Up To Date

 

Finally this blog is back to being up-to-date. Last week Jill stayed with us for a couple of days. Next to having a lot of fun we started organizing the next stage for the Kalahari Kids Kit: finishing touches, marketing, selling, and future projects like the creepy crawlers book on the internet.

We can be quiet proud of our premises: Jill said next time she has to be in Gaborone she’ll use us as base camp again, instead of staying in the Big City as usual, because our rooisanddorpie is absolutely way more ‘normal’ and nice then Gabs.

 

Finishing touches: our neighbour teenager Karabo and Bram are making labels out of tin cans.

 

Looking quiet good for an inexpensive (already way over budget…) labelling solution!

 

Maduo’s first visit to our yard, together with her big brother Karabo. Maduo helped Bram establishing his claim to fame at Mochudi hospital. April 2009 he went there with Rachel, and after she gave birth to Anele he fetched mother and son. April 2010 he brought Mma go Moagi in to deliver Maduo, and picked them when they were discharged. Sure, another ‘neighbour’ who just needs a ride to the hospital haha.

 

We had our first decent rain, 34 mm! Immediately after this all the acacias turn green and start blossoming. According to Mma Binkie it will be the last decent rain for the time being. She only has to look at the sky to know, she is way better then any scientific weather forecast.

Contemplating the small disaster in the herb garden. The rain was welcome, but poured down so heavily that almost all the baby coriander, dill and lavas is smashed. On the upside the sage, parsley, thyme, lemon grass, oregano and lemon herb seems to do well. So what to with the empty spaces? And how to up the greening of the fence, and what to put in the new patch in front of the herb garden? Endless things to contemplate…

Wet moselesele blossom – close to the acacia family (Dichrostachys cinera).

 Dry moselesele - the Shona name ‘Mupangare’ means tassels for the chief’s hat. We still have to identify many other acacias and trees that spontaneously grow in our yard.

 

After finishing his first nest this little guy immediately started to build a second tree house, and then a third. Busy busy busy, cause while building he also has to attract chicks into the nests he already finished.

 

More amazing is that our resident weaverbird is so tame that Bram can approach him real close. ‘Weaponed’ only with his old camera and a mere 135 mm tele lens it’s possible to capture the huisvlijt vlechtwerk.

A man’s dream: his small houses right next to his house, very convenient. He managed to get the first nest occupied by a lekker bird already. There is a chick that shows serious interest in nest number two. House number three literally is a bit small, but still attracting attractive potential buitenvrouwen.