happening once a century

2011-09-06T07:15:00.000-07:00

The most faithful and unconditional love must be from a dog.
Our dog fell in love with our grand daughter on first sight.

2010-01-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

Happiness is ...
Spending quality time with the grand children from Namibia.

Now who said it is difficult to spend quality time
with the youth.

Everybody is as happy as could be.

Nico, sitting behind Grandpa, finished his first year
at the university. The game he is playing (on Grandpa's
comper) is the same game which he played before
he started school. The computers are not quite as
old as that, even though the kids think they are ancient.

PS. I would like to point out that the kids have
not yet scored higher than Grandpa on tetris !
How is that - for old bones.
click on the photo to enlarge it.

2008-07-20T04:52:00.000-07:00

You are welcome to use the self service facility for a free car wash in Oshakati - as long as the stock lasts. Drive around the sign until you are satisfied that your car is clean.

The car wash proved to be popular even with heavy vehicles

2008-05-10T02:26:00.000-07:00

Yet another green year for Namibia. What is the world coming to?
Never mind to answer, we do not mind.... or maybe we should start thinking to buy a farm in the desert for the grandchildren.

Photo below is Kambi the tame kudu doe on the guestfarm Elisenheim near Windhoek

The whole of Namibia is green and wet - south, east, north and west.
We traveled from the south to Keetmanshoop to receive the little bullterrier pup , a gift to us from our daughter and son-in-law.
Namaqualand was beautiful green and soon after we crossed the border into Namibia there were pools of water as well as the green new grass.

An exhilarating sight for the farmers.

Only one thing spoiled the fun. We forgot the cameras. Agghhhh

I do not want to think about it.

2008-04-27T00:17:00.000-07:00

Kambi the kudu doe from Namibia tragic news

The little calf did not make it.

...... everybody involved in trying to
save the little calf's life is mourning the loss.

It is hard to believe how attached a person can get to an animal.

Liebe Grüße,

Christina

2008-04-27T00:04:00.000-07:00

The adventure of Kambi the kudu and her calf. This is a rough translation of the letter written by Christine the owner and foster mother of Kambi on the guest farm Elisenheim. click
here for the original letter in German. All photos by Christine.

Here is the latest news regarding the happenings on Elisenheim. We thank the Lord that our Kambi is once again back home with us.

After we found the little calf we searched the whole day and hoped anxiously that Kambi would return home.

This is what happened.

Sortly after the birth of the calf a leopard must have smelled the birth.
According to the tracks Kambi and the calf was on their way home with the leopard close on their heels(hooves).

The moment when the leopard confronted them Kambi ran. She is not fit due to the lazy life she leads around the house. The deep tracks shows that she was running with the leopard chasing her.

In the meantime the little calf staggered down the mountain and crawled under a bush not far from the farm house.

Kambi succeeded to diverge the attention of the leopard away from the calf. The deep scratch marks on her shows that she ran blindly through the thorn bushes.

During their search on the mountain the next morning, Andreas and the farm workers found the place where the calf was born. Andreas heard a rustling sound in the bush and found the calf which they brought home imediatly.

That night at around 1:00 the night watchman saw Kambi drinking water in the swimming pool. The next morning she was at her ususal place at the back door where she eats her breakfast. We put her with the calf in a stable but that did not suite her and she refused to let the calf drink. The little one tried but tired out and gave up. It was important for the calf to drink some colostrum so I fed Kambi while Andreas milked her. It seemed somewhat comical to milk a kudu but it was worth it as the little calf drank the milk.

We have an efficient qualified vet(wild animals) in Windhoek, Dr. Tubising, where I bought the necessary vitamins to add to the calf's diet. He told us that it is normal when a wild animal (in this case Kambi) was raised with a bottle the mother instinct does not develope properly.

Kambi did not chase the calf away and she licked the calf while he drank his bottle (maybe jealous) but otherwise she just went her way.

I am grateful that the bitch Jolly loves and cares for the calf. The dog lies next to the calf and licks him clean. So cute.

Yesterday morning the calf rained wet. We rubbed her dry and brought her on the veranda but he shivered so much he could not drink. I heated 2 corn-sachets (the type that must be heated in the micro) and put it next to the calf with another blanket over him. The cats were there quick enough, to enjoy the warmth of course.

It is a pleasure to see how the dogs and cats cared for calf. I can watch them for hours.

I am so grateful that the leopard dit not kill the calf (I am his mother), it is horrible to think about it.

I woul like to thank my friend Anke for the luzern that she brought immediatly so that Kambi could produce milk. Very nice of you Anke.

Thank you to all of you for the messages and support

Christina und Andreas

Liebe Grüße,

Christina

2008-04-26T23:48:00.000-07:00

Kambi the Kudu (koedoe) doe at home in the Elisenheim guest farm outside Windhoek, Namibia. It would be best to go to the web site for more informationa and to see the farm.

Kambi was As you can see on these happy photos all the animals are in top condition. Loved and cared for by people who care for animals and people.

Cats form a bond with horses which is a win situation all round when the cats keep vermin away while they get an easy meal catching the rats and mice that come to feed with the horses. However it seems that the cats formed an even stronger bond with the Kudu doe. Kambi is much more exciting than the horses, for instance she shares the cats' interests in watching the human beings.

With a "good morning" from Kambi and her cat friends every day is a good day.

What a lovely scene to start the day.

Photo above: Kudu doe Kambi with her cat friend Mummel

Photo below: Kambi with cat friend Peet

Kambi must have extra charm as she is so popular with cats and dogs that she does not have a moment, day or night, where she is alone - that is not even including her human friends.

Kambi the Kudu doe never sleeps alone.

2008-03-16T01:35:00.000-07:00

An invasion or more likely a visit by sunspiders.

I was busy on the computer when I heard a rustling in the papers next to the computer and moving my eyes over I looked smack into this face not even a mother can get used to.

This spider belong to a separate group of arachnids called solifugids (sun spiders or Solfugidae). They are not poisonous and at home in dry countries from South Africa up to Asia and beyond.

We like our creepy-crawlies and even though I know that this spider known here as the roman (or sun spider) is not poisonous, I could not help to cry out and pull my legs onto the chair.

I got my wits back as these spiders are extremely fast and long gone before I even caught my breath. I made my way to Rudi to tell him the news when he smiled and pointed to a smaller one running along the wall. We counted four different sizes so there were at least four.

This is an invasion. We are lucky to see one at a time in Namibia, lived here for years and years and suddenly we have them all around.

We saw at least one every night for about ten days. Then they were gone. It is now six+ months later and we did not see one again.

I was wondering. Could it be that the silkworms attracted them? But then the silkworms were still around at different stages of development for more than a month and I could not notice that many of them were missing. A few I would not notice I acknowledge that.

The spiders were a treat so they are welcome if they took some worms.

2007-11-17T01:16:00.000-08:00

pretty as a picture, the dresses of Herero women are very beautiful and completely different to what we are used to.

It seems that the Hereros migrated from the east African lakes to Namibia about 350 years ago where they settled in Kaokoland in the Northern Namibia. Then about 150 years ago they moved further inland into Namibia as far south as Okahandja.

What I find intriguing about the Hereros is the fashion of these polite mannered women. The basic victorian style of their dresses was picked up from the early missionaries, but the style of their hats are unique and a very important facet of their attire. A Herero woman is prim on her clothes and manners. She does not talk loud or use vulgar language and she moves flowingly without running or sudden movements.

The Herero people are on average tall, the men as well as the woman. My friend Elizabeth agreed to pose for a few photos. These are not her very best clothes but it is enough for this blog.

The sleeves and backs of the dresses are as decorative as the front. By the way Elizabeth is near to 60 years. Take a look at her face again girls - no expensive creams and surgeries. (no gray hair either - I would have liked that for myself..sigh)

Only a small portion of the skirt is visible, but it is enough to see the pleats which are ironed into shape - each one from top to the bottom.

The top layers of the many petticoats. Add the heavy long dress and a hot climate. I do not know how they handle it ?! The first thing our women would object to is the fact that so many layers of material would make them look fatter than they really are. Obviously these women (and their men) have other priorities in life.

Take a close look at the fine pleats on the skirt. Easier to see on the photo below.

These women can iron! Not to mention the patience that goes with all that ironing.

My grand daughter loves Elizabeth. One day when I was impatient with the child Elizabeth said. "Do not be impatient with her. One day when you are old she will return the patience and love you give now." I think our culture has given up on that too ??

Everything changes - nature, cultures, languages - and it seems that the Herero dresses are fading out amongst the younger generation of women. These dresses are very expensive compared to modern clothes and it is not designed for a busy life in cramped office conditions. It would be a pity not to see Herero women in their beautiful attire walking slowly and moving gracefully.

2007-10-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

Everybody looked forward to visit the throne in Caprivi Namibia

It is a long hot drive fromWindhoek in the center of Namibia to the Caprivi which is the northern border. The Caprivi is a narrow strip of land above the Kavango swamps in Botswana. Four large rivers border or run through the Caprivi. Okavango, Zambezi, Shakawe and Linyanti. The Caprivi strip stops not far from the Victoria falls and is bordered by Angola, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Imagine "trouble with the neighbors" that would be a major headache.

For me the most beautiful tourist attraction would be the Baobab tree. According to the legend the devil was so jealous when he saw this beautiful tree made by God that he plucked it out and planted it back into the ground with the leaves underground and the roots above ground. - No time for site seeing now, first things first. A visit to the throne.

It does not look like luxury, the girls just hoped that they would be permitted to enter too.

Petro did some testing and dressed for the occasion, but there are so much to be seen outside she did not stay long..... Many animals large and small visiting the river are just a stone throw away. Not the least, some crocodiles too, which is apparently safe as long as the camp rules are followed. I wonder how they teach the crocodiles not to catch tourists ?!

The throne is vacant and ready for the next King.

Now this is life! A real live scene - much better than any newspaper.

Where in the world would you find a better throne.

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2007-07-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

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crystals nature's jewels

2007-05-18T23:29:00.000-07:00

Cystals are nature's jewels. Calcite is one of the most common minerals on the earth. The colour is vitreous, white or colourless and may occasionally show phosphorescens or fluorescens. With impurities it can be any colour of the rainbow including gray or black.

Clear Calcite crystals produce double refraction. The best known Calcite is Iceland spar a high quality transparent variety which is known for it's double refraction.

Click on the photos to enlarge them.

The Cerussite crystals are very pretty but also very brittle. Cerussite is known as white lead, it is a lead ore.

2007-03-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

These photos of Barite and Boltwoodite are to enjoy the wonderful mineral crystal gems from Namibia. This is not a blog with facts about minerals and crystals, you can find excellent information in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Like any hobby the collection of minerals can be divided into different topics, I prefer whatever is pretty to me.

Barite (Bariumsulfate) also spelled Baryte and known as Heavy Spar, contains the heavy mineral barium. It is ground up and used in ao. paint, but although it is a heavy mineral it is not considered poisonous due to it being extremely insoluble.

The radiating form of Barite (known as Bologna Stone) is much sought after. I did not expect the radiation to show up on a photo, but take a close look at the light yellow-green glow over the crystals. It is more obvious in the crystals to the top right on the photo.

Boltwoodite (Hydrated Potassium Uranyl Silicate Hydroxide - I looked it up. I do not care to remember all that). The bright yellow, prismatic crystals of boltwoodite can be seen on the photo left.

Keep in mind that Boltwoodite is radioctive.

2007-03-09T16:41:00.000-08:00

Mineral crystals, gems from Namibia.

These photos are to enjoy the wonderful mineral gems from Namibia. This is not a blog with facts about minerals and crystals, you can find excellent information in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Like any hobby the collection of minerals can be divided into different topics such as country, sulfides, silicates amongst others as well as a collection of only large, or small crystals (the very small ones are often pure perfect crystals).

I prefer whatever is pretty to me.

The clean effect of the Aragonite crystals does not show well on a photo.

Nature went overboard creating blue in Azurite. Here are a few views. This mineral has been treasured from ancient times and probable even before that. I can imagine any human female would like these crystals, no matter how primitive her background is.

Azurite is a copper mineral which will weather into malachite. Azurite can be destroyed by heat into copper oxide a black powder. That will be a pity!

2006-12-23T20:32:00.000-08:00

Best Xmas wishes and a healthy new year from Namibia
Xmas is exciting for the children in Namibia as it is in most countries all over the world.

Father Xmas must be very hot in his suit but the kids does not give it a thought and he plays along handing out sweets with a genuine happy smile.

natural tree styles like large bonsai trees

2006-12-22T23:46:00.000-08:00

natural trees styles shaped by nature in Namibia simulate large bonsai trees.
I hope the Bonsai tree enthusiasts will enjoy the photos of these natural tree styles and maybe get a few ideas to shape the bonsai trees. A twisted Acacia thorn tree will look good in any garden especially as the thorn trees do not cast a dark shade. A gardener will not depend on drought to shape the thorn tree, so pruning will be needed on the tree.

The thorn trees, Acacia as well as other trees of central Namibia have always fascinated me, not by their size but by the shape of the trees. In Namibia nature shapes the trees by providing a growing time with intervals of drought which kills back the soft growth. In the following growing season the new growth will grow in any direction on what is left of the tree.

These are all photos not drawings. I enjoyed playing around with the photos, but I did not change the style or shape of the trees. Not all the trees are Acacia species or thorn-trees but they are all endemic to Namibia. For more tree photos visit my website

2006-11-11T05:31:00.000-08:00

Wild animals like the Kudu, jackal and different small mongooses can be seen in the hills around Windhoek city, especially in times of drought.

Windhoek is small for a city and a capital city to boot. This neat clean city without smog, is situated between mountains on an uneven hilly terrain. The overall atmospheer in the city is friendly and to get away from a stressed situation at work, walk to the nearest hill.

This is Windhoek in the winter. The nights often goes down to freezing but as soon as the sun is up in the morning the temperature heats up quickly.

The botanical garden is my favourite place to visit. Anybody interested in out of the ordinary plants here are many to see. The garden grounds are large with walking paths over the hills. Most of the many different trees are named with more plants and aloes to enjoy.

The baboons tend to be a dangerous nuisance. They are cute to look at, but they can attack and the males are large enough to kill a human or dog. The photo below is from a large handsome male who saw the ripe papaw in the garden and decided that it was just what he wanted. We did not want to agitate him so we took the photo through the kitchen window. This gives the impression that he is behind bars, but we were strictly speaking behind the bars not him.

Gorgeous little fellow this gecko. Those large eyes are handy for his nightlife adventures. He can run on the ceiling while tiny slits under his feet forming a suction on the substrate. His feet feel like velvet if he is on your hand. I do hope the old tale that they are poisonous has been cleared in modern times. He will hiss to try and defend himself and his bite feels like a soft pinch. It does not even leave a red mark, far from drawing blood, let alone the ridiculous poison tale.

He will run if he is on a wall but on this carpet he thinks that he will disappear like when he is on the bark of a tree, so he remains still. This works out fine in nature on a camelthorn tree but at night on a carpet some-one will step on him. Consequently any gecko on the carpet, no matter how cute he looks, is put outside.

into Namibia from the southern border

2006-11-04T23:43:00.000-08:00

Into Namibia from the southern border

This was not a tour to see the Namib, but a quick trip up to Windhoek with a day trip to Swakopmund. It is a pity that time was short, as the scenery and the open tranquil atmosphere of the Namib desert is soothing to the rat raced soul.

Namibia has only 2 seasons, a long hot summer and a short cold winter. It is now September which should be spring, but here that is no option. The dry heat is not as depressing as humid heat of tropical countries, but the hot day temperatures reach dangerous levels in the sun.

The bright greens of the extraordinary rain season at the start of the year 2006 have matured into softer shades. The color of the landscape in Nambia is back to soft pastel shades which blend in with the peaceful quiet wide open spaces of this country.

The dry semi-desert southern part of Namibia is the habitat of Aloe dichotoma The trees, faintly visible, on the hill are Aloe dichotoma trees.

It was exhilarating to find such a healthy young Aloe dichotoma tree.
Very few seeds reach this stage. The photo below shows an old tree with dead branches - battle scars dealt out by nature.

An Aloe dichotoma garden with colorful hardy pelargoniums is at a petrol garage with Bed&Breakfast bungalows. Opposite of the road where the informal shops (photos below) are situated. Gruenau can be seen in the background, it is a very small town. The distance from the border is 120 kilometer and to the next town Keetmanshoop it is 146 kilometer. Few tourists do not stop for petrol here, which is just fine for al concerned in this lonely location. (petrol = gas in the USA)

A small flower garden on the other side of the aloe dichotoma garden on the photo above. The petunias are in a corner protected by the reed-bush. To see this little corner in the garden in a desert habitat is unbelievable. The very cold winter nights often below freezing and the hot dry summer air that scorch anything green - amazing what can be done.

Informal shops catering for tourists, at the roadside opposite the Bed&Breakfast. Never be out in the midday sun over here. Note the barren mountains in the background.

The the elephant is astonishingly realistic. I hope that the pile of hardwood for sale as well as the carved figurines are from dead trees. Namibia has a very low supply of hardwood trees. The camelthorn tree is very hardy but in a harsh climate it grows slowly.

Acacia trees are a very important part of life in the arid regions. The seedpods and seeds of most Acacia trees are edible and used as fodder for farm animals. (The wild herbivores appreciate it too). We saw many small stalls alongside the roads where people were selling bags of Acacia pods in the central parts of Namibia.

Aloe hereoensis in bloom a few kilometres after Keetmanshoop on the way to Mariental.

Aloe hereroensis has a wide distribution throughout Namibia. Photos
left were taken during the good rains in the beginning of the year 2006. Photo right
were taken in September 2006 - the aloe plants are in bloom and the grass so green
on the photo left are now dry with the seeds blown away by the wind.

The Towns are far apart. We traveled from the Namibian border at the Orange
river

harsh life like a harsh desert

2006-11-04T23:41:00.000-08:00

A harsh life like a harsh desert brings forth the character of the strong ones.

dunes reflecting in water

2006-11-04T23:39:00.000-08:00

Photo above taken of the same scene but from the top of the dune at a slightly different angle.

Dunes reflecting in the water. Sossusvlei gets some water every few years but the water dries up very quickly.

life in the desert

2006-11-04T23:38:00.000-08:00

This corn cricket joined us for a beer. He sipped a few large drop-mugs and walked away as if he had nothing but water to drink.

The corn crickets are tough residents of Namibia. They excrete large green droplets from the thorax which must taste awful as they have very few enemies that will eat them. Thus they move around quite fearless, as even humans will jump out of the way.

The young animals are vegetarian but grown corn crickets must eat some protein to reproduce. Nature is ruthless when reproduction is at stake. Corn crickets are not hunters but they will eat anything that can not move away fast enough - including each other. One gets run over by a car on the road and the others will know that in no time. As they start to eat another car comes by - this time the meal is larger and more come for the feast ... etc.

Nature has a tough time against humans, but in a country like Namibia there is more than enough space away from roads for the corn crickets to go on creating life.

The mountain monitor is out looking for a mate. The monitor was roughly 1 m (just over 3 feet) long. They are generally higher up in the mountains between boulders, it must be love that brought him down in the open. There is no time to waste, the good time after the rain does not last long. The hot sun and dry air scorch away anything green.

dunes reflecting in water

2006-11-04T23:19:00.000-08:00

The year 2006 brought new life to the Namib desert, Namibia, South Africa.

Every year the grass seeds are blown from the grasslands in central South Africa over the desert up to the west coast of Namibia. Many small animals and birds benefit from the seeds and dry grass, but in the year 2006 the seeds were stopped by rain. The desert turned into grassland creating nourishment that will last a long time.
The rain started January, it is now end March and the grass are already in seed.
Nature knows when to rush.

The naked rocks and sand are covered in a soft grass coat. These photos were taken from the lodge