NOTES FROM AN UNDERBERG COTTAGE

Snow

2012-08-07T10:38:00.002+02:00

We are getting snowed in here on the farm. It has been snowing since about 2 am and now its time to sit in front of the fire and keep warm. There's no real reason to get dressed up and so we are in our pyjamas!

The cats are buried under blankets near the fire, which makes perfect sense. We are fortunate that our electricity is still on but it may go out as it usually does when we get snow. Our Eskom team are really great when there's damage to the lines and they spare no effort in trying to get things up and running.

Keep warm everyone.

Recycling

2012-07-28T17:42:00.001+02:00

The telephone lines have been stolen yet again. The third time in two months. These wires are being sent, probably to China and are coming back here in hi-tech consumer products and Chinese cars! The wires have gone from where they were replaced a few days ago opposite Puckety Farm to the old Post Office building right in front of the Underberg school. I suppose if one wants to know more about Telkom one should look at the DSTV History Channel.

Privacy

2012-07-20T11:25:00.001+02:00

I must apologise for the problem caused by the "Privacy" logo on the site. It suddenly decided that it was the carrier of viruses. I have removed it from this site so you should not have a "warning " when you enter the site. I do assure you that any information on this site remains here and is NEVER passed on to any third party. I do not ask for your personal details as this site is for your entertainment and interests only.

Many thanks. Rob Stayt

2012-07-15T11:16:00.002+02:00

Hi folks.

A huge apology for the long delay in posts. Many things have happened since the last post. Actually things are not that bad so there is no need to play the Last Post as we are well and happy. We are keeping warm during these chilly days with the help of a nice old fashioned cast iron fireplace and a heater or two. The cats help in a big way with the "keep warm project" and spend their nights at the foot of our bed. It is quite amazing just how much space two little cats take up on a double bed!

A time comes when your number is up! About five weeks ago my number was called and I managed to get my left thumb sliced up in the circular saw. Working with machinery and getting too familiar with them, the inevitable will happen. ZAP! And I was another statistic in the "SAWN THUMB" fraternity. I had quite a time getting this damn thumb sown up as the doctor was away, the paramedics were not confident to sew it up and the vet does not take our medical aid. So off to Howick hospital I drove, thumb pointing up and wondering just how much pain I was in for. The Doctor there was great and I returned home with a sleeping, stitched thumb. However....... my thumb woke up and, oh boy, the pain! I definitely felt my heartbeat, thump, thumb, thump, thumb...... The lesson? Do not try this at home. In fact do not try this anywhere. And, machine safety guards are there for a reason! So the woodwork is on hold for a while until the thumb is healed and the machine guards are in place.

Well now. Liz has been to East London to spend time with her sister. I and the cats kept the home fires burning, so to speak, while she was away. WE DID SURVIVE! And now Liz is home and all is well, except for the cold, that is.

Our little Duiker doe spent most of yesterday sitting in our garden as the wind was howling and she wanted to be sheltered. She is such a pretty little girl and we are so privileged to have her with us. I see her almost every day. Last week I had a visitor to show me the telecom stuff that he sells and he was somewhat excited to see her in the garden.

Our telephone line was finally stolen four weeks ago and so it has been cellphones and not much contact with the outside world. On Thursday evening the phone started to work but last night I think the line got blown away by the wind. We are getting a phone that works off the cellular system sharing all service provider's equipment but with much lower call costs. The phone costs R99-99 +vat per month and there is no contract, no set-up fees and no installation costs. So if we don't like it we just give them 1 month's notice and they come and take it away. I am also thinking of being an agent for this company in this area. The nice thing bout this phone is that it is completely separate from anything and I can take it to the loo or put it next to the bed or take it with me to town!

Empty Pole Syndrome

2012-05-20T14:52:00.002+02:00

We live in exciting times in South Africa. A copper mine has opened in the Underberg district. Two weeks ago a few kilometres of telephone cable was stolen from the district leaving several subscribers without a telephone service.

There are some scrap dealers who will buy and sell anything to make a buck. They are receiving stolen Telkom property without so much as a "Where did this come from?" The perpetrators come into the district in the dead of night and cut the cables. They use a form of cable stripper to slice the cable sheath along it's length and then pull the copper conductors out. The conductors are then put into a fire which burns off the plastic insulation. The burned copper is then taken to their "Honest" scrap dealer who then sells it on for reprocessing.

Just imagine, the wiring in your car may have hung from telephone poles outside your house!

Well I have got myself set up on Skype with an account and an international telephone number. We are all going to need some sort of backup for our comms. I have been trying to organise a radio telephone link system for the farmers in the district but have been informed that I would never get licensed by ICASA. So what are Telkom going to do about this theft? Nothing! Subscribers are being told that their telephone service is discontinued as the wires have been stolen and they can apply for the 8TA Telkom cellular service! What a wonderful service provider. Of course there is a satellite telephone service but do you really want to pay R10 000-00 or so for installation and then R300-00 per month before you make calls? Nah! I'll go with Skype or, if I can, set up a VOIP telephone service here for the local community (I have the software already and just need ADSL, which I know I won't get on the farm.)

Viva free enterprise! Snatch a kilo of copper today!

Free Telegram Service

2012-04-16T15:55:00.000+02:00

Hi folks. We now offer a free telegram service whereby you e-mail us your message and the e-mail address of the person you want to send it to. We do the rest. We create a telegram message and send it on to the person you are sending it to and a copy goes to you. Go to our Telephone Collector's site and give it a bash. http://telecolsa.blogspot.com/

Here's an example telegram

Harvest Time

2012-04-09T16:19:00.002+02:00

Harvest time is not without it's excitement. One of the combine harvesters drove past our cottage this morning taking the Telkom line with it to the maize field. What do you do when this happens? Simple. You fix it and hope Telkom does not take too long to get here! So I dug out some old telegraph arms, spindles, bolts and insulators and got busy.

THE RESULTS!

The Shortest Telkom Pole In Underberg

So now we have our phone working again all-be-it temporary service!

And This Is The Second Shortest Pole!

It happens to be our gatepost with a few adornments.

Stock Theft

2012-04-07T10:15:00.003+02:00

The radio's crackling and blaring; calls for more help; fences cut; more cattle have been stolen. The farmers are out in force and some of them will be going right into Lesotho to track and round up cattle. This tracking can take days in the mountains and physical fitness is essential. Stock theft is an ongoing crime in the area and so almost every week there are incidents. Our airforce sit on the ground as there is no planning, fuel or support for the farmers. A new thing in our area is people coming up from the cities and slaughtering cattle on the roadside at night. They take the meat and abandon the rest of the carcases. It's a terrible thing for dairy farmers who nurture and love their animals. What madness is this?

City folks; there is no such thing as a "Rich Farmer Who Has Everything". The farmers are a hard working breed and so when you see them in their mercs or four-by-four's, remember the 24-7 time that is put in to their farms, the labour problems, the break downs, the costs, the late nights, the early mornings in the freezing cold and the work every day that goes into realising such pleasures. Life in the country is hard, but fun and challenging. Although I'm not a farmer I know the effort that goes into farming. I would not change my life living among the farmers for the world.

Solar Heating

2012-04-07T09:58:00.000+02:00

I have been given 15 old and battered solar panels! There needs to be a lot of refurbishing and fiddling to get thm up and running. I am going to build a tank stand with three water drums on top and the solar panels on the sloping side facing north. I'll put up two panels and plumb them to a tank so we'll have hot water when our power goes off in the summer. The next drum will be connected to a donkey boiler to heat water in the winter. (Dunno what we are going to do with all the boiled donkies after winter!) The third drum will contain plain cold water for when the power is out and the pumps stop. So progress is being made.

I suppose the next trick will be to build a horse operated generator. Good old horsepower. Or maybe the unboiled donkies will do.

Wattle logs are piling up at a good rate and more are on the way. We can never have enough firewood in our winter here. When we run out there is a flurry of fetch-'n-carry before we have to start burning the antiques to keep warm. One positive thing is that chopping wood keeps me warm!

Splashy Fenn is under way this weekend and we are well out of the way. The noise and traffic are about 30 kms away which suits us fine. The roads are very busy and the police are searching vehicles at roadblocks every day. Nice to be home!

First Snow

2012-04-03T20:07:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we had our first snow on the mountain top. There was snow at Sani Pass as well and I suppose this is all in preparation for Splashy Fenn. And, if it does not rain then they are going to have to cancell Splashy as it always rains on this weekend.

Take note: For those of you who are concerned there is our new service on Privacy. Go to http://privconsult.blogspot.com/ You will be able to buy our PRIVACY GUIDELINES booklet for R50-00 and then you are automatically subscribed. We will provide updates and privacy assistance to all those who are subscribed.

These two products have appeared out of the Country Wagon Company factory:

Is it a horse.... or is it a dog? You decide!

More display easels.

Beans

2012-02-25T10:16:00.003+02:00

For the past four months we have had a huge amount of beans from our one bean plant. It is quite amazing that this little bush can produce so many beans. And, the more you harvest the more they produce to be harvested. This little bean bush is so very kind to us. We have had many meals with beans as one of the vegetables, and when I say this I mean at least a handful of beans for each of us.

What a wonderful pastime our veggie patch is. We've been blessed with potato's, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato's, lettuce, cabbage, leaks, spinach, rocket, maize, butternut and are waiting for the pumpkins to happen. We are putting stuff away in the freezer for the winter months too. Our crop of weeds is remarkable, but then they are the garden companions we share and do battle with.

The trick, it seems is to have an unlimited supply of kraal manure and some snail bait. Water is nearby so the summer months are fruitful. And on the subject of fuit, our apple tree has been breaking it's branches to give us hundreds if not thousands of apples. The plumb tree was a great supplier of fresh fruit for the table but, alas, it has stopped it's production of fruit for the season.

I wish we could eat the fruit of the lawn. That mix of eragrostis and kikuyu is waging a war against the lawnmower. Never mind, the winter will take over the labours of the lawnmower when the season changes.

Getting the garden sprayed with bug spray

2012-02-02T14:30:00.001+02:00

Do you think it's a bit ambitious having someone come and spray the veggies with bug spray? Perhaps a bit "over the top", as it were, (damn puns) but great fun to watch.

This plane was about thirty feet off the top of the maize at this point. The pilot had to climb to get over the telephone line and the power line. That's a 24 foot wooden telephone pole bellow the plane and the power poles are to my right (out of the pic).

I do so wish I was the pilot and I do miss my flying days, but that was so long ago.

These crop sprayer pilots are really good at what they do. His turn around time landing, refilling the hopper, getting airborne and back to the fields again is around five minutes. Fantastic! They do get a helping hand now days using GPS systems that mark the dropping lines in the fields. In one circuit he sprayed three fields and then around again for the next run. The three fields of maize were sprayed in about 35 minutes. Now that saves a lot of labour and farm machinery wear.

Oh yes he did fly over the fence and in fact the power line on to of the pole on the right.

Over the maize and almost to our veggie patch

Of course he was a gentleman and did not disturb the cats too much. Amazingly quiet these turboprop engines now days.

Then! In the early afternoon the wind got up and blew hard at me and then the rain came bucketing down. In twenty minutes we had 65 mm in the rain gauge. We had a lot of hail along with the rain and the poor veggies got a good pounding. They survived pretty well, however and I collected a good handful of beans.

The Little factory got flooded and so production is at a halt. A little bit of cleaning in the next few days and things will be back on track.

Drak Challenge Canoe Race: Umzimkulu River, Underberg

2012-01-21T13:59:00.001+02:00

As I write this the first leg of the Drak Challenge is underway. The start is at Castleburn where the Umlambanjwa river joins the Umzimkulu river. In the past we have had over one thousand entries, local and overseas, to this adventurous race. Tomorrow the second leg of the race begins at 08:00 and the first canoe's should pass our cottage at around 11:00. We have planned to go down to the river, which is about 50 metres from our front door, to watch. We have some friends and relatives coming to join us so it should be an interesting day. Hopefully the rain that is falling in the mountains today will raise the river for better racing on the second leg.

I may be able to put up some pic tomorrow evening so there will be more to see on this site. So keep an eye out folks.

2012 We are in the future!

2012-01-02T19:48:00.000+02:00

2012 We are in the future!

Dear family, friends and visitors,
We wish you all the very best for 2012 and may all your dreams for this year come true.
Kind regards and be happy.
Rob & Liz

2012 Мы находимся в будущем!

Дорогие семьи, друзей и посетителей,
Мы желаем вам всего самого наилучшего в 2012 году и, возможно, все ваши мечты на этот год сбываются.
С наилучшими пожеланиями и быть счастливым.
Rob & Liz

2012 We zijn in de toekomst!

Lieve familie, vrienden en bezoekers,
Wij wensen jullie allemaal het allerbeste voor 2012 en mogen al je dromen voor dit jaar uitkomen.
Met vriendelijke groet en gelukkig zijn.
Rob & Liz

2012 Wir sind in die Zukunft!

Liebe Familie, Freunde und Besucher,
Wir wünschen Ihnen alles Gute für 2012 und können alle Ihre Träume für dieses Jahr wahr werden.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen und glücklich sein.
Rob & Liz

2012 Mēs arī turpmāk!

Dārgie ģimene, draugi un apmeklētājiem,
Mēs vēlam jums visu labāko 2012 un visi var savus sapņus šogad piepildīsies.
Ar cieņu un būt laimīgs.
Rob & Liz

2012 Jesteśmy w przyszłości!

Drodzy rodziny, przyjaciół i gości,
Życzymy wszystkiego najlepszego w roku 2012 i może wszystkie swoje marzenia na ten rok się spełniły.
Pozdrawiam i być szczęśliwym.
Rob & Liz

2012 Rydym yn y dyfodol!

Annwyl teulu, ffrindiau ac ymwelwyr,
Dymunwn y gorau iawn ar gyfer 2012 ac efallai y bydd eich holl freuddwydion gyfer y flwyddyn hon yn dod yn wir.
Cofion cynnes a bod yn hapus.
Rob & Liz

2012 ми знаходимося в майбутньому!

Дорогі сім'ї, друзів і відвідувачів,
Ми бажаємо вам всього самого найкращого в 2012 році і, можливо, всі ваші мрії на цей рік збуваються.
З найкращими побажаннями і бути щасливим.
Rob & Liz

Veggies and Electric Protection

2011-10-01T15:35:00.001+02:00

After having several tools and equipment stolen out of the garage we have decided that our electric fence is a priority and I have been busy. The front fence is complete and the cables buried for the gates and to feed the fence. We have an energiser with an output of abount 11 000 volts. Now I recon that this will get the attention of any would be theft artist. The garage doors are going to be wired up to the system soon and that will help a great deal. Replacement tools and sundries are expensive these days and I have to protect them and ourselves against intruders.

What a sad thing to have to do. I remember as a little boy here there was never a locked door to be found. Many farmers would go away for a few days leaving the house open and the tractor and bakkie keys in their ignitions. The milk cans stood beside the gatepost with the post bag hanging on the post right next to the road. If you did that today all would dissappear never to be seen again. In fact the gates often get stolen too.

Meantime it has started to rain this afternoon and we are off to braai later on. I can hear thunder so its time to unplug everything.

Craft Sale At Underberg

2011-09-17T17:21:00.000+02:00

Today Liz and I went off to the local church craft sale and poitjie pot competition. Within the first 15 minutes the first wagon was sold and I have two confirmed orders for wagons as presents in December. The sign did not do so well but I'll continue making them and see what happenes. I sold one "Under 'OLD' management" and the guy who bought it was happy to pay R25-00 for it. We'll see how it goes.

Oh, and we did not get any telephone orders. (For telephones or wagons)

Spring Has Sprung

2011-09-17T09:35:00.001+02:00

We have had our first spring rain. 3mm! Well spring has starting and the grass is growing. The green is a welcome sight to us and the cows. The problem with the lawn starts as well. The grass grows faster than one can think. So it will be back to pushing a noisy electric motor mower around the lawn thinkinrg that's it for two weeks. Well, in two weeks we are back in the long grass in which the cats get lost.

Speaking of cats, our two. Ruby and Alli, seem to have a drug problem and we are trying to help them beat the odds and survive. Actually they love it and it is a healthy drug problem.

This speaks for itself (Hey Alli!)

Eh?

2011-09-14T14:33:00.001+02:00

I wish that my room had a floor;

I don't so much care for a door;

But this crawling around

Without touching the ground

Is getting to be quite a bore.

Spring is is the air?

2011-08-31T15:33:00.000+02:00

Well I certainly hope so! It has been a lot warmer for the last few weeks but our weather will sneak up on us and the next thing we'll have snow again. The days are really wonderful as it is warm and sunny. We have, so far, had a lucky fire season this year as there have not been many runaways. The grass in the block-burnt areas is quickly turning green and the lawn mower will soon be taking strain on our lawn.

Block burning on the farm next door

Family spent a few days with us and so we caught up on news and all had a pleasant time. Nev took some fantastic photo's and has added to his vast collection of pix.

"The Country Wagon Company" has produced the first wagon and material (plus a mountain of sawdust) is being prepared for the production of lots more. They will be available in several colours and I'm sure kids will enjoy them. Take a look at the picture below.

Number 1 wagon off the production line

We have a Longcrested Eagle that patrols our telephone line every day. He is one of our most beautiful birds on the farm.

Nev's pic of the Longcrestad Eagle

Oh No! More Snow

2011-08-15T11:13:00.001+02:00

Three weeks ago we had snow. This was a heavy snow and the power was off for three days, telephones out for two weeks and cellphones off for a week. There was major damage throughout the district and we are slowly recovering. Last night it snowed again but this time it was a light sprinkling so we had no damage. Closer to the mountains there have been heavier snowfalls but I have not had any info on that area.

This is fireplace weather and we're pretty much stuck at home as the road from the farm is very goopy.

I DON'T LIKE SNOW!

Vultures

2011-07-06T17:29:00.000+02:00

This morning we saw vultures circling the field opposite our house. There was a carcase of a sheep or something equally as big that they were after. Within fifteen minutes there must have been about 50 vultures picking at the carcase. After about half an hour they had had their fill and flown away leaving a few crows to peck at the bones. Amazing! We were fascinated by the vultures' antics and the way they flew in and landed. Pretty much like a busy airport. They come and tidy up after death and leave just bones behind. The wonderful thing is that the vulture population has been at great risk but seems to be bouncing back. How do they communicate to one another the good news of food? I really don't know.

Vulture restaurant

Oh So Cold

2011-06-28T10:54:00.001+02:00

We had minus eight deg C this morning. So my little truck (known locally as a Bakkie) was frozen and the guinee fowls were tiptoeing in the fields. Such is life in the mountains, glove and coat weather.

Fire Season

2011-06-16T16:30:00.003+02:00

We are back into fire season. Today we had a howling wind and two runaway fires in the district. One was on a farm on the Drakensberg Gardens road. Firebreaks were burned there yesterday and some logs were left smouldering. The wind restarted the fire and it ran. It has, after a couple of hours and a lot of help, been put under control.

On this side of the district one of our neighbouring farms had a fire in the mielie field. Fortunately it did not run and was sorted out very quickly by responding farmers.

So, it's "here we go again" fire season. Hopefully today is not the prelude to the terribly destructive fires we had last year.

Keep warm everyone.

Sunset And Signpost

2011-06-05T15:41:00.001+02:00

Something special about the winter in our part of the world are the spectacular sunsets. Well now, we just have to share one with you. And, oh yes, our new "temporary" gate sign is also here for you to see. The Jersey cows are ready for the winter and their coats are darkening. They're putting on their winter jerseys as it were. The marshmallows in the background are in fact bales of millet wrapped in plastic sheeting. They are ready as feed for the cows during the long cold winter. The green grass in the pic has now turned brown from the heavy frosts we have had.

Enjoy the pics!

What a Load of Bull

2011-06-04T16:07:00.000+02:00

Last evening a bull from our neighbour's farm went walk-about and wound up in our garden. So we had this old fella roaming around most of the night. I suspect he may have broken the gate hook but I doubt it. A bull normally stops at gates (we hope). During the night he knocked over the birdbath, loudly. The sound reverberated around the valley. Sometime this morning he was fetched and taken home. He has left us a few gooey trophies from his visit so navigating the garden at night will not be without its hazards. Prairy Oysters they are called.

Maybe it is time to put up a sign notifying the public, "The farmer allows hikers to cross his land for free, but the bull charges".

Speaking of signs, I made a little sign for our front gate. "Rob & Liz Stayt" printed on a4 paper and cut to size to fit the board, glued on and then varnished over. So far the frost and rain have not worn it out!