Slashers!
on Mark Stephens (Zambia), 25/Feb/2011 09:12, 34 days ago
No, this isn’t a review of a new Hollywood horror film nor a commentary on vandals destroying tires. Rather, it’s a brief reflection on another observation of life in Petauke with the passing seasons. Ample and generally regular rainfall during the early rainy season months helped to to bring early ripening maize to harvest, and dense growth of herbaceous plants along roadsides and even in the formerly dry and dusty area around our house. The main method of addressing excessive growth of grasses and other plants in unwanted areas is“slashing” by hand with a tool that’s somewhere between a scythe and a pitching wedge (golf club).Slashing vegetation in our front yardWhen I tried it in our front yard, it brought guffaws from all observers and resulted in very little effective slashing. We were fortunate to receive assistance from staff at the adjacent Nyika Motel and later behind the house from some of the younger neighbors. It’s a lot more difficult than it looks! The helpers were rewarded with snacks, cookies and refreshments, a small price for keeping our yard from being completely overgrown.