NATURE'S BEAUTY CAPTURED IN RAINDROPS

- Tuesday, 20 November 2007

It was raining all day and when the clouds started to lift late afternoon, I took a stroll for old times sake through our Kloof indigenous garden. I just loved all the little raindrops on some of the aganpanthus flowers which was just opening up. The raindrops were alive with reflections.

One can never go wrong planting a few of these in a sunny position in your garden. They are evergreen, hardy and needs very little attention.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE AWESOME AGAPANTHUS:

"AGAPANTHUS is a proudly South African plant. It is one of our indigenous geophytes that have become popular worldwide. The strap-shaped green leaves and azure blue blossoms are an elegant addition to any garden. There are 10 species of agapanthus in Southern Africa and many different forms within those groups. Their popularity is mostly attributed to the fact that they are among the easiest plants to grow. Among the evergreen varieties Agapanthus africanus and Agapanthus praecox are the most common and have been bred to produce the various colour and flower forms available today. These range from large plants whose foliage grows to a height of around 60cm with flowers produced on metre-long stems, to the more dwarf forms with thinner leaves to a height of about 30cm that flower on much shorter stems. The flower form is an onion-like umbel which has many small-stalked flowers arising from a central point. Flower colour ranges from snow white through shades of pale and grey blue to deep intense indigo blue, depending on the variety. They need to be grown in the full sun to flower successfully and the soil should preferably have lots of organic matter. Evergreen species can be divided every three to four years if they are growing rapidly but the deciduous types prefer to be undisturbed for longer periods. The former are especially useful for stabilising steep slopes. They can take plenty of water if in well-drained soil and are also fairly heavy feeders, so they could do with generous doses of organic fertiliser every spring. Agapanthus produce lots of papery black seed after their summer flowering but to achieve colours true to type it is best to propagate them vegetatively by division. Evergreen types are best divided after flowering in autumn and the deciduous types do better if divided in spring. In the wild they are found in sunny spots amongst the grasses on the edges of streams or on rocky outcrops where they get the run-off from boulders and stones. Steep slopes in the mountains or on seaside cliffs where the water table comes to the surface are also good places to find them in their natural habitat."

- Intrigued by nature signing off

FAREWELL TO ALEXANDERCOX

- Friday, 16 November 2007

[Back, from left to right: Julian Cox, Glynis Askew, yours truly, Campbell Alexander, Gerry Prior, Paula Courtney and Penny Waymark.

Front, from left to right: Heather Potts, Kate vd Berg and Debbie Cox]

I actually prefer 'goodbye till later' to 'Farewell' which has such a tone of finality to it.

Once again I have realised how short our time here on earth as earthlings are. 5 Years and 10 months with AlexanderCox Attorneys flashed past and I am asking myself what have I done with this time so generously dished out to me ... what have I become as a person ... fortunately I can account for quite a few things that made me a much more content being ...

My farewell was arranged for 1:00pm at Tala Game Reserve situated between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. But due to an accident on the N3 Highway involving a truck spilling chemicals, the N3 between Shongweni and Durban was closed for most of Friday, 16 November 2007. This resulted in panic pandemonium at AlexanderCox, with me ducking as a curve ball headed straight for yours truly who had to decide where she wanted to have her 'goodbye' lunch. After trying numerous venues who were all fully booked we all ended up at Butcher Boys in Hillcrest. It was a cold, rainy and misty afternoon (true to Kloof/Hillcrest weather) which even emphasized the sadness of the moment.

Whilst enjoying delicious food accompanied by delectable red wine and very chatty colleagues, Campbell my boss for the last 5 years/10 months started his 'goodbye to Desire's speech'. It was a seriously lengthy story that began from the day that I arrived at his home for the dreaded interview. He described how he saw me through his study window as I was making my way to the front door. He panicked as he saw this very professional smartly dressed blond girl with a nice looking hand bag over her shoulder approaching ... he ducked for cover and ordered a colleague (Debbie) to greet me at the door, whilst he changed from his 'boxer shorts' into something more presentable i.e. knee length shorts and a casual shirt with slops.

At that stage, AlexanderCox did not exist. Campbell resigned from the firm Cox Yeats who he had been with for 20+ years to be with his loving wife Jenny who was diagnosed with stomach cancer in August 2001. About the only thing I remember of this interview was a framed poem on the wall which was shoved under my nose to read. The poem was written by a previous secretary of Campbell (whom he seemed to think the world of ...) who had been with him for several years.

The only part of the very lengthy poem I can recall was something about the best part of being Campbell's secretary is 'when he is not in the office'. Mmm ... I thought to myself ... this sounds like someone who could not wait to get rid of her boss so that she could relax and get on with personal fun stuff ... never would I have known then that that part of the poem was exactly how it was working for Campbell. Whenever Campbell was in the office you had to make sure that your multi-tasking skills were freshly polished to be able to do a million and one tasks simultaneously... this is no exaggeration. So, obviously when he was out of office everyone could sigh in relief and get on with doing one job at a time.

I left the interview thinking to myself ... oh well, nothing ventured nothing gained. A few days later however Campbell phoned and offered me the job. I could not believe that I found a job within the first week of landing in Kloof and that only 4km from home. Now tell me, you don't believe that there is someone out there watching out for us.

In any case, I started on 8 February 2002 working with the data management girls i.e. LitigAID in Campbell's diningroom which was their make shift office. A few weeks later a computer station, desk and chair was bought for me and I set up office in Campbell's lounge, next to his study - very open plan-nish, quite the contrary to having my own office with a door I could keep open and shut as I wished, which I enjoyed for many years with previous firms I worked for. Being the private person I am, this was a serious adjustment for me. Campbell was very seldom in his study, dividing his time between caring for his beloved Jenny who was at times very ill and consulting with counsel at chambers.

Later on an air conditioning unit was especially installed for the lounge where I was everything but lounging. This gesture also made me realise that Campbell is all out for making his employee (me being his first and only employee for the first 4 months) as comfortable as possible and keeping her from running away, especially when her letter of employment stated that she could give him one day's notice!

I collected scrap paper in a box underneath my desk which was eagerly and regularly utilised by the resident feline Stroppy as a personal potty. I realised from these early days working in Campbell's lounge that he and his wife Jenny was very kind hearted people. Jenny insisted on preparing lunch for me during my first few days. This gesture I have never forgotten.

Campbell joined forces with Julian and started a partnership, AlexanderCox. Julian brought his secretary, Thanusha Padayachee (the real TP) with from Mooney Ford and after several weeks of office hunting, we moved into AlexanderCox's new home in Inkonka Road, Kloof, Durban on 1 June 2002. Jenny, Campbell's wife passed away during July 2002 which brought Campbell's life to a standstill for nearly a year.

Campbell and Julian wrote the following moving messages to me in a card with a picture resembling the late Stroppy who had a paper box as its own personal loo:

Campbell:

"Dear Desire, It has been a pleasure to work with you over the past 5 years and a bit. We have certainly been a great team starting from very basic beginnings which have been developed, refined and have run smoothly for some years. We have also had some outstanding successes - the biggest I will ever hope for. It will be difficult to find someone to step into your shoes and for me to know that the office and accounts are under control while I get on to win cases. All the best for your future in Gauteng and remember you are always welcome back here. Thanks for everything. Campbell."

Julian:

"Desire. This is to wish you and Conroy all the best for your future adventure. Thank you so much for all you have done over the past 5+ years. It has really been appreciated even though the pressure and stress at the time may have made you think otherwise. Your calm manner certainly helped get through some stormy moments. Please keep in touch. Julian"

Thank you Campbell and Julian. You have instilled in me 'the strive for zero defect' and afforded me the opportunity, apart from how the legal world operates, to learn amongst other the financial side of running a business - this will definitely come in handy when running my own business.

I will definitely miss everyone at AlexanderCox and LitigAID (the document management sisters). You have all been very friendly, helpful and unselfish in offering assistance especially when me and Conroy still had to find our feet here in Kloof 5+ years ago. Thanks for all the contact numbers and directions it definitely made settling in a breeze.

Thank you to AlexanderCox for the beautiful leather handbag - Campbell just don't run away next time you see me approaching with it hanging ever so stylish over my shoulder. To LitigAID - you will all be fresh in my memory when I serve up a salad with my beautiful CaRRoL BoYeS salad servers ... and to Gerry and June my fellow indigenous garden enthusiasts ... the birdie will definitely find a worm or two in our new Gauteng garden.

- Ex first AlexanderCox Employee Signing Off

BLUE HEADED AGAMA through a TELEPHOTO LENS

- Sunday, 18 November 2007

Okay, I know, I am carrying on about the SCRAP family living on our doorstep, but it is just amazing how beautiful nature displays itself in the must vibrant colours and textures which is often hard for us humans to recreate. One can hardly believe that colours this beautiful stems from a little white egg. I took these pics with my telephoto lens stabilised on a monopod - quite a big difference from those in the previous post (see below).

It was interesting how SCRAP changed his colours like a chameleon while I was taking this shoot of him - he went from brilliant turquoise to subdued blue and then brown.

- Nature Lover Signing Off

CORPORATE SIGNAGE FOR DOING LIFE - Sunday, 18 November 2007

How cool is this ... Doing Life's Assistant out did herself once again ... Thanks to Michelle, Doing Life Online Shoppe is now the proud owner of its own personalised towels for drying stamps after they have been used for stamping titles, designs etc. ...

As if this is not fantastic enough, Doing Life Online Shoppe's Managing Director and her Silent Partner has got their own personalised towels for their new en suite bathroom at Fernridge Estate - and the colours are perfectly matched. Thank you so much Michelle, this is the first time ever me and hubby will have our own personalised towels ... very special!

Michelle's thank you card read:

"Dear Desire. Thank you so much for all you have done for me - the layouts, the 'photo shoots', the choosing of papers, the great race walks, a great friend, the fun and laughter, the arranging of getaways and scrap days and so much more. You have been a huge inspiration to me and I wish you and Conroy all the best in your new home and environment. I will definitely be coming to visit - if you will have me! Lots of Luv & best wishes. Michelle"

Michelle, thank you so much for everything you always do for me with such enthusiasm and dedication and keeping Doing Life's Scrap Days running smoothly.

- Personalised Signing Off

Blue Headed Southern Tree Agama - Sunday, 12 November 2007 (Kloof, Durban, RSA)

Regulars to Doing Life will probably recall an entry(s) regarding Scrap (our Tree Agama) who we thought was murdered by the roof contractors who refurbished our home's roof - during February 2007. But fortunately Scrap made his appearance a few months later, perching on the cabbage tree near our front door, basking in the early morning sun.

Arriving home round about midday on Sunday, after a gym session followed by a brunch (gym before breakfast eases the guilt feelings) we were greeted by not only Scrap, but Scrap accompanied by not one, but two female Scraps. We were delighted that a little social group of Agamas were establishing themselves in our indigenous garden (... not ours for long though). It's quite a mission to capture Scrap(s) on camera though. He likes playing hide and seek around a tree trunk with you.

We probably won't see a Scrap in our garden at our new home in Fernridge Estate. But, hopefully, once we have created our little indigenous outdoor area, a reptile or two will visit and make our home their home ... preferably no indoor snakes!

Here's some interesting facts about our Scrap Family:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An agama is any one of the various small, long-tailed, insect-eating lizards of the genus Agama. The agamid genus is composed of at least 31 species across Africa.One of the best known species is the red-headed rock agama (Agama agama), widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. Its original habitat is the savanna, but today it also lives within villages and towns. These agamas form groups of ten to twenty. The "leader" is an old male, while females and young males constitute the other members of the group. The colour is dark brown at night, but after dawn the colours of the dominant male will change: the body becomes light blue, head and tail bright orange. These colours may change again depending on the dominant male's mood. For instance, if male agamas fight, their heads will turn brown, and white spots appear on their body. Fights take place when a foreign agama male appears. It will try to dispute the leadership of the dominant male. When fighting, agamas hiss and attempt to hit each other's head with their tail. These strokes may be very violent and often result in haematomas or fractured jaws.The females in the group are entirely brown. Often there is a highest-ranking female that remains in proximity to the leading male and struggles to repel other females.

Vital Statistics

Latin Name : AcanthocecerusLength_F : 135 mm

Length_M : 167 mmO

Order : Squamata

Description: A very large agama with a broad head. Breeding males have a dull blue to bluish back, with bright blue (anteriorly) to straw-yellow (posteriorly) spines and a bright cobalt-blue head.

Class : ReptiliaSubspecies :

Possibly up to 6 races, but all poorly defined.

Distribution : Ethiopia, through Eastern Africa to the North-Eastern parts of the subcontinent, reaching the southern limits in coastal Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Botswana (Lobatsi) and Ovamboland.

Breeding : The female lays 5 - 14 oval, soft-shelled eggs in a hole dug in moist soil. These hatch after 90 days

... If the thought of being boxed in makes you feel claustrophobic - be warned, the next post could be psychologically harmful.

- Mover & Shaker Signing Off

SNAPSHOTS OF FERNRIDGE ESTATE - 122 Kinross Saturday & Sunday 3/4 November 2007

Entrance to Fernridge Estate viewed from the inside

Entrance to Fernridge Estate

My TTAF driver, Mike, arrived 20 minutes late due to rubber necking coming up Fields Hill after a truck has lost its wheels going down Fields Hill. Left with no choice by the wheel-less truck on Fields Hill, we took the back route through Kloof/Pinetown which got me to the airport half an hour before my departure time. I soon found out that this definitely was no serious hiccup … Yet, another weekend kicked off with SAA Durban to Johannesburg flight delays with a late Friday afternoon flight becoming an evening flight. I arrived at Conroy’s apartment in Bryanston just after 9pm instead of just after 7pm, feeling quite stressed out and tired.

122 Kinross : Street view

122 Kinross: Back view

We slept in a bit on Saturday morning and went for a late breakfast at the Spar’s Coffee Shop in the Broadacres Shopping Centre. The coffee shop has quite a tranquil setting with decks running out into the Garden Shop’s nursery situated next to it. Ponds with the sound of running water were good therapy for two stressed out souls. We stumbled upon Spar’s coffee shop after enquiring about getting a post box at the Broadacres’ Postnet … oh yes, PJ Powers, the singer, was also having breakfast here.

122 Kinross: Main Bedroom Balcony

122 Kinross: Balcony with entrance doors to Main Bedroom, 3rd & 4th Bedrooms and Study

After establishing that there was a minimum 3-week waiting list for a Postnet box we decided to get a SA Post Office box at the Leapfrog Shopping Centre in William Nicol Drive, + 3km from Fernridge Estate. There was a post office here as well. So, our new postal address is P O Box 460, Fourways North, 2086 … another ‘to-do item’ that could be ticked off. With the our new post box keys in hand we rushed off to meet the first of two interior designers at our new Kinross home at 1pm to get a quote for the dressing of all the windows and doors. I did not realize how many windows and doors (most doors having a glass panel) had to be dressed.

Endless Material Samples - too much for the brain to process!

It took just over 4 hours to decide on fabrics and wood/aluminium Venetian blinds. This was quite an overwhelming exercise having to visualize furniture back at home and matching colours. I stuck to total neutral colours which could be jazzed up with bringing in some colour with accessories, etc.

Basic Living on the patio whilst playing the waiting game.

Stairway leading up to bedrooms and balcony

Bathroom furnishings - same colour scheme throughout bathrooms

Stairway leading down to formal lounge

Sunday morning we rose earlier and left for breakfast at 8:30am at the Ferndale shopping centre just outside the main gate of Fernridge Estate after which we met up with a second interior designer at 10am. Once again it was nearly a 4-hour stint having to choose different fabrics and Venetian blinds all over and measuring every single window. We left the estate just after 2pm and had an early supper at our newly discovered Spar Coffee Shop at the Broacres Shopping Centre. This Spar has just been extended and upgraded. It is massive and ultra modern, the likes I have not seen anywhere yet. I can see that this Spar will become a favourite hangout for shopping. The Scrapbook Trading shop is also situated in this same shopping centre. There is also a barnyard theatre and Virgin Active here!

Innovative laptop operator - ' 'n Boer maak 'n Plan'

I think we have relaxed a bit more about our move up to Gauteng. Now that we have got a home and have familiarized ourselves with our surroundings re shopping centres, postal services, gyms, etc. we are much more at ease and are actually looking forward making our the Kinross house our own HOME. Sunday evening was spent just chilling and relaxing before another hectic week ahead of us. There was just no time visiting friends and family for which there will be plenty of time once we have settled in our new home. - Windowed out signing off