Wades on a Mission: March 2015

Monday, March 9, 2015

Ghana Independence Day

Black Star Square

We ventured forth with some of the missionary couples to the celebration of Ghana Independence day, March 6th. Fifty-eight years since Ghana got its independence from Great Britain. Much has happened to the country in that 58 years and most of it, according to the locals, is not for the better. Jerry John Rawlings "liberated" the country in a military coup in the 70's and his protege, John Mahama is in charge until 2016.

Rawlings

Mahama

This kind of a display is foreign to our usual celebrations. We all felt like we were witnessing the Chinese or the Russians. The marching is that straight leg, straight arm movement that we associate with those countries. So foreign to see young children in school uniforms marching like they were part of the military and then having to stand in the Ghana sun for over an hour at parade rest. Some of those young people had to be carried off on stretchers. The heat was brutal, even though you will see clouds.

If you don't close the tail gate then one of the official photographers falls out. So much for that photo op.

Mahama drove through and inspected the children.

Lighting the Eternal Flame

You have seen the strength of the country and the color of the Central Region. We didn't need to go to Mardi Gras. The stilt walkers were amazing, not only dancing on their stilts but bending down and doing squats and all kinds of things. The first time I saw one bend I thought that he was falling. What control and what strength in their thighs. It was fun.

Below some of the crowd and my favorites are always the vendors and you'll see the entrance of some of the regional royalty entering with drums, an umbrella over the king or queen and even bringing in the royal chair.

Let's finish off with the band. Loved the drum major but the band's footwork needed a little work, actually all the groups could have benefited from some practice in that area but it was a good day to celebrate with our 100,000 "closest" friends. How often in life does one get these opportunities?

Sunday, March 1, 2015

For Cordon and Cameron

Agama Lizards

From Wikipedia

An agama is any one of the various small, long-tailed, insectivorous lizards of the genus Agama. The genus Agama is composed of at least 37 species found across Africa, where they are the most common lizard.^{[citation needed]} They can be found in many sizes, from 12.5 to 30 cm (5 in. to 1 ft.) in length and a wide variety of colours. One of the best known species is Agama agama, widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. For Eurasian agamaids, see the genus Laudakia.

Agamas originally lived in forest and bush across Africa, but have since adapted to live in villages and compounds where their habitat has been cleared. They live inside the thatch of huts and other small spaces, emerging only to feed. If caught out in the open, agamas are able to run quickly on their hind legs to reach shelter. The desert agama can still be found in the dry areas of North Africa. Despite their name, they avoid bare sand.^[1]

Agamas are active during the day and are often found scampering around to snatch up their favorite foods. They can tolerate greater temperatures than most reptiles, but in the afternoon when temperatures reach around 38°C (100°F) they will settle into the shade and wait for it to cool. Frequent fighting breaks out between males; such fighting involves a lot of bobbing and weaving in an attempt to scare the opponent. If it comes to blows, they lash out with their tails and threaten each other with open jaws. Many older males have broken tails as a result of such fights. Females may sometimes chase and fight one another, while hatchlings mimic the adults in preparation for their future.

I have taken the pictures at various locations.