Back in Botswana

Finally here they are: the first (and by now 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and etcetera) back home in Morwa pictures. Except for the fact that the Iberia koffiemoffie in Schiphol refused to label our luggage through to Gaborone, so we had to pick everything in Johannesburg, go through customs and immigrations, and check in again, we had a smooth trip till OR Tambo. While we killed time with ‘shop till you drop’ Bram met Madiba.

After almost 24 hours of being ‘on the way’ all you want is to get back home, so when our last plane, Joburg to Gabs, turned around halfway due to a ‘small technical problem’ we were not amused. Actually Maud was dying of fear cause small technical problem my ass, they don’t let a plane turn around halfway for something minor, and besides, during take-off she already noticed there was something fishy with an engine she was sitting close to. Touching ground at last at OR Tambo wasn’t exactly reassuring. Bram was over the moon with all the fire-brigade trucks, ambulances and general disaster vehicles that had been waiting for us and were racing alongside of us, flashing alarm lights and sirens full on.

Finally out of the plane!

Availability of so many disaster services might have been the reason that we turned around instead of flying on – we were halfway after all, but Gabarone’s Sir Seretse Khama International Airport probably has less to offer in that area. The problem by the way was a big bird that had flown into one of the engines and completely buggered it.

As always, Bashi had taken immaculate care of the dogs, the house and the yard. Wish we would keep everything that clean and neat! (Note for Paul & Jacinta: look, the batik you gave us fits perfectly!)

While we were away, Bashi paved underneath the veranda in front of the house. This gives us a posh parking spot for the small bakkie and, more important, it will prevent soil erosion. The paving looks like it has always been there, it really blends in.

Amazing, the Orange trumpet creepers already hit the roof – those were about a meter high only when planted, less then a year ago. We have been so lucky. It was a quite cold winter, across the road a whole row of these creepers were totally frozen, while ours look great.

The Weeping boerbean we planted for Maud’s dad in front and all the other tiny new trees look great thanks to Bashi’s good care.

This fireplace is a lifesaver. We had a fire every evening for the first six weeks because as soon as the sun is gone, wintertime is really cold. While we were gone, Bashi and the dogs had an outside fire every evening to get comfortably warm before going to sleep.

Our granddaughter Lala and Yvonne came over for pancakes. Can’t believe how big Lala is already!

Little Princess ready to charm everyone into playing with her.

The View. Bram is savouring this as it may change.

Klipdassies love a lair with a view – you will find colonies on all rocky hills in and around the village. Early morning they come out to sun bathe, looking ever so cute. They are even kind of forgiven for coming into the yard and eating hard-earned aloes when there is not enough food in the bush…

Bram during his ‘lets take some more pictures’ walk.

Maud and her boyfriend Zach waiting for the braai.

The first of many ‘lunches’. This one was for Jeff’s parents from the States, Joan & John, who came to visit Morwa in August.

Yes, this is quiche and it is edible, even though it’s not a big chunk of bloody meat.

This year will be the year of fighting soil erosion by planting stuff all over the yard. Which introduces the ‘dogs versus flora’ war – they sure like to dig! Maud suspects the new dog Lionel is teaching the old ones because when he wasn’t living with us yet it wasn’t as bad as it is now. In the picture: a succulent plant (forgot its name) in the evening sun. This one makes new plants at the tips of its leaves, which makes propagation quite easy.

A nice surprise: so many of our aloes and other succulents are blooming at the end of winter. That really brightens the a bit desolate looking after-winter garden.

Fighting soil erosion part 1: collect empty milk and juice cartons, fill them with soil, and put cuttings or seeds.

Fighting soil erosion part 2: put all cuttings and seeds in the greenhouse, water faithfully, and Lock The Bloody Door! By now the greenhouse is a fortress – we block an illegal entrance, the dogs find another way to get in and ruin stuff, we block again and so on.

Lunch again (and quiches again, Maud’s new thing to do for guests, though she wants to move on to Mexican food by now). Bert & Sophia and their beauties – we were in the Netherlands simultaneously in July, but only managed to get together for a nice mellow afternoon when back in Botswana. European life is just too hectic:-)

Even though the rains fail to come, some trees decide it is spring so they will flower.

At neighbour Mma Winny’s plot the kids are still in their winter clothes, while the trees slowly change to their summery green outfits.

The first of many smaller and bigger building jobs: protect the stair steps from rain and, mainly, way too much scorching sun by lacquering them with a ‘Marine coating’. Yeas, Marine coating in the desert.

A quite successful propagation project from last year.

Maud’s mother gave us this one when she visited last March – the first two cuttings are in the green house by now.

Can’t wait till all the soil is covered with plants…