Sabie River Rafting Weekend - 13th Feb 2010

Unless you have been to Sabie to river raft, it is very difficult to describe!

because it is totally awesome, brilliant, exciting, scary and some even hate it!

.... but this is what we do on an annual basis for fun!

It is normally just the scouts and rovers who journey down to Sabie to have all this fun but hang, why can't we also join in!

So once a year - mid February - we kit ourselves out with gorgeous looking life-jackets, water shoes and a huge tube.

....most of these tubes have individual names for identification ...

Mine of course being "Akela's Automobile"

This is the funniest as one now has to jump into the tube and make sure you land squarely in the tube and that you don't topple backwards! .... We won't say who topped over! ... and as you topple over the tube is derserting you!

Getting ready for another trip down the river.

Tubes in one car - people in another!

We stayed at the Sabie River Camp in the Boma which sleeps 80 people. This camp is absolutely awesome and has many different types of camping facilities.

This is the heated swimming pool.

This young man wanted to show everyone how to do the 'belly flop"

another round of fun!

There were some very kind gentlemen who assisted us here - thanks guys - you are awesome!
(We did not know them)

Whew! landed perfectly on the tube!

.... and away we go .....

Hubby doing pretty well!

Cub mommy enjoying herself!

Cub parents - isn't this fun?

The rovers had placed a rope across the river with green cold drink bottles attached so that everyone could ee where to get out.

One can carry on a little further to a causeway - afterwhich the river narrows and then cascades down into a water fall!

My boys!

A wonderful bunch of guys - my son on the far right.

Early morning yoga exercises!

(Cub parent taking the air out of the tubes to pack away!!)

As always it is a great weekend that everyone should experience once! I have been back a few times and this time - I think - was the best. The river was flowin?g at a good speed, the rapids were super and the company was superb.

Thanks to all the Cub Parents who made this such a special time.

Till next Time

Keep Cubbing

Akela Joy

PS. Let me know what you thought of Sabie?

Valentine Day - 5th February

Our programme today dealt with our love for others, and yes, you have guessed it - we celebrated Valentines Day at 9th Benoni - and another visit from our adorable guide dog Imrani.

O'Reilly and Imrani taking centre stage!

Imrani is slowly learning how to be a guide dog.....

...... and soon she will be off to "big school" where her training will begin.

The cubs just lover her!

and they know that all their hard work in saving all that money was well worth it.

Imrani's walkers made us a stunning picture of her progress.

Imrani is part of 9th Benoni and even wears her very own scarf with pride!

.... of course to try and get a puppy and cubs to pose for a photo, - well that is almost asking the impossible - so this is the best we have to offer!

O'Reilly is an absolute honey! He is sooooooo good when he has his working harness on but as soon as it is off, he is out the door and races around our huge grounds like the wind. It is such a pleasure to see.

Just look at O'Reilly go!

Happy chappies!

Pieter is from the South African Guide Dog Association and O'Reilly is his guide dog.

Imrani with her trusted walkers.

After their wonderful visit, we continued with out programme.

.... and being Valentine we had the cubs use their cupid arrows to shoot....
Cardboard boxes had heart shapes spray painted on them

Get set...

... aim ...

shoot..

The cubs loved this game and a few hit the target which entitled them to a "bone".

It was then back into the hall for a bit of drawing....

each cub was given a piece of paper and they had to draw themselves in cub uniform.
These will be scanned in and printed onto mess kit bags for camp.

They will really look stunning when completed.

and then onto our "feats of skill"

Cubs had to do sit ups - but with good reason and we never heard one sound from them!

I wonder why!
Each cub had a doughnut in front of him/her and they had to do one sit-up and only have one bite out of the doughnut...... down again and come up for the next bite.

This is really a fun way for the cubs to do those sit ups and they finish them with out even realising that they have done them!

Even our New Chums had a great time!

Helping a fellow cub along the way!

Let me know if you have popped in for a visit by leaving a quick comment - I would love to hear from all of you - even if it is just a "hi".

Till next Time

Keep Cubbing

Akela Joy