Storms, Birds, Weather and Work

STORMS

I could hardly believe the storms we had last night, first it got dark really fast, and I could hear the kids in the street screaming (with delight) as a sand storm hit us with a fury. You couldn’t' see anything, it was almost like being buried alive in the dunes, then after about an hour of that excitement with sand everywhere, a heavy rain storm made a total mess of the city spreading garbage, sand and mud everywhere.  Newly formed rivers flowed down the street and the cows sought higher perches to get out of the flow.  One was on my front step leaning against my outer wall looking quite miserable. But the air was cleaning up and cooling down.  When that storm subsided, an non-stop horizontal lightening storm began for about three hours. Just was just amazing and quiet.  Only a few rumbles of thunder off in the distance, but there was no thunder from these flashes, just a wonderful fast action display.  All the while, my neighbours had invited me for dinner and we sat on the roof watching the lightening eating chapattis and aloo (potatoes). But as it was so nice and cool after the storm, I slept on the roof and fell asleep watching the last streaks of lightening.

 

BIRD UPDATE

I came home to find a baby bird, fully formed, on the floor in the house.  As I approached it, it tried to fly but was not quite up to it yet.  So I tried to cradle it in my hands to put it outside with it’s parents, who were wildly chirping away.  I was not about to take over that role. I wasn’t able to catch it but did  gently get it onto the front patio and there I left it with Mom and Dad.  I haven’t heard any other sounds from the nest inside, so I guess there was only one bird up there, or one that made it.

 

WEATHER CHANGES

So I’m told that now, after the last two months of mid 40’s temperatures, we will have a change of weather: sand storms and rain.  This may last a month, but the rain will continue for a while, when the temperatures will go down to some reasonable levels.  In the winter months, December and January the night temperatures can go down to zero I’m told. So I can hardly wait, maybe I will get to wear my winter clothes.

 

WORK PROGRESS

My basic overview is just about finished now as I settle down to writing my notes and doing my analysis.  I learnt quite a lot from the staff interviews I did and from interviews with some outside Indian NGO consultants.  I have also been letting the administration know of my findings and where I’m going with my proposal both to test the waters of their reactions, which seems favourable to some degree, and to make sure they are not going to be surprised by my comments.  Although there will be some surprises.  My report is due August 1 and I told SURE that if they implemented my suggestions I would stay on to train and mentor as needed.