Catching up on my blog

As I see from the date of my last blog, it’s been over a month since I’ve posted an update on our adventure. As per usual we’ve had a very busy and challenging month. The first challenge for me was the extreme hot weather that followed TC Winston. There was about 2 to 3 weeks of plus 35-degree weather with humidity over 80%, so it felt like over 40 degrees. I developed a heat rash over most of my torso that was very uncomfortable and made me not the most pleasant person to be with. Arthur earned his sainthood for sure.

The next challenge was extending our shelter and adding a water tank. Building materials are not readily available in our area so we’ve taken at least 3 trips to Labasa to buy lumber, nails, roofing tin, water tanks, plumbing supplies, etc. Oh for the convenience of a Home Hardware store! On one of those trips we brought back a kitten called Pepper. He’s been a great addition to our family. Bruno is trying hard to be friends but just doesn’t quite understand cat behaviour.

Our house is now liveable and we managed to move out of our tent before TC Zena hit Fiji on April 6, 2016. Zena was a category 3 cyclone which hit the southern islands in Fiji before moving onto Tonga. We had some strong winds but no further damage. Following Zena the weather changed with thankfully lower temperatures and lots and lots of rain. Arthur’s brother-in-law Tavutu informs us that hurricane season is now over. My poor iphone, which I’ve been using as a camera, did not survive the hurricane season having been bumped into a rain barrel. Until I can get it fixed there will be fewer pictures to post L.

We now have a 2000 liter water tank for collecting rainwater which should reduce the need to haul water from a spring down the road. As well it will mean I can wash laundry in my new cement washtubs instead of on the rocks in the river – a major improvement!

In the midst of all this work on the house, Arthur experienced a significant health challenge. He developed a boil on his knee. Normally an injection of antibiotics followed by a course of oral antibiotics clears up a boil within a week, but Arthur doesn’t like injections so of course did not go to see the doctor while we were in Labasa. The boil looked like it was healing but over night his knee swelled up and he started running a temperature. We caught the early morning bus to Nabouwalu and he was immediately admitted to the Nabouwalu Hospital and started on IV antibiotics. He spent 9 days in hospital and swears that the next time he gets a boil he’ll get the injection and take the oral meds. He’s doing well now. Many thanks to the doctors and nurses for the excellent care he received, and to the many visitors who made his stay more bearable.

Our next project on our plan is chickens. We put in an order for 30 laying chicks and 20 meat chicks mid March and had expected their delivery before the end of April. But today we were informed that we will not likely receive them until the second week in May – another lesson on Fiji time. I will be heading back to Vancouver at the beginning of June so this will not give me enough time to see the chicks through the first few weeks. Unfortunately since the chickens will be mostly my project, we are going to have to cancel our order and delay starting our chicken flock until I’m back in Fiji in July. Instead we will jump forward on our plan and start up several beehives which will be mostly Arthur’s project. He’s been studying up on bees for the past year and can’t wait to get started. Luckily one of his cousins is a master bee keeper and will be helping him set up his hives.