Time for Eating the News


Waiting for water to be turned on.


My Front Yard

One of the great things about living here at Olbalbal is the location of my house. The front yard is the place people from the neighborhood draw water and the front porch is twenty five feet from the water tap. Sitting on the porch, one is always assured of someone with whom to “eat the news”, since the Maasai of the area come to draw water here. The water is turned on, when available, from about ten in the morning till about one in the afternoon. People often come early to be first in line when the water to be turned on, so there are always plenty of people to talk to. I am trying to learn names but it is an uphill battle. I keep a small notebook with me for writing down names but once written down, I mostly don’t remember what faces the names belong to. I’m working on it.

As you see from the stacked up water containers in the pictures, sometimes the wait for water can be long. Often enough the water doesn’t come at all. High up in the hills, the spring is at the mercy of elephants and all kinds of other stuff looking for a drink. Frequently the pipes get kicked around or broken. This can mean no water for some days till the Ngorongoro conservation people get time to come and fix things.

4 thoughts on “Time for Eating the News”

  1. Olbalbal does sound like the perfect location.  Is the water turned on and off by the Ngorongoro conservation people?

  2. Yes Martha, there is a man in the village that trudges up the hill twice a day to turn the water on and off. He is very faithful and never seems to be late or to miss a day. His name is Sumuni, that is the name for a half a shilling coin. Olbalbal needs him to stay healthy

  3. I always enjoy your news letters. I am waiting for your book. Happy belated Birthday. Love the new format. Mary and Mel

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