Sunshine and rain, get 'em up get 'em up now!

When you last read your Peace Corps Volunteer's blog, he was fighting the evil chickens of Toucountouna.
*!BAM!*

*((POW))*
The evil chickens of Toucountouna mercilessly attacked and killed the helpless sprouts of the Peace Corps Volunteer's garden.

chickens: cock-a-doodle-ha-ha-ha-ha. we will eat you pathetic sprouts!

sprouts: nooooooo, help us Clay, help us. ggghhhuuuhgggggg.

So, I was pretty sad because Africa provides the perfect conditions in which to grow both cosmos and sunflowers. They can survive drought, need full sun all day and can thrive in poor soil. WOO WEST AFRICA!
I replanted to sunflower seeds and reminded the next-door neighbor boy to make sure the door to my gate is closed well. I had to leave post for 2 weeks for PCVL interviews--by the way, I got the position--and to design the stage for the new volunteers who will be here IN JUST 2 MONTHS!
I got back to post last, last Wednesday and......guess what!
All of my cosmo seeds sprouted. In 2 weeks, they grew so much and 4 of the sunflower sprouts survived and are already a foot tall! We got a pretty heavy rain last Tuesday night and I'm pretty sure all of my flowers grew inches overnight. I collected some white stones and outlined the areas where I planted flowers so my front yard has some semblance of beauty before bloom.
I replanted, again, 8 more sunflower seeds and am anxiously awaiting their arrival.
The gate stays firmly shut but I've noticed chickens don't come around as much anymore. I hope it's because they fear me.
A point of personal pride: Last Thursday, I invited the kids who live next to me (5 of them with no parents, the oldest about 15) into my yard to wonder at my garden. They were truly awed. I gave them a few sunflower seeds, helped them plant them, and taught them how to water them daily. They stand over their own little garden for hours everyday, inspecting the ground. It is perhaps the most heart-warming thing I have experienced here in Africa.

You may remember a photo of cattle walking by my house, I posted it a few months ago. Well they're back and with them comes a fresh supply of purely organic, all natural cow manure that I can spread around my flowers. I have my next-door neighbor boy collect it--he puts it in a carton for me with his bare hands :)

I haven't had my camera at post because it was the dry season and it worried me to have it sitting around at post. Soo, I don't have pictures. I promise I will get pictures of my flowers soon!