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Showing posts with the label neighbours

You're in the country

Photograph by George Angus You know you live in the country when: - You drive for kilometres on end on the wrong side of the dirt road because for some reason or the other that side has fewer ditches and muddy patches. And of course because there are no cars coming from the opposite direction; - “At least 3 km” is one way of pronouncing “Neighbour”. “Support” is another; - They tell you in town that you can bring the empty gas bottle next time you come in. And then let you pay for the refill as if you’ve already done that; - It is pitch dark when you switch off your lights at night. And dead silent. The call of the Spotted Eagle Owl does not count as noise; - You are constantly reminded that our solar system has a Milky Way; - People understand that you have a spanner in mind when you are looking for a “bobbejaan” (Afrikaans word for “Baboon”). And that you use that, a shifting and pliers often; - You cannot phone anybody wh...

Neighbour or guide?

Photograph by George Angus  Sunday morning past m y dad drove with me as I went to pick up the keys of our new home on the farm near Wakkerstroom. On our way back to the cottage where we stayed for the weekend, closer to town, we came across this fellow. He was having a late morning nap on the warm dirt road just where you cross the Thaka River. He didn’t even bother to get up when we had to pass very close by. If I’m not mistaken he was saying: “Welcome to Wakkerstroom.” Or maybe: "Ignore me folks. I'm just your local guide to Ithaka." (See the post Is this our next adventure on the way to Ithaka? ) George