It never rains but it pours

Today we're expecting to go collect two more jack russel terriers and a tank of fish from the home of a departing family. The power is of course unreliable and I've got a list of power dependent but silly little tasks that I'm trying to get through. Apparently the about to be adopted fish are getting used to it. The last time I saw them was months ago and there's a few quite big exotic looking ones...the kids will love them. We had to have a tanker truck deliver water that we're now ratioing because we don't know when the city might turn their supply on again. I'm trying to put together my application so I can practice my new qualification as a polygraph examiner in this country. DH is putting in his resignation at his present job having officially accepted another yesterday. A year's rent is due on the house tomorrow. My to do lists are full and spilling over into project notebooks...meanwhile almost 6yr old and I take advantage of a spark of interest and seriously discuss the use of "to" vs. "too" in daily English writing. Life is beautiful. This is a shot of a nyala buck that followed his harem through the grounds of the cottage we hired over Easter near Pretoria, South Africa.

It is so marvelous to be back on line. I found it much harder to be the light one wants to see in the world when we were on day two of a neighbourhood blackout. The challenges of a 2.5yr old with chicken pox and creative, appetizing meals for the family with the quickly spoiling contents of fridge and freezer were a little overwhelming. Thankfully I haven't plugged in the chest freezer so I don't have to fret over finding any decomposing puddles in there and hubby got the message fairly quickly that a lunch out with Daddy on Sunday and a let Mom get some quiet time alone arrangement was in everyone's best interests.

Apparently the power company is stepping up its power rationing schedule. Usually they only turn off the power for a few manageable hours at a time. Two days seemed rather unfair from this side but there was also talk of a broken something or other. Transformers and cable are often poached in these parts. Given the lack of power for things like the computer and hot water for washing dishes I have had the opportunity to be outside more..or at least think away from the computer screen. Here's the latest of my garden safari. This fly is about half the size of my smallest fingernail. It hid behind the leaf and actually popped back and forth seemingly curious about the monstrous lens I poked into the bush right up to the edge of its leaf. Fond thoughts to all….must post and get off line -- I'm back on emergency back up power which gives me enough time to finish up, sign off and shut down. Pray for a short one!

Africa is Not for Sissies

It's dragons in the garden and road trips from Hell and it is battles of elemental proportions. It is two weeks since we flew home from our last road trip and the Landy is still standing in Mombassa without a functioning transmission. You know that you've had an extreme road trip when you manage to break a Defender. Ngorongoro was as marvelous as always and we made it through Tsavo for the first time which was incredible. Thankfully Kobus and I have managed to find two working power points in the kitchen so we can make ice and fire up the kettle at the same time. Here's a recent shot of a dragon-like caterpillar in our garden.

Dinner company in Botswana

Our first night on the road was only about 1/2 the distance that we planned for from our starting point . After a hectic week in Pretoria organizing our new kit we set out for what turned out to be half a day in Mookgophong/Naboomspruit where we had 2 nifty 25litre water tanks fitted to the trailer.

Given that it was our first day and we were anxious to be driving anyway we drove around town for quite a bit…found the farmer's co-op, a bit of track to let the Landy get some mud on her... I learned that "Naboom" is the Afrikaans word for the Euphorbia tree. It was a quiet farming town that happens to boast a trailer factory.

We listened to several radio stations poking serious fun at pretty hostile political tensions and full on tantrums by important political personalities that had happened over the week we were there. These followed the murder of an elderly right wing leader by two young men who really might not have had a clue how his murder might be politicized. It made for riveting radio which we lost as we approached the Botswana border.

This Canadian was glad to cross the Limpopo River border into quiet, business-like Botswana. We hired a chalet at a lodge that overlooks the river and had a relaxing dinner on a lantern lit kondi/deck.

It was the night of the flying ants when an entire colony will reach the point in their lifecycle where they grow wings. They fly for about a day until you find them or just their wings by the hundreds and thousands caught in whatever puddles and condensation that can be found. They were attracted to the lights and our dinners and we picked quite a few out of our plates.

It is amazing what one attempts to suffer lightly in the hope that the kids won't freak out. I picked this grasshopper shaped creature off my head when it landed there, plopped it down on the floor and then took it's picture when it started climbing back up my chair. I don't think I would have been capable of that 10years ago...

Adventures in Africa: Overland from Pretoria to Dar es Salaam in 10..er..11 days

This is a picture of Kobus navigating a particularly steep path out of a place called Sangilo Sanctuary -- a lodge perched over northern Lake Malawi. Comfortable place and a 4x4 challenge easily overcome by our wonderful new machine.

Some thought we were brave, others insane but we made it back to tell the tale. We drove the newest member of our family (see pic) some 4417km from Pretoria, South Africa through Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and then Tanzania home to Dar es Salaam. I rekon it was a huge success. I still love my husband and we didn't loose or otherwise leave either child behind anywhere. We had some absolutely fabulous moments along the way. Stay tuned for some more anecdotes and pictures as time and inspiration allow.

Garden Safari V: We Love our Lizards

We know and love the lizards that share our living space. They are the ultimate in low(no)-maintenance pet. They're used to us and we're used to them. In fact the ones in this house are often cleaning up our stray crumbs in addition to eating a large part of the bug population that gets in.

Here in Dar es Salaam, we have an unusual one called a "Dull-green Day Geko." According to our reptile field guide this species is highly particular to this bit of coastline on the African mainland and to the Zanzibar Archipelago as well as being known to assist with housekeeping when they take up residence with humans. Apparently our gekos are listed in Appendix II of CITES due to their popularity with lizard collectors around the world. Despite frequent discoveries of small clutches of 2-3 eggs and their tiny former occupants, I have no intention of attempting to harness their impressive reproductory powers for profit. I just like watching them in what they assume is their natural habitat. They'll be here long after I am.

These rarer versions of the common house gekos we've lived with in all our African abodes are no more or less interesting and fun to have around. All the rooms in our house have their highly territorial geko occupants. The best way to keep track of who's who is to note the re-growth of tails lost in battles and other crises in lizard life. There are two males and a female in our living room engaged in a violent love triangle. The fights and dances are fabulous. Below is a picture of one day's victor and his lady -- ahem.

A couple days ago Kobus asked Simon and I to help rescue a baby in his office that had got tangled in some spider's web. This can be quite a serious issue for a being that is about 25mm long. We put it in a jar with a bit of water so the baby coule have a wash and added a few of the smaller ants we can find in our apartment to give it something to eat if needed. Early the following morning I put the tiny geko altogether with his rock perch from the jar on a shelf in the pantry. It sat there until after 4pm but was not to be found when I went to make dinner at 5. I did get to snap a couple pictures before the day got away from me...

Home and Garden Safari IV: Leaf Bug

I love the tropics. Even though we live in the city now, there are still interesting creatures that visit our home and garden. The other night I was rummaging in the pantry for something or other and came across this beautiful monster. It is a "True Leaf Katydid" according to our bug book. It has cousins who's legs aren't quite so beautifully coloured that are just called "Leaf Katydid." I'm tickled to have met a "true" one.

I never came across bugs that were quite so substantial until I came to Africa. I am quite proud of myself for wrangling this one into the kids' "bug barn" so I could show it to Simon in the morning. I used a broom and a plastic tub that feta cheese came in. Kobus scoffed and suggested that grabbing it in my hand would have been quite easy: "It's just a big grasshopper." He grew up here... Anyway, Simon was less impressed than I had hoped but the poor bug didn't look nearly as impressive as it pressed itself into a corner of the cage. It was easily as long as my palm and quite fat.

The plan was to keep it overnight and then release it into the garden and take some pictures. I did just that. The movement of the bug's antennae as it slowly made his way out of the box onto the shrubbery showed it was obviously pleased to be released. The book says that they eat leaves and I don't know how long it occupied my pantry but there really wasn't anything in there that might keep it properly fed. Thankfully it didn't disappear so quickly and I could get a couple shots off. I left it there and had a look in the general area again a few hours later. Of course there was no trace of it passing but a happy memory of such a beautiful creature.