get the services restored. For those who were trying to reach us by skype this morning, we were not able to answer until after 1pm.

The rain had made the roads so muddy we were unable to go to the church we planned to attend.  It's a good thing and amazing that so many Haitians up here have cell phones. We were able to let the Pastor know we could not make it. Almost everyone has an incountry cell phone now. It was quit the site to see someone talking on the cell while on the back of a donkey on the dirt road.

There are a few other things I have had to remind myself about in reguards to the rules of Haiti. Such as remember to put your shoes upside down. This will prevent creepy crawlies from getting into your shoes.  Don't open your mouth in the shower (includes singing) or the water will get in along with the amoeba that lives there. The how to use the indoor toilet rules that are posted. Never touch your face, Wash often and spray yours hands with alcohol afterwards. If you leave the light on by your bed a flying cockroach will find your forehead. Always check before you put feet in shoes, legs in pants, arms in sleeves. Once you wash dishes you have to sanitize them with boiled hot water. Time your bedtime so you are under the covers 2 minutes before the generator cuts off. If not you might have to feel around to find the bed. That and so many more. I have been lucky most of it feels so natural and normal. Call it muscle memory or just the fact its good to be home memory.

I made my dad and I lunch today with the usual sandwich. Good thing he is low maintenance. We got to enjoy some time just visiting with each other today.

Today we got the news that there is a hurricane headed our way. We spent some time today to ensure we have fuel for the generator and everything is ready. To get fuel we have to send to a town about an hour away and purchase it by the 55 gallon drum. This cost right at $400 a drum plus transportation fee. This will last about a month right now with all the rain. The cloud cover prevents the solar batteries from getting a full charge.

All the windows have shutters so we are ready. I just need to go out tomorrow and get some avocadoes to last me. I can't have that wind blowing them to the ground and smashing them to bits. That would just be wrong. LOL

Right now it 7:30pm and we have just had dinner and I have just a little more clean up to do before bed. I hope to actually be in bed asleep before the generator is off.

Tomorrow is a very busy day. Daddy has to work on the solar panels to increase the power they deliver. Making sure everything is wired in correctly. I need to finish my inventory of supplies and start the reorganization of the office. The rain is expected by nightfall. If there is lightening we will have to turn off all electrical items. So I might not be able to post tomorrow.

Hurricane Irene Coming to Haiti

We have a hurricane headed here and should arrive by tomorrow. The national weather reports that Hispanola will the hardest hit if the conditions remain. The winds are currently 70+ MPH in St. Thomas. The expected rainfall of 20 inches.

This storm will greatly effect our ability to be online and commute anywhere. We are gathering fuel for the generator and trying to get everything ready before it makes land. We need to make sure everything is secure for the winds. Prayer are needed the roofs that are awaiting repair/replacement hold.

Fuel cost have gone up in the past few months making the efforts to get a fuel reserve for these occations a little more challenging. The generator cost approximately 12/hour to run currently. To get fuel we must send to Hinch to get it at the cost of $400.00 US for a 55 gallon drum plus the transportation fee. A drum of fuel last approximately one month in the rainey season because there is less sunlight to charge the batteries.

Keep the prayers coming.
We greatly appreciate them.

God Bless

Pictures

Day 1: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60652475@N02/sets/72157627485242880/

House: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60652475@N02/sets/72157627482448602

Quake Damage: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60652475@N02/sets/72157627482220080/

August 20

August 20, 2011

I had stayed up till midnight after a lovely mouse ran across my food while I was at the computer. I keep forgetting how that gives me the ebbie jeebies. We have to order some more of those E-Snap mouse catchers. I still remember Daddy catching like 7 at once with one of those. I wonder who sells them. Oh well. Note to self …do research.

This morning, I slept in until 10am of course daddy was up at like 4am. The solar power had given out about 2am. This means there was no air circulation in his room and the delco would need to be turned on for a bit. I need to get better about my wake up time. Daddy has been studying the schematics on how to improve the solar system. I so wished we could get them a few more panels. The cost of running the generator is just over $10/hr and that does not take into consideration putting away a small amount each time for the replacement generator that will be needed every 10 yrs.

Dad and I had a great breakfast of eggs and turkey sausage. I am determined to convert the world to turkey sausage one breakfast at a time. LOL We had fresh passion fruit juice. WOW it’s so good to be home. During breakfast I heard that wonder sound of an avocado falling. Yep salad for dinner. That has my name all over it.

After breakfast I got on the computer for just a bit to check email. I discovered Grandma was still not on Face book which meant her internet was still out. I spent the next few hours dealing with Verizon until we got it up and going. All was well worth it when I saw her comment on my face book page a short while later. YEAHHHHHH my high tech Grandma is back online.

Daddy went out to the depot and got some items repaired, met with a few people, got some correspondence sent out, and other items on his to do list done.

After that we had lunch. Our regular sandwiches and this time ….fried bananas. Poor daddy the ladies had put all the fried bananas on my plate. HEHEHEHE….Yes I did share. ….eventually

After lunch Daddy and I got to work changing the ceiling fan in the Master bedroom. Its over 95 degrees in there and without the fan going we were sweating in 10 seconds. For those who know their room has no windows. We worked on it off and on for a few hours and few times of Daddy getting zapped with the electricity. We had to use trial and error with some of the replacement parts. I would ask “Did you get shocked?” And his reply was, “No, I just didn’t need to hold the cable that long.“

We did take a break for me to make a salad with friend bananas for dinner. Got to have my avocado.

The rain started about 4pm shortly after the ladies left for the day. The thunder started right away and the lightening was amazing. We had to go through the house unplugging everything. Last thing we need is to have another transmitter blowing. We used up the last spare and they cost $2,500 a piece and lightening hits about twice a year. Now we have to get a spare. Internet is not the primary communication tool up here since there is no land lines.

The lightening stopped about 8pm and we were able to turn the computer back on for me to post this and talk to mom for a few minutes. The rain continues to fall but it is good to have the air cooled a bit before bed. It’s amazing how the days fly by here and it’s the end of the weekend already.

Day 2 - Aug 19

Aug 19, 2011
Well today I slept in until right at 10am. Amazing I slept so well. Last night there were quit a few bugs flying around but I was so tired I just pulled the sheet over my head and fell asleep. The generator had cut off at 10am and once the lights are out the bugs go crazy looking for a light source.

I went and took a shower first thing and it was great to shower under the stars again. I am lucky we have hot water now. Only one lizard to chase out and the vines are growing back but it was still great.

I then went to greet the ladies in the kitchen. Mme. Jwa was so excited to see me and was almost in tears. At least she called me by my name. Yesterday everyone called me Becky. Yes she would love that, but every daughter that returns home is becca or petit wall until they know who it is. Yesterday a few people thought I was mom when my hair was pulled back. I felt back when they realized I wasn’t. I think the hope she brings is sorely missed.

Looking around the house I saw the damage by the quake was more than I was told. Most of the buildings have cracks in them. Some wider than others. One building looks like it may have shifted. The roofs are rusted due to the rains and 3 need to be replaced. It will cost about 7,000$ to do that. We really need the truck here badly but that will cost another $10,000.

After I visited for a little bit and had my Special K breakfast bar and monster energy drink, I caught up with daddy about what is needed for today. He discovered the problem with the internet is most likely the transmitter was struck by lightning. He was right. He was going to see if there is an extra one in the depot. We needed to do inventory on some of the building supplies. Stepping over the mice decaying on the floor and lizards running about we got to the supplies. After counting up what we had, measuring the building that needs the new roofs, we need an additional 95 sheets of roof metal. So anyone with an extra $5,000 (yes that is how much to get 95 sheets here from port au prince) please send it on down so we can get the needed roofs on the buildings here.

After inventory there we returned to the house and I started on the supply room inventory and clean up. HEAVEN CALM MY OCD, that place was a mess. So I get out my index cards to label the shelves and start to organize. We stopped for lunch of sandwiches. I had Cheese, onion, avocado, and horseradish. Dad had a ham, cheese, and onion sandwich.

Daddy let me know that friends down the road would be coming to dinner and bringing a new transmitter for the computer satellite. I continued to work on the pantry room for a while before Daddy called me outside. He showed me a surprise. He found a transmitter in the depot and fixed the internet.

I used the internet to get some things done, update sent, etc. Dad and mme jwa got dinner going and then the guest arrived.

We had a nice visit with the friend and their 3 adopted daughters. After they left I updated the blogs while Daddy got to skype with family.

More to come.

Back Home

Today started early about 4:30am after I went to bed at 2:45. I got mine and daddy’s breakfast from the hotel desk. I took a luxurious hot shower. Marriott did a wonderful job getting the sulfur smell that normally plagues the Florida water supply. We left the hotel at 5am almost on the dot. We made a quick stop at the Flying J gas station to pick up some water for the ride over and Daddy needed a decent cup of coffee since Marriott has now gone to Starbucks which he hates.

We arrived at the airport just after Barb and Bob. We had to wait outside the door until they got the place open up and ready for everyone. After the Kenny (the guy in charge of the warehouse) arrived, it seemed like everyone started to pour in. We all got the last luggage items weighed in and then Dad and I slipped away to enjoy the breakfast in the staff break room. The final weigh count was 1017 pounds excess of the passenger allowed weight. At $1.75 a pound you can just imagine the cost of bringing supplies in to the country.

Sam came to the office and I got to see him before I left. I still have major hero worship for that man. He always brought me home. I was really sad this time to know he is retired and would not be flying but he saw me off that alone was such great thing. There is a book being written about him and he asked me to submit a few of our favorite stories.

After breakfast, we had to go back out to the warehouse for the group weigh in. That is when all the passengers have to stand on the scale together and get weighed. In the DC3s weight distribution is important. I love this plan. My wish would be to fly the 300 tail numbers which is my favorite In the fleet but we got the runner up which is 200.

I got my miracle phone call about 5:35 and got to say my last good-byes. I have never been choked up about leaving to go to Haiti before but this time, I am leaving a lot behind. A lot of good people, unanswered questions, uncertainty, etc. I have to have faith in those around me to handle what is needed.

We got loaded on the plane and took off into the most gorgeous sunrise. Dad and I sat in the very back row where it is the coolest temps. The extra fun part is you can hear the chain rattle which brought back great childhood memories. There DCs does not have fans or another thing the modern planes have. I could tell Sam was not the pilot but the guy did a pretty good job. About mid way a crew member came and offered drinks and Debbie snakes to everyone, I just wasn’t up for eating. The guy beside me was chatty but I spent most of the time reading my book. The crew member did let us know we would be making a gas stop in the Bahamas and that we could pre-order hot breakfast for those who wanted it. It was to include eggs, ham, and toast. We were warned that any one component might be missing. The cost was $5 US. Most ordered, I did not since I do not eat pork.

At the Bahamas we all had to get off the plane and go through security. There was a flush toilet there we could use. The stop lasted maybe 30 minutes. Dad was asked to be the one to go collect the breakfasts from the café and bring back to the plane. After take off Dad passed out the breakfast to those who had ordered it. LOL yep there was something missing ….the ham. 5$ for eggs and toast.

Once we began to approach the coast of Haiti, the ride got really bumpy due to the hot air. The temp was over 96 degrees on the ground. The land is green from all the recent rain and is beautiful. We landed in Cap-Haitian and it was overwhelming all the changes. The old airport building that I recalled as a child was a shell of building that the trees and plants were overtaking. The runway ran differently. The faces were all the same from the custom agents to the porters.

Here in Cap-Haitian we went through immigrations and then customs went through everything and gave Dad a figure on how much it would cost to be allowed to bring the food and supplies into the country. This time is was just over 200$ US. Each trip is unique and you never know what you are going to have to pay and why. Dad, I , the passengers going to Port au Prince and those we picked up who are headed back to the US all loaded the plan for the 15 minute ride up the plateau.

The ride was so bumpy I was sure I was not only going to lose breakfast but lunch from 2 days ago. WOW. You would freefall a few feet and then back up. My butt was coming up off the chair. I could not read my story any more as the words where all over. I just settled back and hoped that 15 minutes would pass quickly.

We landed at the dirt airstrip of the Pignon airstrip about 12:30pm. Jean Jean who was supposed to come pick up forgot and we had to wait for the driver to come. We visited with some of the youth that hang around the airstrip. They warned up that pick pocket thievery is up and Dad can no longer wear his phone on his belt. We talked about some of the mob justice that has deterred some of the crime in the area.

The driver arrived and we loaded the truck. When all was said and done we had to leave a piece at the airport for someone to hold. Everything else made it inside the cab or in the bed. Dad had to sit in the back bed and hold things on while I was in the back seat between the boxes and the door. I had a sew machine that dug into my leg with every bump.

We made the 2.5 mile tip in about 15 minutes. That is how bad the roads are. Driving into the drive way was amazing. It really did feel like coming home. The grass has grown so tall and the yard needs some serious work, but that will all happen in the coming weeks. Daddy’s two dogs were so happy to see him. One is named Meanie an one is Chunky. Both Haitian mutts.
The house was not in horrible conditions but the critters have been about. There was 2 dead tarantula. Live roaches were all over the kitchen. The sad thing was the food had to be put away so we turned on the frig and waited for them to get cold before putting the food in. There is not time to clean it yet and yet I can’t have them crawling in the food. They were also in the draws along with some other critters.

I made sandwiches for lunch. He had a ham, cheese, and horseradish sandwich and I had a cheese and horseradish. We tried to get the internet working but Hughes net shut it down for lack of activity and we can’t call or get on the internet to let them know. Dad bought some minutes on his Haitian phone at the Pignon airport and now we are having to use those precious minutes to get a stupid company to turn on the service. We put more stuff away and Jeanine arrived to help with the cleaning. Dad and I then took a nap.

I woke back up about 5pm and dad had already had his shower. While working on the unpacking I heard a bang on the roof and recognized that sound, it was an avocado falling off the tree. I ran and grabbed it knowing I was going to make salad for dinner. After dinner we got all but 3 of the boxes uploaded. We are making our to do list and I am assessing all that needs to be done here. WOW is about all I can say. I got the water in the bottles and in the fridge for tomorrow and daddy got the filter filled so we will have fresh water tomorrow.

The 12 volt lights are not working and with nightfall here meaning there are more creatures than I am willing to shower with that will wait until morning. I like to see the lizards I dodge. LOL Dad and I visited and made our “to do list” before we went off for bed.
The generator cuts off at 10pm and then no lights. It really is good to be home.

**We get to upload files between 2 and 6am CT. I will load the pics to Flicker and send y’all the link to them.