Got water! Must kayak and raft.

The Vaal River here in Parys is at its highest level that I've seen it in two summers. With gates open at Barrage from late last week, we were topping over 200 cumec. And a long weekend ahead too.

While Celliers tripped the river solo on Saturday, I joined him on Sunday morning. As I haven't been in my Bazooka sit-in whitewater kayak since November, I played it safe on the fast-flowing water with the sit-on-top Do It Now whitewater kayak. It handles white water like a breeze and the bonus, for me, is that if I fall off I can just climb back on.

Our boats on my roof. Car shuttle already dropped; now just to take our kayaks down to the river. No other photos... my hands too busy paddling.

We put in from the historic old suspension bridge in town, which is a block away from home. While getting ready on the big bare rock, a huge branch broke off from the nearby weeping willow tree and went cruising down the rapid. Goodness!

The river itself was just divine. We made it safely through the in-town section, which included a small weir and many channels and islands until we got into the river proper. The fast water and higher level sped us along the flat sections.

As for the rapids! Fabulous! Many super wave trains and a big water push down Big Daddy. Although I'm starting to learn the rapids and what is where, the river looked so different being so low on the water and also with all the usual rock features covered in water.

With Celliers briefing me on the lines, I made it beautifully through 'Theatre' and without landing in the two tricky holes at 'Look Sharp' and surfed through the big wave at Gatsien. What a rush!

Our paddle time was two hours and two minutes.

With the river still high on Monday morning, we were in for a family outing on the big oar raft, with Celliers at the helm. My mom came along and thoroughly enjoyed her second rafting outing at this higher level. We also took Inke's mom, who is visiting from Germany. This was her first time on a river.

Bertrand keeping us company.

Inke styling in her kayak.

The party raft with me in front and Celliers on oars with my mom, Liz, Kyla, Ruben and Inke's mom, Ingrid.

Here's me.

Starting young - Ruben on oars

Bertrand enjoying the river scenery.

On both days we saw loads of rafters in the two-man rafts on trips with local commercial operators (there are many). If you're looking for something different to do, I can definitely recommend a trip on the Vaal here for a spot of rafting. Or even head North and trip the Crocodile River near Hartees. I hear the water is up that side too.

The water we're getting is not much affected by the Vaal Dam, which doesn't have any gates open other than their normal release. We're getting water from Barrage, which is a reservoir rather than a dam or weir (kinda in between). It is affected by water coming in from the Vaal (from Vaal Dam), Suikerbos, Klip and Taaibosspuit rivers.

The river is still up but we're back at work. We're not sure how much longer we'll have this high level - I hope until after the holidays.

If you're interested in knowing where Jo'burg (and surrounds) water comes from, read this interesting piece on the Water Wise website "Where does our water come from?". It looks at early Johannesburg and growing water demands and building of dams in a neat article.

Three cheers for our Telkom guy

Telkom did work in our area over the weekend and sent a message to say so. Our ADSL went down Friday night / Saturday morning. My mom's ADSL was back by Monday morning; ours wasn't. We reported the fault on Monday afternoon.

On Tuesday afternoon, we got a call to say a guy would be over. I raced home from my mom's place, where I'd been working, and waited. After about 15 minutes, no one had arrived so I phoned the number I had been given and I spoke to a guy who said he would check the box and then come over. I waited. 

About 45-minutes later I called again and spoke to a lady. I asked if the guy was coming and I told her that I was keen to head back to my mom's place to continue working with her internet. The lady took my number to pass onto the guy so that he could call me when he got to my home. It takes me two minutes to get from my mom to home. 

So there I am working away at mom's place and we hear a hooter toot outside; the Telkom guy. He tells us that he'll meet me at my place - and off he goes. I head off behind him.

Andries, our Telkom guy, installed my mom's line in December so I saw him once or twice there. I didn't know that he knew where I lived. I asked how he knew to find me at my mom's place. He replies, "I know everyone in this town". 

How's that! He'd remembered me and had connected me to my mom and our respective homes. 

Andries has to be the best Telkom guy around. He's friendly and efficient too. 

While here he called the guy working on the exchange box and apparently a bunch of lines were not moved from the old system to the new one over the weekend; ours being one of these. He said the guy would get to it today.

I called him this afternoon when our adsl was still not up and he said it would be up. He then phoned me a while later to turn everything on and to test. Yay! We're back online.

Thank you Andries. Small town living has its merits - and lovely surprises.

Mobile blood donation clinics

The South African National Blood Service has an amazing network of mobile clinics that cater to schools, universities, large offices and small towns. Also blood drives at shopping centres. I benefited from the convenience of this on Tuesday when I visited the Parys mobile clinic to make my donation.

For many years I've been donating regularly at the fixed donor clinic in Bruma. I always time my donations to be 'available' during the xmas-New Year period when blood is in high demand. As I moved to Parys in December, I went to the fixed clinic in Potchefstroom while in the town for other errands.

In last week's Paryz Gazette, our knock-and-drop community newspaper, I saw a note about a mobile clinic on 8 March. I went along.

They have an excellent set up in the hall of a local church (we have no shortage of these in this town!) and according to the SANBS guy that I spoke to, Parys is very well supported. They have clinics on the second Tuesday of every month to cater to two groups of donors (you can donate every 52 days). At each clinic they usually receive just over 100 donations.

For comparison, my old centre in Jo'burg receives between 280-350 per month. Open six days a week and open till late on week nights.

I took Ruben along with me (Kyla was at gymnastics).

On the way to drop Kyla at gymnastics I told her that while she was there, Ruben and I would go along to the donor clinic. I explained to both children that you have to be over 16 and weigh more than 50kg to donate blood.

Kyla remarked that she would then make sure that she didn't weigh more than 50kg when she is older (she's 10 now) so that she doesn't have to donate. I explained that it isn't a compulsory thing to give blood and that people choose to do so.

Then, it being in my nature, I gave her something to think about.

Her mom was in a bad car accident may years ago. It resulted in a hospital stay and extensive back surgery. I don't know whether she received a transfusion but considering the seriousness of the accident, it may have been likely. I explained to her that her mom may have received blood and that if it were not for the people who voluntarily donate blood, that her mom may not have survived. Blood cannot be manufactured (yet) and so the only way to have blood available is for people to donate it.

The same holds true for the many people who receive blood following bad car accidents every day. It can take 40 to 60 units to save the life of a trauma patient. For perspective, that's more than I've donated since I was 16 (I'm on #41 now).

When we went to fetch Kyla after gymnastics, Ruben told her all about seeing the blood in bags, the shaking machine, how they put the needle in and then took it out and the people we saw. It's a friendly, non-intimidating environment and he enjoyed the experience of being there. Kyla wants to come along next time. I hope that by the time she's 16, she'll have a different perspective on blood donations.

Of course, donating blood is not for everyone.

Many people are excluded because of their medical conditions - low blood pressure, low iron, diabetes, previous hepatitis illnesses, certain medications, heart conditions... This is for the donor's own health; not that SANBS doesn't need their blood.

And then some people just can't do it. There are many who faint at the sight of a needle or blood. And that's ok too. It just is.

All those people in good health, with no illnesses, conditions nor phobias... We need you. We need your blood. And not once-off on Mandela Day... Regularly. That's three (minimum) to six (maximum) times a year. This gives you a 'regular blood donor' status.

REMEMBER: SANBS only uses blood from regular donors. If you just donate once a year as a well-intentioned, feel-good activity, you blood will sit on ice for up to a year, waiting for you to donate again so that they can test it and confirm that your blood is safe to donate. If you don't come back, they throw it away because you have no safe track record. What a waste of their resources and your blood!

If you were on the receiving end, you'd expect to receive safe blood; and that's why they have these stringent criteria.

If you're in good health and are prepared to commit to donating at least three times a year (that's only every four months), then pop along to a SANBS fixed clinic or a mobile clinic (find them on the www.sanbs.org.za website).

You're needed.

Visitors, are you ready to paddle?

I'm developing a habit. A nice one. Of 'making' my visitors paddle.

My aunt came to stay two weeks ago for a few days. We (me and my mom) got her onto the water. The first time in her life to paddle. My mom took her out on a double sit-on-top and they did really well. And, more importantly, my aunt enjoyed it.

My aunt in the front, my mom at the back.

My dad arrived today and he'll be here for two nights. He was easily coerced into coming paddling. He took my mom's boat, a single sit-on-top, while I paddled my V7. We got onto the water quite late so it was very quiet and still with a low sun quickly sinking.

My dad is a really good birder and he has eagle eyes. This evening I saw more birds - and more types of birds - than I've seen in the past three months. I now know the name of the golden-necked, swimming and diving water birds, darters. And we were also fortunate to see a large grey heron (I saw one last week too).

Paddle selfie

 Here's the thing...

If you come to visit us here in Parys, remember to pack your shorts and tees because you can be sure that I have a paddle outing lined up for you.

Orienteering friends, you'll be delighted to know that I've started mapping our regular paddling section of the river for a Canoe-O. I took my draft map out this evening to see how it matches up - I'm chuffed! It is looking great. I've got some decisions to make about how to deal with some vegetation issues but for the rest it is lookin' good.