Morning Mirror Edition 230 - 12/3/2007




In this edition

Smalls



ARE YOU SWEATING SWEETIE ?


ARE YOU SWEATING SWEETIE ?

Its official - Kenyan deep sea big game fishermen need help from Zimbabwe Tiger fishermen !!

They spend hours, days, nay weeks, nay years practising on the paltry TigerFish on Kariba, and then head for Marlin territory off the Kenyan Coast !!

Breaking all records at Hemingways Resort at Watamu outside Malindi, our intrepid five caught and released five magical marlin in one single glorious week.

Together with two other no name brand fishermen, this brought to seven Marlin caught in one week at Hemingways, the previous record being four in one week !!

Rick, Dave, the Two Barrys and Adam along with able assistance of Richard and Boetie caught a miscellany of large game sea-fish including sailfish and sharks !

My own excursion into sea fishing was not quite that exhilarating ...... as the seas were fairly fierce, El Capitain suggested we girlie supporters take a seasick tablet and although no nausea ensued, it just simply and squarely puts an ordinary mortal in a comatose state the entire day !!

The gentle swell of the waves, the determined movement of the fishermen and gillys as they go about their baiting, out-rigging and luring, all adds up to a soporific, catatonic state of doziness that holds one in a vice like grip of sloth !!

But when the rods spin ferociously, when the gillys rush around like crazed madmen moving vast reels and rods and outriggers, when it has been a second before, ,just too much to open even an eyelid, suddenly one is wide awake to see the giant proud and beautiful marlin jump in proud defiance again and again until man triumphs over beast.

It can take hours to land such a mighty creature, muscles groan, limbs scream in torment, sweat pours in buckets down a giant harness which prevents the fisherman from disappearing into Davy Jones locker !!

"Are you sweating sweetie" screams a gilly in dazed glee as inch by inch the battle is fought and won.

Fortunately all big game fishing at Hemingways is "catch and release" , the fish are carefully tagged so they can be monitored and and gently released as quickly as possible back to their azure kingdom.

Kenya is amazing, bursting at the seams with tourists, everyone has, not much, but a whole lot more than out own sad Zimbabweans. The towns are poor but bustling, people are happy and smiling, there is food a-plenty, wares for sale on every corner.

The airports are inundated with people looking forward to being part of Kenyas thriving hospitality and tourisy industry.... a stark contrast to our own airports where dust and people lay heavy and heartsore.

We were like that once, we have as much game to offer the world, as many areas of stark and raw beauty....one day we all promised ourselves... one day..

One day and soon.... Zimbabwe will once again become the centre of the maize triangle and the hub of the tourist industry that we were once, before madness overtook our land......




CONGRATULATIONS



Congratulations to Mary Little on reaching 80 years.
With love from all her family and Bulawayo friends and patients.


CONDOLENCES

Condolences on the passing of Jane Watson. Remembered with affection for her work in National Parks in Nyanga and Hwange.
Jane and Scott Petrie and Charlene Bachelor.



Robert Garrett much loved father of Jean and Rusty
Sincere sympathy from Chairman and Staff of the Girls College family.

Re: the late Ton Spits
To all our dear family and friends

A very special thank you to you all, for all the wonderful support and comfort that you have given us during our period of grief.

With love
Theona, Michael, Raymond, Philippa, Jaimee and Vicky



JIMMY McGROARTY.
Much loved husband of Theresa, wonderful father of Jack, Jim and Anne and adored grandfather of Amy, Sandy, Kyle, Fern and Jodie.
Jimmy passed away peacefully in his sleep in Kingston Hospital, London on Saturday 10th March.
To know him was to love him, our lives have changed forever.


TIDBITS


The Kariba Elephants are in DANGER.....Please take the time to read

Hello All out there who have an interest in conservation. ....!! In haste and for your info........ ! Something that horrifies me, and am sure will do the same with you.

National Parks are going to cull Elephants to feed crocodiles. Apparently they are going ahead with a plan to build their own Croc Farm here in Kariba. Nothing wrong with the Farm proposal, but what worries me sick is......... the fact that they propose to feed the crocs with OUR ELEPHANT!!

They intend to cull between 50 and 100 Elephants per year to feed the croc's. We DO NOT have that sort of population here. Most of our Ele's are 'tame'...human orientated and gentle old creatures! If they even shoot 50.....that will be the end of our Kariba elephant population? And they DO NOT have the right to shoot them in the first place?? They do NOT own the animals..... .although they like to think so!!!

They propose to put this farm right in the middle of the Kaburi wilderness game area, on the shoreline opposite Zebra and Antelope Islands. Obviously so that they have direct access to any Elephant wondering past, and the remaining Buffalo and whatever is left there, for food to feed their croc's.

Kariba thrives on it's Ele population. Most of them are well acquainted with humans and traffic, and are a pleasure to have around....especiall y as a draw for the few tourists we get here!

PLEASE help us protect them by spreading the word about this disastrous idea.....and in the case of some of you, get it to the knowledge of C.I.T.E.S. and any other international organisation interested in conservation who may be able to block these fools in Nat Parks.

I have passed this info on to Johnny Rodriguez of ZCTF and to a journalist mate of mine in the UK in the hope that it will become international news. We need to involve WWF and others like them to help us save the Elephant here in Kariba.

So please spread the word........ .

Geoff Blyth.


Kindly pass this prayer to 12 people: "Lord Jesus Christ, walk through our Country Zimbabwe and take away all our worries,economic hardships, political unrest and illnesses. Please also bless the households of the individuals included in this e-mail and the person who has sent it out. Amen"


SAD SERIES

Meppy is a mother, she has a baby on her back, I see her every Thursday when she comes to rummage through our garbage bags. She is one of many who follow the dumptruck roster.

Suburbs on Thursdays, Kumalo on Fridays, Burnside of Mondays.....

There are few affluent suburbs left now in Bulawayo, most households throw very little of any use away, times are too hard, inflation running at 1700% and unemployment at 80%...

not much hope for Meppy and her baby........ ...




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