A quiet weekend in the valley

This weekend was the first time since the middle of April (when the summer rains began) that I had a feathered visitor in my garden pond. Our garden is surrounded by African bush and while there is sufficient food and drink in the wild, the birds can be always be heard and but often not seen.

The Dark-capped Bulbul

is always welcome in my garden

While in Nairobi this week, I bought a book called English made Easy for 6-7 year-olds. On Saturday Naomi (who keeps house for me in Kenya) brought her eight-year-old daughter, Stacey to see me. I showed her and Naomi how to go through the book page by page. I believe this will improve Stacey's English. Naomi also brought me Stacey's latest school report. She had improved overall by 57% since her first report earlier this year. Note: even though Stacey turned eight in May, I thought the exercise for a year younger would be of more use while she becomes familiar with the English language.  The next time we go to Nairobi, I'll bring her the book for 7-8 years olds.

On Saturday I baked bread, an apple cake/loaf and banana bread (like I do every week). I also baked a dozen hamburger buns. While Grant and Johan watched Super 15 Rugby that evening, I served hamburgers and chips. I also make my own hamburger patties. Needs must when you live far away and  cannot pop out to the supermarket to buy the pre-packed variety. Quite a good thing, I'd say! (definitely a lot healthier)

Hamburger buns which I served with home-made meat patties (Recipe below)

Hamburger buns

Makes 12 decent sized buns

2 Cups warm milk

1/4 Margarine, melted

1/4Cup warm water

1/4 Cup Sugar

3 tsp dried yeast

2 tsp salt

6 Cup white bread flour

1/4 Cup sesame seeds

Set oven at 375 ◦ F/ 200 ◦C

In a bowl, stir together milk, marge, warm water, yeast and sugar

Allow to stand for 5 minutes

Add flour and salt until a soft, firm dough is formed

Divide into 12 balls, place on baking sheet, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Allow to rise until double in size

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until browned on top

Blogger friends meet in Kenya: Me and Penny from Canada with whom I've been corresponding for the past eighteen months. You can scroll down to my post on Saturday to read about Penny's work here in Kenya.

It's not often that there is a photo of me on my blog. Today there are TWO! While sitting in the garden with Shadow exploring the rockery beside me, Grant - who never takes photos - picked up my camera and snapped us

While sitting at my computer last night, I noticed the cats were staring at something under the two-seater sofa in the upper-level diningroom. On closer inspection, I saw it was a baby snake. It was about 7cm/3 inches long, thin, black and the thickness of a matchstick. It was definitely a snake as only snakes slither along like this one did. Under the transfixed, almost comical gaze of two cats, I managed to coaxe the little creature onto a piece of paper and took it outside. As soon as I tipped it into the garden, it disappeared into a crack in the rock wall below. This is not the first time I've found a snake in the house. You can read about a similar encounter here.

I've been feeling poorly since returning from Nairobi. Headache and neck pains, perspiring for no reason at all, dizzy spells, aching joints. When I tripped almost fell down a bank while birding at the top dam on Sunday morning,  I asked Grant to take me to the clinic. I've been diagnosed with malaria but with medication, should improve soon. (As you can see by the above photo, I never look sick!)

Have a wonderful week everyone.