Sakkie en Tienie is nie min trots op hul kleinseun nie

Tienie en Sakkie Wessels

Sakkie en Tienie Wessels (E93) is met reg trots op die prestasies van hul kleinseun, Werner.

Sakkie en Tienie se klein-klong (Foto: Jacques du Preez)

In Rooi Rose-tydskrif skryf CORNEL DUNN onder andere: Die 28-jarige Werner Wessels het reeds die sukses van vyf Mej. SA’s, ‘n Mej. Wêreld en teen die einde van die jaar, ‘n Mej Heelal, verseker.

Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters en Werner ná die kroning van Mej. Heelal (Foto: Jacques du Preez)

Werner se voorliefde vir skoonheidskompetisies kom al van sy kleuterdae af. Min het hierdie seuntjie geweet dat hy jare later so betrokke by die afrigting van sommige van die wenners sou wees.

Werner se bydrae is uniek, maar hy is deel van ‘n uitstekende span, wat hoogs talentvolle modeontwerpers, grimeerkunstenaars, haarstiliste en fotograwe insluit.

Lees gerus die res van die storie in die Maart 2018-uitgawe van Rooi Rose.

Valentynstee

Die onderstaande foto's bied 'n oorsig van ons tradisionele Valentynstee wat op 16 Februarie deur die staatmakers van ons oord se sosiale aksie-portefeulje gereël is.

Ons sosiale aksie-portefeulje ploeg (weer eens) terug

Ons het voorheen berig oor die puik diens wat die sosiale aksie-portefeulje aan die oord en sy inwoners lewer. Hierdie groep staatmakers reël funksies wat strek van vetkoekverkopings tot deftige dinees.

Alhoewel die funksies nie ʼn winsoogmerk het nie, gebeur dit soms dat ʼn klein wins wél opgelewer word. Oor die jare heen het dit die sosiale aksie-portefeulje in staat gestel om ʼn bederfie of wat ten bate van die oord en inwoners aan te skaf.

Onlangs het die sosiale aksie-portefeulje besluit om ʼn nuwe stoof aan te koop en aan die oord te skenk. Op die foto hieronder verskyn Bets en Braam Cilliers by die spoggerige nuwe Defy-stoof wat onlangs afgelewer is. Bets is die sekretaris en Braam ʼn gewaardeerde addisionele lid van dié portefeulje.

Birdlife in our village (2)

During the next few months this blog will post information about the birdlife in our village. Philip van den Berg (U34), who is an acclaimed environmentalist and wildlife photographer, provided the text and photographs.

This month we feature Woodpeckers.

PHILIP VAN DEN BERG writes: Woodpeckers have special adaptations to obtain food that is inaccessible to other birds. Their strong, chisel-like bills, short legs, stiff tail feathers, zygodactyl toes (two facing forward and two backwards), strong hooked claws and their long mobile tongues enable them to obtain insects and other prey living inside dry wood, under bark or in crevices.  Supported by their stiff tail feathers and clinging to the bark with their short legs, they drill into wood to detect borers and then use their long tongues to probe the cavities. Their tongues are sticky and have backward-facing barbs that enable them to extract their prey.

Cardinal Woodpecker feeding

With the exception of one, all woodpecker species are tree living, and many of them are typical bushveld birds.  One can expect to see some of these birds in our village.

Like barbets, they bore holes in trees for nesting. In 2017 a pair of Golden-tailed Woodpeckers (Afr. Goudstertspegte) started excavating a nesting hole in a dry White Karee tree stump next to the steps leading down to the Lapa.

Male Golden-tailed Woodpecker excavating a nesting hole in the village

Gender differences are subtle. As shown in die photographs below, one of the most common includes a prominent red stripe on the male's cheek extending from the base of the bill to the neck. This same stripe, but black with white spots, appears on females of the species.

Male Bennett's Woodpecker. Note the prominent red stripe on its cheek.

Female Golden-tailed Woodpecker. Note the different cheek stripe compared to the male above

Apart from Golden-tailed Woodpeckers (Afr. Goudstertspegte), species most likely to be seen in the village are Bennett’s Woodpeckers (Afr. Bennett se Spegte) and Cardinal Woodpeckers (Afr. Kardinaalspegte).

Female Cardinal Woodpecker

Ek het spesiale versorging nodig. Wat nou?

Ons oord is ontwerp vir inwoners wat selfversorgend is. Dit beteken dat dit nie oor geriewe beskik vir verswakte persone wat tydelik of permanent nie daartoe is in staat is om onafhanklik in sy eenheid te kan aanbly nie.

Watter opsies bestaan dus vir inwoners wie se omstandighede van so ‘n aard is dat dit aldus ons gedragsreëls, “‘n risiko, verleentheid of oorlas vir ander inwoners skep”?

Vir ons inwoners is dit gerusstellend om te weet dat dat daar 'n plek soos Palms Renaissance Aftree- en Versorgingsoord in Pretoria is as hulle die stadium van hulle lewe bereik wanneer hulle spesiale versorging nodig het.

Die ruim voorportaal skep 'n positiewe indruk

Dié oord spesialiseer in die versorging van verswakte bejaardes, insluitend pasiënte wat aan Alzheimer-, Parkinsonsiekte of ander vorme van demensie ly. Hulle word in gerieflike kamers gehuisves.

Die ontvangslokaal van die versorgingseenheid

'n Woonvertrek in die versorgingseenheid

Inwoners van die aftreeoorde binne die Renaissance-groep geniet voorkeurreg vir verskuiwing daarheen indien hulle omstandighede dit noodsaak. Trouens ‘n hele aantal inwoners van ons oord het reeds na Die Palms verhuis.

Die Palms se toegewyde personeel doen baie moeite om inwoners te stimuleer. Hulle woon funksies en rolprentvertonings by, besoek die goedtoegeruste biblioteek  , woon gereelde kerkdienste by en brei dikwels items wat aan hulpbehoewende kinders geskenk word.

Die biblioteek

Die kapel

Hierbenewens word drie smaaklike maaltye per dag in ‘n aantreklike eetsaal bedien.

Die eetsaal

Tree gerus met Jacky (014 736 5687) in verbinding indien u meer inligting oor die Palms Renaissance Aftree- en Versorgingsoord in Pretoria verlang. 

Sosiale aksie-portefeulje ploeg terug

Die uitstekende diens wat die sosiale aksie-portefeulje aan die oord en sy inwoners lewer, is alombekend. Hulle is ‘n groep staatmakers wat funksies reël wat strek van vetkoekverkopings tot deftige dinees.

Alhoewel die funksies nie ‘n winsoogmerk het nie, gebeur dit soms dat ‘n klein wins wél opgelewer word. Oor die jare heen het dit die sosiale aksie-portefeulje in staat gestel om ‘n bederfie of wat ten bate van die oord en inwoners aan te skaf.

Onlangs het die sosiale aksie-portefeulje besluit om ‘n bykomende yskas aan te koop en aan die oord te skenk. Op die foto hieronder verskyn Emely Langa en Linkie Ellis by die spoggerige nuwe Bosch-yskas wat onlangs afgelewer is. Emely is al 23 jaar lank een van die sosiale aksie-portefeulje se steunpilare en Linkie behartig die finansies.

Birdlife in our village (1)

During the next few months this blog will provide information about the birdlife in our village. The text and most of the photographs are provided by Philip van den Berg (U34) who is an acclaimed environmentalist and wildlife photographer.

This month we feature doves and pigeons.

PHILIP VAN DEN BERG writes: Warmbad Renaissance is situated in the broad-leaved woodlands region of the Bushveld savannah. Broad-leaved woodlands are found on the higher ridges with nutrient-poor, well-drained soil. In the village the predominant trees are Combretums, although other kinds have also been planted here. Because of the nutrient-poor soil, this habitat does not have a wealth of animals, although some specialized species have made this their home.

Birds occurring in our village are predominantly arboreal (tree-living), and there are only a few terrestrial species. Seed-eating birds are also rare, apart from pigeons and doves that are abundant. This is not because of the natural availability of food, but because many inhabitants put out seeds.

In this first article the focus is on pigeons and doves.

Pigeons and doves breed on a flimsy platform of sticks and normally produce a clutch of two eggs. Fledglings are fed by a milky substance produced in the crop of the parent.

Speckled Pigeons often nest on man-made structures. In many areas they are regarded as pests by grain farmers. They can cause huge damage in sunflower fields where they concentrate in large numbers.

A Speckled Pigeon

African Green-Pigeons are fruit-eating and have a preference for wild figs. They often visit the village where they are especially attracted to fruiting Wild Plum trees.

African Green Pigeons

Laughing Doves and Red-eyed Doves are common visitors to feeding tables.

A Laughing Dove

A Red-eyed Dove