Still Chrismas?

Here is the big question, when do you take the Christmas tree down? This is second to, when do you put the Christmas tree up? In this house the answer is whenever it feels too old, but that changes constantly. I have heard that a very select few don't even take it down and is a permanent decoration. This is only possible of course with the fake trees which is the leading form of Christmas tree for South Africa. But still the question stands when does Christmas end?

Spring Tree

 

Spring is defiantly in the air. The days are getting warmer and longer with the sounds of the bees and the birds everywhere. This tree is full of white blossoms and a buzz with bees, which reminds me that I would like to get my own beehive someday. Hopefully in the near future. Oh well let the week begin.

Pruning the Trees

 

My neighbour is having a problem with a tree in my garden that is over hanging over into his side of the fence and is also a security risk as low branches are hanging over into the veldt. They approached me and asked if they can prune the tree, my answer is of course yes as it is good to be good neighbourly. 

So this morning , my neighbour arrived with a small team and began trimming back the tree.

Tony's Wild Olive

What a rush today has been. The boss man is flying out tomorrow and I had to get the rest of the week's workload to bedded down. This morning I remembered that I had to be at Tony's Memorial Tree Planting but due to my head spinning with all the work, I arrived home, totally oblivious that I had to be elsewhere. Halfway through cooking supper, I got the message reminding us that we planting a tree in the next half an hour. Oh (&@9. Drop everything...

Tony was a long time Neighbourhood Watch Patroller, who pasted away a few days ago, and we decided that planting a Wild Olive tree in the park just down the road where he lived would be a good way of remembering him. So that is what we did. 

The Cardinal Returns

Still trying to recover from my man-flu, I heard the distinct tat tat tat sound coming from the garden. Ahh a woodpecker from space. Now for those who remember that 1 hit disaster of a song from the 80s will sadly have that tune stuck in their heads. 

Anyway it was good to see that the Cardinal Woodpecker has returned to our garden to feast on some lovely bugs. Or this could be a small Bearded woodpecker, I am not 100% sure but my gut is going with the Cardinal.

Tree Down

Monday morning...

A quiet start but is it the quiet before the storm? I hope not as I have already being through some stormy waters and I was not walking on water nor treading water but barely keeping my head above the wild waters.

I had to slip out to get a new water bowl for the dogs as River Song decided to put a hole in the side of the old water bowl. On the way to the shops I found my way blocked by City Parks cutting down a old dead tree. It wasn't long and the tree was removed but nearly the overhead fibre cables where broken as the re-invoiced fibre casings somehow held up the dead tree for a while.

Training Tree

Okay shoot me, I know I should have taking down the Christmas tree by now but somehow it is still up in the gaming room sans my office. So today while I was busy on some digital work, I saw in the corner of my eye the Christmas tree shaking as if it was coming alive.

On investigation, I found Paddington high up in the Christmas tree. Oh the kitten must be using it as a training tree, to hone his tree climbing skills.

Not Crearis Africa

It was an early night for us last night with the power off. You can only do so much patio sitting watching the super moon try to break through the stormy weather. The lights came on just before midnight; let’s hope this is not a common occurrence with Johannesburg’s City Power.

Taking about bad things, Crearis Africa and its baobab logo left a bad taste in one’s mouth but even in my negativity God had a plan. This post is not about Crearis Africa but about a positive baobab, a good baobab. This evening was our home group’s Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and we had to share just one thing that we were thankful for. What could I be thankful for in this annus horribilis? Nothing came to mind as I dwelt on this thought throughout the day but then I remembered. After home group last week, the very next morning I started the Chris Tomlin’s Never Lose Sight devotional and I must say it has been a blessing therefore that is something to be thankful for in this dark year, a glimmer of hope to cling my faith onto.

The baobab has always been one of my favourite trees, but it got tainted by Crearis Africa. Seeing a sculpture of one with a candle inside at our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner brought the baobab back to a positive, especially when I had to share my one moment of thankfulness and I glanced at this gecko shaped light shining out. Never lose sight Jerome, on God’s promises and that He has a plan for you, Jerome, yes even you.

Next to the baobab, in the candle light was this sign which stated, in this house we do second chances; we do do grace; we do mistakes; we do real; we do I'm sorry; we do loud really well; we do hugs; we do love; and especially we do family. Love all.

Fever Pitch

I had 2 meetings today, both in Douglasdale, both are seeking ways to re-invent myself as everyone knows that it is difficult to find work at this time of the year as the summer holidays draw near and that as a white male in South Africa, well lets just shake my head. I know God has a plan, but what is the plan, that I have still to find out. Somehow there has been a positive leaning towards forging my own way, of course with God at the helm, and me in fever pitched fear learning to trust God.

Talking about fever, I am discovering more and more things about my garden, as can be seen; we have a fever tree, awesome. The fever tree is up there among the leopard, dikdorning, wild African fig, and baobab trees, as my favourite trees and we now have one. Although I am not sure if a baobab or wild African fig trees can be grown in my garden, a plan needs to be put into place to get a leopard tree and a dikdoring tree.