Dabchicks and school girls

The Dabchick chicks (young) are growing up quickly. Recently we saw them sitting together on a pad of weeds  - perhaps the leftover nest where they were born? Next minute a parent popped up above the surface of the water and immediately the chicks jumped in next to mum hoping for a titbit.

Oops, where's mum now?

Ah, she's back again!

During the week as I walked across the street from the Guest House to my home, I heard a chorus of voices behind me: "Gooood af-ter-noooon, Bi-bi". I turned and saw three little girls walking home from school. When I asked their names, the first one said: "I'm Irene"; the next one said: "I'm Veronica" and the third one said: "I'm Jessica!" They were holding hands so I asked if I could take a photo of them.

 Aren't they just too precious for words?

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!

Waxing, waxing...

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On the mend!

Thanks to every one of my wonderful blogger friends for the kind comments, thoughts and prayers while I've been ill. 

As usual, nothing is simple in Africa. In South Africa I would phone the doctor's surgery and book an appointment, get into my car and drive to the doctor. Here I sent a text message to my friend, Amanda at about 8.15am. It was Monday morning and Grant had back-to-back meetings and appointments so it was no use bothering him. At 9am, Amanda texted me back and said she would pick me up by 9.15 and take me to the hospital.

Once I arrived at the hospital, my friend, Matron Goudensia spotted me on the veranda and took me into the reception office. There the clerk opened a file for me under the new administration system which has been set in place since my last visit there in 2012. I took my file and walked  along the corridors of the hospital to the doctor's rooms which are set to one side. The doctor was in and beckoned me to enter. 

When he asked how I was, I said, I'd not be coming to see him if I was fine. Then I told him all about my aches and pains over the past two days. He said it sounded as if I had malaria so I need to go back to the lab technician for a blood test. He also requested that I be tested for typhoid. I walked along the corridors again, past the reception office where I found the lab technician. He took a large blood sample and told me to return at 2pm when he'd have results for me. 

Amanda dropped me at home and said she'd be back after lunch to take me back to the hospital. (What a darling friend she is!) When I returned to the lab technician in the afternoon, he told me my results would be ready in another five minutes. I retired to the wall on the veranda and waited along with about two dozen other patients. Eventually he came out and gave me my file with the results. I walked along the corridors once more to the doctor's rooms.

When I arrived, the door was locked! I sat and waited on the wall wondering if the doctor had returned from lunch. It was now 2.30pm. The doctor arrived and asked me to come in again.He checked my blood test results and the verdict was that I had malaria and a urinary tract infection. The good news was that I didn't have typhoid! Thank goodness for this.

I am on a series of antibiotics for the infection, and a three day course of anti-malarial drugs to rid my body of the parasite which causes this horrid condition. So while my headache persists (he also prescribed painkillers) I feel vastly improved from 48 hour ago. 

When I came home from the second visit to the hospital, Ginger was waiting at the kitchen door. I beckoned him to come into the garden without the other two cats noticing. We sat in the late afternoon sun and relaxed while I waited for the first of the medication to work its magic! 

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