How Much is that Kitty in the Window?

Hobo was a street cat who adopted my son one day when she walked in off the street and took up residence in his house. She was well known among the locals, and every day while he was at work she would walk about, visiting and greeting old friends along the way.

 

Hobo

A few years ago my visit to family in the UK coincided with an ‘Art In The Window’ event, where retailers, restaurants and individuals showcased artwork in shop windows and even the front window of their homes.
My son and his partner, both talented artists, had joined in the fun.

The town became an open air art gallery, and it became impossible to “quickly pop out to the shops” – on any journey outdoors I found myself distracted and delayed as the various and varied displays along the way caught my eye.

One morning I was sitting in my son’s front room when I heard a commotion outside on the street. There was lots of ooing and aahing and laughing and a small crowd had gathered in front of his house.

I snuck outside to join them and to try to eavesdrop on what they were saying about the art.

As well as the art on display, they were also looking at this little poser, and wondering how much she was selling for.

Art in the Window

WTF Friday (Part 9) – Brainy Beans

I’ve been offline for a while and am kick-starting my return today with this gem. Who could resist?

WTF Friday – Which Way Africa Style (Part Three)

Once a week Cee from Cee’s Photography Blog runs a Which Way Photo Challenge – everyone is welcome to take part.

You can read the rules for the challenge here. (I tried to copy them to this post for easier reference but the formatting went haywire!)

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A few years ago we were lucky to be invited by friends to join them at the impala hunting camp they had bought in the Lower Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe.

Of course, being a Land Rover (apologies to all Land Rover fans out there), things didn’t always run smoothly.  Most of the Lower Zambezi Valley is a wildlife area and there are many dangerous animals around – lions, elephants, buffalo, you name it, it lives there. So we had a few tense hours sitting on the side of the road while the men carried out running repairs.

Reading Genis’s Fat Dog Diary’s post this week (Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge (Day 3): The Joke is on Me) reminded me of this picture I took at Livingstone Gwembe Safaris Crocodile Farm. I think Genis will be relieved to know this!

Have Giraffes, Will Travel

To see more entries in Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge Week #13 go and have a look here.

Parcels With a Difference

Around here it is the norm for most stores to have a parcel counter outside the shop where you drop off any parcels or shopping bags you may be carrying before you enter to do your shopping.  You are given a ticket for your goods and when you have finished your business inside you produce your ticket and get your bags back.

I wasn’t sure if this shopper was dropping off or collecting her chicken.

 

2015 #5

No Through Road

2014 #24

Christmas in July

Local villagers thought Father Christmas had visited one Sunday evening in July when a thirty tonne rig carrying beer overturned on the Kazungula-Livingstone road.

The accident happened at around 10.00pm and within minutes the wreck was surrounded by ‘salvage experts’, all intent on making the most of this unexpected windfall. A handful of policemen arrived from town to guard the load but by midnight they were overwhelmed and a party was in full swing. So riot police were dispatched, tear gas was thrown and the revellers reluctantly weaved their way home.

In the mean time a wreck recovery company worked through the night, moving hundreds of crates of beer to the relative safety of their yard. This had to be done in stages and returning to the warehouse with the second load the driver was surprised to hear loud, joyful singing coming from inside the building. The security guard, whose job it had been to keep an eye on the beers, had taken it upon himself to do some quality control and he seemed oblivious when being reprimanded and relieved of his duties; he simply continued his song as he danced his way out of the yard, still clutching a half-finished sample.

By the next morning all that remained of the cargo was broken bottles strewn across the road, on the verge and in the bush. And a handful of stalwart party-goers who had somehow avoided the tear gas and the police.

This young girl somehow managed to avoid all the broken glass with those bare feet!

This guy had obviously been there all night. We saw him offering advice to the crane operator and when that was ignored he lurched onto the road, stopped a passing taxi and handed some bottles to the driver in exchange for cash.

Looks good enough to drink

I’m not a Vegetarian. But …

In these Health and Safety and Nanny State times it is sights like this, seen almost daily in our small town, that cheer me up and make me glad that I live where I do.

 

The meat delivery vehicle (this was mid-day, the temperature somewhere around 30 deg C)

 

Offloading begins. At least they are wearing white overalls …

 

Soon to be turned into chops, roasts and steak