NiQi joins with SACFA promoting CF...

This year South Africa's Cystic Fibrosis Association decided to break away from the rest of the world in using May for CF awareness.  Personal feelings aside about how it occured, I understood after a while that it was all for the greater good.

SACFA employed an events company in an effort to go all out and have the biggest national campaign ever....and when I say big, i mean BEEEEG!!!  After all these years of living with, trying to get involved with and making as many people as we know aware of Cystic Fibrosis, it saddens me that it doesn't matter what we do, we just do not have a loud enough voice in South Africa to draw attention to ourselves.  Without sounding mean and nasty or downright bitchy, there remain other diseases that progress forward from year to year, gaining more and more support and raising more and more funds, and this to put it bluntly is because there are so many more that suffer from them.  Sadly Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that most do not realize how expensive it is to look after...and the thing is  - it is life long!!!!!!!  There is NO cure and it DOES NOT go away after a while of being treated.  NO, rather it gets worse and with time affects not only the lungs and pancreas but eventually puts strain on the other vital organs of the body.  That being said, 2014 is hopefully the year that CF does make a national impact.

NiQi was given an opportunity to be a part of the national voice when last Wednesday she appeared on television.  Her interview was set for 8.15am and together with Dr. Klugman from the paediatric clinic at Charlotte Maxeke hospital, they were given a 15 minute slot on ANN7 (African News Network), which shows on channel 405 of DSTV.  I have to say at this point that God's planning is always perfect as it was scheduled for the same day of her clinic appointment AND not only that, but it happened to be on the same route.  Now normally we leave home at 5am to be at hospital by 7.30, but for those that read this blog quite regularly, do you remember the time that there was an accident on the highway and we ended up arriving for clinic after 10am...well we didn't want that to happen!!!!!    NiQi COULD NOT MISS HER TELEVISION DEBUT....lol  We decided that if we left at our usual time, it would hopefully give us plenty of leeway for any possibilities, and so we did.  The minute we drove onto the R101 we were amazed at the amount of traffic on the road so early in the morning which made my heart sink and my stress levels rise.  At least though we were moving and not standing still - which was a good thing.  At some point NiQi asked if I had any Rescue, to which I responded 'yes, at home in the bathroom cabinet'.  I don't think that was what she wanted to hear as it was a bit late now, but anyway if she was feeling nervous, she didn't really show it. We chugged along the road at a steady speed, through town, past Centurian and the Mint.  Not much further on from The Mint we turned into the complex where the television studios are situated....it was half past six!!!!!  Well I never thought that we would make such good time, especially considering the traffic on the road, but we did, and obviously we were veerrrryyyyy early.  The chap at the security gate let us in giving us instructions of where to park and radioing someone else to show us where to go.  Everyone was so friendly and I must say when we walked through the front door into the reception area, my preconceived ideas of what kind of a tv station it might be, were laid to rest.  I was impressed to say the least.  The staff chatted easily with us, all well dressed and well spoken.  We were shown into a waiting area and offered tea and coffee.  With quite a lengthy wait ahead of us we made ourselves comfortable.  I was ecstatic to hear that I may take photo's and also that I would be able to go into the studio too when NiQi went for her interview.  At about 7.45 someone called her to go through for 'hair and make-up', although they hardly did anything to her at all.  At 8 she and the doctor who had arrived a few minutes earlier, were called through to the newsroom.  Wow, again it was nothing like I expected.  With the presenter/host in the middle of the room sitting behind a desk, television screens taking up two walls with various news shows playing, staff watching and working, cameras on trolleys and wheels in various places on the floor.  The two of them were shown where to sit and had mics fitted to each of them.  The host was still busy with another report, but as soon as he had finished with that and a roving reporter had taken over, he gave them both his full attention, explaining what was expected from them and how long they each had to speak.  The rest is history.... NiQi was a star.  She spoke so eloquently, as if she has done this sort of thing a million times.  We were very proud of her and I think she did CF proud too.  Once the interviews were over we made our way back to the R101 and carried on our way to clinic...which is a whole other blog....

Fencing in our Pooches

When Sara was visiting recently she made an observation that every year when she has been to visit us, we have more fences....  It got me thinking and wondering about that statement but it is surely true.  When we first moved here the plot was ful of gates and fences which really was a pain because it meant that if we wanted to walk from one side to the other we were walking along fencelines and opening and closing gates.  For the previous owners who had horses, it was more than likely their way of grazing the horses in one area at a time, moving them around as and when the grazing became in short supply.

I have been trying to remember back to when and why we decided to remove all the interior fences and I believe it may have been the Sunday that we were on our way to church and before we even reached our front gate, Neo - our Great Dane who is no longer with us, went running past us and proceeded to jump fence for fence behind a buck, before trapping and catching it on the boundary between us and our neighbours.  It was then that we realized the fences were an obstacle for us.  We could not follow through with our bakkie and Johan ended up running behind at a much slower pace than either Neo or the buck...only to arrive too late to save the poor buck from the jaws of a dog that was bigger than itself.

Down came the fences, out came the fencing posts and after all of this we were left with one big plot where all were free to roam at will.  No longer did the buck or rabbits or any other wild life have a disadvantage over the Great Danes as they were able to manoevre their way with one long dash, often making their way through the front fence and over the road long before the dogs who were following behind in the long grass and who then wondered where they could have gone to.

The majority of the property is still open and the horses have one huge area to roam and eat at will, but we have put up many fences, and most of them are closer to the back and around the house.  We fenced in two adjacent areas that housed the pigs with the back section of the shed as a common area.  Then we closed off an area behind the pigs and part of the vegetable garden which was initially used for both the pea fowl and the chickens.  A fence was added later from the back of the one pigs pen to the back boundary fence, which gave an enclosure for the sheep.  It was at the time we had the sheep that we then opened up where the chickens and pea fowl were and let them roam free so the sheep could use that area to shelter from the hot beating sun and the pouring rain.  Nowadays, the chickens are back in the coop for their own protection against wild dogs and the mongooses who love to steal their eggs and chicks.  The pea fowl still roam free.... Then we fenced across the front of the second pigs pen and the front of the vegetable garden in line with the free standing aviaries, to give our rabbits freedom and make them feel more like they are 'back to nature.'  After the episode of having a friends cows destroy all our fruit trees, we fenced around them, giving ourselves a proper orchard.  Next came the fence beyond the Jacaranda trees in front of the house and in line with  the front gate, all the way across to past the citrus trees...this, to not only keep the horses away from the garden and house, but also to put an obstacle in the path of those who feel our property and ultimately our home is open to the public at any given time.  Together with building a crusher for the horses close to the other side of the aviaries and shed, we completed fencing off the back so that horses couldn't come through the back and into the garden area.  Finally...and this is the reason Sara said what she did - we have recently fenced an area even closer to the house at the back and one side.  This not only keeps the dogs inside at all times, but it also gives a greater sense of security for us, knowing that if anyone tried to break in through the back door - which has been the chosen route of entry in the past - they would have to make their way through 6 dogs before they could get close enough.

I must say that having the dogs so close to us, not only keeps the mess that puppies tend to churn up, contained, but I also know for sure that they are here and at home at all times.  Johan completed this last piece of fencing just before he went down to KZN in July and whereas I don't forsee any more fencing being done in the near future, who knows.....maybe when Sara comes next year there may just be more done....

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the Love of a Horse....

It is true that to own a horse is to know a love that is far different from any other love.  A horse becomes an animal of magnificence beyond measure....with their head held high, their shoulders staunch, their mane caressing their longneck and a tail that whips up in the wind, a horse is an animal that forms a bond of trust and love.  Horses thrive better in the company of other horses and if you have ever witnessed a herd of horses thundering across the fields together, you will understand just how much they need each other.

Ever since Johan first walked August along the hot and dusty road one December Saturday in 2009, we have all been bitten by the horse bug....he's such a funny little thing, a cross between a pony and a horse, but he was the first horse that we owned and as old as he is he has such a good temperament, he is patient with children and doesn't complain when he would rather be off with his friends in the paddock, but he like we, has recently lost yet another friend and ally.

In April 2010, we adopted Amberfield and Pippin.  Both young foals they grew up around August with him disciplining them and playing with them.  A year later, Amberfield contracted African Horse Sickness and within hours this horse of power and beauty crashed to the ground....it was heartwrenching and I will never forget how in that short space of time she fought with all her might until she could no more.  A week later, Pippin went the same way, not quite as quickly, but the outcome was the same.  After the two of them were gone and buried, August pined.  He became the old man he really is, dragging his feet, hanging his head until we thought we would soon lose him too.

Then later that year in 2011, when NiQi was herself so very ill, Johan heard of someone in the area who was cutting down on her herd and wanting to place some of her horses.  Johan contacted her  and arranged to take NiQi to see them.  With oxygen in tow, the two of them went to have a look and NiQi fell in love with Zorro.  Her eyes lit up when she saw him and when they came home all she could talk about were these gorgeous horses they had visited.  Less than a week later, Johan had a call from Zorro's owner - she was going to give Zorro AND Angel to NiQi.  The day that Johan and Peet brought the two of them here, August became a different horse....he perked up, he found a spring in his step that had been missing for almost 6 months...everywhere they walked he walked too.  For weeks the three of them stood at the front corner of our property gazing out into the distance in the direction from which both Zorro and Angel had come.  The only times they came up was to drink water and to be fed, then back they would go again standing guard.  I don't know why it was, but the standing at the corner became less and less and for shorter periods of time until eventually one day they must have realized that this is now home.  Then along came Navajo...from the same lady.  Out of the blue she phoned Johan one day in 2012 and offered him to us.  NiQi was ecstatic.  He was Angels baby and when he arrived the reunion between them was as it should be between a mother and her son.  Navajo is a stallion and although younger he soon was the leader of the herd, neither Zorro nor August had a say, Navajo made sure he was always first. 

Early in 2013, we discovered there was a mare living behind us.  We had never seen her before, but suddenly one morning she was prancing up and down on her side of the fence.  When Navajo saw her he followed her up and down on his side of the fence.  It wasn't too long before the hormones were racing and a fence between them was no problem at all to a stallion who had his sights set on the mare flaunting herself at him.  Johan ended up cutting him free of the fence before, with great force we put him into the crusher.  He was not happy at all, rearing up and trying to get out until we became quite concerned.  His eyes were stressed and wild, he had one thing on his mind and that was to reach 'his' mare.  Switch is her name and she too came to live here with us falling pregnant immediately.

Switch gave birth to a beautiful foal in the early hours of the morning of 8th December 2013.  From the moment we saw him, he was strong, steady on his legs, sucking at his mother with a surety that this is what life is all about.  Days became weeks and weeks became months.  I mentally noted his age on the 8th of each month.  The morning of 8th August, the thought crossed my mind that we must really start weaning him now. He was a big boy...bigger than August and at 8 months old it was time.  That same afternoon when I was outside with the horses, I noticed that he was hanging his head.  He didn't seem to be in the mood for anything.  I fed the horses and I watched as he ate, nothing wrong with his appetite, but still there was something not quite right.  I had my many other chores ahead of me so left him with the other horses.  A little later I went back and I noticed he was a little wobbly...I watched as he walked off with the other horses.  He lagged behind and seemed to have difficulty keeping his balance, but he kept on walking.  I busied myself again wondering if I was imagining things.  As dusk was drawing in I locked up the house and walked down to where I could see the horses in the distance.  I climbed through the fences and followed their trails until I found Titan standing with the rest.  He wasn't eating.  He was standing sleeping.  He woke as I checked him over.  Feeling his tummy and listening for any gurgling gassy sounds, he stood still.  I ruled out colic in my mind, which was as that time a relief because colic in a horse can be deadly if not caught quickly enough.  He didn't feel feverish and definitely wasn't sweating.  His teeth and gums looked fine.  His ears were upright, alert and not flat against his head which would have been a clear indication that something was wrong.  He moved toward Switch and nuzzled in under her trying to drink but she pushed him away.  I thought that maybe she was staring to wean him herself.  I left him there as I walked back to the house, shining the flashlight on my phone to see my way back and hoping and praying that come morning he would be his usual self.

My first thought when I woke was of Titan.  I was anxious for it to become light.  As dawn approached  I made my way outside and went to get the horse food.  The horses were standing at their posts waiting to be fed, all except for Titan.  I looked out to the fields and couldn't see him, he must be lying down I thought.  I fed the others and scrambled though the fence again to look for him.  Eventually I found him, lying down...he wasn't flat on his side but on his haunches which I thought and hoped was a good sign, but now he was sweating and that was not good.  When he saw me and he heard me calling he stood up.  Wobbly and unsteady on his legs he started coming towards me.  The other horses came running down and I scrambled behind a tree as they all pushed Titan away from me and made a barrier between him and me.  At first I thought they were being mean to Titan.  Later I realized they were trying to protect him.  I called Johan and told him Titan was no better than the previous night.  He said he would phone our vet. I had to move the other horses away to be able to get to Titan.  I raced back and filled the buckets with more food.   They followed me and I opened the gate between us and Belinda.  Once they were next door I closed the gate behind them and went back for Titan.  He walked all the way, I didn't need to halter him, he just walked beside me.  I opened up the orchard and let him in there.  Soon after the vet arrived.  She took his temperature, it was 39....She too didn't think it was colic.  She said from the way he was standing, trying to keep his balance, and walking like a drunkkard, that whatever it was, was neurologiacal.  It could be billary, it could be that he ate a poisonous plant or it could be the onslaught of tetanus.  She asked if he had hurt himself recently.  I showed her the marks on his back legs where the skin had been scraped off some weeks before.  We don't know what he did or on what he hurt himself, but he had come home one day when NiQi was in hospital with the marks.  I hadn't thought it was that bad, they weren't deep gashes or gaping wounds, they were just scrapes.  She drew a few vials of blood, gave him a sedative, an antibiotic and something for billary.  They sedative made him tired and he went down.  I was in a hurry.  I had to leave by 11 to fetch NiQi from work so I could drive through to Jo'burg with her to a Womans' Day 'charitea'.  The vet said she would pop by in a couple of hours....we were on the road when she phoned the first time.  I told NiQi to ignore the call.  The second time, she wanted to know why the vet was calling, who was at the vet.  Having kept my emotions bottled up since the evening before, I had to tell her.  With tears streaming down my face I told her it was Titan.  The vet phoned again and she answered.  She spoke to her and heard that the diagnosis was tetanus.  It had reached his brain.  He would not recover.  We should put him down.  I told her to do it.  I didn't want him to suffer with loads of pain when he woke from the sedative.  The afternoon dragged by.  NiQi took photos of the event and delivered her speech.  We arrived home just before dark.  Titan was still in the orchard.  With the wind whipping around us, we looked at our baby boy lying asleep, peaceful and in no pain.  The other horses stood guard on the other side of the fence.  They stood there until we had buried him the next day and then they moved on to graze.  Switch neighed that first night and the following day, her baby is gone and her udders were full.  Today we got tetanus injections for the other horses as well as anti biotics...just in case.  I look at them and now see scrapes and wounds in a new light....Titan, as with Amberfield and Pippin, will forever be in our memories.  I you've ever owned a horse you will understand.....if you've ever loved, you too will understand...