Hello from Lesotho! Sometimes when you live on the roof of Africa you're in the clouds. We've been more or less socked in for the last three days, but only after a patch of perfect spring weather. Lynn's flower projects are bringing big smiles to all who visit our Farmer Training Center. The secret ingredient: chicken manure Her roses are covered in blossoms in ten different shades. The mixed flower beds are 'stop and stare' beautiful, especially the bright red poppies. We have our new students mowing and weedwacking our sizable lawns and they're learning to handle this machinery carefully and with a certain precision. Our D.A.O. (district supervisor for the Ministry of agriculture) dropped by Friday and was generous is his praise for the many, many hours Lynn devotes to gardening and landscaping here at the cente. One of the most powerful tools Peace Corps Volunteers have at their disposal is to teach and lead by example. It's fun!

We are both so proud to see our recent graduates starting their new small businesses. Even in Lesotho the problems, while on a smaller scale, aren't so different from what we face daily in business the U.S. One or my carpenters showed up with a long face the other day. Tiohang has jobs, but is having difficulty getting materials to his distant site. Together we bought lumber and pressboard and paint, etc. and then negotiated the materials onto the roof of one of the long haul buses that leave Qacha's Nek several times a day. Two bo-ausi (young women) checked in to report their restaurant is up and running (we've seen it) , but their landlord wants them out now that they've proved their business model, so he can start his own restaurant. Ouch. This is why we have contracts. Even if they have to move they'll do fine. Thabo and Leboning, our best cabinetmaking graduates, are already doing beautiful work. They've just completed a desk with drawers and lockable cabinets for our new computer center here at school where Lynn will teach. Visitors are impressed at the quality, something I've stressed daily for a year. They're proud, we're all proud. Glitch: it's taking forever to get electricity hooked up to their shop (paid for by the Canada Fund) and write a contract for their building. But it will happen over the new few weeks (be patient, PCV) and their first big job is to build fifty school desks for a nice profit. These young adults are seeing their life prospects improve before their eyes and we, and our co-workers, can't help but be excited with them.

So it's a skunky weather day. What to do to keep the spirit strong? Lynn and I ran our airport runway this morning in the rain. Hey, it's not a cold rain. We're sending out our Christmas mail, playing with our cat, reading, chatting. Happy. Cheers to all.

Eric & Lynn