Cove Rock Country Estate

Cove Rock Country Estate Grapevine October 2011 - Number 016 “The Cove Rock Grapevine” is a newsletter for residents of Cove Rock Country Estate. It is published every month and your input is welcomed. The aim of the newsletter is to: * Inform residents of happenings around the estate * Share advice and general information * Talk about wonder of the environment we live in * Get to know fellow residents through residents profiles – a resident will be featured in each edition. If you have some input or would like the newsletter emailed to other residents or family, simply send an email to Werner Illgner at werner@illgner.net or call him on 083 6020296 / 043 736 8980/011 787 2953. Website: http://coverock.pbworks.com

Know your neighbour Cove Rockians – Through and Through Well-known residents, Tony and Dawn White built their home at 33 Coral Crescent way back in 1998. Their decision to join the then small Cove Rock Country Estate was based on Tony having spent many happy holidays on the nearby Fothergill‘s farm. Dawn, too, comes from an old East London family, the Goldschmidts, so she also experienced the magic of Cove Rock when she first met Tony.

Tony went to Selborne College and stayed at the hostel. His grandparents lived in East London. His mother had worked at Selborne College during the war and this influenced his parents to send him to Selborne. Tony matriculated at Selborne and was very active in all forms of sport at school. After school he joined Whiting and Griffin as an articled clerk and qualified as a CTA. During this time he met Dawn at a Church Youth guild dance and they married in 1965. Dawn worked as a secretary, firstly at the EL Board of Executors and then at CDA. Tony then joined the Southern Building Society which, over time, transitioned to become part of the giant ABSA.

Tony and his brother, sister and, we believe , Nevelyn Van der Walt (Fothergill), bathing in the Kalashe.

There were many moves between Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth over the years for Tony and Dawn. During this time Tony served as Branch Manager in Randburg, Sandton and Port Elizabeth. Of course the couple were not idle and produced three sons – Gary who lives in America and was active in the IT industry; Jody who is Deputy Headmaster at a private school in Johannesburg, while their youngest son Brad, an ex-provincial and professional cricketer, is now a cricket coach and umpire based in Johannesburg.

Tony himself is a talented sportsman, having played cricket and hockey at provincial level and first league rugby and tennis. Today golf is his passion. Dawn was no slouch at sports either and played provincial hockey. In fact, her father played rugby and soccer and on one occasion represented Border in both sports on the same day. Dawn is also a keen golfer. Tony and Dawn were President of the West Bank Golf Club women‘s and men‘s sections respectively at the same time. Dawn also enjoys playing bridge. The Whites love Chinese food but don‘t entertain as much as they used to. Of course a delight for them is the frequent visits of their children and grandchildren. Tony maintains that living at Cove Rock is like being on a permanent holiday with their actual holidays being spent either visiting their children in the USA or Johannesburg. Tony has served as one of our Estate‘s two Executive Managers for some ten years, focusing on the financial management side. As a family the Whites have such a long association with Cove Rock that they have even identified a certain rock and pools as being family favourites. They like the fact that children are safe to play on the Estate and love being close to nature. If he could change anything, Tony would upgrade the fence to make it more substantial – but admits that this would cost many millions. Tony believes that ―the way you treat people is the way they will treat you‖. He admits that he is prone to ―call a spade a spade‖ and he sometimes gets carried away, but he does not mean any harm. A thoroughly nice and talented couple – the Whites.

All about our environment The Cape Bulbul, Pycnonotus capensis, is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds. It is an endemic resident breeder in coastal bush, open forest, gardens and fynbos in southern South Africa. This species nests mainly in the southern spring from August to November. The nest is built solely by the female in about 2-10 days, while the male watches intently. It consists of a sturdy but messy cup built of twigs, grass stems and rootlets, built on a foundation of larger twigs and lined with finer planter material. It is typically placed on a horizontal branch near the edge of a bush's or tree's foliage.

Egg-laying season is from August to March, peaking from September to November. It lays 2-5 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for about 11-13.5 days. It leaves the nest about 20-40 times a day to go foraging – in fact, it only spends about 60% of the day incubating. For the first few days the chicks are mainly fed arthropods, but thereafter fruit dominates their diet. Both parents feed the chicks, who leave the nest before they can fly, at about 10-13 days old. They fledge a few days after leaving the nest, but remain dependent on their parents for food for at least two weeks more after leaving. They eventually become fully independent at about 50 days old, at which point they start to sing and call.

Identification

The Cape Bulbul is 19–21 cm long, mainly dull, blackish brown with a diagnostic white eye-ring, and yellow undertail coverts. The head has a small crest. The short, straight bill, legs and feet are black and the iris is dark brown. The sexes are similar in plumage.

This species is much darker than the other South African bulbuls, and differs in the eye ring colour and brown lower belly, whereas the other dark bulbuls have a pale lower belly. The dark belly helps to identify juveniles, which lack the distinctive eye ring of the adult.

Behaviour

The Cape Bulbul is a common and conspicuous bird, which tends to perch at the top of a bush. It is active and noisy, usually seen in pairs or small groups foraging for fruit, nectar and insects.

The most typical call of this species is a liquid whistle of two or more varied notes pit-peet-pitmajol, piet-piet-patata.

In part of its range, it gets parasitized by the Jacobin cuckoo.

For your Information

Harpephyllum caffrum (Known locally as the umGwenya tree) Family: Anacardiaceae (mango family) Common names: wild plum (Eng.); wildepruim (Afr.); umGwenya (Zulu, Xhosa); Mothekele (Northern Sotho) South African Tree No.: 361 This is an attractive evergreen tree that is useful as an ornamental garden tree and for attracting birds and butterflies into the garden. It is popularly planted as a street tree in a number of South African towns and cities. With its thick crown and somewhat drooping leaves, the wild plum is a good shade tree in the garden. Description The wild plum is a large, evergreen tree that grows up to 15 m tall, and is usually found in riverine forests. The main stem is clean and straight, but the forest form often has supporting buttress roots. The bark is smooth when young, becoming rough, dark grey-brown as it grows older. Branches are curved bowed upwards, with leaves crowded towards the ends, forming a thick crown at the top of the tree. The shiny dark green and glossy leaves are pinnate with sickle-shaped leaflets, and are sometimes interspersed with the odd red leaves. The whitish green flowers are borne near the ends of the branches with male and female flowers on separate trees, throughout summer (November to February). The tasty plum-like fruits first appear green and then turn red when they ripen in autumn; they contain a single seed and are enjoyed by people, mammals and birds. The wild plum may be confused with the Cape ash (Ekebergia capensis) but is distinguishable by its sickle-shaped leaflets and the leaves that are crowded towards the end of the branches.

Distribution The Harpephyllum caffrum grows from the Eastern Cape northwards through KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, southern Mozambique, Limpopo and into Zimbabwe. This is a popular tree in frost-free areas. Derivation of name and historical aspects The generic name Harpephyllum is of Greek derivation, meaning sickle-like leaves, referring to the shape of the falcate leaflets. The specific name caffrum is derived from its place of origin, Kaffraria, now part of Eastern Cape. This word also means 'indigenous'. H. caffrum belongs to the Anacardiaceae (mango family), which is the fourth largest tree family in southern Africa, boasting approximately 80 tree species and many shrubs. Commercially grown members of the family include mango (Mangifera indica), cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale), and pistachio nut (Pistacia vera). Locally, the fruit of wild plum and marula (Sclerocarya birrea) are well utilized and the latter is well commercialized. Some species that belong to this family are considered to be toxic, for example the rainbow leaf (Smodingium argutum). Uses and cultural aspects The fruit of H. caffrum is widely utilized by birds, animals, insects and humans. They are commonly used for making jams and jellies. With their sour taste, they are also good to make rosé wine. The tree has some potential as a commercial crop, but a preliminary trial planting in the Negev Desert in Israel was reported as disappointing. The bark is a popular traditional medicine. It is used to treat acne and eczema, and is usually applied in the form of facial saunas and skin washes. It is used by people with 'bad blood' that results in pimples on the face. Powdered burnt bark is used to treat sprains and bone fractures. Bark is also used for dyeing, and it gives a mauve or pink colour. In some parts of Eastern Cape, root decoctions are traditionally taken for paralysis thought to have been contracted from walking over an area that has been poisoned or polluted through sorcery. The wood of the H. caffrum is pale reddish and fairly heavy. It polishes well but is not very durable. It has been used as a general purpose timber, for furniture and beams. It is also used for carving curios. Larvae of the common hairtail butterfly (Anthene definite) and the Eggar moth (Lasiocampa kollikerii) feed on leaves of this tree. Many animals including bushbabies, monkeys, baboons and bushbuck love the fruit of the wild plum. Birds such as Cape parrots, mousebirds, barbets, bulbuls, louries and African green pigeons and other fruit-eating birds feed on the fruits of this tree. Growing Harpephyllum caffrum H. caffrum grows easily from seeds. Stored seeds should be soaked in water for a day and then be scrubbed with a brush to remove the fleshy part. It must then be sown in trays filled with river sand or a normal potting soil. They should not be planted too deep as they can easily rot. The seeds take 7 to 11 days to germinate. The wild plum can also be propagated by means of cuttings and truncheons. The truncheons should be dried before planting; they can be left lying in the shade for a day or until all exudate has dried. The hole in which the truncheon is going to be planted should be filled with a layer of river sand to promote root formation and improve drainage. This also helps to combat fungal diseases.

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Alternatives to BBM Article By: Hadlee Simons BlackBerry Messenger has quickly become the go-to service for many South Africans, usurping text message services as the preferred method of communication. It's not hard to see why either, as the service routes encrypted messages via the internet to save cash. The ability to send multimedia files and the PIN-based nature of the platform are also a few more marks in its favour. However, there are quite a few instant-messaging (IM) platforms around that do a great job too, so we took a look at some of them. Mxit (Java, Android, iOS, Symbian, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, PC, Linux, Mac) Unarguably South Africa's most popular instant messaging service, Mxit has gone from strength to strength. From its beginnings as a simple IM platform, the service has expanded to include its own currency, chatrooms, virtual items and music store. Mxit boasts plenty of neat features, such as integration with other IM platforms, Facebook support and group chats. It does not support push notifications on all handsets, however. Website: http://mxit.co.za WhatsApp (BlackBerry, Android, Symbian, iOS) One of the more well-known IM platforms out there, WhatsApp has gained plenty of traction for its ease of use (using a cellphone number) and cross-platform support. WhatsApp also differs from other services by having a yearly subscription fee for most platforms (the iPhone version is a paid app, however). Website: http://www.whatsapp.com Kik Messenger (Android, iOS, WP7) Kik Messenger has seen an explosion in popularity since its launch in October last year, reaching one million user registrations in 15 days. The service has been praised for its speed, with emphasis on the "instant" part of "instant messaging". However, Research in Motion pulled Kik from the BlackBerry App World, reportedly due to the fact that the app automatically adds your phone contacts. Website: http://www.kik.com Cnectd (iOS, BlackBerry, Android, Symbian) Cnectd is another neat-looking entry into the world of mobile IM programs, being the brainchild of a South African group as well. The application includes push notification support on iPhone and BlackBerry handsets, while also allowing you to share your location with contacts. Website: http://home.cnectd.com/ PingChat (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry) While it has no relation to Apple's lacklustre music network, PingChat is pretty nifty anyway, with support for multimedia files and group chat. Much like BBM and WhatsApp, the program also relies on push notifications, negating the need for signing in and out. Website: http://pingchat.com/ For further information and recipes visit www.avocado.co.za

A Touch of Inspiration

A BABY OWL

Something to think about.... There was a one hour interview on CNBC with Warren Buffet, the third richest person in the world as of April 2007, behind Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Mexican telecom magnate Carlos Slim. In June 2006, he made a commitment to give away his fortune to charity, with 83% of it going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The donation amounts to approximately $30 billion. Buffett's donation is said to be the largest in U.S. history. At the time of the announcement the donation was enough to more than double the size of the foundation. His annual salary of about $100,000 is tiny by the standards of senior executive remuneration in other

comparable companies. In an interview on CNBC, he mentioned that his annual salary is equal to the price of the Berkshire Hathaway Class A share price. Here are some very interesting aspects of his life: 1. He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late! 2. He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers. 3. He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha, that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence. 4. He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him. 5. He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company. 6. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis. He has given his CEO's only two rules. Rule number 1: Do not lose any of your shareholder's money. Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1. 7. He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch television. 8. Bill Gates, the world's richest man, met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet, so he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet. 9. Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk. His advice to young people: "Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and remember: A. Money doesn't create man but it is man who created money. B. Live your life as simple as you are. C. Don't do what others say, just listen to them, but do what you feel is good. D. Don't go on brand name; just wear those things in which you feel comfortable. E. Don't waste your money on unnecessary things; rather just spend on them who are really in need. F. After all it's your life – why give others a chance to rule your life." The Stranger A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on. As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mum taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey, but the stranger... he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies. If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major football ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind. Sometimes, Mum would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave).

Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honour them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home - not from us, our friends or any visitors. Our long time visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush. My Dad didn't permit the liberal use of alcohol but the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis. He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing. I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked... And NEVER asked to leave. More than thirty fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you could walk into my parents' den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name?.... We just call him 'TV.' (Note: This should be required reading for every household!) He has a wife now....we call her 'Computer.' Their first child is "Cell Phone", the second child "I Pod‖. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— The 5 best sentences you may ever read...... 1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. 2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. 3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. 4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it! 5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

There is a number 6 and it comes from Maggie Thatcher:

* Socialism fails when it runs out of other people’s money!

These are possibly the 6 best sentences you'll ever read Letters to the Editor NEW HI-JACKING STYLE - PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE Please be careful and warn everyone you know! We all hear about these incidents and hope it never happens to anyone we know; however the latest styles used by would be hi-jackers are far more horrific than ever before. Because of the new gun laws and stricter rules regarding ammunition, hijackers have turned their

attention to using Pool Acid, this acid is kept in a syringe or even a small plastic and then used to blind, daze and disorientate the driver of the vehicle, it also assists them with getting away from the scene more readily. Please do not wind down your windows, even a small bit at any intersections whatsoever.

Submitted by Clarence Pieters Sports and Social Scene – Freek Reports……

Springbok Rugby – Not happy!!

TRICK OR TREAT?! All little monsters, aliens, wizards, witches and trolls are invited to join us for our Trick or Treat walk on the estate on Friday, the 28th of October. Parents are to make sure that their kids are at the clubhouse by 17:30, where we shall split up into small groups. Parents are also encouraged to join the walk to help with supervision – the more the merrier! Residents are requested to participate in the fun by having some treats ready for the kids. If you do not wish to be disturbed, please indicate so by putting a notice on your gate or front door.

The walk on the inside of the Estate‘s fence will take place on Sunday 13th of November. Please contact Gloria Levey for details: 043 7026-500 or 0832364003

PS. If somebody has lost a cell phone on the Estate recently they can contact Gloria on 083 658 7845 The Garden Club will be meeting on the 16th November 2011 at Carol Gregory’s house - 30 Bird Street, Beacon Bay at 10h30. For further details contact Nevelyn on 043 7369712.

Wanted known/Classifieds

FJ Designs - Mechanical designs and Technical drawings. I also do handyman work on the estate. Freek Strydom - Tel. 043 736 9606 Cell. 073 610 4307 e-mail. fjdesigns1@gmail.com Builder: Need a new house built or existing house alterations? - Ph Willie Van Wyk 082 5782343 Electrician: Home or industrial - we have the experience to do it all - Ph Kenny Beets 073 8410319 Need a blind date ??? We specialise in all types of Blinds and sun control Awnings. Call ‗The Blinds Gallery‘ for a free quotation on 079 348 6251. Ken Marlow – Master Cabinet Maker - Invites you to visit his workshop (as you come into Estate take 1st right then 1st building on left) if you need furniture made. Specializes in Blackwood and Oregon. Contact 076 1448364.

Piano Lessons – right here on the Estate or Greenfields and surrounds. Contact Karen Dip A.B.R.S.M. on 084 8020857 – Adults or Children

Need a Carpenter? : Chris Lombard (C.L. TIMBERS) built-in cupboards, decks, ceilings, laminated flooring & outdoor furniture etc...) TEL: 0832818123 - We stay in 176 Cowrie Crescent. Rita is an Avon representative, telephone numbers: 0437368969 and 0836297370. She will bring a current brochure to anybody interested and deliver goods ordered to your home.

East Coast Decking and Construction Timber houses, new houses entertainment areas decking , all carpentry work , general maintenance Tel:082 539 0491 - Fax:086 516 3557 - Email:eastcoastdecking@yahoo.com - Unit 8. Cove Rock . 5201

IS YOUR RESIDENT CONTRACTOR

*We specialize in the following: > Timber decking > Timber houses > New houses > Entertainment areas > Garden furniture

> Alterations > General carpentry > Household maintenance > Jungle gyms

Please feel free to contact Bradley Young for any enquires or free quotations.

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When you can, always advise people to do what you see they really want to do, so long as what they want isn't dangerously unlawful, stupidly unsociable or obviously impossible. Doing what they want to do, they may succeed; doing what they don't want to do, they won't. James G. Cozzens

A bit of Fun Every picture tells a Story - “ Growing old is not for sissies!!!! !!!!!!?”

JAMES O'BRIEN SHOW (LBC)

JAMES O'BRIEN: How many kings of England have been called Henry? CONTESTANT: Er, well, I know there was a Henry the Eighth ... ER. ER ... Three?

I’m going to scare the crap out of everyone at the Halloween party this weekend I’m going as Greece’s economy.

As I was lying in bed pondering the problems of the world, I rapidly realized that I don't really give a rat's ass. It's the tortoise life for me! 1. If walking/cycling is good for your health, the postman would be immortal. 2. A whale swims all day, only eats fish, drinks water, and is fat. 3. A rabbit runs and hops and only lives 15 years. 4. A tortoise doesn't run and does nothing, yet it lives for 450 years. And you tell me to exercise?? I don't think so. I'm retired. Go around me!

Health warning to you all I did not know this.....apparently….. When you drink Vodka over ice, it can give you kidney failure, When you drink Rum over ice, it can give you liver failure, When you drink Whiskey over ice, it can give you heart problems, When you drink Gin over ice, it can give you brain problems. Apparently, ice is really bad for you. Warn all your friends!!

YOU CAN’T FIX STUPID

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

“ Now that’s what I call upset !!!!!?”

AN OLD Mafia Don is dying. He calls his grandson. ―Lissin-a me. I wanna for you to taka my chrome plated .38 revolver so you always remember me.‖ ―But grandpa, I don‘t lika guns. Howz about you leava me your Rolex instead?‖ ―Shuddup an‘a lissin. Somma day you gonna runna da business. You gonna have a beautifula wife, lotsa money, a bigga home and maybe a couple bambinos. Somma day you gonna comma home and maybe find your wife inna bed with another man. Whadda you gonna do then ... pointa to your watch and say, ‗times up‘?‖ What is a transvestite? A guy who likes to eat, drink and be Mary! According to a new survey, women say they feel more comfortable undressing in front of men than they do undressing in front of other women. They say that women are too judgmental, where, of course, men are just grateful. -Jay Leno

Patient: During my operation, Nurse, I heard the surgeon use a four-letter word that upset me very much.

Nurse: What word was that?

Patient: "Oops!"

A preacher visits an elderly woman from his congregation. As he sits on the couch he notices a large bowl of peanuts on the coffee table. "Mind if I have a few" he asks. "No, not at all" the woman replied. They chat for an hour and as the preacher stands to leave, he realizes that instead of eating just a few peanuts, he emptied most of the bowl. "I'm totally sorry for eating all your peanuts, I really just meant to eat a few." "Oh that's all right" the woman says. "Ever since I lost my teeth, all I can do is suck the chocolate off them!!!!

DEAD MAN WALKING