HEAVY DUTY ROAD OBSTACLES

Our load shedding being suspended for now, a clear run to work was expected. However, some of the casualties of the electricity constantly being switched on and off are traffic lights, some of which stop working. There was a queue of traffic getting out of Roodepoort as two traffic lights were out on a main exit from the area. After changing route, I managed to get past that obstacle and the way was clear...until I hit the highway. 

After a few kilometres, traffic starting backing up. There was an obstacle in the middle of the highway causing a traffic jam, with the highway clear beyond it. I couldn't see what it was but as I got closer, I noticed a bakkie (pickup) with a trailer which had broken throwing the weird contraption on it onto and across 3 lanes of the highway. There were scrape marks from the contraption in the tar as the driver had come to a stop. There didn't seem to be any injuries fortunately and after driving slowly for a few minutes, I was past the obstacle. 

When I was much younger, in my teens, heavy duty trucks were not allowed on the roads in peak traffic hours. They were forced to park off on the side of the road to allow for free flowing traffic. Now however, its a free for all on the roads. Even on arterial roads, trucks and delivery vehicles of every size are intermingled with regular road users, making for a stressful driving experience.

A month or so back, I did something foolish. I was on the offramp to Malibongwe Drive and ducked in front of a heavy duty truck as a gap opened. Even though he wasn't driving very fast, he battled to stop behind me and had to veer to the side to avoid hitting me. I got blasted by his hooter in the driver's frustration at having a sudden emergency situation. I only realised my foolhardiness afterwards and vowed not to do something so foolish again. 

I do notice cars often zipping around heavy and heavily loaded trucks without any care or regard and I believe that the below infographic is very helpful in informing other drivers of how to navigate heavy vehicles.

Be safe out on the roads today and avoid the heavy road obstacles...

 WHAT IS LOAD SHEDDING!?

Load shedding happens when there is not enough electricity available to meet the demand of all customers, and an electricity (public) utility will interrupt the energy supply to certain areas. It is a last resort to balance electricity supply and demand.

For the past several weeks and a lot of times previously, we have had to suffer through load shedding. When there is not enough electricity for everyone at the same time, suburbs take turns to be off to relieve the pressure on the grid.

This past week we started off on Stage 2 which means 2 outages of 2.5 hours each a day and then it was upped to Stage 4 which means 3 outages of 2.5 hours per day. Today was downgraded to Stage 3 with a return to Stage 2 expected from 5am tomorrow.

For me this has meant trying to get through traffic jams when the power is off from 8am until 10.30am and get to work as close as possible to starting time. And then repeat going home through the 4pm until 6.30pm outage. 

During this latest loadshedding started, the fuel price was increased by ZAR1.21 for petrol and ZAR 1.48 for diesel and sitting in traffic for hours on end is hell on the fuel consumption of all vehicles.

Years ago, I drove an older model vehicle which was pretty reliable but overheated at the drop of a hat. Yesterday, as I stopped at the local convenience store, an older model car pulled in beside me and as the driver turned off the motor, there was a bang followed by a loud hiss and a cloud of steam emanating from under his vehicle's bonnet (hood). His poor old car could not stand the strain of sitting in stop/start traffic and there are many casualties of the traffic jams coupled with the hot weather as we move from spring into summer. Many cars are parked on the side of the roads unable to continue any longer. 

Patience is not only a virtue, it is a necessity under these circumstances. We continue and accept our fate while hoping the electricity supply will stabilise and life return to normal.

People are tired at this time of year, tempers fray and patience is in short supply. Everybody is just longing for the end of the year and a break from traffic and work.

 

Dassies and elephants...

A most fascinating fact is that these relatively small animals are closely related to elephants.

"As early as 1798, hyraxes were grouped with elephants based on similarities in their skulls and feet, although they now have their own order, Hyracoidea. As well as having common gene sequesnces, hyraxes and elephants share eye-lens proteins and amino acid sequences in their blood haemoglobin.

Hyrax social structure is remarkably like that of elephants. their close-knit colonies comprise several related females and their young. When young males reach maturity, the dominant male forces them out to seek their own territory. Male conflict is surprisingly aggressive, especially in the mating season when the size of the males internal testes (a feature shared with elephants) increases twenty-fold, presumably matched by increased testosterone levels.

So these animals are plentiful where I live on the edge of a green belt nature reserve. They love rocky outcrops and since our green belt plummets to a river, there are plenty of rocks. Needless to say, these little guys do venture into the gardens of the residents on the edge of the green belt. My opposite neighbour has just posted a message on our neighbourhood watch group asking for help to get one of these furries out of his roof where it has taken up residence.

We have a permanent resident also living in the storm water drain as the end of our cul de sac and is sometimes to be found sunning itself on our driveway.

A few weeks ago, our German/Belgian Shepherd, River and her Toy Pom boyfriend, Cheeky were kicking up a heck of a racket at our palisade fence bordering the green belt. I thought they had a cat cornered but when I approached saw a rather aggressive Rock Hyrax (Dassie) on the other side of the fence atop the short wall challenging this big barking dog to a fight. Even as I approached, it didnt move and I had some fears that it might have been suffering from rabies. My son, Dael came to help and ended up throwing a tennis ball which he picked up in the garden at the fence. Obviously seeing this missile coming its way broke the Dassie's aggressive trance and it went bouncing away into the bush. 

My research on the increased testosterone levels of these small creatures during mating season which is now being Spring leading into Summer has thrown some light on the weird behaviour where a small mammal was not afraid of a large dog snapping at it through the palisade fencing but was standing its ground fearlessly.

How to help homeless people.

Happy New Year and Decade,

A topic which weighs heavily on my heart is how to help homeless people whom we encounter on a daily basis. Some of them we see every day and we are looking for an idea on a small way in which we can be of some help.

A search through Google this morning yielded a helpful list and I though it bore sharing to the Blogger community.

10 Things to Do for the Poor and Homeless

1. Get to know the poor and homeless. Spend time with them. Ask them their names, and remember them. Tell them yours. Shake their hands. Be open and friendly. Touch them. Hug those who want hugged. Allow them to tell their stories. Listen. Remember.
2. The poor and homeless are our equals. Honor them, respect them and treat them as our brothers and sisters. Feel honored that they are willing to share their lives with you and that you have the opportunity to spend time with them.
3. Find out from them what they most need. Your presence, your touch, your love, may be at the top of the list. If you’re giving them “stuff”, personally hand it out. Remember – You’re “sharing”, be it your time or your stuff.
4. Homeless: Check with your town or city to make sure they do not have an ordinance against distributing food on the street.
5. Homeless: If you distribute food, small items that can be held in the hand and that don’t need plates, silverware, ovens or refrigerators work best. If you plan to give out cooked food, make sure hot food (soup, burritos, pizza, etc.) is kept hot until you hand it out, and that cold food (meat sandwiches, etc.) is kept cold until you hand it out.
6. Homeless: Give them new socks and underwear. Bag them individually in Ziplock bags, marked with the size. The highest quality socks and underwear are usually not necessary. When socks and underwear get really dirty they may be thrown out by those who don’t have access to a laundromat.
7. Homeless: Give hotel size, single use toiletries – soap, lotion, shampoo, razors (bag one or two disposable razors in Ziploc snack size bags) and so on. Find toothbrushes that have covers. 16 oz. bottles of shampoo or lotion often end up in the garbage (They’re too heavy to carry.) You can buy single use items in bulk from hotel supply companies for a few pennies each.
8. Homeless: Many of them have significant dental problems and cannot eat items that require a mouth filled with good teeth, such as apples. They can usually handle bananas, tangerines and oranges.
9. Poor and homeless: Give them clean clothes, blankets, and similar items that are in good condition. Launder and fold them and label them with sizes. Dirty clothes and blankets usually end up in a dumpster.
10. Homeless: Always take bottles of water, regardless of the time of year. Dehydration is a common problem among the homeless.

10 Things Not To Do for the Poor and Homeless

1. Homeless: Never give them money. If they tell you they need it to buy a specific item, buy the item for them.
2. Homeless: Never tell them your address or take them to your home. If you doubt the wisdom of this, let’s communicate privately.
3. Homeless: Don’t go alone. Don’t go in large groups. Groups of three to five work best. Don’t go after dark. Mid morning to mid afternoon works best.
4. Homeless: Don’t take your wallet or purse or wear expensive jewelry or clothing.
5. Homeless: Don’t give them new clothing, with a few exceptions – socks, underwear, and possibly shoes. Why? – Three reasons:
1. Expensive new jackets, hoodies, shoes and similar items may endanger them in areas with high populations of street people, where it is likely they’ll be mugged (and possibly beaten) and lose that new coat you gave them.
2. They frequently sell those items to raise cash to fund their habits. We go the day after Christmas, and they try to sell us brand new coats, shoes, blankets and similar items. Swap meet dealers in vans also patrol the homeless during the holidays, offering to pay cash for new items.
3. Many do not have access to laundromats. When the sweatshirt you gave them gets filthy, if they can lay their hands on another one, they’ll throw the filthy one in the trash, whether it’s the $1 one you bought at a garage sale or the $30 one you purchased at the department store.
6. Poor and homeless, but especially the homeless: Do not clean out your attic or closets, bag up the stuff and drop it off on a street corner in the homeless area. Most or all of it will end up in a dumpster. They do not need gold four-inch heels, bell-bottom pants from the 70’s and broken blenders. If it’s usable, donate it to the thrift shop. Otherwise, throw it in the trash!
7. Homeless: Do not drop off cases of bakery products, such as loaves of bread, packages of rolls, whole cakes and pies, packages of frozen dough, unbaked pizzas, and so on. Most of this will end up in the garbage.
8. Try to avoid giving out “packets” of items, such as a toothbrush, lotion, apple, socks and soap, unless you tell them what is in the packet and ask them which of those items they need. Otherwise, they sort through the packet after you’ve left and throw away the items they don’t want.
9. Avoid giving out major items at Christmas, especially to the homeless. Visit them at Christmas, take along water, tangerines, little bags of crackers, hotel size shampoos and that type of thing. In most urban areas, many of the people who are on the street on the weekend before Christmas and on Christmas day are not homeless. They only pretend to be homeless and are on the street to get free blankets, sleeping bags, coats and similar items which they plan to sell at the swap meet. Hand out the sleeping bags and similar items at least a week on either side of Christmas, when the real homeless people will get them.
10. Avoid giving out large quantities of candy. Many poor and homeless cannot afford dentists and have bad teeth. Also, people who work with drug addicts have advised us against giving out candy. Apparently some addicts will live on drugs and candy if possible.

These are not exhaustive lists. Of course, some of these things may not apply where you live. If you have one homeless guy in your small town who sleeps on the city square, you would probably notice if several other people sat with him on Christmas day, pretending to be homeless so they can receive new blankets and sleeping bags.

Trust the above helps you to help others in a small but meaningful way.

List above from the following source:

10-dos-and-donts-in-loving-homeless-people/

Loving Touch

Is God Good?

Nearly a Granny...

The Countdown to Grannyhood is getting closer! Just another 10 weeks to go...

I asked Robynne to pose her tummy for me so that we have some photos of this stage. I jokingly said "Don't try and suck in your tummy" which she promptly did try and do...not that it made much difference..

Momcat xxx

Momcat and the furkids

It seems from browsing through my Blogger reading list that blogging has gone off the boil. Fortunately some of the bloggers that I follow have been dedicatedly posting all this time that I have been gone and I applaud your dedication.

This past Saturday began slowly as I like it to. I really don't like moving early on Saturdays. We had some errands to run but those were all pushed to later in the day when I had to get Bunny, one of my kitties to the vet again. Bunny went to the vet about 2 weeks before and had some dental work done but had since developed a bad cold and in the last couple of days, I noticed that she had stopped eating and was also hardly drinking. So back to the vet she went for an injection of long lasting antibiotic. Once home I tried again with various foods to coax her to eat and drink with very little success. The frustration of trying to get an obstinate sick cat to eat made me grumpy and I decided to remove myself from the source of irritation and give the antibiotic some time to work. As at Monday morning, she still isn't really eating but is at least drinking a bit.

 

 

Bunny was one of several cats who have been to the vet in the last 2-3 weeks. Since I had received my annual work bonus, I decided to catch up on the various medical issues which needed sorting with the kitties. Bunny and Lovey went in first for teeth issues. That same week we took in Minky and Tiger for innoculations. Tiger went in so that the vet could look at his feet as well since he seems to have been on a mission to gnaw them off. The pads seem to be dry and scaly. He was also given a long lasting antibiotic as the vet didn't really know what was causing the problem. Then the following Tuesday, in went 6 month old Princess for a spay and Chamois for dental. On Thursday, I was back with Bebe who developed a bladder infection and Tiger for the other vet to look at his feet which are still under observation to see if the antibiotic will work. Then on Saturday, Bunny went back with her cold. Next Friday Princess goes back in for stitches out and innoculations and probably Bebe will go back as well for innoculations. My frequent visits have become a bit of a joke at the vets rooms. My bank balance isn't really finding it at all funny at all. Once Bunny is recovered and Tiger's feet have the all clear, I just have Kittykie, Little Boy, Socks and Albie to get in for dentals.

Minky
 

Tiger
 



Princess

Princess chewing on Tiger, her big buddy

 

One recent purchase has been a roaring success with the kitties who prefer to live outside. We have a wooden 'wendy house' for the furkids. The bottom floor is for the dogs and they enter through their own stable door. The top floor is for the cats and they have a door as well which is for human access in order to clean and replenish food and water. The cats access via a window on the opposite side of the house which they jump up to to access their floor. Since moving to our new house, the cats haven't wanted to use their quarters as much because the wendy house is further away from our house and they had taken to sleeping on the patio in various cat beds and blanket lined boxes which we had placed there for them. This was fine in summer but since winter started getting really cold with temperatures reaching freezing and the cold mist and wind whistling up from the river to the patio, these sleeping arrangements weren't at all suitable. Another problem with leaving some of the outside cats inside was that a few months ago, one of the cats peed on the decoder and flat screen tv, destroying one and sending the other in for repairs. We decided that we needed an incentive for the outside cats to start using the wendy house again and what better than a heater. We went to the local hardware store and on a stand as we entered the shop were wall mounted panel heaters (not asbestos) at a very reasonable price. We purchased one and mounted it the same afternoon. It is connected to the power source in the adjacent garage via a long extension cord so that if we want to switch it off during the day while the weather is warm, that can be done from the garage as we leave for work in the morning. At first we had to encourage the kitties to start using the wendy house again but kitty cat word of mouth has spread fast and now all 4 outside kitties are cosy and warm in their outside living quarters. And I am one happy cat mom who doesn't have to worry that her furkids are freezing outside while we are warm inside.

 

Winter has been a bit of a challenge to try and keep everyone warm and comfortable and in good health and this can only be done one day at a time. Hopefully we will be heading for slightly warmer weather soon.

 

Momcat xxx

 

 





Just to let the Interwebs know....

I'm going to be a granny in October! My daughter Robynne is pregnant with her first baby, a little girl. Bittersweet in that my Mom missed being a Great Gran by a short 2 years and 8 months. She would have been so excited and thrilled. Preparations for the big event are in full swing and I am knitting up a storm...

I've wanted to post for a while now but being that it has been so long since my last actual written post, I've not known quite where or how to begin. I thought the big news would be a fitting start.

Momcat xxx

South Africa with Four Paws: Tiger Transfer

Redemption: An Our Daily Bread Devotional Video

SPCA branches forced to close doors due to dried up funding

Dogs in Johannesburg in Danger of being Put Down

Urgent!! Please watch. All the dogs at Irwin Animal Rescue Centre NPC are in danger of being put to sleep if we don't react now. No adoption fee for March and April just so that these doggies can find a safe and loving home. Please network and if you have been meaning to get a doggie, adopt don't shop. These are all lovely dogs.

An ending and also a beginning...

The view from my house

Today my house transfer was registered. It now has new owners. A young couple just starting out.

 

It served its purpose, to provide a safe base for me, my kids and our pets. We didn't have to move at the whim of a landlord while we lived there.

 

It wasn't an easy sell but I think it is a good buy for the youngsters who have bought it. Now the problem is, I am property..less. I have come full circle, once again living at the whim of a landlord.

 

The beginning is to finally get out of debt apart from my car which I will be paying off now and to build up a new nest egg to buy again.

 

Also new beginnings for Robynne and Marco who have started a new business making and selling lounge sets, couches and headboards, all custom built to customers requirements. After small beginnings, they are getting busier and busier. Their small house which they bought a year ago is almost entirely engulfed with fabrics and wood. They started from home to save costs but they will have to expand or move very shortly it seems. They are growing in ability and experience, learning how to quote, how to budget and manage staff. Organised chaos but they are forging bravely forward and keeping their eye on the ultimate goal..to earn a living without having a boss, to have the freedom of movement and choice that the working for others does not offer and to reap the full reward of their labours. They have roped the whole family in either to help with sales or deliveries or even manufacturing. They are fully embracing the idea of entrepreneurship.

 

It is a just over year that my Mom is gone and my Dad is moving ahead with his life without her. In April, my sister in Cape Town treated him to a trip down to celebrate his birthday on the 18th and visit with his sister and other family members long last seen. It was the first time he had flown in an airplane and he is now thoroughly hooked and determined to never drive any distance to visit his family again. He also announced to me today that he has a lady friend who has very similar tastes and conversation to him. She is a widow who was a family friend when both she and my Dad still had their spouses with them and he is looking to the future.

 

So endings and beginnings all around.

 

The one thing that is certain in life is that things will always change.

 

xxx

Momcat

Time to write again

Just please don't expect any pearls of wisdom from me. It is too close to the end of the year after a long hard year filled with changes and challenges.

 

From the time my mom got sick last year in August, through her passing from this world in February and onward has been like treading water. Trying not to think too much about her not being around and trying not to forget anything.

 

Add to that the ongoing challenges of daily life and having to sort out my house in New Germany and all my belongings just left there when I moved to Johannesburg.

 

I had the opportunity to go to KZN at the end of September but it wasn't a holiday. I spent the week slogging and cleaning up the little house on the hill, sorting and packing what I want to keep and disposing of the rest. I managed to bring some items up, including the 2 kitties living with my son at the house. This brings my head count to 11. A lot of items were left behind in the back room at the house due to lack of space in the vehicle.

 

There was another break in at the house, the second in four weeks and this prompted Dael to hand in his notice at work and catch a bus to Jhb in the space of two days. So my little house is standing empty but I have started contractors working at the house (with the help of my dad and brother) and once the house is freshened up, it will be sold.

 

Little cat Chase, now named Monkey, due to her playful nature and desire to climb to the top of things had a health scare which caused her to stop eating and drinking. After a few days of force feeding her, we took her to the vet. She had a temperature but after an antibiotic and painkilling injection, she was showing improvement in a couple of hours and is almost back to her old self now.

Monkey in Jhb with me

At the moment, the days at work are dragging, I feel permanently drained and the weekends are never long enough to recuperate and get my energy back. I'm not sure if it is just the time of the year or an accumulation of all the emotions I have been dealing with this year that is the cause of this feeling but I hope that I will also return to 'normal' some time soon.

Putting Down Roots

Halfway through the fourth month of sharing a living space with my love and we are enjoying each other's company. We move around each other as dancers...I cook and clean the kitchen, my man makes our packed lunches for work...as well as the bed. We are in a routine.

Not that it is always smooth running. I was a little put out when my man decided to get up early to wash the dishes. He wanted to help but the morning is my time to potter around and chat to the kitties. As soon as the kitties see this big man approaching, they scatter. They are slowly getting used to him. I prefer (and he prefers) him to lie in a bit later in the mornings until I go through with coffee. By that time my chores are done and the kitchen is his to make sandwiches while I use the bathroom and get dressed. Its comfortable and it feels right.

The kitties are also very comfortable and feeling more relaxed in their own space. Even though they have dogs living in the hut below them (3 Italian Greyhounds and a Whippet), they are getting the measure of the dogs and realise that they are safer around these doggies. Jerome sectioned off a larger piece of the garden for the kitties to use but at the moment with the cold weather, they move between our house and their kitty lodge with brief sojourns outside to use the litter trays or to perch on the outside windowsill surveying the world...and the dogs.

So as far as putting down roots, I never feel truly rooted in an area until I have joined the local library and this Saturday past, we popped in at the library and filled in the forms. I have taken out a book...I belong.

The second part of putting down roots that I have planned is planting up our flower pots which are weed filled and desolate at the moment. The garden is huge and all the trees are losing leaves so raking is not even an option. I just want something manageable and colourful. I don't want to wait for spring so I am going to find some colourful plants to brighten up the entrance to our home. Nesting...

Bradley is writing exams and I had my work cut out to arrange exam transport for him on the day that the exams started. Normally he would wait after school and go home with his younger sisters but while exams are on he writes only one exam per day and then would have to wait the whole day to go home. I found a local lady who comes out when he lets her know he is finished and she pops him home. So that is sorted. Now to worry about a trip to the dentist and buying winter school clothes before winter is over...!

Robynne was ill over the weekend and after taking note of some of her symptoms, I was searching the internet for a possible illness and giving her advice.

Dael needed me to make a dentists appointment for him in Pinetown. He had an emergency and who could he turn to but mom.

The kids are all big but still mom's job is never done....and we wouldn't want it any other way! If your kids don't turn to you for help, they don't trust you or you have alienated them.

Staying with Dael, he had posted as his BBM status a week ago about finding a little kitten a home. As can be expected, my ears pricked up and I asked him where he had found a cat. Apparently at his work, which is a workshop which shares the property with a service station, this little kitten had been extricated from under a tanker truck where it had run after jumping from under a delivery van. It had travelled from Durban North to Pinetown under this van ending up at Dael's work. Dael ended up taking the little chap home and has named him Chase. The kitten has been very terrified as can be expected and also ravenously hungry. Slowly, with attention and playfulness, the little guy has come out of his shell and was jumping all over Dael the other evening as he lay on the carpet of the bedroom.

Chase at Dael's work just after capture before Dael took him home.

Chase playing with Dael after a few days of safety and attention.

My kids love animals and I'm proud of them.

Momcat xx

The next step...

On the Saturday, 27th April 2013 my daughter and her boyfriend of 3 years, Marco, became engaged.

 

 

 

Yes, I'm a mother-in-law to be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't know a thing about it at the time. I hadn't been having a very good weekend because my boyfriend was away on a trip to the Cape for a week and I was feeling very sorry for myself.

 

I had arranged to attend a talk hosted by Robynne's church on the Sunday and was walking along on the Sunday morning in the direction of the venue, totally engrossed in my own thoughts when I heard "Come over here". I looked up, startled and there was Robynne standing along the route to the venue with her friend, Taryn. They were on duty as helpers and I hadn't even noticed my own daughter, being so engrossed in my own thoughts - a fact that she duly pointed out to me.

 

She mysteriously said to me that she had some news to tell me and then being unable to contain herself any longer, whipped up her left hand to reveal her sparkling new engagement ring. I was astonished and then very happy for my daughter.

 

She recounted the happy details of the situation leading up to the happy event. It seems that Marco had been trying for the greater part of the Saturday to get Robynne to go with him to her favourite dog-walking park and for once, she just wasn't in the mood. He eventually dragged her out into the garden of their own house and there, in front of their doggies, he went down on one knee and proposed to her. He had been storing the ring away for a whole month, planning when and where to pop the question and eventually all fell into place.

 

Robynne is now fully into the swing of wedding preparations, with a date for next year at around this time being identified. I went with the young couple this past Sunday to see a lovely wedding venue which will handle all the arrangements of decor, food, music, etc and has a chapel as well as a Bridal Suite and family rooms for out of town guests. A million details to be planned but every minute to be enjoyed.

 

So...the next step for my daughter and for her mom..

 

Congratulations Robynne and Marco and may God richly bless your life together.

 

love,

Momcat xxx