How the West Was Fun

Last weekend we got out of Jos for a special family western outing. We bought bandanas in the market (amazing what you can find here) and headed West~literally.

The sun was setting as we neared our destination~about 6:15 p.m. (Since we live just 10 degrees north of the equator, our days are basically 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. year round.)

We had great food throughout the weekend. For one meal we were served chicken enchiladas, tacos and Spanish rice. Now in our house, that would be three separate meals! Here's a shot of a little 'restaurant' the kids created outside. It always delights me how children can entertain themselves for hours with things they find in their surroundings.
We had a rodeo for the kids complete with bucking broncos (David won for his tenacity in hanging on to a bucking 7th grader!), barrel racing (scooters around cones), calf roping (see below) and a pony ride.


Later we took a hike up 'Boot Hill' to get a view of the countryside below. Beautiful place.



Check out those farms!


We call these formations the extinct volcanoes--who knows? There are no active volcanoes anywhere in Nigeria.

Not all of the time was scheduled. My friend brought her scissors and cape, and we just lined up ready to be 'sheared.' I'm sure she cut about 20 heads of hair that afternoon. She doesn't accept money, but she will take a Diet Coke if you have one handy!

One night we had a country music jamboree, loosely based on the old TV program Hee-Haw. Lots of good music and laughs. The highlight for me was a missionary/pastor who impersonated Elvis. I wish I had a photo for the blog, but I was dying with laughter--especially when he pulled a hairbrush out of his back pocket during his dance routine.

Lily enjoyed the show from her perch.


The next day the little kids enjoyed the slip 'n' slide.

The goat was just a natural part of the scenery.

We won't soon forget our trip to the West. A big thank you to those who planned the weekend. It was fun to do something different for awhile. It was also great to see how creative people can be.