-
Goodbye Akela & Kenya
The oddest couple – and true soulmates – who were my ‘kids’ for over 14 years, are no more. Akela the Grey Wolf – wilful, insightful, submissive and far more intelligent than any dog. Kenya the Staffie – ‘n liefbare dier in the words of a 4-year old, Mr Personality and loved by all. He…
-
Growing old is not for sissies!
Akela the wolf turned 14 years old yesterday — that’s a venerable 98 in human years! And she shared her celebratory dinner (pig’s trotters) with Kenya the staffie (14½) and Beezus the pomchi (1½). For Beezus, it was his first “dedicated” bone, as opposed to dinner left-overs, and his small piece absorbed him totally for…
-
The sustainability of Limpopo’s towns
If one thing stands out about Limpopo for me, it is that it’s an inside-out province. The towns, in general, offer no attraction whatsoever while the country areas are stunning! The towns, generally, are a mess! One Polokwane product owner on CapeInfo wrote to say that Limpopo Tourism is embarking on a roadshow to find…
-
The town that lost its soul
This is a story about a mining town where very few people feel good about themselves and the lives they lead. It’s worst among the whites who feel trapped without upward mobility and with limited opportunity — a characteristic of most mining towns. It is a very patriarchal, church-going community. Speak to anyone and they…
-
Lessons for a lapdog
One Sunday, just after lunch, the phone rang and Stephanie said she had to dash off and would explain later. She arrived back a little later with… a really tiny dog of indeterminate breed. It was about the size of a small hamster and looked like a cross between a hamster and a rabbit with…
-
For the love of wolves
[youtube MLTP53WTN9M] Just a reminder of one of the reasons for the travels — Akela the wolf!
-
The Diet of Worms
Right… so from this photo you must realise that these Worms have nothing to do with the Diet of Worms (the reichstag in the town of Worms, Germany) which issued the Edict of Worms in 1521, declaring Martin Luther to be a heretic and banning the reading or possession of his writings. Gonimbrasia belina is…
-
Unravelling the mystery of Mokopane — Andy’s story
I’ve never struggled to understand a town quite as much as I’ve struggled to understand Mokopane, a town which somehow seems to have lost its soul — until I met Andy Goetsch, a born-and-bred resident and president of the local chamber of commerce. When he told his family’s story, everything came together. “You must understand…
-
What a great not-so-little museum!
Mokopane has the most amazing museum, but it’s set way back from the main road and hidden behind the chamber of commerce and tourism office. The Arend Dieperink Museum is a bequest by Arend Dieperink (1909-1986), a government employee, who began his collection at the age of 12 and handed it over to the Potgietersrus…