Giant Bean

Now I know where the story of 'Jack and the Bean Stock' came from!  Look at the size of that bean!  It's stock must reach up to the clouds.  Well actually, I have seen the plant and it is climbing a pretty tall pole and I guess some mornings it is in the clouds (just depends how low the clouds are).  They actually call it a snake bean with good reason I guess.  Sam the little boy who's family this came from is actually scared of them, that may have something to do with its name and that his mom doesn't want him picking them.
I think it will be a one bean dinner coming up!
Mel for the Marshes  

A Down Day

Today was a down day.  They don't happen very often here.  My hair stayed down all day!!  Usually by mid-morning it is up in a ponytail or something.  Today has been cool, windy, and rainy all day.  This also meant that my laundry came in off the line this evening still wet, I guess we can't have everything.
Jay's day for the most part was pretty down as well.  He had to hang out on the ground here until just about noon waiting for a hole to try and sneak out.  He finally got away hoping to get at least some of the program finished, however some of his weather reporters were more optimistic than reality, and half way out for his first run he had to turn back due to weather.
Jay came home and snuggled up for a hug and commented that he was 'almost' feeling chilly.  I commented that it was feeling like Alberta, that was when Jay pointed out that it was 26 degrees still.  
I guess our cold tolerance is down too, as I write this my toes are cold!
Mel for the Marshes

Look Who's 13!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KALEB!!

Hard to believe the boy is a teenager, it just kind of creeps up on you!  He is thrilled and had a serious counting down the days until there would be a teenager in the house.  It is amazing to look back and see how much he has grown in the last couple of years.  For now he is still shorter than I am but I am not sure for how much longer.  I will just stop feeding him, that should work, except he would then be way to grumpy to live with!
As you can see instead of cake for his birthday we did a recreation of Tim Hortons and had donuts, Tim bits and all.  He had been begging for a while to make them, so I made a mountain of them, vanilla glazed and cinnamon sugar, I was contemplating trying to make boston cream but chickened out in the end.  We had some friends over and devoured way to many donuts (they really are only good the first day).    

Feeling a little older, maybe it was all the donuts!!
Mel from the Marshes

Transformation

This is one of my new favorite flowers.  It is called a frangipani.  Previous to moving to PNG I had no idea of it's existence.  Yes; we have discovered many things both big and small.

This particular frangipani is even more special though because I planted it and watched it grow.  It came from a remote airstrip in the form of a stick.  I was told just put it in the ground and it will grow.  Now you may be a little sceptical and I was once as well, but I have had a few experiences with PNG sticks to know that they can do extraordinary things.

I have tried several times now to plant tomatoes, to no avail as of yet.  However I have succeeded in growing some very leafy sticks.  I prepared my planters by drilling holes in the bottom of a bucket; placed a layer of gravel down to ensure good drainage, mixed some compost and sand into the soil to improve its composition and maybe its disposition; started my tomatoes in little planters and made sure they were growing well; transplanted them into the planters and staked them up with some 'dead' sticks I found over the bank.  I was very hopeful as I watched my tomatoes grow.  Sadly over time, instead of grow, they began to wilt and shrivel but in there place the sticks began to sprout leaves!  I still had greenery in my pot unfortunately for me not the kind that grows big fat juicy tomatoes, maybe I am just not meant to grow tomatoes here.

This stick experience however gave me great hope for the flowering stick.  And what do you know; not long after poking it into the ground green leaves began to sprout and now a few months later it has been transformed from a stick in the mud to a plant of delicate beauty!

I was thinking maybe that is what the Lord is up to with me also.  Transforming me from a stick in the mud to a thing of beauty.  I am not to sure where we are in the process but I think that may depend on the day and how much time I stop to receive his nourishment and blessing.

Mel for the Marshes

BUGS!

Ahhhh!  Carter you have something on your head!   Check out that beetle!  Okay that isn't where we found it but Carter was a good sport about pretending.  He could seriously do some damage with the pincers he has!
There are many bugs in PNG some like this and some of the smaller more invisible kind that are ultimately more scary.  Right now one of those microscopic pests is a little to close for comfort.  In just the last week cholera has been found in the Western Province and is now in the two towns either side of us.
What does this mean for us?  It requires that we get serious about hygiene.  Washing hands, not sharing water bottles and food....  The hospital is also getting ready should treatment become a requirement here in Rumginae.  Jay also has lots to think of and a responsibility when transferring people from place to place, that he is not spreading it.
One thing I know, a lot of bleach is going to be consumed to help keep the bugs at bay and we pray that this little pest that can cause a monstrous problem will be contained and flushed out quickly. (sorry no pun intended)
Mel for the Marshes  

Gone to the Birds!

Well this week our house has certainly gone to the birds.  We had been on the look out for a bird to have as a pet and last Friday he found us.  A lady came to our house selling a Black Capped Lory. He is very colourful, affectionate and very noisy.  We did not have the cage ready yet for him so that meant he was in the house.  It was a crash course on keeping a bird, what they need to eat, how to get him to stop squawking, how to paper train, and how to get your bird to talk.  I think we have our work cut out for us.
 The boys have been on poop duty and I think we may now run short of toilet paper as a result, he goes a lot.  Who knew one little bird could manufacture such a mess!  The veggie order from Hagen now includes a bundle of out of date papers for cage liners and who knows there may end up being a stack by the loo as well.
This weekend we were able to finish his cage so he now has a place of his own out on the deck and seems to be much happier and quiet.  He still kicks up a bit of a fuss when we get to close because he wants to have a pet and a scratch, but I guess that is better than squawking the whole time he isn't getting attention.

It is pretty neat for the boys to get a cuddle from a bird.  He loves to sit up on their shoulder and nibble on their ears and groom their hair!
Oh I must not forget to mention his name is Yogi.  He got his name because he is a yoga master!  He has got all the moves and has way more balance than I will ever have.
Mel for the Marshes

Don't Touch!

Don't touch!  That is exactly what Jay heard the other day while out fishing, to bad the instruction came a little to late.  Jay had the opportunity to get out on the Fly river to try his hand at reeling in a big one, while he enjoyed himself, he didn't catch the big one, but learned a big lesson (a little bit the hard way).
Finding his hook stuck in the weeds after a cast he stuck his hand in to see if he could free it, just too late, one of the national men that was fishing with him said "don't touch that plant it is poisonous!" After Jay quickly removed his hand John Timothy went about removing Jay's hook for him.
Nothing more was thought of it until the next evening when a blister began to form on his hand and what he had originally thought was a bit of a sun burn began to get worse!  Over the next few days the area of his hand that had just brushed up against the leaves in the river became very inflamed, blistery and sore.

Jay's hand after a few days of healing

We were feeling badly about what the other gentleman's hand must look like,  however when Jay saw him later in the week he was unscathed.  It helps to know what you are doing, he had avoided the leaves and only touched the stem.

Puts new meaning in the expression, "being rubbed the wrong way"!

Mel for the Marshes