Tuesday, December 27, 2005

More precipitation

I say!

Still wet here. I hope Christmas was enjoyable for you. We certainly appreciated Doviko's turkey.

Apropos of nothing in particular, except that Mrs M. recently requested a print, here is a snap taken in the 'departure lounge' when we visited the Okavango, some time ago.


MM III

Friday, December 23, 2005

Merry Christmas!

I say!

A Merry Christmas to all, and especially those who may read this. I hope you have a wonderful festive season. Remember! Don't skimp on the MGTs. Myself and Mrs M certainly won't.

A sobering thought, though, to keep in mind whilst one is enjoying the festivities.

The cost of the Christmas trees and baubles bought this year in New York, or London, or Paris would almost certainly pay off most of the foreign debt of more than one so called 'Third World' countries.

Chin up, and let us look towards a good future. Here's to your gardens.

Christmas is not celebrated hereabouts too much, but here is a snap taken one Christmas a while back in Zimbabwe, at the Leopard Rock Hotel, which was mortared during the war, but since rebuilt. It shows my wonderful sons (Menzies IV and Henry Morton) enjoying a Santa Leopardsmobile



Cheers!

MM III

Thursday, December 22, 2005

The Fridgerator Post

Well I say!

I've never posted twice in one day before, but I've been tagged over at Carslemane's, and this time I don't want to be disqualified!

So, below please find a snap of my fridgerator as it is at the present moment, with an explanation beneath.



My fridgerator contains the following, which may not be quite clear from the snap, from top left to right:

4 avocados
2 pawpaws (from my garden)
A bowl of redskin peanuts
1 mango (early, for pickling)
1 capsicum (large)
1 piri piri
1 Mulanje Pineapple - they are the most delicious pineapples in the world - I brought this one back from our 'safari'.
Some beef which Doviko has taken and is now cooking. He says he will post the recipe.
Tonic
Some aromatic bitters for rock shandies
Milk (at back)
This evening's supply (at front) - I don't usually chill it in the bottle, but Doviko forgot to make ice today.
Matimati
Something Doviko bought in the market - it may be a gourd, but I'm not too sure.
Some sweet potatoes, which Doviko has also now taken and put in the oven.

MM III

Literary quiz

I say!

Here is a literary question for you. Answers in the Comments, s'il vous plait.

Inspired by Hotboy's forthcoming birthday, and his previous writings, can you say who wrote the following. Its rather risque.

"The year I turned 90, I wanted to give myself the gift of a night of wild love with an adolescent virgin."

More rain here today, with heavier storms forcast over Christmas. Excellent news for the villages and their gardens.

Below is a picture taken some time ago with my heirs, Menzies IV (standing in front of Menzies III) and Henry Morton (being given a ride), taken at the foot of the Drakensbergs. If I remember correctly, that is Cathedral Peak in the background. The film 'Zulu' was shot not too far away. What an impressive escarpment the Draks present. They ski up there sometimes, you know. I will hope to post some more photos taken in Lesotho, another very poor country economically, soon.


MM III

Friday, December 16, 2005

Last few days

I say!

I have been rather tardy in posting to this blog over the last few days. Unfortunately, Mrs M has been down with the 'flu, though thankfully she is almost fully recovered now.

When one feels one is coming down with the 'flu hereabouts, there is always a slight concern that it might be malaria. The initial symptoms are very similar. Malaria is still the biggest killer out of all diseases in the world, and it is unfortunately prevalent in these climes. We all know of losses.

My own preventative remedy is to add a generous amount of 'T' to the 'MGT', as I understand tonic contains quinine. It is no surprise that a stiff G&T has been the tipple of choice amongst expats for generations.

What with all of the rain we've been having, there are many more mosquitoes than usual, but one can't complain, as it is excellent for the gardens.

We have also been preparing for Christmas. There was a rumour in Sir Harry's about a temporary availability of turkeys. I cannot say any more, but I immediately acted, and the freezer is stocked!

It seems inappropriate to purchase Christmas baubles and suchlike decorations from the slender selection available at Kandodo, given that this, in effect, uses up good foreign exchange for which there are much more worthy causes hereabouts, and they are frightfully expensive as well. So, Doviko and myself have been creative with some origami Christmas decoration instructions we discovered on the net. I will hopefully post some snaps of our wonderful paper angels and stars.

In the meantime, I discovered in my cache some snaps taken down in the Elephant Marsh, in the Lower Shire, a while back, which are reproduced below.


The second one shows the method the locals employ to catch fish.



Mrs M can be seen in the prow of the mokoro of the last one.

MM III

Friday, December 09, 2005

Shameful Act

I Say!

I suggest a stiff gin & tonic before reading on....




















MM III

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Kalahari Days

I say!

I have managed to locate some snaps taken when we lived on the banks of the Mogoditshane.

The first one shows our house - Plot 5711



The second was taken in the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, north east Botswana.

Pronunciation: mä-"kä-dE-'kä-dE

From L to R: Menzies IV, Menzies III, Henry Morton.



The third snap shows Menzies and Henry Morton playing in a mokoro at Oddballs Camp, Okavango Delta, with a tusker in the background.



Next is Menzies IV at Matopos, Zimbabwe.



The final snap shows Menzies IV on the prowl in Molepolole.



MM III

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Dreadful Writing Competition entry

Oh bother!

I have been tagged in a writing competition by Carslemane Foraix, from Daly Waters in Australia, and my mind is a complete blank.

Ah, I say! Here is my entry, found in Mrs Milngavie's scrapbook.



To understand this a little further, it is necessary to know that, hereabouts, the locals often mix up their 'Ls' with their 'Rs'. I say! The roof must have been tired after its flight.

MM III

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Mulanje 'safari'

I say!

Here, as promised, are some snaps of our trip to the Mulanje Massif.

First of all, so that you can place where we went, the first snap shows the view over towards Mulanje from Zomba. This one was taken previously, when the area was quite green. It shows the town of Zomba in the centre, with Ntonya hill to the right. Mulanje is in the clouds in the far distance.














The highest point of the Mulanje range reaches nearly 10,000 feet. We approached from the Fort Lister Gap, to the north, and climbed Namasile, which is 8815 ft.


The Fort Lister Gap is an old slaving route. In the last century, slaves were rounded up in the area and transported through the Gap to Mocambique and thence on to the coast, by Arab traders. Unlike West Africa, less has been writen about the destination of slaves from East Africa.

The people from around the lake (Nyasa), so it has been written, made good slaves. They were hard working and not prone to revolt. The Masai, from much further north in Kenya, on the other hand, made poor slaves, as they tended to simply lay down and died.

The Fort Lister Gap, was, therefore, the last part of their homeland seen by thousands of slaves, and it was fascinating to visit this area.














This shot shows us starting out. Some of the party hired local porters. Of course, Menzies did not. I prefer to carry my own provisions, though at times I regretted this decision!














Looking down into the Gap, and to the right, into Mocambique.














Interesting cloud formations, looking to the west.













Sombani Hut, our base camp. L to R - one of our party, the local carpenter, and four porters.


















Looking back down to the Gap.














Not much of a panorama from Namasile.

MM III

Friday, December 02, 2005

Baby snaps

Well I say!

I seem to be a bit disorganised. I intended to post some snaps of our recent 'safari' to Mulanje, but Mrs Milngavie has interjected and insisted I post a couple of snaps of our offspring instead.

So, here we are. Two photographs of our eldest, Menzies IV, taken some time back - in fact, today he's a strapping lad. They show how quickly he was able to cause confusion.



























Click on the photos to see the dribbles!

MM III