Journal 10

Tony and I have decided to stay a couple of days with the Sequoias. Their leader Xu has graciously invited us to spend as much time as we wanted here provided with help with the chores. Tony is out hunting with the boys. Xu’s wife Palesa gave him a grocery list of things to bring back for dinner. Palesa was very insistent that Xu find everything that was on the list.

I have been sitting around most of the day. I did help prepare breakfast and wash the dishes. This gang has a large number of toddlers and smaller children. I am amazed their infant survival rate is so high. A large majority of the women here look as if they are pregnant and couple of them look as if they were about to give birth any day now.

Xu’s wife Palesa already has two children, and it looks as if she is going to have another. I like Palesa she has a sense of humor and an incredibly cheerful disposition. I asked Palesa if it is hard raising her children out here in the wilderness. Palesa assured me that it was quite simple. This is amazing because I have seen at least a dozen girls have babies back home since the virus and only two of them delivered babies that survived more than a week. Aleece is one of those babies. I hope Aleece and her mom Casey are safe and happy somewhere. Aleece must be getting very big by now. I wonder if she is crawling yet.