The beautiful rain in East London has washed a lot clean including our signs

Sounds like I'm moaning I guess, and I can't really as the rain is so badly needed in East London, and in the entire Eastern Cape region right now, actually, and it did a great job of washing the car which hasn't had a wash in ages, while out and about yesterday afternoon taking my mom to see my dad's sister who isn't well.

However, our signs we had out on the front wall are just blackboards really, with the writing in chalk, so we'll have to redo them - not that's it's helping much yet, we're still broke as anything this month, so far. It was still raining this morning, and although it cleared up a bit, the sky is looking dark again. I do hope it rains some more, even though it means we can't yet put our signs out. We need this rain so badly, not only to help lift the current water restrictions in the East London area right now, but to fill our dams to the brim, so that the water will last a long time before the next lot of rain.

The rain is also good for the garden, and hopefully it will help perk up some plants we have here in containers, so that we will be able to sell some more. We're trying to sell a few plants again, while waiting for a few more web design clients to hire us for our web design services.

© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010

Isn't the rain in East London just awesome?

Beautiful sound of rain falling on the roof, and on the ground outside. Beautiful rain giving life to the earth, and to us. East London has been pretty dry, and had water restrictions placed on the 1st of May. This rain East London is having today is just awesome. I'm sure all the little seeds, plants, and roots in the ground are singing (and that's what we actually hear, not the rain!) :)

Of course one day of rain (well, it actually only started after midday) is not going to get East London too far, but it's definitely welcome rain, and we all hope and pray we get some more soon.

It's stunning to have rain. I can almost hear the little plants and trees as they stretch up towards the raindrops falling on them. I can even hear the plants laughing with happiness, can you? Their thirst is quenched.

© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010

How can I not love my hometown East London?

I've never moved out of East London in South Africa, and I'm now 41.  Actually, it's sad that I've not yet been to Cape Town, overseas, or flown in an areoplane at the age of 41 either!  I'm happy here in my little hometown of East London, and how could I not be?

I've grown up in East London.  It's home.  I have such great memories of this place I call home - and I don't want to ever say, or refer to it as "The place I used to live in."

What does East London have that no other places in South Africa have - besides great memories if one grows up here, and very friendly people?

Well, pehaps not such a good point - but I like it - East London is also known as Slummies - but it's in such a nice way, I think.  People are mostly relaxed, down to earth, and just themselves.  Of course there's times or outings that call for dressing up a bit, but, generally, hardly anyone looks at you twice, here, if you go into a shop barefoot, or with curlers in your hair.  It's acceptable.  It's Slummies.  It's nice.

What else does East London (Buffalo City, South Africa) have?

It has Friesland milkshakes.  Come on, everyone who's tried a Friesland milkshake loves them.  It's the kind of thing, that makes an East Londoner sit up in the middle of the night, suddenly, and say: "Aw gee, I don't think they are open now, but I want a Friesland milkshake nooooow!"

East London has the Windmill, right at the bus station near the beachfront, and the Windmill has hot chilli burgers.  Aged about 18, (some 23 years ago for me now),  three of us friends used to go off to the Windmill, get some chilli burgers, then go do something odd and 18-ish and park in a cemetary eating the burgers, and cry from the heat of the chilli - or disguise our fear at being where we were!

East London has Numbers.  A nightclub and disco that's moved around a bit - not sure if I loved it best when it was still out next to the old drive-in because it was next to the old drive-in, or just because those times, spent at Numbers next to the old East London drive-in, were some of the best times my friends and I had at Numbers.

East London has the oldest aquarium in South Africa, along the esplanade, and the only South African river port, down at the Buffalo River.  East London has the Surfers Marathon.

East London has beautiful beaches.  It has Mermaid's Pool;  it has Nahoon beach and Nahoon Reef.

East London has 200 000 year old fossilized footprints , has the Coelacanth , has Joan Harrison and the Joan Harrison public swimming pool (as a kid, I used to spend plenty of summers there with friends.)

East London has Wendy Botha , and Jody Scheckter.

East London has Tony, my boys, my family and friends, and East London has me.

© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010

What is this dog breed and does anyone have a dog that looks like this?

Tony and I, and my boys, live at my parents' house. For now. Their dog Rocky died about 2 years ago, and now they're looking for a new dog that looks very similar to Rocky.

My parents asked me to email pictures of Rocky to Save a Pet, in Port Elizabeth, I think - and they will get back to us if they have a dog that is the same breed, and looks similar to how Rocky looked.  Rocky was about the size of a jack russell or maltese poodle.

Port Elizabeth is a little far fom East London (South Africa), and I was just wondering if anybody closer to East London, or even in East London, knew where we could possibly find this kind of dog for my parents.

I gave Rocky to my parents myself, seems like many years ago now. Rocky must have been about 15 when he died.

An ex boyfriend and I were driving along the N2 near the East London SPCA when we noticed this little dog toddling along on the side of the road. It didn't really look like a stray, and appeared to be quite young - probably under 6 months old. We pulled over, opened the door, and a pup we later named Rocky hopped in. Just like that.

We had to be elsewhere, so instead of driving to the SPCA about 1km away, we took Rocky with us, and phoned the SPCA. Early that morning they had found a dog basket and dog toys at their front door - but no dog in sight.

The SPCA did some enquiries, allowing us to keep Rocky in the meantime, ( a day or two), and then announced, that, if we wanted to, we could keep him.

Although we were already growing so fond of the cute little pup, we were staying in a flat, and it was not suitable for an energetic young dog.

So my folks became the pleased and proud owners of a dog that gave them many years of joy!

The photos were taken about a year before Rocky died. I was living back at my parents by then.

© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010