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The Kruger National Park May 2009

I seem to have lost a posting. This should come before 'More of Kruger Park'.Christine, Charles & I flew to Nelspruit,hired a car and spent the first night at Pretorious Kop, three nights at Satara & one at Skukusa.

Every morning we got up at 5 am to be out of the gates that opened at 6 am. This beautiful sunrise was one of many. Being a little cloudy, the sun reflecting on them made a wonderful picture.

On our last day we were so lucky to see this pride of lions. These six youngsters were following their 2 mothers. They seem to have no fear of cars. They all looked healthy with full stomachs. They could have been at a kill.

In the time we were in the park we saw 22 lions altogether. Eleven were at a kill by the side of the road but had almost devoured everything, and then the vultures came!

We also witnessed three blackmane lions. Two in one spot & the other following these cubs.

I hope I haven't repeated myself. I'm still learning!

More of Kruger Park

All of these photos were taken by Charles Saunders,my son, who with Christine my daughter very kindly cared for me on this wonderful holiday. We plan to go again!

This big boy followed on after the cubs but was more interested in the roaring of another lion in the distance. I have never seen a close up of 'black mane' lion before.

These elephants were part of a fairly large herd of about 20.They were on their way to the river for their evening bath and drink. They were a mixture of all ages. A young bull, always cheeky, chased us along the road for a while, I suppose, until his mother told him to behave himself. The youngsters are disciplined by the matriarch.



Kruger Park is really beautiful in places especially by the rivers. This is a tranquil scene taken from a bridge over a river where hippos were lazing about enjoying the sun & plentiful water.

Comparing The Kruger National Park with Etosha in Namibia I would always choose KNP. There are more rivers and trees than Etosha because more rain falls.But one advantage of Etosha is being able to sit around a waterhole at night that is floodlit in some of the camps in the reserve to watch the many animals that come to drink in spite of the artificial light. It is quite an experience to sit there with many visitors without a word being spoken!

I love South Africa and its wild life.

Tapestry cover brick doorstops

These are 4 of my best doorstops embroidered on 14 count mono canvas with Paterna or Appleton wool.You can actually use any wool or a mixture of cottons,crotchet,perle and even as in the doorstop with the flower garden effect I used unspun white wool,silk ribbon or any old stuff that can be pulled through the canvas. The patterns are my own designs. The worst job is adding the finished canvas (which has to be exactly the same size) to the covered brick.It needs strong fingers.My husband Edward used to do it for me before he passed away.

Another way to make the doorstop is to only make an embroidered top & surround it with some strong material to match and cover the brick.

The Pondoki Worm Bin

A friend wanted to know what the Pondoki Worm Bin looks like.Here it is and I hope get a pic of my other carer/helper Gale on with the bin as well.

At Nelspruit airport May 09

There are many ways of alighting from an aircraft. This is one way. I will write more later

My 2 feral cats. Kitty (mum) & Kat (son)

ONLY FOR CAT LOVERS!

These cats were homeless after their 'owner' passed away.There was no one to feed them. I noticed that the refuse bags that had been put out for collection were being torn open. I gathered it was the 2 hungry feral cats. One day I noticed one of them standing on its hind legs drinking water out of my bird bath. I love cats & knew that these 2 cats had been 'doctored'. I decided to feed them. At first I asked for fish scraps from the restaurant kitchen but most of the time little care was taken. The scraps were mostly covered in sea food sauce. The cats did not enjoy that.

A big blow came when I was told that the cats were to be sent to the SPCA because 2 more tame cats were coming with their owner to live behind me & that, because it was my cats territory, they would fight the newcomers. The management ordered a trap from the SPCA that was to remain here for a week& that I was not to feed them.

As the days passed the cats sat and spied the chicken leg hanging in the cage but would not enter,so they started on the garbage bags again. At last the week was over.The trap was removed & that was two & a half years ago. Now they are fed on cat pellets once a day at 5pm when they arrive. They are very wild especially Kitty who has the most beautiful emerald eyes. Both are tabbies.Kat will now allow me to stroke him but only at the door although they both come quite a long way into the house when waiting for their evening meal which I have to give them just inside the door because the guinea fowls frighten them & gobble up the pellets.

Kitty is always the last to arrive & even begs for her food. Kat is given less than enough for the two of them.He's greedy. He loves his mum & often sits looking in her direction from where usually she comes & is so excited when she arrives when I give the extra food.They will not look at fresh water preferring to drink from the bird bath as does the new Manx cat who moved in with her owners behind me.(I think the chlorine dissipates after a few hours)

For two nights Kitty didn't come for her pellets. Kat was most distressed& was off his food spending much time waiting for her. Late on the third night Kitty arrived late after Kat had left. She was so chatty & even followed me into my office & sat staring at me & making cat noises like they do if they've caught a rat. I wish I understood cat language, I'm sure she was trying to tell me something. Perhaps she was missing Kat.

I don't know where they go all day or at night. They have a box with a bed in it but won't use it.

They are both sitting at the door tonight waiting for their food.

They have aklways been feral. In the photo Kitty is looking at Kat eating.