Phutt, phutt, phutt

Having recovered from your visit Leon, which we all thoroughly appreciated, it was the weekend again and so off to the Park I trundled early on Saturday morning.

Only Brendan had a free weekend of sport and as he had not been allowed out to the Park for several weeks by his parents, as he had to study for his school exams, he was only too eager to get into the hills.

My main mission this week was to reassemble the generator which had been out of commission for several weeks, actually I think months. Whilst I attended to this task, Brendan constructed a shelter out of natural materials, a test he had to do for his Adventurer Badge. Both tasks were successfully accomplished by mid afternoon just prior to the heavens opening up. We had a heavy down pouring of rain accompanied by lightening and thunder, a fantastic tropical storm which blew over and the sun broke through to reveal a saturated landscape.

Following the storm, I started the generator and was relieved to hear a steady Phutt, phutt, phutt. No clanking and earth tremors. The problem had been that caused by the flywheel having come loose owing to an undersize key which fastens the flywheel on the shaft. Having spent the last twenty-five years providing electricity to the buildings at the Park, why it should suddenly come loose is a mystery.

My thanks to James Irwin, the Scout leader of the 8th for making a new and ever so slightly, larger key.

After supper, Brendan and I fired up the generator again and viewed the CD Hylton had sent out with Leon. Thanks Hylton, but how do I open up the letters. We viewed the toys and the old newspaper cuttings, but I could not find the letters.

On Sunday morning everything was still wet, so we skipped climbing Shumba, the rock surface is a little slippery when wet and therefore dangerous. Instead we walked around the Park in the cool early morning air.

Unfortunately I discovered that the ropes on the flagpole in the Bowl had been stolen since the previous weekend. I inspect them each weekend as they last disappeared in July of last year.

After breakfast, we spent several hours repairing storm water damage to the road leading up the hill to Headquarters. Not a difficult task, but owing to the high humidity and the sun beating down out of a clear sky, it took its toll on our energy reserves.

Afternoon siesta was followed by clearing the storm water drains up at the Lodge and on the hill leading to the Bowl campsites. Not the most exciting work, but essential if we are to keep abreast of mother nature and her destructive forces.

For your records Leon, we recorded 2.95 inches for the week ending 16 November, 2008. Not bad, hey.

Cheers Norman
Bulawayo, Monday, November 17, 2008