So…I suspect that this is why it has taken me 5 weeks to realize that I have a "slice of heaven" a stone's throw from my backdoor. For some reason, I thought that there was nothing behind my house. It didn't seem to lead anywhere and I rarely saw people walk that way. But one day I needed bread and Hapti volunteered to go with me. We exited the compound…I turned right (my usual route) and he turned left. I'm glad I followed because what I found to the left was beautiful.
Not more than a minutes walk from my backdoor was a wide-open space bordered on one side by a sluggish little creek, decorated by a forest of spindly trees, and "day-camp" to hundreds of cattle and sheep. It turns out that my house is next to the community grazing grounds. I love to visit at dusk just as the sky turns a brilliant shade of violet and the herders come to escort their motley assortment of sheep and cattle home for the night. I'm so glad that I turned left today!
A note about the pictures: There are so many interesting people that I encounter that I would love to photograph. Their faces tell a story that cannot be told with words. More often than not, though, I hesitate to ask. The presence of a camera changes people. This man, however, approached me and kindly asked in Amharic if I would take his photo. He read my mind as I was dying to take his picture. He was precious. He asked if I would prefer his hat on or off and was so eager to see his image on my tiny little display. He did not "ham it up" for the camera and I feel that I succeeded in capturing his essence—a man who has a lifetime of experience, one who is humble, yet still proud and most important… resilient. On a side note…the stack that you see in the background is made of manure patties, which are shaped, laid in the sun to dry and used then for fuel.
