The Still Burning "Umbondo" Logs

Greetings From The Heart of Scouting

Click to enlarge: Entrance to GP - Burnt out!

Click to enlarge: Bush fires - Mtshelele Valley/Gordon Park 2011-09-05

Please don't yell at me for no report last week. My time, energy and peace of mind was stretched to beyond the elastic limit, as last week was over flowing with activity which needed instant attention. Even now I only have a short time to gather my thoughts as I launch myself into another tidal wave of things to be done - yesterday. And for those who are seeking a reply to their letters sent over the past few weeks, well hold onto your hat for I will get round to answering soon.

Two weekends ago Chris and I hung the new doors to the Naomi Connoly Lodge. They look really smart and will definitely keep out any warthog that is being pursued by a hungry leopard and keep naughty Cub Scouts indoors, who would like to climb the kopjes behind the Lodge by moonlight. Now we look forward to fabricating and fitting the steel trusses for the extension of the roof to prevent the rain from rotting the new doors.

Midday on Monday morning I received a phone call informing me that there had been a break-in at Gordon Park, so loading a wide variety of tools and materials into Inguluvane, I dashed back out to the Matopos. The damage was not extensive, four smashed padlocks, a damaged wooden door and a broken window pane. Goods stolen were my own workshop tools that I use in the development and maintenance of the Park, some items of tinned food and a curtain. The curtain and tins of food being the odd items out as the thief was very selective in his choice of goods, being only tools when there were many other valuable items on the shelves. Perhaps it was home hobby week so the other items were not needed. Securing the doors as best I could, I then went to report the break-in to the Police stationed some twelve kilometres away before returning to the Park to stay the night.

Tuesday was repair day and luckily I had come well prepared with the right tools and materials to undertake the necessary immediate repairs to secure the buildings that had been broken into. Wednesday and Thursday I had tours to conduct, my clients having the opportunity of visiting 'The Heart of Scouting' and for me to check that no further break-ins had occurred during the nights. Friday night I and Chris spent out at the Park so that on Saturday morning I could continue with added security work by reinforcing the damaged wooden door with steel plate, whilst Chris replaced the smashed widow. Then midmorning on Saturday I and Chris were off to the Game Park to undertake another guided tour of the Matobo hills. In wandering through the hills, I noticed that there was smoke from a bush fire to the east, but did not think much of it as bush fires are common at this time of the year. My tour included World's View from where I was horrified to see clouds of grey to black smoke billowing up from the Mtsheleli valley. Leaving my clients in the hands of my companion guide, I rushed off for Gordon Park five kilometres distant to assess the situation. I arrived in time to see the four metre high flames in the vlei jump the main road and continue on their way northward up the valley, hungrily devouring the tall tinder dry thatching grass as it went.

I turned into the Park and drove along a charred road, the grass and trees still burning fiercely on either side. Talk about racing through a tunnel of flame as I headed for Headquarters. The buildings had been spared even the thatched "Skipper" Knapman hut where the cut grass had been burnt right to the low foundation retaining wall two metres from the building its self. There were loud explosions coming from the store yard beyond the outdoor kitchen. These I discovered were the result of asbestos roofing sheets and drain pipes objecting to the intense heat of the fire. Also burning were a number of old car tires that we use in fun bases during camps. Then a dash to the Naomi Connoly Lodge and Justine Ralphs Cottage to check that they were still intact. Thankfully they were, although the fallen tree leaves against the walls had been burnt to ashes. Next a rushed drive to the "Bowl" to check the thatched Duty Hut. Again, the now burnt out mown grass of the parade ground had saved the hut from being burnt down.

Back at World's View I collected my clients and both vehicles headed back to Bulawayo. We caught up with the front of the fire by the MOTH Shrine. The Arizona Cypress trees of the plantation located here were roman candles. Some had fallen across the road partially blocking our path. "Imadzi" the kopje behind the shrine stood illuminated. A really fantastic sight, despite the devastation that was being caused to the plantation.

On the Sunday morning, Chris and I spent more time in surveying the damage caused by the fire. Large logs were still burning fiercely and two trees still burning had crashed down in the store yard. We were quite surprised to discover that the pump in the vlei at Headquarters was quite warm, only to find that the four by four teak timbers on which the pump is mounted had been partially burnt. Although there is a road between the pump and the tall reeds and grass of the vlei, the intense heat generated by the burning reeds and thatching grass had ignited the timbers. First frozen to breaking during our winter and now cooked in the fire, the old Fairbanks Morse pump has really been subjected to tough treatment - and it still works! A few fallen trees burnt in the fire had to be cleared off the road leading into the Park. More work was done in repairing and reinforcing the doors to the Rough store until late afternoon.

My brother and his wife, together with Sean his eldest son arrived from South Africa early evening to spend the week with me. At long last a time to catch up with news of the family over a pot roast and veg. prepared by Chris using the still burning "umbondo" logs of the veldt fire on Friday.

Cheers
Norman

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This past Week...

For those of you able to surf the internet, I've put Mr Arrowsmith's photos on the website at:- http://matabele.altervista.org/gp/photos/gordon-park-11-09-05.htm
http://matabele.altervista.org/gp/photos/ggordon-park-11-09-05.htm
http://matabele.altervista.org/gp/index.htm
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Subject: GP today
My Old man has sent these photos through from his visit today - his comment was 'Norman has been busy and he will update all in the next GP news.'
Take care.
Kind regards,
Andrew Arrowsmith
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Shocker!
Is this the worst fire the Knapman ground has seen! Did we loose any buildings/property? S'pose that it will be good for regrowth and attract the game when the rain falls.

Simon and Kirsty Miller-Cranko
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Under EU Directive 2002/91/EC, some pencil-pusher has given each proerty in the UK it's "Environmental Impact (CO2) Rating" and "Energy Efficiency Rating". I wonder if anyone can work out if GP's astronomical Carbon Emmissions might be helping to increase global warming, rising sea levels and the destruction of coral reefs, islands and the polar bear icepacks... or if the green summer vegetation reduces the impact of global warming?
hylton
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1st Bulawayo (Pioneer) Scout Troop Programme of Activities for:-

September
3-4 Monthly Hike
Boys Skills Course: P.H.Q.
11 Gordon Park Service: 12.00 noon
Provincial Cookout Competition

October
1-2 Monthly Hike
Parent's Camp
9 Gordon Park Service: 12.00 noon
15-16 JOTA/JOTI
Arnold Carnegie Assegai Competition

November
5-6 Monthly Hike
13 Gordon Park Service: 12.00 noon
Inter Provincial Patrols Competition

December
11 Gordon Park Service: 12.00 noon
25 Christmas Day

Activities may be Deleted/Added to the Programme

The 2010 Troop's fundraising Calendar can be found at:-
http://matabele.altervista.org/1st-calendar/1st-pioneer-troop-calendar-2011.htm


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"A Thought For The Week"


Stamping out corruption.
China convicted and executed 2 corrupt officials - Mr Xu Maiyong a former vice-mayor of Hangzhou, and Jiang Renjie who was vice-mayor of Suzhou. They stole $46m; £29m through embezzlment and taking bribes and were put to death after their appeals were rejected.

Several high-profile officials have been executed in recent years - including Shanghai's former party boss, and a former head of the country's main nuclear firm.

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ANDREW BARKER   Development Consultant          Trp(SA), Bsc. TRP. CVE (SA) 144 Berrymead Avenue, Mondeor, Johannesburg, 2091 South Africa Tel/Fax: +27 (0)11 680 9791 andrew @andrewbarker.co.za      Postal: PO Box 1073 Mondeor, 2110 South Africa Mobile: +27 (0)83 274 4424 www.andrewbarker.co.za

African Wanderer Safaris Around Zimbabwe, In the Matopos Hunting and Photographic Safaris Ian Harmer P.O.Box 1976, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Tel: +(263)(9) 72736 Cell:- + (263) (0) 912 224 069 Email wanderer @yoafrica.com

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Matabeleland Scout Website http://matabele.altervista.org/
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Bulawayo, 8 Sept 2011