Right now, it is surprisingly green and there are quite a few trees, mostly spiny acacia trees. Currently as we drive to the health centers, there is pale green grass stretching away under the trees, and occasionally a large puddle oasis, but I´m told that in a month or two, it will be mostly sand and the lake\puddles will disapear. The real desert is many hours by rough road north of hear. Right here, we are truly in the Sahel.
Despite the hot dry conditions, I planted a garden. Okay, a small one, but seeds in the ground nonetheless. A vendor down the street actually gave me a handful of seeds that I don´t know what they are. I put them on a wet napkin one night to see if they germinated. Well! Funny that I should wonder- within 12 hours they had all broken their seed coat and pushed out a small sprout! And within 3 days in the sandy ground, they were standing an inch tall and green and sturdy with two leaves! They were miles ahead of my collard greens and savory, which were timidly showing green in this new environment.
I still don´t know what kind of plants they are, but i am eager to see because...they are all I have left. One bitter night, the grasshoppers came through and mowed down my baby garden despite the protection of a shade basket. However, they left the local seeds alone. I´m told that the plant, that I suspect it is, has a bitter leaf and is edible, but not very palatable.
On vera. We'll see. If nothing else, perhaps they will grow quickly enough to be a Christmas tree in December :)
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