When you get bored.........make a zebra!

So here I am back in Zambia and finding myself having too much time on my hands.....
I could of course clean the back bedroom, go outside and make Benson remove all the plantings that really make no sense - he likes to put large bushy plants right next to, and even growing out of the middle of walkways - or even go to the gym and workout. But none of these options holds much interest for me.

The back bedroom with it's piles of chitenge, souvenirs, and sewing paraphernalia will always be there, Benson's total lack of logic when deciding where to plant makes my yard more African, and exercise is just plain boring. I was taking walks around the compound for exercise, but with the recent rabies scare don't really feel like making myself a target. Apparently the rabies is suspected to have started with a local dog (or dogs) entering the compound. Recently the guards at the gate have taken to just leaving the boom up. Like a boom gate would really keep out wandering dogs anyway.

Since I don't really feel like cleaning, gardening, or exercise, I have decided to make a life size concrete sculpture of a zebra. (What else is there to do?)

I went to the hardware store yesterday and bought wire to build the framework. I'm not really great a bending wire, but Benson's a champ, and the two of us do make a good team. I printed off a bunch of pictures of the zebra here on the compound, and with my direction, and Benson's labor I think that there's a chance that we can come up with something that resembles a zebra.

I have been reading, and have come up with a formula that consists of 3 parts sand to 1 part concrete. Apparently you build a wire framework, stuff it with newspaper, then cover it in chicken wire. After that you apply two coats of concrete waiting about 30 minutes between coats. The hardest part seems to be making the wire frame, and I've got Benson the master wire bender for that part.

Who knows, if the zebra pans out, I might attempt a giraffe next..............