Morning walks

One of our favorite routines here has been to go for a walk around the neighborhood after breakfast. It's a great way to get out of the house and for Elliot to burn off some of his seemingly boundless supply of energy. We thought you might enjoy coming along with us to see the sights in our neighborhood.

We're just outside the gate and Elliot already has a rock in his shoe. Luckily, Mom is there to shake it out. This scene will be repeated at least three or four more times before we get back.

The rainy season has made the gulleys in the road even deeper than usual. It doesn't seem to keep people from using it as a "shortcut" though. At certain times of the day, this road is almost bumper-to-bumper!

Dusty and Elliot on the (relatively) nice section of the road.

Elliot's favorite spot on the walk - a large metal grate over an open gutter. When the tro-tros, taxis and other vehicles pass through here, it makes a huge clattering noise. Some days, we never make it past this point. I think he could stand alongside the road here and watch vehicles go by for hours.

More deep gulleys. It's especially interesting to watch two vehicles try to negotiate this stretch of road at the same time.

Finally, to the pavement - and it's off to the races! Elliot knows cars drive on the road and people stay on the sidewalk, and he (mostly) adheres to this rule.

Elliot's new friend, Paul. He's only four months old, but they get along great - as long as Mom only holds the baby when I'm also holding him. Yes, Elliot is pointing at Paul's "pee-pee". Luckily, he hasn't showered me with it yet, so we get along great too.

Elliot has a seat on the sidewalk. I'm pretty sure this is his way of reminding us who is in charge of setting the pace on our walks.

Back to the top of the hill and our very busy roundabout. Elliot begrudgingly allows himself to be carried through this stretch because of all the cars. And because it means we're almost to his second-favorite part of the walk.

Elliot's second-favorite stop, the Shell Shop, where his "ladies" always have treats for him. It has also become Mom's favorite stop, ever since I discovered their inventory of ice cold Coke Light (Diet Coke).

Next stop, the bread ladies, where we get fresh bread in the morning. Elliot is carrying our goodies from the Shell Shop, including a bag of frozen chocolate milk (the one in his mouth) that one of the Shell employees gave him. He doesn't even care that it's not open. And he's not sharing with anyone.

A blue (Blue! Blue! Blue!) tro-tro heads up the street. It's great that they come in so many colors. Who needs flash cards when you have tro-tros?

Almost home! The last leg of the walk takes us through a used car lot, where there are many more opportunities to point out colors. If I had used a wide-angle lens, you would see that our compound wall is on their left.

Thanks for coming along with us on our morning walk. The whole excursion can take upwards of an hour, between Elliot's slow walking and fascination with all things colorful. I hope you enjoyed it!