Breakfast was as tasty as usual

Greetings from the Heart of Scouting

There is an old saying of, "It never rains, but pours". Boy, never a truer saying, for this past week has had me in a flat spin from morn to night. It all started on Wednesday morning when I was aroused by an early morning phone call; "Could you do a day tour tomorrow and another on Friday?" I didn't have to give it much thought, I was broke. "Yes, what are the details?" [Norm has passed the exams & is a licenced Tour Guide] Now to reschedule all the other important hours that my old "bod" had been booked for. Well, the tours were fantastic, mainly because the tourists I ferried around the Matopos were so interested in seeing what we have to offer in the way of animals and scenery. Definitely worth a return trip was their parting comments.

The Troop meeting on Friday evening was different in that it was our end of term Sausage Sizzle. Now, having to get into town from the Matopos leaving at 7.00 pm and being at the sausage sizzle starting at 7.00 pm was a little tricky, unless of course I was on the Space Ship Enterprise and I could just nip into the Transporter cubicle and let old Scottie "Beam me to the Sausage Sizzle venue". Alas, I was in a Ford Kia with a dead battery or something and not my trusty Inguluvane [LandRover]. Anyway, I had pushed button 'B' earlier in the day and a back-up plan swung into action so smoothly that I needn't have worried. More importantly it proved that I have a great bunch of chaps in the Troop and that I am really a supernumerary. I can say this, for, when I eventually arrived at the sausage sizzle venue an hour late, the tantalizing smell of braaied sausages could be detected several blocks away, even better, my dinner had been cooked for me to eat on my arrival. Boy, did it taste good! Then another early morning tour on the Saturday after which, I could gather up three of my eager Scouts and head out back to the Matopos, this time to Gordon Park with no tourists in tow.

It was a really miserable, cold, overcast, drizzly evening and so after opening up, we gathered round the cooking fire at the outdoor kitchen and supped our hot coffee followed by an early dinner. Then off to bed. The mercury was hovering on the 9 degree C mark. Too cold for us pixies.

Sunday morning dawned bright with not a cloud in sight, but still with a marked chill in the air. Again, only Chris and I were brave enough to climb Shumba to see the sun rise. The other two, Dale and Brendan volunteered to stay in camp and to cook breakfast. Mmmm. There must be a plan here. Anyway, breakfast was tasty as usual. Our task for the day was to complete the construction of the three stoves in the campsites in preparation for the Centenary Camp which is now less than two weeks away. I am overjoyed to report that this task has now been completed. Some road repairs were also undertaken and as per normal, water pumped from the well into the storage tanks.

The cutting of grass in the area that the Matabele contingent are to camp, was tackled by a team of Scouts who had hiked the day before from Fort Usher to the Park. These Scouts are to be the hike leaders during the Centenary Camp and so had hiked the route in order to familiarize themselves with it.

It was late by the time we left the Park for home. Yes, it had been a hectic week, but a great one at that.

Temperatures for the week ending 26 July 2009: 33 F or 1 C and 79 F or 26 C

Cheers

Norman
Bulawayo, Sunday, July 26, 2009