Veggies and Electric Protection

After having several tools and equipment stolen out of the garage we have decided that our electric fence is a priority and I have been busy.  The front fence is complete and the cables buried for the gates and to feed the fence.  We have an energiser with an output of abount 11 000 volts.  Now I recon that this will get the attention of any would be theft artist.  The garage doors are going to be wired up to the system soon and that will help a great deal.  Replacement tools and sundries are expensive these days and I have to protect them and ourselves against intruders. 

What a sad thing to have to do.  I remember as a little boy here there was never a locked door to be found.  Many farmers would go away for a few days leaving the house open and the tractor and bakkie keys in their ignitions.  The milk cans stood beside the gatepost with the post bag hanging on the post right next to the road.  If you did that today all would dissappear never to be seen again.  In fact the gates often get stolen too.

Meantime it has started to rain this afternoon and we are off to braai later on.  I can hear thunder so its time to unplug everything.

Craft Sale At Underberg

Today Liz and I went off to the local church craft sale and poitjie pot competition.  Within the first 15 minutes the first wagon was sold and I have two confirmed orders for wagons as presents in December.  The sign did not do so well but I'll continue making them and see what happenes.  I sold one "Under 'OLD' management" and the guy who bought it was happy to pay R25-00 for it.  We'll see how it goes.

Oh, and we did not get any telephone orders. (For telephones or wagons)

Spring Has Sprung

We have had our first spring rain. 3mm!  Well spring has starting and the grass is growing.  The green is a welcome sight to us and the cows.  The problem with the lawn starts as well.  The grass grows faster than one can think.  So it will be back to pushing a noisy electric motor mower around the lawn thinkinrg that's it for two weeks.  Well, in two weeks we are back in the long grass in which the cats get lost.

Speaking of cats, our two. Ruby and Alli, seem to have a drug problem and we are trying to help them beat the odds and survive.  Actually they love it and it is a healthy drug problem.

This speaks for itself (Hey Alli!)

Eh?

I wish that my room had a floor;

  I don't so much care for a door;

    But this crawling around

    Without touching the ground

  Is getting to be quite a bore.

Spring is is the air?

Well I certainly hope so! It has been a lot warmer for the last few weeks but our weather will sneak up on us and the next thing we'll have snow again. The days are really wonderful as it is warm and sunny. We have, so far, had a lucky fire season this year as there have not been many runaways. The grass in the block-burnt areas is quickly turning green and the lawn mower will soon be taking strain on our lawn.

Block burning on the farm next door

Family spent a few days with us and so we caught up on news and all had a pleasant time. Nev took some fantastic photo's and has added to his vast collection of pix.


"The Country Wagon Company" has produced the first wagon and material (plus a mountain of sawdust) is being prepared for the production of lots more. They will be available in several colours and I'm sure kids will enjoy them. Take a look at the picture below.

Number 1 wagon off the production line

We have a Longcrested Eagle that patrols our telephone line every day.  He is one of our most beautiful birds on the farm.

Nev's pic of the Longcrestad Eagle

Oh No! More Snow

Three weeks ago we had snow.  This was a heavy snow and the power was off for three days, telephones out for two weeks and cellphones off for a week.  There was major damage throughout the district and we are slowly recovering.  Last night it snowed again but this time it was a light sprinkling so we had no damage.  Closer to the mountains there have been heavier snowfalls but I have not had any info on that area.

This is fireplace weather and we're pretty much stuck at home as the road from the farm is very goopy.

I DON'T LIKE SNOW!

Vultures

This morning we saw vultures circling the field opposite our house.  There was a carcase of a sheep or something equally as big that they were after.  Within fifteen minutes there must have been about 50 vultures picking at the carcase.  After about half an hour they had had their fill and flown away leaving a few crows to peck at the bones.  Amazing!  We were fascinated by the vultures' antics and the way they flew in and landed.  Pretty much like a busy airport.  They come and tidy up after death and leave just bones behind.  The wonderful thing is that the vulture population has been at great risk but seems to be bouncing back.  How do they communicate to one another the good news of food? I really don't know.

Vulture restaurant

Oh So Cold

We had minus eight deg C this morning. So my little truck (known locally as a Bakkie) was frozen and the guinee fowls were tiptoeing in the fields. Such is life in the mountains, glove and coat weather.

Fire Season

We are back into fire season.  Today we had a howling wind and two runaway fires in the district.  One was on a farm on the Drakensberg Gardens road.  Firebreaks were burned there yesterday and some logs were left smouldering.  The wind restarted the fire and it ran.  It has, after a couple of hours and a lot of help, been put under control.

On this side of the district one of our neighbouring farms had a fire in the mielie field.  Fortunately it did not run and was sorted out very quickly by responding farmers.

So, it's "here we go again" fire season.  Hopefully today is not the prelude to the terribly destructive fires we had last year.

Keep warm everyone.

Sunset And Signpost

Something special about the winter in our part of the world are the spectacular sunsets.  Well now, we just have to share one with you.  And, oh yes, our new "temporary" gate sign is also here for you to see.  The Jersey cows are ready for the winter and their coats are darkening.  They're putting on their winter jerseys as it were.  The marshmallows in the background are in fact bales of millet wrapped in plastic sheeting.  They are ready as feed for the cows during the long cold winter.  The green grass in the pic has now turned brown from the heavy frosts we have had.

Enjoy the pics!

What a Load of Bull

Last evening a bull from our neighbour's farm went walk-about and wound up in our garden.  So we had this old fella roaming around most of the night.  I suspect he may have broken the gate hook but I doubt it.  A bull normally stops at gates (we hope).  During the night he knocked over the birdbath, loudly.  The sound reverberated around the valley.  Sometime this morning he was fetched and taken home.  He has left us a few gooey trophies from his visit so navigating the garden at night will not be without its hazards.  Prairy Oysters they are called.

Maybe it is time to put up a sign notifying the public, "The farmer allows hikers to cross his land for free, but the bull charges".

Speaking of signs, I made a little sign for our front gate.  "Rob & Liz Stayt" printed on a4 paper and cut to size to fit the board, glued on and then varnished over.  So far the frost and rain have not worn it out!

Cold, 'tiz

Last night we had a bit of rain and this morning the temperature was +3 degrees C.  There was snow on the Bulwer mountain and across from us there was a light sprinkling of snow on the hills.  The fire is lit and I'm in my winter overalls and a light jacket.  We are in for a cold winter this year but hopefully we won't be snowed in. 

The garden is having it's last trim for the season and so the place looks better.  This morning I heard over the Farm Watch radio that many cattle were stolen in the Bushmans Nek area.  The local farmers in the valley are tracking them with the help of the SAP Stock Theft Unit and the Parks Board.  So far they have recovered over 70 head of cattle.  Hopefully they will recover them all.  Stock theft is a terrible thing and one or two of our farmers have been put out of business as a result.  I am waiting to hear more news over the radio.

Elections Underberg Style

The municipal elections are over so we don't have to stand in a line for 2 hours until the next time.  We went off to vote at the Catholic Church in Underberg.  I don't think voting should be held in a church but I suppose decency no longer applies to our government.  With a bit of luck we will have more councillors that are capable of constructive thought and the village can be tidied up.  Himeville village, next door to Underberg, is virtually impossible to drive around in as every road there has huge potholes.  The old story applies; "I saw a pair of rabbit ears sticking up out of a pothole but when I got closer I realised that they were a pair of donkey ears!"  I am of the opinion that the name of Himeville should be changed to Kwa Pothole (bad Zulu for "The place of potholes".)

The cold is here with us and mornings are becoming more difficult to deal with.  I think my mornings should start around 11am so that the cold does not grab me.  This is winter at Underberg and the cold is normal.  I suspect we get a lot of snow on the mountains and even in our garden.  As far as I'm concerned snow belongs on the top of mountains and on postcards but not in my garden or on my roof.

Expensive Start

Monday mornings!  This morning the truck would not start.  Now I find it difficult for myself to start on a winter's Monday morning but this was a real menace.  I turned the ignition key and "click!" nothing.  After jump starting I got myself and the truck to the Super Quick agent in Underberg.  R650-00 later the new battery was installed.  This is really expensive start.  Well, the old battery had done me well for five years so it did not really owe me anything.  The garbage, just by the way, was in the back of the truck and did a tour of Underberg and Himeville as I had things to do in both villages.  On my way back to the cottage I dropped the trash off at the sawmill dump.  Nothing like well travelled garbage!

Yesterday was my 61st birthday and I celebrated by painting part of the bathroom and repairing a fence.  I was told that normal people celebrate their birthdays with cupcakes and champagne.  Liz had her birthday on the 13th and she celebrated it by working at the SPCA thrift shop.  The odd couple!

And that's life in the hustle and bustle of the mountains.

Blackberry?

Good news.  I have bought myself a blackberry which means quite an upgrade for me at my age.  I have added a picture of the new item for you to see.  It is quite a remarkable thing as it is a "home grown", so to speak, South African product.  I find it very simple to use and it has no strange or hidden facilities and an operator's manual is not really necessary.

Proudly South African!
Made at Rainbow Farm, Underberg. 033-7011736
Give Rainbow a ring and taste some wonderful jams.

Gorgeous Young Gal

This morning Liz called me to the guest room.  She pointed out the window and there stood a beautiful female Grey Duiker.  This is our gorgeous young gal and what a lovely sight she is indeed.  We were fascinated as she stood there looking at us, not at all afraid.  I have seen traces of her since we moved here but this is our first sighting of her. We have named her Celeste.  I do hope she continues to stay here with us.

Celeste

Our neighbour's son, Benjamin proudly arrived on his motorcycle.  Now this little guy is seven years old and we are very impressed with him and his older brother, Kelly.  They are both fine and bright boys and really enjoy their "farm boy" lifestyle.

Benjamin

Frosty Mornings

The frost has arrived.  We have had a couple of really frosty mornings and still much more is on the way to us.  The fireplace is a busy part of the house now and keeps us nice and warm.  The days are warm in the sunshine, so the sunshine is the place to be.

I have been painting things around the house.  The kitchen cupboards and back door are now painted white and this really brightens up the place.  The shower is ready for its second coat of white and soon we will be able to see where the soap is.  Painting is a big improvement and makes our house more comfortable for us.  to

Splashy Fenn

Splashy Fenn has come and gone.  We saw the rain preparing the ground at Splashy on Thursday last week, making Wellington Boots almost mandatory.  The village was overflowing with visitors and the shops were crowded with folks getting stocks of grub and booze for the festival.   The event brought in some good cash flow for our village businesses.  Good stuff indeed.  And now that it is all over the village is reverting back to its daily routine with a few stragglers staying on for the rest of the holidays.  The clouds are still with us but the mountains are quiet again, the throbbing of the festivities but a memory.  Splashy 2011!  We look forward to the next bash, Splashy 2012.

Snow?

We had our first snowfall last night on the Drakensberg Mountains.  Snow on the 17th of April?  It is still summer here!  We can't see the snow from here as we are away from the mountains. The snow was visible from the village early this morning but the clouds have come down and blanketed the mountains.  I think we are in for a long, cold and wet winter.  The fire is almost ready for this evening and we'll just sit in the lounge and watch TV in front of the fire.

Unleaky Roof?

I am holding my block of wood known as my "Writer's Block" as, so far the roof has stopped leaking.  It seems I may have fixed it!  Hold thumbs and touch wood for us.

More Rain and Leaking Roof

Last night was rainy and cold so we had our first fire at the new house.  The fireplace works great and keeps us pretty warm.  There's nothing wrong with old fashioned fireplaces. The rain is still with us and I have been up on the roof fixing leaks.  I just hope that all the effort has stopped the leaky roof.  With a bit of luck we won't have to trip over pots and buckets.

The river has turned back into coffee and is flowing speedily along.  The water is deep opposite us and so swimming is not a good idea at the moment.  The water will be nice and clear in the winter but then, swimming would not be a good idea either.

The telephone collection is really looking good and most of the collection is set up in my office.  The little electronic exchange is working fine.  Liz has a nice little "old timey" telephone next to the bed which she is enjoying.  I reckon I should put the payphone in the guest room, he he!  The next project phone wise will be to install a phone in the workshop.  This means digging a trench from the house to the garage and laying a cable.  A nice big job to be sure.

 The office shelving

 The Ericsson in the entrance hall

 A view from the doorway to the office

Farm watch radio, batteries, SR18 party telephone unit,

walking sticks and a duck-call hanging down on the right
next to the electric plugs.
The middle "black box" is the PABX. It has eight extensions
and two incoming line ports. We only use one incoming line.

Weekend Visitors

On Friday our good friend Jen arrived with her daughter and grandson.  This gives us a respite from being all on our own.  Alley cat has had a ball being chased by and chasing Matt, the grandson.  Poor little Alley, he is exhausted and lucky us, Alley is exhausted.  We can sleep at night until he rewinds.

I had a note from Philip in Estcourt who is a very keen fisherman.  Well I say that is great and I think he's going to be a little jealous of us living right next to the Umzimkulu River.

The garden is coming along and looks less like the Amazon!  It is a lot of work but when we get on top of everything, grass mowing etc, it should be more manageable.  Fire season is approaching and so we'll have a brown lawn soon.  At least in the cold season we can relax a bit (apart from fires) and I can get some roof maintenance done.

We are settling in

We are finally settling in our new home.  There is a lot of work to be done and things to find amongst our still packed boxes.  The house is great.  A bit rustic and needs a fair amount of repair work done (a work in progress).  We have had our first visit from a Puff Adder and he came puffing into our lounge.  I dispatched him back to the long grass as I am not too fond of snakies.

We have had our first overnight visitors.  Liz's sister Claire and brother-in-law Neville spent the last long weekend with us.  Nev is a keen fisherman so he and his friend Rob disappeared fishing for most of the time.   Nev also took some really good pictures of the area.

My workshop is getting sorted and soon I'll be able to make a few things.  I have already done a few small jobs but things will go better when all is tidied up and tools are put in their correct places.  The workshop has good lighting so that is a battle won before fought.

The telephone collection has a new home in my office.  We finally had our telephone line installed and so the PABX system is up and running.  We will soon be able to take calls all over the house and in the workshop.

I really feel that we have made a good decision by moving here as it is so quiet and private.  The owners are great folks and they trust us to look after the property.  My handy man skills are a great help in fixing things so the cottage is improving as time goes by.

OUR NEW TELEPHONE NUMBER: 0337011973

You can see some of the pictures that Nev took for us.  Please click on each picture to enlarge.

 Hilltop view of the farm

 Sunset

 Moonset

Hilltop view of the Umzimkulu River and Garden Castle far centre

Space view (Google Earth not Nev!)

We have DSTV

We have finished at the old house and all our stuff is here.  And so we are on the path to settling down.  The unpacking of boxes and sorting stuff and putting up shelving is a tedious process but we are muddling through.

Dick arrived today with his spectrum analyser and found the satellite for us and now Liz is overjoyed that she can watch her favourite programs.

We are here!

Well here we are at the cottage.  The name of the cottage is "Droplet" and is situated on Watermead Farm.  We managed to get all our stuff moved on Saturday and are now busy with opening boxes and getting the house up and running.  I feel about thirty years older and have found muscles and bones where I never expected them to be, and they all hurt.  Retirement is not for Sissy's.

This Sunday we will have the Drak Challenge canoeists paddling past our house.  We are expecting quite a few spectators here at the river.  Hmmm, I wonder if a couple of cases of coke and wors rolls will sell. This could help pay for our move.

We have a lot of work to do here at the cottage and I have already managed to get a lot of stuff done.  Electrics and shelving and suchforth, but I cannot aim the DSTV dish.  My compass is very attracted to the tin roof and has no idea where north or east are.  So Dick will have to get it set up for us.  He is our local TV guy and knows his stuff.

Saturday, the target day

With a bit of luck and weather permitting, we will sleep at our new home this coming Saturday.  We have arranged for a friend to help over the weekend and, if all goes well, we will spend our first night at the new home.  Oh boy!  There is a lot to do.  So, as a retired gentleman in the country, I shall be busy sorting my spot in the world.  I fear a lot of back ache and exercise.  Well and good, this is bound to keep me fit.  Don't let anyone tell you that retirement is a gentle and relaxed thing.  But I would not change it for the world.

Another two loads delevered to the cottage

We are very blessed with great friends.  Two Robins took a large amount of stuff in boxes to the cottage today.  As I said to Robin after we had unloaded things, "Not bad for two old gentlemen".  It is quite a thing that, at sixty, I can still load and offload stuff from LDV's.  We really appreciate the wonderful and selfless help that we are getting from our friends.  Aren't we so lucky?  Oh yes.

So the move is progressing.  The stress level has been lowered as we know we have good friends to help and we have made a start on the move.  I think, once we have settled, good wine and better dinners will be the order of the day for our special friends.  We thank you so much.

First Load To The New House

This morning my friend and I took two bakkie (LDV) loads of boxes and bookshelves to the new house.  Fortunately there was not too much rain and we got the lot delivered safely.

Packing goes on and we have several loads more to take.  With a bit of luck we will be moved by the end of next week.  Then Liz and I can take a trip to PMB to see the taxman (Yuch!).  At least we will be half an hour closer to PMB so the trip will be a little bit less taxing (excuse the pun!).

The water is receding and so we may have our river back looking like a river.  I heard last night that the caravan camp at Drakensberg Gardens Hotel was flooded and some of the caravans were washed away.  The valley was flooded and a lot of damage was sustained.  It is not a good idea to build anything on a flood plain.

The move progress

We had rain all of Monday, yesterday afternoon and all through the night.  Liz is supposed to be working in town today but she cannot get there as the road is flooded just near the turn off to Underberg.  She is on her way back here now. 

The packing is underway and so we are getting on top of our move.  I was told that at the weekend a whole bunch will take the tractor and trailer to the new house and remove all the furniture that is there.  So after that we can make our proper move.  The sooner the better.

The little kitten, Ali was almost trodden on by the horse, Billy.  He got an awful fright and is inside now with me.  So I suppose that is one life gone for the little chap.

More packing of boxes coming up for today and hopefully it will be done soon.  Move number 28 is now in progress.

Our Alfie was attacked and killed by poaching dogs from the farm across the road on 28 November 2010

 

 

A TRIBUTE TO A BEST FRIEND

By Rob Stayt ©

Dear Alfie,

A while has passed since your untimely death.  During this time we have spent many hours grieving your loss.  There is a huge empty space in our lives as you were taken from our family.  Death is inevitable but we don’t think it was your time to go.   You were only four years old.

Bereavement is a painful process, as well we know as we both have endured this pain before.  A similar loss was the death of our Clawed, your brave and adventurous brother.  Clawed was also a joy to us and we know that he was your best friend.  And we saw how deeply you felt his loss.  He was only two years old.  The same poaching dogs that took your life took his.

When we heard the growling and barking of those hideous dogs we rushed to your aid, but you had been so gravely injured that all we could do was try to save your life.   We hurried you to Underberg in a frantic attempt to get you to the vet and save you but you cried and let go this life in my arms while your mum drove us.  You knew that I was holding you and you felt it was safe to go.  You knew that I was crying and trying to comfort you.  We knew you were in a great deal pain but we know now that your spirit is safe from those wicked dogs.  We believe you were trying to protect your little sister, Ruby, from the same fate and we recognise you as a courageous boy.

Alf, you were a gorgeous friend and so intelligent.  You were fine company during your time with us.  You had an amazing sense of fun.  Some folks may think it weird that you spent quality time with me in the loo but we were together, us philosophers.  Your morning sips of hot water in my cupped hands from the bath helped you start your day, especially in the winter.  You were a comfort to us sleeping at the foot of our bed.  When your mum brought home a little rug for the bedroom, you claimed it as your own and spent many hours sleeping on it.  You were always “at home“ with us in our little house.

Your company in the workshop was a blessing to me while I worked away making toys and covering you with sawdust.  Not many cats would have been courageous enough to snooze under the bench saw while I cut wood to size.  During the wagon building adventure you were my constant companion.  You kept an eye on the progress of the wagon and watched over me, never criticising but just being good company.  Our walks with you on the farm were so wonderful to us and intrigued many folks.  You were an avid explorer of the outdoors, sniffing and probing the grasslands and rocky outcrops.  Not many people would believe that you had walked so far in the hills of Eland Valley with me. 

You sat on the bonnet of the truck while I drove on the farm to fetch firewood.  You were a good passenger while sitting on the seat of the truck with me.  We were extremely concerned when you were on your way to the gate on top of the Telkom truck after the phone was fixed.  We had to chase the truck and get you back.  You inspected every vehicle that visited our home.  I always told our visitors that you were doing a “security check” on their cars.

There are just so many memories.  We miss your company on our bed, on our laps, on the windowsill, in the bathroom, lying on your back inviting a tickled tummy and your presence in the family.  Our friends all admired you and were so impressed when I would lay your tail along your back, from bum to neck.  Not many of your fellow beings could do that.  We both think this ability came down to you through your ancestors.

Well Alf, we were so proud of you, even though you came from mixed parentage.  You were a blend of tabby and African black-footed wildcat.  What a mix!  You showed us that you were an unusual friend and you loved us without reserve, as we loved you.  Our Ruby misses you but continues to be our little girl.  She looks for you when I say your name.

So to you, our Alfie, our good friend, our brother, our family cat and wonderful companion, we say farewell.  We love you so much and are grateful you were part of our lives.  Big Al, our Fonz, you will never be forgotten, our boy.

Time to move again.

We are moving again.  We have found a lovely cottage next to the Umzimkulu River 13 kilometres from Underberg.  Well, cottage! It is in fact a three bedroomed house with a double garage.  The cottage needs quite a lot of work and we are planning improvements as we wait to move.  Hopefully we will be moved by the 15th of January.  Then the hard work will start. 

So watch this space, more stories of our new home will follow.