Here are some photos of people around these parts:
Tag Archives: photography
conservation agriculture and spitting cobras
I might as well start with the most interesting photo, though I won’t actually tell you about the spitting cobra until later in the post (skip to there, I suppose, if you’re anxious)….
I spent a couple of days this last week in Mwakiwasha village. [You guys are familiar with Mwakiwasha village; we did a couple of photo tours there a while back: mwanza to mwakiwasha and a visit in mwakiwasha village.] The whole family went out Monday, mostly just to greet everyone, though we also worked out some dates for vaccinating chickens, harvesting rice, and having the interns stay a few days. It was Harper’s first village visit ever, and our friends were very happy to meet her.
Yesterday, though, my visit was for some farm work. Continue reading
Filed under agriculture, farming, just photos, living in africa
brett’s morning blend (19apr12)
Yeah, it’s been a while. But I’m here now. And I caught you these delicious links: Continue reading
Filed under morning blend
brett’s morning blend (16feb12)
Grab your coffee and enjoy the links.
The Importance of Roughhousing With Your Kids
This just in from The Art of Manliness blog: good fathers wrestle with their kids. It’s really beneficial to their development, guys. Go on, put your kid in a headlock. Continue reading
Filed under morning blend
baby born in a truck and a photo essay of geita
A couple of blog posts worth reading, which are nearer to me than — and therefore not relegated to — a morning blend post. There’s no real theme here, unless we want to call it “missionary life in East Africa?”
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From my friend, Bobby Garner, who works in Uganda.
A Baby Was Born In My Land Rover Today
An excerpt:
“Approaching the hospital, Tappe told us the baby had crowned. Actually it was more like, “He’s about to fall”. My response was, “Absolutely not!” Tappe’s next words were “He fell!” Ronald and I simultaneously looked on the floor for a baby. We didn’t see one. Then we noticed a baby on the seat as Tappe hovered above. Ronald quickly scooped the little boy up. The baby let out a gurgled cry.”
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And from Duane and Jenny Dixon, who are adopting a cute little girl from Ethiopia and, as a result, were able to visit Carson and Holly last week here in Geita. They took a lot of great photos of Geita, the surrounding areas, and of some of our neighbors. [And if you look backwards on their blog a post or two, you can see pictures of their beautiful little girl, Selah. They actually passed court while in Geita.]
My favorite photo of the many:
jude mcneal and a friend
And I just happened to notice that Jude’s friend in the photo isn’t wearing any pants, but is wearing a very strategically placed button-up shirt under his jacket. Then I noticed that in all of these pictures, this little boy happens to be covered up with great care. For example:
yep, the photographer must've been quite the pro
Filed under just photos, living in africa, tanzania
brett’s morning blend (09jun11)
Nathan Bierma explains the difference between being “free to” and being “free from,” and why that difference is important to Christians.
Salvation, Archie Marshall, and Larry Brown
An analogy of salvation from a basketball story (and a true one at that).
I always enjoy what Brant Hansen has to say. And he, like me, does not tithe. Here, he explains why. Why he doesn’t tithe, that is — he doesn’t list my own reasons, the chiefest of which is that tithing is how the government gets your name and information for jury duty.
Understanding Congress’s Solution to the Federal Deficit Problem
“We have a family that is spending $38,200 per year. The family’s income is $21,700 per year. The family adds $16,500 in credit card debt every year in order to pay its bills. After a long and difficult debate among family members, keeping in mind that it was not going to be possible to borrow $16,500 every year forever, the parents and children agreed that a $380/year premium cable subscription could be terminated. So now the family will have to borrow only $16,120 per year.”
If you’re looking for the perfect Father’s Day gift, you need look no longer.
15 Examples of First World Problems
A funny little photo essay to remind us how blessed we are — okay, maybe that wasn’t the author’s purpose. But it should remind you of how blessed you are. Though, to be completely honest, some of the list just makes me miss the U.S. all the more. Like…
- “I took such a long shower this morning that the hot water ran out.”
- “My local deli sliced my meat at 1 rather than 1/2, and now my sandwiches are too tall.”
Mark Twain called this book perfect. English As She Is Spoke was an accidental comedy masterpiece. It was intended to be an English phrase book, but was translated using a Portuguese to French text and then a French to English one. The end result is quite funny.
An entire blog devoted to being a satire of “creative” photography. It’s no longer being updated, but is easily good for a couple of laughs.
Powered by Google, this site’s pretty impressive. Especially if you enjoy walking through art museums.
Filed under morning blend
brett’s morning blend (13may11)
Application, Application, Application
A short but significant reminder to put into practice the words of God.
The Seven Deadly Sins in chart form to show what happens when they “crossbreed.”
7 Things You Didn’t Realize You’re Doing All Wrong
You should breathe into your stomach, you should squat while pooping, and a list of five other things you’re not doing correctly.
Time-Lapse Photography at the Touch of a Mouse
Use your mouse to control the sun. [That's kind of a funny sentence.]
360-Degree Reverse Photography
Since we’re on the subject of photography, these images are pretty remarkable.
Any fans of Bottle Rocket in the house? There’s got to be. This awesome fan-site has recreated Dignan’s 50-year plan for all to read. The larger site is worth looking at as well. And if you’ve not seen the movie, you’re really missing out.
“One morning, over at Elizabeth’s beach house, she asked me if I’d rather go water-skiing or lay out. And I realized that not only did I not want to answer THAT question, but I never wanted to answer another water-sports question, or see any of these people again for the rest of my life.”
If you’re a fan of linguistics, you’ll really enjoy this site. If you’ve ever wondered what percentage of Americans pronounce mayonnaise like you do, you’ll enjoy this site. If you say “vinegar and oil” instead of “oil and vinegar,” you’re definitely in the minority. And if you don’t call it a firefly or a lightning bug — but instead a “peenie wallie” — then you are just plain strange (and probably from Wisconsin).
Filed under just thinking, morning blend
baylor’s easter (and a few other days)
It’s Easter Sunday, and we’ve just returned home from a day with the church in Kasilo village. I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow (lots of photos to download) — but today I thought I’d catch everyone up on what Baylor’s been doing lately. So here are some pics of our little girl. And Happy Easter!
baylor made a new friend at kasilo village today. and last week she learned to shrug her shoulders and to go'on and brush'em off (but we have no video of that just yet).
baylor with a village bicycle
baylor in a crockpot (which is not plugged in). sorry for the nudity.
baylor with crazy hair, eating a bell pepper
baylor with our friend carley (also a harrison -- no relation), who came to visit all the way from dar
baylor hanging out with the cooks in the kitchen
dirty baylor playing with an old bicycle tire... and with a girl in a VERY green easter dress
angry baylor in front of a pharmacy
wild and crazy baylor in front of a pharmacy
baylor about 30 seconds into the trip home from a long day in the village
Filed under family, just photos
rave run: the mountains of geita, tanzania
A thriving metropolis, Geita, Tanzania is not.* Though opportunities for running do abound. We’ve got a single paved road and lots of dirt roads, bicycle paths, and goat trails. They pass from town to country, over mountains and through forests.
One day a week I run the mountains behind our house. And because of Janie’s incessant whining I thought it might be interesting to some of you, I’m posting photos from this morning’s run.
starting the journey up the mountain -- the road in front of our house
It takes five minutes or so of running to get to the trailhead. So my “warmup” is past my neighbors’ houses and gardens, waving hellos and shouting greetings to those I see.
mining for gravel and a city water reservoir
Any run in Geita is going to teach you at least a little about the culture and lives of many Tanzanians. Above is a photo of a family mining for gravel. It sells for $35-40 per small dump truck load… if you’ve got your own dump truck. Also in the photo is a large water reservoir which is meant to supply a third of Geita with its water. [Did I tell you guys we haven't received city water since July of last year?]
the beginning of the trail up the mountain
It takes me 15-17 minutes to climb the roughly 1000 feet from my house to the top of the mountain.
loose rocks make for slow going during much of the climb
My GPS watch measures the distance to be almost exactly a mile from my house to the top of the mountain. And the peak — more like a ridge — sits at nearly 5300 feet above sea level (just about a mile).
on top of the mountain
These mountains are technically part of a Tanzanian national forest. For that reason, there are some wild animals around. On this particular run I saw two olive baboons and a vervet monkey. I wasn’t fast enough, though, to get photos of any of them. Sorry, guys. I let you down.
the mountain opposite ours -- damage from deforestation, mining, and the accompanying erosion
Although the area is a national forest, it isn’t exactly treated as such. Trees are being cut down for firewood and charcoal. Gravel is being mined. Pits are being dug in order to harvest mud for brick-making (and that too requires firewood). All of these activities are illegal inside the national forest, but a few small bribes in the right pockets go a long way in turning the heads of those with power.
the view from the top -- geita's "lake"
the other view from the top -- geita town proper (you can see our huge catholic cathedral off in the distance)
There’s not a whole lot to the town of Geita. We’re told we have a population of anywhere from 50,000 to 200,000. It’s hard to tell which is the more accurate number; neither figure seems correct when looking at the town’s infrastructure.
cattle cooling off in the near-permanent mudhole on top of the mountain
The Sukuma people are famous for their cows. And the above cows are some of the finest in Geita. Not many farmers take their cattle to the mountaintop — I can imagine it’s tough to get them up there — so the grazing seems to be particularly good. There’s also plenty of water for them to drink except during the driest of seasons.
residue of the booming (and illegal) charcoal industry
There are a lot of trails up and down the mountain, and nearly just as many on top. I get lost during about half my runs. But remembering which side of the mountain I’m supposed to go down is all that’s really important. Down is always down — one side goes home, and the other not so much.
the terrain changes constantly throughout my runs — from smooth dirt trails…
...to gravel and rocks...
...to high grass, thick brush, and snakes?
Admittedly, this last photo wasn’t taken on a well-traveled trail. But it is how I get to a particular rock I like to climb above the main spring on this side of the mountain.
the view coming down
The views are pretty spectacular considering that during this run I was never more than about 2 miles from our house.
from the thick canopy of trees nearest the main spring in the mountain
It’s also nice that there still remains a few areas with large trees and a canopy providing good shade. This is also where the vervet monkeys hang out.
illegal brick-making: this is where they dig, form, bake, and sell -- the entire process
The photo above was taken on future Neema House property. For those of you who don’t know, Neema House is our team’s planned care center for orphaned children and broken families. The property sits about a mile up the hill from our house, just before the mountain turns steep.
looking back on the mountain -- the spring is in that darkest green section
If any of you are ever in the neighborhood, and want to go for a run… let me know. You’re more than welcome. Really. And I’ll make you some great coffee and better-than-average pancakes.
* Although technically Geita is a metropolis: the capital or chief city of a country or region.
Filed under running, tanzania, updates from geita
conversation in a village church: fishers of (wo)men?!
Waiting for lunch one afternoon in Bulyahelu village, I was sitting with a group of men in their shack of a church building. Somehow the conversation turned to fishing (Lake Victoria is nearby), and I was privy to a disagreement concerning the different species of fish in the lake. After some discussion, one of the church elders said, “Let’s ask Brett; he probably knows.”
All eyes turned to me, as I was expected to settle their dispute. Each man leaned in, eyebrows furled — not in anger, but in eager anticipation — as the elder asked, “Brett, are there 17 kinds of fish? Or 18?”
At first I was confused. I quickly considered the possible options: In Lake Victoria? In Tanzania? In the world? None of the possibilities allowed for such a small number, so I asked, “In the world?”
“Yes, in all the world. We know there are tilapia, Nile perch, catfish…” – they began to name the 17 they’d apparently agreed on.
Now… I didn’t know how many types of fish there are in the world; I hated to even venture a guess. Though I knew it was surely in the thousands (I’ve since looked it up: 31,900 species*). I decided that, to these Sukuma men, thousands were not much different than hundreds — and I might seem more believable if I used a smaller number. [Is it ever right to lie?] So I responded with, “I think there are more than 500 kinds of fish.”
Eyes grew wide and bodies leaned backwards in unison, as if there’d been an explosion in the center of our little circle. I felt I should justify my answer… and give them a good excuse for not knowing so many fish existed in the world. So I began explaining that usually ponds have the least number of fish species. And that lakes and rivers have more. But in the ocean — something none of them have ever seen – “In the ocean there are more kinds of fish than you could ever imagine,” I stated in my best exaggerated children’s storybook voice.
church building at bulyahelu -- not the exact group of people in this story, but the location and day
That’s when talk turned to Dar es Salaam and how the Tanzanians on the coast probably see lots of fish not in Lake Victoria. “And they’ll eat any kind of fish they catch. They don’t care; they eat anything!” one of the men cried out, almost in disgust.
Another older man was deep in thought. He wanted to know if people in Dar ate this one particular kind of fish that he’d seen only in pictures. He began to describe it:
“Well, these fish are really big — the size of a person! And they look like any other fish on the bottom half… with tails and scales and everything else. But at the top — up top they’ve got a woman’s head and lady boobies!”
I didn’t say a word. And fortunately no one asked me for clarification on that one.
the church building at bulyahelu and one of the elders. i'm taller than him. boo-yah!
* Or so says Wikipedia.
Filed under just photos, living in africa, slightly humorous or amusing?, tanzania
