Yolande Pienaar

Personal Projects for 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:23:00 +0000

For the last couple of weeks, since December 2010, I have been setting goals for the year 2011. Well, you might say, this is nothing new, everybody does this. My goals, however, keep shifting in timeline.

I made a firm promise to myself that this year I would do the following and it is not negotiable:
1. Publish a novel or at least get one accepted by a publisher,
2. Produce enough vegetables to not only supply our own household – I am already doing that, but to sell and supply to needy families in the local community,
3. Get my African Grey parrots settled on the farm and have them start breeding again. All of this needs to be done while still working a full time job at DKP Investigations and helping on the farm.

This doesn’t seem like much of a goal, but life has a strange way of getting in the way of realising your goals.

The two novels I have finished, need to be edited. I HATE EDITING and I keep finding more important things to do – like updating the blog! I am itching to start with a new novel, but have to finish editing the others first. Finding the time to read your own writing and being critical about it, is not that easy. One tends to read over the mistakes or start doubting your own abilities.

As for producing the vegetables, I have to wait to get the tunnel installed and at the moment, the men just don’t have the time to prepare the earth for the project. We are located on a hilly slope and the ground has to be levelled first. So now I wait…and wait… and wait. Hopefully this will get done before the end of the month, but at the rate we are progressing now, that timeline might also shift.

The African Grey Parrots were supposed to be relocated by the end of January, but again, construction on their housing haven’t even started yet. I love it when we have African Grey parrot chicks in the house as it means I am forced to work until their 2am feeding time and the house is quiet from 10pm onwards. Many of my novels were written during that time.

Well, I hope to have the novel edited before I go the Kruger National Park in the first week of March so that I can celebrate my anniversary with a clear conscience. I’ll keep you posted on how I get along with realising the goals.

How Much to Feed African Grey Parrot Babies When Hand Rearing

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 06:26:00 +0000

The amount of formula to feed an African Grey Parrot chick and the times between feedings vary from bird to bird.As stated in a reply to a previous post, African Grey chicks are like children – each has their own needs and personality.

How Often Should you Feed the African Grey Parrot Chick?

The general rule of thumb is to feel the chick’s crop. If the crop is nearly empty, it is time to feed the baby.

What we usually do is to start feeding every three hours from the time we take them from the nest – usually at three or four weeks. We monitor the crop clearing carefully during that time to make sure the crop never completely empties. You should also take care not to leave too much food in the crop as this could lead to illnesses in the chick.

When you find that the crop is empty after two hours, you need to decrease the time between feeds and if the crop is still relatively firm after three hours, increase the time between feeds.

Here is an African Grey parrot chick with a nearly empty crop.

And here is the chick with a full crop.

Your bird therefore mostly dictates how often he/she should be fed.

How Much to Feed your African Grey Parrot Chick

When the chick is still very small, you need to feel the crop to make sure you don’t under or over feed the chick. When the crop is feeling stiff, not hard though, the chick will have enough formula for the time being, Overfeeding can lead to the chick bringing up the excess formula and underfeeding will be detrimental to the bird as it would stem development of the bird. As the parrot babies get older, they will stop feeding when they’ve had enough.

They will also begin to show interest in other foods like shelled sunflower seed, fruit and a boiled mixture of other seeds. From about six to eight weeks we introduced these foods slowly before and after feeding the formula to get the birds accustomed to a variety of other food except formula and sunflower seeds.

Abusers are Cowards

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:59:00 +0000

Yes, you read correctly. All child-, animal- and woman abusers are cowards. How can I make such an generalization?

Easy, I worked in the courts for 10 years and this included being a criminal prosecutor, criminal magistrate and commissioner of the children’s court. After that I practiced as attorney, so I dare say I have some (although not perfect) insight into what character traits an abuser has. How do I justify the statement? This is my personal opinion not something I read somewhere:

1. Abusers are cowards because they are too afraid to attack someone their own size who can defend themselves against the abuse.

2. Abusers are cowards because they are afraid to face up to what and who they are – they would much rather blame the abuse on the victim by alleging the victim asked for the abuse.

Today I need to share with you the story of Jack and how Jack came to live with us. If I seem harsh, please understand that I have been mad enough to give a puffadder (snake) an open mouth kiss for the last nearly two months.

A Little Background

We live on a farm just outside Balfour on the old road between Balfour and Greylingstad. Due to the Burnstone Goldmine which opened about 4km away, this road carries a lot of traffic. Heavy vehicles make use of the road day and night and because we are situated on a small hill, the speed limit is very seldom adhered to. Road works on the new road linking the towns caused long waiting periods so most people chose to use this road instead to save time.

I have three dogs of my own, two Jack Russel terriers and a Boerbull, which I adore. The first thing we did when moving in was to ensure the yard is fenced in so that the dogs would be safe. The two Jack Russels, Mica and Terri (for terrorist) sleep with us every night and accompany us wherever we go. They are like children in the house and everyone adores them.

Jack’s History

A couple of weeks ago, I think it was about 7 weeks ago, my son called me to watch as people in a newish Opel Corsa motor vehicle put two small dogs out of their car opposite the entrance to our farm. At first I couldn’t believe what I saw, but then the Corsa slowly pulled away in the opposite direction and the two dogs trotted behind. The car then accelerated and disappeared from view. How far the dogs ran to try and catch up with their owners, I don’t know, but over the course of the next few weeks they often ran in that direction, obviously trying to see if their owners will return for them.

Jack and a Fox-terrier-breed dog were dumped next to the road like yesterday’s garbage. The most upsetting part of this was that the dogs were in good condition and well cared for. I can’t adequately describe the feelings (anger, disbelief, sadness) which I experienced that day. We drove up and down the road to try and find the dogs, but they were nowhere to be seen.

Two days later we saw the two dogs in our fields. They had managed to dodge the traffic and stay alive. Bear in mind, these dogs were not used to fending for themselves and I can’t even begin to imagine the terror they went through trying to find something to eat and a safe place to sleep. At that stage it was still bitterly cold. What really broke my heart is when we tried calling them and they hurried away. They were petrified of humans.

As they ran away, the fox-terrier struggled to keep up with Jack and Jack would run for a while and after realizing his companion lagged behind, he would stop, look around and wait for the fox-terrier to catch up. They disappeared in the same direction the Corsa drove off in and we didn’t see them again for a couple of days.

About a week later we drove into town and found the dogs next to the road going through garbage. Their condition were terrible. Both dogs were thin and scruffy. Upon our return to the farm, I put down some food next to a dilapidated building some distance from the house in the hope that they would find it.

The first day the food remained untouched, but the next day the plastic tin was empty and dragged some distance away from the building. I thought they were too scared to navigate close to buildings for fear of human interaction (they must have been chased away so many times while trying to get food) and I moved the container with the food to our entrance gate, close to the road. In the photo below you can see the long driveway leading to the busy road.

Over the next couple of weeks they often ate from the tin and regularly visited the food source. All of us tried several times to approach the dogs, but the ran away as you approached. Two weeks ago I decided to move the tin halfway up the driveway to get them away from the road.

Jack came to eat, but his friend was not with him. We drove up the road and our worst fears were realized. The fox-terrier was hit by a truck and lay dead in the road. Seeing the terrier lying on its back with its feet tucked up, was a sight I wish on no animal lover. He/she looked so much like our own dog, Mica that I cried for hours, cursing the people who left the dogs. How could anyone call themselves human if they allowed this to happen to an animal that only asked for food and love and in return rewarded you with unfailing loyalty and love?

Jack was now alone and despite the food, he remained painfully thin every time I saw him. About 8 days ago, Jack first investigated the house and surroundings. He must have been extremely lonely without his friend, but he was skittish. It was over the lunch hour and the yard was quiet with nobody walking outside. From my office window I saw Jack sauntering closer and closer to the house. I held my breath as he went to lie in the shadow of an oak tree close to the gate. When my husband returned from town, he didn’t run away immediately, but the Boerboel saw him and barked. Jack ran like lightning down the road.

I Finally Meet Jack

Over the next couple of days he remained close to the house but didn’t venture into the yard again. He ate his food regularly and last Friday he watched me from the nearby hill as I walked down the road to put his food in the tin. The whole of Saturday we saw him around the yard, within viewing distance of the house and we moved his tin to the tree just outside the gate at around midday. Being closer to the house, I could now also put some water in a container for him. We watched him eat and drink water from a safe distance.

By dusk, I checked on the food and water again and as I straightened from pouring the food into the container… there was Jack…crawling towards me…waving his tail. Between the tears, I went down on my knees and he immediately turned on his back so I could scratch his belly. I could feel every single rib with barely any flesh under the skin. He whined softly and wagged his tail constantly. I called my husband to help me introduce him to the rest of the family and Jack immediately went to him and allowed him to pet him.

Jack was filthy, his body riddled with ticks and fleas and before we took him to meet the rest of the family we dosed him with Frontline to help him get rid of the pests. The introductions went well, but Jack refused to let either me or my husband out of his sight and whined when we left him. After a hearty meal and plenty of water he settled down on the enclosed veranda for the night. He was obviously used to being indoors and early on Sunday morning we let him out without him making a mess inside the house. Now, Jack sleeps inside on a warm bed with food and water always on hand. He already accepted us as his new family and is very protective of everyone in the family.

Now meet Jack and tell me why anyone would dump this cutie next to the road and leave him to die.

Animal Abuse

So, what constitutes animal abuse?

Failing to provide an animal with sufficient food, water and shelter are the most common methods of animal abuse. Many people want to have a pet and buys one without really thinking it through. Animals have needs just like humans do. They cannot fend for themselves and are totally dependant on their human owners to provide for them.

When the small puppies grow into bigger dogs, many dog owners feel the dogs are too much work. This happens every day, but it still doesn’t excuse the dumping of animals next to the road and leaving them to fend for themselves. The SPCA has branches all over the country and when animal owners feel they are no longer able to care for the animals, doing the humane thing would be to approach the nearest SPCA to assist them in finding a new home for the animal. The SPCA website has a list of telephone numbers that are regularly updated and help is only a telephone call away.

Like I said, abusers are cowards too afraid to face up to what they really are.

Lost the Groove - Where's my Mojo?

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Today is one of those days that I wish I worked for a company and not for myself and I could get to say I am sick to go home. Not that I ever did that, but it would be nice to do so once in a while when you're feeling sorry for yourself and it seems that nothing worthwhile is happening in your life - or rather, nothing you do is worthwhile doing as you seem to accomplish absolutely nothing with 18 hours of work per day.

Yep, I am feeling sorry for myself. I guess everyone has those days, its just I am not used to them. Being busy 90% of my waking hours means I don't get much time to ponder things that bother me and which I have no control over. Today though, my attention span is non-existent, my temper short and my patience thin. Why? I have no clue!

Writing usually solves the problem, but today the mojo took a vacation. I have no desire to edit the book I planned to send to the publishers (notice the past tense) nor the inclination to write the myriad of articles needed to maybe someday supplement my income. Going at it for nearly two years with only peanuts to show doesn't exactly create motivation in my mind. Add the dwindling page views (nobody has the answer as to why) and the accompanying revenue drop and you will also feel like slamming the keyboard against the wall and walking out.

Add to the above the fact that a publisher now has been reviewing a novel for nearly 5 months with no answer - not even a peep, you will understand the frustration setting in. Reason? How the hell do I know if the hours spent writing (which is fun) and editing (which is horribly hard work) are good enough to be considered for publishing. How do you motivate yourself to continue writing / editing when you have no clue as to the worth of the stories in your head?

Don't get me wrong. I will keep writing down the stories in my head until the day I die - it is like breathing - a requirement for me to live. Knowing they are not good enough to share with the great world out there, would eliminate the editing process...I hope. Talk to any writer and you will hear that they always strive to do better, to improve their writing skills, to find a way to more effectively tell the story in their minds. Mmm, I foresee a problem. Stories need to be told, which translates to someone has to hear/read them. Editing will thus not be eliminated - a writers ego wouldn't allow unedited work to be displayed.

Darn, looks like I will be stuck with the whole process whether I like it or not. Let me go for a walk and ponder this some more.

Walking is as good as any therapy session - did you know that? While walking on our small farm the sun reflected on the yellowing grass harboring Cape Long claws (Oranjekeelkalkoentjies for the Afrikaans speaking readers) and I realized that I could see. Wow, how many people out in the world are unable to see the miracles of nature and here I am complaining while I can see the wonderland God created.

I can hear the black-collared Barbet fight with the crested Barbet. I can hear the wind rustling the leaves of the acorn trees and feel them floating down on the breeze. How many people will never experience that?

The biggest factor - I can walk! How cool is that?

This blog post just served to lighten my mood. I have NOTHING to complain about and so much to be thankful for. The mere fact that I am able to write this, is a reason to be grateful. How fickle is the mind of a human. We, who are more privileged than at least 60% of the world's population, tend to moan and groan on how bad we have it, but we conveniently forget about war-torn countries where to breathe and be alive is not guaranteed. We forget about poverty-stricken countries where the next meal, how small it may be, is not a given.

Now I am thoroughly ashamed of writing this post in the first place, but like walking, it served to clear my head and focus on what is important in life. YOU HAVE TO COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS EVERY DAY, EVERY HOUR, EVERY MINUTE. Who knows when some of them will be taken away?

For those of you who read through these ramblings - thank you and may your thoughts always be positive. I'm off to continue editing. Until next time.

Winter Blues in Mpumalanga

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 06:22:00 +0000

Today autumn flipped its leaves into winter. The wind howled around the corners and blew Acorn leaves all over the yard. Suddenly, the grass acquired a grayish tint over the yellow waving stalks.

My nose filled with dry earth and my ears rang with the song of the wind begging to be heard. How did I miss noticing the season of the dead approaching?

But, does everything die in winter? Or is everything not as it seems?

To me, winter signifies rest - not death.

Wild seeds rest peacefully underneath the frozen ground, giving the ground above a chance to recuperate after a lush growth period during spring and summer. Grass die down so that it can sprout new shoots when spring arrives. Everything seems to go into limbo, waiting in breathless suspense for the first thaw to arrive.

Nights spend in front of a crackling fire, roasting marshmellows and drinking hot chocolate more than atone for the inability to brave the unrelenting wind outside. Snuggling against your loved one - whether human or animal - on a cold winters night, shoveling snow from your porch (hmmm - not very likely in South Africa as we treasure the little snow we get) or slipping on early morning frost when the night covered the grass in a blanket of ice, are memories only winter can provide.

In all...I love winter!

How do you feel about winter?

African Grey Baby/Chick - 10 Days Old

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:20:00 +0000

This African Grey Chick is 10 days old and a complete sweetie. We removed him from the nest a little too early ( I think) but he is feeding well and gaining weight. Two days ago the African Grey Chick weighed 130 grams and today a whopping 160 grams. That is a 23% weight gain.

Being alone seems to be the only problem this little one has, but the soft toy we put in with him appears to help ease the loneliness a little. He is much quieter than the other two, but makes soft noises when he notices you or you stroke him.

He is still a bit "naked" and looking at the tiny shafts of feathers appearing, it seems like he will still be that way for a while. At he moment the down on his head gives him the appearance of a semi-punk (which to me adds to the cute level substantially.)

He likes to eat and because the crop didn't clear enough in two and a half hours, we moved the feeding times to every three hours. (After the short break with the other two, this again takes a little getting used to.)

The other two chicks have settled in well with their owners and the reports I get are that they are absolutely the most clever and most cute parrots ever hatched. Hmm, I thought so from the start, but it's great to get positive feedback from their owners. Needless to say, both are being spoiled rotten and are treated like children in the home.

I hope you will enjoy this journey with the growing African Grey chick as much as we do.

Animal Cruelty - NOT FOR SENSITIVE VIEWERS!

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:09:00 +0000

WARNING: THIS IS NOT FOR SENSITIVE VIEWERS!

I considered not posting this story to the blog, but I feel that as many people as possible should be made aware of the cruelty displayed against animals every day. If the post doesn't make sense at times, please forgive me, as I am struggling between utter sadness and being stark raving mad at the moment. Maybe a little background would help you understand why I feel this way.

I have a little dog called Mica. She is a "sort of" Jack Russel Terrier and the absolute light of our lives. We got her from a dear friend when she was seven weeks old and since then she sleeps in our bed, sometimes even eat at our table and is generally the love of everyone at home's life.

She gives unconditional love to everyone and likes nothing more than to just play with you and love you. All she asks is food ( not much by the way) and love - lots of love. Look at the pictures in the slide show and tell me she is not just adorable.

Now the reason for this post is an e-mail I received from a friend. Again - this is not for sensitive viewers. I post the e-mail intact below and request you forward this to as many people as possible.

Our society plays host to a couple of truly sick (evil) people. Understanding how anyone could physically harm another human being is difficult enough, but at least sometimes that other human has a chance of fighting back. Being deliberately cruel to animals I could never and will never understand. This is an unequal fight right from the start and being cruel to a dog, whose inherent nature is to love and protect you, is beyond my brain capacity. How could anyone betray such unwavering trust.

Sorry I ramble on. Here is the post - feel free to comment or to send it on.

THE BACKGROUND STORY

Subject: My name is Lucky Lucy and I was tied to a railway line to be hit by a train.

Hello everyone,

This is one of the saddest stories we have to tell! The pictures are the hardest to look at, I know, but it needs to be seen!

Andre and I went to the SPCA Wellington as we often do to go donate some doggy biscuits, cat litter and rub some of the doggies. We then left to go to the rubbish dump to disperse of our rubbish when a man stopped us to ask if we had a knife. We wanted to know why, so he said come and look! He hopped into the bakkie with us and we proceeded to underneath the R44 bridge next to the railway line, where Andre and I discovered one of the MOST GRUESOME acts of cruelty that the word CRUEL CAN NOT DESCRIBE! Please read below, her story, I tried to put it in words but it's so hard for me, I’m in shock too! The pictures will tell you her own story!

The terror and fear in this doggie is unexplainable! Andre cut her loose and gave her to me to hold, we could see some relief as she took another breath, and as he gave her to me, a train roared past OVER THE EXACT SPOT WHERE SHE WAS A MOMENT AGO! How many trains have gone over her before we found her, is hard to imagine as the trauma she must have faced feeling and seeing the train approach her and she couldn't get away.

We rushed to Market street Animal Hospital where she is presently with our great Vet's Dr. Du Plessis and Dr.van Deventer and Assistant Nurse Adri, who dropped everything to help stabilise her.

We want to go big with this story PLEASE the media need to know about this, we need the public to help us with her and we need the public to see this cruelty.

Circulating this email to your contacts could help too, please.

She is a very strong, special girl!

She has to be stabilized for 2-3 days then Andries Venter, Chief Inspectorate of the Good Hope SPCA offered to do further medical remedial operations by their great team of Vets.

THANK YOU SO MUCH ANDRIES FOR THIS, FOR THE CHANCE TO GIVE HER LIFE AGAIN!

THANK YOU YEAL THAT WE COULD RUSH HER TO THE VET FOR TREATMENT BUT MOST OF ALL THANK YOU THAT WE CAN GIVE HER A CHANCE CAUSE SHE DESERVES IT!!!!

After her operation Andre and I will teach her to love and trust a human again. Then when she is healthy, she will show us who her previous owner is, even if it takes us months, we will find the perpetrator and Lucky Lucy will have her justice!

MY NAME IS LUCKY LUCY AND TODAY I WAS TIED TO A RAILWAY LINE SO A TRAIN COULD HIT ME!

ALL I REMEMBER IS THAT I WAS HAPPY AND PLAYING, I WAS FED AND DIDN’T GO HUNGRY, PERHAPS MY OWNER DID LOVE ME AT ONE STAGE CAUSE I LIVED WELL AND WARM, I WAS CLEAN AND HAD FRIENDS TO PLAY WITH AND I FOUND A BOYFIREND AND CARRIED HIS BABIES, BUT THEN SUDDENLY FOR SOME REASON SOMETHING CHANGED IN MY OWNER.
HE WENT LOOKING FOR A STRONG ROPE, SOMETHING THAT COULDN’T SNAP OR GET LOOSE AND HE TOOK ME WITH HIM, WHICH I THOUGHT WOULD BE THE USUAL STROLL YOU GO ON WITH YOUR OWNER, BUT THEN WE WERE AT THE TRAIN TRACKS AND HE GRABBED ME, TOOK MY BACK HIND LEGS AND STRETCHED THEM OUT TO BE TIED TO MY FRONT LEGS, THEN MY BODY, STRETCHED, WAS TIED TO THE RAILWAY LINE, THEN HE TOOK MY HEAD AND TIED IT TO THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE TRACK IN PLACE, MY HEAD MUST HAVE BEEN A CENTIMETER AWAY FROM THE TRACK.

THEN HE TURNED AND WALKED AWAY, DIDN’T EVEN LOOK BACK, I THOUGHT AT FIRST THIS MUST BE A GAME BUT HE DISSAPEARED. I DIDN’T K NOW WHAT WAS GOING ON, THEN I FELT THE VIBRATION, THEN I SAW THIS HUGE TRAIN COMING AT ME AND I COULDN’T MOVE, I TRIED WITH ALL MY STRENGTH BUT I JUST COULDN’T MOVE……….

THE TRAIN WENT OVER MY LEG, MY PAW WAS GONE AND MY MUSCLE HAD BEEN RIPPED FROM MY ALREADY SMASHED BONE!

I DIDN’T FEEL ANYMORE, I JUST LAY DEADSTILL AND WAITED TO DIE CAUSE A FEW MORE TRAINS PASSED OVER ME…..I JUST CLOSED MY EYES…..

OUT OF NOWHERE THIS MAN SAW ME, HE SCREAMED AND RAN AWAY ONLY TO COME BACK WITH TWO PEOPLE, THEY JUMPED OUT THE CAR AND CUT MY NECK AND PAWS FROM THE ROPES. I DON’T KNOW IF MY LIFE WAS NOW GOING TO BE OVER COMPLETELY CAUSE WHO WOULD KEEP SOMEONE IN MY STATE ALIVE?

BUT AT THE HOSPITAL I HEARD THE LADY AND MAN SAY, “HOLD ON FOR US GIRL, DON’T GIVE UP, WE WILL GIVE YOU LIFE!”

Now I will try my best to pull through, I know they are asking everyone to pray for me, so I will pray for me too

We are excited to tell you all that Lucy's operation went very well. Her leg was amputated above the elbow and she's sleeping and recovering well. Unfortunately though, the pups she was carrying could not be saved.

I hope I am not looking too "hospitally" but I tried posing nicely. I don't know why I feel like I am going to stumble to the side all the time but I think I am doing ok, I ate a great meal this morning again. I think I need to thank A LOT BUT A LOT of people for phoning me here at the hospital, for the people who visited, for the people offering to adopt me and all the people who donated, cause Auntie Richelle told me everyday all about it. I’m hoping that people will see I need the long road ahead to recover and I want to do so peacefully and don't want to move too far away from where I feel safe now, close to my doctor's. I will hope though that all these lovely people who are trying to help me would please try and help my fellow K9's too, they may not have experienced what I have but from what Auntie Richelle tells me (wow she does not stop talking) they also have been through some traumatic experiences and still need the help today, be it with a small donation towards them too or even adopting one in the remembrance of my story it will help me with my rehabilitation that you not only want to help me but them too, cause it could have been any of us!

Thank you very much for all the help, I can't quite understand it all yet but Auntie Richelle says thousands of people want to come talk to me so my ears will be buzzing.

Colette Mang

Swartland and West Coast SPCA

Tel: 022 409 2237

Cell: 083 23 53 285

Fax: 086 609 12 18

If you can still read at this point, please spread the word so that we can try and help to catch the person responsible for this.

Wishlist for 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:48:00 +0000

Every year people wish for things, mostly unobtainable by themselves and often totally selfish. This year I decided to ignore my own wishes and tried to think of things which would ultimately benefit everyone on our fragile planet. Oh, don't be fooled, I'm as selfish as the next person when it comes to wishes, but once you get started thinking about the bigger picture, it really is not that hard to forget what you want in the small corner of your world. So here it is:-

I wish everyone in the world a crime-free year ahead. Although I am from South Africa and crime is truly a problem in our country, ours is not the only one where people are affected by the results of crime on a daily basis. Take a moment and think about this. Violent crime is not limited to street muggings and robberies from people you don't know. Domestic violence must be one of the most under-reported (both in the media and the police stations) crime in the world. Most abusers are clever and spin a web around their victims, emotionally and physically dis-empowering them to the extent where the victim feels worthless with no self-esteem left. I've seen this happen over and over again while working as Commissioner of the Children Court and even in the criminal courts. We only hear about domestic violence in the media when the victim snaps and fights back - often with more force than people deem necessary. But, this abuse usually continues for years before someone realize there is a problem. So my first wish for this Christmas is that nobody should suffer in the hands of an abuser - whether known or unknown.

I wish every child in the world a warm bed, abundance of food and most of all - plenty of love for the next year. People able to support themselves and their families tend to look away from a street child begging on the street corner or at the supermarket. They don't want to see the hungry face because it makes them feel guilty. They justify not helping the child by saying there are millions of these children around the world and helping this one unknown child will not make a difference. Just think about this: if one person helps one child every day in each country of the world - how big a difference would we be able to make? How many children would be saved, helped, fed and provided for? So in short my wish for the year ahead: I wish every person on the planet would help one child in some way every single day of the year.

May the powers that be work together without putting the monetary benefits first, to ensure the future of our planet. The fragility of our planet has been in the news often lately and more and more people start to realize that we cannot keep on abusing the planet as we are doing. Resources are slowly being depleted and the recent funny weather (and this is my opinion) is evidence of more radical changes to come if nothing is done about the effect our habits have on the environment.

Three simple wishes for the world. The frustrating part is that one person alone can do very little to achieve these goals, but working together, we all can make a difference.

I hope everyone has a prosperous New Year and that health and wealth will follow after the 1st of January.

African Grey Babies Now 7 Weeks Old

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:25:00 +0000

The African Grey Parrot chicks are now 7 weeks old and full of feathers. Hand rearing the chicks has not been such a mission as we first thought and they are becoming more and more independent. They started to eat soft food over the weekend and now resides in a proper parrot cage with extra mesh at the bottom to prevent them from falling through.

The smaller one is a keen learner and already starts to react to instructions to climb onto your finger, but the feet are not yet co-operating and if she has one claw closed the other refuses. Her balance is much better than the bigger one which is a complete sweetie.

The younger one also is the most inquisitive and will investigate anything and everything you place inside the cage. She now decided she likes the soft food better than the porridge and it appears that she will be weaned long before her older sibling as she eats less porridge with every feed and more soft food and seeds.

I don't know how we are going to say goodbye to these two in two weeks time as they each has their own personality and are adorable, but I suppose that is part of breeding African Grey Parrots.

African Grey Chicks - Comparison at 3 and 6 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:27:00 +0000

A 10-week old Congo African Grey Chick

Our Congo African Grey chicks are now 6 weeks old and I thought it would be interesting to show a comparison between the African Grey babies at 3 weeks and at 6 weeks. The chicks showed an interest in soft foods today for the first time and after realizing the food is quite tasty, they ate and played with the food for nearly an hour.

The bare wings now have feathers and even the long feathers at the tips of the wings are developing quite fast.

The red tail feathers, which are unique to the Congo African Grey parrots, have also developed and three distinct rows of tail feathers are present. Note the lone red feather just above the tail and the tuft of down just below.

We weighed the chicks today and the smaller one weighs in at 550grams while the larger chick weighs a roaring 650 grams. They have more than doubled in size in three weeks.

During the past weekend we cared for a 10 week old African Grey parrot. "Gogga" the parrot baby is already weaned and only wanted to taste the baby formula because the little ones ate. At one stage we had a total of five parrots ranging from 6 weeks to 8 years old on the kitchen table and it made for interesting play time. Gogga enjoyed climbing all over hubby while the little one sought refuge from the miniature windstorm Gogga created.

In the photo's of the African Grey parrots below you can clearly see the difference in the eyes of an adult and baby parrot. The adult African Grey parrot has a yellow ring around the black pupil while the baby's eyes are nearly totally black.

We have already found a home for the smaller baby African Grey parrot, but will only deliver after the chicks are completely weaned and able to fend for themselves.

Please Pray for Christopher Beets

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:49:00 +0000

Please take 5 minutes to pray for this child.

African Grey Parrot Babies Develop Feathers

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:05:00 +0000

Our African Grey parrot chicks are nearly 5 weeks old now. They have grown by the hour and I think doubled in size during the last week. They are eating well and this week started to develop feathers.

Even the red tail feathers, unique to the Congo African Grey start to show.

The parrot chicks enjoy stretching their legs and simulating flight by flapping their wings - causing mayhem in the brooded as wood shavings fly all over the place. As mentioned in the previous post, they discovered their voices and now they tend to "talk" to the person feeding them (Especially if the porridge is not provided quickly enough.)

You will notice the eyes are fully open and trust me, they see quite well. The eyes will turn more yellow as the African Grey parrot matures and the black eyes are a dead giveaway for a young parrot.

African Grey Chicks - 28 Days Old

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:27:00 +0000

The African Grey Parrot babies are growing by the hour. Feeds are now 4 hours apart - yah! More sleep, but they are cute as buttons. Each one of the African Grey chicks has his own personality and feeding time turns into playtime for them.

The photo's show the oldest hatchling after a feed, stretching those legs that must support him for the rest of his life and exercising the wings (not that those small wings would ever support the likes of the round body).

Since three days ago, they are fluffy little creatures and both discovered they have voices. Night time feeds tends to get a bit noisy and I predict the one sleeping would soon be awaken by the antics of the baby parrots.

Dont' you also want one?

From Baby African Greys

Pictures of African Grey Parrot Chicks

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:47:00 +0000

Here is a few pictures I took today of the African Grey Parrot babies. They are now 24 days old and growing by the hour. Note the feathers starting on the wings. We added some soft toys for them to cuddle up against and they seem to enjoy the company.

Man Eaten by Snake- True or Not?

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:56:00 +0000

I received this via e-mail today and thought I would share it with you. Don't know if it's true or the details thereof. If anyone else knows the true story I would appreciate you sharing with us.

Anyone has an idea what really happened?

African Grey Chicks are 22 Days Old

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:28:00 +0000

Feeding times are now every three hours and we're getting some more sleep. The African Grey chicks are growing by the centimeter every day. It is amazing to see the amount of small feathers they gain every day. Their heads pop up over the brim of the Tupper container and they can hardly wait for each feed.

Due to these little babies, we now had to cancel our holiday planned for December with the in-laws. Not that I am complaining, we can always take the tour next year, but the babies will not survive without some tender loving care.

African Grey Parrot Babies Sit Up

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:05:00 +0000

Some more photo's of the African Grey parrot babies taken yesterday the 4th of November 2009.

They are trying to sit upright, but still have trouble balancing. The chicks rock back and forth - hence the out of focus parts of the photos.

I hope you will find them as adorable as I do.

African Grey Chicks Are 17 Days Old

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:36:00 +0000

The African Grey parrot chicks are now 17 days old and have been in the brooder for the last 3 days. They require feeding every two and a half hours and it feels like I have a newborn baby in the house again.

From Baby African Greys

As you can see, they grew tremendously during the last ten days and they are now able to sit upright during feeds and move around in the plastic container we keep them in. On the small segment of video, you'll notice the color in the brooder to be funny. I had to use night vision on the camera as the infrared lights gives the picture a too reddish tint. The eyes of the African Grey chicks are sensitive and the harsh white light used to warm the brooders may damage them.

The eyes are just starting to open and they are definitely able to hear and distinguish between different sounds. Upon entering the breeding room, they will lie quietly until they hear the chair in front of the breeder scrape. During the past three days they have come to recognize the sound as being associated with feeding time.

Each baby consumes approximately 7.5ml of formula during every feed and they are cute as buttons when they sit bold upright after a feed to allow the food to digest. Even without feathers they both "groom" the little plumage (and there really isn't much to see) like their adult counterparts.

They start to make noises during and after feeding and even at this early stage there is no mistaking them for any other bird than a parrot.

How Do You Keep Faith in Yourself?

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:28:00 +0000

I came accross a blogpost today of Keith Smith with the apt title of "Keep your faith and your doubts will starve to death!"

The title alone made me want to read more as the amount of faith I have in my own abilities directly correlates to the amount of sleep I get per night. At least, that is what I realized after 3 nights of very little sleep.

As you know from the previous posts, I am participating in the challenge to write a 50 000 word novel in the month of November as well as writing 30 articles for Suite 101 in the same time. That alone is enough to cause sleep deprivation, but to top it all up, we have two African Grey Chicks in the brooder (2 weeks old) that demands feeding every two and a half hours. Sigh...I feel every bone of my 40-plus body. Bloodshot eyes staring back at you from a wrinkled, devoid of make-up face at 6 am when you went to bed at 2 am is not a pretty sight. No, don't try it, take my word for it.

The chicks are doing great, by the way, and I,m sure they grew a couple of centimeters since Sunday when we removed them from the nest. They are adorable and even at this early stage, each one has its own personality.

But I regress from the issue at hand. Keeping faith in yourself when doubts in your abilities surface, is a daunting task. Keith Smith offers a simple solution - faith in yourself = conquering your fears of inadequacy. He suggests just grinding your teeth and getting on with the job at hand until your fears disappear. Good advice?

What if you really aren't good enough to do what you set out to do? What if you really don't have it in you to write that book or finish a task you started? What if...

How will you know if you don't try and stick to it? I don't know, but I am sure going to give it my best shot.

How do you keep faith in yourself?

NaNoWriMo - Novel in a Month - What Have I Done?

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:41:00 +0000

Write a novel of 50 000 words in one month. Sounds easy so I subscribed and joined the thousands of other writers, both published and not, in this challenge. The easy part disappeared as soon as I started making calculations.

At least 1700 words every day for a month. Those writing daily will tell you this is ludicrous to try to fit into a daily work schedule. It only has to be a first draft, but at that rate, most of what you write is going to be absolute crap. If I only knew what to write about!

This week I set out to finish the WIP (also a first draft and in Afrikaans) I only had to do 14 000 odd words in the week, but with a stiff neck and aching fingers, so far I managed 2500 words for the week. Moreover, tomorrow is the 31st!

Lots of coffee and at least two late nights will show how far I will get with the nanowrimo challenge.

To top it all - Suite 101 has a challenge related to the nanowrimo month. 30 articles in 30 days. Don't know if I will get to that one, but I am sure going to try. Need to get to the 100-article mark anyway.

For the next couple of weeks, expect many complaints about the progress of the novel (un-plotted and unknown at this stage).

Oh, and we have 11 African Grey eggs still in the nests with a suspicion that two already hatched. Will let you know.

Baby African Grey Parrots

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:01:00 +0000

At last we were able to get a short segment of video of the African Grey Parrot chicks that hatched last week. The 2 babies are now 7 days old and it was quite a mission getting the footage. One person had to wait inside the bird cages, concealed by a piece of plastic sheeting from the rest of the cages while the other sat outside to watch the birds. Because we do not want to disturb the parents, we had to wait until both parents left the breeding boxes and went to the front of the cage.

And the wait had been long. We tried the whole week long with "locked up" times varying from 1-4 hours. Today it paid off and the attached video is the result. With no light inside the breeding boxes we had to use night vision to limit the disturbance to the chicks to the minimum so the picture is sort of black and white.

Hope you have a few "ah shame" moments like I did.

75 Articles at Suite101.com

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000

During the previous week, I published my 75th article on Suite101.com.

Not being the most prolific writer there is, this is a huge accomplishment for me. I hope to reach 100 articles before the end of the year as this do make a difference in the earning potential from there. Being a feature writer for Suite101 has taught me to stay focussed in what you want to say and do research, which I haven't done much since varsity days.

One advantage of writing for Suite101 is the excellent support you get from your fellow writers and editors. No question is too stupid for them to answer and for a rookie, there is no better place to get information than in the forums.
In the beginning, a flag (something is wrong!) was cause for jitters, sweaty palms and nervous giggles. Today a flag means almost certain heart attack. Writing for over a year, one should know the ropes by now and being a feature writer is serious business. You have a responsibility to your readers to provide them with quality content that will make them come back again. After all, you attach your name to the article. My biggest fear is providing inaccurate information to the public.
Well, I suppose we all learn as we go along.
Now I have to storm to 100 before the end of the year.

Finished Updating Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Yolande Pienaar) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:52:00 +0000

At last I am finished with updating all the blogs and each of them sports a new look. Now I can start sharing my daily life on a regular basis.

For someone with no technical knowledge I'm quite pleased with the result. The normal blogger templates looked so old and out of date and I went searching for fresh and exiting templates. Blogger Buzz provides excellent suggestions for free templates that work with blogger and after you learn the ropes a little, it is a piece of cake. Well, maybe not so easy (it only took me a week), but definitely do-able.

I would suggest that template developers find a way so you don't loose your widgets. I have no HTML knowledge and was too scared to try and incorporate my old widgets by editing manually. Hopefully I don't have to do this again soon.

Now I can concentrate on other things like enjoying my daughter who now lives at home and working on my 3 novels in progress.