Landscape Gardening

We're going to be losing our large garden space soon because by July of next year we hope to have 2 new cottages and a school building in that field. I hope to write more about that in the next month or so.

In the meantime, we're trying to work with our reduced garden area. So, to that end, we are experimenting with landscape gardening. We're going to begin building raised beds all around and between the buildings where we can grow herbs and vegetables. We'll even plant peas and beans along fences and barriers to provide beauty and food.

We decided to do an herb garden first of all. This yard section is between our house and the dining/kitchen building. We still have our large garden for the next few months so we'll plant larger veggies there still.

We probably could have done a much lower bed but our large dogs keep thinking that these beds have been personally built for them. They love the cool dirt on these hot days. We filled the beds with river soil and compost. The plants are going to be so happy.
The bed runs east/west so it will get lovely sunshine all day.  

On Thursday we planted Roma tomatoes, basil and coriander (cilantro) in the center. On either side we planted lower-growing plants: lettuce, chives, leaks, spring onions, and parsley. In one corner we planted a chili pepper plant. 

Those were the only seeds available in our supermarket. When Tom goes to Lusaka he's going to try to get a few more herb seedlings that we will plant in and among the existing plants as we see how they go. I'm hoping for rosemary, thyme, oregano and mint.

I'm so impatient--I'm like a little kid now--I can't wait for green growth to appear. So far I've spotted 5 teeny tiny bits of green poking up. I can't wait to be able to mosey out of my kitchen door with a little basket to gather whatever herbs I desire for that day's meals.

Exactly One Year Ago: A Favorite Halloween Memory

Exactly Two Years Ago: Fab Friday Foto--A Stolen Snooze

Snakes, Crocs, and Scooby Doo Burgers

One of the best parts of our trip was being able to eat out. Living in a village in the African bush really makes you thankful for small blessings.

This was our pizza dinner at a nice Italian place. We had fried mozzarella sticks and foccacia as an appetizer and then split two large (medium by U.S standards) pizzas. We walked to another fast food place afterward for ice cream. It was wonderful to sit together and enjoy a yummy feast.


One of our outings was to the Kalimba Reptile Farm. It is located near the airport so we headed there after dropping the girls off there. We ordered lunch and everyone looked around while waiting for the food.
For the entry price (@ $4)it was a pretty good deal. There is a gift shop, a picnic area, places to do your own barbecue, playground equipment and a tiny wading pool. There were at least two school groups enjoying the facilities but it didn't seem too crowded.

Tom was so in his element wandering around, taking pictures, and asking questions of the very knowledgeable guide. Tom is planning to open our own reptile farm so he got plenty of ideas.

I was more than happy to sit in the nicely shaded picnic area rather than walk around looking at these guys. I don't do reptiles well at all.

Aside from the display area which is open to visitors they also have a farm where they raise crocodiles to sell the skin and the meat. They raise their own chickens for feeding the animals and also have other animals. It is quite a busy, industrious farm.

Lunch took an hour and a half to get to us by which time we were ready to eat the plastic tables and chairs and I even allowed the kids to eat ice cream before lunch when T.J began shaking from low blood sugar. When it finally reached us though it was very good. The chips (french fries--homestyle) were some of the best I've had in Zambia. Hunger really is the best sauce.

We ate crocodile burgers too. Well, Tom did and the kids shared another and declared it very good and close to a beef taste. We also ate barbecued chicken.


In the days and weeks leading up to the trip Tom had been telling the kids about a special hamburger they'd be able to eat. He called it a Scooby Doo burger. The real name is the Kilimanjaro burger found at the Kilimanjaro restaurant. This is a nice cafe type place with internet (including wi-fi) and lots of souvenirs for tourists.



We didn't think he could do it but Timmy managed to get his whole mouth around the burger.


It was downhill from there though. What a mess!

I decided not to get a burger choosing rather a steak wrap. Heaven! The portions were so large that we had plenty of leftovers to take home for dinner.

One of the blessings of staying at a hostel was that it had a self-catering kitchen where I was able to whip up a few leftovers for a light supper.


Another must do activity while in the 'big city' is going to the movies. Tom took the kids to see District 9. He watched that with T.J and Timmy while Jasmine and Troy watched G.I Joe.
A few nights later we all went and while the big boys watched Public Enemies, the rest of us watched The Proposal.
Our movie finished nearly an hour before the boys' did so we waited at a restaurant with outside seating. As a treat we ordered Jasmine and Troy a Strawberry Daquiri-less (meaning no alcohol).

I'm sure the -less does not stand for no calories. Look at the size of that thing! Yum!