Water, the world's essentiality.

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Nothing could live without it and there are water scarcities in most country's.
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I have seen a few droughts in my long lifetime and it created a habit in me to be extremely grateful every time that it rains.

It will continue to rain here for the next few days and as I watch the drops on my window it reminds me of the essentiality of water for us , our wildlife and for human life. Some areas in our country are suffering from droughts for many years now and new drought areas are continually added.
We also had a severe drought situation here in the Western Cape province, that was thankfully broken by rain four years ago but the other places are still suffering. Not a pleasant sight to see dead cattle and animals next to a dry dam.
Let me show you some of our water birds today.

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A couple of Yellow-billed ducks came to pose for me. So, I asked them to perform a double dive stunt for me.
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Hahaha...they giggled and look at the double dive below.
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Here we have a Moorhen and a baby.
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Oops! She had two babies:)
So light that they can walk on the floating leaves of the water plants.
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Beautiful sights and we pray that it will continue forever, but you and I know that sooner or later the drought will strike again. It seems to work in seven year cycles, but in some cases here there are now places that have already had drought for much longer periods.
The rainfall has also changed, as it is now much heavier rain that fall and the old days of four day light rain have passed away. Now only intense storms with tons of water create dangerous floods and all the water runs into the ocean.
Let's hope that we will continue to get rain.

And That's All Friends.

Photos by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX70HS Bridge camera.

Thank you kindly for supporting a post on behalf of @papilloncharity

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I love the second photo, Zac, it's lovely - so calm and peaceful 😊

The two diving ducks are gorgeous 😄

!WINE makes a delicious dinner with !PIZZA :)
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Thank you Hannes,

Oh yes, I think that serene scene is great for mediation and prayer 😊

I was so glad that the ducks agreed to do a combined dive 😉

Cheers and thanks.

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My pleasure, Zac, and you're very right - I can imagine sitting there for a while and just admire the beauty of Mother Nature ... until Lady Patience reminds me that I'm not patient at all 😉 !LOLZ

Have a !PIZZA from me, served with !LUV
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Good evening Hannes,

Patience my friend as there will come a time when you could sit there for hours.
Let's just hope that you will not be so old that you can see and hear nothing anymore 🤣 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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Good morning Zac,

and let's not hope that I'm in a wheelchair which I can't move myself and therefore have to sit there for hours ... until they find me 🤣 !LOLZ

I'm on my way to a few waterfalls (today is a holiday here) and if I am not too tired when I return home I will reply to the other comments 😁

Hope you're having a great start into the new week with sunshine 🌞 and no rain 😊

Have a !PIZZA from me, served with !LUV
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Good evening Hannes,

I really hope that you will never end up in a situation like that, but in saying this nature might force you into into Lady Patience arms one way or another 🤣 !LOLZ

Ah, the waterfalls always make for great photos so enjoy my friend.
I am late today and have only done me second post now, as we worked here in the house all day and it's not finished yet. The house was built in the 30's and it has many hidden problems.
We stripped the tiles off the shower floor, as a new base needs to be laid and we discovered many holes at the edges that leaks into the walls.
Look at this.

And if you think that is bad look what it looks like under the bath!

So yeah, I am sure that there are many more bad discoveries waiting for us.

It was a great start to my new week, as all of the things will be repaired, but rain wise will happen tomorrow with yet another wet and cold storm arriving.

Cheers and thanks.

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Wow, this looks really bad, my friend, and I do hope that you have been able to do repair much of it.

Have a !PIZZA from me, served with !LUV
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The good thing is that the owner has budgeted for the problems and now we have 4 teams of contractors to take care of everything. So I can sit back and continue to get older 🤣 !LOLZ

Another two or three weeks and all will be good again.

Cheers and thanks.

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Now, that sounds great, my friend, but I don't think that you lean back and let them work without having an eye on their work all the time 😉 !LOLZ

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Hahaha, you know me well my friend. The guys respect my experience and I in turn respect theirs, so we work closely together.
For instance the one contractor re-laid the shower floor and he covered the walls with a special chemical glue that will hold the waterproofing sheets of fiber cloth.

Now everything has to dry first before the waterproofing can be done. So with the rain here, the drying process is retarded, as he wanted to the waterproofing today, but we both suspended it until Monday, as the cement on the new floor and and the glue on the walls are not dry yet.
Here's an idea of what it looks like now.

So I am not a slave driver, but yes things have to be done right else my wife will be very unhappy with me 😊 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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That's a cool looking shower - who is the designer? 😂 !LOLZ
Seriously, I bet on Monday this shower will look great and you're one step further to a repaired house.

Have a !PIZZA from me, served with !LUV
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Monsieur Da Vinci 🤣 !LOLZ

Monday will be the 3rd step, to place the waterproofing sheets on the floors and the walls.
Then a wait again for it to dry until Wednesday, or Thursday depending on the weather and then the final step of the new tiling to finish it off. I estimate that we will be able to use the shower after this new week and Maybe on the Tuesday after.

So in the meantime we continue to wash with a bucket of water every day 😛

Cheers and Thanks.

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Oh, it takes longer than I had thought, but as long as the result is okay, washing with a bucket is also fine. This reminds me on the renovation of our bathroom - we have had the same situation as you're having it. We couldn't use the bathroom for over a week. Luckily our toilet is in a separate room 😅 !LOLZ

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So both of us know about the renovations and yes, we completed the waterproofing part today. Not it has to dry and the guys will be back on Wednesday to do the new tiling. Then on Thursday they will do the grouting of the tiles and then the wait again for everything to dry properly. So on Monday next week we can shower again.

Lucky you as our toilet is in the same room and if we need a toilet, we have to drive out to a shopping center to use their public toilets. A thing that I really hate to do.

Yep, we will be washing tip and tail with that bucket for a long time yet 😛

Cheers and thanks.

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5 days left till you can take a shower again. I wouldn't mind that much in Winter, but in Summer it would be a pain to have no shower.
When our toilet was once broken, we have asked our neighbors if we can use theirs. I don't think that my family would drive to a shopping centre to do that business 😂 !LOLZ

!WINE makes a delicious dinner with !PIZZA :)
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I love to shower every day, winter or summer. In winter I use hot water and in summer cold water.
So yes, we still tip and tail out of a bucket, but it is worth it, as the shower will not leak anymore.

Me ask the neighbor to use their shower or their toilet? We only have two neighbors and we greet the one at the left, but we don't know the one at the right. So they will see me as a complete stranger asking to use their toilet? Methinks not my friend 🤣 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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I usually don't go out of the house without taking a shower 😅
Of course there are neighbors here I wouldn't ask and I take my showers hot at any time of the year ... I love hot showers 🤣 !LOLZ

!WINE makes a delicious dinner with !PIZZA :)
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We had to wait for each treatment of the shower to dry properly and after the final treatment I stuck a small electric heater into the shower to dry everything out faster. Not on high, as that might evaporate the water content of the treatments, but on low to raise the ambience in the shower.
So on Sunday last week we both had our first shower and it was perfect.

I have not touched the bath and toilet yet, as the gas geyser is now the priority, but it is expensive and I have to save some bucks before I can get it.
So yes, I see that you understand the thing about not asking the neighbors anything and we share the love of hot showers 😁 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

We have grown so used to hot showers that it like taking an ice cream from a baby if we cannot shower.

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You're so very patient, my friend 😊 I don't think I could wait and have multiple construction zones over weeks or months at home. I think I would postpone other things to get it done quickly.

A hot shower in the morning is one of the best things of the day ... I don't have a shower in the van, so the first trip will become a real challenge, I believe 🤣 !LOLZ

!WINE makes a delicious dinner with !PIZZA :)
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One only has to tough things out my friend. A bucket wash in winter is a bit of a problem, as the hot water on one's body gets cold instantly and it's not fun standing naked in the kitchen 😉

At some time in the future, you can get the camping tent that zips onto the side of the van and then you can also get one of those portable showers. What I see the guys doing here is that they put roof racks on the vans to carry their camping equipment.

For the first trip you will also have to tough it out and smell like a porky instead of a mountain goat methinks 🤣 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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I have just imagined you standing in a bucket in the kitchen 😂 !LOLZ

At the moment I want to have a stealth camper van that doesn't look like a camper van, so I can park almost everywhere, but maybe I decide to change and add a tent and a shower and a real kitchen and move from the apartment into the van 😁

Have a !PIZZA from me, served with !LUV
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Awkward my friend and by the time I get to wash down by me feet, the water is cold 🤣 !LOLZ

Yes, I understand that and Marian's one cousin sold up his mansion including all of the furniture and bought himself a motor home when he retired. They travelled all over the country and stayed in the caravan parks of every place that they visited over the past 10 years. The latest that we heard was that he now bought a piece land when they found the ideal place and I don't know if he is going to build on it.

So maybe getting a bit of bigger van as time pass, you can do the same 😉

Cheers and thanks.

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😂 !LOLZ
That would be great, but my wife isn't a fan of such a van life, so I'll do it on my own and hopefully she'll join me sometimes on shorter trips. Maybe when my son doesn't need the other car anymore I'll sell both and buy a bigger van for more comfortable journeys 😄

!WINE makes a delicious dinner with !PIZZA :)
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And I bet that you will try your best not to do many short trips 🤣 !LOLZ

A good idea and I see that the bigger vans are getting hotel style luxuries nowadays as they keep on improving them. So yes, it might be a good bet in the future to get a bigger van my friend.

Cheers and thanks.

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Hm, I haven't made such trips before, so I don't even know if I like it, but if I do, I certainly will be alone on the road quite some times 🤣 !LOLZ

If the prices for used cars get lower again in future, I can imagine buying another used cargo van and build the interiour myself again ... but with more patience this time 😅

Maybe you like a !PIZZA fresh from the Oven 😋
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I am sure that you are going to love the long trips and I look more forward to it than you do because I know that you will get nice photos 🤣 !LOLZ

Nope, you should pray that prices for new cars increases, so that you can get more for your car and the van. Then you will have enough to buy an empty van and to make a posh interior 😉
I am sure that by that time you will have more patience 🤣

Cheers and thanks.

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I will tell you in about a week or so whether I like it or not, because I want to take next week off and go on my first trip alone 😁

Yep, but I don't think that I will get much for my van if the buyer has a closer look inside 🤣 !LOLZ

Have a !PIZZA from me, served with !LUV
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Oh yes, you said that you were preparing for a trip and I think that it is going to be an exciting time for you, as by now, you being out on the bike so many times that you would know exactly what you want and where to go. So no more quick rides as with the van it is a totally different concept.

Easy to solve that problem as just make sure that the buyer wants the van for deliveries, as then you can strip everything out at the back 😰 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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You're right, the bike tours and the van trips are two completely different things. I have never stayed somewhere over night with the bike and now I can drive much further away and don't worry about the weather ... I'm looking forward to it and I'm also a bit scared about being alone far away from my family.

I think getting everything out that's glued into the car will also be a lot of work 😅 !LOLZ

!WINE makes a delicious dinner with !PIZZA :)
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I think that you know the song that goes; "I was born under a wandering star" and also another song, "Don't fence me in". So if you are anything like me, then you will disappear for a long time 😉

I don't have a phone and at times when I go exploring in bush at a new place, I can be gone for 4 or 5 hours. Upon my return Marian is usually in a tizz saying that she had to cancel meetings and all such things that we were supposed to attend 🤣🤣🤣

Best thing for a quick job is to set the back of the van on a controlled fire to burn the stuff out, and then just to have the inside re-sprayed with paint 🤣 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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I haven't been anywhere alone in a long time, but I am really looking forward to it 😃

I don't have any meetings planned in the next two weeks and my phone is forwarded to my bosses phone 😁

A controlled fire in a car - sounds great 🤣 !LOLZ

Have a !PIZZA from me, served with !LUV
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It's going to be a me, myself and I story as you travel along alone and I know that you are going to have a great time. So the shackles will be off and you can run around in the bushes at will. Maybe you should also try a quick dip in the sea. A quick dip though as there are octopuses in there 😁😛😮

Easy, you sit in the drivers seat turned to face the back with a fire extinguisher. Soak the tires with water and open the back doors. Then you put a heap of cloth in the middle of the van's floor in the back, drop a few liters of gas on the cloth heap and set it alight. I will come and visit you in the hospital after 🤣 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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If I get to the sea I will certainly have a look if there are any octopusses around for a dance 😁 !LOLZ

That sounds like a plan but I hav eno !LOLZ left 🤣

Maybe you like a !PIZZA fresh from the Oven 😋
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You are really joking about dancing with the octopuses too much my friend and I know that old people said that if you joke too much about a specific thing, then you are tempting fate and it will come true.
So please take my advice and don't go anywhere near to the ocean 🤣 !LOLZ

During you 2 week solo foray, I will be keeping an eye on the Austrian main line news and hope not to see headline news such as Austian mountain goat surfing on the sea towed by an octopus 😛

Maybe I do and let's try 🤣 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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Now you scare me, my friend, maybe I should climb up a mountain instead of going to the sea 😂 !LOLZ

I'll always have some sweets with me, just in case a hungry octopus comes by 😁

Have a !PIZZA from me, served with !LUV
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Mountain goats are known for climbing the mountains and I think it's a great idea 😀 !LOLZ

I think that they like sardine toffees and crabstick candy 🤣🤣🤣

Cheers and thanks.

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I still don't have any idea where I'll go - maybe I will just sleep in the car parked before the house 😁 !LOLZ

Oh, I don't think I've got such treats with me, but maybe I can mix something together with some canned fish 😉

Have a !PIZZA from me, served with !LUV
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I have given you an idea about where to go in a previous reply somewhere, as if you sleep in front of your house, somebody will report you as a suspicious threat and you will be arrested 🤣 !LOLZ

Nope, they don't eat stuff from a can and it has to be fresh. So again I say, don't go near the water 😮

Cheers and thanks.

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I'm at the end of a 24-hour-shift and am too tired to look through all our conversations, but maybe after a coffee at home I'll search in my brain if I can remember 😁

You're right, somebody might hear me snoring in the car and think it might be a bomb or some wild animal 😂 !LOLZ

Oh, only fresh food? Well, in that case I'll have to take the goldfish from our neighbour with me 🤣

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An easy one as I only suggested that North Africa will be a nice and hot destination 😁

Hahaha, and you will have to tell them that you are only a domesticated mountain goat 🤣 !LOLZ

Hey, I remember the goldfish and I think that it was suggested as a solution before 😉

Cheers and thanks.

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I just need to warm up the car and close my sleeping bag up to my nose and it will also be hot 😉

Your brain works much better than mine, Zac, because I remembered that we have been talking about goldfish before, but I didn't know why ... now I know 😂 !LOLZ

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Hahaha, yes you are right and so you can stay in the van inside your sleeping bag for the whole day, without having to go out in the freezing cold. Although I think that 2 weeks of staying in a van to avoid the cold could become a bit boring 😁 !LOLZ

Somehow something about goldfish fell into this thing that I call a brain and I think that your mention of octopus tripped it to fall into my memory box 🤣🤣🤣

Cheers and thanks.

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Oh, my friend, and it was freezing, but not inside the sleeping bag. I had to leave it though to get out for a hike before the millions of tourists arrived, and I didn't have enough food for two weeks with me 😂 !LOLZ

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They say that when you sleep then you don't feel the hunger. So maybe you should just stay and sleep in the sleeping bag for a week 😛 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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That's certainly not true, because often I wake up in the middle of the night because I feel hungry 😂 !LOLZ

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Simple to still the hunger pains, as just keep a box of biscuits inside the sleeping bag with you 🤣 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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Haha, but actually that's what I have right beside me 😂 !LOLZ

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Cool, then hunger is not your problem. You only use hunger as an excuse to go home to your soft bed and you miss your wife and the kittens 🤣🤣🤣 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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No, there's enough food for a week in the car, so the hunger will not be an excuse 😂 !LOLZ

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Well then if it is not the food or hunger, then maybe it is love that drives you home 🤣 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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Maybe 🤣 !LOLZ

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I have just imagined you standing in a bucket in the kitchen 😂 !LOLZ

At the moment I want to have a stealth camper van that doesn't look like a camper van, so I can park almost everywhere, but maybe I decide to change and add a tent and a shower and a real kitchen and move from the apartment into the van 😁

Oh yes, people will not know that I am inside, but they will smell me 🤣

Have a !PIZZA from me, served with !LUV
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Nice place. No wonder birds live there. Photos are funny.😀

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Thank you and yes, it is a paradise for the birds 😊

!PIZZA

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