Cheetah Experience

On Friday April 25, 2014 Elder Edington and I had the opportunity to play with some cheetahs.  The first three pictures are of three cheetahs that were not taken away from there mothers in time for them to bond with humans so no one is allowed in with them.  They will eventually be released into the wild when they know how to hunt and protect themselves.

Navel Hill

Life has been a bit busier than usual with a zone conference, teaching an extra seminary class and teacher training this past week so a welcome momentary relief came on preparation day when we got to go to Navel Hill.  We had been to navel hill one time before for a very short adventure. On that adventure we had the wonderful opportunity to give a young man named James a pass-a-long card and give his information to the missionaries.  He saw our name tags and asked us for information.  I found out later that we were the second set of missionaries to go to navel hill that day so he was already pumped up, but that is okay.  He just got two doses of Mormonism in a short couple hour period.

On our first adventure we saw five zebras in one group and 2 more zebra in another group.  Our hope on this trip was to see and get pictures of the giraffes for Aaron but it did not happen.

These animals seem tame but they
are not.  I would not try to pet them.

Elder Edington did not want me to get out of the car but I wanted the grandkids to see that the zebra where not very far away from us.  They are wild but are used to people coming around them.  

Late Night Adventure

On Thursday, March 27 we returned home to our apartment around 9:00 only to find the front, inside door was locked.  We always lock the metal bar gate but Elder Edington hates to lock the wooden door, so we were both surprised when he tried to open it, and he could not.  He looked at me and I told him I had not locked it.  He had the key so no problem, right.  He turned the key in the lock and nothing happened.  He tried and tried again and again with no success.  We did not know where the manager lived so we walked to the front gate house.  The man there told us to go to the medical facility because they have a second set of keys.  

We went to the medical facility but everywhere we went was locked up so we rang the bell and waited to be let in.  The black nurses there were very nice and walked back to our "flat" with us but guess what!  Their key did not work either.  Surprise! Surprise  Not!  We tried everything we could think off short of ramming down the door.  

We went back to the medical facility and called the manage.   We told him our problem and he told us to go get the key from the medical office which we had already done.   Then to our surprise he told us that if we could not get in with the key then he would not be able to get in with the key either.   We kind of thought he might try to help us get in but he just said we should call a locksmith.  

Calling a locksmith turned out to be more of an ordeal that we ever imagined.  The sweet nurses were trying to help us but it was a bit like the blind leading the blind with a communication problem thrown in.  Communicating with the nurses was a bit tricky but we finally got connected to locksmith who we could hardly understand or who could hardly understand us. We finally figured out that he could come help us but that we must have 750 rands cash which is about $75.00.  We did not have that much cash on hand so we went back to the apartment a bit discouraged and not knowing what to do but perhaps find a motel to stay at.

On our way back I decided to check to see if the back metal bar gate on the back door just might be open.  I knew the back door was unlocked.  Sure enough when Elder Edington had dumped the trash and had left the back metal door open, which was a rare thing even for him.  Thank heaven for tender mercies.The only obstacle left was the five foot, padlocked metal gate  that lets us in the little patio area.  It might not look like much but it was late at night and we are old.

I wish I had had a camera.  It was quite a sight to see Elder Edington climb on that rickety plastic garbage can and up on the fence. Things got a little exciting when he got on top of the narrow metal gate and had to get his shoe situated on the inside on the little spikes to let himself down.  All I could think was broken bones, emergency medical vehicles and hospital stays, but he negotiated it with a minimal amount of pain and not too much injury to his pride.  You all would have been quite impressed that an old man could negotiate the fence and live to tell about it.  He went on in the house and found all the  necessary keys and rescued me from the dark back alley.  When we woke up the next morning the door was still jammed and could not be opened.  It took one day short of a week to finally get the doorknob replaced.  If it had been like the locks in the USA Elder Edington would have fixed it the first day, but the screws for the lock are located on the door where you can not get to them when the door is shut.   We called several locksmiths but communication, even when it happens in English, is not alway a successful endeavor.  It was the manager who finally got a locksmith here to help us.  

Leribe

Leribe is a small town in the country of Lesotho.  Lesotho is the country found in the eastern part of South Africa.  It would be kind of like the United States with the state of Kansas being a country instead of a state.  Yesterday,  March 29th, my birthday, we headed to Ficksburg where we stayed the night and then crossed the boarder into Lesotho this morning to visit with the church group there.  We visited with the seminaries and Institute teachers and many of the students.  They were so warm and welcoming.  They told us how they wanted us to come every week.  We are having a hard time because we are finding ourselves wanting to be at every ward or branch every week.  Of course that is impossible.  We can only do what we can do.

Elder Edington and I got the opportunity to say a few words in church.  He talked about seminary and institute and I mostly talked about the family.  They are always flabbergasted to find out that we have 6 children and 22 grandchildren.

This is the Primary President and her primary, minus one little three year old that got away.  The tallest boy in the middle invited me to come to primary so I did.  Dalen went with the youth to their class. It was a wonderful day.

Even in South Africa they know "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and "If your Happy".  I got it on Video but I do not know how to put it on the blog.  If I figure it out I will post it.

On the Way to Fitsburge

Do you think the mission president
will let us keep them?

On the way to Ficksburg, yesterday, we really enjoyed a leisurely drive.  We stopped to take pictures and to enjoy two different tourist attractions.  Here are some pictures.

This was the first attraction that we stopped at.
If I could take these things home with me I would.

 These are large enough for children to get into.  They are on springs so they bounce all around.  I think the grandkids would love that.  Maybe Grandpa could put some in the back yard. 
      These interesting creatures are made of stone and wire.

                         

 

Elder Edington (Grandpa) decided he liked these chicken because they did not require any feed and never left messes in the yard.  They are made of rusted metal.

                                   Wouldn't you love a playground

that looked like that.

I would like these at Alpine or in my back yard.  The thatched roofs would be very cooling in the summer.

                                             

What goes up

Must come down

                                                                                             

  This was Elder Edington's idea