Monkeys and Ducks

Hi all,

Wootness! I’m on holiday with Mom, Dad and Granny, but before I get into the holiday excitement, let me chat about my week. Monday morning I asked Dad to set up one of my toys. As he poured all the parts out the box I picked up the instruction manual and as I took a part I showed Daddy the corresponding part on the instructions and where it should go in the construction process! Daddy was thrilled and couldn’t wait to tell Mom.

A little later Dad went to work by car, as although last week’s blog title was Spring Is In The Air, I’d barely published my blog last Sunday evening and the weather turned freezing cold. Daddy said it was too cold to go by bike. Apparently there was snow on Van Reenen’s pass which was closed temporarily as a result. Later in the morning Mom took me to physio where I had a really good workout. It actually felt more like a fun day at a jungle gym than a physio session. Something that I now need to work on is the dorsiflexion in my ankles. For this purpose Mom erected a ramp in my bedroom that I regularly walk up.

After physio we popped into Kim’s place. The plan was that Granny would look after me while she went to gym. It all got off to a bad start as I locked myself in Shannon’s room behind the security gate. Of course I saw the humour in this, but no-one else seemed to. Shannon dispatched a set of keys home and I was released from my temporary prison. I then demanded to come with to gym, but the gym wouldn’t let Granny in as my caregiver, so gym was cancelled.

As we were leaving Rivonia it started to hail a little. Other parts of Jo’burg were reporting slight snow. Either way, it was freezing cold!

Tuesday morning Mom took me to music. Teacher Liesel arranged a parachute game, with a large colourful throw. We were all supposed to hold on a corner and wave it up and down. I opted to go under it, as we do that at Top Tots – everyone followed me, and a nasty parent berated me for being an instigator. Mom and I weren’t too stressed about it – we’re only three after all! At the end of the class I sang at the top of my voice; it my version of “It’s Not Over Till The Fat Lady Sings”, or as Dad likes to call it, Texas.

For most of the afternoon I played and worked in the garden with Aaron. Dad also discovered that I could do mazes all on my own. In my games book, with meticulous care, I draw between the lines of a maze until I find the end. In the evening the house sitters arrived for their keys and instructions. I was starting to get excited, as it meant we were going on holiday soon. A worthwhile fact that Dad mentioned on Wednesday was that it was the 34^th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death.

It was still cold on Wednesday morning, but despite this after Mom’s morning appointment we headed off to the Haahoo (Delta) Park. After a great play it was time to head home. Mom and I started a scavenger hunt for car keys through the Haahoo Park and pretty soon we found them and were on our way again.

Later in the day Mom found me in the lounge with a decanter of port and a decanter of sherry. As is custom with decanters, I decanted the contents into Mom’s ornamental wooden vases. Fortunately Mom has a great sense of humour and simply fetched the camera! In the evening we all opted for pizza, so we sent Daddy out to get them. As he arrived back home with stacked boxes of pizza I shouted “Pizza pizza pizza” and we all had a great giggle.

In the evening, as I was going to sleep and Mom sang to me, I started singing louder than her, and I even knew all the words now. Mom and Dad were beaming with delight. Daddy also shared with me that the famous (or infamous) mathematician Pierre de Fermat was born on this day 410 years ago. It was commemorated with a Google Doodle (see below). The reason Daddy was so thrilled by this is that Pierre de Fermat claimed that he solved the difficult Pythagorean Triple, i.e. xⁿ + yⁿ = rⁿ (a derivative of the famous x² + y² = r²) which Dad has become a fan of and read numerous books about. It became known as Fermat’s Last Theorem, as in 1637 he claimed to have solved the riddle, but didn’t disclose how. Finally, in 1995, Andrew Wiles solved the problem, 358 years later, and about 2500 years after it was first tabled in ancient Greece by one of Pythagoras’ scholars.

Thursday, the day before we left on holiday, Granny came round and Mom, Granny and I ran some errands and shopped for our week ahead. It was getting really exciting now, and one more sleep until we go on holiday. We popped into the vet to get food for the cats and Roxy, and at the shops I rode up and down the aisles on my Toy Story ride-on. In the afternoon I had speech therapy, and afterward we collected Daddy at home for Scooby Num Nums (Wimpy – they are giving away Scooby-Doo toys at the moment).

Mom had a quick appointment on Friday morning, and while we waited for Mom to come back, Granny arrived. Dad packed the car (which Mom re-packed later), and shortly after Mom arrived home and we were on the road. We were going to White River to the Pine Lake Lifestyle Resort. En route we stopped at Waterval Boven, just after the tunnel, to see the Elands River Falls or Emgwenya as they are popularly called. In order to get to the falls we pulled off the road directly after the road tunnel. After parking some tour guides welcomed us and one guided us back along the NZASM (Nederlandsche Zuid-Afrikaansch Spoorweg-Maatschappij) Tunnel (which is over 100 years old) to see the waterfall. We were prepared and brought torches with us for the walk back through the old tunnel. As we popped out the other side we came across a view deck and beyond was the spectacular waterfall. It was awesome! We stared in wonder as we watched the water gushing over the rock bed landing 70m below.

After chatting to the guide, admiring the waterfall, the tunnel and the surrounding landscape, we were on the road again. Just over an hour later we arrived at our destination – Pine Lake Lifestyle Resort on the edge of the Longmere Dam. It is spectacular. We have a little chalet to ourselves, which has three bedrooms and a stunning fireplace which Daddy keeps going in the evenings against the chill.

I must say that the Low Veld air is really great for my singing, as I am breaking into song a lot at the moment. On Friday evening as went upstairs to retire for the evening I sang the Goodbye Song from Be-Sharp Beetles for everyone.

Saturday morning we woke up and just stared out at the beautiful dam for a while. After breakfast we went on a long walk and came across a great jungle gym and swing, where I spent a good deal of time playing. Back home I had a nice long snooze after some hectic playing on the lawns with Dad and my helicopter. Back inside in the afternoon I spent most of the time playing with my train.

We decided to head to the thriving metropolis that is Nelspruit on Sunday morning for breakfast. Even before we reached Nelspruit we came across the Riverside Mall where we had Scooby Num-Nums. Some shopping ensued at the Woolworths (Mom and Dad were in real shock that their nearest Woolworths was 25km from where we were staying, but I think they’ll be ok) and Granny bought me a remote controlled Thomas the Tank Engine that even has real steam coming out the chimney. I’ve been playing with it ever since we got back to our chalet.

In the afternoon we spent some time on the patio and a bunch of monkeys arrived trying to get food from us. The ducks seem to be of the same persuasion – trying to get a free meal every chance they get. I can see the ducks, monkeys and us aren’t going to be friends this week. A long walk along the waters’ edge was the order of the day and we even walked out on the swaying jetty – I loved it of course. Dad promised that tomorrow morning we’re going out onto the dam on the boat – I can hardly wait!

Well that’s it for tonight. I’ll have plenty to chat about next week, as we have a whole weeks’ worth of holiday time ahead of us.

Love

Jarrod

Photo 1 Wrapped up warm at the Haahoo Park

Photo 2 Chasing the locals

Photo 3 High-sky time

Photo 4 Getting ready for the holiday – cleaning my tent

Photo 5 Mixing ports and sherries

Photo 6 Elands River / Emgwenya Waterfall

Photo 7 Mom and I admire the waterfall

Photo 8 A close-up

Photo 9 One of the local’s fly by

Photo 10 A frothy base

Photo 11 Granny and I

Photo 12 The NZASM tunnel

Photo 13 Dad and I with our guide

Photo 14 The original rack-and-pinion railway track

Photo 15 Amazing root system in the rock face

Photo 16 My big sunken bath at the Resort

Photo 17 Escaping from Dad during bath time

Photo 18 Bath time giggles

Photo 19 Riding at Pine Lake Lifestyle Resort

Photo 20 High-sky at Pine Lake

Photo 21 Dad and I on the jungle gym

Photo 22 On the lawns at the dam

Photo 23 Our neighbour’s preferred mode of transport

Photo 24 My new steaming Thomas