Its been a while

Sorry folks about the radio silence. Life had suddenly gotten significantly busier for me which is good, no great, compared to the alternative. I have been a busy busy bee the past month.
I distributed roughly 4000 tree sacs and all but 300 have been filled by the person who ordered them! Also my limes sprouted which makes my day! Citrus is so difficult to grow and to have almost all of my sacs sprout is thrilling (outplanting and later battles with pests and sheep will be another story but let me bask in my happy glow.)
Myself and another volunteer have begun the scholarship process in the high school and the school has been extremely cooperative and motivated to give us information and time with the girls, especially since they have finals going on. The scholarship is the Michelle Sylvester Scholarship, which goes to the top 80 girls enrolled in high school for the entire country! There are so many qualified girls which makes the process (though labor intensive) that much more fulfilling. For those of you who want more information you can get info at the website: www.senegad.org
You can also watch Elle Travaille, Elle Vit, a Peace Corps Volunteer production which has been shown to audiences all over Western Africa to encourage discussion and consideration of gender development. It is on youtube.com, just type in the title.
Also we finally got our nets for distribution so I have been finalizing net counts and securing malaria data for comparison next year. Our community is distributing 1000 nets this rainy season!
We also just did our Regional Strategy meeting for Kolda which should help us develop goals that correspond to the Millenium Development Goals and help pinpoint areas where we can cross collaborate and develop projects. Its intense but I think it will actually be useful.
Other than that I have been biking like a mad girl (which now that is regularly 110 degrees at least, I think it is correct in saying my brain is cooking all of the common sense out of head). In the last week I logged over 100K on my bike (mostly through back and forth rides to Dabo, one two long rides out to villages that umber 30k in round trip mileage). I think I have calluses on my butt. My relationship with my bike is a love-hate-but mostly love relationship. It allows me to get my work done and without I would be limited to a terrifying degree. I ride it so much that I have busted it 3 times in the last two months. I ruined a thorn proof inter-tube, loosened the back axel, wore threw the back brakes, and stripped two screws on the back tire. I am trying alot harder to be careful but man I will know how to fix my bike. I can change the tire, tighten brakes, and take apart the back tire. Little things I did not know that I know now because if I don't I would be screwed in the case something happens when I am out by myself in the bush. Dehydration is no joke and there have been a few moments where I didn't pay attention to my body and have gone into this stupor where I don't sweat, feel super lethargic and have trouble standing upright. Gotta be my own doctor here.
So everyone please be safe in America! Do not get swine flu! Wash your hands!!
And also I think I should mention this because it thrills the heck out of me, one of my best friends, the marvelous, talented, over motivated Colleen has been accepted into Peace Corps Mali and will be flying out to West Africa in July! We're practically neighbors! (seperated by a rather shady border and inconsistent transportation.)
Michigan is invading Africa!