Monthly Archives: November 2022

Oribi Mom

Oribi Mom: Making Mud Pies in the Rain

“I’m sure he’ll have plenty of stories to tell his grandchildren about the farmer’s wife who almost put him in a pie like Peter Rabbit’s dad.”

The non-crab pie.

November 18, 2022

I almost made a mud crab pie for supper this afternoon. It was one of those rare days that I actually had all the ingredients I wanted for a preplanned supper.

After copious cups of rooibos to get through the work day, it was time for some cooking and cleaning before the toddlers realised they were starving. This usually happens about an hour before the food is actually ready. Obviously.

Sometimes, Summer Scenes Are Really Beautiful in Oribi Gorge

A rat was scuttling around the compost heap outside. It was oblivious to the bird frenzy as new flying ants emerged for the fourth time this rainy week. There’s even a spider eating one outside the bathroom window.

The relentless Black Cuckoo hasn’t stopped calling in about three days, in the rain, and even in the dark. Mr Di-di-di Diedrick’s Cuckoo is also trying to get in his two cents as the mist rolls up our valley. Sometimes, you can’t even see the garden fence through the white blanket that covers our little farm.

I was finishing up a quick filling for some puff pastry. Ambitious for a weekday, I know. But why waste a day where the fridge is filled with fresh ingredients and there’s no loadshedding? With the rain falling on the tall-as-trees grass, it’s peaceful enough with two of three little people napping. The laundry isn’t drying but at least we have full rainwater tanks to drink for the summer.

Watch Out for Lost Crabs, Though

As I was wiping down the induction plate, my “stove”, I caught the tiniest movement out of the corner of my eye. My gaze focused, and about 10 centimetres from my hand was a crab. A big, black mud crab, waving his little eye stalks at me on top of the counter!

How on earth did he climb the cupboard? Where did he get in? Why is he so far from the stream? Does he like pie? So many questions.

Luckily, the pie was already in the oven. So, braai tongs, a short walk, and into the garden he went. I’m sure he’ll have plenty of stories to tell his grandchildren about the farmer’s wife who almost put him in a pie like Peter Rabbit’s dad.

Published here.

Oribi Mom

Oribi Mom: Rainy Nights Where the Wild Things Are

“The owls were there before lockdown, and they are still eating insects on the lawn all these years later.”

PHOTO BY PIXABAY

 

November 15, 2022

It’s been a rough week. The boys aren’t sleeping through and the baby is up every two hours still. Loadshedding isn’t helping me find my groove, especially when the geyser switch keeps tripping. Rain is keeping us inside but helping our tiny macadamia trees grow.

Last night, I went to bed at 6pm with the children and fell fast asleep. At 7pm, the lights came back on and two spotted eagle owls started making a racket on the lawn. They make a sort of screeching growling sound right outside my window. Why? They’re chasing crickets!

One sits on the top of the garage playing lookout and the other one screeches and screeches while hopping awkwardly on the grass. They are hilarious to watch, running as though they had brand new shoes that were too big to go fast and waddling like they have a full nappy. They hop and bow and watch me watching them through the window. It’s too dark to video but the spotlight lets us see them in full view.

These huge birds are very impressive. And, them waking me up was a grand piece of luck. I forgot it was Wednesday and almost didn’t send in our grocery order for the weekly Thursday delivery. It’s a remnant of COVID lockdown that’s still going, and it is a lifeline to us fresh milk and bread lovers.

The owls were there before lockdown, and they are still eating insects on the lawn all these years later. I hope some things don’t change too quickly. Our little one is almost four months old already and changes every day. He’s started to giggle, and his two-year-old brother has started playschool.

Time is marching on. But hopefully the owls and all the other beautiful creatures at the farm will be unchanged when we look back on our lives here one day. They make me smile on the bad days. The farmhouse wouldn’t be the same without their summer shenanigans. And, at least they’re controlling the thriving cricket population making holes all over our lawn.

Published here.

Oribi Mom, Travelinds

Oribi Mom: Running Into Summer on the South Coast

“Summer is coming and it feels greener since the pandemic started making its exit.”

Jogging on beaches in Indonesia was often beautiful but home has less plastic rubbish. PHOTO HEATHER LIND

November 5, 2022 

I’ve started running again. Okay, let’s call it what it is: a slow jog. A very slow one after three babies and a long year.

The last time I started jogging was after Baby Number Two. I was bitten by a night adder about a month into my routine and it didn’t go so well after that. But, I’m back again, kicking up dust and looking for bird distractions up the crazy hills.

I’ve tried to catch up to the giant water mongoose that lives by the stream, but it’s too quick. I’ve snuck up to the African Pygmy Kingfisher that lives in the bank, but my cellphone camera is woefully inadequate to get a clear picture. I usually see a bright blur darting out in front of me and know I’ve missed it.

Panting Up the Hills Is Part of Running Again

It’s also a little embarrassing coming into view of one of the occasional workers in the macs. It’s about that moment you realise that you’ve been panting aloud like some old dog all the way up the hill. Did the person just on the side of the ridge wonder why an old gogo was coming up the road in the middle of nowhere?

The crowned hornbills sometimes sit at the tops of the trees and laugh at me while I pant up the steep bits. With an elevation gain of about 150 metres during the jog, the steep bits include the first 2.5km or so. If I can make it past that, I can ease up the heart rate and cruise downhill for most of the way home.

There’s one part of my regular route I’ve named Death Hill. That’s probably slightly dramatic, but it certainly makes you feel like death warmed up when you’re at the bottom of it and want to get to the highest point on the farm. If you can push through, you can turn around and have a full view of the sea in the distance, Gamalakhe next to that, and Oribi Gorge and Paddock the other way.

You can also see some of the Southern Drakensberg on clear days. The view alone is worth a little bit of sweat and embarrassing panting most days.

Jog or Run or Walk, But Get Out and See the World

I’ve jogged many places in the world, including around a tiny Indonesian island where we snorkelled with turtles every day. I’ve jogged in the Mara Triangle in Kenya and wondered about lions hidden in the grass. Now, I’m running on my farm on the South Coast and it’s just as beautiful.

Summer is coming and it feels greener since the pandemic started making its exit. Who knows, maybe we won’t even have to cancel the holidays this year.

Published here.