Such a February face

Why, what's the matter, 

That you have such a February face,

So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?

- Much Ado About Nothing

Living and traveling between the north and south hemispheres, one can lose the routine of her seasons.  Last year I had two winters and precisely 10 days of summer.  (Although- let's face it- June in Seattle really remains more of a drippy early spring.)

But this year I did it right; it's just summer upon summer, all the way down.  And if you're a fan of the sun, a Nairobi summer is really something special.  Last weekend, I was taking a leisurely walk home in shorts a flip flops, sipping some fresh mango-passion fruit juice, and was overtaken by the thought February!  It's so nice to finally make your acquaintance, after all these years of hiding indoors and under covers.  

Unfortunately, Nairobi's not the best city for outdoor activities.  Sure, there's Uhuru Park downtown and the arboretum, and Blankets & Wine comes around the first Sunday of every month.  But there aren't any really nice places to go for a stroll or sit under a shady tree with a book, so you sometimes need to get creative to get your fresh air.  Creative like attending a kite festival at the Ngong Racecourse.  Because, how better to spend a sunny Sunday?

And........ FLY!  

Or drag.

Airborne!  Note the floppy bear kite in the upper right quadrant.

It's a teddy eclipse of the sun.  

Note to anyone thinking about this event next time around, bring your own kite.  We came unprepared and had to borrow from strangers after our attempts to construct a kite from an NGO pamphlet and keychain lanyard proved ineffective.  

For those in need of a resource for random Nairobi recreation, I'd suggest Nairobi Now, which is a pretty good list of music and artistic events as well as outdoor happenings around town.  I also recommend Nairobi Day Trips, which offers excursions to all of the best places both in and around Nairobi.  

Such a February face, so full of warmth and sun and blue skies...