Garden Galore

Maud so loves gardening that one could call it an addiction. Though - she has excellent reasons to motivate why it’s a real ‘have to do it’:-) Here’s the stoep in front of Bram’s office / our little guest quarters. Yes, it has a sinkdakkie to provide shade. But once they are full-grown, the acacia-with-bougainvillea, the orange trumpet creepers and the jasmine will provide way more cool shade. And all the ground covers – how else are we going to prevent soil erosion? Don’t even start about paving everywhere - hate that!

People expect us to put a wall around our plot (at some point). No way! Why would we imprison ourselves, look at a brick wall? We moved here to escape the stone jungle, to enjoy the view, to see as much nature around us as possible. Still you have to do something to keep the goats out and the dogs in, so a diamond mesh  fence as support for a green ‘wall’ it is. Here seen from the outside; note the baby sisals that will keep cattle and other intruders away from the creepers at some point. The cape honeysuckle, orange trumpet creeper, bougainvillea and ‘Jacinta’ (climber with blue-ish flowers; got the seeds from Jacinta, Mozambique) really exploded compared to December 2009, when we started planting.

Cape Honeysuckle in bloom. Got my first successful layer, so expect to have many by next year:-)

A genuine 'Miena' shrub (got the cuttings out of Mien's garden), and lemon geranium to keep the mosquitos away.

A 'Pietje' creeper; got some layers from Pietje-in-Maun last October. In our dreams these creepers are covering the fence in the vicinity of the hot tub, so we can skinny-dip in private.

Hot chillies. I’m not that successful with veggies and other edible stuff yet, but I have a few things that thrive – and at some point I will succeed:-) Just got several fabulous seeds from Jillian, so expect to have great zucchini, tomatoes and etcetera soon.

Inez’ Afrikaantjes (Marigolds, Tagetes). We will put those around our many lemon and other citrus trees to keep away the caterpillars. The first batch of seedlings I got from Inez is self-seeding already; I’m at my third generation now!

Attack!!! Our killer-watch-dog (in his dreams that is) Lionel ready for protective action!

Pula!

In one way we really adapted to our Botswana life: we love rain. Which is weird for Dutch people; we are supposed to complain about rain, hate cloudy days, especially the gray ones, be happy with every bit of sunshine. But here it’s dry, dry, dry most of the year; Kalahari, Kgalagadi, Dorsland (land of thirst). We do have a ‘rainy’ season, in summer, but the rainfall tends to be erratic, unpredictable and highly regional. Maybe that’s why we fanatically compare the contents of our rain gauge (never wanted that appliance in the Netherlands!) with friends living 10, 20, 30 k’s away.
Kalahari desert

This rainy season has been not much good so far... No early September rain(s), even October was dry, November also didn’t bring much, late December we had some, and January again didn’t fulfil it’s promises. But February started good; a 40 millimetres shower, and then a 1 and a 7.5. That's your real semi-arid climate...
semi-arid climate

Nadia (left) and Moira, checking out the yard after the rain. They love the cool, wet soil once the rain is gone, but they are not exactly fond of thunder and lightning – make that somewhere in between ‘not fond’ and ‘terrified’.

Our new ‘pula’ container. Pula is the name of both the Botswana currency and rain.

It’s hard to choose what is nicer; rain or ‘after the rain’... Afterwards everything smells so nice, birds start singing ever so enthusiastically, all my plants look so healthy and thriving, and the soil feels nice and rich instead of dry and powdery.

Botswana climate

Botswana seasons

Zach turns 6!

February 5 Maud’s boyfriend Zachary John Edu Claeys turned 6 - Big Boy! He’s looking a bit tired here cause it’s the end of a long, fun, exhausting party day...

Still really summer, really hot, so what do you do with a bunch of kids that are about to get overheated from running around, popping balloons, and etcetera? You give them a pool and a garden hose for cooling down. Zach’s classmate Tristan takes his task very serious!

Pondering what to do next.

The vampire teeth – scary! To change the vampire back into a kid you have to turn it upside down and tickle it. Imagine how Maud’s back felt in the evening... 

The BDay Boy parents, Pelo and Jeff.

Jem’s auntie Monica visiting from the UK. As you can see by the Wildebees hanging over her head Zach’s dad is a PH (professional hunter).
about Wildebeest

Wildebeest or Gnu are killed for food, especially for biltong (dried game meat), a delicacy in Africa.

Jem and Opelo. She’s back in Botswana on a break from her studies in China.
Africans are asking whether China is making their lunch or eating it  (The Economist)

Maud and her new friend PM in PM’s rock castle. Maud’s castle is right next to it, so it’s real easy to visit each other. Okay, Maud admits – often she finds talking with the adults quite boring (sorry, no offense) compared to hanging out with the kids.

Finally, uncle Bram cutting the cake!

Weekend Fun

Another weekend, another series of visitors:-) After a mellow Saturday afternoon with Joop, we had an equally great mellow Sunday with Inga, Andreas, Yaro and Moyo.

Bram and Inga are both teaching in a photo workshop coming weekend, so Inga is trying to simultaneously attend to Moyo and read Bram’s draft presentation.

Nothing like a plunge in the pool on a lazy hot Sunday! Maud, Yaro, Inga sure enjoyed it while poor Bram was making lunch and poor Andreas was watching Moyo.

Our dogs hardly ever see newborns, so they were a bit surprised, but soon decided this unusual puppy is okay. I’m not sure if Moira thinks she has to watch over Moyo, or just found out sleeping around the baby guarantees some peace and quiet.

about Inga's work as a photographer 

Surprise!

Friday January 20 we are at the airport again to pick up Iwan, who’ll be staying for the weekend. A real surprise visit; he suddenly has time in between being in Johannesburg and an assignment in Port Elizabeth. As a photographer of mainly architecture Iwan travels all over the world, and rarely stays anywhere more then 2 nights.

about Iwan 

Internet at the bush office...

Saturday the neighbours happen to throw a braai – watch that meat babe!

Picture time.

To show our surroundings, Bram took Iwan for a little tour around the neighbourhood. Now what typical things can you show in a couple of hours? A bit of Morwa of course. A bit of Mochudi, a way bigger village where we started our ‘living in Botswana’. A visit to Moemedi, an old student of Bram during his first Botswana period, 1978-1982.

At Seretse Khama International Airport to drop off Iwan. Bram met Iwan at work years ago, and then discovered he’s sort of related to Maud; the sister to his grandmother was married to Maud’s great-uncle, and the brother to his grandmother was married to Maud’s great-aunt. His great-grandfather was the Dutch painter Zoetelief Tromp, in whose farm in France Maud spend many summer and Xmas holidays.

about the painter Jan Zoetelief Tromp

Sri Lanka curries!

After dinner dessert-talk @ Greetje & Bart.

While by and by ‘everyone’ comes back from their holidays, Henk left Friday January 13 (amazingly cheap tickets on that specific date...).

Greetje & Bart have been to Sri Lanka – back to Sri Lanka that is; they started their expat life there. Lucky us; it inspired Greetje to this excellent, delicious curries dinner. Maud borrowed the recipe book and will have a go at it:-)

Brothers @ Work

Back home again for our last days with Henk in Morwa. One of the many unfinished projects he helped out with is the final touches on Bram’s helicopter deck. But then another set of brothers comes over for the final final touches; Calum, Cormac and Duncan @ work.

Nobody will trip over the overflow for the new rainwater basin anymore, and instead of an ugly object it’s invisible from now on.

Painting the hot tub turned out to be an easy job compared to all the work involved in getting it ready-for-painting...

Anybody still wondering why the work gets done now that Henk is around?

Note the donkey boiler to be... For now it’s a cold tub that gets warm enough from being in the sun all day. By the time it’s autumn we will need a water heating device, so we can relax  in the steaming hot water while stargazing with our ears freezing off.

That’s the idea! Sundowners, view, either over the bush or up to the stars; general total relaxation – this tub is the best idea ever!

Bye bye Henk, it was great to have you over for 6 weeks! And you know now, you can get 90 days (Botswana), 90 days (South Africa) year, and plenty people who’ll give you piece jobs...

Break down Parties

For over two weeks we were ready to jump in our small Nissan bakkie, return to Potchefstroom, and fetch our fixed Hilux. But Toyota Potch kept saying ‘maybe tomorrow’... Until they finally claimed the car was drivable again. By then we decided we would make it a fun trip; take our time, hang out with our Potch pelle again. So: party evening, starting with Anel mixing us great pink cocktails.

What’s cooking good-looking? Anel made us a delicious dinner! And it was great to see her (she wasn’t around when we hit Potch before Xmas) and catch up. 

Setback: on our way down from Morwa to Potch a tyre exploded, the rim crumpled, we started swerving and spinning, until we pirouetted into a stop. We managed to get the spare on, but when we started driving again we heard this weird sound. Taking it very slowly we did reach Potch, Steven & Richardt’s – but that Nissan definitely had to go to a garage.

Total damage: wheel and diff total loss. And it’s no fun to sit in the back with all the luggage when a bakkie is out of control; Maud had some unpleasant encounters with the cooler box, right where her ribs were smashed last year. Still, we were extremely lucky we didn’t start rolling. 

Repairing the Nissan takes longer then expected. Since we are sitting in a garage anyway, we decide to have the Hilux starter engine replaced – it will be convenient to be able to park without having to look for a slope. Even better: this gives us more time in Potch with Anel, Richardt and Steven.

Yeah, I know, it’s weird to sleep in the bakkie while the guys are working on it. But hey, partied yesterday, by now I know we won’t leave today, so we’ll party again tonight, and we shopped till we dropped. We did in fact find quite some good stuff for Henk’s new household. And had a yummy Anel-made lunch, and used the extra evening to go to the Potch-dam (make that the bar at the dam).

Back Home

Despite the Hilux break down we manage to get back home just before Christmas, just as planned, with only one day delay. Okay, we have to drive back in a rental, cause the parts for our bakkie will only arrive after Xmas, so we’ll have to go back to Potch to fetch it later.

As always Bashi took perfect care of our dogs, garden and house. Note our bougainvilleas, planted March 2010, and Orange Trumpet Creepers, planted end of 2009 – never thought they would grow all the way up so fast.

Louis would love to claim our Xmas presents for Richardt & Steven, two cool pillows, as his own. Don’t we know by now he can’t sleep without a pillow to put his wary head on?

Interior decoration: one just has to put a skull above the fireplace – comes in handy when putting up Xmas ornaments. Apart from our traditional ‘everyone brings some grub’ second day of Xmess dinner at Mien & Bernard’s we are not going to do much. That’s always the plan...

So we spend X-eve with Inez & Peter. Peter’s ‘it’s a meal!’ onion soup is delicious! At some point we decide it’s a bit late for sjoelen – so we get out the sjoelbak, and discover Bram really is a crack. Maud wonders what other hidden talents he might have...

First X-day we do a morning round of visiting the neighbours. Which gets us invited to Bram’s ‘mother’ Mme Binkie for lunch. Her daughter outdid herself, just like last year, with a huge spread of yummy traditional dishes. It’s great Henk gets to see this part of our life also!

Second X-day we cook up something desserty, and join the as always fun party at Mien & Bernard’s house.

Klippies & Coke – yep, worked hard on Henk-i blending in while travelling all over South Africa.

On our way to the internet connection, walking all the about 200 meters from our house to Jeff’s office.

Like all other visitors Henk has to do the picnic on the rocks around the Mochudi museum, and enjoy the stunning view. Since it’s still school holidays Cormac (left), Duncan (right), and Calum, their parents and their grandma from Scotland join. Their gran makes the most amazing trifle ever!

Modern rock art.

Our neighbour and friend Anele, the most enthusiastic and sociable boy ever. 

Our neighbours from across the road; Obakeng, Maatla, Mma go Obakeng and One, visiting us for Xmas. They are only home during school holidays cause they work far away, in Orapa, where one of Botswana’s big diamond mines is located. At some point Bram & Maud will visit them in Orapa, and get a tour of the mine yeah! You can't just go to Orapa; the diamond mines are very well protected. Our neighbours put our names on the official visitors application list, and now we have to wait till it's their turn to get permits for guests.

about Orapa