African Lawn Mower

This man is not practicing his golf swing

He is mowing the lawn.  This is the African lawn mower.  It looks like a putter, but on the bottom each edge has a sharp blade on each side that cuts the grass as he swings.  I think it takes the better part of the day to cut the grass.

On Saturday the Confirmation kids cut the grass at the church.  The church yard is much bigger than this house property, and kids spread out all over and in about an hour and half they have the grass cut.  Actually right now, since our big game day the grass is quite worn out and probably won't need to be cut again for quiet some time.

I'm always so impressed with the simplicity of tools here.  Gathering dried, long grasses together for brooms and bush knives that are used for everything and by young boys to old grandmothers.

The three people in this picture are the most gracious and humble people.  Peter, Emmanuel, and Mama Baby.  They work at the house we live in and they and whenever we say "thank you" to them they answer by saying "thank you."

On Thursday they were outside all working on the yard together.  Here they are standing in front of one of the gates around the yard.  These bushes form the gates for most people's property.  At first it doesn't seem all that these would be all that secure for protecting one's property.

Then I saw this.

Last Saturday, Emmanuel was out trimming the bushes/fence when one of the bush's thorns poked him. At first his hand throbbed so bad that he couldn't even move his fingers. Then later he gained his motion back, but his hand swelled up to twice the size.

He takes it all so graciously just smiling and continues his work with just the one good hand.

All this is to say that our house is secure, our African friends are both graceful and hearty, and there is a possibility that I will stop complaining about doing yard work when I return home.