Nine years of blogging...

... and a year in the Drakensberg! 

Note: this post is about 15 pages long but as an "old" blogger in more than one sense, with "old" blogger friends, I reckon those who want to read what I have to say, will do so. 

Way back in the second half of the last decade, I came home from living in West Africa.  I had with me our cat Mandu - the first of many times that I'd fly a cat across the Continent. 

Once I'd resettled and involved myself daily working in my indigenous garden, I started to play around on the Internet in the evening. While in Guinea, I had learnt how to "surf" and join chat sites for my writing passion. I also accessed the Weigh Less site as I ran an image club for the very few women who lived on or visited the mine site. 

Through the latter site, I met a young friend, Lynda who was living in Tanzania at the time. She started a blog and sent me the link. I read it and was hooked! With Lynda's help via e-mail, I started my blog and posted for the first time on 1 October 2008. 

I don't have the time to go back and link up to posts that I did at the time. Except for this one. And this one. (do click on this second link - even I enjoyed reading it! LOL!) 

For the first 23 days, Lynda was the only person commenting on my posts. Dear sweet girl. Another blogger "Hill upon Hill" from Oz also commented. 

Through Lynda's blog,  I started "meeting"  other bloggers: Esther Garvi (Ishtar' s  Ark). Esther, a beautiful young woman living in Niger, West Africa, died in a car crash in 2015. Lori (Skoog Farm Journal) Penny, (Snap That;) Peggy from Ireland; Gaelyn (Geogypsy) and Gattina (Writers Cramp.) Diane (Rhodesia)

When I first started to blog, I posted about gardening and also regularly posted recipes; always with a story attached. 

In 2009, I moved back to live with Grant in Africa. Khartoum, Kenya and finally Tanzania. Many of you joined my blog while I was back on mine sites: Betsy (Joyful Reflections) Kay (An unfittie's guide ...) Janie from Utah.

And in more recent years, Eileen (Viewing Nature with Eileen) Diane (Adventure before Dementia) Author Mac Wheeler, William (Ottawa Daily Photo) , Bill (Somewhere in Ireland); Margaret (Birding for pleasure) Anni (I'd rather be birdin') . 

So many of you and all so very welcome. 

Thank you! 

Thank you one and all,  for visiting my blog and commenting.

My life changed oveer the years: I've wandered the streets of Omdurman wearing an abaya (kaftan like covering over my Western clothes) and habib (head covering). I had a tutor and learned basic Arabic. 

Grant and I attended three (one double) weddings and were taken out to dinner (by the company's manager) on several occasions.  Do please click on the links if you have time and read about these interesting cultural events. 

The wedding invitation of one of the weddings probably cost more to print than our whole wedding forty years ago!  

Off to a Sudanese wedding 

Grant and I traveled into the Nubian desert almost every weekend. We rode camels, saw old temple ruins, visited pyramids and picnicked on samoosas and black coffee amongst the golden dunes. (many photo ops in the desert!) 

Moi atop a camel in the Nubian desert 

The Kush Kingdom flourished for 900 hundred years from around 800 B.C. to 280 A.D. and held power over a vast area covering much of the Nile Delta and as far south as Khartoum. Meroe became very important as the Kingdom's center from around 300 B.C. to 280 A.D. Egyptian influence remained strong and Egyptian artisans were used to build the Meroe Pyramids to commemorate dead royalty. The dead were buried in chambers underneath the pyramids. (Source Internet)

Riding through the desert in a 4 x 4 Toyota Landcruiser 

Subsequently our two year sojourn in North Africa ended. We flew home with a new [rescue] cat,  Shadow. We spent three months in South Africa before Grant was head-hunted for a position on a fluorspar mine in Kenya.

During the year there, I crept through the lush African bush in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya 
with my friend, Sue...

My dear friend, Sue with whom I birded and wandered through the bush almost daily 

and across fields birding and taking photos.

A bird's eye view? (LOL!) 

While in Kenya, I entered and won a competition for a recipe which I'd submitted to a magazine. It had a story attached, of course. The prize was dinner at "The Executive Chef's table" at the renowned Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi. Even though it was a six-hour road trip, Grant and I attended, staying overnight afterwards at the company flat in the city. 

Off to the Sarova Stanley Hotel for a chef's table dinner 

Our three-year-stint in Tanzania, was most interesting as well.

I managed the company guest house which housed and fed 21 fussy expats, planning the meals, working with two wonderful chefs and a small kitchen staff; overseeing all domestic issues and going to market every week. I was involved with Grant in everything that happened to the employees .

 I joined the three other ladies at pottery every week, and ultimately became very involved in the school for endangered (Albino) children in Shinyanga town nearby. We made toys, trinkets and game boards for the children. We also baked cookies, made soup and popped popcorn which we'd take to the school and serve the children. 

Below I'm doing a presentation on hygiene and health guidance at the school. (I was in the grip of a high malarial fever at the time!) 

Omary  translates my talk on hygiene while I stood by in a fevered daze!

Grant and I did lots and lots of birding in Tanzania.  I posted regularly about the beautiful (and new) birds we saw.  We also had social outings with other expats. 

In February 2015 we returned to South Africa, ostensibly to "retire" . 

During our 16 months at home, the dogs and I went walking every day. 

Dear sweet Eddy  shaking off after a swim in the dam 

Skabenga still chest deep in the water 

With Grant's health failing in the Free State, our son, John asked us to come and live on his small holding in the Drakensberg while the family was in Mozambique. 

Once again, while Grant recuperated, the dogs and I established a regular walking routine on the property 

When the children put the property on the market, Grant and I moved to a house in an estate a little further along in the valley. 

At the same time, good friends, Steve and Estelle asked me to re-open Steve's art shop in the local shopping centre. Apart from selling Steve's eclectic art and Estelle 's popular souvenirs, I also have a natural multivitamin booster which I've been promoting in the shop and on Facebook. (one of the many positive results of taking this powder, are beautiful nails) 

(I had fun playing with Lunapic when posting the photos below) 

The rest is history...

Thank goodness for blogging; there are many things which I've almost forgotten but managed to find and relive again in the blog archives. 

I'm linking to Our World Tuesday here

HAPPY TUESDAY TO YOU ALL ! 

Fun critters

As I opened the farm gate last week, I spotted a movement in the fields beyond. A couple of meerkat were eating the last of the maize kernels left on the ground. Apologies for the quality of the photos; I took them through the windscreen not to frighten the cute critters away. 

The last two images were especially cute;

 the meerkat looks most business-like as it strides across the field 

The far concertina gate is too difficult for me to handle, so Grant always deals with it. As he was closing the gate, I watched as three children set off from their hut at the top of a small hill and subsequently sped down past the car. 

The expressions on these children's faces are interesting; the girl looks towards me as I take the photo (so typically female); the older boy is concentrating on getting up speed down the hill; the boy behind him has his eyes glued to the toy motorbike as it's hopefully his turn next 

 A caterpillar moving across the driveway last week 

 This butterfly has nothing to do with the caterpillar above; I took this photo on a hike two weeks ago

I always envy blogger friend, Eileen who posts beautiful butterfly images. I was thrilled to capture this beauty on that hike 

After the Polar Bear Challenge last week, Grant and I joined Steve and Estelle (and darling old Muthi) at their home. We watched the South Africa vs French rugby test match and enjoyed a few snacks together. It's never a late visit and by 7.25 pm we said goodbye and set off for home. At the gate to the property, we were thrilled to see a buck (deer) grazing on the lawn. Once again, I had to take the photos through the windscreen so please excuse the quality. 

A deer grazing on the lawn near Steve and Estelle's home 

I'm linking to Saturday Critters with Eileen here

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL! 

Various happenings in my world!

Monday morning while I was busy at the computer, I heard the gate bell ring. Grant has many visitors and customers coming in at all times, so I left it to John, the gardener (who has the remote) to open the gate. Minutes later Abby arrived to visit. She immediately asked for a drink which I poured her and I also gave her two cookies. 

Four-and-a-half Abby is growing up fast; 

she comes over to visit on her own! 

Soon she fetched the highlighters and colour pencils

 and paper and began to draw 

She noticed Ambrose lying in the sun and went over to stroke him

A gentle little girl petting a convalescing kitty

Soon after this Abby asked to go home so I took her out the gate, along the lawn and into her front door. Closer to your grandchildren you cannot get! 

I leashed up Skabenga and with Eddy we walked around the corner to the golf course. 

Just before we entered the gate, I came across two  little girls having a picnic on the side of the road. This was such a heartwarming sight that I took photos of the beautiful scene. 

Our beautiful town is so peaceful and crime-free compared to life in the cities

The dog from over the road soon joined them. This isn't their dog as I think these little girls live in the house on the corner. 

The dog soon joined the girls' picnic

As always the dogs love their daily walk on the course

Several golfers were out on the fairway 

On my way back, I saw that an older lady had joined the girls - their aunt perhaps? The dog was there to stay. Eddy also ran up and joined in the fun but Skabenga was too excited for me to take him any closer 

On Sunday night we had quite a bit of drama - although remotely. Our friend, Rudi, from Wilderness (900km), was on his way up to visit us. Grant is rebuilding a 1989 motorbike for Rudi so he was keen to see the project in real life (I've been posting photos on FB) He was journeying quite well until 6.30 on Sunday night. He phoned Grant to say his car had stopped UP a hill and he just couldn't get it going again. We asked if we could arrange a roadside assistance but he'd already had someone stop and phone a breakdown service in the next town 30kms ahead. 

Long story short, Rudi's "help" never arrived. We waited here in the Free State not thinking to organize help for Rudi; he ended up sleeping in the car, under icy conditions, for the whole night. On Monday morning early Grant phoned the roadside assistance who contacted Rudi immediately and within twenty minutes went out to his car, started it and Rudi was ready to ride! 

At 2pm yesterday Rudi arrived here at our home! 

I'm linking to Our World Tuesday here

HAPPY TUESDAY TO YOU ALL! 

Special Critters beginning July 2016

Earlier this week, my house-lady, Erica brought her eight-year-old son, Tumi to work with her. Tumi is the same age as Bethany, John and Debbie's second daughter. He loved playing with the cats, and Ginger and later, Chappie, loved being stroked by this gentle little boy.

Tumi, looking a lot more serious than he actually is! 

When Tumi was a baby, his mom, Erica worked for in another household here in Marquard. Erica's mom, Emily was working for me at the time. She brought Tumi to work and would piggyback him (as is traditional) while she worked. When he needed to sleep, she'd lay him in the middle of my double bed with pillows around him to prevent him from rolling off. 

Scrolling through my blog, I found a photo of the oldest grandson, Joshua with Tumi who's riding a plastic scooter. Tumi and Emily's older grandson, Karabo have been part of our family ever since 2002; especially while John and Debbie lived here in Marquard. The children were of an age and would spend many a day playing together here at our home. 

Tumi, around two years and Joshua four-years-old

On Thursday Rina visited and I convinced her to go walking with the dogs. Here she's throwing a stick into the water for Skabenga to retrieve

Which he did, good boy! 

As old as she is, Eddy takes a dip every day that we're on the golf course

Skabenga is there too!

For the past six months, Grant's been complaining that his belt isn't successfully holding up his jeans. We're searched in the city for braces and eventually yesterday I managed to find a natty grey pair.  

The Vintage Marquard style

Blogger and FB friend, Betsy said he looks like the Mountain Man from Tennessee! 

Yesterday morning I snapped the moon: last quarter over Rina's house

Last evening I photographed the sunset from her house - over the retirement village

I also picked up a contrail with the setting sun

Zooming in as much as I could, I managed to get a small glimpse of the actual aircraft glittering in the sun 

I'm linking to Saturday Critters with Eileen here

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL!