The Cost of a Coconut

Mus and I got a-hankerin' for coconuts one day and- what do ya know! We had coconut trees in our yard. But that didn't mean the fruit was free...

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"The Cost of a Coconut"

First task in satisfying our coconut craving- go to the neighbor's house and borrow a ladder. Yusif was really instrumental in this.

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"The Cost of a Coconut"

Next we have to lean the ladder against the tree..

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"The Cost of a Coconut"

Everyone's gotta check to make sure it's positioned correctly.

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"The Cost of a Coconut"

Mus climbs up to get the booty.

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"The Cost of a Coconut"

Whoa!

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"The Cost of a Coconut"

It's not as easy at it looks, folks.

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"The Cost of a Coconut"

Mus starts to toss the coconuts down to us.

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"The Cost of a Coconut"

Sometimes Mus tossed the coconuts at us, as opposed to "to us." Nasia, brave soul that she is, hid behind her baby brother.

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"The Cost of a Coconut"

Man those coconuts were heavy!

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"The Cost of a Coconut"

Once we get the things down, we still gotta break into the little buggers!

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"The Cost of a Coconut"

Job well done, kid.

For the Love of Mangoes

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"For the Love of Mangoes"

We climbed up these stone steps to get up the bluff. Mus tells me that this tree is special and priests come here to perform rites and make sacrifices.

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"For the Love of Mangoes"

This huge mango tree was so sprawling and beautiful. I laid down beneath it and took pictures while Mus rustled around in the bushes, looking for fallen mangoes.

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"For the Love of Mangoes"

We met this awesome old man while we were walking around. Mus didn't know him personally before, but we had friends and acquaintances in common (not surprisingly, since Obo's a tiny village). He showed us his farm; he was a farmer by day, and worked as a security man at a local hotel at night.

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"For the Love of Mangoes"

This is his little campsite in his farm. Sometimes he sleeps out here, and he often prepares meals for himself here from the produce of his farm. He keeps a collection of utensils here for just such occasions.

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"For the Love of Mangoes"

He always hangs his backpack at the edge of his campsite on that little tree.

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"For the Love of Mangoes"

The path home

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"For the Love of Mangoes"

Mus's haul from the big mango tree. He's just a little excited.

From your album:
"For the Love of Mangoes"

I think mangoes are yummy, but I'm allergic, so he shared his bountiful harvest with the kids in the house