Horak's 40 years ago.

[Bertie Horak]

I don't know why, but today I really miss my childhood in Oranjemund.  Decided I'll post two pic's of me and my Ousus Francie around 1969 when we stayed in E10/11.  She'll probably kill me for this, but she's about 120 km away, so I think I'm safe!  Sus, if your internet has been sorted out, register and reply on the site, for I wont listen to any phone replies! It's been long enough now, hope to have you on the site soon!

[SandyB]

Aah  yes our carefree childhood ...

[Michael Alexander]

All the garden pics from that era seem to have the same grass...did the company go around in the day planting the lawns or did the residents have to sort it out....?

[Bertie Horak]

My Mom & Dad spent a lot of time in the garden.  Don't talk about the lawn, it used to be one of my most hated chores - raking the clippings and picking them up after dad mowed it with an old "push-type" lawn mower, no luxury like an electric/petrol model!  Almost got my toes chopped off a few times when I was big enough to start using it myself!

I remember our garden was always green and full of flowers.  The Horaks all enjoy animals & plants, till this day.

[Rhona]

What a cutie Bertie - pics look great.............I remember being paid 1c a - guess it was a cheap way to get rid of the weeds in the garden but the novelty soon wore off 

[Bertie Horak]

Yes, I also had quite a bit of chores in the garden, but quite liked it.  Can't really remember getting paid for it though, but then again, I always got my few cents to put in my post office savings boekie (stamps bought at the school).

Afraid the cute is long gone, now it's wrinkled, grey and overweight!

[Bertie Horak]

This must be July 1967.  My birthday cake - a "farm" cake, together with my sister and "Stompie" our dog, who came to Oranjemund with my folks when they moved from the Okavango down to Oranjemund. Poor Stompie just had to play along with everything - he had to be a friend, circus dog, wild animal, hunting hound, etc,etc. depending on the game we played.  But he enjoyed it - we were inseparable!

[Carl Wrbka]

All the garden pics from that era seem to have the same grass...did the company go around in the day planting the lawns or did the residents have to sort it out....?

I believe it was every man for himself in those days. You could however put in a request at "parks and gardens" to have your lawn mowed by CDM. The rest was up to you.

[Bertie Horak]

Ja, Carl I remember my Dad removing pieces of lawn and transplanting them somewhere else.  We pretty much had to do everything ourselves.  Even the "paadjie" from the gate to the front door my Dad made himself.  On this picture the newly thrown cement can be seen.
Hey, didn't I have toys?  Playing with stones and old yarn "tolletjies"!?

[Michael Alexander]

.... and the traditional red Stoep!

[Diana Rudd (Boehme)]

I always got my few cents to put in my post office savings boekie (stamps bought at the school).

Now thats a memory those stamps....the books were Orange I seem to think.

I now remember what Fransie looked liked, and how we played hide and seek in your garden. Would that be the shadow of the big tree I remember at your front door.
Moet nou nie lieg nie Bertie jy's nog nogals "cute".

[Bertie Horak]

Ja Diana, right, right, wrong.

Right - The Post office boekies were an orangy-pink clour...
Right - That is the shadow of the big karee tree next to the front gate, in which Dad built my tree house...
Wrong - Cute?  That's another word for "ugly but interesting"!

[Florrie van Zyl (Muir)]

Bertie, I don't remember the name Francie, but Horak sounds so familiar and the photos of your sister look so familiar, I think we must have been about the same age. I was 7 in 1969.

[Bertie Horak]

@ Florrie - You are in the middle of me and my ousus.  In 1969 she was 12, and I was 4.

[Florrie van Zyl (Muir)]

Thats why I don't remember so well, thought it was the Alzheimers again. She must have been with my brother Billy then.