The first week back at home

Well we got home after being away for almost 2 months.  Our first attempt to come home ended about one and a half hours out of Phnom Penh with a busted head gasket and an empty radiator.  After pouring two 20 litre buckets of water into the radiator we made it back home and took the car to the proper Land Rover repair place where it stood in the company of mostly $100K to $200K valued cars while they repaired the hose (cause of the radiator water leaking out and the consequent busted head casket).  So, two days later, we attempted another return trip home and made it.  We visited our house in Kompong Thom where our neighbours have ponies whom Amelie and Jarrah visited.

Came home and the rains had filled up our water tanks.  Our generator has been giving trouble for a while before we left for the US and it had ruined our water pump and so the only water we had was rain water.  We fixed the pump or so we thought.  So we enjoyed the rain water for a few days till the rain stopped.  I enjoy the rain water because it doesn't leave with sediment when boiled like my pump water (making my tea gritty!) thinking that we could just install the pump and we'd be set.  So, it stopped raining and we tested be pump and it STILL didn't work.  So, after using water from our creek for a day (coloured water) or so in the hope it would rain again, we gave in and bought a cheap pump from the local hardware shop.  So, I was then set to do a weeks load of washing.  Started up my washing machine and after the first agitation cycle, noticed that the drain and spin wasn't working.  It just went Errrr, and a little Er, R, Er, R.  And then it started to smell.  So, we think maybe we burned up the engine a bit, maybe, I hope not.  But we'll take it to Phnom Penh anyway to see.  We need a new generator as ours is a bit worn out and it hasn't been giving out as much power as it should have which is possibly why the machine and the water pump have been giving trouble (running on low voltage).  Anyway this train of thought is getting too technical for me.  I did however do a load of handwashing today and it almost dried.  Did I write about the washing I have had hanging out for 4 days drying because of the rain... Wishing for a dryer, stable electricity or no rain.

On another topic, we started Amelie's new school year on Monday.  She has had a 2 month break from any school and it is not too much fun adding structure back into her playtime.  Ben has been home this week and also able to occupy Miss Jarrah while I've been trying to teach Amelie.  She has her own little workbook she thinks she is studying from which keeps her busy for a little while but when she realises that I am not giving her the desired attention she complains.  Anyway, we'll have to work something out with her.  She is getting easier as she gets older at least.  Right now, Amelie is learning her 3X table, reading a book called Seaman about a dog who was an important member of the Lewis and Clark expidition from Pennsylvania to Seattle (we had just traveled on some of their route, so relevant!) and finishing up her science from last year about the solar system and space.  She just started (today) washing the dishes again and has begun again to make her bed in the morning!  Khmer school starts next week but she'll be missing the first week as we are heading again to PP.

Apart from that, the girls are both still horse crazy.  Amelie and Jarrah were both given cowboy hats in the US and Amelie got some real cowboy boots for her birthday.  They have lassos here that their dad made for them.  We made some stick horses.  So they are running around swinging lassos and galloping.  Jarrah has perfected her neighing and winnying.  

A little girl came today with four baby rats especially for Amelie.  I have made it known that I will not lift a finger to keep them alive.  Ben is being a bit nicer about the whole thing.  Jarrah carried two of them around for a few hours today.  Later on, two were attacked by ants and died.  Another one just died (they weren't fed all day) and one is left.  Amelie is right now trying to syringe feed the last one.  Jarrah just said:

"Those rats are always getting dead." 

I hope so. 

We have caught about 14 chickens and sold about 11 of them.  We have a new income source.  I made chicken curry with the two we kept.  We have eggplant in the garden (yes, Liz, still) and cucumber and the string beans just ran out.  We have basil and Ben just fed me a spoonful of passionfruit. The wind blew and two dropped. If we don't get them right away, the deer get them.  The little squirrels sometimes make holes them and drop them so we don't get too many.  Ben is going to use his slingshot skills to get them down - they are about 10m up the tree that the vine climbed up. 

So that has been our week and a half.  It is the weekend now so have a nice weekend everyone.
Love Sharyn. 

The USA Part II

Hello again, just a few head tips needed this time.  Sorry.  We have pictures of the girls (Sierra and Amelie) in their blue dresses from Aunty Lisa (Jarrah only graced us with wearing it once) and I barely managed to picture.  We have Cindy the horse, ice cream and Aunty Jennifer's garden with Jorgi and Theo and Amelie's birthday party and cake and Amelie with her birthday present (size 4 cowboy boots), the plane ride and swimming in the lake, and hiking in the woods.