Saturday, December 8, 2012

Delightful children heal the soul

I have an app on my phone that downloads a quote each day,
The quote for last Sunday was:
The soul is healed by being with children:( by Fyodor Dostoevsky)

Emma, Nathan and Ashley spent last weekend with us, what a privilege to spend time with our grandchildren. We had such fun washing dogs, washing hair over the basin, baking biscuits, setting up a jewelry shop and doing paper crafts.

Here below are some images I captured during this special weekend, thank you Rob and Carike for freely sharing your children with us.

Ashley asleep and at play

Ashley asleep during final assembly





Ashley at the jewelry shop
Ashley at the jewelry shop





























Emma at Play


Nathan has a mirror and is making sun spots on the ceiling, Emma has drawn her own sun and is trying to do the same with her sun!!! Oh to be a fun filled child



Emma working on calculator, someone please buy Emma some socks for Christmas!!!
Nathan at play
Setting up the jewelry shop




Nathan the shop keeper



 
Nathan working on the calculator
Emma, Ashley and Nathan, happy kids, but come on Gran we need to get on a play




Emma's smile close up

Nathan's smile close up

Happy family, camping trailer ready to take on holiday


Thursday, November 29, 2012

Ixopo Primary School Bird club visit Blue Swallow nest site

On 28th November Sue, Rina, Mbeki and I took twenty seven members of IPS birding club out for lunch,  we went to Korongo valley farm, this is the home to endangered Blue Swallow.  We were hoping to see these endangered little Blue Birds enjoying the sunny warm weather, but sadly we did not see any.  The artificial nest site built by the late Dr Jacky Morford has been used for about 12 years, last year the nest was destroyed, presumably by a Genet or other roaming wild critter.  This site is now being used as a 'cat latrine'

The happy group of birders ready for an exciting, fun filled day















Rina spoke to the children about the endangered Blue Swallows, key words were:  Blue Swallow, Endangered, habitat loss, mist belt grasslands, sink hole and save paper, these are the words that the children were encouraged to used in the song they made up.











We walked up to the Blue Swallow nest site, normally if the birds were around, we would not take anyone to this nest site, but because there has been no sign of the birds here this season we took the children in small groups.
Rina looking for the Blue Swallow nest site

 Nest Site that is over grown
The artificial nesting hole that has been used by Blue Swallow for many years. 




















After looking at the nest site the group went back to Korongo Guest House for our lunch.















 Rina show children the juvenile Common Fiscal that was at the base of a nearby tree. 




Group discussing and planning the Blue Swallow song


The Blue Swallow song




Trip to Aliwal North

Trip to Aliwal North
Stunning sandstone formations between Elliot and Barkley East

Kramberg Mountain Aliwal North

Kramberg Mountain Aliwal North
Wow the rock formations on Kramberg are amazing