Letter # 64 - December 20, 1978

This letter is being written from Kamiendor. We have been here for the last two weeks, and will be spending Christmas here. Therefore, I guess that I have to write at least this one letter before we get back to Freetown, to let you know that we are still here.

We received your letter written Nov 20 just before we left Freetown. Keep sending your letters to the Peace Corps office address, because I have more chance to pick up my mail there than any place else.

We got through the wedding phase with about 60 leones in debt, so we came up to Kamiendor to save money. It worked. When we reach Freetown again, we will have saved up enough to pay off all our debts.

This is dry season now. The Kamiendor road has dried out, and the transport costs have come back down to their dry season lows. Work on my water system hasn't started yet for this season. We are waiting for delivery of more materials, and they are waiting the betterment of the road. Therefore, during these past few weeks I have been out with my workers fixing the road on Kamiendor hill. We are almost done fixing the road, all 30% grade of it. The hill is passable now that it has a smooth surface, even though it is so steep. We took out all of the stones, dug gutters on either side, and filled the center with the dirt and packed it down good. The road we fixed is the old road. The new route that I surveyed last year, they won't start construction on until the bulldozer arrives, which won't be until at least the dry season after this.

I enjoy getting out and using a pick and shovel, but Diana doesn't really go for it too much. She doesn't like the way that my clothes always get so dirty, and the fact that I work like a "jackass" on this road that isn't "my work".

We forgot to tell you all "Merry Christmas" in the last letter, and so now you will have to settle for a late greeting. Also a "Happy New Year" is extended to you. Again, like last year, Kamiendor will be full-up for the Christmas season. Last year, Christmas coincided with the 40-day ceremony of the death of the chief's driver. It was a big event because the man had lots of family in town and was well liked. This year they have had the death of the chiefdom speaker. His 40 days are up, and they celebrated at that time, but they now want to have an even bigger celebration for him this Christmas time. People started coming yesterday, and today the place should be crowded until after Christmas. Just about every house in Kamiendor has a room that has been vacated and arranged to house visitors during this next week. People will be doubling and tripling and quadrupling up in their beds, to make room for everyone. Again, this will be the event of the year.

How was the Christmas rush this year? How far did the traffic back up on Stevens Creek while waiting for the light at Winchester? Remembering all of that traffic and all of the crowds of people make me feel glad that I am over here and not there.

Leftovers -

• I've lost all the weight that I gained while we were home. Diana is still where she was when we left there.
• I embroidered "Diana" on the hat that Carolyn gave to Diana. Now it matches my own "Donny" hat.
• We won't know about the wedding pictures until we get back to Freetown. You will have to wait until then.
• Diana beat me very badly at Rummy yesterday. I was only 15 points behind (22,275 to 22,260), the closest that I have been in the last 13,000 points. Just 6 hands later, the score was 23,065 to 22,555. She beat me badly each of those hands for a total of 495 points more than me. I told her I would never play Rummy with her again. At the least, it meant the end of that game.

Love,
Donny and Diana