Rainy Season, Rutted Roads, and a Root Canal

It's official: Rainy Season is here! The heavens poured forth rain for a good four hours this afternoon. Everything is so gorgeously green right now. I don't know if the trees necessarily got any greener, but at least they got all the dust washed off so they look really green now.

Lily enjoyed the first few drops of rain. Temperatures dropped 20-30 degrees F.

Bayo had a blood test done this morning. Result: typhoid. He immediately started taking an antibiotic for that. He has also had some tooth pain and sinus pain. We contacted our dentist via email. He told us to come on out, and he would see if he could figure out the problem. It's about an hour's drive to the dentist. I decided that we'd all go because Bayo was really in no condition to drive himself. I had the camera along so I asked Bayo to take a few shots here and there.

The dental clinic is run by a missionary dentist in a village outside of Jos. About 10 years ago the road was newly tarred, and it only took about 30 minutes to get there. The road has basically disintegrated now. I wasn't just hitting potholes; I was entering swimming pools!

I finally decided to drive like the locals: abandon what used to be the main road and drive on the dirt track on the side of the road. It's much faster!

There are many beautiful rock formations in the countryside.

Remember, this used to be a tarred road!

As we came back to Jos, we took photos so you can see that our city roads are actually quite good. This road leads into Jos.

This is one of our major roads through town.

This is a street in a residential part of town.

Bayo does have a sinus infection and will need to be treated for that along with the typhoid. The dentist also discovered that one of his front teeth is dead. Bayo was hit by a motorcycle many years ago, and the injury probably happened then. He will need a root canal.

It's Raining!!!

Today was a sweltering day...and now it's actually raining! What a sweet relief. I guess rainy season might be coming a little early this year.

Dry Season vs. Rainy Season

I really do miss the four seasons from the Upper Midwestern U.S.--autumn especially! I'll never forget the four delicious autumns I spent in picturesque northeastern Iowa. There's nothing better than a bike ride through the rolling hills between Decorah and Bluffton in October.

Just recently I realized that I have subconsciously decorated my living room and family room in autumn colors. We have nothing that comes close to autumn here--and I miss it!

In Nigeria, we basically have two seasons: dry and rainy. Here's a brief rundown of the pros and cons of both.

Dry Season (October-March)

Pros

• Towels actually dry before you use them again
• Clothes dry on the line within 30 min
• Bread doesn't mold quickly
• Can leave the umbrella at home for months
• Can leave the car window down
• Hair naturally straightens
• Internet rarely goes down (no lightning storms)
• Can buy the best vegetables for the cheapest prices--tomatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, lettuce
• Gorgeous flowering trees

Cons

• Lots of static electricity
• Dust everywhere--I can write my name in the dust on the dining table every morning
• Cracked heels
• Meningitis easily spreads
• Lack of water for many residents of the city
• Electricity becomes more erratic because there's not enough water to go over the dams
• Too cold (Nov/Dec--50-70 degrees) I know my Minn. friends are shaking their heads. :)
• Too hot (Feb/Mar--80-100 degrees)

Rainy Season (April-September)

Pros

• It's beautiful! Easily 20 shades of green vegetation!
• It's refreshing
• Love the sound of a rainstorm on a tin roof
• The sun still comes out every day--it only rains for 20 min to 2 hours usually
• We can collect rainwater
• If you leave a slice of bread out for 1 hour it's still bread and not toast
• Moderate temps--70-80

Cons

• Mud, mud, mud being tracked into the house
• Always have to leave the house with an umbrella--even when the sun is shining
• Dashing to bring the laundry in off the line
• Towels are still damp after 24 hours
• Internet connections occasionally go down during storms
• Sickly vegetables--it's just too wet

Near the end of each season, we eagerly await the change that is coming. A few months later, we are longing for the other season!