The weather...

Last night was the first time that I have flown here under a full moon and it was, as it always is, an enchanting experience to watch the world slide by bathed in moonlight 3 miles below . The monochrome of the endless miles of savanna giving way to the ghostly white pools of the massive Makgadikgadi salt flats. Two tiny clusters of lights marking the Orapa diamond mine and the Sua salt mine were the only evidence of human habitation for hundreds of miles as we plowed through a completely cloudless sky. It had been a different story just a few nights earlier. Matt and I had just lifted off Francistown, having dropped off our patient, and were climbing towards Gabs when a brilliant white flash lit the horizon right off our nose. "What was that?" we said in unison. It sort of looked like lightening but that was highly unlikely this time of year."Maybe they are blasting at the Jwaneng mine," I suggested. We looked at each other and shrugged just as another flash strobed right where the first had been....and then another 30 degrees to the left....and then another 15 degrees to the right. "Boy, that sure looks like lightening to me," Matt said. I grunted in agreement and switched on the weather radar. It is generally accepted that there will be no or very very little rain from about June 1st through late October here but as the radar swept back and forth the telltale green blobs representing thunderstorms lingered on the screen. With the assistance of the radar, we were able to pick our way through what turned out to be a reasonably well organized line of thunderstorms and land without incident at Gabs.
That night I was awakened two seperate times by the rumble of thunder and the sound of heavy rain on the roof.
In truth, I think that has been the 4th rainfall that I can remember since June 1st which translates into a very wet winter so far. Things are still quite brown by Wisconsin standards but from what everyone tells me it is a veritable Garden of Eden here given the time of year.
As I said, it is winter here and in general the weather is quite cool. At night it can easily dip to freezing and during the day the temperatures typically range from 65-75 degrees F. It reminds me of early October weather back home and in general is quite pleasant. However, the houses here are unisulated, constructed of concrete and tile, and generally lack any sort of heating system. This translates into very cool indoor temperatures. I think the house is generally around 50 degrees in the morning, which makes it very difficult to climb out of bed. The cool weather also makes for a chilly motorcycle ride in in the morning. I made fun of Alysa for bringing some of her winter clothes. (After all we were moving to Africa.) I am now paying for my mockery by having to wear a hodgepodge of clothes including my only fleece, my rain jacket, and some hand-me-down leather gloves (that are too tight) just to survive the drive in the morning. And even then it usually takes at least two cups of tea to warm up after I arrive at the hangar.
At any rate, the weather ought to start to swing the other way sometime next month with things ramping up through September to the hottest months of October and November. Daytime temperatures could easily reach 120 degrees in that period before the rainy season arrives bringing some relief. No doubt, we will then groan and wish for the cool bliss of July. :-)