Blue Valley Valley 1_2013.pdf · and every player needs to act responsibly and adhere to, and play to, the rules of the game (in this case Rules and Regulations of Blue Valley). I

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE BLUE VALLEY HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION

ISSUE 1 2013

newsBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue ValleyBlue Valley

BLUE VALLEY NEWS • Issue 1 2013 • 01

contentscontentscontentscontents

Blue Valley News focuses on the Blue Valley Golf & Country Estate. This magazine is co-ordinated and published by EIA Publishing (Pty) Ltd on behalf of the Blue Valley Golf & Country Estate. The opinions of workers and personnel of EIA Publishing (Pty) Ltd do not necessarily

refl ect those of the HOA and Management of the Blue Valley Golf & Country Estate.

Publisher: Nico Maritz • E-mail: [email protected]: Kathy Thersby • E-mail: [email protected]

Marketing & Sales Manager: Martin Fourie - Cell: 072 835 8405 • E-mail: [email protected]: Marié-Louise Kirsten - Cell: 081 2511 381 • E-mail: [email protected]

Design: Karien van Wyk • E-mail: [email protected] Johannesburg Offi ce

Tel: 011 327 4062 , Fax: 011 327 4094,Now Media Centre, 32 Fricker Road • Illovo • Johannesburg

www.eiapublishing.co.za

The deadline for advertisements and editorial contributions is 23 April for issue 2 of 2013.

12 Blue Valley Estate Agents

15 Blue Valley Attractions

16 Why not give Birding a Whirl

19 Book Reviews

20 Grandparents Through the

Eyes of Children

21 Avoiding Baldness

22 Important Numbers

02 Chairman’s Report

04 Estate Contact Details

04 Straight Talk

06 Estate Manager

09 Clubhouse General Manager

10 Men’s Captain

11 Ladies’ Captain

2 • Issue 1 2013 • BLUE VALLEY NEWS

Chairman’s Report

Major AminBVHOA Update

Compliments of the Season and a Happy and Prosperous New Year to all Blue Valley Residents and Home Owners.

Starting the new year on a positive note, Capital Expenditure Projects approved for implemen-tation in 2013, will include the following:

• Blue Valley Golf & Country Estate Main Entrance Garden Upgrade.• Ground Water Sub Soil Drainage Diversions.• Purchase of a New Bakkie Vehicle For BVHOA Management Offi ce Use.• Continuation of Roadside Walk Paving.• Installation of an Additional 8 Energizers for Perimeter Electric Fencing.

Some of these projects, in particular the main entrance garden upgrade, have already started and when completed will enhance both the aesthetics and property value of Blue Valley.

Golf Course Update

Blue Valley Golf & Country Club was rated 78 among the “TOP 100“ golf courses in South Africa by Golf Digest 2012.

On behalf of home owners and golf club members, we would like to express our apprecia-tion and gratitude to the golf course maintenance team for their commitment and hard work, which enabled Blue Valley to move up 6 places, from 84 in 2011 to 78 in 2012. Well done and keep up the good work.

Golf Estate Development

As at the date of this publication, the total number of stands proclaimed so far is still 986, with a total of 597 houses completed and occupied. An additional 79 houses are currently under construction. In the year 2012, a total of 95 building plans were submitted by home owners, out of which 48 applications have been approved for construction.

•Idyllic Countryside Setting •Championship 18 Hole Golf Course

•Chipping greens •Driving Range •Golf Academy

•Multi-facility Clubhouse • Restaurant •Spa & Wellness Centre

•Tennis & Squash Courts • 24 hour security •Convenient

positioning just off the N1 Freeway, between Sandton and Pretoria


Blue Valley HOA

Contact details for the Offi ces

Adele OlivierTrafalgar PropertyManagement (Pty) Ltd

Branch Manager - Pretoria

Tel: 012 326 5963

Fax: 086 682 5646

Email: [email protected]

Belinda PauleyAdministratorMain Gate O� ce

Tel: 011 512 0487

Fax: 086 676 2543 / 011 512 0055


Anneline MoodleyGeneral Offi ce Assistant Main Gate O� ce

Tel: 011 318 1766

Fax: 086 743 5286 / 011 512 0055


Fritz PauleyFacilities ManagerMain Gate O� ce

Tel: 011 512 0538 / 083 400 8706

Fax: 086 681 5068


Wilhard BohlmannEstate ManagerMain Gate O� ce

Tel: 011 318 1899 / 073 855 7176

Fax: 011 512 0055


BVHOA Aesthetics

• The Aesthetics consultant will be available on a weekly basis each Thursday between 10:00 – 12:00, by appointment only.

• Aesthetics consultant offi ce hours are Mon.-Thur. 8:30 – 16:30 and Fridays 8:30 – 16:00.

• Owners may contact the HOA Offi ce for any queries.• The scrutiny process takes 2 weeks with each submission.• You may obtain a copy of the design guideline from the HOA

website: www.BVHOA.co.za

Straight Talk... by Maureen Collins

Maureen has a B Sc degree in Psychology from Edinburgh University. Maureen’s passion is for showing people how to improve the quality of their conversations even under the most diffi cult conditions. www.straight-talk.co.za

Conversations that get results

Made any resolutions this year?Did you make any resolutions this year?

How many of them have fallen by the wayside already?

Most of us start out on a new year with reso-lutions to change our lives: to lose weight, get fi t, stop smoking, read more, reduce stress, play better golf, spend more time with our families. We encourage our children to resolve to study harder, make more friends or stop biting their fi nger nails.

The reality for most people is that, if we do not experience a trauma of some kind (ill health, divorce, death of a loved one, losing a job or business failure) we lead fairly predict-able and unchanging lives. Every year we make new resolutions - often the same ones each year – and every year, perhaps after a few weeks of enthusiastic gyming and eat-ing vegetables, we relapse into old familiar patterns.

All these grand intentions demand that we change our behaviour. You can’t get diff er-ent outcomes from the same old inputs. And there’s the rub.

Changing behaviour is not easy. If it’s a skill such as improving your golf and lowering your handicap, then more hours on the course and some regular coaching should do it - maybe. If you have allowed too many bad habits to develop over too long a time, even skills can be diffi cult to change.

Sometimes the behaviour you want to change is part of your lifestyle. Changing one thing may create confl ict with other priorities. A student who commits to studying harder may have to forego time playing sport and as a consequence may lose friends. If you resolve to spend more time on competitive sport, you’ll have to forego some of the time you spend sleeping, at work, and with your family.

Things are even more complex when a change in your behaviour requires a change in others. For example, a decision to become more assertive on your part could change the balance in a relationship for the better – or for worse. Either way, the fi nal outcome depends on others as much as it does on you.

If you’re going to stick to any of your resolu-tions, you really gotta wanna. It’s the strength of your wanting that fuels the energy, creativity and perseverance that you’ll need to achieve your goals. It’s what keeps you going when you’re scared: scared that you might fail – or that you might succeed.

Don’t make resolutions lightly. Think them through. Whose help do you need? Who will be aff ected? How much support will you receive? Where will you meet obstacles? You’ll achieve more and you’ll not have to make so many excuses for failure!


Estate Manager

Wilhard Bohlmann

Welcome back to all our residents and I hope 2013

started the way you envisaged it would.

At Blue Valley HOA 2013 began with a few changes. Within management, we have restructured the person-

nel component. Through the changes we believe we will deliver a better service to you, the owner.

As Estate Manager, security will be under my direct control, with Robert Hlongwane from Fidelity Security Services, the security contract manager. Robert’s contact number, 24/7, is 073 080 5786.

Fritz Pauley’s portfolio changed to that of Facilities Manager. Conduct Rules (Rules and Regulations), Aesthetics (Residential Design Compliance and general appear-ance of properties), Gardens, Building Compliance, Estate Agents and HOA admin-istration will be part of his responsibilities. Fritz’s contact number is 011 512 0538 or 083 400 8706.

Towards the end of 2012 I wrote an article on an African proverb, Stand Together, and I think it’s appropriate to start 2013 with a challenge regarding the aforementioned proverb. Blue Valley HOA Management commits themselves to the new challenges of 2013 and through the Board of Trustees we will ensure that your needs are met by providing service equitably, eff ectively and sustainably within the means of the HOA However, to be successful and to establish Blue Valley as a supreme estate, manage-ment needs your assistance. As previously mentioned, individuals diff er from each other, but this does not mean we cannot work as a team. To be the best team each and every player needs to act responsibly and adhere to, and play to, the rules of the game (in this case Rules and Regulations of Blue Valley). I always ask the question, “is it really so diffi cult not to speed, to ensure

your dog is confi ned within your own property, walk your dog on a leash, not to be a nuisance with a quad bike, have noisy music late at night, keep your property aes-thetically pleasing, etc?” These issues might be familiar to you, but believe me Blue Val-ley is not unique – these ssues are common on most of the estates I have visited.

My challenge to you: let us all stand to-gether and let us be proud of our estate and ensure you adhere to the Rules and Regulations of the company you have voluntary bought into. If each and every individual takes up this challenge, I can assure you your expectations of Blue Valley will be ful� lled. Our motto for 2013 should be “one for all, all for one”.

After this serious note, herewith some feedback on current activities at Blue Valley HOA:

Walk your dog on a leash

No speeding in the Estate

Don’t be a nuisance with a quad bike


Security – Thanks to all stakeholders for the way they have conducted themselves over the holiday season. We had no serious issues within Blue Valley over this period and time. However, I wish again to stress that you have to know your neighbour. Security can still control access and egress of visitors, but they do not have control over those who visit you or your kids in person within the estate. Please report any suspicious movement or actions of individuals immediately to security.

BVHOA wishes to request all residents to register all workers with the HOA as the congestion of workers at the main gate becomes a nuisance. Alternative processes are evaluated and if need be BVHOA will communicate with you on any changes to the current access control proce-dures of workers.

Gardens – As you have noticed, BVHOA began with a total makeover of our main entrance gardens. This is a long overdue project and your patience is requested over this period. The project will run over the period 14 January 2013 to end of April 2013.

Refuse bins – As you might be aware, the Town Council empties refuse bins on a Thursday. Residents have got into the habit of leaving their bins on the street until the Friday or even over the weekend. You are urged to take your refuse bin back on to your own property on the same day that Council emptied the bins. In future the HOA will remove these bins off the sidewalks and take them to the recycle area for safe keep-ing. A release fee will then be charged on collec-tion of your refuse bin.

Also take note that the Town Council will only empty your bin, and will not pick-up any boxes or excess refuse placed next to the bin. If you feel one bin is not enough, contact Council for an extra bin.

Thank you again to all the residents for

your support during 2012 and may 2013 be

even a better year.

Occasionally the question is asked by residents what do they get for their social membership to Blue Valley Country Club. Here are some opportuni-ties:

Golf – to make use of the golf course you need to join as a member to the golf club and through that you pay member rates to play the course. You can however play as a non-affi liated member (availability of tee-off time permitted) but then the playing fees charged will be according to the specifi c category. Please contact the golf club for more detailed member-ship information.

Squash/Tennis – these facilities are available for residents. Please contact the golf club for booking procedures.

Clubhouse - The Butler Caterers do conferences, golf days, functions, birthday parties, weddings and outside catering.

For our Blue Valley residents they off er:

• Special hourly venue hire rates • The Blue Valley Room – no charge for service fee (own catering and

drinks not allowed) • Having a party at home? – they can provide all catering requirements• Themed dinners once a month at the clubhouse• Breakfast and lunch served daily at halfway house (closed on Mondays)• Light snack menu available from 12 to 9 pm in lounge and main bar

For enquiries, quotes and bookings, please contact them as follows:Clubhouse, Blue Valley Golf and Country Estate, +27 (0) 11 512 0476 / 512 0204 - Fax: +27 (0) 11 512 0337 Email: [email protected] / [email protected]: www.thebutlers.co.za



Clubhouse General Manager

Good golfingPat Lowth

General Manager

Pat Lowth

Hello everyone and welcome to the � rst edition of our Blue Valley

newsletter for 2013. Hopefully the year ahead will bring health and

happiness to you all.

Our greens were hollow tined early in January and are in really great shape now. Here is a short explanation and a few pictures of the hollow tining process:

Cores: a small hand operated machine removes the cores

Sand: sand is spread on to the green to replace the cores

Spread: the sand is spread evenly using a steel mat

Water: the green is then watered well to get the sand into the holes

Cut: after a few days of growth the green is then cut

GOLF The bunkers are in the process of being sieved to remove all the stones and so on and the realigning of the river on hole #11 has also been suc-cessfully completed

Club Championships are to be held on the 16th & 17th of March this year, so get your name on the list soonest.

Blue Valley is starting a Junior League team this year and we wish all of our League teams the very best this year as well.

The Golf AGM is planned to take place on the 17th of April and we will publish the notice in due course.

We strive to keep our costs to our members as low as possi-ble. In this light our members’ subscriptions were once again not increased this year. However, the green fees were raised very slightly for the fi rst time in seven years. Blue Valley is still the best value for money in Gauteng.

“Being rich isn’t about money. Being rich is a state of mind”

– Harvey Mackay

Members’ survey:

Thank you to all of our members who participated in the survey and gave us your scores. The results of the members’ survey has been sent to all those members who participated.

Golf bookings:

Members, please remember that you are able to pre-book your round of golf up to 30 days beforehand, via the GolfTimeSA website. It is quick and easy so try it out if you haven’t already.

The website is www.golftimesa.co.zawww.golftimesa.co.za


Men’s Captain

Trevor CurrieEveryone I speak to seems to have hit the road running in 2013. The Afcon soccer tournament as well as the Australian Open tennis is over

and we now look forward to the Masters, Super 15 rugby and a host of other top-class sporting events.

On the local front, the 2013 GNGU league season is well underway with the Ladies’ Handicap, the Men’s Scratch, the Men’s Senior Scratch and the Men’s Handicap all having started their respective leagues.

The Junior League team start their season in the middle of the year and this is a fi rst for Blue Valley. This is the fi rst time Blue Valley has entered a junior team and we wish them well in their endeavours. The team is made up of eight players under the age of 18. If anyone is interested in playing, please get hold of David Graziani (Junior co-ordinator) via the golf offi ce.

I had the pleasure of playing golf with Mark Murless (Blue Valley’s Touring Pro) in January, when he had the rare opportunity of shooting 59. He was 10 under with two holes to play. A birdie, eagle fi nish would have given him that elusive 59 but it was not to be as he fi nally closed off with two pars. Please follow Mark on the Sunshine Tour. There are three European co-sanctioned events in the early part of 2013 and we all wish Mark the very best in his quest for glory.

The Blue Valley annual club championship takes place on the weekend of the 16th and 17th March. The championship is open to all members and the various divisions include Men’s Open, Men’s Midam, Men’s Senior as well as the Ladies’ Open division. The juniors will also be playing for the coveted jun-ior trophy. Get your entries in early, we are expect-ing over 100 entrants this year.

In April, the Captain’s Dinner and Awards ceremony takes place. This will be preceded by the Captain’s Cup and the Ladies’ Captain’s Putter.

The course was hollowtined in early January and it is quickly returning to its former glory. We can all expect the course to be in superb condition for the Club Championships in March.

Good luck to all of you in 2013.

The Afcon soccer tournament

Australian Open Tennis

Super 15


Ladies’ Captain

Bev Meerholz

To the ladies who went to Thabazimbi for the GNGU meeting and golf, thanks for giving up your day. It was such a pity it rained all the way there and back and we could not play golf as the course was closed.

Katrin, Carina, Bev and Cheryl

That’s it from the ladies. Your lady captain

Bev Meerholz082 443 2952

[email protected]

The end of the year junior prize giving. Thanks to Rudolf for all his hard work.

Medal results: December Medal 2012: Cynthia Richter (36) 70 Net January Medal 2013: Winda Austin-Loeve (19) 69 Net

Thanks again to the Pepper family for their Pepson’s Plastic Golf Day in December. It was enjoyed by all.

Hello again from your Lady Captain and compliments to you all to the new season. I hope you and your

families all had a great festive holiday and I wish you all the very best to a fantastic 2013.

The ladies Xmas competition was held in December and was a great success. We had 21 ladies turning up to play golf and stay for prize giving. It was only 9 holes and the win-ners were Cheryl and Tasmin Pepper, Carina Fenenga and Petro Meyer. Thanks to all the ladies for my Spa voucher; it was most ap-preciated. It was really a joyful evening and nice to see so many ladies having fun.


Below is the list of Blue Valley HOA accredited agents. The HOA kindly re-

quests that you make use of the agents listed only, as they are aware of our

security measures and will not put yours or fellow residents’ safety at risk.

Agent: Elbie FrauensteinCell: 082 901 3170Email: [email protected]: www.aida.co.za

Agent: Bev MeerholzCell: 082 443 2952Email: [email protected]: www.engelvoelkers.co.za/centurion

Agent: Andre van RensburgCell: 082 941 8447Email: andrevr@fi neandcountry.comWebsite: www.fi neandcountry.com

Agent: Skoko SebolaCell: 082 682 9242Email:Website: www.leapfrog.co.za

Agent: Liesl MaddockCell: 082 411 9888Email: [email protected]: www.pamgolding.co.za

Agent: Aneta de FreitasCell: 082 673 2300Email: [email protected]: www.remax-central.co.za

Agent: Tuula LaycockCell: 082 859 7819Email: tuula@seeff .comWebsite: www.seeff .com

Agent: Mary MakushaCell: 082 464 7725Email: [email protected]: www.siriusproperties.co.za

Agent: Jermaine DickCell: 072 408 6436Email: [email protected]: www.sothebysrealty.co.za

Agent: Lizinda de BeerCell: 082 903 8843Email: [email protected]: www.remax.co.za

Estate Agents




Blue Valley Attractions

Birding By Kathy Thersby

Why not give Birding a whirl?Birding at the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary

Avid birdwatcher or not, if you’re looking for something entertaining to do on the weekend, why not head

out to the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary in Muckleneuk and introduce yourself to the world of ornithology (study of birds), which has captured the hearts of so many “birders” or “twitchers”.

After all, birds are all around us, so it’s easy to spot them in your own garden, while driving around or waiting in the car. There are so many beautiful little feathered gems to discover and once hooked, you’ll turn into a true birder or twitcher and delight in sighting a new bird or even an old favourite.

All you’ll need to start this hobby is a basic bird guide, a small notebook to record birds that you’ve sighted, noting details such as when you saw the bird, the time and the weather conditions. As a memory aid, you might want to include a rough sketch of the bird, detailing markings and colouring, or print out a picture of the bird from the Internet.

Birding is a wonderful hobby for children too, so take them with you and foster a love for nature in them while also teaching them interesting information and developing their memories and vocabularies.

Once you’ve got your guide and notebook, the perfect place to visit is the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary. Established in 1958,

it off ers visitors a good opportunity to see some of the more common birds up close and is a great place for a family outing or a short, tranquil walk. Around 170 species have been recorded and birders will see around 40 species in a short morning visit. The main attraction is the dam, where an excellent hide is situated.

We visited the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctu-ary in December and sighted and identifi ed a couple of dozen bird species in just an hour and a half. Among them were White-faced Ducks, Moorhens, Grey Crowned Cranes, a Red Bishop (hurriedly building a nest), Red-knobbed Coots, Blacksmith Plovers, Pied Kingfi shers, Cape Shovellers, Fulvous Ducks, Laughing Doves, Hadedas, Sacred Ibis, Egrets, Egyptian Geese… and a magnifi cent blue crane that parked itself next to us in the Blue Crane restaurant and seemed to be asking for treats.

That is the other advantage of this venue: the tranquil and soothing Blue Crane Res-taurant where you can have a meal or just sip a drink while watching the busy birdlife on and over the dam. The cooling mist on the deck manages to make even the hottest Pretoria afternoon comfortable.

Unfortunately we weren’t advised (to be fair, we didn’t ask) that bird food is available from the restaurant, or we would happily have fed our new feathered friend. (Remem-ber to warn children about the cranes’ sharp

beaks.) Apparently Grey Crowned Cranes also come looking for tidbits. These and the Blue Cranes’ wings were originally clipped regularly, but now they move around freely.

More experienced birders may be disappoint-ed that the area has a perimeter fence and one must view the birds from outside this fence. For our purposes, the sanctuary provided a wonderful start for our new family hobby.

You might like to take a walk along the pe-rimeter fence, about two kilometres in all. We also sighted Grey Duiker and Leopard Tortoise, and many of the more common garden birds. Information on the website says to look for the Streaky-headed Seedeater, Black-throated Canary, Bronze Mannikin, Common Waxbill, Brown-hooded Kingfi sher, African Hoopoe, Green Wood-Hoopoe, Cape Robin-Chat, Olive Thrush, Red-faced Mousebird, Speckled Mousebird, Common Fiscal, Cape White-eye, Burchell’s Coucal, Black-collared Barbet and Crested Barbet, and a variety of swifts and swallows in the skies.

The easiest way to reach the sanctuary is prob-ably to start at the Fountain Circle near Unisa. Take George Storrar Drive towards Groenkloof. Storrar becomes Middel Street and take the left turn into Melk Street after passing Koningen Wilhelmina Avenue. You should reach the main entrance at the Blue Crane restaurant where the best viewpoints (and secure parking) is to be found. The sanctuary is surrounded by Middel, Dey, Boshoff and Melk Streets.



Birding Visiting HoursSummer (September-April): 07:00 - 18:00 Winter (May-August): 07:00 - 17:00

ENTRANCE IS FREE.

Bookings are only necessary for the guided walks - preferably 4 weeks in advance.

Contact information:Tel: 012 440 8316 / 012 341 0591Fax: 012 341 0483Website: http://www.tshwane.gov.za

Entirely blue grey, except for a white crown on its bulbous head, the Blue Crane (length 105cm) has an orange-horn bill and horn-coloured legs. Its trailing inner wing feath-ers look like a long tail

Cranes are large, long-legged, long-necked terrestrial birds that (unlike storks) have short bills and are quite vocal. Pairs or groups indulge in elaborate dances, leaping and wheeling with wings raised and tossing bits of grass in the air – thought to be an expression of group excitement rather than courtship, according to bird expert Kenneth Newman.

Like storks, cranes fl y with head, neck and legs outstretched. They are moderately gregarious, gathering in family or larger groups and frequent-ing open grasslands and wetlands away from human activ-ity. Male cranes are a little larger than females.

The Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary is the oldest reserve set aside for birds in Pretoria. It was established in 1958 on almost 12 hectares of redun-dant land. This unique conservation area, a national monument, where more than 170 different bird species have been recorded, provides a protected roost-ing place and breeding ground for thousands of birds in Greater Pretoria.

The sanctuary is named after Austin Roberts (1883-1948), a famous ornitholo-gist and resident of Pretoria. Roberts joined the Transvaal Museum in 1910 and was in charge of the bird collections until his death. He travelled extensively, was a prolific academic writer and became recognized as a leading authority on the birds and mammals of Southern Africa. Of his two standard works, on birds and mammals, the first became an immediate hit. Reprinted and revised numer-ous times, it is still popular and authoritative.

– Our National BirdTHE BLUE CRANE

from human activ-ity. Male cranes are a little larger than females.

All South African crane species have suff ered serious population reduc-tion in recent years and, in diff er-ent degrees, are considered to be endangered. Their decline is attributed to wetland habitat loss and theft for the wild bird trade, and other forms of human interference. Cranes should be admired but left undisturbed wherever they are seen if populations are to increase be-yond their present dangerously low levels.

The Blue Crane is found in the eastern regions of southern Africa in hilly grassland, moist valleys, karoo and, especially, in the Cape fynbos biome. The total population at present is about 21 000 individuals. The call of the Blue Crane is a rattling, nasal ‘kraaaaarrk’.

Cranes are opportunistic feeders on vegeta-ble matter as well as insects, reptiles, frogs and small mammals.

Since the problem of collisions with high voltage power lines was identifi ed some

years ago, Eskom has gone to great lengths to modify its lines to make them more visible to large flying birds.The South African Crane Foundation undertakes the rearing of young cranes in captivity for their eventual release in the wild. As Cranes lay two eggs and normally raise only one, second egg is removed for hand-rearing to help increase populations.

Most Cranes are monogamous and pair for life. They have a low reproduction rate, nesting on the ground in open areas and incubating their eggs for 30-40 days. The young fledge at about four months of age but stay with their parents for up to 10 months.

of human interference. Cranes should be

Great White Egret White-faced Duck

A Blue Crane

Grey Crowned Cranes



Book Reviews

Compiled by Bev Hermanson

some reading timeFor more information about these or any of Random House Struik’s other titles, visit www.randomstruik.co.za

PriceR230

PriceR210

PriceR225

A Survival Guide for Lifeby Edward Michael ‘Bear’ Grylls

How to make every day an adventure. Life in the wild teaches us invaluable lessons. Extreme situations force us to seize op-portunities, face up to dangers and rely on our instincts. But living a purpose-driven, impactful life can be an even greater challenge...

In A Survival Guide for Life, Bear Grylls shares the hard-earned lessons he’s learned from some of the harshest environments on earth. How do you keep going when all the odds are stacked against you?

How can you inspire a team to follow you in spite of obvious danger? What are the most important skills to learn if you really want to achieve your maximum potential? Bear’s instantly inspiring tales from his adventures in all four corners of the globe include his personal life lessons you will never forget. We’re all capable of living life more boldly and of having more fun along the way. Here’s to your own great adventure!

Bear Grylls’ prime-time TV adventure series is one of the most watched shows on the planet, reaching an estimated 1.2 billion viewers in over 200 countries. Bear has authored eleven books and, as a former member of the UK Special Forces, was made an honorary Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy. He continues to lead record-breaking expedi-tions to the world’s extremes, and these missions have raised over £1.5 million for chil-dren’s charities. Bear recently took over as the youngest ever Chief Scout to the Scouting Association, acting as the fi gurehead to 28 million Scouts around the globe. He lives with his wife, Shara, and their three sons, Jesse, Marmaduke and Huckleberry, on a Dutch barge in London and on a small remote island off the coast of Wales.

Rat Roadsby Jacques Pauw

“My whole life I had to travel on these panya roads,” Kennedy says. “It’s a Swahili word that means rat roads, and it is those little paths that you take in order not to be seen and to stay alive. That’s how I’ve survived.”

In this extraordinary book, celebrated journalist Jacques Pauw gives a human face to some of the most tumultuous events in recent African history. Rat Roads chronicles the remarkable journey of Kennedy Gihana, a young Tutsi man who fought against the genocidaires in Rwanda, but was part of an army that committed horrifying atrocities in Africa’s bloodiest confl ict.

Seeking education instead of war, he walked thousands of kilometres to South Africa, where he slept in parks, lived on the street and worked as a low-paid se-curity guard until he had saved enough money to enrol for a law degree. In 2011 he took the podium at the University of Pretoria to receive a Master’s Degree in International Law.

Rat Roads combines many strands of life in Africa. Besides being the chroni-cle of one man’s incredible journey, it addresses issues such as civil confl ict, xenophobia and the plight of refugees. It also explores the nature of war crimes and guilt, and gives insight into present-day Rwanda, showing how one tyranny has replaced another.

Rat Roads is a searing story of hardship and survival, and an unforgettable tale of courage and triumph.

Luscious Vegetarianby Sonia Cabano and Jade de Waal

Sonia and Jade’s enthusiasm for fl avourful cooking bursts from every page of Luscious Vegetarian! This book contains fun and easy-to-make vegetarian recipes, carefully chosen to satisfy the requirements of young professionals, bustling families and health-conscious hedonists alike. Using mostly local ingredients, the recipes cover the full range from quick and easy everyday dishes, light bites and simple snacks, through rejuve-nation and detoxifi cation with pure foods, to feasts for celebrations and deeply satisfying soul food, as well as marvellous bakes and sweet treats. This cookbook is the beginning of an adventurous love aff air with vegetar-ian cooking.

On the lighter side

She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter, as she’d done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, “But Grandma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!” I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper good-bye...

My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, 62. My grandson was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, “Did you start at 1?”

After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and pro-ceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her

head and stormed into their

room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, “Who was THAT?”

A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like. “We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tyre; it hung from a tree in our garden. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspber-ries in the woods.” The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, “I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!”

A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather’s computer. She told him she was writing a story. “What’s it about?” he asked. “I don’t know,” she replied. “I can’t read.”

I didn’t know if my granddaughter had learned her colours yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what colour it was. She would

tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last, she headed for the door, saying, “Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these colours yourself!”

When my grandson Billy and I entered

our holiday cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, “It’s no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.”

When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, “I’m not sure.” “Look in your underwear, Grandpa,” he advised, “Mine says I’m 4 to 6.”

A grandfather was delivering his grand-children to their home one day when a fire engine zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalma-tian dog. The children started discuss-ing the dog’s duties. “They use him to keep crowds back,” said one child. “No,” said another. “He’s just for good luck.” A third child brought the argument to a close. “They use the dogs,” she said firmly, “to find the fire hydrants.”

A six-year-old was asked where his grandma lived. “Oh,” he said, “she lives at the airport, and when we want her, we just go get her. Then, when we’re done having her visit, we take her back to the airport.”

“Grandpa is the smartest man on earth! He teaches me good things, but I don’t get to see him enough to get as smart as him!” declared an admiring grandson.



Health

You can take your hat o� You can take your hat o�

By Kathy Thersby

Eminent plastic surgeon Dr Robert Rey, who panders to the whims of Hol-lywood stars and even has his own

reality surgery show now, was discussing baldness on the radio recently. Normally I’d be a little put off by such a fl ashy person, but I must say that I’ve heard several inter-views with the good doctor, and he sounds like a very decent man.

Loss of hair (the medical term is alopecia) is for many suff erers a dreadful blow to their self-esteem. Desperate to regain their former crowning glory, they’ve been known to try “cures” such as badger grease, animal dung or urine. Hippocrates treated his patients with pigeon droppings and Aristotle applied goat urine to his own glabrescent scalp (glabrescent means to become hairless at maturity). Queen Victoria drank silver birch wine made from sap because she believed it would cure her baldness.

Cleopatra was said to have devised her own scalp rub to treat her balding lover, Julius Caesar. The recipe? Just take equal parts of burnt mouse, burnt vine rag, burnt horse teeth, reed bark, bear’s grease and deer’s marrow, then pound the dry ingredients to powder and mix with the melted grease and marrow and some honey.

It’s probably true to say that while some men go slowly bald graciously, most men would prefer to keep their tresses. Of course, there’s probably not a single woman who would not put up a good fi ght against balding. Yes, many women suff er from baldness too.

But surely there’s a better remedy than those just detailed above!

Interestingly, of all the formulations avail-able (and there are plenty), only two are approved by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration). They are:

Finasteride is an oral tablet, available only by prescription, and is taken once daily. The South African Hair Foundation says its mode of action is well understood thanks to research that documented the hormonal cause of hair loss in androgenetic alopecia. Finasteride inhibits the enzyme that con-verts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the follicle.

Finasteride has proven to be highly eff ec-tive in clinical trials and in medical practice for slowing hair loss in almost all men and for reversing hair miniturisation in some men. It can be used alone or in conjunction with other hair loss treatments, including surgery.

Advantages:• Convenient pill form administration –

one pill once a day.• Eff ective in most men – the vast major-

ity of men using fi nasteride experience some benefi t from its use.

• Stops hair loss from progressing.• Benefi cial side eff ects such as the

shrinking of the prostate gland in men susceptible to an enlarged prostate.

Disadvantages:• Finasteride is not a cure for hair loss.

It will only work over the long term if you continue taking it. If you stop taking it, you will likely lose any hair you have gained within 12 months of stopping treatments.

• Not approved for use by women.• May cause decreased sexual desire(less

than 0.5% decrease).• Only available by prescription.

(brand name Regaine)Minoxidil is Dr Rey’s choice of treatment for balding. It is available over-the-counter and applied to the scalp skin where there is hair loss. Minoxidil is available in SA in only the 2% strength. The 5% strength, which is only available when made up by a pharmacist to a doctor’s prescription, has been shown to be more eff ective in both men and women in slowing hair loss and promoting new hair growth.

Dr Rey says forget about the 2% strength, it must be 5%. Unfortunately the 5% solution also has a signifi cantly higher incidence of side eff ects (such as contact dermatitis and other allergic reactions). Results of Minoxidil’s eff ectiveness in slowing or halting hair loss to some degree in men have ranged from 50% to 80% of men treated.

Only about 20% of patients have reported new hair growth. (Patients from the UK reported much higher incidence of new hair growth.) Some men and women experience no benefi t from Minoxidil.

While it is available without prescription, it is used most eff ectively in a physician-guided programme of hair restoration, after the cause of hair loss has been diagnosed.

Minoxidil’s mode of action is not completely understood, but it appears to prolong the anagen (growth) phase of the hair follicle, or to increase blood supply to the hair fol-licles. It was fi rst used on patients with heart disease who reported an increased growth in their hair.

Many doctors are reluctant to write out prescriptions for alopecia because of the treatment’s side eff ects and because it’s not a life-threatening condition. But if you feel your quality of life is being eroded by your baldness, go ahead and ask your doctor for this recommendations.

Health

Minoxidil


Important NumbersBV HOAManagement Office at main gate house. Office hours 08:00 to 16:00 unless otherwise indicated......................................................................................011 512 0487.....................................................................................011 512 0538Fax..............................................................................011 512 0055

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Documents

Blue Valley Valley 1_2013.pdf · and every player needs to act responsibly and adhere to, and play to, the rules of the game (in this case Rules and Regulations of Blue Valley). I