The Wonder Years!!

It's been a long week!! But it's almost done and it's been dead fun. The first camp for the season is behind us and all seems to have gone off smoothly with little or no trouble at all. Although I must say, if OMO says stains have got tougher, I say kids have just got wimpier!! I've never seen so many injuries, illnesses and trips into the first-aid box as I did this week. There is an answer to it though. The kids were being babied by the teachers. When we were that age, if we'd made some of the complaints we heard this week, we'd have been told to shutup and go back outside!! But by the end of the week, the wimps that arrived on Monday were tough as nails and ready for more.....which concerned me cos the bus didn't arrive to take them away till this morning. Not sure how keen I would have been to have them for another day if there'd been a problem with the bus.

The week brought some interesting stuff with it, a nice little mopane snake kept the kids entertained for a good while and the lightning storm and wind mid-week, scared the pants off some of them. I'll admit I was relieved when we didn't get any of the rain that was falling across the river. Can't imagine what the kids would've done if the roofs had started leaking. But the storm did give me a chance to try something new with the 'Madams' camera. Didn't quite get the focus right, but the idea was there.

All in all though, a good time was had by all and bar the castor oil beetles, it went off swimmingly. Some of them even managed to get some impressive little Tigerfish in the boat, the most notable being Blaide's 4kg beast. Hardly surprising that he managed to get it in the boat, he was like a tasmanian devil-'small but fierce' and damn he could fit a pile of food into that 4ft frame. Never seen someone that size eat so much!!!

The Jetty is also almost done!! We've got the deck on, stained and varnished. It looks even better than I thought it would. I'll put the pics of it on tomorrow. Just got the railings and upright to do next week and then we'll add the lights and stuff after that.

Got a visit from William WalliT today who stayed away on Tuesday cos he doesn't like kids. He dropped off these two little Gems from the Times back in 2002!Definitely going to enjoy a D.Cap mog on the river today and the silence is a welcome addition to my day.

Enjoy it......;))The Commodore

Spitting Cobra found in Chipata guest house

A MYSTERIOUS snake was on Saturday found in one of the rooms at Pingurani rest house near Kapata bus station in Chipata.
Both workers and officers at Kapata police post confirmed the incident which happened around 11:00 hours to ZIS in Chipata.
A two -metre long spitting cobra is believed to have been left behind by two Malawian youths who are traditional healers after checking out of the room as they left for Lusaka.
One of the workers, Naomi Mwanza, said she found the reptile which was packed in a ten kilogramme sack under the bed as she was sweeping the room.
Later, police retrieved it and before it could be removed from the sack, officers said the living thing allegedly looked like an animal.
One of the police officers fired about five gun shots at it but the snake could not die until a courageous youth hit it with a big stone to completely shatter its head.
The workers wondered whether the two traditional healers who stayed at the rest house for three days before they left for Lusaka, could have accidentally left the snake in the room or it was deliberately left behind.
Traditional healers, some of them not registered and usually coming from neighbouring Malawi, have filled most streets in Chipata where they conduct their business.--Zana/ZIS

Suspected wizard slain

A MAN was recently axed to death in Chozi area in Mbala by three men who suspected him to be a wizard.Chozi ward councillor Aaron Sichivula told ZIS that the man was killed by three men while he was working at his chitemene garden.The incident happened early this month and the three have since been arrested.Meanwhile Mr Sichivula has appealed to the Ministry of Home Affairs to open up a police post in Chozi area.He said murder cases in the area had increased. ZIS

'Nyama!!'

It's been an interesting week on the Wildlife front for the Lower Zambezi. At the moment it's 'Quelea' season, so the locals spend their time travelling from island to island, rummaging through the reeds, raiding nests for chicks. Just last week, there was a woman killed by an elephant on one of the islands near Nyakasanga. It's hardly surprising considering the fact that i heard this morning that they were in fact burning the island. Something I don't think an elephant would appreciate??
This morning brought news of another attack. Mr Jackson Zindoga arrived to 'request assistance' to go and search for the body of a fisherman who drowned 0n Friday when his canoe was overturned by a Hippo. Why they wait two days before coming to ask for help I have no idea? Especially considering that in those two days, the body could be anywhere between where it happened to 50km down-stream. So, No!! I am not spending my Sunday traipsing up and down the Zambezi looking for a floating body.The sad thing about all of these attacks is that besides the fact that they could have easily been avoided and the animals are in no way at fault, they will still be shot! And not because they are so-called 'man-eaters' or 'demonic-creatures'. They'll be shot because of their meat.

The neighbour has a similar problem. Baboons are trashing his bananas and regardless of how many times he tells the authorities, they do nothing. But let him tell them that there is a hippo in his plantations and they'll be there in a flash to 'crop the beast'. Or let him take matters into his own hands with the baboons and they'll arrest him for poaching. Go figure?

Still on the subject of all things wild, lunch time snoozes will never be the same after Friday. I don't think there is any ruder awakening than a 3ft lizard crashing around your room. The pesky thing came right in through my door and then got a fright when I sat up. In all the panic he managed to get himself up on my desk in an attempt to push his way through the gauze on my window. But we eventually managed to show him the door and everyone escaped unscathed.

The evenings have been just as interesting with the return of the castor-oil beetles which have forced us to retreat to the kitchen for dinner. The Gerbils have also been up to their usual tricks in 'Mukuyu' but they haven't got bold enough to attempt another toothbrush heist yet.

Quite keen to hit the river this afternoon for a spot of afternoon fishing and maybe we'll get a bit of a sunset now that the rains seem to be coming to an end. It better be good cos I've got to do the outdoor education thing for the week so won't get any time on the water till at least Friday.

Who said life down here's boring??.....;)) The Commodore