Hold on Tight

Hold on tight, daddy, this year is already flying!

Yes it is just about March, which means we already near the end of the first quarter of the year. What happened to January and February? Anyways Minky is staying close to me.

Living on the Edge

Everyday now, I've been taking River Song for walks on the lead and I try take different routes to make it exciting for her. I think she is enjoying it. Today I walked the side of the gorge and took this photo facing north towards the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens which is downstream. It is there that the famous Black Eagle pair nest just 2km from where I am currently standing. Every now and then they drift up the gorge looking for food.

To the right off camera of course is my house at the edge of this beautiful area, and to the right also off camera is the deepest gorge in Gauteng, the Witpoortjie Kloof.

Walkies

Oh well, last week I started lead training with River Song, taking her on the lead for some walks around the neighbourhood. At first it was a very strange concept to be tired to the end of a lead and be constraint as to where to run to.

Walkies! I am starting to sound like Barbara Woodhouse, a TV animal behaviourist from the 8os. I am not sure if she is still around but I still remember her shrill voice "Walkies" and "siT" with the T nearly being spat out.

Now River Song is starting to enjoy her time with daddy on short walks, smelling new plants and side walks, and when a strange dog rushes her only to be stopped by a gate or fence, River Song hackles rise up and is instantly alert as she gives this low growl.

Next I need to get her socialising with other dogs other than her pack.

Anika

Teď se chystáme grilování, it is Anika's birthday, všechno nejlepší k narozeninám. I hope my Google translate is doing a good job as I can't speak Czech. Anyways happy days Anika, may you have a blessed year ahead, but before we get ahead of ourselves first we have to get through this awesome feast that both you and your hubby Gary have prepared for us, as I will now translate from Czech, nou gaan ons braai.

Kati

Eish it is quiet this time of month, between paydays with not much traffic through the doors. So here I am with Kati manning the showroom at Custom Couches while I update their digital platforms.

Shadow of Sycamore

From out the shadows of the fallen Sycamore tree in our front yard, are many cycads sprouting. It is as if the cycads have a new release on life in the warmth of the sun.

Our front garden looked like a disaster zone when we cut the large imposing tree down last year. Now after all the rains, life has started growing where there once was dirt. I still have to do something with this area but for now it is Friday, so let the weekend begin.

Cat in a Box

The Queen Pineapple, Rosy loves playing in boxes, and when one presented itself on the kitchen counter, it become a perfect opportunity to ambush other cats as they came closer to see what dad is cooking for supper.

Okay what is daddy cooking for supper, uhmmm chicken pie, meouw.

Anni Manika

Are you sitting down, Anni, shown behind Manika, doesn't like her photo taken but since tomorrow is her birthday and Manika whose birthday was yesterday twisted Anni's arm to pose in a joint birthday feast. So here is probably the only photo you will ever seen of Anni enjoying the birthday treats that she and Manika provided for us at BankservAfrica.

As we celebrated, the budget speech went out on all broadcast media, and all I can say we are in for some tough times as taxes are drastically increased. I am thinking I should draw up a basket list of monthly essential grocery items and price them from several supermarkets in the area to do a monthly report on where to go to still have your cake.

Hop Along

This morning either one of the cats or her cellphone tried to kill Lynda, as she took a nose dive down the stairs at the end of the passage and flew through the door into the bedroom. Lynda hurt her right foot quite badly in the fall, thankfully nothing was broken.

Not used to crutches, Lynda had to learn how to use them, as seen in this photo. Not sure quite how they fitted to her arms she battled to hop along. I was tempted to place a Learner sticker on her back as struggled to move around.

Dr House Calls

The Doctor does house calls. Yip Mark from ME Motorcycles, came round this afternoon to pick up my Vespa. Last Friday, I discovered a bulge on the rear tyre and I could not ride up to Pretoria to fetch Matthew. Now Mark has to come round, pick Scarlet up and get a new rear tyre fitted.

I must say Mark is looking very grey, ja boet, we all seem to be getting old lately.

New Water Meter

Wow, the Joburg Water has strange times. We reported a problem with our old water meter as how can we use R11,000 worth of water in 1 month without even a water leak. After reporting the leak, they sent out a team to check our water meter, they arrived just a little over 22h00 on a Saturday night. The lady foreman was barefeet and soaking wet. She said that she just came from a bad water leak that they just repaired and all her clothes are wet including her shoes.

After a visual inspection they said that there was nothing that they could see wrong with our meter and that if we wanted to get it tested, we had to pay R3,400 and the Joburg Water will take out the old meter, put in the new type of meter, which our entire street has except us, and have the old one tested.

We paid the amount to the City of Joburg and this Sunday afternoon they came and installed the new one, and took the old one away for testing.

Matthew and River Song

Wow River Song is getting bigger and bigger every day. She is currently eating daily the same amount my other 3 dogs ate in 3 days. The Italian Greyhounds used to pick their food, now they just watch River Song wolf down the food.

At 3 and a half months old, River Song has developed this deep bark, that even puts the neighbours Labrador to shame. In a way I am proud of her strong voice yet at the same time I am a little concerned that the neighbours might complain.

When Matthew came home from university, River Song was all over him.

Battle of the Bulge

Eish what more can happen? I needed to go up to Pretoria to fetch Matthew for the weekend with my Vespa since my pickup was still at the panel beaters, I got a SMS stating that my pickup was was now in the striping department after it was moved to this panel beater in Florida from my insurance company's yard.

Firstly I needed fuel and rode to the neareat petrol station but on the way I heard this doff doff sound which I wasn't too sure about. After fulling up I put the bike up on the centre stand and was revving up the engine trying to see where the sound was coming from, it was then that I saw the bulge in the rear tyre.

Oh no, just why me? well I can be ever so thankful that I heard the sound, investigated, and found what could be the problem before I hit the highway. Having a rear wheel blow out on a bike at speed is like riding a wild fish. Not as deadly as having the front tyre go but it shakes so much that all you can do is hold on and somehow slow down while avoiding any obstacles like cars. This has happened a few times to me while riding my Vespa but thank the Lord, that it didn't happen again. Now to somehow get money for a new rear tyre.

Give me strength to say "It is well with my soul".

Hunting for Orchids

The other day I was thinking about this extremely endangered orchid, the Brachycorythis conica subsp. transvaalensis or better known as the Albertina Sisulu orchid. How do we get better public awareness of this small ground orchid. I was already doing social media for the Proteadal Conservation Association which is trying to protect the area where the last remaining orchids are found from scrupulous developers. And the answer was more social and mainstream media champions.

This orchid has a name, Albertina Sisulu, a political name yet a name none the less and I thought about my friend Jedidjah who runs a website, "I have a Name - This is my story" and has a very successful social following. So I contacted her and she was keen to come out and see the rare orchid, it would sure put a different spin on "I have a name". I also invited another friend, Heather from the 2Summers fame.

This morning it started raining and sadly Heather pulled out, hopefully she can come another day. I phoned Jedidjah to see if she also wanted to postpone but she was still keen. I said to her that we would have to hike just over a kilometre in the on/off rain unless we had a 4x4 and then we could get closer. She answered that she is driving a 4x4 so it was all systems go.

We got about a third of the way when the dirt track became very clay like so we abandoned the 4x4 and continued on foot. By the time we got to the orchid I was soaked through to the skin and Jedidjah was just all smiles in us finding the Albertina Sisulu in these conditions. It was a muddy and successful adventure.

Grandparents Day

I am way too young to be a grandparent and alas here I am, at a creche with Lynda and granddaughter Rebekah on Grandparents Day. Okay look cool, everything is going to be alright, no one will ever guess that I am a granddad, no one in their right mind that is.

Okay what do granddads and grandmothers do with their grandchildren at a grandparents day. A lot of grand things since all the words start with grand. So first of all we get to help Rebekah stick little flower shapes buttons and pompoms on a cushion next to Rebekah's name.

Near the end we were given a little wooden sign with the words " Grandparents make the world a little softer, a little kinder, and a little warmer", along with a photo of us with Rebekah. They forgot that we grandparents love to load our grandchildren with lots of sugar and then send them back to bounce off the walls.

But forget the sugar, cutie pie here has some glue on her finger.

Jesse

Lately my second favourite day is Tuesdays after Sundays of course. My least are Mondays no need to go there, and well Fridays used to be my favourite, working from home has wipe that thank goodness its Friday down to a status of Thursdays. Hump Day or Wednesday is okay along with Saturdays but it is Tuesday evenings when we get together for Connect group that makes Tuesday important to me.

Meeting on a Tuesday evening when we all tired from the start of another week, just to connect with each other and discuss Sunday's sermon, pull it apart and of course crit Jon's conversion to vegetarianism which I must say made me block out the rest of his Sunday's sermon. I mean the horror of finding out that the pastor is a no more meat, no more braai person just threw me from the left field that I didn't heard another word out of his mouth. Luckily my Connect group put me straight by saying that Jon finished his vegetarian sentence with only joking as his idea of a good meal is simply a large steak. Shoj, I was contemplating finding another flock where the sheep have teeth. Jon if you are reading this, I am sorry bru, but you can come round for some pork ribs, anytime (just to check that you were joking).

Anyways, since I am stuck in my home office most of the time, I am finding it difficult to get fresh ideas for photos so getting out on a Tuesday evening helps. Here is one of Jesse, a vegetarian of course, delicately eating a mini brownie and below an filter of me getting busted.

Tree Down

Monday morning...

A quiet start but is it the quiet before the storm? I hope not as I have already being through some stormy waters and I was not walking on water nor treading water but barely keeping my head above the wild waters.

I had to slip out to get a new water bowl for the dogs as River Song decided to put a hole in the side of the old water bowl. On the way to the shops I found my way blocked by City Parks cutting down a old dead tree. It wasn't long and the tree was removed but nearly the overhead fibre cables where broken as the re-invoiced fibre casings somehow held up the dead tree for a while.

Exhilarating and Terrifying

So before work this morning, it is church time, and I look forward to spend time with my family at Centre Church. A bit off the wall but on centre. The other day in my quiet time I read about faith and this summed me up perfectly, "I don't let my faith out of the shallow end of the pool. But the very thought of floating freely in the deep end is both exhilarating... and terrifying."

And where I stand now with the little faith that I have, I know his promise still stands, I am still His and that He has never failed me and never will.

Grumpy Dog

Ria, our tenant got a new Pekingese puppy to replace her little Zoe who sadly died about a month back. Sorry but I didn't catch the new puppy's name. Shame this little fur ball looks so grumpy that it is actually kind of cute so I shall for now call him Grumpy Dog. Shame, I suppose it is not fair for me to call him that, maybe it is still bewildered with the new environment and missing her mommy and siblings. But until I find out her or his name, grumpy dog it is.

Work in Progress

My my yesterdays walk just about finished me off and there I thought it would be one area and we will put some sort of marker when we found a flower. Last year they found 149 and yesterday next to nothing, so I was finished.

I hobbled into my first meeting at Zero27 not quite know what to expect and where I would be going from here. The meeting with David went well. I have known David quite a while now and he has this way of tearing me apart every time. I suppose for my own good but sometimes I never know. Anyways it was good to see him again, well this year for the first time. His home is slowly coming along. Every time I am there the house has been improved further, sort of like a work in progress. Here is the custom made wallpaper in the dining room, interesting.

Afterwards, I managed to get the MTN fraud sorted, quite quickly actually, and then it was hobbling into the municipality to organise a test meter. And then finally home before another storm arrived.

Albertina Sisulu Orchid

I joined the annual count for the Albertina Sisulu Orchid along the southern slopes of ridge that runs through Proteadal. This orchid was once thought to be extinct but a few years back a viable population of the orchid was found. Once thought to be extinct, in 2015, just over 100 of these extremely endangered ground orchids were counted. The problem is that developers want to build very close to where the orchids are and with their own environment specialist claimed that there where no endangered plants such as this orchid there. Well every year an annual count is done.

The following year 2016 only 3 were found, and 2017 it was a bumper year with nearly 150 found. So today we spread out about 5 metres apart and walked and walked and walked. What felt like 20km, we only walked just over 10km but over rough terrain. Even with the 5m gap being searcher we could have missed a few plants but this margin of error is the same every year and gives us an indication of how many there actually are. The main issue is that the orchids are there, and it contradicts the environmental specialist hired by the developers, assessment that there are no orchids here. Sadly we only found 8 Albertina Sisulu orchids on our count today and I was finished. Kaput! No more walking for me for a while.

I saw plenty of other orchids, more common ones and also just as beautiful. we saw plenty of the African Red Toads, yet no snakes. 2 Flap Neck Chameleons, a Giant Eagle Owl, a couple of Night Jars, and lots of Francolins. Below are a sample...

Large Flap Neck Chameleon waiting for lunch on some pompom weeds

A much smaller Flap Neck Chameleon, this one was very aggressive and bit me twice as I moved him safely to a tree

I stand corrected with the names, we saw plenty of pink orchids and these white Habenaria epipactidea

A big problem, Protea tree deforesting for firewood

Protea flowers

Now this is my favourite find, also an orchid 

Damage done by 4x4s in the area

I have been told that these repairs to the 4x4 tracks have already cost over R4million

And finally a giant caterpillar on a protea tree 

Hump Day

Midweek, hump day, not quite Friday. Ahhhh and stretch, Paddy showing how it is done. For a little security you can just hold onto daddy's foot. I am not sure how I am doing after my bad start. It looks like Discovery Insure has somehow lost my pickup. They arranged to have it towed to get assessed for the fire and it is not where it is supposed to be.

Another problem which is on top of my mind is Belgium Campus ITversity where Matthew is. They now have had 3 serious incidents of thieves coming onto the property where the residences are. From what I have been told, the first incident was 18 January, thieves held a few female students hostage, the second was night Matthew moved into res, the 23 January and took over 800 laptops. I received an email from the University on the Wednesday after the second incident reassuring us the parents and informing us of the new security measures that they going to put in place. Now Saturday night, Matthew said he didn't hear a thing as he was in his room, but thieves again got onto the property and this time shot at one of the students who luckily survived. Oh dear it is now beyond me what else can go wrong.

Paddy just hold onto my foot.

After the Storm

After the daily afternoon storms, our front garden is unexpectedly flourishing. When the two large trees were cut down in the front, there was nothing much left to beat off the harsh African sun, but left to its own devices the garden has sprung back with cycads and irises popping up everywhere. Nice to see God's green hand over the land.

Taking about God I was given a word tonight from Kerry at our Connect group. It has been a harsh week for me with all what has gone wrong. The word is from Isaiah 49:2 "He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver" God is busy polishing me, the arrow in his quiver. Preparing me, taking off all the rough edges, and polishing me, for a work that he has planned for me. Well I know that I am too close to the cliff face to see the bigger picture and I don't feel that I am of any use as I am, so if God has a plan for me, I need a lot of polishing.

Coastal Hire

Well Monday, my dear friend, what a start you have given me. Today started with my schedule full with a whole list of To Do’s that I wasn’t sure where to begin. By the afternoon I had to rush out on my Vespa towards Krugersdorp under an ominous looking sky. But I had no choice so and since my pickup is still at the assessors, Vespa it is.

On the way back, the storm broke so I simply pulled into the entrance hall of the nearest shop which turned out to be Coastal Hire Krugersdorp. Then it began to hail. Small hail but torrents of water fell that even the storm water drains battled to cope with the large amount of water falling. While I was waiting it out I was thinking about that all this storm water eventually flows into the Witpoortjie Gorge and down towards the Bot Gardens. This was a lot of water.

After about an hour the storm had dissipated or moved on so I climbed back on my trusty stead as was home in no time. Thanks Coastal Hire for providing me shelter from the storm.

Black Chameleon

It was late in the afternoon when I saw 2 cats Tiger and Rosy, acting strangely near the pool pump, so I went to investigate. I saw Rosy slap her paw at something and thought it might be a snake in amongst the heap of pool net. Chasing the cats away, I had a closer inspection and I found that it was a big Flap Neck Chameleon that was black as an ace of spades.

A black Chameleon? I have seen one this big before but never one being black. I chased the 2 naughty cats away and rescued this poor creature.

I believe there once was many Flap Neck Chameleons in Johannesburg but they have been decimated by the domestic cat population. It was good to find this big in my garden which means that there is a thriving chameleon populations here, now what can I do with these cats?

Chameleons are very territorial and I was thinking releasing him into the Protea forest but we don’t want the cats finding the chameleon again nor the pilgrims who come into the area for firewood, so I phoned Andrew, the Chief curator of the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens, to ask if I can safely relocate him from the Bot Gardens. He agreed and we went down the hill to the Bot Gardens to release the still Black Chameleon.

It is easy just to keep the chameleon but we take a dim view of keeping indigenous creatures in captivity plus it is illegal. Flap Neck chameleons are often sold on the side of the road near the Tarlton crossroads even on the road to Sun City. Firstly you can be in big trouble because you don’t have a permit secondly once you buy one what is stopping the seller to simply dashes back into the bush and grab another. The sad reality is that these areas where these chameleons are sold are very destitute and the locals would do anything to earn money.

I asked Andrew about why this particular Flap Neck chameleon was black, and he said that it was very stressed and in fear, hence the black colour. As soon as we released it into the low branches of a thorn tree, it started getting grey streaks. By the time we had a cup of coffee the chameleon was gone.

Stormy Dream

A storm is about to break as I write this post. It is not about the storm I want to write about but about a dream. It says in Acts that in the last days, God will pour out his Spirit upon all people, by all that includes me; it goes on to say that the sons and daughters will prophesy. The young men will see visions, and the old men will dream dreams. And by old men that means me. So I had a dream last night, a weird one as dreams go, weird enough for me to write it down. Now before I go any further let me state that I always have dreams but they usually something that is subconsciously on my mind but this one, well it is different. It started off about me being in a residence, which I suppose is in my sub conscience as Matthew is currently staying at the the university's residence so that explains that part but then it got weird, really weird.

Well here goes, and I believe someone out there will be able to interpret this dream...

Well it started with me in this large thin room in a residence. The room had 2 beds, my roommate had an out going personality. After he left, I got into sweeping and exploring the room at the same time. Then the dream changed, I was at this Buddhist ceremony, and a monk called for someone from the community to come forward and represent them in the ceremony. The strange thing, I stood up and went forward. Yes this is when it got weird as I am not a Buddhist and was not from this community, an outsider, and a foreigner in other words. The people were shocked but did not stop me.

I walked up to the main monk, who then took a small piece of hot coal out of a fire with tongs and placed it in my left hand. It was very hot and closed my hand around it; the hot coal was burning slightly, so I shook it in my hand so that it wouldn't stay in one place too long. I then went back down to the people waiting and now I had to choose something to represent the people. I saw a half dead leaf, a longish sort of leaf but it had a brown dead scar in the green of the leaf, big enough to represent about a third of the leaf. In my dream the leaf represented the food crop of the people and I chose the scarred leaf and now had to take the leaf back with my hot coal up to the monks.

As I got back to the top were the monks where supposed to be, I found a large square pool between me and the all the monks who were waiting on the other side. Children were swimming in the pool. I was supposed to go round this pool but I decided to swim through it. As I stepped towards the water's edge all the people urged me not to in but around as the hot coal will get wet and go out but I told them that I can swim with my left hand above water.

I entered the water, and started swimming a one arm breast stroke. I got to the other side and found that the leaf was now tired around my wrist and it wasn't green with this large brown scar any more but transparent, clear without blemish. I walked up to the main monk and gave him the still soldering piece of coal. Everyone was all happy and a joyful celebration started.

Well that is when then I woke up. Yes it was a strange dream, being a Christian I am not sure what to make of it. The dream has been at the end of a strange and horrid week when nearly every day something worse has been added to my life. It is as if my burdens have just increase while I am in freefall mode, last month’s extremely high water bill, my car catching on fire, and then finding out someone has fraudulently opened an account at MTN in my name and a debt order is coming off my account for nearly R900 a month.

So as the ominous clouds gather, I look up to the gathering storm. I look up, so that the tears won’t fall. Oh give me strength to be able to even whisper that it is well with my soul. But right now, oh right now I just can’t.

Waste of a Day

Well today didn't go as planned as I have a lot of work to do. I got home last night just before witching hour after riding on my Vespa from Pretoria. I really enjoyed last night especially after the bad start. Matthew and I ended up drinking Belgium beers at the function held after the 2018 Academic Opening Ceremony of the Belgium Campus iTversity.

So this morning, I was very tired as I crawled out of bed to do my work but only to find that the fibre was done. Studing the chats I found out that it was down since 00h20 and no news was coming in from Vumatel of when it will be back up again only an SMS at 06h53 that their technicians are en route to investigate and resolve the issue.

It turns out that the whole day was wasted as the fibre only came back on at 16h14. So I finnly got to start my work day, on a Friday when everyone was coming home for the weekend, I was only starting, grrrr.

During the afternoon, while I was walking around in the garden waiting for the fibre, I took a photo of my cabbages in the vegetable garden that where growing not cabbages but becoming something strange. No cabbages yet, if I will get anything from these deformed looking plants. Not sure what I did wrong.

George Bizos

George Bizos was the guest speaker at the Belgium Campus' 2018 Academic Opening Ceremony. I nearly didn't make it as this afternoon was a disaster of note, but I was so happy that I made it although 15 minutes late, but made it none the less.

Matthew's residence room has this small cupboard with hanging space and no shelves which is kind of lacking. He also needed a laundry bag so I stopped at Makro, which is what we call Walmart here to buy him a set of 3 draws and a fold away canvas laundry bag. Then set off to Pretoria for the Open Ceremony. But I didn't get far.

Thick toxic smoke started pouring out from the vents of my vehicle. My Ford Bantam pickup was on fire so I quickly pulled off to the side of the road, grabbing my phone and wallet I jumped out to safety all the while coughing my lungs out. Smoke continued to filled the cab but I could not see any flames. I saw that there was a petrol station nearby which will have fire extinguishers. So I opened the door and pulled the catch of the engine bay. I know that you shouldn't just open the bonnet which will only give oxygen to the fire but I didn't see any smoke in the engine bay so armed with a extinguisher I opened the hood. No fire in the engine bay, thank goodness but then it must be a electrical fire under the dashboard so I quickly unplugged the car battery which should stop the fire going any further. Still no flames but the smoke dissipated.

More problems that I just simply can't afford. So I phoned Discovery Insure, my insurance company and they sent out a recovery vehicle but they insisted that it was a mechanical problem and they won't cover it. What? I was upset! After disputing that claim, they agreed that they will tow my pickup to one of their yards and get the assessor and fire specialist to check the car out.

In the meanwhile I can get a 2 day courtesy car from Avis but by this time it was 4pm, the closest Avis at Ontdekkers closes at 5pm, the next one at Lanseria which was too far away closes much later. And I had to be in Pretoria at 6pm. By this time I resolved myself that I just going be late. On the way to Avis, I spoke to their call centre only find out that Avis in Ontdekkers doesn't have a car for me and that I should go to Lanseria. Now this was in the opposite direction and over my limit of 40km for the breakdown service that my insurance covers. At this stage, I was just trying to forget all my woes, Avis and their bad service, just take me home, I will go by Vespa instead.

Climbed aboard my rocket Vespa, loaded a spare helmet in the top box for Matthew to take him home afterwards, the washing bag, I hooked up in the foot well, and the set of drawers I wedged between myself and the top box. And I was off, like a rocket. Vespa to the rescue.

So I made it safely, only 15 minutes late and sneaked in during the first musical intermezzo. And the 89 year old George Bizos was helped onto the stage. Thank goodness I din't miss this historic moment. I remember writing about him, how he at the age of 13 and his father helped 7 New Zealand soldiers escape Nazi occupied Greece. Things went wrong and they were adrift for 3 days before a British warship picked them up. Long story short, he ended up as a refugee in South Africa and would become the famous attorney for Nelson Mandela. And now Matthew and I sat enthralled as he softly spoke about the trails and tribulations of becoming a lawyer and then defending his friend Nelson Mandela against the apartheid regime. He ended by saying that these current land without compensation is against what Mandela wanted and he (even at his age) will continue the fight to preserve what Nelson Mandela has brought us.

All my troubles this afternoon just washed away and it was such a pleasure to shake George Bizos' hand afterwards. He spoke to Matthew asking him what course is he doing at the university. What a privilege to be with such a wonderful man.