Being the Tourist

They say while in Rome, do what the Romans do, so even though I grew up here, the family didn’t so while on holiday at the lower South Coast, why not do the tourist thing. This is us being the tourists.

First on our agenda was the famous Waffle House in Ramsgate for a yummy waffle breakfast. The morning was slightly nippy as the sun still had to warm up so it was hot Mocca to start while Matthew had tea, of course while we waited for our waffles.

A visit to Ramsgate Beach was squeezed in between the waffles and our next tourist stop, the Butterfly World as it was now starting to get warmer. The wind had picked up and the sea a little choppy so we didn't stay long before we were off again.

Now the Butterfly World was a little of a disappointment as it seemed a little run down. Maybe it is supposed to look like a grotto but the decor did not get a huge thumbs up from me. As for the butterflies, well there were lots and lots of Golden Piper butterflies everywhere but not a lot of other species. But for our grand daughter they were the thing to see. Along with the butterflies Rebekah was also enthralled with the tiny tortoises.

By now it was way past Rebekah’s bedtime, so Marco, Robynne and Rebekah headed back to our holiday apartment while Lynda, Bradley, Matthew, and I headed inland to the Oribi Gorge. I spent many times up here at Murchison, Paddock, Oribi Flats, and of course the two gorges. So acting as the tour guide I showed my charges the spectacular Oribi Gorge. But as usual I didn't pay too much attention to the fuel as being a tourist guide was taking a lot out of me and by now my guests were getting tired. But even though we were a little low on fuel we did managed to get back to the coast on a whiff of a oil rag.

Hello 2016

With 2016 work year finally started, it is time to see what has happened at Bosasa while I was away on summer break. First things first, while down in the slow veldt, my mom gave me a hand reared year old tortoise which she wanted to release into the wild. I offered to release Shelly, a name my mom affectingly called this baby Leopard Tortoise, into the Eco Park at Mogale Business Park which already has 5 adult and 3 juvenile tortoises, one which is a fully grown Leopard Tortoise, the others I am not sure what sub species they belong to.

So the first thing I did this morning was to introduce baby Shelly to another tortoise. Hello there little one. At first the adult was nervous with me being so close but Shelly soon had him or is it her out of their shell.

Later I found out that a baby Springbok was born last week in the park and that a Blue Crane couple has laid two eggs at the edge of the park this past weekend. That will be 21 days gestation and hopefully we will see our first baby blue cranes. I was informed by the excited grounds man that the last babies born here was four years ago. I couldn’t get too close as the male Blue Crane is very protective.

Slow Sex

Arriving at work this Monday morning I was privilege to see two tortoises busy having sex rather slowly mind you. Okay you should know by now that I am in the SEO industry and specialise in the technical and analytical aspects of Search Engine Optimisation and Marketing so this title is what you would call a crude form of link baiting. Anyways back to the courting tortoises.

After spotting the amorish pair, I parked my bike in a parking bay at work and crept closer for a photo opportunity but I failed as a peeping tom as the copulating pair quickly detected me and stopped their love making. Oh dear I hope I haven’t put them off their courtship and hopefully soon we will have some baby tortoises roving around our office park.

Go Slow

 

The going is slow today, well it is more of a very slow day than a go slow as the blog title is hinting at. Not that I don’t have any work, but today day just seems to drag on and on and...

Even the tortoise was eating the grass faster than it was growing.

Cranky Old Man

My forgetting is getting better, say with one hundred and forty eight years under my belt or is it just shy of fifty, uhmmm. This afternoon we went up to the Botanical Gardens in Roodepoort to get away from the maddening crowd. I don’t want to be reminded that today is my birthday; I am not getting any younger as my get up and go has already gotten up and went.

To lay on the grass and hear a century old tortoise chomp away at the green grass, to hear the hop hoppity of the Cape Robin, or the babbling of the brook. What will my future hold now that the spark in my eyes starts to fade? Ahh aren’t I the cranky old man.

What do you see in me? What do you see? What are you thinking when you’re looking at me?

Now that I am nearly fifty, Lord God I pray that you grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell them apart.

Yay Friday

Friday couldn't have come any sooner as this week has been long and very busy with trips to the vet twice every day and half staffed at work. Time didn't stand still as two of my idols were taken from us. Leonard Nimoy was beamed up and yesterday Terry Pratchett took Death's arm as he went for his appointment in Samarra.

If was difficult to find time to take photos yet there was opportunities all around but the time thieves were out and about. Take this small peacock feather just lying on the grass crying out "Pick me! Pick me!" yet I didn't have a strawberry handy for the tortoise.

"There is no doubt that being human is incredibly difficult and cannot be mastered in one lifetime." - Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time

Sad Shy Tortoise

Summer is here, the sun is beaming down through cloudless skies, the gardens are lush and beautiful, the bees are whizzing about making honey, and the tortoises, well the tortoises are enjoying are enjoying it all.

Well except this tortoise who is on the shy side. May be it is because I had a camera in his face or maybe he is depressed because of what has happened in the deep south. “Mr Tortoise, sir, what is your take on the blight of your relatives down in the Cape?” It is very sad to see photos surfacing of tortoises been burnt by the raging fires in and around Cape Town.

Sexy Times at Work

This week has been a slow start to the year, with even the tortoises getting into the swing of all things leisurely, a bit late for spring wouldn’t you say. Most people will only get back to work from their summer break on Monday which gives the tortoises the last bit of privacy before the year officially gets busy. Thanks to Ella for taking the photo of the sexy times right outside our office.

The Tortoise and the Vespa

When the weather is great, I really enjoy taking to the open road on my beautiful red Vespa GTS300 Super. Arriving at work this morning I saw this tortoise slowly trudging along at its own pace and without a care in the world. Thankfully the speed limit here is only 20kph due to the wildlife in the area so this tortoise was easily avoided by the nimble Vespa.

Sleepy Head Squish

Hello there sleepy head, now that the days are getting warmer, our local tortoise, Squish is up and about after his long winter sleep. A long time ago, Squish decided to find respite from the harsh summer sun by taking refuge under a parked car. When the driver returned to leave, they accidently reversed over Squish. The medics were rushed in and Squish’s shell was patched up.

That was then, now Squish lives on and it is Friday so time to come out of your shell Squish, time to party.

Tortoise Wars

I am starting to enjoy Mondays, maybe because my job doesn't suck. Gone are my dreaded slow Mondays.

Talking about slow Mondays, I came across this old fella in the lovely gardens at my office. I am not sure what type of tortoise s/he is but the poor thing looks like it has been through the wars.