Chris Meistre

After about 3 attempts from the different quail pairs we have, some of their eggs finally hatched. When I got back this morning Bernadette gave me the sad news that she found a dead baby in the aviary, but as strange as this sounds, it was also good news because it meant that the other quails had probably hatched as well. I promptly went outside and into the aviary to go and search for the little buggers. You could here how they’re chirping and calling for their parents. And then I saw these little things running around. So little in fact that they actually squeezed through the wire we have around the cage, and it’s about 8-10mm wide holes.

The photo is a bit fuzzy, but I didn’t want to bother them for too long. The mother is still trying to hatch out another egg. Currently there’s 3 babies running around.

While I was in the aviary I also checked up on the lovebird babies. The three of them are growing nicely, and they look like naughty children whenever I open the little nest. They just want to get out there. I’m sure that any day now they will leave the nest.

Here’s a photo of about a week ago:

Here is the little guy sitting on my hand today, and he actually ate some of the seed.

We’re so focused on driving the best car, and because we live in a instant gratification society, we have to have the car NOW. Before you go out and sign that piece of paper that basically means you are signing your soul over to the bank, watch this little presentation called Drive Free, Retire Rich.

If it doesn’t at least make you think twice about your car buying habits, then I don’t know what it will take to make you think about how you are working with your money. In 6 years you can drive a free car! Or at least one you can buy cash, and it will be free in the sense of not having to be owned by the bank.

Dave Ramsey has a lot of tips and articles available on his website, why not check it out on http://www.daveramsey.com/.

I heard about this book somewhere, I forget where, and since then I’ve been wanting to get it. But as life normally does, it took over my mind and I kept forgetting to get the book. Then finally I saw The 4-Hour Work Week at Exclusive Books, and decided to finally get it.

I think the cover says it all, “Escape the 9-5″. I started reading it the evening I got it, and it was one of those books you just can’t put down. I did put it down for about an hour before picking it up again!

Now, I don’t really like self help books, so I tend to steer clear of them, but this one is different. Everything just makes sense that he talks about. The book is broken down into 4 steps.

Definition – where he turns common sense upside down and makes you think differently about things in your life
Elimination – this is about becoming more efficient and effective in what you do and forgetting all about time management
Automation – talks about putting your income and cash flow on automation
Liberation – getting away from having to be in a certain place to function and earn income

At the end of each chapter you have questions that you need to answer, which on first glance is a lot more difficult that I thought it would be. Then there are the uncomfortable exercises that the book asks you to do, such as walking up to complete strangers and asking their phone numbers. This is used to help you break away from your normal comfort level and start thinking out of the box.

Another term used in the book is called Dreamlining, whereby you sit out on paper what you want to be, want to have and want to do within 6 months and within 12 months. You set goals that you might think are hard to achieve, but once you start looking at it on paper and putting in work all the other things he mentions you start seeing how much easier it really is.

The whole book is about the New Rich, people that life like millionaires, not people who ARE millionaires.

If you’ve ever sat in the office wondering, “Why am I here doing what I’m doing?”, or driving along a beautiful area saying, “I’d love to spend more time here without having to rush through”, get this book, it will change your life.

I say this is my new bible because after hearing about a lot of the things in the book for such a long time, something has finally clicked.

We decided to go and have a look at a 4×4 trail we always drive past in and out of the Baviaanskloof.  It’s called Twee Water 4×4.  I haven’t been able to find any information on it, which made it appeal to me even more.

When we arrived at 12:30 to meet the trail owner, he was still about 20 minutes away, so we decided to let down tires in the meanwhile.  As we didn’t know what the terrain or trail is like we decided to play it safe by having the maximum traction if we do need it.

He arrived at around 13:00 and after explaining to us briefly what the trail would entail we headed off into the kloof.  At the first entrance he took us, the road had been blocked by about 3-4 trees that have fell into the road.

A few trees in the way

He would clear it up later so we decided to enter the trail in a different entrance and do it a bit differently.  The first part of the trail is a rocky uphill, and once we were on top I could see this can going to be an interesting trail.

Looking around you down into the valley and on the sides of the mountains in the distance you could clearly see how the trail dips down into the valley and rises out again a number of times.  The terrain was quite sandy with a lot of loose rocks all over the places.  On most of the uphills it took careful wheel placing to find the grip to get up.

All the friends

We had the most amazing views over the area.  One the one side we could see the Gonjah 4×4 Trail going and on the other side part of the Osseberg 4×4 Trail.

At one hill Barto tried to go up in the Triton, but because of the deep ruts he couldn’t get up.  I think the trail owner was a bit worried when Barto attempted it.  The next time we get to the trail though, we’ve been told the ruts will be filled up with rocks to allow us to get through.  I am sure though that Barto would’ve been able to make it if he didn’t have to consider the people sitting on the back of the bakkie.

Barto on the hill

The owner went to go show us the camp site as well, which looks very neat and tidy.  They even have a donkey for hot water and flushing toilets.

The trail took us about 2 hours to drive, and we estimated that with a group of 8-10 vehicles it will take around 4 hours to complete.  I can really recommend going on this trail.  There are a few sections that are a bit overgrown, but we were assured this would be sorted out by the time we bring a group of vehicles with EC Offroad Adventures in September.

Just before going down

Going down

The views

Barto came up with the idea to go and do Offcamber Adventure‘s 4×4 Trail at night time again.  We’ve done it previously, as well as other 4×4 trails at night, and for some reason it just appeals to us very much.  It all started a while back when we just decided to try it to see what it’s like.

It appeals to me because I like doing things that are considered abnormal, or that other people are scared of trying.  It’s adds more excitement to our already exciting lives

So with Barto going and me not being able to resist him, he decided to invite some of EC Offroad Adventurers with us.  I’ll be honest when I say I didn’t think that anyone would actually join us.  I was surprised when people started contacting us showing interest in what we’re going to do.  Great!  More people that are adventurous

At the end we had 4 vehicle joining us this evening.  Some old and familiar faces, and some new ones as well.  None of the people joining us had ever done this before, and you could see everyone was keen to do it.

Barto drove the trail earlier in the day to check for any problem areas, and decided that we’ll do only a section of the trail.  Being the first time for people doing a trail in the dark, we didn’t want it to be too hectic.

At just before 20:00 the 6 vehicles (colt v6 double cab , colt 2.8 diesel clubcab, triton 3.2 clubcab, triton 3.2 double cab, land rover defender 110, pajero 3.2 lwb) left and headed for section 4.  By this time it was already pitch black and very cold.  My brother had joined me on the trip as a co-driver, and he seemed very excited to be going on a trip.  It was nice having someone there that doesn’t know very much about 4x4ing asking questions and listening to me rambling on about all the stuff we do and why we do it.  It was also nice having someone with me that opens and closes the gates for a change

The first section takes us down into the valley and towards the first river crossing.  The last descent into the valley has a few holes that have caused a step-like affect in the road, with a big hole at the bottom of the valley that is almost hidden from view.  We stopped before going down to make sure the vehicles only went down 1 at a time with Barto showing at the bottom where the hidden hole is and I helped the people at the top to take the right line over the steps to avoid hitting their vehicles.  Everyone went down without incident.  The next stop was at the descent into the river bed for the first river crossing.  Here we got out again to explain how to approach the drop into the river and the river crossing before guiding everyone over safely.

Then it was the lovely drive along the river bed.  This place looks awesome during the day, but at night time with the lights falling on all the trees and grass around you it just looks like something out of a movie.  We then reached the 2nd and last river crossing.  I pulled my vehicle slightly out of the normal driving line and shone the lights on the river down the valley.  You could see the steam rising from the river.  On previous occasions Bernadette and Barto would play here with their cameras taking awesome photos of the steam coming off the water.

The next obstacle ofter ascending out of the valley was the launch pad.  The 4 of us attempted and succeeded in this obstacle that needs a bit of momentum while 2 used to the by pass to meet us on the other side.

The last stretch back to the end point was a nice relaxing drive in silence, just listening to the sound of nature around us.

Read the official report.