Up a Pole

A storm is brewing as I was leaving work today, but some eager beavers were up the cellar tower mask doing maintenance. Eish being up a pole in face of brewing storm clouds is not a job for any acrophobic people such as myself. Well I don’t fear heights but have a respect for it knowing that I bounce as well as I can fly and lightning is not friendly here.

Not out of the Woods

Poor Jade, she is not out of the woods yet. A couple of weeks back Jade my smallest Italian Greyhound broke her leg. The vets operated on her, reset the bones and put in a titanium plate to keep it in place. Now this morning we found a small bump forming but luckily today was her weekly vet visit. The vets discovered that Jade has gotten herself an infection in her leg. Hopefully we caught it in time as the vets cleaned out the newly developed wound and put Jade back onto antibiotics.

Matthew at Rest

Sundays is a day of rest and with not much happening, we are doing our best to make the most of the relaxing as we can. It is school holidays and Matthew is making the most of his down time as you can see here in his relaxing pose in front of the computer.

Big Fat Mama

Just off our patio we have this beautiful female seven banded legged golden orb web spider. Seven well because she has only seven legs, maybe a lucky escape from a bird. She is a big fat mama of a spider, about 10cm in diameter. Compare this amazon to her mate, a male banded legged golden orb web spider just above her on the edge of her web. Interesting the size difference, I suppose any bigger male would be dinner. At least it is good to know this tiny male is aiming big.

These are beautiful spiders, not sure how the venom affects humans but I’ll keep my distance thank you very much. They spin a golden sticky web up to 2 metres between trees to catch the night insects so that she can fill her pantry.

Splash of Colour

The autumn daises are abounding in many gardens along with the cosmos in the wild velds. A splash of colour brings beauty in the dull browns of a coming winter.

Dancing with Mama Dorothy Masuku

Would you believe it if told you that I was pulled up onto the stage in front of a live audience and danced with Mama Africa? Yes the legendary Mama Dorothy Masuku as she sang her song Khauleza. Hurry Mama hurry, the police are coming, hurry hide the umqombothi. At first I was afraid, I was petrified! Couldn’t think at all, like a rabbit in the headlights, at 79 years of age Mama Dorothy took me by the hand and showed me that white men can dance. Must have been only minutes but it felt like hours, Khauleza mama, I danced like I never danced before. In that moment I was too star struck to think that there now may be photographs of me in the wild, dancing, oh what a skandaal! Oh never mind just bring me some more umqombothi as I don’t think I am in Kansas any more.

We celebrated with Victor Masondo as his concert 21 Songs for 21 Years of Democracy opened at Joburg Theatre tonight. Icons of the South African music brought us the rich culture of music that we have here in South Africa. I think the umqombothi and dancing is getting to me as I can’t remember all the names of the stars who performed tonight but some big stars walked onto the stage tonight, names that are hard not to forget, my favourite Johnny Clegg, our own Stevie Wonder the legendary Steve Kekana, and even Kurt Darren.

Now bring me some more umqombothi as the SA Idols winner Tumi Lesejane sings some Brenda Fassie songs.

Keboletseng Sophy

What is in a name? All names have meanings and when a child is born, the name given has a special meaning or memory to the parents naming the child. Keboletseng or as she introduced herself to me as Sophy, has been our charlady here at eKayaMedia for about a month now since Jane was moved up to Human Resources. She is pleasant to be around and is does an excellent job in keeping our offices clean.

I love words and meanings to names but struggle to pronounce them properly and usually murder people's name in my feeble attempt to use them. Keboletseng would normally introduce herself either as Sophy or Maki which is her nickname. Keboletseng is a Tswana mid-sentence name which means "...why did I speak..." In other words it is a word that comes out of a sentence and cannot stand alone other than if it is used as a person's name.

As for Maki, all I can get from an internet search is that Maki is either a Finnish or Japanese name or as Noma is quoted "it is not our fault that the Bantu education didn't allow us to put our names onto Google". Maki is most likely a shortened name similar to how Noma is shortened from Nomangaliso. By the way Nomangaliso means "Miracle" as her parents were expecting a boy and they were blessed with a daughter instead. For those who want to know, my name means "Holy", wow although I am far from holy, it would be good to know that you lived up to your name.

Mama Sophy is Keboletseng's Anglicised name for us English speaking South Africans. It is a good name as Sophy is derived from Sophia which means "Wisdom". And of course my first Vespa was called Sophia.

Days like These

With the days getting shorter, all the animals are getting prepared for winter. The bees are stocking up on honey while the bushbuck are fattening up for the lean months. It is days like these, that stretch out the month. Life goes on even when it starts to blur around my peripheral.

And today has been one of those days that should have had a warning label. On days like this, it is okay if I quietly sit in the garden, watch the bees and the birds go by and just simply breathe.

Monday Rise and Shine

Ohhhh what a beautiful sunrise to wake up to on a Monday morning. The days are getting shorter and the mornings a bit chillier. With the mist creeping ever closer, winter is coming!

Our Italian Greyhounds are tucked up in bed still and won’t rise until the sun has fully risen and shining down. In the meanwhile our cats eagerly await the first rays of the sun. Here is Shammy and Princess on the patio enthusiastically waiting for the sun’s heat to warm their little bodies.

Greta and Dave

Ah they can say you can choose your friends but not you family but I don’t mind having Greta and Dave as part of my family even though it is through marriage. I bump into both of them regularly at Bryanston Bible Church where we catch up on family news.

Knolly Tree Trunk

Knolly is what I like to call this tree trunk or what others might call knobbly or even lumpy. I am not sure if knolly is the right word but who cares, English is an evolving language which I am at the forefront making new words up.

The bark of this tree is not as beautiful as my favourite fever tree. This tree is scaly, ugly but in a beautiful way that only a mother will love.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Picking up Jade after another week at the vet was exciting although the vet said they will make a call on Monday to see if Jade needs to come in for another week of rest and confinement. A few weeks back Jade broke her leg and the vet had to put in a plate to hold her thin leg bones together.

Jade's confinement is not in the sense of prison, okay sort of but I want to think of it more of a doggy day care. Confinement where Jade is not allowed to run as is the nature of an Italian Greyhound. She loves to run like there is no tomorrow and then sleep as if she never has a care in the world. Yes early in the evening, Jade fell into an exhausted sleep. Normally at this time she is all perky and in your face, I'd say let sleeping dogs lie.

3000th Post

Here are my team mates at eKayaMedia gathered together to wish me all the best on my 3000th post. In the front row, left to right is myself Jerome, Kabelo, Noma, Paballo, Sandra, Calvin, Des, and Ernest. At back is Johan, Ilana, Mpho, Ella, Xolani, Mkuseli, Philip, Bridget, Lawrence, Wayne, Viandre, and Jacques. Below are the three special children Rob, Velile, and Gillis, who couldn't make the group photo. Thank you everyone who participated in this 3000th blog post.

Wow to reach 3000 posts on this blog has been something of a ride. What do you expect with all ups and downs of over eight years of a blog post per day till now? It’s nostalgic looking back through all my posts. Some bring a smile to my face, and some make my eyes all teary, but such are these 2999 memories woven into the fabric of what I call a sorry excuse of my life. And now I have one more which takes it up to 3000.

Every one of these 3000 moments are precious to me even the broken pieces when my days were dark as the light, the joy of life just overwhelms everything else. Someone once said that a photograph can be an instant of life captured for eternity that will never cease looking back at you.

Please feel free to browse through all my life posts, right back to the start in January 2007. Yes one day I’ll look back on all this and smile because it was life and I decided to live it.

It’s behind me, isn’t it?

For the second time in this week that Jade found something stalking behind her. Last Saturday it was the kitten, this time it is a large nasty chicken. This is Jade's it’s behind me, isn't it look, moments before that beak came down. Oh well might as well pull a tongue while I am at it.

Ouch Jade, a chicken? That is an ostrich not a chicken, no wonder it wants to peck you for calling her an overgrown chicken. Maybe it is because Jade's supper yesterday had a bit more fire than what it said on the label. Last night I cooked a not so hot sweet chilli chicken dish in the oven and served it on a bed of fried rice. Uhmmm very tasty if I say so myself. Anyway Jade managed to get into the bowl of remainder sweet chilli chicken source and licked the bowl clean.

During the evening she woke me up with whimpering, so I took her outside so she could relieve herself but she went straight for the outside water bowl and drank and drank lots of water. This repeated itself two times more. Even the inside cat's water bowl was drained. With all the water that Jade was drinking, I thought she would need the toilet often but no all Jade wanted was water. Poor thing, the sweet chilli chicken wasn't too spicy but her tummy must have complained.

So hence this morning Jade had forgotten her sense of humour and called this ostrich a big overgrown neanderthal of a chicken. I wonder if she can outrun that ostrich with her one leg still in bandages.

Welcome Continues

And the welcomes back continues from yesterday. Here are finger licking Philip and cross armed Rob visiting Ella, on her second day back in the office. She has only been away for just over a week and this is the welcome that she continues to receive.

Oh well this too shall pass and I better start looking for other subjects to use in my blog. And not to forget that on Thursday I need to come up with an awesome blog post for it will be my 3000 post. Not to put me under any pressure but any ideas?

Knee Arthroscopy

Welcome back Ella, I pray that you have a speedy recovery from your knee operation.

Peoples are traipsing through of our offices to come welcome Ella back after she had been booked off for over a week recovering from a knee arthroscopy procedure. It sound so painless but the reports back from Ella is that she wouldn’t wish it on her worse enemy, now that’s how painful it was.

Here is Jacques and Wayne welcoming Ella back and listening to the horrors of getting an arthroscope and tiny surgical tools inserted into the knee, urggh.

Save Your Kisses for Me

The old song, "Save your kisses for me" is appropriate when Podge met his old owner after a long time. Anthony, my brother along with his wife Helene, came for a braai at our home. Podge used to be his and called Orion at the time but Anthony had to give him up when he got married because their new home did not allow animals. So Orion came to us.

Orion was overweight when he arrived to stay with us and hence his name changed to Podge. As you can see Podge is ecstatic to see Anthony again and showered him with kisses.

Cat got your Tail?

Jade looked at us with these big "It is behind me, isn't it?" eyes as Princess crouched and then slowly inched forward toward the white tip of Jade's tail swishing on the bed. I slowly reached for my cellphone with the camera which was on my bedside table. Jade my Italian Greyhound was about to get pounced upon by Princess kitten.

"Oh no! I can't bear to look" trembled Jade but the paw came down and trapped the white tipped tail. Poor Jade, all she could do was snuggle closer to us just to get as far away from the kitten as possible. "Maybe , just maybe, if I squeeze my eyes shut, it won't see me and go away."

Yay Friday

Friday couldn't have come any sooner as this week has been long and very busy with trips to the vet twice every day and half staffed at work. Time didn't stand still as two of my idols were taken from us. Leonard Nimoy was beamed up and yesterday Terry Pratchett took Death's arm as he went for his appointment in Samarra.

If was difficult to find time to take photos yet there was opportunities all around but the time thieves were out and about. Take this small peacock feather just lying on the grass crying out "Pick me! Pick me!" yet I didn't have a strawberry handy for the tortoise.

"There is no doubt that being human is incredibly difficult and cannot be mastered in one lifetime." - Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time

The Ant and the Food Bloggers

Once upon a time, in a kingdom not unlike ours, there was an ant who loved to write. With the pen being mightier than the sword, he set off to find his fame and fortune.

Whoooa, so what is this all about, an ant and the food bloggers. Well nothing of course but I remember as a young teenager my friends and I used to make these make believe stories about kingdoms far far away where we used to escape as the heroes of our wild imaginations. Those were the days where the worries of this world seemed so far away. And now dark grey clouds are threatening us on all sides. Where is the ray of sunshine to pierce the dark heaviness of my heart? Where is my saviour to rescue me from this world that looms all around me? My heart cries out!

Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a fairy, hand in hand.
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

During lunch time, while strolling up to the canteen through the lovely gardens here at Mogale Business Park, I was wondering what photograph to shoot for today's blog. I have already taken most of the employees who work with me and taken many of the animals and plants surrounding my office. I was busy strolling through the wild grasses running my hands through the heads of seeds and then it hit me, this would make a fascinating photo. While my head was in the grass so to speak, I noticed the ant. Perfect, a bit small but just there where he is supposed to be. All in its rightful place and time. Now is the time that I need a good macro lens.

Arriving at the canteen later than I wanted to, I found Kabelo and Lawrence trying their hand at food pax shots. I remember my time working at the late David Bruan’s Photographic Studio doing pax shot after pax shot on the light table for many a clients. Memories from a distant season.

And there you have it my wild imagination, memories, an ant on a stalk of seed grass, and the two aspiring food bloggers.

For he comes, the human child to the waters and the wild with a fairy, hand in hand from a world more full of weeping than he can understand.

Feisty Princess

I was asked the other day by Noma, how big is little Princess. Well to answer her, Princess has doubled in size since she last saw her and has become a feisty little kitten, ambushing her bigger cats as if they were merely tiny mice. Well all expect for Minky, Princess stays well clear of Minky as she takes no nonsense from any cat especially a scrap of a kitten like Princess.

Lynda is considering changing Princess’ name with all her bouncing around just like a Gummy Bear would and not how a princess should behave.

What to do with Jade?

Yesterday Jade, my smallest Italian Greyhound, must have twisted her recently patched up leg due to her over enthusiastic personality. So it is back to the crate for her. I had just cleaned and packed the crate away so that I can return it to its owner who kindly loaned it to me. Sigh, the vet has ordered strict bed rest for her which she can do very well as you can see. Mind you that is if there are people around her.

Jade hates being alone especially in a crate while I am at work. You should see the mess she leaves for me, no matter how many toys and snacks I leave for her. So the Lammermoor Veterinary Clinic has allowed me to drop off Jade while I am at work. Thank you, this should keep Jade's mind at rest while I try earn some money to pay for all her expenses.

Let the Week Begin

The week broke with a beautiful sunrise this morning after a relaxing weekend at home with Matthew, now back to the grindstone.

But an easy week it looks not. Oh dear I am starting to sound like Master Yoda. With more than half our New Media off sick, the start of the week doesn’t look promising. So the two of us holding the fort ran rugged, that end of the day we raised the ceasefire flag. Not surrender as we will never give up but just need a breather.

Dragging my feet back to Scarlet my Vespa GTS 300 Super, for the quick hop home, I found Johnny the Crowned Crane waiting for me by Scarlet. After a tired goodbye to Johnny I rode home only to find my day this day was not going to be put to bed that easily. Arriving home I found Jade limping with her newly repaired leg in the air.

Oh no, so now it was a rush to the vet. Thankfully, after xrays, we found that her plate was still in place but she must have twisted her leg somehow. So the vets immobilised her leg again and gave strict bed rest orders to Jade. Thou shall not jump! Thou shall not run! Oh dear how can an Italian Greyhound comply with those orders.

After getting back home I did a few chores then crashed on the bed, only to be woken from a deep sleep about an hour later with supper.

The Reed Dance

Getting lost amongst the labyrinth of pathways at the Misty Hills Country Hotel in Muldersdrift, we stumbled upon this pottery mural called The Reed Dance which was created by Chris Patton.

On our African safari at Misty Hills, this mural gave us quite a start. Like a surprising flock of hadidas. No don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t the beauty of the naked body depicted in art that gave us a surprise but the maleness of the faces depicted in the uMhlanga. This is supposed to be a rendition of the cultural celebration of young Zulu and Swazi women but I am now not sure what the artist was trying say with this piece.

Big Brother Cat

Little Princess is growing fast, once the runt of a litter of kittens, she is now at 3 months old the size of her siblings where 2 months ago.

Luckily she has a big brother watching over her, Tiger has taken it upon himself to toughen up the little scrap because this is a harsh tough world with other cats that are eager to poke her eyes out, to nasty dogs who bark at her, not to mention those nasty jackals who would love to add her to their smorgasbord of fast food.

So today is too miserable to play outside, so here I find Tiger and Princess who are inseparable, laying low on the patio out of the rain.

Kiss My Bass

Matthew and I went over to Gary and Anika's home to pick up a "Dying Light" poster and t-shirt for Matthew and at the same time admire the new gas stove that they installed. Well Gary's dad Derek, shown here with Gary had to do some kitchen remodelling just to fit this monster in. As you can see Oom Derek is wearing his "Kiss My Bass" t-shirt whereas logic leads us to believe that Gary is still in mourning as he refuses to remove his "Enter the Vulcan" t-shirt since Spock exited planet earth last Friday.

Now they will be cooking with gas and no Eskom incompetency will stop them having a warm meal every night. While getting my cellphone out to take this photo of a rare sighting of two men standing in a kitchen, I accidently triggered the camera to speed fire. Although most were blurry, this one below stood out above the rest. I'll think I should call it "Vulcan in Motion".