Hot Dogs

Today was hot, much like most of the week. The washing is drying as soon as you put it on the line and the water is just disappearing from the dogs bowls. Here are two of the hot dogs trying to stay in the shade as much as they can. While River seems to want to just relax and let the heat off, Seun just can't help himself to just prance around and try play. It have something to do with their size.

Day 52 - Dog under Lockdown

Lockdown Day 52 - Nica did a Tik Tok video of River Song today. Yes aren't she a beauty even under lockdown conditions.

Day 30 - Paw Patrol

 

Lockdown Day 30 - One of my duties during the lockdown is keeping an eye on our gorge. When the weather is good, I do a patrol to the edge, checking up that no illegals have decided to make this beautiful wild place their home. River Song enjoys her only opportunity to get out of her lockdown. Remember this is not a dog walk but an official paw patrol and as you can see River has spotted a pilgrim scurrying to get out of sight from her beady eyes. I then report back to the Ops Room about the numbers of illegal camps we found.

Day 17 - Bath Time

 

Lockdown Day 17 - The weather is so unpredictable with just about 4 seasons in a day. Our Easter Sunday started with online church service and breaking of bread. Yes we celebrate Easter Sunday, the holiest day in our Christian calendar, the Messiah was put to death on the Friday over 2000 years, and on the Sunday, the tomb was empty. He had risen, conquered death.

Later on, the day grew hotter so Matthew decided to bath all the dogs. The smaller ones were easy but River Song, well at least she sat still during her ordeal. Not long after all the dogs were sunning themselves outside, the clouds started building up. Oh well, at least the dogs are clean.

Don't Forget Me

 

"Don't forget me,"cried River Song, our 2 year old German cross Belgium Shepherd. "No, how can we ever forget about you , River, you big galoot". So here before I forget about her again, is River Song, one of our children.

Growing Grass

With all the rains, the grass the Dael planted has sprouted and growing much to the bewilderment of River-Song who doesn't know where to did more of her holes, naughty girl. In some parts where there was already grass, it is getting long and needs to be mowed, soon.

Back to Blue

And this is the result of my loving attention that I gave the swimming pool on Saturday, a stunning blue pool. After the Hulk green tinge, it is wonderful to see a pool back to blue again, inviting. Sad though soon we have to cover up the pool and bed it down for the winter dry spell. 

Left Outside

"Hey you! Yes you inside, can't you see that there is a storm coming and I have been left outside." I just got home, just as black ominous clouds started building up towards the west. I was the last one to arrive home as I had to bypass and meet with Tom, my mentor. It was getting dark as I flopped down onto the couch in the lounge. Lynda was busy in the kitchen making flapjacks and all I needed to do was put my feet up and relax. And then I looked up, only to see River Song standing at the sliding door looking in.

River Matthew

Today was spending what little time I have left with Matthew as I don't know what the future holds. Matthew enjoys the animals, now that Maxy has crossed over River Song has become his favourite. 

Fun in the Mud

After the great flood waters subsided, the dogs were slipping and sliding in the mud. I had to start going back to work from today, don't know why as it was dead at work with everybody else still on holiday until next week Monday except the 2 kippes sitting at work.

On arrival back home, River Song was so happy to see me, "Come play with us, daddy. Look at all this mud."

Leaf or Sandwich?

Every morning as a treat for the dogs, Lynda makes each of them so lovely tasty treats. For River Song and Pup, they get a meat spread sandwich each. Now River Song still being a puppy and all is struggling to share any food with the others. Although she is now a year old, she is still a puppy to me.

To try get her calm and not eat all the other dogs treats, I get River Song to sit calmly while I place the sandwich on the floor before her. She can hear the other dogs scoffing away at their treats, she has to wait patiently until she is calm and relaxed. And only then can she eat her sandwich. 

This morning while River Song was waiting for me to give the go ahead, I decided to take a photo. It was then that I noticed the leaf next to her treat but she was not fooled and when I gave the go ahead she smartly picked up her treat and it was devoured in seconds.

I know, I know, she hasn't had much socialization or puppy training but I somehow need to find a way. She is not quite a puppy anymore and I need to find some obedience school near me that won't break the bank.

Camo Bird

Yay Friday, can a chance to take a walk just to get away from the stressful week. Yay it is over but yet I still feel that it is not over. Just take a walk down into the gorge. On the way back walking through the burnt ridge I stopped our resident spotted thick knee pair. River Song did not even see them as their camouflage is that good even against the black burnt veldt. 

Pilgrim Intruders

Sitting at my desk on a Friday, the dogs start going ballistic and I looked out to check what is going on, when I saw a glimpse of a person in the veldt carrying an orange bag disappearing amongst the Protea trees. 

I rushed and put on some shoes ideal for the veldt, called River Song, and we were off in pursuit. But by the time we got out into the veldt, the intruder was gone. So called religious pilgrims trespass into the veldt to get closer to their god with an added benefit, they believe that the 3 springs below in the valley are holy waters. I don't mind them coming for the holy water and to pray. what I do mind is the overnight camping, laying of snares to catch bush meat, and the cutting down of trees. The pilgrims normally start moving in from Thursdays and stay till Sunday, cutting down Protea trees for firewood as it has been cold. Last night the valley was littered with campfires, not good at all.

The Kiss

Who remembers the Shoop Shoop song, it's in his kiss, that's where it is, in the kiss. Yeah River Song and Rosy show how it is done, in the dog and cat kiss. This is like Romeo and Juliet, the 2 are sneaking a kiss without any of the other dogs and cats seeing. Uhmmm but I saw, them.

Does he love me, I want to know

How can I tell if he loves me so

Is it in his eyes, oh no you'll be deceived

Is it in his eyes, oh no you'll make believe

If you want to know, if he loves you so

It's in his kiss

That's where it is, oh yeah

It is in the kiss!

Puppy Proof

I suppose nothing is puppy proof but I have to try. Matthew and I went out and bought these wattle fencing to encircle our wash line and vegetable garden because River Song who is now 8 months old is one destructive puppy.

No washing on the wash line is safe and you should see the state of our once magnificent vegetable garden, it is a desert, a dust bowl of nothingness, hence the new endeavour of making it puppy proof.

Give a Dog a Bone

Look what I found my dog River Song playing with! 

Okay before the police comes kicking down my door. I bought an ostrich leg bone for River Song, my German Shepherd cross with a Belgium Shepherd puppy and put a old shoe at one end to scare any possible intruders. I mean who wouldn't think twice when they see this.

River Song loves her bone. Rather she chew on this than pull any more washing off the line. 

15 Bodies

Last night River Song, my German Shepherd cross Belgium Shepherd puppy would not stop barking. It was a windy night with an ill feeling in the air. After many checks with a touch, I resigned myself that I must have a problem puppy as she is just barking at the wind but this morning I learnt that I was far wrong.

Last night another pilgrim fell to the Mamlambo, a mermaid snake like African spirit/goddess that can shapeshift her form at will. Well the Mamlambo that lives here in the splash pool of the Manie Mulder waterfall was on the prowl last night which according to statistics here in this gorge she does on average just over 3 times a year when she is hungry. Our stats count last night's victim as body number 15, the 2nd one this year to be fished out of the Muldersdrift Se Loop, a stream which springs out of the rocks between Roodekrans and Krugersdorp. For the record, the 1st victim this year was on Sunday the 21 January 2018 and a Police helicopter was sent to retrieve the body.

Come on 15 bodies in 4 years! This has to stop. This is a very strong spirit that lives down in the splash pool of the Manie Mulder waterfall, very strong. This Mamlambo, she is very unhappy about all the Protea Trees that are being cut down for firewood and the sewerage that plagues this stream and the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens downstream.

The only fix I can see is to stop people going down into this gorge at night. And to do this I propose that this, the deepest gorge in Gauteng, home to the last 2 African Tree Ferns in the wilds of Gauteng, to be incorporated into the National Botanical Gardens. Yes this area needs to be protected! Alien trees to be removed and the area returned to its natural state. Allow access only during the day for the pilgrims to collect the Holy Water, and to wash themselves spiritually but then leave before dark. No one should be allowed to stay overnight in this spiritual realm, no one. That way the Mamlambo will be happy again.

Well according to the statistics, 1 more pilgrim has to feed the hunger of the Mamlambo before the year is over. Surely 15 deaths is way too much for one stream to cause. Let us put a stop to this and at the same time protect the environment

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.

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.

Cold after the rains

The rains have stopped after 2 days of non-stop deluge. No sun yet, lots of mist but the rains have stopped. I took a walk into my water logged garden much to the delight of our dogs. Splish, splash, look at me. Well with all the rain, washing of clothes are not getting done, not that River Song helps at all expect pull the clean washing off the washline. At 5 months, River Song is one naughty puppy, when will she ever learn, not to pull the washing off the line. No, no!