Black out the Sun

Eish, with the dismal performance of our national rugby team, the Springbucks, against the All Blacks, what more is there to say?

Anyways this Monday seems like I am in cruise mode, not that I have a lot of work, but after last week’s 14 hour days just to get my reports out in a week and a blog over the weekend, this week seems tame. And this week started off with springbucks grazing peacefully near the newly erected solar carport just outside my office while thick black smoke rises from the city, blacking out the sun, as students burn down the universities. Double eish!

Slog Break

This week has not being a good one so for with work just merging into one big mess. Oh well it is just one foot in front of the other and aim for that bed-gasm when your head hits that pillow at the end of the day.

To break up the slog, one has to just push the mouse and keyboard to one side, get up, step out of the office, and take a walk on the wild side. Even the Springbuck are relaxing during lunch time. Time to follow their example and soak up the sun, recharging my batteries before heading back inside.

Three Babies

Finally I managed to get a photograph of all three baby springbucks in one photo. These three were born just over a week ago and have been rather shy compared to last season’s babies which were springy and bouncing everywhere as baby springbucks tend to do.

Harro Spling Boks

After a disastrous start to the Rugby World Cup tournament by our team, the Springbokke, who lost to Japan’s Cherry Blossoms, it was time to go smell the roses, no sorry the cherry blossoms. But who we trying to kid, as the cherry is dropped and the Japanese team is now called the Brave Blossoms.

Questions abound as the once proud Springbok team becomes the joke of the world. And believe me sushi jokes with a dash of springbucks are aplenty all of a sudden. How can a team ranked third in the world get beaten by a team ranked 13th and who has ever only won one first class game before. Were we ever good enough with defeat after defeat from the hands of lower teams this season? Was the coach Heineke Meyer ever the right coach in the first place?

Oh well we can all scream from the side lines but how can we criticise without wearing their rugby togs. Well back to the baby springbuck that was born a week ago. I still haven’t got a perfect photo of him/her yet but perseverance is the name of the game.

Go Bokke!

Okay stop the bus, let’s start this week all over again on a new page. After my downer of a day yesterday, today was a new birth, quite literary.

I had just popped out of the office to renew my Vespa licence when Ella sent me the very top image. A new baby springbuck has just being born with the little one still on wobbly legs. I rushed back and found the young’un under a bush hiding from predators. Interesting as it was a black springbuck and its mommy was a normal coloured springbuck.

Well timing is perfect as this Friday the Rugby World Cup kicks off with England against Fiji whereas on Saturday our team the Springboks tackle the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan. Go Bokke!

Jerome Junior and Marigold

The two baby springbucks, Jerome Junior aka JJ and Marigold, has slotted into the herd quite nicely. You see then with the herd grazing sweet grass on the lawns between HR and the Compliance offices at Mogale Buisness Park.

From office I don’t get to see them that often unless I take a walk during lunch time or a trip up to the top. It has been a tough February so far, and to keep my mind busy and away from problems, I am tending more and more to sink into the work that is needed now such as policies and procedures. Hopefully I don’t get too busy for life.

Miracle of Birth

As proud expectant grandparents Paballo and I watched the miracle of a female black springbuck give birth. Who would have thought that labour would have taken over 3 hours and right outside our offices on the lawn? Now how can anyone be expected to work in these conditions.

Nicholas who looks after the wellbeing of the buck here at Bosasa’s Mogale Business Park in Krugersdorp, said that the mother springbuck can walk around for many hours while in labour, and only once she is certain that it is safe, she will lie down and give birth. While giving birth she will be surrounded by other buck who will alert her when danger approaches. So we decided to take refuge inside one of the offices and view through the tinted glass where mother can’t see us.

Here mommy springbuck finds a shady spot to lie down and give birth

With the coast clear so she lies down

Oh no RUN! Danger approaches, so off she runs, baby and all. During labour the head and front feet will pop out first. The other buck will gather and start licking the baby’s face clearing any mucus so the baby can breathe.

Coast is clear, and this time mother springbuck choses a spot right in front of us.

Others in the herd come closer to witness the birth of the herd’s latest member.

But it gets a bit crowded so daddy springbuck has to shoo them off

While daddy is seeing to the relatives, mommy decides labour is taking too much energy so she has to eat some grass.

Finally, time has come for baby to be born.

Dad and Midwife step in to ease the process

Time 11:46 Springbuck Jerome Jr arrives. Hey it wasn’t my idea to name the little sprog after me.

Ah mommy springbuck has had enough with this birth, somebody walks past near by and with danger so close, she starts to stand up and the last part of baby pops out.

Due to the inbreed fear of lions, mommy springbuck proceeds to eat the placenta. Baby springbuck Jerome Jr as he is now known, tries to get up as quickly as he can onto his feet before the lions come. And daddy, well he already has other plans with mommy.

Ahhh daddy springbuck wants to start the process of making another baby as soon as possible. Come on, give mommy a break, she has just given birth, I mean only seconds ago.

With daddy sorted out, now to make sure baby springbuck Jerome Jr all cleaned up

Time to find where mommy hides that yummy milk.

There is a new buck in town, going by the name JJ aka Jerome Jnr so watch this space.

Marigold Springbuck

Last night, a springbuck was born at Bosasa’s Mogale Business Park. It is a little late in the calving season but we don’t mind as long as baby is healthy. We are still not sure if it is a boy or a girl yet. All the buck are so used to Richard as he feeds them, this allowed him to get real close to photograph the baby buck without spooking the mother. As you can see, the baby is lying among the marigold flowers hence I thought s/he should be called Marigold from now on. Soon Marigold will be running and jumping like springbucks do, long side Monday and Norma Jean.

Mogale Business Park

Work is starting to happen now after a slow start last week and it should be very busy on the roads from tomorrow as the schools go back but for now I can still relax in the tranquil gardens of Mogale Business Park. The path on the left lead up to my office which is just behind those trees on the left. Oh I suppose lunch is over and it is back to my office.

And yes those fluffy grey clouds soon turned ominous and it started raining. Sorry for me as I am on the Vespa today.

Springbucks in the Rain

The first thunderstorm of the summer has released its bounty over Gauteng. You can smell the rain in the air as the ground cried out for the large rain drops. It was like everything was alive, Gerald the peacock got the girl right in front of my window, I was in shock from the birds and the bees’ education that was being played out in front of me that I forgot to reach for my camera. Oh well in about a months time we should have some baby peafowls.

Monday and Norma Jean, the two baby springbucks had their first feel of what rain is, they were bouncing as springbucks do, as the drops landed onto them. I hope they enjoyed their first shower as there will be many more where that came from.

Norma Jean

After Norma Jean was born last week Thursday, the baby springbuck was very scarce because she knew how to hide and keep out of sight from predators such as the prowling lions. I was starting to get worried that something tragic had happened to baby Norma Jean.

Yesterday just as the sun was setting I spotted the tiny little springbuck playing with her cousin who is double her size and a few weeks older. I watched her bouncing like springbucks tend to do and having so much fun. After a while she fed and went to hide in some long grass nearby.

Now I know where to look for little Norma, I can keep her under my watchful eye. So here is your first glimpse of 8 day old Norma Jean trying to get settled down behind some plants which are sheltering her from the icy wind which has blown up overnight.

Baby Monday

Just over a week ago 3 springbucks were born at Mogale Business Park. The first one which I witnessed was at about 4:30 pm on the Friday the first of August, the second on Saturday morning, and the third on Monday morning, hence the name Monday. Sadly dues to the fear of lions nearby the zebras attacked the babies and two babies died before the zebras could be contained.

So here is Monday, our 12 day old baby black springbuck with his mother to the left checking me out while a young male springbuck came over to smell the youngster.

It is times like these that a point and shoot is not the best camera for the job and I wish I had my DSL with a lovely lens on so that I could get a better photo of Monday.