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As you all know I am going to visit my daughter in the UK.  We are leaving
Sunday  December the 16 and will return January the 16 .
Thank you all for
your friendship and support, I appreciate it very much. Don't forget about me,
come and visit my page ever so now and then.

Look after yourselves, and know I am going to miss you ALL
terribly !

Love

Annie

xxx

To all my wonderful friends a
Christmas wish that never
ends,
May the spirit of Christmas fill your home...
Long after the tree
and wrappings are gone.
May the true meaning of Christmas bless your heart
and your home.
May the sugarplum fairy dust your dreams with magic this year.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...
Take far too long. Crack open the
fruitcake and let's eat!
Without you here this Christmas.....Crumbs fill the
cookie jar of my heart. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

GOD BLESS

Tags: Artistpicture

Thanks to advanced hydrotechnology, swimmers
can paddle in a private
ocean — like this $3.5 million,
20-acre, half-mile-long, 66 million gallon
leviathan
recently certified by Guinness as the largest pool in
the
world. Located in Algarrobo, Chile, about 70 miles
west of Santiago and just
yards from the Pacific

Tags: Worldrecordpoolhuge

The Tambalacoque tree is threatened by extinction,
possibly because the
Dodo became extinct 300 years ago.
Thanks to an American ecologist, Stanley
Temple, this is
a story of "Seeds success".The island of Mauritius in the

Indian Ocean is the home of the Tambalacoque tree, which,
until the 17th
century, flourished in the hot and humid climate.
Then, all of a sudden, the
tree seemed to lose the ability to
grow from seed. Existing trees continued
to grow, but not one
of the seeds they shed would germinate. No answer was
found
to this botanical mystery, with the result that, by the 1970s,

there were only 13 Tambalacoque trees left in the world.

The Tambalacoque tree

It was then that an American ecologist, Stanley Temple,
noticed that the
Tambalacoque had stopped growing from seed
at precisely the time when the
island’s most celebrated former
resident, the Dodo, became exstinct. The
Dodo, a large,
flightless pigeon, had been killed for its meat by sailors

and the first settlers on the island. Were the two events connected?

Exstinct Dodo

Many seeds will germinate only after they have been eaten
by a particular
animal and passed through the digestive system.
If this were the case with
the Tambalacoque and the Dodo, the
tree would be doomed, unless a bird with a
similar gizzard
and gut could be found to act as a substitute. As an
experiment,
Temple fed Tambalacoque seeds to turkeys and gathered their
droppings.
Happily, some of these seeds did germinate, and there is hope
that
the Tambalacoque tree will survive.

 

Tags: Extinctantsdodo

The History Channel embarks upon an unparalleled adventure revealing
the virtuallyunknown occupation of ice road trucking, considered to
be one of the world's most dangerous jobs. ICE ROAD TRUCKERS charts
two months in the lives of six extraordinary men who haul vital
supplies to diamond mines over frozen lakes that double as roads.
The livelihood of many depends on these tenuous roads, which through
the years have been responsible for the deaths of dozens of men.

Always prepared for the ice to give way under the weight of their
trucks,these drivers put their lives and financial security of
their families on the line in an exhilarating dash for cash.
Beginning Sunday, June 17 at 10pm ET/PT, this adrenaline packed
series reveals the raw, gripping quest of ice road truckers.

The desolate white landscape stretches as far as the eye can see in
a world where the land meets the sky at an invisible horizon, just
miles from the Arctic Circle. The fascinating, yet little-known ice
road trucking industry, stationed just outside of Yellowknife in
Canada's Northwest Territory, is responsible for supporting the
diamond mines there. Canada now stands as the third largest diamond
producer in the world, housing an industry that rakes in
$1.9 billion a year.

 

Each year, the many lakes of this region completely freeze over
and engineers build an ice road over them that can withstand the
weight of tractor trailers, hopefully.Jackknifing, breakdowns and
accidents are commonplace. Last year, because of the effects of
global warming,the ice road was closed early, leaving hundreds
of tons of supplies stuck at the dispatch station. Since the
terrain in this region is virtually impenetrable, and there are
so few paved roads, the only way for supplies to reach the
mines is by traveling over the ice road. The entire industry
depends on the weather and the courage of the ice road truckers,
who are willing to push themselves to the limit
and who constantly hear the cracking of the ice
right beneath their wheels.

 

Executive Producers for The History Channel are David McKillop
and Dolores Gavin. ICE ROAD TRUCKERS is produced by
Original Productions. Executive Producers for
Original Productions are Thom Beers and Philip Segal.

The truckers on the ice road must travel over two hundred miles to
reach some of the diamond mines. Carrying tons of machinery over
frozen lakes and a twisting landscape at up to sixty degrees
below zero is never easy.This map should give you a good example
of the length, terrain, and isolation that the truckers deal
with for work.

Parents need to know that the truck drivers featured in this reality
show are always at risk of accidents and even death -- which the
narrator emphasizes regularly. Some scenes include mild to moderate
accidents, though injuries aren't shown. The narrator also describes
deadly accidents from the past while graphics and stock footage
(like shots from below the ice as the trucks drive over it)
hint at impending danger. The truckers sometimes engage in coarse humor
(one moons the camera, though his butt is blurred onscreen),
and occasional jokes about "peckers" and "kinky underwear" pepper
the dialogue, but it doesn't go further than that.

Meet the Truckers

Alex is larger than life, enormously capable and able to take on
the hardest and most demanding jobs. He's a street intellectual who
is also a Roman Catholic lay prison minister.
Alex is the first-generation son of a Polish military officer,
known all around town, not least for having run for mayor
(his campaign posters were pieces of old automobile bodies),
and he is a beloved wit whose VHF diatribes have kept many a trucker
awake and laughing through long winter nights. Juvenile delinquent,
adult delinquent, he is the proud father of 11 children and 7
grandchildren.

Drew has been driving trucks for years, but never on an ice road.
He joined Hugh Rowland‘s team of truckers after answering an
advertisement in the local newspaper and is confident that he‘
ll have no problems adjusting from the highway to the ice.

Hugh is an animal on the ice road.
He definitely gives Alex Debogorski a run for his money and may
actually get more loads than him. “It‘s about adventure and cash.”
He owns 4 trucks. He drives one himself and he hires three drivers
for the others. Hugh is a big kid and known for being sarcastic.
Some people call him “the polar bear”. He says,“the winter road
just gets in your blood”. “It‘s adventurous, challenging, and you
can go as hard as you want.” Hugh is a born and bred Canadian,
lived in Yellowknife most of life, and then moved to B.C.
He‘s married, with three kids and his wife worries about
him every year when he leaves.

Jay is, by all accounts, the most talented driver and
operator of his generation.He is held in universal respect and
is a natural leader. Recognized for his ready intelligence,
ability,and wit, he started driving at 16, owned his first truck
at 18 and has now traded up to his third vehicle.
He is a devoted father. He operates a 2-story mining shovel at
Diavik when he‘s not trucking on the ice road.

Rick is a tattooed, loud mouth, lively character. “Works hard,
plays hard.”Last year was his first season on the road. The
first thing he said about the experience was that he should
have “walked out, but he was too stupid and too stubborn”.
He was sick with fear. He said the two biggest surprises
were the sound of the ice cracking and the steepness of the
hills. Nothing he could do could silence the sound. He drove
one of the first loads over the new ice (which cracks the loudest)
and it was terrifying. Also, no one warned him about the hills.
He couldn‘t believe what he had to climb with the loads he was
carrying. “It‘s not for the faint of heart.
” But he feels now that he has the hang of it, so this year he‘s
on a mission not only to make as many loads as he can, but to
beat his boss Hugh. He said “you can‘t imagine the bragging
power I‘ll have all year if I beat him.” Hugh is apparently
a machine. He once went 49 hours and will be hard to beat,
so the race is on!

TJ is an “Ice Road virgin” with a lot of attitude.
He comes from a dairy farming/rodeo family that also happens to have deep
roots in the trucking world. His grandfather, uncles, father and mother
were all truck drivers at one point in time. TJ believes that trucking
is one of the best jobs in the world especially if you‘re like him: young,
single and free. TJ however also hates the cold, hates the ice and is not
here for the money, he‘s here for the “experience”. While he has wide eyes
for the adventure, we‘re not too sure he has the stamina to survive the
elements. His attitude could get him into serious trouble. He could either
not cut it with his boss because he‘s not willing to push the limits like
the other drivers, or he may find that breaking down in 40 below is just
not the “experience” he had in mind.

 

[Image credit: © History Channel]
Ice Road Truckers airs at 10 p.m. EST on Sunday nights on The History Channel.

 

Families can talk about the appeal of shows like this and Deadliest Catch.
What's so fascinating about getting a glimpse of these dangerous jobs?
Do you think these shows are more or less realistic than other reality series?
Families can also discuss trucking in general. What would be appealing
about being a trucker? What would be the hardest part of the job? Why
are most truckers men? Would you take the risks the "ice road truckers" take?
If so, would you do it for the money or the thrill?

Tags: Truckstvshowsdangerous

With all the hatred, bloodshed and war, the news channels are horror channels these days, then out of the blue comes a story so uplifting it touches hearts all over the world! Have a look at this, it is too precious for words!

"In a zoo in California, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve.

After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment.

Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species. The only orphans' that could be found quickly, were a litter of weanling pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger."

Tags: Animalstigerfunny

Meet Jessica, our 7 year old teenager.
When a newborn baby hippo was washed up by a flood onto the lawn
of Tonie and Shirley Joubert's riverside home,Hoedspruit in
South Africa, they lovingly nursed the dying animal back to health.
What started out as a cute bundle of joy, weighing 35lbs / 15kg is now
a humongous 7 year old weighing 1 653lbs / 750kg!

My daily routine.
She eats, sleeps, swims and plays with retired game ranger Tonie Joubert and his wife Shirley.
Tonie is her favourite 'man' she greets him with special grunts and moans,
flicking her ears rather then her lashes! There is no daily routine, but
certain preferences are not to be missed like her 10 litters of sweet
warm coffee, which Tonie bottle-feeds her with every day.
At night after a tiring day, hanging out with Tonie and the other pets
on the farm, she enjoys a soothing, and relaxing massage from Shirley.

Whispering sweet words in my ear



I got restricted after breaking the bed 3 Times!


Now I sleep on the porch


Sleeping with my mate

Tags: Animalsafricahippo

Sasha - Border Collie - Male

He was born on 7 February 1994 Richards Bay South-Africa.
He belongs to my daughter who lives in the UK.
We have been looking after him for several years now.

He is in his twilight years. He has an unbelievable spirit
still for his age. Sasha is on a special low fat diet;
we can't exercise him too much, because of his rheumatism.
Three years ago he suffered from a terrible ear infection in
the one ear, and the one earlobe cartilage was permanently damaged.
With the result his one ear lobe is now drooping.

Two years ago he started getting cataracts in both eyes.
Now he goes a bit bump in the night but nothing too serious.
We have decided not to put him through the trauma of getting
it surgically removed. He is the most lovable of all my dogs.
And still up there to please his master, despite his age.

Sabrina - Rough Collie - Female

She was born on 8 March 1997 Kwambonambie KwaZulu-Natal South-Africa.

Sabrina is 11 years old and her mother's pride and joy!
She is everything and more that her breed stands for. She is gentle,
intelligent and a bit psychic! Sabrina is very sensitive when it comes
to detecting the moods of humans. I will watch a sad tear jerker movie,
and by my second sniff she is all over me, trying to her best to comfort me.
She loves picking the side of the "under dog" if there's a quarrel between
me and my better half.

She is also on a special diet to make sure she gets all the nutrients
that a dog of her age should get. Sabrina unlike her brother Sasha,
has little health problems, but she too is a victim of rheumatism.

Although she is a very playful dog she is not the "go fetch" type!
She will look at you with an expression of disbelieve that you
actually want her to go and fetch the ball or the stick.
She is more of a lady, even when it comes to food,
she will never just grab food that gets offered to her.
Our nickname for her is Madame Fiff!

It takes a lot of effort to groom Collies,
Sabrina and Sasha go to the Dog Parlor twice a month.
Our summers in Richards Bay are extremely hot;
sometimes up to 40C therefore they get a special fur cut,
called "saddle-back" in summer.

She is a very verbal dog, and will let you know quickly
if something is not to her liking,
and she detests the name Lassie!

Higgins - Jack Russell - Male

He was born on 27 May 1999 Empangeni KwaZulu-Natal South-Africa.

Higgins is an 8 year old Jack Russell, with so much character!
He is the clown in the family. He understands words like toy,
Mamma and Daddy. Let me explain: I will ask him where his toy
is and he will jump up and down and go crazy, with enthusiasm
because he knows it means his ball.

The tennis ball and Higgins are joined at the hip! If he is
in my way in the kitchen I will tell him to go to daddy he
rushes off to my husband, and if they are playing with his
ball my husband will tell him go play with mama, he will
dash to me with a little tail that does a thousand wags per second!

He doesn't like cats very much, and Hadida birds are just
not his favorite playmates. He will chase the Hadida's over
a six foot wall! I would like to enter him into the Olympics
high jump event!

Apart from being just cute he can take a bottle top and put
it on a spot of your choosing. He gets the most exercise of
all my dogs, he absolutely demands it!

He is, like in any other human family, the youngest,
and therefore the most spoiled!

 

 

Tags: Dogspetslove