Shower with a Snake

I woke up after a strange night, having over indulged in whiskey around the braai, no I was not drunk but we finished a bottle of some awesomely smooth whiskey. I was just dehydrated. This morning while everyone else was still asleep, I decided a lovely shower outside will do me the world of good.

The sun had just peeped over the flat fields when I stepped into the outside shower. So there I was in all my nakedness standing in the shower trying to get the water to the right temperature when I glanced at my feet an saw what seemed to be a rolled up rag right next to my feet. Strange I never saw that before and in the fogginess of my eyes, not wearing glasses as one does when one showers I saw that it could be a snake as it had patterns. So I bent over to get a better look.

Yes it was a snake but what type. Without my glasses on it could be a baby python or horror a large puffadder. Grabbing my towel I quickly stepped outside into the garden and went straight for my glasses and cellphone back in the house. Carefully I crept back into the shower and sure enough, it was a large, a very large puffadder.

Okay, that was close, I mean thank God that it was cold and the puffadder which was about 10cm from my naked foot was very lethargic. The whole situation this morning could have turned out for the worse but God must have been looking out for me.

Off I went to wake up the farmer's son to kindly remove the snake as I needed my shower and a strong cup of coffee. Martinus arrived with a golf club, and his first words after seeing the puffadder, was on how big it was. Oh well after finally coaxing the beautiful puffadder into a basket, it was relocated far on the other side of the farm and I could continue my shower.

Nazi Sunrise

I woke up early after a good night's sleep at the Leeuberg farmhouse. I decided to take a walk to the War Museum right next door with all the tanks that protect us at night. No one was around as I strolled through the displays. The sun was starting to rise as the armoured vehicles that surrounded us started to come to light. I was told that these tanks were mobile and used in war games.

This T-34/85 tank was one of the tanks captured in Angola from the Cubans in the Bush War that we were involved in.

Spook van Leeuberg

Last night when we got near to the farmhouse, Leeuberg, where we would be staying for the next few nights, I saw that it was way out in the platteland but with no visible farm security. I was very concerned with all the farm murders that are currently taking place but when I woke up this morning I found that we were surrounded by armoured vehicles. Included was an American Sherman Tank, a Russian T-34, and a guard tower from South West Africa border war. Oh dear where did I wake up.

The Leeuberg or Lion Mountain farmhouse built in 1849, it was creepy at first, it was like a museum of sorts but it grew on me although having to stand on the bed just to try get cellular signal wasn't so cool, nor was the talk of ghosts but that I am to blame for starting that conversation. I mean I couldn't help myself with all the photos of dead people hanging around. If you look carefully in the picture above, you will see the ghost in the mirror. The story goes that this farmstead was the home of a retired Prussian general who was killed in the Basotho Wars and his widow held off the English from burning it down during the Boer War. Lots of history here. 

Okay enough of the Spook van Leeuberg, this 8 sleeper farmhouse is actually very nice and peaceful. The walls are nearly half a metre thick, due to it been built out of mud hence no cell phone reception. At night all I hear is an owl hoot somewhere outside. 

Angry Birds

Oh look what Marco found, Chuck, the Angry Bird cap. Now I tell him not to smile but give me his angry bird face, perfect. Tonight we checked into this platteland farmhouse built in 1849 and has been in this boer family since. And now we are telling ghost stories. There is zero cell phone reception unless I stand on my bed with my phone held high but I need to stay awake because I know as soon as I close my eyes there would be a creak somewhere down the passage.

It is nearly midnight, the witching hour. What was that sound, oh just an owl.

Ho Ho Ho

Ho Ho Ho, really Bloemfontein, the place where we are staying still have a Christmas tree standing proudly in the lounge. Using AirBnB, we have booked ourselves into a private townhouse that is quite neat except for a few quirkiness that I can only attribute to Bloemfontein, one is the Christmas tree, others is that the shower door is missing not to mention that the toilet door does not close. And downstairs, is yapping dog, a crying toddler, and a clapped out VW Golf that has to be jump started in the mornings with the usual dropping close of the bonnet (hood). 

Happy Christmas! No wait it must be Ground Hog Day as I feel that this town is trapped in a time loop.

Paint Dry

Ancient mariners used to say that fair weather when setting out from port was always a bad omen compared to getting the bad weather over and done with at the beginning of the voyage. Setting out for Bloemfontein didn't get to a good start.

The plan was for me to get picked up between 6 and 7, well I finally got picked up just before 12. This at work just got away with very one that the departure time just got pushed out to 9am and again to 12. I was by this time even considering taking my Vespa down. I have done long trips on my Vespa before but with my back as it is, I was concerned.

Finally the double cap pick up arrived, and with a bit of rearranging the load, we were on our way and finally arrived at 4pm in Bloemfontein. Now to get our stand sorted out before the main load arrives.

I was tasked to manage 2 labourers paint the feature wall red, while the others set out to sort our accommodation. So here I am watching the paint dry. 

This has been a long day. Hopefully with a bumpy start, things will smooth out from here on and it will a blessing to be here.

El Comandante

I don't know why Kyle aka Ginger Beard reminds me so much of the late Fidel Castro, El Comandante. May it is his beard, uhmmm the ginger beard.

We had Connect Group at Kyle and Nicolene's home last night and it is awesome to see the little Rust on the Crust, Kamden. He is holding his head up proudly and is so inquisitive of all the faces around him. He is going to grow up and change the world.

How Many Times?

At the end of yet another day, supper is on the go, a Bob Dylan documentary is playing on the telly, the cat Princess is snuggled up at my feet, and I am feeling batted, just blowing in the wind. 

I start to wonder how many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man. I first heard this song sung by a fellow school boy actually called Bob, can't remember his surname, but he was in hostel with me. I didn't now the meaning at the time, but it sounded kindof cool for a snotty nosed school kid like me. In an interview Dylan answered the following about this song "There ain’t too much I can say about this song except that the answer is blowing in the wind. It ain’t in no book or movie or TV show or discussion group. Man, it’s in the wind - and it’s blowing in the wind. Too many of these hip people are telling me where the answer is but oh I won’t believe that. I still say it’s in the wind and just like a restless piece of paper it’s got to come down some. But the only trouble is that no one picks up the answer when it comes down so not too many people get to see and know and then it flies away. I still say that some of the biggest criminals are those that turn their heads away when they see wrong and know it’s wrong. I’m only 21 years old and I know that there’s been too many. You people over 21, you’re older and smarter."

Yes we are older and smarter but are we wiser? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind.

I may not have all the answers, but I know that God is in control.

Pressing In

Sitting on the left middle of the small hall that Centre Church meets every Sunday, the thought crossed my mind of how God protected me on Friday night when I walked into the shadow of death looking for a lost dog.

What I didn't mentioned in the post the next morning was that when walking into the gorge in the fading light knowing too well that part of the path had been washed away, we met who I took to be a pilgrim wearing a camo shirt, not thinking anything untoward about it, we asked him if he had seen a dog which we described to him, he said "no", so we walked deeper into the abyss to continue our search.

On our way out it got so dark quite quickly and only by the gaps in the foliage could I make out the path. Thankfully I have been down here so often now that I knew the way but at night things look different, very different. Anyways the memory of that evening which somehow escaped me when I first accounted it in my blog and now sitting in church pressing in at thin place towards God, it came flooding back.

That pilgrim wearing the camo, we met again on the way out, in the low light I saw that his camo shirt was open and that he was holding a machete that was resting on his shoulder. He asked us if we found the missing dog, which we answered "no". I then asked him if he was staying the night to find God, as that is why most pilgrims come down into this abyss or now I think about it to communicate with their long dead ancestors. The camo pilgrim answered "yes" and added that he did not have a job and was there to seek guidance. As we parted, I said "good luck", and patted him on the shoulder blade. I remember seeing him flinch at me touching him and only now see how dangerous the situation was but God was present even in the moment. I must have been surrounded by angels that evening because excuse the pun not a hair on my head was harmed.

I started to think about the story, an old friend of mine told me, Gavin and Geradine along with their family have long immigrated to Brisbane, and I am not sure I will every see them again, but who knows what God has planned. Many years ago during the Rhodesian War, some terrorists had attacked a mission station outside Umtali, now known as the Elim Mission Massacre. After the massacre Gavin and someone else I am not sure if it was Dine as my memory is starting fade, anyways they decided to drive up to the mission station from Umtali in his Datsun Y120. They left the car on the sports field still running, as they never knew if the terrorists were still around and walked up to the mission. Before they got there, the hooter on the car started blowing, fearing that maybe baboons had got to the car and started messing around, they rushed back. There was no baboons at the car but now the entire area would be alerted to their presence so they quickly left. The story goes that as they drove back down towards Umtali, they noticed that the grass on either side of there car was being flattened as if someone was walking in the tall grass either side of them. To this day they believe that angels were walking alone side of them, protecting them. Just as I now believe that there must have been angels right next to me, when I boldly walked into that abyss last Friday night.

Anyways back to today, here I am at that thin place, pressing in, thanking God for his faithfulness, and then Jon starts handing out chocolate to the congregation. Yip you should have been there, no Turkish Delight, but large bars of Kitkat. And to add to it, the small print on his t-shirt read "Don't believe everything you think". Yes God works in strange ways, but He faithful, as my quiet time reading this morning which is from Joel stated "I am sending you grain, new wine, and olive oil, enough to satisfy you fully" and let me add here chocolate too.

The thin place is from my ancestors, the Celts, where heaven and earth are so close that the veil that separates the 2 is nearly transparent, and here I am pressing into the thin place as I try to get even closer to my God because just being in His presence in this stormy time is reassuring, oh so reassuring. Oh it is more about just being a Christian, it is the tasting and living every day knowing that God as Jon was illustrating with the chocolate. Yes my God is faithful. He is holding me in the palm of His hand, protecting me as I drink my fill from the living waters.

If you got this far, thank you for reading. I know that sometimes I must sound crazy, but that is me, love me or leave. Anyways you are most welcome to comment below.

Bruno Found

I am tired, no exhausted as I sit here and write this post. Yesterday afternoon I arrived back from a quiet morning at the showroom, to join Andreas once again on a quest to find the source of the sewerage leak. It was a hike down into the veld with grasses that were taller than me, and I am not slouch when it comes to height.

I was tired when I got home. I had just taken my shoes off when I heard the dogs getting all excited with someone or something in the veld outside our home. On investigation I saw a brown looking Labrador type dog disappearing into the distance all alone. I whistled and it stopped, turned and looked at me for a while before turning back around and disappearing over a small ridge.

Going back into my home, I remembered seeing a post on our Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch WhatsApp group about a missing dog. Sure enough after checking my phone, a Labrador named Bruno went missing during that awful weather the night before. I informed the Ops Room that I saw a dog in the veld that matches the description of Bruno. The owner Cindy was in no ticks at my home and in the veld calling, and calling. It seems that the dog went towards the high cliffs that over shadowed the gorge.

Cindy not knowing our area was not sure where to go next. So I took her to the abandoned house that over looked the cliffs. We called and whistled for Bruno and in the wind we heard what sounded like a dog in distress. Now I was not sure what to do as light was starting to fade but I could see the panic in Cindy's eyes so I made a discussion to take her into the gorge knowing full well that it would be a race against time as darkness was closing in. I let the Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch know that I was going in with Cindy and dived straight into the abyss.

Along the way we met pilgrims, which we diligently asked about Bruno, and nothing. Light was about gone when we turned around empty handed with Cindy nearly in tears of not finding Bruno but we had to get ourselves safely out of the gorge before search parties are sent in to find us. It was pitch back when we emerged from the mouth of the gorge, to find a CPF Sector 8 forming a search party to go in after us. Sadly we went back to our homes empty handed with a promise to continue the search tomorrow.

About half past 10 last night, my dogs started to get excited again, someone or Bruno was in the veld outside my home. Everytime I went to investigate, who ever it was moved away only to come back later. Just before midnight Cindy came round to check if it wasn't Bruno that was getting my dogs all worked up and sure enough we had a happy reunion.

Now I find myself tired after all that commotion last night. I need a good nights rest.

Brambles Stop the City of Joburg

It has been nearly 2 weeks since the sewerage blockage was reported to the City of Johannesburg, and still it is overflowing into a stream which then flows into a small river that flows over a huge waterfall into the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens. Even its neighbouring city, Mogale City has put them to shame, as another much larger leak was reported late last Sunday upstream from this leak, and it was unblocked within the hour, and fully repaired the very next morning.

The reason Joburg Water has given why they can't fix the blocked drain is that it is inaccessible due to thick brambles as seen above. Yes believe me somewhere in the middle of this mess is a sewer that is spewing up raw sewerage. So for 2 weeks the City Parks, who are more than capable in clearing out the brambles have not come to clear away the brambles which are enjoying the lush nutrient rich sewerage while the Sanitation Department of Joburg Water just idly sit by and watch the brambles grow.

Sorry for by dumping the blame on these 2 departments of the City of Joburg (excuse the pun) but we can't allow for raw sewerage to flow unabated for 2 weeks into a national treasure like the Botanical Gardens. Is it a lack of resources, man-power or budget that is stopping them from fixing the damaged infrastructure. Surely it is not the brambles that are stopping the City of Joburg from doing their job.

Soaked Puddy Tat

The wind has picked up and the weather has turned most foul. Our cats were caught off guard as it started raining quite hard. Thunder and Lightning, how very frightening. Here is little kitten Rosey, sopping wet and not sure what to do with her soaked self. Paddy came home much later in the evening after being out on the town since yesterday evening. I even had to go out into the veld between the waves of rain looking for the poor puddy tat. Even Tiger joined me for the search.

Quite Contrary

Quite contrary I find myself in the front garden, as a lady came to view the cottage. I wonder how does this garden grow with so little input from me. It seems so ruggedly beautiful in its own way. The cats are starting to venture out into the front garden to discover the bees and butterflies frolicking to and fro between the flowers.

Lady of Duffhaus

So we finally get the invite to the Duffhaus, albeit for our weekly Connect group meeting. Armed with a location pin Lynda and I, not wanting to be late at our first nod, set off to find the Duffhaus. 

We weren't the first to arrive, as Monique and Jesse were already there and Kerry, the Lady of Duffhaus, seen above, was putting on a pot of java to drew. Since it had been a long time since we all met for Connect, tonight we just chillaxed and caught up. Oh and did I mention that there was a thumper, yes a little brown rabbit called Daisy, that joined the Connect group for the first time.

Bird of Paradise

I don't often go into the front garden, but today we had a couple that came over to view our cottage. I did a inspection of the front garden, to make sure that all was in order, and that is when I saw this beautiful Strelitzia in full bloom in the garden. This flower of the strelitzia plant is also called the Bird of Paridise flower as you can see, they are magnificent. 

Rocks in their Heads

A week back the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens informed us that raw sewerage was flowing over the waterfall into the gardens below. Andreas went to inspect a previous problem area and sure enough there was a sewerage leak. The relevant officials were informed at the City of Johannesburg and they promised that it would be seen too.

But bad news kept coming in from the Botanical Gardens, the sewerage is continuing to flow into the gardens. To date the Department of Sanitation has NOT being able to reach the source of the sewerage leak due to the area being overgrown with brambles. This means sewerage has being flowing into Botanical Gardens now for over a week. This morning Andreas noticed sewerage further upstream from this leak so after phoning me, we planned a hike into the gorge this afternoon to search for the source of this spillage.

I can't get the horror of what we found out of my mind, a waterfall of pure $#!T was overflowing from a manhole and into the stream that runs through the gorge and down into the Botanical Gardens. How long has this waterfall of raw sewerage being flowing? On the video you can hear the water of sewerage which once you realise that it is not a lovely waterfall but pure filth, you just want to throw up. After an urgent message on our Conservation WhatsApp group with an location pin, Mogale City sprang into action and was there within the hour to unblock the sewer.

Wow I am very impressed with Mogale City as it was late Sunday afternoon yet they were ready to get their hands dirty and stop this waterfall of $#!T. The sad news is that it was discovered that someone had removed the manhole cover and filled the sewer with rocks. ROCKS? So someone deliberately blocked the sewer line and cause unimaginable damage to the environment. They must have rocks in their heads. Later on I was informed that blocking a sewer line in this manner was a common practice used to mine the waste for valuables that were flushed down the drain.

This area is vulnerable and needs to be protected at all costs.

Naeem and Meagan

I just had to take a photo of Naeem and Meagan. I met this lovely couple at the Rand Show last week and we just hit it off. After an expat stint in Germany they are back in the country and will be moving into their new apartment at the end of this month hence they came to see what was available. They bought a couch from me but after quite some time could not finalise the final choice of couch, fabric, and colour so they decided to pop into the showroom this weekend and hopefully come to some decision on what to get.

Come to a decision, uhmmm 3 hours later after changing many times, they finally came to an agreement between them of what couch to get, the fabric, and colour. It was a big decision but I know that they made the right choice as the Bebe 5 seater corner couch is a favourite as it is very comfortable. Meagan and Naeem don't forget the house warming party.

Hope for Home Affairs

Previously I posted that I had a problem with my Driver's licence and to renew it I needed a new Identity Book or card which is replacing the book. Well I tried to order on the Home Affairs website but that failed at the payment section. I then tried to skip the payment for later and go straight to the appointment phase but that too failed. So much for the Home Affairs website.

I needed my Drivers so I had to suck it up and go join the long queues at Home Affairs. I chose the Randburg branch as I have heard lots of good things such as quick queues but that was to be proven wrong this morning.

Anyways I set out on my Vespa to guarantee a good parking spot especially with my back all strapped up in a brace due to my lower back injury. The day started off bad with my back tyre being flat due to a large screw embedded but I was strangely in good spirits even though it was Friday the 13th. Even arriving at the entrance cars were queued up trying to get into the parking. Inside the grounds, the queues were long, extremely long but I had no choice and stand. 

Standing in a queue gets you eventually talking to others around you. The good part is that you get to meet people in the same predicament as you. The bad part of it is that there is no escape from the negativity that can creep in. Thank God there was none around me. The lady behind me went forward to confirm that we were in the right queue as there were other queues snaking through the Garden of Gethsemane as my active mind was calling it. Yes ones mind gets quite active trying fight off the boredom of long queues. I eventually started working out how fast the queue was moving by selecting a person way ahead, and measuring the time it took from Point A to Point B, both points which I could calculate the distance between. The queue was moving at a snails pace of 12 meters per hour. Wow, even the giant tortoise can move at 270 meters per hour, thanks to Google. Now a sloth, you would expect to be very slow but at 120 meters per hour, he aren't no sloth. I am sorry Mr Snail for using you as an example as you can move a extremely fast pace of 47 meters per hour.

Standing is better than sitting for me back but the ground was so uneven that the constant pressure on my lower back, even with the strong anti-inflammatory and pain tablets that I took before setting out, that by the time I got to the door of the building after 2 hours of queuing I was gritting my teeth in pain. 

Somewhere along the queuing, I overheard somebody repeating a story of a young mother in tears with a small baby being belittled by the Home Affairs staff as she was seeking compassion at very Randburg Home Affairs department that I was standing outside. I remember hearing the story and thinking that things have sure changed if human compassion was the least on people's minds but when the traffic controller at the door saw me in pain, he asked me to sit down but I told him that if I sit now, I'll never get up and showed him my back brace. He nodded and usurered me in right to the front of the first queue that was inside the building. When I got my number, I was whisked off to get my photo taken. After that right to a counter, then to the cashier. Before I knew it, not even 15mins I was finished. 

As I hobbled out I passed the couple that was standing behind me was still waiting at the door. They were surprised that I was finished and I told them about the traffic controller, someone perked out that there was compassion here after all. True, there is still hope for the human race, and the South African Department of Home Affairs. 

Ricky's Driving School

Soon Matthew will be getting his driving licence which means time to keep off the pavements. Matthew has already had a number of driving lessons to hone his driving skills. Here is Matthew's instructor Wynand dropping off at home after another successful lesson. 

Soon the not so little fledgling will be taking to the open sky, spreading his wings and soar.

Matthew on the Xbox

Okay, to get Matthew back for taking a photo of me lying like a beached whale on the chiropractor's torture bench. I was busy with catching up on work when I turned around and found Matthew deeply engrossed on a XBox game. I lifted up my cellphone and took a photo of him without him being the any wiser. Gotcha.

Wizard of Oz

I am off to see the wizard of oz, my second appointment at the chiropractor this afternoon. Matthew joined me to watch the horrors of the chiropractor manipulating my tight muscles along my back and to take photos of my pain.

Now I have to wear a back brace for a while, take a lot of pain killers, and sport a herbal pain patches that it may bring a pleasurable soothing sensation. Really pleasure or is this just a lost in translation thingy?

Broke Back

I was in so much pain this morning that I just had to go see the chiropractor. Sigh I think I am getting old. The chiropractor was shocked that I had left it for so long because I was in a lot of pain and my muscles that run along my spine were so inflamed and tight. It was broke back without the movie connotations, simply my back felt that it had enough. I had to go get some x-rays done at the hospital down the road, oh my why did I had wait an hour and a half for x-rays at Flora Hospital. I feel like I am 9 months pregnant.

Marco and Calvin

Ahhh the last day of the Rand Easter Show, it couldn't come earlier although I must say I didn't do badly at the show, being here everyday even through the quiet weekdays, it all paid off in the end.

Marco and Calvin came to help out at the stand over the weekend. even on weekends, sales only tended to come from 3pm onwards. Mornings was a long wait but the few leads pays off in the end. I can't wait for the coming week. Somewhere during the past week, I hurt my lower back and I am struggling just to get going in the morning. It is getting progressively worse so I think I better go see the back doctor. 

Toktokkie

I am not sure what this is that visited us today, is it a frog, a cricket, or even a toktokkie? What is a toktokkie, you may be asking? A toktokkie is a Darkling beetle which makes a knocking sounds, hence the children's game of knocking on people's doors and running away, the game called tok-tokkie. 

Early Start

Matthew is on holiday from Uni, and he wrote his last exam of the term yesterday but because it was Lynda's birthday I could not drive all the way to Pretoria to pick him up and get back in time to take her out to dinner, so we arranged to pick him up this morning and still get to the Rand Show by 10. 

It was an early start, on the road by 5am and I arrived at Matthew's dorm door to wake him up at 6am. Good morning Matthew, time for breakfast before heading back home.

Iced Margarita

It is Lynda's birthday and I left early from the Rand Show so that we could go out for a celebratory dinner. we wanted to try something different and I thought about this steak house that I saw at the Retail Crossing at Little Falls. Driving there Lynda was telling me that last night Heidi from her work went to dinner at a franchise restaurant called Mo-Zam-Bik. She gave it a good review, so I said to Lynda that if this steak house didn't look good than there is a Mo-Zam-Bik on Beyers Naudé.

When we arrived at the place where this steak house was we discovered it closed down and replaced by, you guessed it Mo-Zam-Bik. The choice was made, happy birthday dear, as she raises her iced margarita. Although we had a nice dinner at Mo-Zam-Bik, I found the decor and the atmosphere a bit bland, and could fit into any corporate canteen. It needs to go a long way to compete with the likes of La Rosa, a Mexican restaurant. 

Clean Plate

Yesterday when I went in to get the Brio's licence renewed, I discovered that my Driver's licence had expired, and somehow I have misplaced my Identity Book, I now have to get both. I have to be at the Rand Show at 10ish but I had to pop into a bank first to get all the expired and misplaced legalities rolling but why do they open so late. I decided to have some breakfast while waiting but everything was all closed expect, dread of dreads Spur. 

I reluctantly walked in and ordered a Banting looking breakfast off the menu. Not bad but the quality of meat could be better as I am sure that it is starting to repeat on me. 

Whoa Mama!

Great Scot, so here we are having some fun at the Rand Show in what we expected a quiet week between 2 busy weekends. Johnny Bravo, the one man army and the original chick magnet visited our stand today, and here is Kojak making sure a bit of the Johnny charm would rub off.

Need Some Filling Up

Captains Log: Stardate -304,749 It is Day 4 of the Rand Easter Show and after a somewhat busy weekend, the crew is exhausted and in need of some R&R but our work here is not complete as a week of pure boredom lies ahead.

The photo above was taken of me getting my Vespa filled up at a service station en-route to the Rand Show. It is a public holiday for crying out load and I should be chillaxing not working, what is wrong with me?

Make some Noise

It is a special day today, because today we celebrate that our Messiah is not dead but conquered the grave and has risen. All of us was born and will one day day but Jesus who died on a cross rose after 3 days. 

After a morning of celebration at church, I had to slip back to the Rand Show for some work and there the celebration continued with some Tsonga drummers making some noise.