It is a mite cold, but the sun is still shining - luckily! As I blogged before, I hate (is that a strong enough word for the loathing that I feel?) the cold. I way prefer to have the long, hot (very hot) days of summer than to have the sun set at 5:30 pm, and whatever temperature accumulates during the day, vanishes along with it!
Amazingly enough my Landy has an airconditioner - that is used in summer - but I doubt if the heater has ever been used. I know that it was sold new to a farmer out at Heatonville. This is just outside of eMpangeni on the road out to the Nkwaleni vlley, on the road to Melmoth. I know it fairly well, as I used to do the run from Nkwaleni in to Empangeni. There is very little there - like most tiny little towns in South Africa - a road through,a police station (maybe) and a farmers hall - nothing much else!
Ulundi is quite a lot larger - they have government buildings there and a Holiday Inn hotel. I have often been there to attend stock counts! The Holiday Inns were clients of our Durban Office!
I have been to Hlobane, auditing a coal mine there on behalf of the Pietermaritzburg office! I dont think there is even a town there! The only things of note there are a coal mine, and just nearby there are hot springs.
Other than that Hlobane has 2 claims to fame:-
In the Anglo/Zulu war of 1879, it was the site of a huge battle AND
members from our branch of the Church farm there!
All around the countryside are dotted these tiny little "dorpies" (Dorp os the Afrikaans for a settlement - usually not big enough to even be classed as a village! Adding the "ie" on the end indicates that it is really tiny - usually just a police station and a wholesaler - selling to the nearby stores! A big dorp usually has a fuel station and a railway station!
On a size classification, going down the scale, you get:-
Cities
Towns
Villages
Serrlements (usually with a few houses)
Dorps THEN
Dorpies!
I live in a village, but attend Church in a large town, officially classified as a City, but it is no where near as large as Durban, Cape Town or even East London!
In SA, the cities are no where near as large as the cities in England or in the USA.
Driving down the coast to Durban, you can see a pall of dark air where the atmosphere is polluted. Flying in to Johannesburg, the air for a long way around is really dark. They say that it is pollution from cars, but I think it is rather from factories! They are not concerned about Global Warming - only in the "creation of wealth" It seems that money talks - long and loud! Before "they" start complaining that I drive a V8 Auto, "they" need to clean up the act of the big businesses!
I truly dont believe that Heavenly Father would have created an animal that was capable of destroying the environment to such an extent that he kills himself! Flying to Cape Town, there are huge tracts of land where there is no farming, settlement, roadsor anything! Man wants land - to own, but not necessarily do anything with - but not THAT land!
I understand that the resettlement program, where the government bought farms and cut them up and dished the plots out to the natives, has a dark downside! A farmer had his farm expropriated. He used the cash he was paid out, to go and offer the "new" owners a price for their land! He bought the farm back for a fraction of what its worth, so the resettlement activity has made him rich, but still owns the land - legally!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
GLOBAL WARMING?
This is everyones general view of Blondie! Typically it is a Zululand view - any photos you take of animals is generally of the butt!
Thank heavens my view of Blondie is across a long yellow bonnet (otherwise known as a hood!)
:-)
If the planet is supposed to be getting warmer (Global Warming), why is it so cold in Zululand? Usually it is so very warm that you dont venture far from the airconditioners or the pool! Currently it feels like you can go ice skating on the pool, and it feels like any second, ice bergs will float past the coast on view! In fact you can never be completely sure that the white caps on the waves are not ice - except the current that runs down the East Africa coast is from India and the equator!
Typically, everyone around is complaining about the cold, but when it is hot and sunny, they complain bitterly that it is too hot! "They" are never satisfied! Really, just be happy the sun shines and in summer, the days are long even if they are warm! Cape Town is really depressing in winter, when you rise, dress then drive to work in the dark, because the sun has yet to rise, and before your work is finished, it is dark again!
I like the hot weather because in the cold my accident damaged muscles really complain and movement is difficult most of the time!
The upside (for me) is that there is literally no winter here! We go from full on summer (february) to mild summer (July). It is green here most of the time and to visit Johannesburg now is depressing! It is cold (their maximum temperatures are lower than our minima even on the coldest day!), grey (too much concrete), polluted (too much smog), too dry and brown and too populated! I have always been a loner - preferring my own company rather than that of others! Maybe this answers why I have not remarried - yet - but my ex has been through another divorce and many boyfriends! She is way more gregarious and outgoing than I wish to be!
On a busy day, 2 cars pass the gates of my home and amazingly, both cars live in my garage! There is a lot of movement across the lane from me, but they dont drive past my home!
I commented yesterday that the road ditch (used to be a tar speed bump) had been tarred over. I just wonder why they dont fix the lacework of potholes in Port Durnford, rather than wasteing money on creating speed bumps, then digging them out and tarring over the mess that is left! Maybe I'm cynical, but if it was the approach to Jacob Zumas home - or even that of Nelson Mandela? - it would never have gotten in such a state of disrepair! Disgusting really when repairs are desperately needed but the Roads Department is being intensively audited to see if they can recover SOME (not even all!) of the misappropriated funds! It seems currently that those in power are more interested in enhancing their bellies, not doing good!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Sundry thoughts cont
I really enjoy my blog - especially as I can rant and rave with no way for others to tell me to shut up. If they dont like what I blog, they dont have to read it! In the meantime, I get to offload my thoughts and ideas.
I was highly amuzed today! Where I noted before that "they" dug out the speed bump and left a ditch, today they actually re-tarred the road - quite well as it turns out! The ex hump and recently a ditch is now smoothe tar!
I was at a business today when I noticed a pool of water beneath my 4x4. I opened up the bonnet (hood) and immediately saw a clamp that was not tight, and water was bubbling out! I tightened the clamp, and it appears now - after a trip to and from Empangeni - to have rectified the slow water leak.
The last time it was looked at - because the motor tended to overheat - I queried whether all the clamps had been tightened properly? It is purely a chance inspection that showed me where the motor was losing water - sure it was not a lot, but I should not have to fill the radiator every day! It took maybe 5 minutes and an ordinary screwdriver for a retired accountant, to get the problem fixed! I firmly believe that I was inspired to look under the bonnet to see the minor leak. Even as a retired pen pusher, I could fix the "problem"! Even if it is not completely fixed, I know where the problem of losing water, lies!
On Sunday, I saw a pipe from the radiator overflow bottle, leaking! I found that I had not tightened the radiator cap properly, and a small amount of water was escaping past the "O" ring on the radiator cap! I have been troubled in the last month or so with unexpected overheating of the motor, and I pray (earnestly!) that I have solved the problem! If I have, then it is no thanks to me or to the BMW trained mechanic! (my 4x4 was built by Landrover whilst BMW owned the franchise!
The V8 motor is still the same as Leyland used to fit to Rover V8 cars! I was amused when my Mom saw a new Porsche on the road. Her comment was that it looks the same as an Audi! Not surprising really, since Porsche Designers are not very ambitious about startling new shapes and at one stage, Porsche were owned by Audi!
In fact, as far as I am aware, when the 911 was developed by Porsche, the franchise was owned by VW, so not surprisingly the 911 looks like a suped up Beetle - engine in the back! The show "Top Gear" on BBC Entertainment is not exactly overenthusiastic about how daring the Porsche designers are! Even now, a new 911 looks not that far removed from a 911 built in the early 70's! Blondie looks like a proper Porsche - a family resemblance to it's smaller brother - the 924 - but with far more macho bumps over the rear wheels! Even the big brother - the 928 - does not look that startlingly different to my Blondie!
I was highly amuzed today! Where I noted before that "they" dug out the speed bump and left a ditch, today they actually re-tarred the road - quite well as it turns out! The ex hump and recently a ditch is now smoothe tar!
I was at a business today when I noticed a pool of water beneath my 4x4. I opened up the bonnet (hood) and immediately saw a clamp that was not tight, and water was bubbling out! I tightened the clamp, and it appears now - after a trip to and from Empangeni - to have rectified the slow water leak.
The last time it was looked at - because the motor tended to overheat - I queried whether all the clamps had been tightened properly? It is purely a chance inspection that showed me where the motor was losing water - sure it was not a lot, but I should not have to fill the radiator every day! It took maybe 5 minutes and an ordinary screwdriver for a retired accountant, to get the problem fixed! I firmly believe that I was inspired to look under the bonnet to see the minor leak. Even as a retired pen pusher, I could fix the "problem"! Even if it is not completely fixed, I know where the problem of losing water, lies!
On Sunday, I saw a pipe from the radiator overflow bottle, leaking! I found that I had not tightened the radiator cap properly, and a small amount of water was escaping past the "O" ring on the radiator cap! I have been troubled in the last month or so with unexpected overheating of the motor, and I pray (earnestly!) that I have solved the problem! If I have, then it is no thanks to me or to the BMW trained mechanic! (my 4x4 was built by Landrover whilst BMW owned the franchise!
The V8 motor is still the same as Leyland used to fit to Rover V8 cars! I was amused when my Mom saw a new Porsche on the road. Her comment was that it looks the same as an Audi! Not surprising really, since Porsche Designers are not very ambitious about startling new shapes and at one stage, Porsche were owned by Audi!
In fact, as far as I am aware, when the 911 was developed by Porsche, the franchise was owned by VW, so not surprisingly the 911 looks like a suped up Beetle - engine in the back! The show "Top Gear" on BBC Entertainment is not exactly overenthusiastic about how daring the Porsche designers are! Even now, a new 911 looks not that far removed from a 911 built in the early 70's! Blondie looks like a proper Porsche - a family resemblance to it's smaller brother - the 924 - but with far more macho bumps over the rear wheels! Even the big brother - the 928 - does not look that startlingly different to my Blondie!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Sundry comments
Maybe Africa spoils one, but I was reading a comment on a blog where they commented on "Coastal Scotland" but I consider that anywhere in Scotland MUST be "coastal" even if their coasts are nothing like the coast where I live - blue sea crashing down on long, wide sandy beaches! Maybe i am spoilt, but talk to me of a coast, I picture the wide beaches here in Mtunzini or like the one in Beira, up in Mocambique!
They talk of the coast around the Cape Province, but I will not venture onto the rocks there and the beaches are so tiny, and the water is only just warmer than that which comes out of my freezer! Makes our sea seem so warm - 21 degrees celsius - warmer even than that of Johannesburg at mid day at the moment! The average temperature of the water in the Cape is around 11 degrees celsius. I personally feel that anything below 20 degrees celsius is JUST above freezing!
Makes you wonder where the "learnerd scientists" get their "crazy" ideas about Global Warming! If you take last week as an example, this is a crazy myth - we are getting colder, not warmer! To accident damaged me, anything below 20 degrees ninimum sends me scurrying for my oil heater! I am stunned when every year, Spring officially starts on September First, but in mid September it regularly snows up at Nkandla (just inland from Eshowe, that you can see the lights of from Mtunzini) and up at Melmoth!
Historically, the first battle of the Anglo Zulu war of 1879, was fought at Nyezane, a site that you can see from the war memorial graves at Gingindlovu! Nyezane is only a few hours cattle trek up the hills from Gingindlovu, so when it snows at Nkandla, it gets really cold here - too cold for me! Makes me wonder how comfortable the Anglo troops found war in Zululand! They arrived in mid summer - from mid winter in Britain! They had to march in heavy uniforms! Not surprisingly you seldom see photos of fat soldiers! What energy they did not burn off with excercise, they must have sweated out. They were fighting against native Zulu's who wore only skimpy loin cloths! If anything they could not have sweated bullets, as ammunition was at a premium from the word go! :-)
Watching DSTV, they mentioned the existance of "Land Bridges" like they believe existed across the Red Sea when the Israelites walked across to the promised land - on dry land! If a land bridge existed in the Middler East, what are the chances that a land bridge was how man moved from the Americas to the rest of the globe? Alternately, they walked across the polar ice cap! At least they were not of the opinion that man developed in Africa! Just near Johannesburg is a site called "the Cradle of Mankind!" I think that someone made existing evidence fit in conveniently with their view of how mankind evolved! They expound on the activities of dinosaurs, that have remains dating back millions of years! What then of the truth contained in the Old Testament? If we believe that - and I tend to do this more - then the world and mankind can only be a maximum of 6 000 years old! I fail to see why Heavenly Father would create something imperfect and let nature take its course to modify it to what exists now!
Call me crazy - millions do! - but I believe what I believe! Try though and explain that to the scholars?
They talk of the coast around the Cape Province, but I will not venture onto the rocks there and the beaches are so tiny, and the water is only just warmer than that which comes out of my freezer! Makes our sea seem so warm - 21 degrees celsius - warmer even than that of Johannesburg at mid day at the moment! The average temperature of the water in the Cape is around 11 degrees celsius. I personally feel that anything below 20 degrees celsius is JUST above freezing!
Makes you wonder where the "learnerd scientists" get their "crazy" ideas about Global Warming! If you take last week as an example, this is a crazy myth - we are getting colder, not warmer! To accident damaged me, anything below 20 degrees ninimum sends me scurrying for my oil heater! I am stunned when every year, Spring officially starts on September First, but in mid September it regularly snows up at Nkandla (just inland from Eshowe, that you can see the lights of from Mtunzini) and up at Melmoth!
Historically, the first battle of the Anglo Zulu war of 1879, was fought at Nyezane, a site that you can see from the war memorial graves at Gingindlovu! Nyezane is only a few hours cattle trek up the hills from Gingindlovu, so when it snows at Nkandla, it gets really cold here - too cold for me! Makes me wonder how comfortable the Anglo troops found war in Zululand! They arrived in mid summer - from mid winter in Britain! They had to march in heavy uniforms! Not surprisingly you seldom see photos of fat soldiers! What energy they did not burn off with excercise, they must have sweated out. They were fighting against native Zulu's who wore only skimpy loin cloths! If anything they could not have sweated bullets, as ammunition was at a premium from the word go! :-)
Watching DSTV, they mentioned the existance of "Land Bridges" like they believe existed across the Red Sea when the Israelites walked across to the promised land - on dry land! If a land bridge existed in the Middler East, what are the chances that a land bridge was how man moved from the Americas to the rest of the globe? Alternately, they walked across the polar ice cap! At least they were not of the opinion that man developed in Africa! Just near Johannesburg is a site called "the Cradle of Mankind!" I think that someone made existing evidence fit in conveniently with their view of how mankind evolved! They expound on the activities of dinosaurs, that have remains dating back millions of years! What then of the truth contained in the Old Testament? If we believe that - and I tend to do this more - then the world and mankind can only be a maximum of 6 000 years old! I fail to see why Heavenly Father would create something imperfect and let nature take its course to modify it to what exists now!
Call me crazy - millions do! - but I believe what I believe! Try though and explain that to the scholars?
Monday, July 26, 2010
Another new week
I am excited by what I learned this weekend! Now I just have to put it into practice!
It also shows me that my ex wife had made a doubtful choice when she threatened to divorce me. After about a years threats and her claiming that she wanted a divorce, and in fact moving in with husband #2, I was sick of the threats - and the adultery - and sued her for divorce. Turns out that I divorced her for the one and only valid reason!
Turns out that my daughter wants me to remarry Mom, but she has moved on - twice - and I truly believe that if I were to remarry her, it would only be until the next guy with plenty of cash, hoves into view! Even if my ex were free to remarry, I truly believe that I have moved on. Micheles views are no longer compatible to my views!
It also shows me that my ex wife had made a doubtful choice when she threatened to divorce me. After about a years threats and her claiming that she wanted a divorce, and in fact moving in with husband #2, I was sick of the threats - and the adultery - and sued her for divorce. Turns out that I divorced her for the one and only valid reason!
Turns out that my daughter wants me to remarry Mom, but she has moved on - twice - and I truly believe that if I were to remarry her, it would only be until the next guy with plenty of cash, hoves into view! Even if my ex were free to remarry, I truly believe that I have moved on. Micheles views are no longer compatible to my views!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Latest - Sunday
Today, I was discussing my situation with a member at Church. She pointed out to me that Christine really loves me - all the signs are to the effect that she is jealous of attention from other ladies! When I was speaking to Breeze Stander - a divorcee at Church, Christine was apparently shooting daggers with her eyes - at Breeze!
That amazes me since I am of the opinion that my ex was keen on pushing Breeze and I together! Shows that my ex's taste is not my taste! I was never attracted to Breeze, even though she seems to be a nice enough lady! She is just not my sort of lady!
I have to find a companion without Christines involvement. I understand that my ex's second marriage did not survive partly because Christine was putting the husband through hell! I have the opinion that Christine really wants me to remarry her Mom. That is kind of impossible because I am not the same man who married - or even divorced - Michele, and she is no longer my kettle of fish! We were never so compatible, but I have definitely outgrown my ex!
I am not happy to have my partners chosen for me! I am old enough - I think - to choose whom I want to spend my eternities with! Having barely survived divorce, I can sense who I really DONT want to be involved with! I do believe that I have been told that she who is in my cross hairs, is going to be the next Mrs Steve Killick. Hopefully, "next" equates with "eternal".
I know that she is scared of marriage, but I hope that I am not in the same class as her ex husbands! I even look different. What drives me is not what drives them. I only hope that she will see this soon!
I learned a lot from the Conference, that explains what I need to do to keep things moving ahead!
That amazes me since I am of the opinion that my ex was keen on pushing Breeze and I together! Shows that my ex's taste is not my taste! I was never attracted to Breeze, even though she seems to be a nice enough lady! She is just not my sort of lady!
I have to find a companion without Christines involvement. I understand that my ex's second marriage did not survive partly because Christine was putting the husband through hell! I have the opinion that Christine really wants me to remarry her Mom. That is kind of impossible because I am not the same man who married - or even divorced - Michele, and she is no longer my kettle of fish! We were never so compatible, but I have definitely outgrown my ex!
I am not happy to have my partners chosen for me! I am old enough - I think - to choose whom I want to spend my eternities with! Having barely survived divorce, I can sense who I really DONT want to be involved with! I do believe that I have been told that she who is in my cross hairs, is going to be the next Mrs Steve Killick. Hopefully, "next" equates with "eternal".
I know that she is scared of marriage, but I hope that I am not in the same class as her ex husbands! I even look different. What drives me is not what drives them. I only hope that she will see this soon!
I learned a lot from the Conference, that explains what I need to do to keep things moving ahead!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
District Conference
Today (saturday) was the first day of the first District Conference presided over by the new Mission President! From the talks given, it is apparent that it will be a great conference!
I think that I have been given some arguements where I can interest the right people! I KNOW what I have been prompted, and I know where I want to go! It is not as if I am responsible for giving others access to the joy that I have found, but I need at least to warm "them" before I "warn" them! I just dont want to come across as either too pushy or a religious freak! I get the feeling that some people are not receptive to the fact that they are not entirely in control of their destiny, although they do have their Agency to choose where their eternities end up! I kind of despair when I am told that when you die, that is that! I am confident that we are not here by accident, and that we have some eternal perspective!
It makes me cringe when I persuade a friend to come to Church with me, only to have a zealous member try to convince them that the only exit to the Church is through the Baptismal Font, and then, only after they have married me!
I have not had much success with conversions - the first investigator that I baptized, was active for maybe 3 months before he hit skid row. The second baptism that I managed, was active for maybe a month, before she went completely against the Church. Only my daughter who grew up in the Church is slightly active. She is a boarder at a school some 50 kilometers from her nearest Ward, so she has no way to be active, but I refuse to leave her at home whilst I go to Church! I have been too damaged at my home to leave her with the TV remote! I have been stabbed, robbed and stung nearly to death!
That gives me what a friend calls "the Warm and Fuzzies" - a feeling inside me that I have a task to complete here in mortality. Until I do this, I am kind of immune to death, although some of the aftereffects are not that pleasant! Maybe I am supposed to endure huge problems (some people say "If God loves you, why do you have to battle so much?") but I sense that I need to learn something from my trials - compassion? humility? love for others? - I knew in my coma, and that is why I survived my coma and other huge(?) trials, but I have yet to remember this whilst I am conscious! I started off thinking that this was one or two huge efforts, but I was advised 'Maybe it is a lot of smaller things added together?" When I heard this it immediately made sense to me - again with the "warm and fuzzies" - confirmation that this was/is the truth!
I do feel sometimes that I get insights into what this could be! Maybe I am "unhinged" but I dont get the impression that I am!
I think that I have been given some arguements where I can interest the right people! I KNOW what I have been prompted, and I know where I want to go! It is not as if I am responsible for giving others access to the joy that I have found, but I need at least to warm "them" before I "warn" them! I just dont want to come across as either too pushy or a religious freak! I get the feeling that some people are not receptive to the fact that they are not entirely in control of their destiny, although they do have their Agency to choose where their eternities end up! I kind of despair when I am told that when you die, that is that! I am confident that we are not here by accident, and that we have some eternal perspective!
It makes me cringe when I persuade a friend to come to Church with me, only to have a zealous member try to convince them that the only exit to the Church is through the Baptismal Font, and then, only after they have married me!
I have not had much success with conversions - the first investigator that I baptized, was active for maybe 3 months before he hit skid row. The second baptism that I managed, was active for maybe a month, before she went completely against the Church. Only my daughter who grew up in the Church is slightly active. She is a boarder at a school some 50 kilometers from her nearest Ward, so she has no way to be active, but I refuse to leave her at home whilst I go to Church! I have been too damaged at my home to leave her with the TV remote! I have been stabbed, robbed and stung nearly to death!
That gives me what a friend calls "the Warm and Fuzzies" - a feeling inside me that I have a task to complete here in mortality. Until I do this, I am kind of immune to death, although some of the aftereffects are not that pleasant! Maybe I am supposed to endure huge problems (some people say "If God loves you, why do you have to battle so much?") but I sense that I need to learn something from my trials - compassion? humility? love for others? - I knew in my coma, and that is why I survived my coma and other huge(?) trials, but I have yet to remember this whilst I am conscious! I started off thinking that this was one or two huge efforts, but I was advised 'Maybe it is a lot of smaller things added together?" When I heard this it immediately made sense to me - again with the "warm and fuzzies" - confirmation that this was/is the truth!
I do feel sometimes that I get insights into what this could be! Maybe I am "unhinged" but I dont get the impression that I am!
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