WELL!!!

What can I say? I have not posted on Blogger for two months and man, do I miss it and all my Blogger friends?

As always, I have been busy, but I intend to blog more regularly this year.

I had a WONDERFUL holiday season with my accommodation during November and December and guess what, it's not letting up for January through March either. 

 I am going great guns at Parkrun with five to go to reach my 100th milestone. 

Christmas Eve was the start of the heatwave. Although Skabby and I donned the required festive adornments, we both suffered badly in the heat

Meanwhile we have had a severe heatwave in South Africa and my poor Skabby is suffering. Athough he was shaved and groomed at the beginning of December, a week before Chrisstmas he developed a hotspot the about 5cm in diameter. No matter what I applied, the hotspot got bigger. 

I took him to the vet and then the injections, medicines, cortisone started. I applied pharmacy bought mercurochrome spray and gentian violet to the raw areas. The vet ordered Sulphur powder (priced like gold dust!) and this started to help. But Skabby kept licking and scratching the wounds. 

The vets would phone me before the weekend to ask how Skabby was getting on. I know I was, by now, a welcome cash cow to the veterinary business, but I found it touching that they actually cared...

My answer was always the same: it seems a little better, but he is licking and scratching the areas. 

Finally, last Tuesday I took him to the vet while I was running my Weigh-Less groups in Winterton. He injected Skabby with a "hotspot" injection, prescribed an antibiotic specifically meant for skin irritations and fitted the doggie with a cone. 

Mmm

Poor boy. 

All the older cats scattered as they saw this strange apparition. 

Except Georgie...

Never mind, Unca Skabby, I will stay and care for you!

Yesterday, I left Skabby at home and went to the Parkrun on my own. He sat and howled like a baby at the gate: a really pathetic sight of a sad dog with a plastic cone around his neck! I felt absolutely lost not to be dragged around the 5km track, and everyone who saw me, asked where my dog was.

I just have to get him better...

On 30 December, my brother, Philip turned 75. I joined him and friends for a lovely luncheon at a neighbor's home.

Philip and me on his 75th

Philip was the kind person who took 12-year-old Papa in when the owner of a local lifestyle center wanted to euthanize him.

This month Papa has been with Philip for a year - the best forever home a cat could wish for

Philip's other car, Cat has accepted Papa as if he has been there forever.\

Back home the felines thrive, and Georgie is getting cuter by the minute

Inexpensive and simple...

.

...are toys which delight an active kitten!

MAY YOU ALL ENJOY A WONDERFUL SUNDAY

Five years...

Good morning, dear Blogger friends. Today marks the fifth anniversary of my husband, Grant's passing.

I had a nostalgic afternoon on Saturday (after cleaning my accommodation!) going down memory lane looking through digital photos to commemorate the last 15 years of his life. 

In Guinea, West Africa, 2002 to 2006, Grant managed a fleet of heavy earthmoving gold mining vehicles

In bis element driving a 773 CAT 

At the end of 2006, when the mine closed in Guinea, Grant lead a convoy of mining vehicles and machines from Guinea, cross border, skirting the Western Sahara, along Sahel Desert to a working mine in Mali. The trip, much of it in the beginning, bushwacking, took him 53 days. The distance: 1800km

In Northwestern Guinea, he managed a spot of recreational fishing! 

Crossing the desert, you had to dress appropriately 

In Mali the road conditions improved. Grant took this photo of his vehicles successfully being delivered to the working mine

BACK HOME IN SOUTH AFRICA  - Just in time for our son's wedding. 

Apart from an adventurous spirit, Grant was always game for  - well, a game! Here he poses in a realistic wolf suit with our son Angus on the morning of his wedding 

Mere hours later,a gentleman to the hilt, and the father of the groom

We spent many happy days touring South Africa and the neighboring states on the motorbike 

On the longest hanging bridge, Nature Valley, Western Cape, circa 2009

 

Fastforward to 2012, Tanzania 

Grant, a Master Craftsman   designed and built a cat tree for our three cats

 

Contract manager of the diamond mine earthmoving plant

Back home in South Africa on retirement

Granddad playing peek a boo with the Littlest Hedges

Granddad pushed the same little lad through the town streets, with carols by candlelight 

With his 88 year old Mum on the way to have her cataract procedure

The move to the Central Drakensberg, 16 October 2016. This was the last photo of the Hedges family

Grant and I joined the mid-w eek hiking club. Here, Grant, then 66, Ant Muirhead, 76 and Alan Leggit stop on the trail for a chat

Grant and I joined Parkrun which happens on a Saturday.  After six years, I am still very involved in Parkrun, Here Grant and Alan meander towards the end

Grant discussing plans of the cottage with Amon the builder

Here Grant poses with me where I managed an art shop for dear friends, Estelle and Steve

Grant at the Breast Cancer Pink walk at the end of October 2017

Exactly a month later he passed away...

REST IN PEACE, DEAR GRANT

Praying mantis

OK OK... Here I am after 20 days' absence! I have been very busy with my various irons in the fire, not least the accommodation, it just has not let up. Which Thandiwe and I are very pleased about.

On Friday as we opened the Trellidor gate, I spotted a strangely colored praying mantis on the bars. Of course, I photographed it. And then before we slid open the gate, I carefully removed it and placed it on a plant in the garden.

According to Google, praying mantis can turn brown after they have molted.  In fact, (and I did not know this!) brown is the most common color of praying mantis after green. 

I also enjoyed the last two guests' comments in my visitor's book. The first couple was from the Northwest Province, South Africa. They stayed from Tuesday until Friday and had their 16-year-old Yorkie with them. 

Even more precious was the blessing which they bestowed on me...

The couple who stayed last night, were from the UK and waxed lyrical about how their stay at the Bunker has been the best on their recent four-week road trip through South Africa. 

Most edifying!

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

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL!