New rabbit is a mother, just not a very good one


We thought that the new female rabbit I recently got was pregnant.  Turns out she way and on Thursday she gave birth to three kits.  I think the proper term is she kindled three kits (kit short for kittens is the term used for some reason).

She was not such a good mother as she had the three on the wire cage bottom rather than in the nest box with straw and sawdust.  She was not that great about building a nest – so I did that as well as I transferred them to the box.  She is supposed to pull her hair out from her stomach or I’m supposed to do it for her, but that does not seem to be working either.  Hopefully she can nurse them well.

Oh well, this is such a learning experience.

 
Three kits moving to much to get a good picture with my phone


Picture of the colony that I helped another farmer start.  He know has about 20 rabbits

Getting the computers ready


On Friday I spent some time working to get some of the computers ready to use to teach programming as well as clean up some virus problems.   I’ll continue the work on Monday.  I’m starting the introduction to programming class Monday after school.  I’m taking 10 boys and 10 girls from form 3 on Monday and Wednesday along with an equal number from form 2 after school on Tuesday and Thursday for the classes.

I need to load and install Scratch – which is rather small and loads rather quickly.  However, as there have been some viruses and worms on at least one computer due to USB drives I have more work to do to avoid spreading an infection.  USB transmitted viruses is very common in Ghana – take your drive to get a picture printed or lend your drive to someone and likely as not it will become infected.

Running a full virus scan takes some time but not as long as loading Rachel and associated content.  This is the way I will provide some browser based intranet content for the students to use and to see how to navigate on the internet.

The software and content is about 20 Gb and from a USB it takes basically all day to load one computer.  I’ve got 20 or so computers to load and only 2 sticks to use, but at least I have two.

My plan is to work on Monday to load all the computers with updated virus and USB scanners as well as Scratch so they will be ready for the students to use.  I’ll then go back and load Rachel over the next couple of weeks. 

I have a small wireless router that I brought from home, but I think setting up a network would be even more annoying.

Health


Back from Accra.  Had to be at the bus station at 6 for a 7 pm departure on Monday.  The bus took a new route and they stopped a couple of times to look of the engine with a smell of burning oil but made it safe to Nandom by 1 pm Tuesday.  Long trip.

I’m working on my shoulder exercises and using ear drops.  My shoulder seems to slowly be getting better.  I don’t know about my ears – but as I have a trip to Accra at the end of the month to have another checkup – I guess time will tell.

Ghana is having outbreak of pneumococcal meningitis so that means another shot for all volunteers.  We all got a meningitis vaccine at the start of service but I suppose that was for a different serogroup.  I presume they know what they are doing.

After multiple problems and complaints about the flu shots the doctors have decided to come to the more remote regions – so I’ve got a road trip to Wa next weekend – a piece a cake trip of under 3 hours once the tro tro fills.  I have to be there on Saturday – so I will not miss school and should be able to go and come on the same day.  I hope it works out.

Love always,

John

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