Arctocephalus Pusillus!

You'd better say that slowly or you could be in trouble! That is the larney name for our Cape Fur Seal, or South African Fur Seal as it is now known.

We have had some very warm weather lately, our 'air-conditioner' has not been working too well, and we have waited until nearly seven o'clock to take Alfie for his daily walk. Even then, he drags behind or finds any bit of shade that he can to sit in and catch his breath! When we stop to chat to people (which happens very often!) he sits in Rob's shadow to keep as cool as he can! (Rob is losing weight though, so the shadow is becoming thinner!!) Sunday registered 35 C on our veranda, but I know that it was over 40 C inland.

The sea has been calm and tranquil lately too, but over the December period we had some huge waves that we could see crashing on the rocks in the bay, and we could see Seal Island being bombarded and pounded, with spray lifting high into the air. Sometimes the young seals get washed off the rocks and we see the tiny corpses lying on the beach. One youngster arrived unharmed during the December holidays and managed to get itself onto the rocks where the fishermen stand almost daily. When we walked nearby, we could see the tiny glistening form lying on the rock in the sun and I was hoping that it would be safe. Some fishermen blame the seals for the lack of good fishing, and will happily beat them to death, or shoot them.

Seal Island is way beyond the houses on the right.

Shaggy Has Landed!

By the time you read this, Shaggy will have landed at Lanseria Airport, north-west of Johannesburg.
Who or what is Shaggy, I hear you ask?
Read on, and all will be revealed!

A friend of ours sent Rob an email yesterday. This is what Johan wrote:

'Shaggy in cabin
 Has just taken off from Jeddah in ZS SKA
 En route Djibouti'

Rob answered with the obvious question:

'What is SKA?
 What is the story of Shaggy?'

And Johan wrote back:

'SA charter group operating out of Baghdad, smallish Flying Fokkers, this
one a F70. Shaggy was an Iraqi stray that the boys adopted A welcome braai is
being arranged at Lanseria for Shaggy and his crew !'

Shaggy in his flying cage! (Pics thanks to Johan)

Trains and Boats and Planes! (Not really Planes though!)

Well, here I am, better late than never! Home again after a wonderful few days lazing on the banks of the Berg River. We arrived on Thursday morning after a journey of 45 minutes, and were unpacked, tent up and relaxing, an hour later! Alfie stayed in the car until everything was in place and then came out to inspect, and find a convenient tree!

All set up and ready to do nothing!

What a beautiful spot. We identified 54 bird species without moving away from the campsite! The list contains 180, so we didn't do too badly! From the large flamingos to the tiny mossies and everything in between, they can be seen here.

Iron ore heading to Saldanha Bay.

A Fish in Time....or....Cast in Stones!

This morning it was Rob's turn to get up first! (I love odd-numbered days). The early chores consist of opening up, opening the blinds, feeding the cats, making sure that Alfie actually goes outside and not pretends to, feeding the birds and feeding the fish and last but not least, making the coffee. We kind of do it on automatic pilot, but this morning Rob counted the fish and saw that there was one short! The orange one that he had named 'Outspan' like the oranges that are exported to far shores, was missing! And a flat rock that is usually on the edge of the pond was lying on the bottom.

Then he saw Outspan.

Lying on the stones about half a metre from the fish pond. Not moving. Not a good sign.

He picked it up and was about to bury it, when he saw it move very slightly, so he put it back in the water. It listed left-hand-down and kind of floated. By now I had joined him and the two of us stood and watched. I put my hand in the water and gently held it upright, but the minute I let go, it rolled over again.

Outspan looking a little sideways! (Pics thanks to Rob)

I did this a few times, I even thought of giving it mouth to mouth resuscitation as it kept either rolling over or bumping into things but we persevered and finally it looked as though we had won the battle! It started to swim the right way up, it's fins came unstuck and started moving, and it started to eat!

A lucky fish!

And now it is fine! What a tale to tell it's friends. I wonder if it's life flashed before it as it lay on the stones? I wonder if it saw a huge pond with all it's old friends waiting for it, beckoning with golden fins? Sort of 'On Golden Pond'. Sorry, that's awful!

And I wonder how it got there in the first place? Basil, you ask? No, he was with us on the bed, and he was dry!

A mystery that will probably remain unsolved.
Outspan. A good name for it as it turns out!