Sunday, August 26, 2012

... in from the Cold.

Hello Friends - I hope you're all well.

I'm back in the (cold) Desert - I've been on-line for a few days but, having been zapped by a bad bout of Flu, I've had no appetite for blogging, or anything else for that matter ... I just want to be warm again - I'm feeling a lot better now but still not quite Human yet ...

Up North, I spent two days in the Etosha Pans with Stretch Moonman but only took a few pics at home:



It was my intention to take advantage of the cooler weather to build-up the wall above the roof of the en suite Bathroom but, I didn't get very far because other opportunities arose when I found a guy to help finish the plumbing in the new kitchen and main bathroom and also do some of the plastering there.


I installed a solar water-heater on the en suite bathroom. The heater holds 85 litres of water - I only got to test it once as I was working on the shower floor at the same time. Although the winter sun was weak, I had a shower well after dark and the water was still hot.


A view of the new kitchen after the plumbing had been completed for a washbasin and washing machine and, the wall had been plastered.

On the left is one of the last remaining walls (white) of the old farmhouse - my next task here is to break down this wall and continue building the new wall, including a passageway through to the house and also a pantry.

All the work has to be done strategically because I need to ensure that Stoffel can't get out and go wandering.



Stoffel sitting at one of her favourite spots where she has a good view of what's going on outside - the marks on the window are from porridge - when she's finished her breakfast she comes to this window to bask in the morning sun and cleans her mouth by wiping it on the window.


Stoffel was not amused when I confined her to the main bedroom while we were working in the house - she showed her displeasure by shredding three rolls of toilet paper ... luckily they were a cheap, one-ply brand.


A noisy Grey Loerie eyes me from an early-blooming Acacia tree.


A hen looking for a place to nest in a rock feature.


Stoffel grooming my leg one evening - she doesn't like me to wear socks or shoes and always tries to take them off when I do ...

I had to wear socks because if my feet get cold, my whole body is cold.


A winter-flowering plant in the garden - I don't know what the name of this plant is - it looks like a succulent.


(Photo Credit: Unknown)

Travelling into the Desert I had the weirdest experience - I'd taken the gravel roads past Bullsport hunting for more rocks (I bagged eight) and the further South I travelled the colder and windier it became.

Shortly after sunset, between Maltahohe and Helmeringhausen, I pulled over to have a P and put a jacket on - when I got out of the heated cab I was struck by a cold wind such as I've never felt before ... I felt like I was in the grip of the claws of Death and after a few seconds I was doubled-up in an icy cramp - I didn't get out of the car again until I reached my destination.

At about 21h00, when I passed Aus, the wind was still howling and it was raining - I couldn't even see the lights of the town - the next morning the ground here was covered in snow as can be seen from the above pic, which I found on-line.

Well, now that I've been able to put a post together, I feel better already ... thanks.



38 comments:

  1. Every morning I check the blogging activity...yay he's bach!!
    Sorry to hear about your cold, though I got to say I love the pic of the snow, it looks like home..not the cemetery HAHA..the beautiful, wonderful, cold snow. In fact its where I want to be..the heat is zapping my energy. My dog Aurora is dragging along with me this hot summer. As always great shots and peek into what you and your companion are up to...keep blogging :)

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  2. Graham I am glad that you are feeling better. The house is really coming on and I am very impressed. As for the weather there I know that you are not used to it, but you can imagine how we felt snowed in for two weeks this last winter, the worst in 60 odd years!!
    As for that plant, I have a mental block, (happens a lot these days ;-) we have them in our garden here, I will come back to you when the block disappears.
    Stoffel must show displeasure occasionally when you shut him into a smaller area than usual LOL. Keep well Diane

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  3. Hehehe Monica - thank You - what a relief to know you're not blogging from Beyond ... :)

    Yeah, I can empathise with your snowy sentiments as I feel this way in mid summer too - I must admit though, that I don't do very well in the cold ... I'd rather take clothes off than pile them on ... I just can't seem to get warm.

    I hope that all is well in your world? ... Have you been out on the streets protesting? I see that it's only Russia Today reporting on the protests in Montreal ...

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  4. Glad you're back Graham. From your post I gather that you have no heating in your house (Or am I wrong? No electricity?) and wonder how you keep warm. Why didn't you want to let Stoffel out - was it the cold? The house is really taking shape, it's going to look so beautiful when you've finished.
    Caroline

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    1. Thanks Caroline ... I do have electricity but no heating ... winter is too short for that ... perhaps I'm just a big sissy ... :)

      I keep Stoffel in the house because she has a habit of wandering off and causing hassles with the neighbours (she had a shotgun pellet embedded under her skin for years after an irate neighbour caught her stealing fruit) ... she's also very old now and I'm afraid that a dog might get her

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  5. Thanks Diane - I will be grateful if you can ID that plant (and there I was thinking it was something rare ... )

    Yeah, I was glad to get rid of those toilet rolls anyway - I thought I was being cleaver buying the cheapest line in the store - they're cleaver though, because they put such thick glue on the first paper that one has to rip half the roll away in order to use it ... in the end nothing is saved ...

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    1. Graham I think the plant is one of the sedum family. There are over 400 species so which it may be your guess is as good as mine! Diane

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    2. ... thanks Diane ... I'll try find out when I'm home again.

      I hope you're feeling better :)

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    3. I am trying to ignore it best I can, some good days and some bad days!

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  6. Stoffel was like Ocelot, had to be kept in the room, in Ocelot's case, when I was out cooking in the kitchen. Clinton made toys for him including using the paper roller. Your kitchen looks ready for the nice part. And the one side brick wall looks like it is going to be a really nice warm kitchen. The chicken, bird and flowers look wonderful. I didn't realise at first that it gets colder going further south but it is where you are, and the desert is colder?

    I really liked and enjoyed the song.

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  7. Thanks Fazlisa - Ocelot is such a cool name for a cat :) I'm going to meet him on your blog in a few minutes ...

    Yes, it gets cold in the desert ... especially when the wind blows off the cold Atlantic

    ... here comes the Sun ... :)

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  8. Glad you back, sorry re the flu. Hope you recover soon. Can't wait for the summer the cold winters kill me. We didn't get any snnow ourselves (NW Province RSA) but JHB got some and of course the KZN Midlands literally all the way down to Pietermaritzburg

    Plant looks like a Kalanchoe to me? A more 'common' type of succulent I think can even grow as houseplants? I have some interesting succulents but with no decent rains nothing blooming much...take care

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    1. Thanks LG - Maggie, below, also says it's a 'Kalanchoe', a new name to me - I wonder if I can even pronounce it correctly

      ... yeah, I agree, come on Summer ...

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  9. Delighted to see you back, but sorry to hear about the flu bug that found you! I have heard about a boy named Sue, but never a girl named Stoffel! The plant is a Kalanchoe - a certain hit with butterflies! Have not heard the song for years! It is quite amazing how the words just come back and one can actually sing along! Get well soon!

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    1. Thanks Maggie - yeah, I remember that song ... hehehe ...

      When Stoffel came to me I didn't know much about Primates and the people who left her in my care (and who also named her) said she was a "he" ... only later did I discover the truth ... her name now is "Stoffelina" but Stoffel is easier to say ... :)

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  10. Hi Graham, Sorry to hear you were sick, but glad to see you back in blog-land.

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    1. Thanks Phillip - I hope to be in top form again in a few days ...

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  11. Hi Graham.
    Thank you for visiting my Blog.
    In the last weeks I was in Kgalagadi and I have to say in the nights sometimes it was really cold.
    This year I had a small camper and one morning I woke up finding ice inside the windows...

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    1. Thanks Andrea - yes, this year I've felt especially cold ... the Desert does get chilly at night hey?

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  12. So glad you're back & so sorry about the flu! Stoffel looks like a wonderful & entertaining companion!! You're really making fine progress with the house.

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    1. Thanks Fran - Stoffel has been my friend for 24 years and I could write a book about her antics ... :)

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    2. You absolutely should!! I would guess very few people have had a friend like her. I'm sure you could include lots of pictures. I would buy it sight unseen!

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    3. Maybe I will someday Fran - our friendship has indeed been a unique, life-changing experience ...

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  13. Good to read a posting from you. Hope you are feeling better. Maybe Stoffel was telling you to get better toilet paper. Funny story about the socks.

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    1. Hehe thanks Bill ... yeah, next time I'll go for the super Baby-soft double ply type ... :)

      yeah, I don't know what she's got against socks and shoes ... and hats, if I wear a hat she also tries to take it off ...

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  14. I have nothing to protest, as long as I am comfortable. Sounds selfish, I know..but thats what happens when you get older. As for the protesting on the street and the general insanity that has spread across the globe..it makes me wonder this generation of 25 to 30 yr olds who grew up on violent video games.....like you , a nice little corner where you can live out your days in relative peace and quiet...thats all I want :)
    How long do Stoffels live ?

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    1. Yeah, I hear you Monica - I'm not the type to go out ranting on the streets either - peace and quiet is what I want too ... It's when I watch TV and have internet access that I become angry and wish I was the King of the World so that I could box a few ears ...

      I've been told that the average lifespan of Vervet Monkeys in the wild is about 12 years - at 24, Stoffel is ancient in monkey years ...

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  15. It sure sounds like you've been suffering from feeling cold a lot. I hope you are now warming up and that the worst part of the flu is behind you. I'm happy to hear you are "home" again and that you made good progress on your building efforts. I'm sure it feels wondering to have your solar heating and your plumbing needs sorted out. Great photos as always. I'm wondering if that snow you got happened at the same time South Africa got a good amount of it. It made the news here.

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    1. Thanks Penny - yes, I'm over the worst of the Flu ... but I still feel cold ... brrrr ...

      I'm pleased with what I managed to achieve even though I hadn't planned on achieving it ... there's still much to do though ... some of it expensive, like the ceilings and tiling ...

      Yes, I think the snow in Aus occurred around about the same time as South Africa got it - probably the same cold front coming in from the Antarctic ...

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  16. Snow in the desert. What is the world coming to? Sympathy about the cold. I wear wool socks in the winter, and a thin merino long sleeved snuggie between two other shirts all winter. And this only is northeastern Ohio. Your building project just keeps coming along; you will be showing us paint samples one of these days. Good to see you back.

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    1. Thanks Joanne - unbelievable as it seems, we do get snow in the Desert sometimes ... usually not more than an inch or two ...

      ... yeah, I'm leaving most of the painting till last ...

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  17. Sorry you're feeling unwell, Graham. Hope you're better soon. I wondered about that solar geyser, here in Bots solar geysers are very expensive. We've wanted to put on on our house but haven't been able to afford it. Are they cheaper in Namibia? And I can't believe it snowed there!

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    1. Thanks Laurie - yes, solar power is very expensive to install here too - the heater I've installed is the cheapest and only a basic unit, probably enough for two or three people to have a shower with ... it is possible to add extensions to the system, like additional collector panels and also an insulated storage tank to keep the water hot for a longer period ...

      ... with the escalating costs of electricity it's probably an investment which will pay for itself in a couple of months ...

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  18. hi there, I cannot believe i stumbled on this blog of yours, but as soon as I read the word stoffel something rang a bell. I'm Jasmin by the way Gunni and Renee's youngest daughter, when I told my mom that stoffel is still alive and well she almost keeled over. Anyways, I love your blog. keep well.;)

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    1. Hey Jasmine - wow, yeah, what a coincidence ... I'm glad you found my blog - thanks for your comment.

      I clearly remember the day your folks brought Stoffel and how she immediately jumped into my arms and we were friends ...

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  19. So great to have you back. And to see the inside of your house. I think all I've seen before is the outside of the bathroom. I hope you are feeling well by now and that you will be around for a while. I've missed your posts a lot.

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    1. Thanks Inger - I'm almost OK again - I'll be online 'till the end of September when I go north again ... I hope I'll get my internet connection sorted out this time and be able to visit and blog occasionally ...

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