Dry Season in Geita

We’re from Tennessee, a place with 4 distinct seasons. I love that about Tennessee and I miss it terribly. In Geita the seasons in the course of a year are supposed to go, rainy, dry, rainy, dry. I’m honestly still not sure exactly when each of these seasons is supposed to start, because every Tanzanian you ask seems to have a different opinion. One will say it’s not supposed to be raining and another will say that he’s worried the crops are all going to die because it is supposed to be raining. 

It's hard to photograph the dust, but here is one of my attempts.

In dry season the red Geita dust abounds, forming a cloud each time a car drives down the road that lasts for several minutes. The house gets more dusty (since we keep our windows open) and white clothes turn beige hanging on the line. Dry season means months without a single drop. The world around us turns brown. And then the clouds start to come. We have overcast days without a singe drop of rain. We watch the dark clouds blow in and then away without leaving us any of their liquid. And then it happens. One day the rain comes. Today we had several minutes of sprinkles, for the first time in months. The last rainy season was pitiful so we are more than ready for the next one. It probably won’t really get going until sometime between September and December, but every little drop brings hope and anticipation. It’s the cycle of life. The more dry seasons I experience here the more I appreciate the rain. I no longer wish the rain would go away and let my laundry dry. I savor every drop because I remember what dry season is like. I remember what a gift the rain is. Rainy season for us means that Carson doesn’t have to go and get water in the truck. (He goes three times a week during dry season.) It also brings cool mornings that feel like Fall and the sort of calm that makes me want to drink tea and take a nap.

In this picture you can see the tiny sprinkle droplets hitting our walkway.

*The dry season we’ve been experiencing isn’t the drought you’re hearing about in countries north of us. 

I wrote this post yesterday, but didn't get it posted. This morning we woke to slow rain which has now turned into- the bottom dropped out pouring with thunder to boot! Our tank is filling via the rain water collection system and Carson is sitting on the front porch eating Reese's cups, wearing a coat! It's a beautiful day in Geita!