Give Us Some Rain

One of the worst droughts in recent history is taking place right now in Namibia. The wet season is just about here and we have our fingers crossed for rain each day. There are a few reasons why rain needs to go ahead and show up before I leave here. First, Namibia is dry as can be right now and you can tell just by looking around at the plants. It is pretty brown around here, but if the rains were to hit then it would quickly turn to a lush green. Being able to see a healthy and well watered Namibia from the top of Leopard Hill would be a beautiful contrast to what you can see from up there now. Second reason would be, I want the animals here to flourish. As you drive through the bush you see eland that have become too weak to go on and gave up by the sides of roads to die, and warthog piglets are skinny as some of the staff here have ever seen. The fauna here just is not doing well. They need some good rains to form water holes and replenish the plant life so that they can begin to thrive again. Last reason is, when the rains come so do the insects. One insect in particular is the termite. Large termite mounds riddle the wild, and when the rains come these mounds become active in one big event. Termites pour out of there mounds after the first rain with wings that they have developed and have been waiting to use. Within the day that they have emerged from their towers, they lose their wings and are again forced to walk along the ground. So many termites come out and lose their wings at this time that the ground is said to have gained a wing carpet over night. This sounds like the kind of natural occurrence that someone only has one chance to see in their lifetime, so the rains better come quick so that I can see it.