Puppy discernment

Shop bought toys or...

...recycled water bottles! 

Thanks Margaret for bringing to my attention that the video could not be viewed. I hope it's visible now!

Princess' Pups Four months old!

While on e-mail to fellow-blogger, Sandra yesterday I realized that the pups had a birthday this weekend; and I'd forgotten! They were four months old on Saturday 17 January. 

Ironically, one of the pups should have gone to a new owner on that day. Grant's HR manager, Ariel asked if he could have a pup. He'd told Grant that he'd fenced his yard and would love a pup. He was due to come and see me that morning. At 3.30 pm (this is Africa!) Ariel phoned Grant and said he was at the office; could he come and collect his pup? Grant said he'd fetch him and bring him back here to talk to me. 

Meanwhile Michael called the pups into the enclosure for their afternoon meal. I took photos and between us, Michael and I said our goodbyes to Colonel. This was the pup left over and which Ariel would get if he passed muster. 

Pups having their afternoon meal

Colonel is the pup eating at the middle dish

Forty-five minutes later Grant drove into the yard: no Ariel. He says when he arrived at the office, there was no sign of Ariel. He phoned him but got no reply. Then the office building askari told Grant that Ariel had gone to the nearby town of Shinyanga with Albert, the security supervisor,  a few minutes before. 

For me, that did it! 

I told Michael to let the pups out of the enclosure . As Colonel ran onto the lawn, I bent down and hugged him; I said: you're going nowhere, my little lad.  Later that evening at the club, Johan said that Colonel had been lying in the doorway of his cottage all afternoon. 

I've made my decision: Colonel stays. (Thanks Sandra, for your vote too!) 

Now that the weather is a little drier, Michael and I will take Bibi and Mvulano over to the Guest House again to get used to their new home. Nordeen, who is taking the last two girl pups, Mischana Mbili/Girl Two and Mischana Neusi/ Girl Black  is waiting for the company carpenter to build him doghouse so that his pups are protected during rainy season.

So yes, for now, all the pups are still with us! 

Regarding the video I put up of the pups on yesterday's post. Somehow I didn't make it public and I've had to re-load it onto YouTube. I hope to post it soon. 

You all have a really wonderful Monday.

Princess' Pups

and bird calls from my Mwadui garden.

I've tried to upload this video again, but YouTube told me it's been duplicated. However, the one I published on Saturday is now on "public" and was viewed 116 times, so it must be public by now. I hope you can view it here now...

 uyhhhht (NOTE: this was Ginger walking all over my keyboard, He's no lightweight either! )

Princess and her five remaining pups spend a great deal during the early part of the day running around and playing. Nando is right there to instigate a tussle or alternatively - when necessary - to chastise a pup for being too rough. You'll notice in the video "dog fight" Princess always lies down and is "attacked" But don't be fooled. She is the strongest physically and has the biggest character I've ever seen in a Tanzanian dog. 

In the video, the prominent bird call is from the Red-chested Cuckoo. It has a distinctive call: "It will rain" and during these summer months, it has called incessantly! 

The pup running up to me is Bibi and then she is joined by Msichana Mbili. This pup is very vocal and likes to add her opinion. 

In between I tried to capture the huge garden around our house which these pups are blessed to have as a playground!

HAPPY MONDAY TO YOU ALL!

Saturday Critters Party with Eileen

I have an eclectic mix of creatures for today's post. During the week I watched as one of the pups sniffed something on the ground, and then jumped back. I thought it was  a frog; I grabbed my camera and went outdoors. 

The pup was trying to sniff a large bug which I'm not able to identify! 

A bug that one of the pups found fascinating 

The pup's leg is visible on the right of the photo

I walked away, leaving the bug in peace; the pup followed me.

Michael pets the other four pups!

In the street, near the Guest House fence, I spotted several mongoose. I managed to capture this ne before it dived into the holes next to the tree roots

Driving along the bush road always yields birds and other interesting sights...

...like this d'Arnaud's Barbet with fruit in its mouth 

I'm linking my post to Saturday Critters with Eileen here.here

Grey Tanzanian Skies

It's summer time in the Southern Hemisphere. It's rainy season in Tanzania. Yet, although the skies are grey and overcast most of the time, the rain is minimal. The temps hover between 21 and 23 degrees Celsius: warm summer temperatures. But without the sun, it feels cold to me! 

Grey murky skies are the order of the day

I focused on an African Grey Hornbill  huddling against the cold 

Misty and grey ! Ewgh! 

While I snapped the depressing weather, Michael arrived home with a bag of sawdust (not heavy, only bulky) This commodity is obtained for free from the woodworkshop nearby and is for the cats' litter trays. Note how Nando is howling while Princess watches anxiously for Michael to return to the safety of the garden. Msichana runs towards her mum

Meanwhile I felt a tug at my shorts cuff

Mvulana's mischievous look

Then he tugs at my shorts again! 

I'm linking my post to Skywatch Friday which you can visit here

Various Saturday Critters

This week I'm joining Eileen's Saturday Critter Party, here with a difference. Just after Christmas Grant sent his driver to buy a couple of dozen soccer balls - deflated. Michael inflated them with his bicycle pump and that evening Grant and I piled a few at my feet and we drove through the the streets.  Normally the kids wrap plastic shopping bags into a ball and tie it up with string. This time we stopped wherever we saw a group of boys and called them over. You can imagine the excitement when I lifted a ball and handed it to them. 

These balls cost Tsh 1000/US$ .57c each

Happiness is... I gave these four boys two balls to "share"

We drove through town and handed out another six balls. Later I sent the rest of the deflated balls in the bag to Amanda for Buhangija School in Shinyanga.

Later, driving through the bush we stopped so that I could photograph a buck. We normally see Dik-dik here but this time we were intrigued  confused by the ridge on the animal's haunches.

This dik-dik has a definite ridge on its haunches

Just further along the road, we spotted a colony of mongoose. I managed to capture this one above until it ...

...dived headlong into the grassy verge

Then it appeared on a rock - looking as if it was posing! 

This lark-like bird gave us a beautiful song 

The jury is still out on its ID

While trying to photograph the elusive sunbirds in the thin bushes next to the road, a tractor belonging to the mine, overtook us. I told you I had a variety Party Critters today! 

Back home in my garden, I couldn't resist photographing Princess and Bibi resting on the lawn

The likeness is uncanny!

Mama Princess senses someone near our property fence. Bibi doesn't seem so sure!

Do visit Eileen's Critter party here  and join in the fun.

Happy Saturday everyone! 

Princess' Pups update

Many of the regular followers of this blog will remember that every Friday when Michael has his day off, Joshua is my relief askari. Of all the people who have helped me raise the pups, Joshua has taken his job as nursery assistant the most serious of all. However, Joshua is now on leave and Alphas Moto is the stand-in askari on Fridays. Ironically Alphas and Zechariah (my night-askari) were present at the birth of the pups so these two men take their jobs as pup-carers most seriously as well!  

On Saturday, Alphas stood in as day askari for the Guest House on Edward 's day off. He came into the garden to ask Michael something while the latter was washing the dogs bowls at the outside tap.  Of course, the pups were thrilled to see him and he played with them for a while until he left again. 

I also recorded this video to show my friend, Gattina of Writer Cramps that even though we'd woken up to a thunderstorm earlier that day, the sun rose bang on time (6.30am) and the weather was perfect all day. 

To all the my friends in the Northern Hemisphere who are in the middle of winter, please take a minute to walk through my East African garden with me, listen to the bird calls and the sounds and activities at the beginning of a day in a mining town. 

Here's wishing you all a wonderful new week in 2015!

First Critter Party for 2015

Happy New Year to all my blogger friends who join in Eileen's Critter Party here 

Before I continue with today's post, I'd like to reply to several comments about not having a video of Solomon's rendition of the A&M Hymns on New Years Eve. As I started to focus on  Solomon and to record his songs, Mani came to me holding out his Ipad; his wife wanted to greet me personally. When I was finished speaking to her, I lifted my camera. By now, Solomon was halfway through the hymns; Carolyn, Grant and Steve were singing along near me and I joined as well. So no video! 

On Tuesday morning when I went out to greet Michael and help him feed the pups, he pointed to the fence around the pups' enclosure. The preying mantis which I'd seen and photographed out in the street last month, was visiting us! 

I tried to surreptitiously snap this fascinating insect in order not to frighten it 

On New Years Day Grant came home and told me about a huge flock of birds in field near the houses. He'd come to collect me so that we could go and wish the Client people Happy New Year.  I grabbed my camera and we drove up the street. 

The Egrets and Abdim's Storks gorged themselves on the flying ants in the grass

After spending time chatting to Louise and then later Andre and Amanda, we drove slowly through the camp back to the gate. Of course, we were looking for birds or animals! And we weren't disappointed.

A small colony of dwarf mongoose were scrimmaging for food in between the tree trunks...

...providing me with plenty of opportunity to photograph them! 

Approaching the gate, we saw an African Grey Hornbill swoop down onto the ground. It began to feast on the hundreds of wingless flying ants on the ground. I had inadvertently selected a function called "creative shots". One depression of the shutter and you have multiple images with effects. The camera then automatically selects from all effects. 

One such effect was grey-scale and then Grant pointed out the the hornbill looked as if it had a plaster cast on its right leg 

The next image was in sepia and the right leg certainly looked as if it was encased in plaster of Paris! 

The next shot showed the poor hapless flying ant in the hornbill's bill!

And down the hatch you go! 

Grant dropped me off at our gate and returned to the office. At the same time, Michael Makongoro came out of the Guest House gate; he approached Michael, my askari, who was sitting on the side of the road. I saw Michael M hand something to Michael "A" who then dropped it like a hot cake. The two men guffawed. Michael called me and showed me a "tortoise". It was, in fact, the tiniest terrapin I'd ever seen. Michael (askari) was nervous of this creature and jumped back when I picked it up off the gravel. 

A terrapin which measured just on 2cm in circumference!

I put the terrapin in my vegetable garden in the corner of the yard. When I checked on it a few minutes later, it had disappeared! 

And now, as this is possibly the last weekend that the remaining five pups will be together in my garden, here are some photos.

Princess and Bibi relax on the lawn

Yaaaawn, I look just like my mama

All five of the pups together

Today, after a bird outing into the bush, Michael and I will take Bibi and Mvulana over the the Guest House. We'll let them sniff around and get to know the place where they will be living in the future: near or in Edward Askari's hut! We'll return them to our garden until their final meal at 4pm which we'll feed to them at the Guest House again - sort of applying Pavlov's theory here!  Once they've eaten we'll bring them back here to play for the rest of the afternoon and as usual, to sleep with the others in the enclosure tonight. Tomorrow we'll repeat the process, lengthening their stay at the Guest House until finally we feel we can safely leave them with Edward. Originally I'd planned on Bibi joining Nando at the Guest House. But Nando lives at our house now and has stated emphatically that he will NOT be returning to the Guest House!

Nordeen told me yesterday that Sekamenya, our company carpenter will start building a hut on Monday. Nordeen has agreed to take both the remaining "fluffy" females: Mischana Neusi and Mischana Mbili. Grant told him that it would be cruel to separate these two sisters; now both will live at Nordeen's house. Nordeen stressed that the hut would only be used a shelter when it rains and not to lock the dogs up in.  At all the other times he wants the dogs to run around the yard, play with his children and protect them and his property.  He's a man after my own heart! 

The only other male, Colonel, gets to stay here in our garden with his mama Princess and Unca Nando! 

Happy Saturday to you all! 

Good Fences, Good Gardening

Although it seems rather optimistic to plant shrubs and trees with five boisterous pups in the garden, Michael and I made short work of the plants we bought in Shinyanga on Friday.

Michael removes a glossy-leafed shrub from its container in readiness to be planted out into the garden

Colonel nervously approaches  Michael 

While his siblings loll on the grass

Everyone is safe and secure in our garden which is surrounded by a reed fence.

While over the road at the Guest House the welder is busy adding a long pipe to the motor gate. This is to prevent Mvulana and Bibi from escaping into the street,  once they're resident Askari dogs in the Guest House garden.

I loved the way Joshua and Sechamenya were focused on something on the cell phone while keeping the pipe firm for the welder to work on.

For more Good Fences around the world, please visit here

 HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Four legged - critters in my garden

Because of this time of the year, when not everyone works during the week between Christmas and New Year, I've not been able to get a welder down to the Guest House. When he does return to work, he'll add steel plates to the bottom of the gate; this is to keep the new askari dogs (we're thinking of taking Bibi and Mvulana - who look just like Mama Princess) over there. I might even take Princess over there too. When Michael opens the gate for Grant to enter or leave the yard, she often makes a dash outside. Once he's closed the gates, he runs after her and catches her standing at the closed Guest House gates. Mmm. 

I'm linking this genuine critter post to Eileen's Saturday Critter Party. 

Christmas Ladies Tea

At last Monday dawned, quite cloudy but with the sun rising through the clouds to the east of our garden. I was up at 4.30 am and preparing the final snacks. When Grant woke at six, he assured me that it would be sunny by 9.30 when my party started. Michael arrived at 6.30, looked at the sky, and  showed thumbs-up, saying "Bibi, jua nakuja leo/the sun is coming today."

The pups were enjoying the sunshine as well

No sooner had Michael and I started to carry out tables, lay the clothes and set out the chairs, than the pups tried to join in. Many a tug-of-war while I rescued my Tanzanian Christmas tablecloths

While Mary filled and boiled two kettles (I borrowed Johan's from his cottage next door), Regina, Michael and I set out the two tea-sets, cake plates, coffee, tea and sugar on one table. I brought out the eats and arranged them on the next table. 

At 9.30 Michael opened the gate and in came Louise, with her 80-year-old mother-in-law, Joey who's visiting here; Louise' daughter, Henricke who's also visiting; and young Wessie, our child on camp. Jo-Anne, also came with Louise.

Shortly after Nsia, Amanda and Debbie arrived. Then Carolyn, in whose honor I held this tea, arrived from the Guest House. Next my neighbor, Rhoda, a sister at the hospital arrived from just down the road. Then Linda drove in. Finally Margaret, headmistress of Mwadui Primary School and Gertrude, proprietress of a large store here in town, drove into the yard. 

From left: Sr Rhoda, Carolyn, Debbie, Amanda, Henricke, Jo-Anne, Nsia, Wessie, Louise and Joey

Linda third from left arrived shortly after the first guests

Stunning weather for a garden tea

Gertrude at the end of the row and others watch as Debbie describes something

Joey asked her granddaughter, Henricke to take a photo of her with me! 

The ladies help themselves 

Joey helps herself to cake. Some readers may remember my tea-set from when I had Linda's birthday party here at my home in September

The weather warmed up so considerably that the ladies moved around following the shade! They sat and chatted, later enjoying bottled water which I had on offer. 

I filled my basket with my wrapped gifts and handed them out

At 11.40,  Louise was the first to take her leave. She asked me to bring my camera as "granny Joey" had decided to go home with Wessie on the Quad Bike. 

Louise helps Joey onto the bike while Michael waits to open the gate

Then Wessie announced that he'd flooded the engine and would have to come back in an hour to collect the Quad. No problem to Louise and Henricke: they offered to push the quad around my large garden until the engine "took" and sputtered into life

Louise and Henricke's perseverance paid off; the engine spluttered once, fired and Wessie and Gran Joey was off through the gate and up the street. Great laughter followed! 

Believe it or not, just after lunch I walked outside and the weather had closed in completely. I just had to take a photo to show how blessed I was to have such beautiful weather while my ladies tea was on the go. 

Can you believe the difference? Was we blessed that morning or what?

I'm linking my post to Our World Tuesday which you can visit here