Well we were 11 days away from 10th October and guess what...it decided to rain!!!! Johan actually spent much of the weekend sweeping off all the roofs and cleaning out the gutters, as he had a feeling that rain wasn't too far away. He wasn't wrong and indeed it must have been around 7 pm last evening, when we looked at each other and all had the same thought - 'It's raining'. I have imagined the first rain for so long and I must say that hearing the thunderous fall of heavy drops on the corrugated roof was both therapeutic and disappointing. Therapeutic, because it is something we have waited for, for so long and disappointing, because I was so hoping we would make it to October before the first rains fell. It didn't last for long...maybe 20 minutes, but in that short period of time, we heard how heavily it was falling, which can only mean one thing - the dust was being given a chance to settle. Isn't it amazing how having even a little bit of rain can change a person's mood, and that smell...ooooh that smell is so refreshing and clean. I wish they could bottle the smell of fallen rain on mother earth and give it out as 'freebies' to anyone craving a little bit of 'clean' and 'fresh' in their lives. Now we will see how mother nature will burst into life with a vigour that has been hibernating for so many barren months. Saturday morning I noticed blossoms from the Jacaranda trees lying on the ground in our garden. My thoughts went back to my own years of school and later our childrens' where we knew that if we hadn't finished learning for our year end exams by the time the Jacaranda trees dropped their first blooms, then we weren't ready. Life can only get brighter now as it brings new expectations, and though I don't look forward to the heat and the exhaustion associated with it, I do look forward to many more African thunder storms and maybe, just maybe, days of cool, wet rain.
So today was 'clinic' day...NiQi's appointment had been scheduled for last week, Wednesday, however with the bakkie broken, she phoned to make a new one....
The bakkie is still not fixed and at the moment we are in a bit of a quandary about what to do about it, but that is indeed a whole other story. It just meant that we had to make a plan to get Johan to work before NiQi and I drove through to Johannesburg. As always our day started before the crack of dawn, but at least now it is becoming light earlier. We left home at 5.45am and dropped Johan before making our way back to the highway. I don't enjoy Monday appointments as I am sure more people travel on a Monday than any other day of the week and as predicted the journey was long and stressful. The temperature gauge of the car was rising with the standing in traffic and the short bursts given to the engine as we crept slowly along the highway. Finally we arrived at 8.30am....sadly, just too late for NiQi to have a lung function test. She was last to arrive to see the doctor so sat in the waiting area until her turn. Not much change in her overall health, but one good thing is she seems to be sensitive again to the use of Ciprobay, so her doctor has given her two weeks supply to take. This will hopefully give her the boost she needs and will finally rid her of whatever bugs have been plaguing her for the last couple of months. Daily routines continue, oxygen, nebs, physio, exercise, eating and more eating, PEG feeds, meds and insulin testing...every day the same.
Life today with memories of years gone by...Larkwood has been since the beginning of our life together as a family...
Monday, September 30, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
Fleas and other Pests...
Fleas...my word have we been infested with fleas the last month or so. I don't know if it is so, but we think the drought has something to do with it. The rabbit camp and the area where the horses congregate before being fed are the worst and I dread going to these two areas because I can both feel and see the creepy critters crawling all over me. Yesterday morning I couldn't wait to finish my chores outside because there were so many on me. I came inside and changed my clothes as quickly as I could, then dumped them in the wash to try and drown the things.
So today, it's me, the sprayer and the poison...
If we don't try to contain them now, before we know it the birds will be infested and that is a terrible thing to have to deal with. The chickens are usually the first to be infested by them because they are continually scratching in the sand as chickens do, so I will have to make sure I put karbodust down in their run...prevention is easier than cure...and then just to make sure the little jumping jacks don't make themselves at home here in the house, I'm going to buy some 'foggers' when I go to town tomorrow and set them up inside. Hopefully that will cover all angles and we will eradicate them - or at least get them packing their suitcases and moving on next door.
It's also that time of the year when we have to spray the horses for ticks and mite. NiQi has spoken to our vet and asked him to keep her 5 horse sickness injections...we must inject them before the rain comes and the grass starts growing.
I know that the injections aren't a preventative from them getting African horse sickness but they do help to protect them against the virus. Anyone who has ever seen a horse die from this dreadful disease will know how heart breaking it is. A few years ago we watched our two foals, Amberfield and Pippin both suffer and pass away within a week of each other. We were devastated and cried for months afterwards. They were both just over a year in age, beautiful, graceful, NiQi's 'loves'. I remember how she would spend her days grooming them and talking to them, measuring them and working out how tall they would grow to be. She dreamed of the day when she would be able to start training them and eventually be able to ride them...all these dreams were dashed within a week. I first noticed Amber was looking under the weather early one Saturday morning when I went out to feed them. She just wasn't herself and I didn't know what it was. Not wanting to alarm NiQi, I didn't say anything to her...she was going out for the most of the day and I knew she wouldn't have time before going to check in with the horses before she left, so it was safe. as soon as she was ready, I took her and dropped her off then popped in at our vet on the way home, to ask his advise. As soon as I described what I had noticed he told me it was African horse sickness. I didn't believe him purely because I knew that they had been injected with the virus, and it was then that I learned how the injection isn't a preventative from picking up the disease. The injection works along the same lines as our flu injections...they don't guarantee you won't get the flu, but if you do, then hopefully it won't be as severe. I left him armed with injections and other medicines and dashed off home. Johan and I injected her immediately and I syringed the medicines into her mouth. The fact that she had eaten that morning, gave us hope that she would pull through and survive. I stayed with her all morning and just after lunch I thought there was a change for the better in her...sadly minutes later she reeled and fell to the ground and moments later she passed away. As I sit typing this I am reliving the whole experience and have tears pouring down my cheeks. it was an experience I will never forget and hoped never to see again. Exactly a week later, Pippin went the same way...Niqi stayed with her until nightfall and then we left her in the stable, hoping by morning she would have pulled through. We were in the house eating supper and heard a tremendous crash coming from the stable area...we all looked at each other and knew. Rushing outside to the stable, we found Pippin on the floor of the stable, eyes closed, no longer with us. Since this experience we dread the summer months with the rain and the long grass that the horses graze through, because we know that in amongst all of that are these tiny little midges that fly up their nostrils and cause them to become so gravely ill. So spraying has started, we catch them one by one after their evening feed, every second day and whilst NiQi talks to them, I spray them and we hope and pray that this too will help....
Amber in front and Pippin behind...
So today, it's me, the sprayer and the poison...
If we don't try to contain them now, before we know it the birds will be infested and that is a terrible thing to have to deal with. The chickens are usually the first to be infested by them because they are continually scratching in the sand as chickens do, so I will have to make sure I put karbodust down in their run...prevention is easier than cure...and then just to make sure the little jumping jacks don't make themselves at home here in the house, I'm going to buy some 'foggers' when I go to town tomorrow and set them up inside. Hopefully that will cover all angles and we will eradicate them - or at least get them packing their suitcases and moving on next door.
It's also that time of the year when we have to spray the horses for ticks and mite. NiQi has spoken to our vet and asked him to keep her 5 horse sickness injections...we must inject them before the rain comes and the grass starts growing.
I know that the injections aren't a preventative from them getting African horse sickness but they do help to protect them against the virus. Anyone who has ever seen a horse die from this dreadful disease will know how heart breaking it is. A few years ago we watched our two foals, Amberfield and Pippin both suffer and pass away within a week of each other. We were devastated and cried for months afterwards. They were both just over a year in age, beautiful, graceful, NiQi's 'loves'. I remember how she would spend her days grooming them and talking to them, measuring them and working out how tall they would grow to be. She dreamed of the day when she would be able to start training them and eventually be able to ride them...all these dreams were dashed within a week. I first noticed Amber was looking under the weather early one Saturday morning when I went out to feed them. She just wasn't herself and I didn't know what it was. Not wanting to alarm NiQi, I didn't say anything to her...she was going out for the most of the day and I knew she wouldn't have time before going to check in with the horses before she left, so it was safe. as soon as she was ready, I took her and dropped her off then popped in at our vet on the way home, to ask his advise. As soon as I described what I had noticed he told me it was African horse sickness. I didn't believe him purely because I knew that they had been injected with the virus, and it was then that I learned how the injection isn't a preventative from picking up the disease. The injection works along the same lines as our flu injections...they don't guarantee you won't get the flu, but if you do, then hopefully it won't be as severe. I left him armed with injections and other medicines and dashed off home. Johan and I injected her immediately and I syringed the medicines into her mouth. The fact that she had eaten that morning, gave us hope that she would pull through and survive. I stayed with her all morning and just after lunch I thought there was a change for the better in her...sadly minutes later she reeled and fell to the ground and moments later she passed away. As I sit typing this I am reliving the whole experience and have tears pouring down my cheeks. it was an experience I will never forget and hoped never to see again. Exactly a week later, Pippin went the same way...Niqi stayed with her until nightfall and then we left her in the stable, hoping by morning she would have pulled through. We were in the house eating supper and heard a tremendous crash coming from the stable area...we all looked at each other and knew. Rushing outside to the stable, we found Pippin on the floor of the stable, eyes closed, no longer with us. Since this experience we dread the summer months with the rain and the long grass that the horses graze through, because we know that in amongst all of that are these tiny little midges that fly up their nostrils and cause them to become so gravely ill. So spraying has started, we catch them one by one after their evening feed, every second day and whilst NiQi talks to them, I spray them and we hope and pray that this too will help....
NiQi grooming them...they were only a few months old here
Amber in front and Pippin behind...
Amber on the left, Pippin on the right and August behind them...
Thursday, September 26, 2013
National Braai Day and things....
I have had the most frustrating few days with our internet connection...it seems to be that time of the year when the new growth on the trees blocks out the signals. That, coupled with the fact that our winds are so strong at the moment too, and I think they just help to interfere with everything and totally confuse the airwaves. We have noticed with our radio tests, that we hear fewer people answering their 'call' and there is a lot of 'fuzz' and 'crackling' on the radio, but anyway I seem to have signal now, so I hope I am going to be able to complete this and post it.
Well the evening of my last blog, we were all inside watching TV and the dogs started barking....the kind of bark that you sit up and take note of. Not sure what to expect, Johan went outside the back to have a look and NiQi and I peeked from the front door. Curiosity getting the better of her, NiQi decided to brave it outside and Johan called to her to put all the dogs inside the house...he thought maybe Barney had cornered a snake and he didn't want him or any of the other dogs to get hurt. You know what happens when you hear 'snake'...the adrenalin gets pumping, your breathing increases and as much as you are scared, nervous and don't like snakes, at the same time you want to see, what type and how big!!!!! Well once the dogs were inside, Johan shone a torch on the spot where Barney had been barking and the next minute we were 'oohing' and 'aahing' at what lay before us. Never before had been been confronted by a hedgehog, not here nor in KZN. There it was, as pretty as a picture, sniffing and scratching and going about it's business as if we weren't there at all. Our preservation instincts kicked in and not wanting the dogs to attack it, we found a box to put it in. Johan tried to pick it up and it rolled into a ball, which actually made it easier to roll it inside the box. NiQi had her phone on her and took a few photo's once it had uncurled itself and when she got too close to it, it stopped in its' tracks and hissed at her. Johan then took it in the box and let it out in the camp where our surviving rabbits and the tortoises are. There is plenty of space for it to roam and many places for it to hide away and sleep during the day...so for now we have a new addition to our family. Once inside NiQi 'googled' hedgehogs and read everything she could, from eating habits...which is what we wanted to know...to gestation period and size of litter. lol Since then, we wait every evening till it is dark and then go outside with the torch to look for the hedgehog...which by the way has been named 'Sonic'...
Tuesday, 24th, was a public holiday...'Heritage Day'...we seem to have a number of these throughout the year don't we and unlike many in this province who seem to get in their cars and go away, taking extra days for leave and making it a long weekend, we, as is usually the case, end up doing work around the place. Johan's sister Mariana had asked if they might pop round as Bryan wanted to chat to Johan about a new venture, so we made it mid afternoon so that Johan could get a few things done. Well a few things turned out to be just 'one' thing...and that was the gates. He started early enough, just after breakfast, but it took a lot longer than he imagined. First he had to find every lead we possess and connect them to each other from the shed all the way out the back to the fence and gates. He then proceeded to angle grind the brackets and then weld them onto the gate posts. No small job for a man on his own, but being the capable person that he is, managed to complete the task just before lunch time. Needless to say, while he was working on the gates, the horses realized it was open and were through to the other side before you could blink an eye. Unfortunately we have encountered a problem and now have to try and keep the horses separated so that Zorro, Angel and August go next door, but Switch and Navajo stay home. This is because our neighbour's, neighbours' horses soon discovered that there is now company on the other side of the fence and with 4 mares all prancing around in front of Navajo, he was becoming more and more excited to get to them. Hence the separation...we cannot have him trying to climb fences and getting himself tangled in the wires, so it is best to keep him home with Switch...who is after all expecting his foal....
So, back to National Heritage day...which is more and more popularly known as National Braai Day...when it was decided that Mariana and Bryan were coming to chat, on the spur of the moment we extended an invitation to them both to stay for a braai. Even though it was another extremely hot day, the company made it pleasant. They brought a home made garlic, bacon and onion loaf...which Bryan had baked. Wow...it was delicious, but so full of garlic...oh my word I think we are still tasting the garlic...lol
So, the gate is sorted, the horses are sorted, the hedgehog is sorted, NiQi started to feel better and other than the stifling heat...Larkwood life is blissful.
Well the evening of my last blog, we were all inside watching TV and the dogs started barking....the kind of bark that you sit up and take note of. Not sure what to expect, Johan went outside the back to have a look and NiQi and I peeked from the front door. Curiosity getting the better of her, NiQi decided to brave it outside and Johan called to her to put all the dogs inside the house...he thought maybe Barney had cornered a snake and he didn't want him or any of the other dogs to get hurt. You know what happens when you hear 'snake'...the adrenalin gets pumping, your breathing increases and as much as you are scared, nervous and don't like snakes, at the same time you want to see, what type and how big!!!!! Well once the dogs were inside, Johan shone a torch on the spot where Barney had been barking and the next minute we were 'oohing' and 'aahing' at what lay before us. Never before had been been confronted by a hedgehog, not here nor in KZN. There it was, as pretty as a picture, sniffing and scratching and going about it's business as if we weren't there at all. Our preservation instincts kicked in and not wanting the dogs to attack it, we found a box to put it in. Johan tried to pick it up and it rolled into a ball, which actually made it easier to roll it inside the box. NiQi had her phone on her and took a few photo's once it had uncurled itself and when she got too close to it, it stopped in its' tracks and hissed at her. Johan then took it in the box and let it out in the camp where our surviving rabbits and the tortoises are. There is plenty of space for it to roam and many places for it to hide away and sleep during the day...so for now we have a new addition to our family. Once inside NiQi 'googled' hedgehogs and read everything she could, from eating habits...which is what we wanted to know...to gestation period and size of litter. lol Since then, we wait every evening till it is dark and then go outside with the torch to look for the hedgehog...which by the way has been named 'Sonic'...
'Sonic'
Tuesday, 24th, was a public holiday...'Heritage Day'...we seem to have a number of these throughout the year don't we and unlike many in this province who seem to get in their cars and go away, taking extra days for leave and making it a long weekend, we, as is usually the case, end up doing work around the place. Johan's sister Mariana had asked if they might pop round as Bryan wanted to chat to Johan about a new venture, so we made it mid afternoon so that Johan could get a few things done. Well a few things turned out to be just 'one' thing...and that was the gates. He started early enough, just after breakfast, but it took a lot longer than he imagined. First he had to find every lead we possess and connect them to each other from the shed all the way out the back to the fence and gates. He then proceeded to angle grind the brackets and then weld them onto the gate posts. No small job for a man on his own, but being the capable person that he is, managed to complete the task just before lunch time. Needless to say, while he was working on the gates, the horses realized it was open and were through to the other side before you could blink an eye. Unfortunately we have encountered a problem and now have to try and keep the horses separated so that Zorro, Angel and August go next door, but Switch and Navajo stay home. This is because our neighbour's, neighbours' horses soon discovered that there is now company on the other side of the fence and with 4 mares all prancing around in front of Navajo, he was becoming more and more excited to get to them. Hence the separation...we cannot have him trying to climb fences and getting himself tangled in the wires, so it is best to keep him home with Switch...who is after all expecting his foal....
So, back to National Heritage day...which is more and more popularly known as National Braai Day...when it was decided that Mariana and Bryan were coming to chat, on the spur of the moment we extended an invitation to them both to stay for a braai. Even though it was another extremely hot day, the company made it pleasant. They brought a home made garlic, bacon and onion loaf...which Bryan had baked. Wow...it was delicious, but so full of garlic...oh my word I think we are still tasting the garlic...lol
So, the gate is sorted, the horses are sorted, the hedgehog is sorted, NiQi started to feel better and other than the stifling heat...Larkwood life is blissful.
Zorro exercising in the ring...
Johan on Angel and NiQi on Zorro...
Switch and Navajo...
Zorro...this is what we look like at the moment, dry and little grazing
August...
Monday, September 23, 2013
Gates and Baby Birds
For many years now we have talked with our neighbours' behind us about putting in a connecting gate between us. There are times when we need access to each others property in a hurry and it would be so much easier to be able to go through an inter linking gate, than around the block as we have been doing.
This morning such a gate has been put into the gap that was created at the time the fencing between us was done. It's not a brand new gate but the gap has been filled perfectly with what has been found. Johan must properly bolt it into the posts and then it will be fine. Right now the urge to fit a gate has been hurried by the fact that the horses grazing is coming close to an end. The fussiness of their eating is now forcing them to eat what they have left behind....let me tell you though they are by no means thin and have lost very little weight through the winter months, and this is probably due to us supplementing them every day. Our neighbour still has plenty of grazing on her plot which is not being used, and so if the rains don't arrive in the next few weeks, we will open up between us and allow our horses to walk through to her. It is a relief to know that we have this option and I am grateful that we have a good enough relationship with to be able to do this.
I am hand rearing baby birds again. A few weeks before the wedding we let the two African Greys' I was rearing, go. It is always sad not to keep them, but we have to pass them on if we find people that want to take them. I always tell whoever we give them to, that the more they handle them and spend time with them, the friendlier and tamer they will be. Now I have another African Grey and four Ring Necks that I am rearing. The Ring Necks are quicker to rear than the Greys and in a month they will more than likely already be independent enough to be eating on their own. The African Grey will take much longer and I mentally worked out that maybe by Christmas, I will be finished feeding it.
'The Tortoise' and I write it like this because it doesn't have a name...haha, has decided that finally it is warm enough to walk around during the day. The puppies have never seen it before today though as it has been sleeping all this time and decided it is something viscous enough to bark at. They are just being so annoying though and won't listen when I tell them to keep quiet. They weren't even convinced when I went up to it and fed it cabbage. The tortoise moving around like this is just another sign to us that spring is here and summer on the way.
NiQi is feeling much better today and has plonked herself in front of the TV having a marathon DVD watch...she is still 'attached' to the oxygen machine and I am continually trying to entice her to eat. That in itself is not an easy task though as when she is feeling like this, her appetite decreases and she becomes quite picky. Anyway a few mouthfuls here and there is better than nothing and at this stage the number of calories is more important than a balanced diet. Her machine to her PEG is working double time so I hope she will not lose too much weight this time round. She has an appointment with her doctor on Wednesday, however we have phoned to postpone it for two weeks due to a transport problem. Should her condition worsen in that time, we will phone and take her in, but we have enough of her Meds here and she isn't running a temp, so those were good enough reasons to change her appointment.
I have been moving her clothes etc back to her flat today...it makes her room in the house less messy and cluttered. It's amazing how much stuff you can pack into one room...lol The flat is also clean and ready for when she is well enough to move back. I am so glad that we have the flat on the property and so close to the house, so she is able to have some independence, while at the same time, she can move back into her 'old' room in the house any time that she feels like it.
This morning such a gate has been put into the gap that was created at the time the fencing between us was done. It's not a brand new gate but the gap has been filled perfectly with what has been found. Johan must properly bolt it into the posts and then it will be fine. Right now the urge to fit a gate has been hurried by the fact that the horses grazing is coming close to an end. The fussiness of their eating is now forcing them to eat what they have left behind....let me tell you though they are by no means thin and have lost very little weight through the winter months, and this is probably due to us supplementing them every day. Our neighbour still has plenty of grazing on her plot which is not being used, and so if the rains don't arrive in the next few weeks, we will open up between us and allow our horses to walk through to her. It is a relief to know that we have this option and I am grateful that we have a good enough relationship with to be able to do this.
I am hand rearing baby birds again. A few weeks before the wedding we let the two African Greys' I was rearing, go. It is always sad not to keep them, but we have to pass them on if we find people that want to take them. I always tell whoever we give them to, that the more they handle them and spend time with them, the friendlier and tamer they will be. Now I have another African Grey and four Ring Necks that I am rearing. The Ring Necks are quicker to rear than the Greys and in a month they will more than likely already be independent enough to be eating on their own. The African Grey will take much longer and I mentally worked out that maybe by Christmas, I will be finished feeding it.
Ring-Neck babies
African Grey baby
'The Tortoise' and I write it like this because it doesn't have a name...haha, has decided that finally it is warm enough to walk around during the day. The puppies have never seen it before today though as it has been sleeping all this time and decided it is something viscous enough to bark at. They are just being so annoying though and won't listen when I tell them to keep quiet. They weren't even convinced when I went up to it and fed it cabbage. The tortoise moving around like this is just another sign to us that spring is here and summer on the way.
NiQi is feeling much better today and has plonked herself in front of the TV having a marathon DVD watch...she is still 'attached' to the oxygen machine and I am continually trying to entice her to eat. That in itself is not an easy task though as when she is feeling like this, her appetite decreases and she becomes quite picky. Anyway a few mouthfuls here and there is better than nothing and at this stage the number of calories is more important than a balanced diet. Her machine to her PEG is working double time so I hope she will not lose too much weight this time round. She has an appointment with her doctor on Wednesday, however we have phoned to postpone it for two weeks due to a transport problem. Should her condition worsen in that time, we will phone and take her in, but we have enough of her Meds here and she isn't running a temp, so those were good enough reasons to change her appointment.
I have been moving her clothes etc back to her flat today...it makes her room in the house less messy and cluttered. It's amazing how much stuff you can pack into one room...lol The flat is also clean and ready for when she is well enough to move back. I am so glad that we have the flat on the property and so close to the house, so she is able to have some independence, while at the same time, she can move back into her 'old' room in the house any time that she feels like it.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
More about transportation...and 'Goodbye' Wilfred
Even though yesterday was NiQi's birthday, life goes on and we need transport...
Johan left at 6 am to travel 249 km and meet his cousin who had travelled an equal distance so that he could pick up a gear box from him. Bakkies, Johan's cousin is in the motor industry and he managed to source a gear box from an acquaintance he knows in the same trade. Someone he no doubt trusts, and who owed him a favour. Because of the favour it only cost us half and arm and a leg...lol
I'm sure they chatted and had a cup of coffee together before both taking the long road back to their respective homes and on arrival, Johan dropped the gear box off in the capable hands of a neighbour who had given a reasonable quote to take the old gear box out and fit another one in its place. Well not long after, the neighbour arrived at our gate with the news that the gearbox Johan had just travelled almost 600 km to collect was in fact broken. Off the two of them went to have a look and yip...one of the synchros inside that help to change the gears was in fact broken...BEEEEEG SIGH!!!!!
Communication between Johan, Bakkies and the distributor of the gearbox ensued and the result of all the discussions is that Johan must today take photographs of the entire gearbox and send them off via email so that this chap can decide if he will come himself with spares and fit the gearbox himself...at his own cost...or if he will courier the spare parts to us. One wants to believe that everything was done in good faith and no one meant to rip us off, but you know how at times like this there is that little voice that pops up in your head to give you doubts...well we will see how the end of the story pans out. Johan is just disappointed that the whole process didn't work out as easily and smoothly as he had hoped.
Here's to a happy ending..faith and prayer...
Wilfred left early this morning. He was up at the crack of dawn...not quite as early as me, but before Johan...hehe, just so he could feed 'his' birds one last time before he went back to KZN. Johan took him with his luggage - more than he arrived with I might add, to the bus station so that he could catch the bus down. I packed him food and juice for the day and at least it is a nice cool day so it won't be hot and uncomfortable on the bus. We will miss him around here, especially Johan, as our lives return to 'normal' with the daily farm chores he was helping out with.
Johan left at 6 am to travel 249 km and meet his cousin who had travelled an equal distance so that he could pick up a gear box from him. Bakkies, Johan's cousin is in the motor industry and he managed to source a gear box from an acquaintance he knows in the same trade. Someone he no doubt trusts, and who owed him a favour. Because of the favour it only cost us half and arm and a leg...lol
I'm sure they chatted and had a cup of coffee together before both taking the long road back to their respective homes and on arrival, Johan dropped the gear box off in the capable hands of a neighbour who had given a reasonable quote to take the old gear box out and fit another one in its place. Well not long after, the neighbour arrived at our gate with the news that the gearbox Johan had just travelled almost 600 km to collect was in fact broken. Off the two of them went to have a look and yip...one of the synchros inside that help to change the gears was in fact broken...BEEEEEG SIGH!!!!!
Communication between Johan, Bakkies and the distributor of the gearbox ensued and the result of all the discussions is that Johan must today take photographs of the entire gearbox and send them off via email so that this chap can decide if he will come himself with spares and fit the gearbox himself...at his own cost...or if he will courier the spare parts to us. One wants to believe that everything was done in good faith and no one meant to rip us off, but you know how at times like this there is that little voice that pops up in your head to give you doubts...well we will see how the end of the story pans out. Johan is just disappointed that the whole process didn't work out as easily and smoothly as he had hoped.
Here's to a happy ending..faith and prayer...
Wilfred left early this morning. He was up at the crack of dawn...not quite as early as me, but before Johan...hehe, just so he could feed 'his' birds one last time before he went back to KZN. Johan took him with his luggage - more than he arrived with I might add, to the bus station so that he could catch the bus down. I packed him food and juice for the day and at least it is a nice cool day so it won't be hot and uncomfortable on the bus. We will miss him around here, especially Johan, as our lives return to 'normal' with the daily farm chores he was helping out with.
More Birthday...
A quiet day which ended in exhaustion...
whats a birthday without cake....
...and pudding?
blowing out 23 candles takes a lot of breath...happily there was help from the wings
Happiness...
Cutting the cake...
a taster of pudding just to pacify mom...
Yummy...chocolate, vanilla, kit-kat and astros...
too much excitement for one day...
cat nap with Smokey on her lap...
Friday, September 20, 2013
Another Birthday
Today is NIQi's 23rd birthday.....
It might seem to some strange to celebrate a child's birthday when they reach the age of 23, however in NiQi's case, every year she turns a year older is cause to party, party, party.!!!!
A year ago she had been home just a couple of weeks after an almost two month stay in hospital....she was weak, didn't have energy to walk, was wheelchair bound, and was on oxygen 24/7. We didn't know if she would see another year through as just a month earlier her doctors told us that without a lung transplant she would probably not survive more than 6 months. Here we are today, a year later, a miracle year where her lung functions have increased from 17% to 30%. With the insertion of a PEG, she has gained 8 kg. She is no longer confined to her bed and a wheelchair, but is able to move around freely....even getting back to riding her horses every once in a while. She laughs again and has a sparkle in her eye and more than anything she is ecstatic that she is able to shop and trawl the mall... All of this and we give thanks to our Lord for showing us that He is not done with her yet and the plans He has for her are far greater than she, we, or her doctors can imagine....it is nothing short of a miracle. Her fighting spirit and fabulous outlook on life make her a survivor.
So today will be very low key, just Johan, NiQi and I...oh and Wilfred too. Already the day has started off well with a cool breeze blowing...cool is so much easier for her to handle as the stifling heat affect her breathing and make her feel uncomfortable....but celebrate we will as we look forward to another year of blessing...
It might seem to some strange to celebrate a child's birthday when they reach the age of 23, however in NiQi's case, every year she turns a year older is cause to party, party, party.!!!!
A year ago she had been home just a couple of weeks after an almost two month stay in hospital....she was weak, didn't have energy to walk, was wheelchair bound, and was on oxygen 24/7. We didn't know if she would see another year through as just a month earlier her doctors told us that without a lung transplant she would probably not survive more than 6 months. Here we are today, a year later, a miracle year where her lung functions have increased from 17% to 30%. With the insertion of a PEG, she has gained 8 kg. She is no longer confined to her bed and a wheelchair, but is able to move around freely....even getting back to riding her horses every once in a while. She laughs again and has a sparkle in her eye and more than anything she is ecstatic that she is able to shop and trawl the mall... All of this and we give thanks to our Lord for showing us that He is not done with her yet and the plans He has for her are far greater than she, we, or her doctors can imagine....it is nothing short of a miracle. Her fighting spirit and fabulous outlook on life make her a survivor.
So today will be very low key, just Johan, NiQi and I...oh and Wilfred too. Already the day has started off well with a cool breeze blowing...cool is so much easier for her to handle as the stifling heat affect her breathing and make her feel uncomfortable....but celebrate we will as we look forward to another year of blessing...
Presents from the family
Her 'just woken up look...'
Bakkies and Cars
I believe that NiQi posted a prayer on facebook earlier this week about our need for a new car....there were varying comments from people, those who were sympathetic, those who asked why?, those who said they would pray with her and those who really don't care or even want to know why she posted such a status.
Yes, we have in the last year dearly wished that we could get a new vehicle, and by new, I don't mean it has to be brand spanking, out of the box kind of new, but just new to us...and yes if it has 4 wheels, an engine and can safely get us from A to B and back again, that would really be an advantage.
We have had a few vehicles in our years together....we started off married life in 1982 with a Volkswagen station wagon that Johan picked up somewhere and he carefully restored to running order. I remember when we first started dating and I sat in the front passenger seat, he would every now and then fiddle under the seat and I never knew what the heck he was doing.....it was only months later that I discovered that the car battery was positioned under my seat and when I sat in it, the connection would sometimes work loose....all the time I thought he was trying to feel my leg. lol. We eventually donated it to a missionary who used it for many more years after that.
Not long into our marriage we bought a 2 litre Rover...it was yellow and made my dad very happy. haha Being a Rover fan himself, and lovingly caring for 3 of his own, he convinced Johan that if we wanted a good solid, reliable vehicle, we should buy a Rover. It was a good car, had a very smooth ride, we just didn't use it enough. We lived in town in those days and both walked to and from work, so the only time we used the Rover was to go to Church on a Sunday and prayer meeting on a Tuesday evening. That was until Matthew was born. When Matthew was 3 months old and I went back to work, then Johan used to drive every week day all the way across town to my mum, who looked after him during the day for us. When I eventually stopped working after our second child, Mark was born two years later, my pension payout paid off the remainder of what we owed on the Rover. I must say, of all our vehicles, the Rover cost us the least in servicing and repairs.
Next came the Mini....a maroon, two door, that Johan bought for me to drive. Let me point out that up until this time I did not have my drivers licence and was petrified to drive. I cannot remember how many times over the years I had written and passed my learners licence test and each time I let it expire before going for my drivers. I managed fine for many years...walking to work...walking to the shopping centre...walking to town and to the doctors and even walking the boys to pre-primary school. It was only when Matthew started at Primary school, that I realized, if I didn't want to rely on organizing lifts every day, then I would have to do something about getting my drivers licence. So along came the purchase of our mini, the only car that in my mind I would be capable of driving in order to get my licence. I loved that car, it was neat and tidy and I could zip in and out of parking spaces with no problem at all. The only downfall to the mini was its brakes.....oh my word they were bad. To make matters worse we lived in a valley after we moved away from town, so every day when going home I would have my foot on the brake pedal all the way down the hill. I can't remember how many times Johan would change the brake pads and then he would scoot in under the car while I sat for what seemed ages, pressing the brake pedal up and down in order to 'bleed' the brakes. Sigh...the stories we have regaled over the years about the mini, some of which were real movie making material, but what an awesome little car she was. We even moved with the mini, going up and down the hill with her bursting at the seams filled with boxes. lol Years later when Matthew was in high school we sold her and replaced her with a Mazda Midge....I will never forget that we bought her for R5000 and sold her for R5000, we didn't lose a cent.
Anyway as Johan worked longer and harder and was promoted, he became eligible for a subsidized car from work. We sold the Rover and bought a Toyota Corolla. I drove the mini and Johan drove the Toyota. We still lived in town at that stage, I was a housewife, fetching and carrying the children to and from school and sports activities....as well as half the neighbourhood. By this time we had NiQi too, so with Matthew in the front passenger seat, Mark and NiQi in the back, we could still fit two more children in the back...and we did, often. Johan was travelling a lot for work and used the Toyota every day. I remember the first time he let me drive the corolla, I scratched the side of the car trying to get out of the garage. We had a weird garage where you didn't drive straight in and out again, but actually turned in...round a pillar. My goodness, over the years I became a pro at going in and out, but that first day, I misjudged the closeness of the pillar with the turn and I scratched the car. It was a terrible feeling and I had a knot in my stomach waiting to tell Johan...it was the days before cell phones so I had to wait till he came home before telling him.
Johan then progressed after just a few years from the Toyota to our present day Nissan double cab...the year was 1997, so you can calculate how old she is today!!!! We sold the mini in 1999 and bought a Mazda Midge. By this time, Johan was working away from home during the week and the mini, was battling to start on our cold winter mornings. Mark had passed away by this stage, Matthew was in high school, NiQi was in Primary school and I was working a half day job in town. The morning run was long, Matthew's school was on the other side of town to NiQi's, and to get the children to school on time we had to leave at about 6.30 am. When we moved we had no idea at that stage how useful and at the same time, painful, our steep driveway would become in later years. I would put the key in the steering and then let the mini run down the driveway trying to jump start it with the run...it never happened first time round, so Matthew and I would push it all the way back up the driveway with NiQi steering and ready to pull the hand brake up when we reached the top. Every day this became our early morning ritual and we never knew how many times we might have to push her back up the driveway before she would start. She was nicknamed 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' by Matthew's peers and as much as I had loved driving her over the years, at that point I wasn't sorry to let her go. The mazda was the first car we bought ourselves, brand new. We extended our home loan to buy it, but I remember how proud we were to be able to buy it. What a relief after all the early starts with the mini and it added at least half an hour to our mornings by not having to get outside so early.
When Matthew was in his final year of school, Johan left the government service. He gave 20 years of his life to working for the government but with changes in the country and further promotions now null and void, he decided he could be more useful elsewhere. With part of his package we bought the Opel Astra, having sold the mazda to tide us over until Johan received his payout....the year was 2001.
That brings us to today, 2013. The Nissan is 16 years old, has driven more than 200 000 km, taken us on our one and only holiday to Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe and is now gasping for air. She is an old lady...we have as many tales we can tell of travels with her but she is on her last legs. Having taken her down to the wedding packed with NiQi's oxygen machine, oxygen cylinder and other paraphernalia, her gear box broke...she now stands behind the house not able to be used. The Astra is 12 years old and although still running, is in a bad state and need of repair. One night last year, when NiQi was in hospital, whether it was by just one person or more than one, we don't know, our vehicles were vandalized....windows smashed, wiring pulled out, batteries stolen, seats ruined and all the locks damaged. The poor old ladies have never been the same and years later we are no longer in a position to replace or repair them.
So NiQi's prayer is a family prayer. It's not a prayer of want or greed, it's a prayer of need. Hospital trips come round so quickly and the 80 km trip there and the same back again is a concern. As with everything else in life though we believe that God's plan, though known only to Him, will in His time, be an answer to our prayers....patience is a virtue that we learnt many years ago, and when our patience is waning He delivers as promised, so that once more we can give Him the glory. Larkwood life has been around for many years with many tales to tell...and it will be around, God willing, for many more.
Yes, we have in the last year dearly wished that we could get a new vehicle, and by new, I don't mean it has to be brand spanking, out of the box kind of new, but just new to us...and yes if it has 4 wheels, an engine and can safely get us from A to B and back again, that would really be an advantage.
We have had a few vehicles in our years together....we started off married life in 1982 with a Volkswagen station wagon that Johan picked up somewhere and he carefully restored to running order. I remember when we first started dating and I sat in the front passenger seat, he would every now and then fiddle under the seat and I never knew what the heck he was doing.....it was only months later that I discovered that the car battery was positioned under my seat and when I sat in it, the connection would sometimes work loose....all the time I thought he was trying to feel my leg. lol. We eventually donated it to a missionary who used it for many more years after that.
Not long into our marriage we bought a 2 litre Rover...it was yellow and made my dad very happy. haha Being a Rover fan himself, and lovingly caring for 3 of his own, he convinced Johan that if we wanted a good solid, reliable vehicle, we should buy a Rover. It was a good car, had a very smooth ride, we just didn't use it enough. We lived in town in those days and both walked to and from work, so the only time we used the Rover was to go to Church on a Sunday and prayer meeting on a Tuesday evening. That was until Matthew was born. When Matthew was 3 months old and I went back to work, then Johan used to drive every week day all the way across town to my mum, who looked after him during the day for us. When I eventually stopped working after our second child, Mark was born two years later, my pension payout paid off the remainder of what we owed on the Rover. I must say, of all our vehicles, the Rover cost us the least in servicing and repairs.
Next came the Mini....a maroon, two door, that Johan bought for me to drive. Let me point out that up until this time I did not have my drivers licence and was petrified to drive. I cannot remember how many times over the years I had written and passed my learners licence test and each time I let it expire before going for my drivers. I managed fine for many years...walking to work...walking to the shopping centre...walking to town and to the doctors and even walking the boys to pre-primary school. It was only when Matthew started at Primary school, that I realized, if I didn't want to rely on organizing lifts every day, then I would have to do something about getting my drivers licence. So along came the purchase of our mini, the only car that in my mind I would be capable of driving in order to get my licence. I loved that car, it was neat and tidy and I could zip in and out of parking spaces with no problem at all. The only downfall to the mini was its brakes.....oh my word they were bad. To make matters worse we lived in a valley after we moved away from town, so every day when going home I would have my foot on the brake pedal all the way down the hill. I can't remember how many times Johan would change the brake pads and then he would scoot in under the car while I sat for what seemed ages, pressing the brake pedal up and down in order to 'bleed' the brakes. Sigh...the stories we have regaled over the years about the mini, some of which were real movie making material, but what an awesome little car she was. We even moved with the mini, going up and down the hill with her bursting at the seams filled with boxes. lol Years later when Matthew was in high school we sold her and replaced her with a Mazda Midge....I will never forget that we bought her for R5000 and sold her for R5000, we didn't lose a cent.
Anyway as Johan worked longer and harder and was promoted, he became eligible for a subsidized car from work. We sold the Rover and bought a Toyota Corolla. I drove the mini and Johan drove the Toyota. We still lived in town at that stage, I was a housewife, fetching and carrying the children to and from school and sports activities....as well as half the neighbourhood. By this time we had NiQi too, so with Matthew in the front passenger seat, Mark and NiQi in the back, we could still fit two more children in the back...and we did, often. Johan was travelling a lot for work and used the Toyota every day. I remember the first time he let me drive the corolla, I scratched the side of the car trying to get out of the garage. We had a weird garage where you didn't drive straight in and out again, but actually turned in...round a pillar. My goodness, over the years I became a pro at going in and out, but that first day, I misjudged the closeness of the pillar with the turn and I scratched the car. It was a terrible feeling and I had a knot in my stomach waiting to tell Johan...it was the days before cell phones so I had to wait till he came home before telling him.
Johan then progressed after just a few years from the Toyota to our present day Nissan double cab...the year was 1997, so you can calculate how old she is today!!!! We sold the mini in 1999 and bought a Mazda Midge. By this time, Johan was working away from home during the week and the mini, was battling to start on our cold winter mornings. Mark had passed away by this stage, Matthew was in high school, NiQi was in Primary school and I was working a half day job in town. The morning run was long, Matthew's school was on the other side of town to NiQi's, and to get the children to school on time we had to leave at about 6.30 am. When we moved we had no idea at that stage how useful and at the same time, painful, our steep driveway would become in later years. I would put the key in the steering and then let the mini run down the driveway trying to jump start it with the run...it never happened first time round, so Matthew and I would push it all the way back up the driveway with NiQi steering and ready to pull the hand brake up when we reached the top. Every day this became our early morning ritual and we never knew how many times we might have to push her back up the driveway before she would start. She was nicknamed 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' by Matthew's peers and as much as I had loved driving her over the years, at that point I wasn't sorry to let her go. The mazda was the first car we bought ourselves, brand new. We extended our home loan to buy it, but I remember how proud we were to be able to buy it. What a relief after all the early starts with the mini and it added at least half an hour to our mornings by not having to get outside so early.
When Matthew was in his final year of school, Johan left the government service. He gave 20 years of his life to working for the government but with changes in the country and further promotions now null and void, he decided he could be more useful elsewhere. With part of his package we bought the Opel Astra, having sold the mazda to tide us over until Johan received his payout....the year was 2001.
That brings us to today, 2013. The Nissan is 16 years old, has driven more than 200 000 km, taken us on our one and only holiday to Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe and is now gasping for air. She is an old lady...we have as many tales we can tell of travels with her but she is on her last legs. Having taken her down to the wedding packed with NiQi's oxygen machine, oxygen cylinder and other paraphernalia, her gear box broke...she now stands behind the house not able to be used. The Astra is 12 years old and although still running, is in a bad state and need of repair. One night last year, when NiQi was in hospital, whether it was by just one person or more than one, we don't know, our vehicles were vandalized....windows smashed, wiring pulled out, batteries stolen, seats ruined and all the locks damaged. The poor old ladies have never been the same and years later we are no longer in a position to replace or repair them.
So NiQi's prayer is a family prayer. It's not a prayer of want or greed, it's a prayer of need. Hospital trips come round so quickly and the 80 km trip there and the same back again is a concern. As with everything else in life though we believe that God's plan, though known only to Him, will in His time, be an answer to our prayers....patience is a virtue that we learnt many years ago, and when our patience is waning He delivers as promised, so that once more we can give Him the glory. Larkwood life has been around for many years with many tales to tell...and it will be around, God willing, for many more.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Shelley and Free Flying Birds
Life at Larkwood is progressing with the new season under way. We have had a number of tortoises over the years and sadly last year we lost most of them....not, we believe from old age but rather from ticks. We have a particularly nasty tick here which if it attaches itself to any of the animals and we do not notice it, will eat into the soft tissue around the area to which it is attached....we know it as a stripy leg tick. Eventually the skin of the animal , bursts open from infection and in larger animals, like the dogs and horses, once the tick has been removed, the skin will grow back together,,,but it can take months. With the tortoises, unfortunately, the ticks tend to get in under the shell where they cannot be seen and eventually they cause them to die.
Yesterday, we found 'Shelley'. Shelley is a young tortoise who now must be about 4 years old. We found her one day quite by accident walking just outside our back door. Being the tiny size that she was, she obviously crawled through the gap in the fencing wire where the tortoises were housed together with the rabbits. To save her from hawks, we put her into a bird cage and there she lived for a couple of years until last year, when we thought that she was now big enough to be 'set free' into the big wide world. To keep her safe still from the hawks we set her in the 'baby' rabbit camp, which is underneath the parrot suspended cages, feeding her on cabbage and spinach leaves and any of the delectable scraps that fell through from the cages above her. For months now we haven't seen hide nor hair of her....that is until yesterday. Suddenly she popped up and was walking around as if it was any other day in the park. She has grown so much since she went to hibernate and to see her again after all these months really lifted our spirits.
The first morning after our arrival back home I was feeding the parrots and noticed a green ring-neck on the top of the suspended cages, walking across the tops and looking quite at home. It is a mature male, as it already has a ring which it has developed around its neck, and must be a pet I imagine that has escaped. I say this because it can only have been in a cage on its own with the length of its tail and the perfection to which it has grown. People who breed ring-necks...as we do...most often have more than one bird in a cage together and their tails tend to become tatty as they vie with each other for space on a perch or food in the bowl. It is obviously hungry and looking for food and it has found a good source here...amongst friends. Over the years we have 'collected' many 'strays' and we now patiently wait for it to to make it's way into one of the many empty cages that we have opened up for it, enticing it with a bowl of food. Water it can get from any number of places, but food is a different story.
Sitting in the Flame Tree
Perched on the fencing
At home on the gate...
You will be happy to know that the chicks are growing as their clucking mother protects them and the pigeon too is already a fat little thing as I watch how greedily it eats from its parents as they feed it. So animal life progresses daily and I feel there is something therapeutic about having them all around us....
Baby Fantail Pigeon
Yesterday, we found 'Shelley'. Shelley is a young tortoise who now must be about 4 years old. We found her one day quite by accident walking just outside our back door. Being the tiny size that she was, she obviously crawled through the gap in the fencing wire where the tortoises were housed together with the rabbits. To save her from hawks, we put her into a bird cage and there she lived for a couple of years until last year, when we thought that she was now big enough to be 'set free' into the big wide world. To keep her safe still from the hawks we set her in the 'baby' rabbit camp, which is underneath the parrot suspended cages, feeding her on cabbage and spinach leaves and any of the delectable scraps that fell through from the cages above her. For months now we haven't seen hide nor hair of her....that is until yesterday. Suddenly she popped up and was walking around as if it was any other day in the park. She has grown so much since she went to hibernate and to see her again after all these months really lifted our spirits.
Shelley eating cabbage leaves
The first morning after our arrival back home I was feeding the parrots and noticed a green ring-neck on the top of the suspended cages, walking across the tops and looking quite at home. It is a mature male, as it already has a ring which it has developed around its neck, and must be a pet I imagine that has escaped. I say this because it can only have been in a cage on its own with the length of its tail and the perfection to which it has grown. People who breed ring-necks...as we do...most often have more than one bird in a cage together and their tails tend to become tatty as they vie with each other for space on a perch or food in the bowl. It is obviously hungry and looking for food and it has found a good source here...amongst friends. Over the years we have 'collected' many 'strays' and we now patiently wait for it to to make it's way into one of the many empty cages that we have opened up for it, enticing it with a bowl of food. Water it can get from any number of places, but food is a different story.
You will be happy to know that the chicks are growing as their clucking mother protects them and the pigeon too is already a fat little thing as I watch how greedily it eats from its parents as they feed it. So animal life progresses daily and I feel there is something therapeutic about having them all around us....
Chicks
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Summer Days Already!!!!!
It is 3.25pm and all is quiet here in the Lucas household....Larkwood life has come to a standstill for the interim. NiQi has gone to have an afternoon sleep, Johan is at a training session at work, the horses are taking advantage of the shade under the scantily clad trees, the dogs are resting on the cool kitchen floor, the cats are napping under the fan in the bedroom and the birds are under cover away from the hot beating sun. I am taking this opportunity to rest in front of the laptop.
Wilfred has almost finished with the massive task of slaughtering the rabbits and the freezer is nearly full to the brim with farm fresh produce. We took some of our blessings down to family over the weekend so that they too will be able to enjoy the fruits given to us. It will be a while before we will need to slaughter anything else and for that we are grateful. The children have grown up knowing that what we produce we eat and have no qualms at all about where it comes from. When they were younger they soon learned not to name our animals, although that has not been easy I must say....most of our sheep and pigs were named in the early days and became tame as pets do, which meant that when it came time to culling, we would have to do more than one at a time so that we would not know who was in the pot that night.
Yesterday both Johan and NiQi slept for the majority of the day, with Johan still not feeling too well...he started with a scratchy throat last week Thursday and masked how he felt very well over the weekend. Once home though he just crashed and decided that a day at home in bed would probably help him to recover properly. This morning he decided that after more than 30 missed calls on his cell phone, he should return to work today. NiQi just slept because she can....and to replenish her energy that she expended over the weekend. Her oxygen machine doesn't seem to be working as well as it should which also isn't helping with the way she is feeling, so I must phone and ask if it can be checked and possibly serviced if need be.
This morning it was laundry time again and after lunch I started to watch some DVD's my mum has lent me on The Queen. Anything 'Royal' and I'm in so to speak. I guess it must be my British heritage and growing up with English parents. Even after emigrating to South Africa in the the 70's, we remained an English family....as they say, 'it's in the blood'.
The Queen DVD's
So we are just passed the middle of September....springtime normally....but we have been introduced to summer with a bang. Not having enjoyed even an inkling of winter this year, we are already suffering with the heat. Ceiling fans have been turned on and normally during times like this, we would open up the windows and doors at night time to allow the cool breeze to waft through the house. This we can't do as yet, not until we have had our first rains and the dust has settled and there is a lot more ground cover growth. Just a few more weeks and then it can rain to it's hearts content. I pray that God will bless us with plenty of rain this summer to see us through next winter....that will be just awesome. As for when it is really summer...well we will have to see next year February/March what temperatures we will have to endure. 34 Celsius today makes me wonder!!!!!
Wilfred has almost finished with the massive task of slaughtering the rabbits and the freezer is nearly full to the brim with farm fresh produce. We took some of our blessings down to family over the weekend so that they too will be able to enjoy the fruits given to us. It will be a while before we will need to slaughter anything else and for that we are grateful. The children have grown up knowing that what we produce we eat and have no qualms at all about where it comes from. When they were younger they soon learned not to name our animals, although that has not been easy I must say....most of our sheep and pigs were named in the early days and became tame as pets do, which meant that when it came time to culling, we would have to do more than one at a time so that we would not know who was in the pot that night.
Yesterday both Johan and NiQi slept for the majority of the day, with Johan still not feeling too well...he started with a scratchy throat last week Thursday and masked how he felt very well over the weekend. Once home though he just crashed and decided that a day at home in bed would probably help him to recover properly. This morning he decided that after more than 30 missed calls on his cell phone, he should return to work today. NiQi just slept because she can....and to replenish her energy that she expended over the weekend. Her oxygen machine doesn't seem to be working as well as it should which also isn't helping with the way she is feeling, so I must phone and ask if it can be checked and possibly serviced if need be.
This morning it was laundry time again and after lunch I started to watch some DVD's my mum has lent me on The Queen. Anything 'Royal' and I'm in so to speak. I guess it must be my British heritage and growing up with English parents. Even after emigrating to South Africa in the the 70's, we remained an English family....as they say, 'it's in the blood'.
So we are just passed the middle of September....springtime normally....but we have been introduced to summer with a bang. Not having enjoyed even an inkling of winter this year, we are already suffering with the heat. Ceiling fans have been turned on and normally during times like this, we would open up the windows and doors at night time to allow the cool breeze to waft through the house. This we can't do as yet, not until we have had our first rains and the dust has settled and there is a lot more ground cover growth. Just a few more weeks and then it can rain to it's hearts content. I pray that God will bless us with plenty of rain this summer to see us through next winter....that will be just awesome. As for when it is really summer...well we will have to see next year February/March what temperatures we will have to endure. 34 Celsius today makes me wonder!!!!!
Monday, September 16, 2013
'The' Weekend....
So I left you standing at 55 minutes to go and in that 55 minutes I actually fell asleep. I woke suddenly with NiQi gently calling my name. I jumped up, totally surprized that I had fallen asleep and it was all systems 'go'....packing the last few things in the car, making coffee, letting the dogs out for a wee and then we were off...leaving just after 2am!!!!
As you can imagine for many hours we were travelling in the dark. Lucky Johan had a good nights sleep , so was well to drive the 7 hour trip. Leaving at that time of the morning, showed us that there are times that the N1 highway is quiet and for much of the way, before we hit the N3, we were the only vehicle on the road. Having watched the news the previous evening we knew what kind of weather to expect and dressed appropriately....however, thank goodness we used some 'savvy' and grabbed a jacket and blanket before getting into the car, because driving through the Free State, we felt a slight chill. At Harrismith, we stopped for coffee and something to eat and then got underway again, just before sunrise. We are so used to flat, open land that to see the sun peeking from behind the mountain clouds was quite a sight.
Not long after that we had bumper to bumper trucks on the highway with us in the middle...quite scary driving I might add. Sjoe!!!
The rest of the journey was quite uneventful and we arrived in Pietermaritzburg about 3/4 of an hour earlier than I anticipated...it must have been the time we made up travelling along an empty N1...
We went first to my mum and off loaded most of our packed load, then after she had left with our daughter-in-law, to go to the wedding venue, we went to friends to drop Johan for the better part of the morning. We all stayed for a cuppa and cake, then NiQi and I made our way to the venue. (By this time, I might add, our gearbox as giving us trouble and wouldn't change gears 'down'...most frustrating!!!)
Needless to say, when we arrived at the venue, my sister, upon hearing NiQi calling out to her, turned around and greeted us in her best colourful language that she knows how. lol We then got stuck in helping to decorate the reception area and before we knew it, we had to leave as we had to get to the bank before it closed....3/4 of an hour in the queue in the bank with sweat pouring off me, was no joke but I stuck it out and I'm glad I did as we met my best friend and her daughter outside quite by accident. What a happy accident it was though and we had a quick cuppa and cake before going to see another friend at her home. This was an important visit and the only one I really planned for the weekend. She is a friend who we have prayed much for over the last 3 years as she has battled first Guillain Barre and now cancer. It was delightful to see her and I was so happy to note her looking so well. From there we travelled back up the N3 to our son in Winterskloof, where Johan was by now. Matthew then lent us his bakkie to run around in for the rest of the weekend so that we didn't put too much pressure on the ailing gearbox. Supper was heavenly and I had childhood memories as I smelt it cooking. My mum said she can't remember when she last cooked for a family and it made me happy that we decided to accept her offer to put us up for the weekend. After such an eventful day, we all hopped into bed early and slept like logs. hehe
The next day was 'D Day' and whilst NiQi went with my mum to have her hair done by my sister, I went back up to Hilton to see another friend. It's been years since we last saw each other, but as all easy friendships do, we just picked up where we left off and chatted till midday, when sadly I had to say goodbye and make my way down to town to my mum;s place.
The Wedding....aaaahhhh
beautiful, lovely, pretty, relaxed, special...it was more than I had hoped for and such a happy event.
Sunday morning arrived too soon after a weary night....my mums neighbours' on the other side of the wall entertained till past 4am, so we were not amused when it was time to wake. Johan went off to see his friend for an hour, before we said our 'good byes' to my mum and went back up to Matthew and Jess for brunch...brunch over, we had to sadly take our leave and start the long journey home. Johan started the trip and I took over at about half way. It was a real balmy day and the winds so strong they blew us for most of the way. Holding tightly to the steering wheel was an exhausting business and quite scary, going past huge trucks. The gearbox held out on our miraculous journey home and what an awesome sight it was to return to jumping excitable dogs..lol
It doesn't matter how awesome time away is, there's nothing quite like getting home to sleep in your own bed....
As you can imagine for many hours we were travelling in the dark. Lucky Johan had a good nights sleep , so was well to drive the 7 hour trip. Leaving at that time of the morning, showed us that there are times that the N1 highway is quiet and for much of the way, before we hit the N3, we were the only vehicle on the road. Having watched the news the previous evening we knew what kind of weather to expect and dressed appropriately....however, thank goodness we used some 'savvy' and grabbed a jacket and blanket before getting into the car, because driving through the Free State, we felt a slight chill. At Harrismith, we stopped for coffee and something to eat and then got underway again, just before sunrise. We are so used to flat, open land that to see the sun peeking from behind the mountain clouds was quite a sight.
Not long after that we had bumper to bumper trucks on the highway with us in the middle...quite scary driving I might add. Sjoe!!!
The rest of the journey was quite uneventful and we arrived in Pietermaritzburg about 3/4 of an hour earlier than I anticipated...it must have been the time we made up travelling along an empty N1...
We went first to my mum and off loaded most of our packed load, then after she had left with our daughter-in-law, to go to the wedding venue, we went to friends to drop Johan for the better part of the morning. We all stayed for a cuppa and cake, then NiQi and I made our way to the venue. (By this time, I might add, our gearbox as giving us trouble and wouldn't change gears 'down'...most frustrating!!!)
Needless to say, when we arrived at the venue, my sister, upon hearing NiQi calling out to her, turned around and greeted us in her best colourful language that she knows how. lol We then got stuck in helping to decorate the reception area and before we knew it, we had to leave as we had to get to the bank before it closed....3/4 of an hour in the queue in the bank with sweat pouring off me, was no joke but I stuck it out and I'm glad I did as we met my best friend and her daughter outside quite by accident. What a happy accident it was though and we had a quick cuppa and cake before going to see another friend at her home. This was an important visit and the only one I really planned for the weekend. She is a friend who we have prayed much for over the last 3 years as she has battled first Guillain Barre and now cancer. It was delightful to see her and I was so happy to note her looking so well. From there we travelled back up the N3 to our son in Winterskloof, where Johan was by now. Matthew then lent us his bakkie to run around in for the rest of the weekend so that we didn't put too much pressure on the ailing gearbox. Supper was heavenly and I had childhood memories as I smelt it cooking. My mum said she can't remember when she last cooked for a family and it made me happy that we decided to accept her offer to put us up for the weekend. After such an eventful day, we all hopped into bed early and slept like logs. hehe
The next day was 'D Day' and whilst NiQi went with my mum to have her hair done by my sister, I went back up to Hilton to see another friend. It's been years since we last saw each other, but as all easy friendships do, we just picked up where we left off and chatted till midday, when sadly I had to say goodbye and make my way down to town to my mum;s place.
The Wedding....aaaahhhh
beautiful, lovely, pretty, relaxed, special...it was more than I had hoped for and such a happy event.
Paige and Gareth leaving the Chapel
Paige with her gran (my mum)
Sara (my sister), Paige, Bob (my brother-in-law), Tiffany
Wedding Entourage
Paige and the car she arrived in
Paige and Gareth
Paige and Gareth
Paige and Gareth cutting their cake
Sunday morning arrived too soon after a weary night....my mums neighbours' on the other side of the wall entertained till past 4am, so we were not amused when it was time to wake. Johan went off to see his friend for an hour, before we said our 'good byes' to my mum and went back up to Matthew and Jess for brunch...brunch over, we had to sadly take our leave and start the long journey home. Johan started the trip and I took over at about half way. It was a real balmy day and the winds so strong they blew us for most of the way. Holding tightly to the steering wheel was an exhausting business and quite scary, going past huge trucks. The gearbox held out on our miraculous journey home and what an awesome sight it was to return to jumping excitable dogs..lol
It doesn't matter how awesome time away is, there's nothing quite like getting home to sleep in your own bed....
Thursday, September 12, 2013
22 hours...
I have been awake for 22 hours and we leave in just over an hours time, so I may as well stay awake till then...I'm not sure I will be much company though, as I will more than likely fall asleep within minutes of hitting the highway.
Anyone who has ever farmed anything, will know that it isn't easy to get away...not unless you have a manager or staff that are competent enough to take over when you are not there. Sadly we are not in that position and even though we have brought Wilfred up here to help out, he does not know how to mix up the birds food. With the horses etc. I have no qualms about his capabilities, but when it comes to the birds, not so much. It has taken me 6 hours to prepare 3 days food...and now I'm tired. lol It's all packaged up, labelled and refrigerated ready for Wilfred to take out and use. He has a list, for each of the 3 days...because each day is different. Complicated it may sound, and to those who don't do it every day, it probably is, but for us who know the routines, it definitely isn't.
So we are all packed and ready to leave, and I must say I am darn excited. I pray the road won't be busy, and that we have a safe journey....55 minutes.....
Anyone who has ever farmed anything, will know that it isn't easy to get away...not unless you have a manager or staff that are competent enough to take over when you are not there. Sadly we are not in that position and even though we have brought Wilfred up here to help out, he does not know how to mix up the birds food. With the horses etc. I have no qualms about his capabilities, but when it comes to the birds, not so much. It has taken me 6 hours to prepare 3 days food...and now I'm tired. lol It's all packaged up, labelled and refrigerated ready for Wilfred to take out and use. He has a list, for each of the 3 days...because each day is different. Complicated it may sound, and to those who don't do it every day, it probably is, but for us who know the routines, it definitely isn't.
So we are all packed and ready to leave, and I must say I am darn excited. I pray the road won't be busy, and that we have a safe journey....55 minutes.....
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Three more sleeps...
The wedding presents are wrapped all pretty in paper and bows and then packaged too with the cards so they don't get lost....
Birthday prezzies also organized and wrapped for my sis...
Washing is being done...
Wilfred fed all the animals and birds with me 'shadowing' him this morning...didn't take as long as I expected, but then again we started early...
Johan has the second day of the NOSA audit at work today. Three mornings in a row I have woken him at 5 am so he could leave in time to be at work by 6 am. I don't think he will survive another morning with such an early start, but by the sounds of things the audit should be almost over by the end of the day...
Wilfred is now busy preparing rabbits for slaughter. Not a pleasant thing to do and shocking I'm sure for all you vegetarians, but that is what we breed them for...they are meat rabbits...
I phoned for a new oxygen cylinder this morning in case we need it for the trip. The one we have now is in the red so it doesn't have much more time in oxygen left in it. Another thing I can cross off my list of things to do before we leave... They said they will deliver it tomorrow so that's okay.
Ouch....I stepped on a 'sekelbos' thorn this morning. It went right through my flop and into my foot. Not nice I can assure you, in fact it is burning and tender. Oh well, just another pain to add to the list...lol
Birthday prezzies also organized and wrapped for my sis...
Washing is being done...
Wilfred fed all the animals and birds with me 'shadowing' him this morning...didn't take as long as I expected, but then again we started early...
Johan has the second day of the NOSA audit at work today. Three mornings in a row I have woken him at 5 am so he could leave in time to be at work by 6 am. I don't think he will survive another morning with such an early start, but by the sounds of things the audit should be almost over by the end of the day...
Wilfred is now busy preparing rabbits for slaughter. Not a pleasant thing to do and shocking I'm sure for all you vegetarians, but that is what we breed them for...they are meat rabbits...
I phoned for a new oxygen cylinder this morning in case we need it for the trip. The one we have now is in the red so it doesn't have much more time in oxygen left in it. Another thing I can cross off my list of things to do before we leave... They said they will deliver it tomorrow so that's okay.
Ouch....I stepped on a 'sekelbos' thorn this morning. It went right through my flop and into my foot. Not nice I can assure you, in fact it is burning and tender. Oh well, just another pain to add to the list...lol
Evidence of size of thorn!!!!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Pumps, Water, Shopping and Licences
The weekend turned out to be quite eventful in the end, with it's ups and downs....
Saturday went by very quickly with Johan and NiQi both working and me baking for the CPF meeting later in the afternoon. So much later...and once home again we discovered our water tank was empty...and the pump didn't want to pump. Johan went to have a look and discovered the switch kept tripping, so that was it for the night anyway. No need to panic though, as we still had the water cart here which Peet brought round to us in May. Buckets of water were carried in for dishes, 'bathing' and tea and coffee...can't go without the tea now can we. lol
The whole of Sunday we very carefully continued to use the water from the water cart. After an exhausting day the previous day, NiQi slept for most of the morning, waking just before lunch. She has days like this, when resting and keeping the oxygen on are all that helps her get through the day. Once she was up, she had brunch and was fine the rest of the day....at this stage I wasn't sure how we were going to sort our pump out...all I could see was our depleted bank account becoming elasticized even further. Our neighbour offered to send round her nephew on Monday to test the pump and find out what the problem may be....so we waited expectantly...and in hope.
Monday I had made arrangements to visit my friend Gill....in the same trip we went to return 2 dresses NiQi had bought that really didn't suit her. We left early, fetched kyle, and then went onto Woodlands Shopping centre. I was a bit cheesed off with the staff who had no problem taking their dress back but they didn't have any money in the till to give to NiQi...apparently they had just done their banking and had no money in the shop. I mean really don't they keep a float? What if a customer came in and paid cash for something but needed change. Sounds fishy to me for sure!!! Visiting Gill was fun, we had tea and cake and a good chat. The time went to quickly though and we had to leave as we still had to return the second dress. Well that was a disaster to say the least...note to self - don't buy from Chinese shops as they are cheats. They absolutely refused to either give a refund or swop it for something else so we walked out of the shop vowing never to support China EVER AGAIN...haha I told NiQi I will make a plan with the dress, cut it shorter and use some of the off cut to adapt the top so it is a better fit.
Across the way was another shop NiQi decided to have a look around and was happy to find a really nice dress for the wedding. So the morning turned out ok in the end. Oh yes and I found a wedding present for Paige and Gareth...I hope they will like it as much as I do. I wanted something that will last forever and found a lovely stainless steel serviette holder. We have one that I like to use when we entertain so I hope they will enjoy theirs too...
Saturday went by very quickly with Johan and NiQi both working and me baking for the CPF meeting later in the afternoon. So much later...and once home again we discovered our water tank was empty...and the pump didn't want to pump. Johan went to have a look and discovered the switch kept tripping, so that was it for the night anyway. No need to panic though, as we still had the water cart here which Peet brought round to us in May. Buckets of water were carried in for dishes, 'bathing' and tea and coffee...can't go without the tea now can we. lol
The water cart
The whole of Sunday we very carefully continued to use the water from the water cart. After an exhausting day the previous day, NiQi slept for most of the morning, waking just before lunch. She has days like this, when resting and keeping the oxygen on are all that helps her get through the day. Once she was up, she had brunch and was fine the rest of the day....at this stage I wasn't sure how we were going to sort our pump out...all I could see was our depleted bank account becoming elasticized even further. Our neighbour offered to send round her nephew on Monday to test the pump and find out what the problem may be....so we waited expectantly...and in hope.
Monday I had made arrangements to visit my friend Gill....in the same trip we went to return 2 dresses NiQi had bought that really didn't suit her. We left early, fetched kyle, and then went onto Woodlands Shopping centre. I was a bit cheesed off with the staff who had no problem taking their dress back but they didn't have any money in the till to give to NiQi...apparently they had just done their banking and had no money in the shop. I mean really don't they keep a float? What if a customer came in and paid cash for something but needed change. Sounds fishy to me for sure!!! Visiting Gill was fun, we had tea and cake and a good chat. The time went to quickly though and we had to leave as we still had to return the second dress. Well that was a disaster to say the least...note to self - don't buy from Chinese shops as they are cheats. They absolutely refused to either give a refund or swop it for something else so we walked out of the shop vowing never to support China EVER AGAIN...haha I told NiQi I will make a plan with the dress, cut it shorter and use some of the off cut to adapt the top so it is a better fit.
Across the way was another shop NiQi decided to have a look around and was happy to find a really nice dress for the wedding. So the morning turned out ok in the end. Oh yes and I found a wedding present for Paige and Gareth...I hope they will like it as much as I do. I wanted something that will last forever and found a lovely stainless steel serviette holder. We have one that I like to use when we entertain so I hope they will enjoy theirs too...
Gill listening intently...
NiQi with 'THE DRESS'
Statues at Woodlands Shopping Centre
Fountain at Woodlands Shopping Centre
Wedding present - Serviette Holder
Once home Boeta, another neighbour, came to test the pump and after teasingly convincing me that the pump had blown up, turned the tap on and voila...water. Praise the Lord, it was just a loose connection...happy dance...now I don't need to take out an extra bond to fix my pump.
Today, NiQi and I drove through to Temba so I could collect my new drivers licence. What a rude woman I had the pleasure of asking for my licence!!! I said to her, with a big 'hello'and a smile on my face, that I had come to collect my drivers licence and she responded with - 'you don;t collect your licence until I have first checked to see if it is here.' Oh my I was quite taken back by her attitude but smiled again and said even more sweetly, 'okay, please will you check if my new licence is here?' when she called me to her a bit later I was still polite and she was still rude, but shame I guess she doesn't like her job and that's why she battles to be nice to the public.
On the way home we stopped at Jubilee Shopping Centre to buy some groceries and NiQi also found a wedding present and a jersey to wear with the dress, just in case it becomes chilly....so this is the last few days of Larkwood life...tomorrow will be washing, cleaning and sewing. So much to do before we go down for the wedding. Four more sleeps....
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