19 January and decision on the proposed development

Pot Plant Owl's wetland is saved!

This morning we received notification from the Government Department who reviewed the developer's appeal against the original decision. This is what we received:

Please be advised that following consideration of an appeal in respect of this matter the MEC, Ms Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, has decided to dismiss the appeal due to the following:



1. The proposed development will potentially impact negatively on the wetlands present on site.

2. The mitigation measures suggested in respect of the proposed development are not adequate to address potential impacts to the river system and wetlands present on site.

3. Authorisation was denied with due process and compliance with applicable legislation and policies including the Department’s Gauteng Ridges Policy which states that ridges are ecologically sensitive and therefore should be protected against transformation that will negatively impact on such ecologically sensitive biodiversity.



At this time, Allan and I would like to once again thank each and every one of you who signed the petition to stop the development on the wetland. Thank you to all of you who have shown support and offered assistance. We really appreciate it.

What happens now, we do not know. We are looking to offer our assistance to the developer to rehabilitate the wetland, and turn it into something indigenous and safe for the creatures who call it their home.

Will keep you updated.

One of our chicks visit

That little hissing sound drew my attention away from my book to our garden. At first I couldn't see it, until, there, tucked behind a tree branch, I spied one of our chicks.

The chick stood confidently on the wall, looking up at our balcony and doing its delightful 'begging' for food - hissing and bopping its head.

It's virtually impossible to say with any certainty which chick it was, but I have a feeling who it may have been.

Lovely to see a chick on its own, and hunting now in our gardens.

Mid Jan 2012 and start over

The New Year is well and truly upon us, and I must say that I am looking forward to what lies ahead. I approach each new year with mixed feelings - glad to be seeing the back of any difficult times, and excited at the prospect of starting over.

And that's always good - starting over. Allowing yourself a new beginning to forget the mistakes you may have made (and hopefully from which you've learnt a lesson), and begin afresh.

Nature does this all the time with simple ease. Pot Plant Owl and Pappa start over with new little chicks each year. I don't believe PPO will worry this year about the unhatched egg (Shelly) from 2011, thereby preventing herself from laying more eggs this year.

Yet humans worry all the time, and often fall into the trap of only starting over at the dawn of a new year, or a major event in our lives.

Why do we do that?

Why not start each each DAY anew? Forget about what happened yesterday, and give yourself the permission to start over today and make a positive change.

Diet didn't work yesterday? Start over today.
Screamed at the kids last night? Start over today with a calmer attitude.
Didn't find time to exercise yesterday? Don't wait until 'next week' or 'tomorrow' to exercise. Just give yourself permission to start over today.

Let's learn from Nature around us. Our owl family will just start over, and enjoy each day without worrying about what has past, what might have been, what can go wrong in the future.

How refreshing it will be to develop a mindset and habit like that!

So let's start right this minute, and have yourselves a great day!