Life's Lemons

They say that when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. I say you must lay the lemons at the foot of the cross in prayer. 

It is remaining dark much longer now that winter is upon us in the southern hemisphere. I am up in the dark feeding the dogs before I have to leave for work in the dark. The lemons are as usual bursting with citrus goodness. I don't know why as they need lots of water and lots of water from where is a question I have not fathomed yet. But all I can do is thank God for the lemons in my life and to ask for the wisdom to do the best I can with the lemons.

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.

Regrow

Winter has been quite harsh to our once lush lawn. Our water bill was extremely high so last year we stopped watering the lawn and it took its toll. Arriving home yesterday, Dael was on the patio and we discussed the lawn. He decided that he will try get the grass back to what used to be.

The trees around the lawn needs trimming back, the irrigation system has been damaged by River Song, our over enthusiastic German cross Belgium Shepherd, to add to the list what needs to be done to get our lawn back to what it was like. Dael gave me a shopping list. Arriving back from the shops I found Dael hard at work in the garden.

Coming up Roses

With all the rains, our garden has blossomed from the winter dust bowl to a wild garden full of flowers. One of the rose trees was full of pink roses that it was laden with the weight, but the burst of pink in the one corner of the garden was worth it to rid the Monday blues.

Garden Refuse

What we need desperately in the Roodekrans, Heildekran, and Wilropark area is a garden refuse collection point as what you see above is what is happening in our green belts. Yes dumping of garden refuse, as this gardener is caught red handed breaking the law.

So why should I become a councilman, uhmm I thinking about it except will I be able to handle the abuse that the public dish out to their local councilpersons. I will have to be thickskin to be able to be like water off a duck's back. But if I do go this route, the first thing is that we need a garden refuse depot and a recycling drop off point.

Aloe

On a Geek friend's chat group which I belong, someone posted "If your life just got a little harder, that probably means you just levelled up". What no fanfare and what sorts from levelling up in life? *I tilt my head, and try strain to hear for that danger music that normally plays faster when danger is closing in.

Lately my posts have been rather depressing, not that I am in a good place, but I have to pull my self out of getting harder level in my life. I am too old for this. Someone once said that when you are just surviving, it is almost impossible to dream. But when I am down, I like to curl into the smallest ball as I can, and dreams are my escape, my poison. And can I dream, yes I can.

Today has become a blur, not that I have been sleeping but I have been trying not to curl up. The sun was getting low, it is getting colder now that winter has arrived, and I found this fiery aloe. Ahhh God you are just teasing me. Don't you now that I am down. I don't need your handy work to brighten up my day. It seems I do.

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.

And it Rains

Driving home yesterday after visiting my mom the rain started falling and it didn't stop. By midday today our garden started flooding and our swimming pool started overflowing. Yesterday the pool was about 10cm below the edge and after raining all night and all morning. The 10cm is now minus with water over flowing since midday. 

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.

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.

Fairies and Woodpeckers

Yesterday and today have been rather hard on me and this stress is taking its toll. I arrived back from Pretoria yesterday late morning, tired, hot and bothered only to find the fibre is down since this morning and no one has an answer to when it will be back. Mid afternoon, an SMS arrives from Vumatel to inform us that it would take 10 to 14 hours to rectify as they have to wait for City Power to make the area safe. So what happened to their SLA of 7 hours to repair any damage to the line, uhmmm, Vumatel is like all the others.

Anyway 14 hours came and went, and this morning still no firbe. No fibre means no internet, no work. So I started preparing to go out and work at a place with internet when I got the message that my mom took a turn for the worse. From the sounds of the messages I got, her heart faded, and with hardly any blood pressure, the medical team injected adrenaline and her heart went in the opposite. It is not well.

The fibre finally came back and I started working to get my mind off all my stress but after an hour the power tripped. A whole section of our suburb was out, expecting it to be restored quickly, we were mistaken as we were kept in the dark on what was going on, excuse my pun but it was only about 3ish in the afternoon that we found out that they found the fault and power will be restored between 20h00 to 21h00 as they have to repair a faulty cable. Shortly after 21h00, we received another message that they still working frantically to restore power and it should be back up at 23h00.

In the meanwhile I received a message from my sister that mom is stable. A second vascular operation was scheduled for tomorrow but that has now been postponed until further tests on my mom’s heart can be run. I went to bed.

At about 22h22 I woke to find the lights back on. Yay, so now I can post a photo that I took earlier of the Fairy Iris or Dietes grandiforia, which is flowering in my garden at the moment. I enjoy my garden which calms me a bit, although wine did help this evening. Anyways my garden is a beautiful attraction to butterflies and bees, with plenty of sunbirds and as of this evening a Cardinal Woodpecker came a knocking.

John the Poolman

I felt sickened whenever I glanced over towards my pool and couldn’t wait for John my gardener to arrive today for him to work his magic on my pool. From this condition back to a sparkling pool, I would like to say that John just waved his hands over the waters and it miraculously changed but he does now what he is doing, garden and pool wise. After this I might have to change his title from Gardener to the poolman.

I laugh at the face of naps

It is the last day of the Winter Exhibition at Nirox, which means we are now officially heading towards spring but first it is the dry winds of August that must come, as it sweeps the chaff of winter away before the coming summer rains. Ahhh the African rains, how the African land now starts yearning for the blessing of the summer storms.

Robynne and Rebekah decided to join Lynda and I on this beautiful winter’s day for a relaxed stroll around Nirox and they both thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Even little grand-daughter who was wearing a shirt that had “I laugh at the face of naps” printed on it, was running around enjoying the different and strange art work hidden all around Nirox. After this granddad needs a nap and its no laughing matter.

Being outside in the fresh air, in a stunning landscaped garden, far from the blustering crowds just does a lot of good to one’s body and spirit.

Carrot Life

When life gives you carrots, no was that lemons, oh never mind, look what carrot we pulled out of our garden today. Interesting shape of carrot. That is my life, oddly shaped but rather interesting, living life to the fullest.

Garden World

Marco, Robynne, and Rebekah arrived back from an exhausting trip down to Durban and the young parents needed to recover, so we took our granddaughter off their hands for the afternoon. You know what grandparents do, sugar load their grandchildren and then hand them back to the parents.

So for the Sunday afternoon, Lynda and I took Rebekah up to Garden World in Muldersdrift as we remembered that they had an animal farm there but once there we found sad remains of an animal farm with a few goats, pigs, and birds. Maybe I was hoping for more, I am not sure what I am expecting from an animal farm any more.

So we went to investigate the tea garden, and following the direction boards we found a rather quiet tea garden without all that hustle of normal Northern Suburbs. At first it didn't seem to have much in terms of children play area, but we discovered tucked behind the back a lovely secure play area with lots of play things to entertain children, although not for Rebekah’s age group. I am not sure why we are so fussy now days, maybe it is that we are spoilt for choice in the Northern Suburbs.

Anyway we make the most of our time there and as you can see Rebekah loves to dance. She gave a stunning performance to Simba the Lion King, Nala, Pumbaa, Timon, Rafika,Livinia die Liewe Heksie, Woody, Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots, Mickey Mouse, Papa Smurf and matter of fact to all the smurfs as well. The food from the tea garden was good but soon got cold as we had to constantly watch Rebekah play on the big children’s jungle gyms.

It was getting late and afterwards we explored the lovely gardens at Garden World and discovered more little gems such as this not so small pool house above.

Hide the Naked

Okay I know it is Naked Garden Day today where we supposed to walk into gardens with our gardens and be one with nature. But what if my neighbours spy across into my beautiful garden and see my handsome cheeks, there aren’t no fig trees with broad enough fig leaves anywhere in my garden to help a fella out. Maybe our solitarily sunflower could help spare me as it has started to bloom.

Another Lemon Tree

And all that I can see is just another lemon tree. Yes folks it is Friday, weekend for those who work from Monday to Friday, but for me, well it has become another lemon tree. This is the view from my back door. When life gives you lemons, what do they say, oh yes, make margaritas, no that wasn't it, uhmmm anyway it's time for some tequila shots.

In a Pear Tree

I put two pears out in the garden for the fruit eating birds this morning, and a Black-collared Barbet family came along to eat out, much to the delight of our cats who watched as mommy and daddy barbet took turns in feeding their youngster some pear. (No birds were harmed in this event)

Spinach and Cauliflower

Our vegetable and herb garden is booming with basil, beans, carrots, chillies, gooseberries, granadilla, lemons, lettuce, lime, mint, parsley, peppers, pumpkin, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, theme, tomatoes, and others that slipped my mind. Our cauliflower were battling much like the spinach were until I moved them to the side so now we planted some more cauliflower next to the thriving spinach.

Who would have guessed that we could get this right but winter is coming and that will be the test.

Water Restrictions

The water restrictions imposed upon us by the City of Joburg, due to the drought has been partially lifted in our area last week even though the Department of Water and Sanitations have officially lifted theirs. I suppose it is good to be cautious but it was about time as it was not easy watering our vegetable garden by watering can when there was a perfectly good irrigation system built into our garden and what a pleasure in turning the sprinklers on and watch our herbs and vegetables breathe a sigh of relief.