still wild...

 Mozambican Spitting Cobra

Moses the Monkey

Don't worry things are still a bit all on the wild side here. the above two photo's taken in the last week alone. The snake is a Mozambican spitting cobra, that fortunately didn't spit on me. The monkey is "Moses" so called because he was found abandoned in the rice paddies, and adopted and raised here on the farm. No relation to Mango though, who I hear is still doing well :)

Mango update

I just happened to be putting some photos on facebook when I saw one of my 'friends' had uploaded a picture of none other than... Mango! he's looking adorable as ever, but where have they got him? in a cage!? I'm going to phone them now and make sure he's being well looked after, otherwise i'll have to rescue him when I go through there on saturday!

Sad Sales

It is with great regret that I have to let you know Mango is no longer with us. Having 6 real people to look after as well as 80 staff, 15 goats, 11 horses, 105 cows, 7 dogs and 1 cat I just couldn't provide Mango with the full time love and attention he deserves. Don't worry though I have found him a wonderful foster family at the beach about 30km from here where he is being well looked after and can spend every day with this glorious view!

Hopefully his new parents will allow me visitations when I get through to the beach camp...

The title of the post is sad sales as in a run of bad events thats how the sales figures are looking for this month. In order for me to really get the bakery profitable (rather than just covering costs) I've found that I have to get out there with a bag of breads on my back - or in the car - and sell the breads myself. As I have been distracted with various other happenings that required my attention I have had to step back and wind down production somewhat. All of which disappoints me greatly :(

During December the local population here increases, as a lot of people who have jobs working in neighbouring South Africa in mining or construction come home for the holidays complete with their festive pay packets. It could be a great time to get production up again and make some profit to drive us into the new year and complete all building works and look for expansion. Lets wait and see but I will remain as positive as ever! :)

Mango pics

Poor Mango's caregiver left yesterday so I've tried to step in and help as best I can. As I write this he is hugging my hand for warmth, bobbing up and down with every key stoke! If he looks a bit damp, that's because he's just had a bath!

 

killer kitchen

Today seems to have been full of various wild and not so wild-life.

Why am I writing about these things? because the bakers are yet to appear for work! oh well looks like they will be having a late night tonight!

This morning was spent mostly in the pantry of our kitchen stalking a snake (a boomslang or tree snake) that was hissing at everyone any time they tried to get out some plates or pots and pans. After about 2 hours a plan was made and my boss built a small catapult/slingshot - I thought it'd never work - which he proceeded to use to fire a pellet at the snakes head, stunning it so we could catch and remove it. Must be some kind of boy scout trick... but hats off to him he got it right eventually.

I know not all my readers like the snake info so I've shrunk the pictures nice and small....look away now!

Managed to at least get some better pics this time as I was holding the camera!

Mango the monkey is still doing ok, I just gave him a bath and a bottle of milk so he's happily fast asleep. I'll check if he's feeling more photogenic later and try and get some more pictures of him.

oven building finished!

Just when I thought the day would never arrive, the oven has its insulating outer wall and now a proper roof that doesn't actually look like a shack. Actually... it might still look like a shack to some of you but around here its a proper solid roof! I'll try and get some pics of it up tomorrow.

More good news arrived in the form of the local electricity authority to install my now long delayed meter box. I keep thinking I need to buy credit to top it up (it works on a pay as you go system) but as I only have 2 lights in the whole place and no appliances my electrical usage is incredibly low. I guess that makes up for the fact that I burn wood all day in the oven - not the most environmentally friendly operation some of you might think!

I have posted a pic of the new adopted monkey on my shoulder. He still doesn't have a name although "Mango" has been suggested but doesn't seem to have caught on. For now he's just known as "Monkey!"

Medical Aid

The small number of us on the farm right now has seen me take over the duties of "medicine boy", doling out paracetamols and antibiotics after meals etc. as well as a plaster here and there. This afternoon had me tending to a black eye and split cheek of someone who came out on the losing side of a small 'disagreement'. A little more serious than the usual headaches and thorn scratches but not as bad as last weeks almost severed arm - lesson there being don't play with meat clevers!

Even the animals have been going through the wars, we've had one dog almost strangled in a snare (it was so close to dying it burst blood vessels in its eye!). One baby cow abandoned by its mother and nursed by the girls (unfortunately didn't make it through the night). Two goats dead from snake bites and this evening someone brought in a baby monkey to be looked after. Baby monkeys will drink formula baby milk powder so last I heard the guys were looking for a baby's bottle they can use for feeding. Of course the monkey is very cute now but give it a few months and it will be stealing everything in our room, this isn't the first one to be looked after here so I can speak from experience!

Sunday Eve

Been a nice quiet weekend, fortunately as I'm still trying to get over this flu. The weather is overcast with a light drizzle, and the grey skies just bring the mood down I feel. That's why I decided to post a picture of one of our monkey's - Mo - how can that cute face not cheer you up? unfortunately though the matriarch of the monkey troop Eva passed away recently, as she was born and raised here on the farm the others have take this opportunity to 'flee the nest' and haven't been spotted around for the past couple of weeks. That is all except for 'Moses' our tail-less (bitten off by an eagle when he was a baby) monkey who enjoys scavenging my freshly baked breads from the kitchen!