house pics

Here's a few pictures of our place in Yaounde. We hired Isaac (that's
his red car) to cut the grass, and he also nailed some wire to the
planks that bridge the gutter on the street outside, so that they would
not be stolen for firewood. Loyal dog Villa was outside, and I managed
to get a picture of her when she wasn't jumping on me. The tank is an
extra water supply, connected to the city pipe, that kicks in if the
city supply cuts off. It's elevated to provide some pressure. There's
even a basketball court, and a concrete barbecue off in the far corner
of the yard, but they're not in working condition. And there's a swamp
behind the backyard, so we have a moat.

Our moat, the swamp. No dragons, but the undergrowth in there is too thick to see into or traverse, so there may be some small or very discreet ones in there somewhere.

Basketball hoop and BBQ, from earlier residents. The court surface has been ruined by a tree root, so it hasn't been used in awhile. Ray claims to plan on refurbishing both when he returns in the summer. It's no loss for us; I don't play basketball, and Ann prefers vegetables.

The bookaroo, or perhaps boukarou. A concrete gazebo with a Gilligan's Island roof. It looks dark but is actually light and comfortable inside, brighter than the house during the day, with a great view of the neighborhood and a nice breeze. I plan to spend more time in there doing things like drinking coffee and reading.

The in-law/dependance unit, with a freshly-cut lawn in front.

Bridge repair with additional theft-prevention security measures. Thanks, Isaac!

The house, Isaac's car, fresh-cut lawn.

Villa, another theft-prevention measure.

Home security, Yaounde style.

Water supply, in case the city cuts its own for a long time.