The Guy in Pink

Christmas morning on the Soutpansberg @ 6 am and 28 Deg C, with the South face of Hanglip illuminated by the morning sun. The south face is only lit early mornings in December and then we usually miss it due to morning mist and cloud.

The Darwin Slide, insuring the intelligence of the next generation.

My first Car was a 1300 Ford Escort. The 1300 GT - Gold with a Black go faster stripe.

Someone has gotta take one for the team

Yip.

I have replaced my rather battered " Working Tools" watch (# 14 of this thread) with a newer one. This one is American so emphases a slightly different set of symbols from my old English watch. My watches have a rough time as I don't remove when I am working in my workshop, or riding my bikes.

Marsie, Pensively soaking up a beautiful spring day in the garden.

As a guy who joined in Sept 2004 from the other board. Thanks Matt it's been fun!

We took the donkeys and cart to our Kids school fete (Nooitgedacht Primary near the Lion Park) when the principal of Cottesloe Primary (Brixton Jhb) asked us to take them to their Fete. Cottesloe was the railways welfare area, where shunters who got their limbs caught between trains etc were housed. A very poor and rather helpless community - at our kids school the parents organised and ran a very successful fete - at Cottesloe there was zero management ability amongst the parents so the teachers did their best. We ended up taking the Donkeys every year for a number of years. Many of the kids had never seen any animals other than dogs and cats as they had never travelled outside of their suburb. It was educational for myself and our kids.

More from our archives, This is Mitch one of two Donkeys that my wife purchased as babies from the Lion Park,(at R25 each) and another cart I made. I became quite adept at training animals to pull carts, and here The Easter Bunny arrives on a Donkey cart. Our vet volunteered our services several times so Mitch had to be trained to carry Mary one year up the steps and into the Anglican church hall in Linden. I trained her by leading her on a long rein into our house around the furniture while the kids banged pots, the wife operated the vacuum cleaner and the radio and TV were blaring. She learned to go up and down some steps at the pool.

On old photo, (+35 years ago ) the missus dug up of TGIP, with Heidi pulling our eldest daughter and the Shopping from the shops. Bonnie the spaniel was riding shotgun on the side. It was a regular Sunday ritual to go to the shop for the Sunday newspapers and stuff. The Saint was so easy to train and really enjoyed the work.

Marsie is recovering since her Knee operations. She tore the tendons in both knees (a few months apart) and she has not been up on the couch for at least 6 months. Soon she will be back on the Bed!

Read what the court said:

Not The Kremetart. I thought the court Judgement in PPA vs CSA petty much meant that cycling events put on by private organisations did not need any approval from CSA or any other sports body. So CSA cannot name the event for fear of being sued, but just make threats to their own members which they cannot legally enforce.

I have been rather quiet about reporting on Marsie since her knee opp. last year. That's because Marsie has herself been rather quiet. After the opp she initially began to get back to being her old self, but about two months after the opp. we noticed that she became reluctant to jump up onto the furniture and bed as she used to. She also could not walk more than a few hundred metres without beginning to limp. We eventually worked out that the tendon her other knee had failed. Last week she had the opp to sort that knee out, and while she was sedated our vet x-rayed both knees and hips. He has warned us that the hips are likely to give trouble in future. It would appear that we will have to restrict the amount and intensity of exercise she gets, which is rather sad. Here she is back at home on Saturday just after the second knee opp.

Had to post, but that front dog's tail is it being used as a restraint?

And from MATT

So it begins

Dubious Buildings , gleaned from my GoPro on the front of my car yesterday. Eastern DRC.

Marsie had her Knee opp done on Wednesday and was home Thursday. We got to keep her quiet, easier said than done as she insists on following us about. She did sleep in this morning a bit while I got change to go and ride at 5:30.

Onderstepoort is too far for us - 1000km round trip - although my wife has taken horses there. We have competent local vets, so we will trust them with the fix. In the mean time she is hobbling around quite well. She could not resist jumping up on the bed this morning for a cuddle, although she took some time to decide to go for the jump.

Our pretty girl Marsie is rather poorly. Yesterday morning I took her to the rugby field to let her run . I have a plastic handle thingie for lobbying a tennis ball and she chases after the ball and returns it to my feet. I had just decided she had had enough running (any more and she would have been tripping over her tongue) and I threw the ball in the direction of my car. Marsie ran after the ball but suddenly pulled up in obvious pain. Neil our vet confirmed after manipulating her leg under sedation that she has torn the cruciate ligament in her knee. Neil recommended surgery to replace the ligament with a piece of nylon . Marsie is scheduled to have the opp. on Wednesday.

Is it a Trike?

The Plant Site here in the mountains is locked down for the Chopper to come in come in for the Gold Run. The Congolese Police guard all points of the Plant while the chopper is loaded, and even protect us from attack from the air. (or maybe it's to shoot down the chopper) ... and yes, signwriting is still an artist's work here.