Sawubona - Good Morning...................

It is a conspiracy !!!......................... This whole week has seen Kiera, The Monster Dog, whining by my bed at about 5.45am:................ " It is summer, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, time to get up, momsie"..................In a stern quiet voice I tell her to get back in her bed, she sighs and slinks off.......................There is no way, I can get back to sleep as I know what comes next.............cat and dog whispers in the darkened room.................first some scratching on the couch, that normally works. I throw a pillow at Mousie................then pittter patter , soft bump, she is on the dressing table.................cling clang of necklaces on mirror, bump as a small something lands on the floor. Another pillow goes flying in direction of noise..................More cat and dog whispers..........................bump on the side table, cell-phone and book and glasses goes flying...........................Now I am awake and cross..................sits up, pick up my slippers and catch a glimpse of Kiera and Mousie.........I swear I just saw them give each other a High 5 !!!..................Sawubona-Good Morning - Ube nosuku oluhle! - Have a nice day!!!

MY VISIT WITH MICHELLE - DAY 2

The very first thing to do in the morning is of course go and see how Blaze is. He is amazing, I bought him for Michelle for her 14th Birthday, when he was just 4 years old, He was a scrawny looking gelding, which I found in the local newspaper stabled on a plot on the West Rand. I could afford him, but was not really sure, but he had the sweetest nature and Michelle immediately fell in love with him, so we paid and took him home. He has served Michelle through Juniors Show Jumping and has won several prices in Showing as well. She took him with for a year to The Equestrian Academy in Summerveld, Kwa-Zulu Natal when she did her Equestrian Certificate after she finished her Matric. He has moved with her, she  has slept in his stable, he is her best friend and his birthday is 5th October where he turns 21. Is  he not beautiful ? Aaannnd He Loooooooves his Grammy ! I was kissed and pushed and snorted on and just about hugged by this wonderful horse when he saw me and I called " Blaze Boy, where are you?" He came running with a nicker so high that Wilfred burst into laughter " He knows you Ma !"

Wilfred looks after Michelle's 2 horses and also the grounds with the help of Wiseman, who was off that Friday morning. Wilfred's girlfriend Precious helps in the house, but she has just given birth to little Denzel and is off for a couple of months resting and  getting used to motherhoood. 

 Looking good for his age, hey ?

Lockmead, Michelle's new horse that she bought in Zimbabwe to ride Polo Crosse on.  He is not allowed near me, Blaze is so jealous it is comical. "My grammy", he clearly says, pushing Lockmead away, it was quite a mission trying to give them their feed as they both wanted attention and their bowl first. 

When I was visiting in 2010, we went to try Lockmead out and I am pleased to say, I was not wrong about my gut instinct. He is lovely and can turn on a tickey which is what she needs. 
They are in horse sickness at the moment, so to my great disappointment we could not take them for a nice out-ride down to the river. 

Twiggy the cat, also came with all the way from South Africa and made a new home in Bulawayo. She loves to lie in the hay by the horses, suppose the mice come for the feed and Twiggy catches them. 

this is Sabrina, a cat that came from the SPCA , she is lovely and so sweet, follows Michelle everywhere, much like my Mousie follows me.  

She looks like one of mine with all the dogs and the cats following her to the paddocks. 

We needed to go do some shopping for food, so went into town on the way , I had to yell at Gary to stop as I spotted a Grey Heron  on top of a lamp post. 

and in a tree sat a lonely Pied Crow, shouting for all and sundry to hear.........

I could not believe how the shopping centre had grown and expanded, you can get everything there now, US Dollars are used for currency, mainly, but you can pay in South African Rands and Botswana Pula as well, the tills automatically works out the currency and your change. If they are short of coins you get a Chappie or 2 (chewing gum) or some Toffees instead...........

The garden into the centre, provides a natural beautiful oasis. 

 Back home Michelle is squishing oranges the neighbour gave her, 

I am totally amazed at this old fashioned contraption, she found in the pantry when they moved in.........................it works fantastic and soon we have  a 2 litre bottle filled with fresh juice for our break fast tomorrow. 

In the outdoor buildings they also found an old potters wheel, I assure Michelle I know how to use it and will show her how to make her own pots and bowls.She glares at me and tells me Janice, Gary's sister who is arty farty wants it, she has a kiln as well for her pottery. Oh well. I did try. the young of today??

It is time for  a night cap, the sun is going down,

I am totally finished and exhausted, we are having a Braai, (Barbecue) tonight. 


I am too tired to feel hungry  but make an effort as surely they have spend a lot of money on meat. 

Tomorrow we are going to Matopo Hills Reserve, I was there 2 years ago, so excited to re-acquaint, Kenneth has never been and has only looked on Google and reckons just some big rocks and hills. He sure has a surprise coming up. 

Until tomorrow when the story continues, that is if you are still with me and interested, even remotely?

IMAGES AND WORDS - AT THE GATE

We are standing at the gate of change, says   Milli  who is our host this week. This is our last post on Multiply, before officially moving to Blogger, so I am cross posting today. 

I had to search high and low for a gate, that was even remotely suitable, eventually gave up and went and took a picture of my Gate into My Vegetable Garden. Now I love that gate, Russell made it for me, when first I started planting as the dogs continually was in and out , digging, eating my compost and horse manure and worse defecating in my rows of neatly planted carrots and leeks.

I also found another suitable quote, which is very apt in our move from Multiply, where everybody seems to have different ideas as to where we should go and how and with whomever. 



No one can persuade another to change. Each of us guards a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside. We cannot open the gate of another, either by argument or emotional appeal. 
Marilyn Ferguson 


Until next time, have a lovely week. 

For more Gate Images and Quotes go to : 

http://imageswithwords.multiply.com/journal/item/205/Images-And-Words-Week-178-At-the-Gate

TRIP TO ZIMBABWE - DAY ONE

We took The Greyhound, yes we.......Kenneth, my beloved son, decided in the last minute to come with to surprise his sister, you have no idea how surprised she was *winks*

No that is not a zit on his nose, but the flash from his cellphone camera LOL

Little Miss Pink waiting for the bus to come.

And we're ready to rock and roll. Bulawayo here we come. 

I am always amazed at the change in the foliage as we go up north. Just reaching Pretoria sees us at least 3 degrees warmer and the Jacaranda was just starting to bloom.

Pretoria Station, where we stop to pick up a couple of more people. 

an enterprising shop owner

As soon as we get 50km further north, the landscape change to open bushveld, savannah. It is far between towns and even small homesteads are scarce. This country is enormous and awe inspiring in its diversity. 

Having a drink and toilet break in Polokwane. 

Umbrella Thorn Tree

I wonder as we go past little clusters of hut, what these people live off and what they think and do in their daily lives. I know so little of my country men really it is quite embarrassing. 

The poverty is visible all around and my heart breaks as I go past in my luxury bus with my luxury sandwiches, fresh fruit and mineral water, looking at barefoot half naked children playing in the dust in between scrawny looking dogs and chickens. Here and there is an attempt at a vegetable garden, mostly maize but also visible is spinach and cabbage. The bus-driver don't stop for photographs I am assured , so I try snapping through the dusty window. Most attempts were pathetic, but resolutely I carry on, sure that maybe one will be usable. 

Going up through the hills towards the Hendriek Verwoerd Tunnels , the landscape changes again and becomes green and lush. 

Hendrik Verwoerd Tunnells

Through the tunnels going downhill, it again is flat and dry,with only the occasional Baobab tree relieving the monotony of the landscape. Those giant trees have a magic about them. It is easy this time of the year to understand why they are also called Upside Down Trees. 

Just before Messina, Soutpansberg, Limpopo, now called Musina ( no idea why, they changed the name)................. looked it up and now I do know, please take the time to read this little interesting snippet.

http://www.pieterhugo.com/messina-musina/

Just had to laugh looking at this bakkie, laden full with goods, to go across the border. 

Foodstuff and other commodities are very expensive in Zimbabwe and you pay by US dollars, the rate of which varies from merchant to merchant. At the border it is R10 - 1 $ while the financial rate is posted as R 8.25 - 1 $.............naturally this makes for some entrepreneurs buying in South Africa and reselling in Zimbabwe. How they get through customs I do not know, as they scrutinised everything I had including my dirty underwear lol...........maybe a bit of bakgat is in order here

We have reached the South African Border post and stood in a seemingly endless, no purpose line for 2 hours.......... I am not good at lining up and stood to attention,when the bus driver pleadingly asked us to keep our line straight..........I mean seriously, are we in the army or in boarding school............(with hindsight, seeing as we had the same drivers on our way home, I might not have been so brave *grins*)

This old building is in pretty good nick, considering the changes in our country, but boy oh boy are the border officials fast asleep. I could write a book about My Danish Passport and New Surname and Old ID Book, will leave you to your imagination as to the "could not care less attitude" once we got to the front of the line. Was hilarious, the bureaucracy of the whole thing for no apparent reason whatsoever. 

As nothing else to do took pictures which apparently you are not allowed to do, well, nobody said anything and there was no notice. 

We eventually left the SA border post ( my camera tells me 3.57pm) and drove across the bridge, which is the official border at Beit Bridge on Limpopo River way past 6pm. Now knowing we have another 4 hours drive ahead of us, I had to sms Michelle I will be late, don't want them standing forever at the Bus Station in the middle of Bulawayo. 

The Zimbabwe side of border, despite horrible rumours of hold ups and intimidation was so much easier, though very primitive ( forget toilet facilities, just saying, hold it in, the bus had a liquids only, wc on board) 

This wonderful looking truck was stuck on the border side waiting for customs and kindly let the bus pass.  ( not allowed to take photos at border, yes I heard !!)

5.12pm the camera tells me. 

Tried to take a picture of the mine when we went past, now too late for the light at 8.17pm, it was very late when rolling into Bulawayo at last and I was to say the least exhausted, wanted a cup of tea preferrable with a bit of brandy in it and some lemon and honey, my pj's and pillow and duvet. 

To follow with Friday morning with my darling daughter and so on. For now, good night and thank you for being with me so far. 

CANDID CAMERA AGAIN..........

Sweet Miss Mousie can look ferocious when she wants to . LOL...............caught her having a nap in the empty fountain bowl................shot her right in the middle of a yawn. 

Just needs a caption "ROAR"

Meet My Godchild...........

Wanted to share with you my first Godchild. His name is Denzel ( named after Denzel Washington). 

3 weeks old, the son of Precious and Wilfred, who works for Michelle in Bulawayo.

Is he not too precious and I am so honoured they asked me !!