Christmas 2009

Getting nagged for another blog as the newsletter is ready to wing it’s way into the WWW, still amazes me modern communications ! I’m a drums and smoke signals man myself.

Alex is taking his newsletter duties very seriously and I think doing a not bad job – if you agree or have any suggestions or want to try win the quiz or comment on his musical tastes drop him a mail – alex@kanana.info - it’s nice to get feedback from real people !

Christmas is coming or that’s the rumour – we don’t get the 1^st world hype here, can’t say I miss that but then again I’m at the grumpy old man stage of my life guess if I was Tristan’s (No 1 grandson) age I might have a different perspective.

Got two of the pools in and even been for a wallow -  lovely !

November was our busiest month ever at Motswiri Lodge – that defies all tourist logic but probably something to do with the fact that we’re advertising now in Getaway, Go / Weg and Africa Geographic. Prior to that Kanana was a well kept secret.

Hope this trend continues next year but the clever people seem to be worried about negative connotations of the 2010 World Cup, expensive and full flights from / to Europe – we shall see, guess if we’re quiet we can always watch the footie!

We had another new rhino baby, Yippee !! They’re breeding like rabbits these days and the good thing is they’re getting quite habituated to people so we see them but still need to be very careful, perhaps more so. They’re big beasts and more nimble than you’d think, could give you a nasty surprise.

Well that’s the last blog for the naughties so hope all you readers have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. See you next year so to speak.

Hot winds

Seems like no time at all since my last effort – funny how time flies past – getting nagged by Alex as he’s done another newsletter so needs my contribution.

Sad news this time around – Uncle Theunis, Vicky’s Dad’s brother passed away after a short illness he was 81. It’s funny, you think some people are indestructible and it comes like a bolt out of the blue when you realise we’re all mortal, wake up call “you only live once, make the most of it!” trite but true.

Theunis built up this place with his brother Henry in the days when Men were Men and sheep were nervous so his passing marks the start of the end of an era the baton has been passed on, let’s hope that we can live up to the precedent.

Since the last blog Botswana has been to the polls – the result was a surprise in as much as the status quo was perpetuated but with an increased majority, most were predicting a reduced majority in line with the growth of a young restless electorate. I think it’s good news ! Botswana continues as an oasis of tranquillity and stability.

What’s happening on Kanana ? Well we’ve had some rain and the veld responded but last few days we’ve had the dry hot westerly wind blowing from across the Namib – that’s not nice and it soon scorches the young green grass and dries up ground moisture, so we’re now hoping for rain again – what’s new?

We’ve finally taken the plunge and we’re putting in some swimming pools – one at Motswiri Lodge for guests to cool off during the day and one at home, the pools are fibreglass shells and we’ll be bringing them up from Jhb on a big trailer – should be interesting.

Our two gap year guys Herman and Grant have been and gone, maybe the less said about that the better – we’ve recruited two students from Pretoria Teknikon for next year – Willem and Bryce they arrive in January.

We have started a program of tackling our bush encroachment we’re bought two Husqvarna bush cutters and we’re very busy we’ll also be using herbicides and fire – very interesting!

return of the Kalahari Kid

It seems like an age since my last blog – a lot has happened since then, Luke Jess Jack and Jasper have left Kanana and returned to the big smoke which is Gabs and they’ve produced another grandchild for us – Lily – born on my birthday !! That’s the biggest thing to have happened since I last blogged.

We’ve survived another Kalahari winter - we had some really cold spells but now the weather’s warming up again – suicide season approaching and it’s already getting hotter and will get even hotter as we pray for rain. Fire season also coming and we’ll have eyes skinned looking for wisps of smoke on the horizon. We think we’re better prepared than last year with nice wide fire breaks but no matter it’s still a scary time of year – when I see fires in California and Oz I get goose bumps, I know first hand how uncontrollable wild fires can be.

Kattie, Kanana’s manager, went to Pretoria for a check up complaining of back pains, lucky he did – he was whisked in and given a triple bypass – he was back here in a week and is now making great progress at home – amazing how medical techniques have progressed – he – and we – were very lucky, think he’ll be good as new once he finishes his recuperation.

 

Duncan, our pom student from Harper Adams University, finished his year’s placement in July and returned to the UK – will he ever be the same again ? - He was great and we miss him.

We’ve now got another pom from the same source – Alex – and so far he’s proving an able replacement, we’ve also got 2 young lads – Herman “the German” and Grant who are on Kanana for 3 months as part of a gap two years – think they’re here for 3 months – company for Alex!

Herman used to work at a greasy spoon in Jhb and has already been roped in to cook while Morlin goes walkabout in Zim. I’m thinking of organising a poker evening so I can exploit them.

 

I was attacked by a rabid jackal the other day whilst on a walk with my daft dogs – scary as well – luckily Charlie – our fox terrier took the brunt of the attack and also luck that her inoculations were up to date – few frantic calls to Larry that night! I carry a Smith and Wesson revolver now, Dirty Harry of Ghanzi!

 

Vicks and I went to Europe June / July and had a great but expensive time – we firstly sailed down the Canal du Midi with Vic Judy Ian and Delia then did the UK and I got my offshore skipper license – very useful skill to have in Ghanzi 1 000 kms from the sea ! You never know.

Our rhinos are doing really well and getting tame, a big hit with the visitors – we think we have 11, you’d think we would know but those of you who’ve been here will know how difficult it is to count even rhino on this property.

The unseasonable rains in June have really helped the veld and the grass has got green shoots and the thorn trees are in blossom with leaves coming – Kudus, Giraffe and Eland have lucked in.

Well this the end of the blog comeback trail for this week – Alex has done a newsletter, he’s also, with Vicky, created a new brochure - being printed as I type and he is busy updating our website with the help of Karl the Moroccan webmaster!

Return of the Kalahari Kid

It seems like an age since my last blog – a lot has happened since then, Luke Jess Jack and Jasper have left Kanana and returned to the big smoke which is Gabs and they’ve produced another grandchild for us – Lily – born on my birthday !! That’s the biggest thing to have happened since I last blogged.

We’ve survived another Kalahari winter - we had some really cold spells but now the weather’s warming up again – suicide season approaching and it’s already getting hotter and will get even hotter as we pray for rain. Fire season also coming and we’ll have eyes skinned looking for wisps of smoke on the horizon. We think we’re better prepared than last year with nice wide fire breaks but no matter it’s still a scary time of year – when I see fires in California and Oz I get goose bumps, I know first hand how uncontrollable wild fires can be.

Kattie, Kanana’s manager, went to Pretoria for a check up complaining of back pains, lucky he did – he was whisked in and given a triple bypass – he was back here in a week and is now making great progress at home – amazing how medical techniques have progressed – he – and we – were very lucky, think he’ll be good as new once he finishes his recuperation.

 

Duncan, our pom student from Harper Adams University, finished his year’s placement in July and returned to the UK – will he ever be the same again ? - He was great and we miss him.

We’ve now got another pom from the same source – Alex – and so far he’s proving an able replacement, we’ve also got 2 young lads – Herman “the German” and Grant who are on Kanana for 3 months as part of a gap two years – think they’re here for 3 months – company for Alex!

Herman used to work at a greasy spoon in Jhb and has already been roped in to cook while Morlin goes walkabout in Zim. I’m thinking of organising a poker evening so I can exploit them.

 

I was attacked by a rabid jackal the other day whilst on a walk with my daft dogs – scary as well – luckily Charlie – our fox terrier took the brunt of the attack and also luck that her inoculations were up to date – few frantic calls to Larry that night! I carry a Smith and Wesson revolver now, Dirty Harry of Ghanzi!

 

Vicks and I went to Europe June / July and had a great but expensive time – we firstly sailed down the Canal du Midi with Vic Judy Ian and Delia then did the UK and I got my offshore skipper license – very useful skill to have in Ghanzi 1 000 kms from the sea ! You never know.

Our rhinos are doing really well and getting tame, a big hit with the visitors – we think we have 11, you’d think we would know but those of you who’ve been here will know how difficult it is to count even rhino on this property.

The unseasonable rains in June have really helped the veld and the grass has got green shoots and the thorn trees are in blossom with leaves coming – Kudus, Giraffe and Eland have lucked in.

Well this the end of the blog comeback trail for this week – Alex has done a newsletter, he’s also, with Vicky, created a new brochure - being printed as I type and he is busy updating our website with the help of Karl the Moroccan webmaster!

Return of the Kalahari Kid

It seems like an age since my last blog – a lot has happened since then, Luke Jess Jack and Jasper have left Kanana and returned to the big smoke which is Gabs and they’ve produced another grandchild for us – Lily – born on my birthday !! That’s the biggest thing to have happened since I last blogged.

We’ve survived another Kalahari winter - we had some really cold spells but now the weather’s warming up again – suicide season approaching and it’s already getting hotter and will get even hotter as we pray for rain. Fire season also coming and we’ll have eyes skinned looking for wisps of smoke on the horizon. We think we’re better prepared than last year with nice wide fire breaks but no matter it’s still a scary time of year – when I see fires in California and Oz I get goose bumps, I know first hand how uncontrollable wild fires can be.

Kattie, Kanana’s manager, went to Pretoria for a check up complaining of back pains, lucky he did – he was whisked in and given a triple bypass – he was back here in a week and is now making great progress at home – amazing how medical techniques have progressed – he – and we – were very lucky, think he’ll be good as new once he finishes his recuperation.

 

Duncan, our pom student from Harper Adams University, finished his year’s placement in July and returned to the UK – will he ever be the same again ? - He was great and we miss him.

We’ve now got another pom from the same source – Alex – and so far he’s proving an able replacement, we’ve also got 2 young lads – Herman “the German” and Grant who are on Kanana for 3 months as part of a gap two years – think they’re here for 3 months – company for Alex!

Herman used to work at a greasy spoon in Jhb and has already been roped in to cook while Morlin goes walkabout in Zim. I’m thinking of organising a poker evening so I can exploit them.

 

I was attacked by a rabid jackal the other day whilst on a walk with my daft dogs – scary as well – luckily Charlie – our fox terrier took the brunt of the attack and also luck that her inoculations were up to date – few frantic calls to Larry that night! I carry a Smith and Wesson revolver now, Dirty Harry of Ghanzi!

 

Vicks and I went to Europe June / July and had a great but expensive time – we firstly sailed down the Canal du Midi with Vic Judy Ian and Delia then did the UK and I got my offshore skipper license – very useful skill to have in Ghanzi 1 000 kms from the sea ! You never know.

Our rhinos are doing really well and getting tame, a big hit with the visitors – we think we have 11, you’d think we would know but those of you who’ve been here will know how difficult it is to count even rhino on this property.

The unseasonable rains in June have really helped the veld and the grass has got green shoots and the thorn trees are in blossom with leaves coming – Kudus, Giraffe and Eland have lucked in.

Well this the end of the blog comeback trail for this week – Alex has done a newsletter, he’s also, with Vicky, created a new brochure - being printed as I type and he is busy updating our website with the help of Karl the Moroccan webmaster!

We're now in the middle of winter, another couple of weeks and it will be the shortest day / longest night. It's brrrrrr in the evening (wood fires and red wine time) but we have beautiful cloudless sunny days and so far no frost.

It's also marmalade time, the citrus trees are laden with orange, grapefruit and lemons intend to get cracking any day now.

We've had another baby rhino, that makes three so far! The first one is over a year old now and think that Ben is walking with Mum (hopefully more than walking) - the other two babies are recent additions, still trying to get close enough to sex them, quite difficult with the long grass and although white rhinos are usually quite passive when they have calves they can be aggressive and they run faster than me.

The kudu bulls are in rut and running with the females, go round a corner and there's another herd haven't noticed so many kudu before on Kanana, some of the bulls are monsters maybe it's biltong time.

I was bitten by a horse yesterday, that wakes you up ! Those big yellow teeth may not be sharp but they sure hurt, I was stroking her neck and talking to John the groom when wallop, maybe a love bite. Think horses make nice salami must look that up on the www.

We're grading fire paths ready for the August fires - our old grader a CAT 11 F must be an antique but seems to be enjoying a new lease of life in an agricultural setting, quite fun really, must be the little boy in me driving big powerful yellow machines.

Vicky has revamped our kitchen, stripped out all the old cabinets and we've now got stylish modern open plan white shelves - why do women always change everything - we just get used to everything in it's place then voila ! can't find a thing for months and then just when you do - repeat!

enough whinging for this episode

bye

Inspiration lacking - my excuse for recent neglect!
There´s been loads happening though in our neck of the woods
First we´ve had the arrival of Jess Luke and young Jack - momentous for them, one small step for man woman and boy, one giant leap for Kanana! to paraphrase my attorney! It doesn´t get much better than this having your children and grandchildren next door even if they are townies adjusting to the pace of rural africa ` Don´t forget to switch the lights off Jess!!´
Vicks has gone to Italy with the girls of ´58 - as I write they are no doubt atop the hill pretending that Ben´s vintage chateau ´07 red has a delicate nose and surprises the palette with it´s distinct crispy cheeky charm!
I´m away as well - but looking forward to getting back - if you live in paradise why go away - don´t know the answer to that.
We´ve got a couple of new rhino, a baby, seen the spoor but not the beast this the second born on Kanana - still not sexed the first one now a year old! and a new young bull from Khama rhino sanctuary just arrived to help old Ben, as if any was needed!
Thank goodness for the late rain - the veld is as good as it gets.
Larry, Ozzie Kyle and the boys have been catching game - eland, kudu, zebra, gemsbok, hartebeest and giraffe - Kyle flying chopper for the first time in anger - only got his license couple of weeks ago - one of the few who can shag and shear 100 sheep a day, drink two cases of Hansa lager and fly a chopper - in no particular order - good on you Kyle!
Promise to try make this more regular Luke