Weather or Not?

Here in Carolina it is HOT!!! No other word for it. Today's temperature prediction is 95- which means it will actually be a bit hotter...at least that's the way it usually goes in this part of the country. Not my best time of the year, summer...usually I languish, doing as little physical activity as possible, preferring instead to hydrate myself with lots & lots of water and iced herbal tea while reading from my never-ending stack of books-to-be-read. So why, you might ask, (as numbers of friends actually have) am I heading to Africa, of all places? Well, let me tell you just a little bit about where I'm headed...and perhaps we'll learn something together.

Since all three countries I'll be visiting are in the Southern Hemisphere, the up-coming solstice will actually be the beginning of their winter. That's right- winter. Of course, we're talking about countries either on or near the equator, this is not cold winter...actually, it will be quite warm- but warm is distinctly better than hot, in my book. Today, for example, the weather in Nairobi, Kenya, has been cloudy with scattered thunderstorms, high of 73 degrees and low 54. A bit warmer in Mwanza, Tanzania: 86 and 65, sunny and humid. And in Kigali, Rwanda: 82 and 53, sunny and pleasant. I also find it interesting that there are almost exactly 12 hours between sunrise and sunset, due to the nearness to the equator. And I doubt if I'll be catching any fireflies.

So...I'll be thinking about those of you baking in the 90+ temperatures of the American east coast, while I enjoy the "winter" of East Africa.