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Dates & News:

ZimDog News, can be accessed from: www.vanerp.net.

Zimbabwe Kennel Club:
The Zimbabwe Kennel Club office will now only be open on a Friday each week, 14.00-16.00 CAT.

Local Shows and Fairs

Bulawayo Combine Shows:
Have postponed till later this year.

MLKA & HKC Shows:
They have booked their dates for 28 & 29 June 2008, with imported Judges. Put this in your diaries.

Mukuvisi Shows:

All sponsored by PEDIGREE and proceeds to help the S P C A in the wonderful work they do for all animals

Come and help raise much needed, and ever increasing, funds for the S P C A

Flyers now available for the Fun Show on SUNDAY, 25 MAY

WBC of Mashonaland:

Date: 25 May

Mr. M E GeogheganAll               Breed & Variety Classes incl. Compleat Dog

Mr R Ellis:                                        Classes Novice, C & Beginners incl. Compleat Dog

Miss G M McLaughlan:             Classes B & A

Mrs. G Little:                                       Dog Jumping: Grades 1 & 2 

News:

From Bulawayo: Cindy Ordman has had a very big operation and we wish her all the best for recovery.

Kennel Club of Harare has had two donations from former doggy friends in the UK. Thank you for giving it to Gladys to bring back here. Any reader who might want to give as well, it can be send to my son in England [phone +44 1959 577 686] and I will take it back with me at the end of May: Mr. MJA van Erp, 1 Ray Hanna Apartments. 187 Main Road, Biggin Hill, Westerham, TN 16  3 JR. Or it can be send to his account:  Sort Code: 20-05-57 Account Code: 80850616 Reference HKC 

Condolences:

My Apologies for being so late, but condolences are going out to Ursula who lost her old and faithful Tess after having had so much pleasure with her, entering many Obedience C test competition. She always tried to do her best and it was a pleasure to watch her in the ring as well as working in Working Trials. A great dog!

 Also condolences to Cindy and her German Shepherd, who passed away at home. He was great as a working dog and Kirsten did a wonderful job training him and entering in the various IPO competitions.

"Zimbabwe's Traveling Man"

9^th Saga

We have now run into something of a major problem in that I am still, 3 months down the line, wait listed for my flight from Sydney to Johannesburg at the end of February and have been assuming all along the line that it would clear in due course.  Not so!!! me  I gather to the  Oz school holidays, the Oz Open Tennis in Melbourne (which is my next stop after Auckland in ten days time), followed by the Australian Open Golf Tournament.  So - after much soul searching, I am obliged to miss out Oz on this this trip and take the first flight Qantas can offer me from Sydney to Jo’burg on 19 March, as there is nothing available after that until the middle of March!!!!!  Be warned anybody traveling on this routing at this time of the year!!!!!

I shall be sorry to miss my friends in Melbourne (originally ex Gwelo many, many years back) and my Ridgeback breeder friend in Sydney who had 3 Shows lined up for us to go to.  It is some years since I saw either of them and I feel sad that it has turned out like this virtually at the end of my One World trip.

Today, the 11th of January, has turned into a sad day for all New Zealanders as that great Kiwi icon, Sir Edmund Hillary, has died in Auckland at the grand age of 88.  Many people around the world, then watching the Queen's Coronation in 1953, will remember the stupendous news that he had conquered Everest, the first man to climb the world's highest mountain and, in his own words, "knocked the bastard off"!!!!! He then spent much of his life helping the Nepalese people all over that region with schools, health facilities and many more necessities of life.

Tonight I took my friend Kate and her 3 sons, to a farewell dinner at the RSA Club in Mount Maunganui, as the boys are off to camp at Raglan over on the West Coast of the North Island, a most beautiful spot, and I shall be gone by the time they return to the Bay of Plenty.

There's one thing that has kept on re-occurring to me on this trip and now, with the advent of the first of the Tennis Grand Slams in Melbourne next week on 14th January, it occurs to me that we in the Central and Southern regions of Africa are a good deal more advanced than some of the more "progressive" regions of the world!!!  We can, with a few astute clicks on our Satellite systems, bring up virtually any sporting event in the world and I think this is the one thing which I have missed most on this trip - the start of the tennis in Melbourne has brought it back to my mind.  So few people I have come across have Satellite TV.   Sure, one can pick up the results from the various newspapers and TV stations around the world, but that is not the same as following play in a sport in which one might be interested.  Please note - those that beef about DSTv and/or Mulchoice should cease fifthwith!!!!

However, I have managed to circumvent the problem by taking myself off to the Mont Maunganui RSA Club where they have 2 huge screens showing Satellite Channels in their lounge and today I watched the incomparable Roger Federer win his second round match against Fabrice Santoro of France - by this time tomorrow I shall be in Melbourne watching it!!!

I also spent time this last week in the Mount Maunganui Bowling Club, set very close to the beautiful Maunganui Beach;  this is an other Club that has a huge Clubhouse offering their members so many activities - I rather liked Twilight Community Bowls and Corporate Bowls.  It's been over 30 C this week in the Bay of Plenty so everyone's been congregating in the Clubs to take advantage of their air-conditioning!!!!!  We also went for a 4 km walk round the Mount and then paddled furiously through the evening surf - this is big surfing area of course and I am heading back to Africa with a couple of pairs of the latest surfers!!!

Before I leave the Land of the Long White Cloud, a couple of Kiwi jokes

.......................  They are labeled "a healthy level of insanity"

Sit in your parked car, with sunglasses on, and point a hair dryer at passing cars;  see if they slow down.

Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with it.

Put your rubbish bin on your desk and label it "In".

In the "memo" field of all your cheques, write "for smuggling diamonds".

When the money comes out of the ATM, scream "I Won, I Won"

Tell your family over dinner that "due to the economy, we are going to have to have to let one of you go".

Goodbye Aotearoa - you've been great - and those of you I missed this time, I hope to catch up with next time.  This pakeha is very grateful for your hospitality.

The Travellin' Man has returned from her sojurn and has collapsed with exhaustion!!  More newz to follow in May.

Doggie Rules

A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year-old)

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.  We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply...
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy-ride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy. Take naps.
Stretch before rising. Run, romp, and play daily. Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently. Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Zimbabwe Dog of the Year 2007 Results:
1st Place Labrador Retriever Ch Craignair Just As Quick of Huntingdon, owned by Janie Rosenfels and bred by Mrs J Pott of South Africa. (26 points)
2nd Place Scottish Terrier Crocvalley Kelvin of Rustcot, owned by Edith Rust and bred by Mrs E and Mr H Muller of South Africa. (24 points)
3rd Place Great Dane Anvin Zervage at Rebashkie, owned by Catherine Jennings and bred by Mr W Wakfer of South Africa. (21 points)
4th Place German Shepherd Dog Salonica Eclipse at Tegwyn, owned by Athena Bowling-Scott and bred by Anne Hancock. (15 points)

Pedigree Puppy of the Year 2007 Results:
1st Place Mrs Edith Rust's Scottish Terrier Crocvalley Kelvin of Rustcot.
2nd Place Miss Geraldine McLaughlan's Dobermann Hysand Quaesta von Colnetal.
3rd Place Mrs Gill Houghton's Yorkshire Terrier Langarott Sensation.
4th Place Mrs Pat McKinlay's Affenpinscher Xela Ingerdorm Petita.

SHOW DATES 2008

Hospital regulations require a wheel chair for patients being discharged.. However, while working as a student nurse, I found one elderly gentleman already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet, who insisted he didn't need my help to leave the hospital. 

After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let me wheel him to the elevator. 

On the way down I asked him if his wife was meeting him. 

"I don't know," he said. "She's still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown."