Margot and Zara: November writing

Margot with Camille the chameleon

Margot's November Writing

8/11 I like chameleons because…

I like chameleons because they change colour.

I like chameleons because they look in all directions and they can change colour.

I like chameleons because they grip onto you tight, they can look in all directions and they can change colour.

I like chameleons because they climb trees, they grip onto you tight, they can look in all directions and they can change colour.

I like chameleons because they are all nice and soft, they climb trees, they grip onto you tight, they can look in all directions and they can change colour.

That is why I like chameleons.

Yellow stripped and painted reed frog at Lake Sibhaya

Brown-headed Kingfisher outside our front door

3/11 There is a bird…

There is a bird called a kurrichane thrush, a hurricane thrush or an orangetape thrush.

There is a bird called a fork tailed drongo, a rockpale drongo or a lork nailed drongo.

There is a bird called a brown hooded kingfisher, a down nooded kingfisher or a bangle booted kingfisher.

There is a bird called a crested eagle, a pested eagle, a nested eagle, a lullaby eagle or a bedtime eagle.

Traditional Zulu hut

10/11

Yesterday Zara, Mum and I went to Richard’s Bay mainly to get our car serviced. It was a very nice day because in the morning we stopped at the “Bonjour” petrol station and got yoghurt. Then, we went to the Nissan dealer to drop the car off and had Weetbix for breakfast in the waiting room. From there, we took a taxi to the movies and had a jumbo box of popcorn followed by delicious Italian style ice-creams. We did some shopping and then visited to the pet shop where we saw some very cute puppies. We stayed and played with the puppies for a while until it was time to go to our dentist appointment. I am very lucky because the dentist said my teeth were the best out of us 3. After that we went to have lunch at Ocean Basket and ate some sushis before going to have another appointment at the doctor. I got my wart on my foot burnt off. First the doctor injected some anesthetic (a liquid so it doesn’t hurt) into the area around it and then the doctor got a little electric metal straw that made the top of the wart go black. Then he got his tweezers and took the sticky-out part of the wart off and burnt it once more so that it was completely dead. That evening after the car service was finished, we went to visit our friends who gave us our hamsters. On the way back in Hluhluwe dad sent us a very sad text. He said that when he got home from work, he looked into the hamster’s cage and they were dead! We will burry them this afternoon when dad is here. I am soooo going to miss them!

Buffalo at Hluhluwe Game Reserve

17/11 Snakes

Last weekend Mum, Dad, Zara and I went to Ndumo Game Reserve. There aren’t big games there but there certainly are a lot of birds!

Afterwards we went to visit a herpetologist. A herpetologist is someone who studies snakes. He was very nice. He even let us hold one of his non venomous rat snake.

Snakes aren’t my favourite animals but I do like them! Afterwards he invited us to come and see more snakes at his house. They were a bit more scary. One of them was a baby boa constrictor. He feeds his snakes rats. In the rat box, there were some baby rats who were a few minutes old! They were pink and tiny!

When I grow up I would really like to have a pet snake!

Turtle track left on the beach at Bhanga Nek

Turtle laying eggs at Bhanga Nek

24/11 Turtles

Last week-end our friends Jeanne and Lourence invited us to go and sleep at Bhanga Nek. Dad said that we might be able to see the turtles laying on the beach cos’it is the season for it so we went. For dinner we had a braii with steak, some potatoes and some green soup. After dinner they suggested we all took a walk along the beach and maybe see some turtles. As we got there, two men stopped us and said we couldn’t walk on the beach and so we just turned back and decided to try again tomorrow.

The next day, dad and I went all the way to Empangeni to collect Granny who was comng fromCape Town. On the eay, we went to collect two more hamsters from our friends. Zara named hers Bibbi (again) and mine is called Wiskas. We drove all the way back to join up with Mum and Zara and stayed in a lodge owned by one of mum and dad’s friend.

The next night, we went back to Bhanga Nek to see if we could get a guide to see the turtles. It was quite late and mum and dad had another argie bargie with the guards but in the end they let us past with a guide. During that night, we saw five turtles in total but only two from up close. The turtles eggs were exactly like ping pong balls. I really think I should be a marine biologist when I grow up!

Bearded Vulture with moon in the Drakensberg

Shell at Lala Nek

Zara's November writing

3/11

I discovered a nest up our mango tree. Two little brown birds were having some tea.

Their parents were there and cleaning their hair and sisters were there dropping a tear.

With a loud “peet-peeoo” they all set off to get a beakfull of worms and sac full of berries.

Chameleon on book

8/11 Camy the chameleon

My mum was pulling out weeds in the garden while we were in the pool when sudently (suddenly) mum saw something green on the gate. She cried “a chameleon”! We rushed out of the pool and shor anuf (sure enough) it was a chameleon! It was green and when I picked it up it turned stipy and spotty like an army outfit. We kept it for two days to observe it. He alwase (always) climbed my hair when he was happy!! We let him go in our mango tree. I hope he’s happy.

Locals on the beach after collecting sea food at Black Rock

10/11 Julia’s birthday party

One morning my mum asked me if I wanted to go with Herda to Julia’s party or if I wanted to snoukle (snuggle) with them. I said: “Julia’s party” so I got dressed (dressed) and set off to Herda’s house. After fifteen nimuts we lefed (left). When we got there we saw it was a Christmas party! Five minuts later we had to do the pinyata when Farther Christmas came. It took one owrar (hour) to open it. I loved it there.

Zara completely zen with a rat snake around her neck!

16/11 Snakes! Snakes!

Snakes are reptiles. Snakes lay eggs but some snakes don’t lay eggs. I’ve held a snake. It was called a rat snake. Its tail was the most sencetive (sensitive) place on its long body. It kept sticking its spicky (spiky) tongue out at me and that meens (means) he was sniffing me. He slithered around my neck. He felt slimy. I love snakes!

A Loggerhead Turtle laying eggs at Bhanga Nek

24/11 Turtl Torres (Turtle Tours)

We went to Banga Nek. We stayed there for two nights so we deceided (decided) to look at turtels. We got stopde (stopped) by one of the parksboard people on the beach. He said: “you are not alowd (allowed) to walk on the beach whith out a giud (without a guide)!” Mum was not happy so she called a giud to help. The giud took us to see the turtles. The turtles werr (were) all sandy. They do not have a tail but they do have back legs. There were two girls called marine biologists who were measuring (measuring) the turtles. The turtles cover their eggs and go back to sea. They were so happy when they cold (could) swim!