Roses, Yogurt, and Ants in the Pants

 

As is true anywhere, there are positives and negatives about our little area of Zambia.  On the way to Lusaka we pass a big rose nursery.  They have many green house type buildings where they grow roses for export to Europe.  They harvest the roses 3 times a day to make sure that the buds are just at the right point.  The ones that don't make it are sold very, very cheaply.  They look fine to us.  On Friday, Lyndsay who is staying with us from Canada, was near this nursery.  She knows how much I love roses.  She came home with about 3-4 dozen beautiful rosebuds that she probably paid about $10.00 for.  They look so beautiful on our table.

 

We have had a hard time getting dairy products.  In the stores in Lusaka cheese is so expensive.  However, at the conference center across the road from us they have dairy cows.  They make all the cheese, cream, and yogurt that they use in the restaurant, at their hotel in Kabwe, and at their restaurant in Lusaka.  So now we have a standing order for yogurt.  It is so good.  It is runnier than what we buy in the states but we use it with cereal, fruit or just to eat plain.

 

I have often asked a child, "Do you have ants in your pants?"  when they were wiggling around.  Well, there are millions of ants here.  If you happen to walk through where they have their line of activity, you do get ants in your pants, and you move very quickly.  They also keep coming up to the verandah.  Someone said that they don't like what is in soap.  So we put laundry soap in water and pour it on the verandah.  I don't know if it is the ingredients in the soap or the fact that it drowns the ones where you pour the water. Either way it usually keeps them away for a few days!