Vurige vyftiental fnuik ‘vriendelike’ vyande

■ Roelof de Jonge

Die vreugdevure het Maandagmiddag die 1ste Mei hoogebrand in die rugbykamp van die Hoërskool Ben Vorster.

Dit na dié eerstespan van die Vossies drie agtereenvolgende skitter oorwinnings by vanjaar se Sportfees, aange bied deur Bergsig Akademie op Rustenburg, behaal het. Hierdie jaarlikse sportfees was vanaf die 27ste April tot Maandag die 1ste Mei beslis en het skole rug byspanne van verskeie provinsies gelok.

In Ben Vorster se eerste wedstryd het hulle die 15-tal van die Hoërskool Jim Fouché gepak. Hierdie op windende stryd het vir lekker klipharde hardloop rugby gesorg. Beide spanne het geweier om bes te gee, maar dit was uiteindelik Ben Vorster wat die oorhand gekry het om met 38-29 te wen. Die Vossies se Laython Nel was as die Speler van die Wedstryd aangewys.

Die volgende dag, Saterdag die 29ste April, het Parel Vallei se span die stryd teen Ben Vorster gevoer. Hoewel die Parel Vallei-spe lers moedig probeer het om die rooi en wit truie te stuit, was hul net nie opgewasse vir hierdie aanslag nie. Ben Vorster het met 20-8 gewen. Die enigste ligpuntjie vir die Parel Vallei-span was toe hul speler, Orin Adams, na die wedstryd aangewys was as die Speler van die Wedstryd.

Volgende in die Vossies se visier vir nog ‘n oorwinning was die span van die Hoërskool Randburg. Daar was min te kies tussen dié twee spanne. Randburg se 15-tal het alles in die stryd gewerp, maar Ben Vorster het weereens nie hul ondersteuners teleurgestel nie en het die wedstryd met 22-16 gewen. Hierdie keer is die Vossies se Divan Spangenberg as die Speler van die Wedstryd aangewys.

Remember your sunscreen

We are halfway through 2023 and I cannot believe how quickly, or how drastically things have changed since I last looked in the mirror. For one thing, the last time I looked in the mirror like this, my son was staring up at me from the floor as I shaved, hardly able to construct a single coherent sentence.

Today I looked in the mirror whilst my son argued with his sister over which mod to install in Minecraft and could she please turn down the tv because if he had to hear “Dance Monkey” one more

■ Helgard de Villiers

time he’d ask me to change the wifi password. A lot changed since we made it through the lockdowns.

Point is, we made it through the lockdowns. We made it through the skelm business partners, the skelm employees, the skelm politicians, the moving of offices from one venue to the next and even that time we couldn’t find the courage to fix that pool.

There is a saying that states, love makes you blind and pain makes you see. Well.

It’s bright outside and I forgot to bring my sunglasses.

Be a better birder

Where does one start? Bird photography is the most challenging, difficult, expensive and time-consuming of all the nature photography disciplines. But without a fraction of a doubt the most rewarding. I hope that I will be able to convince you to take up this challenge as there has been a lot of advancement made in consumer type equipment that will provide you with hours of satisfaction and growth in your skills as a photographer. In this monthly column, aimed specifically at the bird watching community of which I have been an active member for many years, we will discuss shutter speed, aperture, ISO, burst mode, continuous shooting, focusing techniques and most importantly lighting and composition.

Without question, bird flight photography requires skill, hours of practice, and some measure of luck. However, it also requires fore thought, preparation and an artistic eye to take it to the next level. It is more than just settings; it’s about understanding how to use location, setting and lighting, and then timing your shot for that perfect capture!

There’s no rush, We are going to take a casual stroll - one step at a time. I want to leave you today with this lesson: Rule of thirds and photo framing. If you memorize one “rule” in photography, it should be the rule of thirds.

The rule of thirds divides an image into equal thirds, like a grid, then places key components of the photo into the intersections of the vertical and horizontal lines. Here is an example of the rare Honey Buzzard which I photographed visiting Limpopo, applying this very same rule. The Honey Buzzard population in Southern Africa is the furthest South of the African non-breeding populations, and demonstrated a small increase in numbers over the past three decades despite the species’ global decline (Kostrzewa 1987; Löhmus 2005;Bensusan et al. 2007;Howes et al. 2019). Prior to approximately 2004, the honey buzzard was an exceptionally rare vagrant in the Southern African sub-region (e.g., 1-2 records annually) (Howes et al. 2019). My name is Helgard De Villiers and you can follow my work on Facebook by clicking here .

Events

6 May

Joshua na die Reën tree 6 Mei 2023 op by The Olive Tree vanaf 17:00 teen R200.00 per persoon. Vir meer inligting skakel Clinton by 076 961 3761 of Belinda by 072 877 0184.

6 May

Die Antjies Bulletjie Rugby & Mini Netbal Dag word aangebied op 6 Mei 2023 by Laerskool Dr Annecke vanaf 08:00 tot 13:00. Vir meer inligting skakel Paula by 082 258 4596

20 May

Die Pottery Verf Workshop word aangebied op 20 Mei 2023 by Paint Pot vanaf 09:00 teen R480.00 per persoon. Vir meer inligting skakel Desiré Bester by 079 099 7054.

20 May

The Out in Africa Gala Dinner will be held on Saturday, 20 May 2023 at the Dream an’ Do Centre at Stanford Lake College. For more information contact 015 276 6103.

26 May

The SAVF Kleuterskool Golf Day will be held on 26 May 2023 at the Tzaneen Country Club from 11:00 at R1800.00 per four ball. For more information contact Michelle on 071 644 0521 or Mia on 063 827 6374.

4 June

The Mina’s Neighbourhood Market will be held on the 4th of June 2023. For more information contact 060 331 2681.

Die swembad is aan die brand!

■ Ben Theunissen

Dawid lyk erg beswaard toe hy ateljee 13 binnestap. Die drie van ons se aandag verskuif eensklaps na sy aankoms.

Sonder om ‘n woord te sê en ons nuuskierigheid te bevredig, bestel hy ‘n koue een. Nie dat daar baie meer oor was in daardie stadium nie, aangesien Dawid heelwat laat was en ons drie maar intussen die lafenis moes gebruik om van die dag se stres te probeer vergeet.

Hoe harder ons probeer het, hoe makliker het ons vergeet...van alles...tot die hoeveelheid koues wat gebruik is. Nadat Dawid sy eerste keelstreel gebruik het, kon ons dit nie meer langer verdra nie...dis nou die frons op sy voorkop.

“Hier sit drie van jou beste vriende wat altyd gereed is om jou bekommernisse te deel, en jy sê nie ‘n woord nie”, begin Kommissaris.

“Ja, dis baie hartseer”, begin Dawid.

“My buurman, Trollie, se swembad het gister afgebrand”, en dit wil lyk of hy naby aan trane is.

Om drie vriende saam te hoor stik aan hulle sopies, is nie ‘n alledaagse gebeurtenis nie en boonop klink dit nes ‘n brandweerwa se brandslang wat oopgedraai word.

Dit is in oomblikke soos hierdie wanneer selfbeheersing en nugtere denke moet oorheers. Op daardie gegewe oomblik was selfbeheersing makliker as nugter denke.

Dit is toe die selfbeheersing wat Weyers laat vra: “Hoe is dit moontlik?”

“Moenie my vra nie”, is al wat Dawid uitkry. “Ek was so geskok dat ek nie eers vir Trollie gevra het nie”

Daarom dat nie een van ons drie enige verdere vrae gevra het nie. Al wat Weyers toe opmerk is “Hy was seker van sy naam af.” Toe lag Dawid vir die eerste keer met sy aankoms.

Kommisaris vertel toe, terwyl die atmosfeer effens ontspanne is, na Dawid se slegte nuus: “Dit laat my dink aan die ou wat sy vriende uitgenooi het om sy nuwe swembad te vier...toe daag vyf op. Hulle het dit so geniet om in die swembad in te duik dat hulle later besluit het om dit vol water te maak.”

Toe lag Dawid nog lekkerder. Soveel so dat dit nie meer saak gemaak het of die tweede koue wat hy bestel het, nog koud was nie. Weyers moes toe ook ‘n druppel in die swembad gooi.

“Ek het in ‘n stadium drie swembaddens gehad. Een was warm, een was koud en die derde was leeg...vir die ouens wat nie kon swem nie.”

Dit het tot gevolg gehad dat die koues al warmer geraak het.