Kahunas!

Gundi has KAHUNAS. I have now resigned myself to the fact that she is a boy.  I can also decipher what he is doing when he comforts himself to sleep. (Reminding me of Casper, Mandy!) I am going to try very hard to call her a him from now on but forgive me if I throw in a few feminine words about him inadvertently every now and then!

Porks and I went to Atebubu on Sunday to get out of the house and to buy some tomatoes.  On the way we saw three monkeys crossing the road.  They looked a little like vervet monkeys but had different colouring.  One adult had a baby clinging to it.  We stopped and reversed to take a photo but by then they were too far away! (So you'll just have to take my word for it!)  We see very little wild life here as anything edible, is!

This is preparation for a wedding.  There are many funerals we have witnessed but have not taken photos.  Mourners wear black and red and the whole village stops working to pay their respects.

There were also blue and white balloons but I didn't get them in the shot. No matter where one comes from, all brides want their wedding day to be special.

At the market there was the strangest looking chicken.  Porks said he thought it had been spray-painted but I don't think the people would waste their money on a chicken.  Very pretty, just like a bridesmaid or Lady Gaga!  I felt like asking, "Who are you wearing?" like the red carpet.

 

Then we went to have a look at how the houses are coming along.  There are three two-bed roomed houses being built and one three-bed roomed house.  The two-bed roomed houses are nearly finished and here you can see Porks in front of one of them.  The rumour is that more people are arriving at the end of February and early March. (So exciting!)  Jose` and another Brazilian, Sergio, sleep in single rooms at the office (where Porks started off) and I am sure that they will want to move in there first. I am happy to stay here at the moment.

Here is another house.

And a side view of the same one.

We let Gunds walk around and he investigated on his own.  When he couldn't find us he ran from room to room screeching.  I kept saying "here I am Gunds" and he replied with a call, until we found each other. I don't let him get to far out of sight when in the open though, as I am concerned about the birds.

On the way back to the truck, we let him walk as he doesn't get enough exercise and I could HEAR him following me with his patter patter on the ground, dust rising as he drags his tail behind him.

He was exhausted on the way home and had a rest on Porks' shoulder. When we go on long trips and Gundi wants to urinate or defecate, he gets very agitated and tries to get off of us and onto the floor of the vehicle.  We understand him now and we stop the bakkie to let him out to relieve himself on the ground.  Sometimes we are too late but we are getting better at speaking Gundi.

As I have said, Gundi loves to sleep on the bed during the day and is quite comfortable to stay there on his own.  He actually asks to get up if I am running around and he is unable to sleep on my lap.  He curls up next to our pillows and can spend ages there in the comfort of knowing that he is safe.

When he walks slowly, he lifts his feet deliberately.  Porks says it looks as if he has sore feet and I describe it as he looks as if he has gumboots on.   

I don't always have a good night's sleep as he has to touch me when he is sleeping and I either feel his tail brush my leg or his little nose smelling me as he tries to find a place to settle.  Then he either curls up right against me or puts his head over my leg and goes to sleep. A few hours later he is looking for another place and then he starts rummaging around again either in between my knees or against my hip or tummy.  I wake up every time as I am so frightened of squashing him when I turn over.                               

The other day, I took off my nightie to have a shower and he asked me to put him on the bed, so I did. When I came out of the bathroom, he was curled up in my nightie and not next to the pillows as usual - I'm sure he is comforted by the scent.

Its our 32nd anniversary on Valentine's Day (tomorrow) and our dear friends of 26 years, Robyn and Charles MacGillivray, celebrate the same number on the same day!  The ladies organised a get away to Mkhuze Falls Private Nature Reserve for our 30th.  I also planned last year's anniversary celebration for Porks.  So this year I have told him it is his turn to surprise me......let's see what he can come up with in Ghana!
Much love for a happy Anniversary and Valentine's Day to our very special friends!

                                                      Happy Valentine's Day to you all.