NABLOPOMO

The prompt for today – What was last thing you fixed or built.

Fix or build?  No sorry – not me – I have two completely unco-ordinated hands that cannot even hold  screw-driver correctly.   I am not one of those liberated women who learns what goes on in the inside of a car engine and changes her own flat tyres without batting an eyelid.  Not me, sweetheart – I’m more the type who would flutter the eyelashes, show a leg and look helpless on the side of the road – well not these days in this country – that would be a bit dangerous.  But that’s why cell phones were invented!   What’s wrong with calling one’s significant other in a sweet and helpless voice that says – come and rescue me!

It happened to my friend and me some years ago.  We ventured out on our own to a lonely place where a series of ponds held myriads of amazing birds.

One of the ponds at Strandfontien

Our husbands were out in the deep blue sea – fishing!  Then while chasing after some beautiful species – we took a road we should not have and found ourselves stuck in deep, soft sand!

Uh oh. There was not another car in sight.   So we called the beloveds. Fortunately for us they were on their way home but were towing an enormous ski-boat so the wait would be long while they parked it in the driveway before they could come to the rescue.  The problem now was explaining exactly where we were!  We each had a story of a bird seen nearby when the our men were with us and that’s how we managed to get them to understand exactly where to find us two hours later.  We enjoyed a long and girly chat and enjoyed the birds while we waited.

Cape Shovellers

Malachite Kingfisher

Purple Swamphen

Black winged stilt

When the guys arrived they really put on the super hero act and we oohed and aahed and praised their prowess and their marvellous skills of getting us out of tight spot!   But what if they had still been at sea and what if some unsavoury had come along and caused a bigger problem?  I am more careful about where I go alone now and have learned not to ride on roads where I might get stuck!  Usually I have my own personal Macgyver when travelling in the bush -and boy – he can always make a plan!