...who you gonna call...
You all know how that song continues, but they're not going to help in this situation.
You, me, your neighbour, your family, strangers - they're the only ones who can pull the trick out of the hat.
Snakes - we - or more correctly Stellar - found a puff adder in the alpaca feed shelter last Friday. RMan noticed that Stellar was behaving weirdly so called her inside whilst he went to investigate.
Yup, a roll of shadecloth in one of the (un)used bins was moving.
Thankfully, John, the odd-job guy who helps us was there on that day and between RMan and John it was dispatched.
He then spoke to one of our neighbours who told him that the caretaker of our neighbours property found 4 Cape Cobra's and 2 puff adders - in the last week!!! That is scary stuff...
Snakes should be hibernating at this time of year.
For goodness sake - we're exactly a month away from mid-winter!
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| This Paulowina tree should only be flowering in September - not now... |
Then, this morning we noticed that our Paulowina tree is flowering - that shouldn't be happening yet - historically it should only happen in September. The seasons are definitely wonky. And, as much as I can handle what is happening, can the farmers?
Our weather has even made international new weather reports:
CNN Cape Town weather
Our weather has even made international new weather reports:
CNN Cape Town weather
Finally, have you read the latest about the moss growing in Antarctica?
If we don't all change our ways and consider Mother Earth, and the harm we are collectively doing to her, then she will reject us.
Are you more ready for that rejection than doing your bit now...?
It's our choice.
I swear when I was a kid, it rained at least 2 days a week. Not down pours but drizzle. And in the summer school holidays we had rain as well. And now, we are coming out of spring into summer, and the ground is already parched and cracked so much so, that I can put my fingers in the cracks in our garden. It is crazy.
ReplyDeleteWhen we do find our new home. The first thing going into the ground will be water harvesting units. We are moving to the most expensive water supplier on the UK. South west water.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10610691
Sol - That is unusual for the UK I know. We are below our normal rainfall by more than 50% here.
DeleteI agree, the more rainwater you can collect the better. We would love to get a 200 - 300 000 lt reservoir, but cost prohibits that purchase.
Great post. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteShon - Welcome and thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
DeleteI try - in whichever way possible I can - to share what is going wrong with our collective Home. Only we, collectively, can fix it...
You're right about the snakes which should be in hibernation. A Tiger Snake has been seen out and about in my neighbourhood in the past week. That is just not right at all!
ReplyDeleteFran - It's downright scary actually. Although I knew change was coming, I never thought it would be quite as rapid as this...
DeleteMost people don't give a thought to the concerns attendant to growing food, because most people have separated themselves from that essential human task. As long as there is "food" on the shelf at the grocery store they won't worry. Maybe when food starts becoming difficult to find or afford, the masses will question why. Or maybe they'll do that when cobras and puff adders start showing up at their homes. In the winter.
ReplyDeleteBill - I agree, there are too many complacent people out there, who think it will never happen to them.
DeleteWhen the farmers are unable to grow sufficient crops to feed the people, and the shop shelves stand empty, the awakening will be too late - much too late...
We have the rattler and the copperhead here, but your snakes sound a lot more frightening. Especially cobras. I hate snakes. I used to kill them all around my place, but my daughter demanded I leave the non -poisonous one's alone as long as they weren't after my biddies.
ReplyDeleteDo you ever read the British blogger, Kevin , I think his blog is an English Homestead. He and I had a discussion about population and he was convinced that farmers would be able to produce enough food to keep up with the burgeoning population. The thing is, he knows a lot more about farming and agriculture than I do. I still find it hard to believe though.
Harry - we normally have Cape Cobra's on our side of the valley, and t'other side has the Puffies. Having both here now is not ideal... We know that snakes normally move around in pairs, so killing one is quite worrying. But - rightly or wrongly - we don't hesitate to despatch them.
DeleteYeah - I read Kev's blog now and then. He is fortunate -
being situated in Shropshire in the UK, but the UK is not Africa. With vastly reduced water (rainfall), farmers - worldwide - haven't got a hope in hell of producing anywhere near enough food for 7+ billion people. If Kev thinks they can then perhaps he needs to visit Africa, South America, Asia and see for himself. Or he should have visited California during their recent drought.
Always very easy to talk from a position of strength, but if you haven't experienced the worst then one's understanding of it is very limited.