Penhill Post — December 2023 (Summer Edition)

Newsletter title competition winners

Three people came up with exactly the same title for the newsletter, so it wasn’t necessary to hold a second round of voting — there was a clear winning title. Congratulations to the winners: Pauline Garnham, Mark Eliasov and Michelle Griffiths.

PHORA and NHW Annual General Meetings

On Saturday 14th October the PHORA AGM was held in Penhill Park, followed by the NHW AGM, with 46 Penhill residents present. Ward councillor Kariena Mare addressed the group, and PHORA chairperson Paul Clark thanked her for her continual hard work for Penhill. The first ever Heart of Penhill award was presented to Cina Costa for always having Penhill’s best interests at heart — especially for being a voice for lost or injured animals. Both meetings were positive, highlighting what PHORA and the NHW have achieved for Penhill over the past year.

Voted onto the PHORA committee for another term: Paul Clark (Chairperson), Dieter Heinze, Mark Eliasov, Wendy Golding, Lynda Myrdal, Ashton Mouton, Heather Hennink.

The NHW committee welcomed a new chairperson, Kneale Caine. We also interviewed NHW committee member Julia Maranyane, Penhill resident since 2016 and the NHW’s Public Relations officer. Julia’s love for Penhill comes largely from the wildlife and surrounding nature the community gets to enjoy — she points out that the Penhill nature reserve is special and has plants not common elsewhere.

With the festive season and school holidays bringing more crime and foot traffic to the area, Julia’s advice: be vigilant. Children left alone at home should not open doors or gates to anyone they don’t know, and adults should heed this too. Report strange or suspicious characters on the NHW channels. Julia’s vision for the NHW’s role is to keep Penhill as safe as possible with the help of all residents.

From Our Garden Guru — gardening tips for summer

By Whaleed Isaacs

The hot weather is upon us, and don’t forget the Penhill wind too — if it’s hot for you, your plants are feeling the heat as well. These factors dry out garden beds and pots fast. The answer: mulch, mulch and more mulch! After a good soak, cover your soil with mulch, wood chips or straw to retain moisture and cut your watering burden. As it breaks down it also feeds nutrients back into the soil.

Summer also brings out garden pests in force. Apply an organic pesticide such as Neem oil for most fungal disease and pests, or make your own homemade remedy: 1tsp dishwashing liquid, 1tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1tsp vegetable/cooking oil, diluted into a litre of water in a spray bottle. Remember to spray the underside of leaves too.

From the Horse’s Mouth

By Pippa le Grange

Horse riding on our roads in Penhill is becoming a problem — traffic volume has drastically increased over the last few years. A few tips when you approach a horse:

• Look out for horses being led or ridden on the road
• Take extra care and keep your speed down
• Slow down when you see a horse rider on the road, and watch out for the rider’s hand signals
• Always regard horses as a potential hazard — they are easily frightened and can act unpredictably
• Pass carefully when it’s safe to do so, giving the horse plenty of room, then accelerate slowly once past
• Do not sound your horn or rev your engine
• When overtaking, pass wide and slow

Please be safe on the roads and drive carefully.

Down the Mole Hole — Snakes, and a little about the Cape Cobra

By Lynda Myrdal

As summer is now in full swing and we’re seeing our slithering friends out and about, let’s talk about snakes. Not everyone’s favourite, of course, but no need to fear or kill them — they’re more afraid of us, and it’s us who have encroached on their habitat, not the other way round. They sometimes get lost and end up in gardens or, occasionally, houses, usually when seeking shade or trying to escape the heat.

None of the advertised snake repellents work, and they’ve been scientifically proven not to. The only way to truly keep snakes off a property is a high, solid wall (which won’t always work, since all snakes can climb), and a clean, sterile garden with no woodpiles, bushy areas, compost heaps, fish ponds or bird aviaries — not exactly practical for most of us. Chickens, rabbits and small livestock with feed lying around invite rats and mice, which in turn invite snakes looking for supper. Rat poison isn’t the answer either, since it kills off wildlife and raptors too. Just be vigilant, and call a snake expert if you see one.

South Africa has 177 different snake species. Three matter most around Penhill and the surrounding farms: the highly venomous Cape Cobra (Naja nivea), the highly venomous, fat, lazy, expert-opportunist-hunter Puff Adder (Bitis arietans), and the non-venomous but hard-biting Mole Snake (Pseudaspis cana), which is a constrictor. No snake will rush and bite you if left alone — corner or threaten one and it will defend itself, but they’d rather escape than waste their venom, which is meant for prey.

If you spot a snake in your garden, close the door to the room it’s in, put a rolled-up towel against the bottom of the door, close any open windows from the outside, stay calm, and call your snake rescuer — a photo helps them know what they’re dealing with.

A little info about the Cape Cobra

Adults average 1.4–1.6m, and their colour is extremely variable — yellow gold, gold, reddish brown to black, sometimes speckled, occasionally confused with the mole snake. Babies have a dark band around their throats. Cape Cobras love fynbos and Karoo scrub, like the Conservation Area and surrounding farms. They’re non-spitters that will stand their ground and warn with a broad hood and audible hiss before striking — the old wives’ tale that they chase you is untrue.

Their biggest enemy is man, followed by carnivorous animals, birds of prey and other snakes. They feed on rats, mice, other snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, and love birds (especially weavers). They lay 8–20 eggs in midsummer, taking 60–90 days to hatch; hatchlings are independent from birth and just as venomous as adults.

Cape Cobra bites are extremely dangerous and can be fatal, with highly neurotoxic venom — but they’d rather not bite you. Never try to handle one without the qualifications and permits to do so; it’s illegal to catch or transport snakes without them. Two ASI-accredited snake rescuers for Penhill: Rudolf Visagie 082 613 3464 and Andries Cilliers 084 569 1510. It’s about knowledge and respect — leave them alone and they’ll leave you alone. Next time: the fat, bad-tempered Puff Adder.

Aunt Essie’s Kitchen — Easy Scones & household hints

Recipes and tips from Esther Thomas

Easy Scones

Mix together: 2 cups flour, 12.5ml (2½t) sugar, 20ml (4t) baking powder, pinch of salt.

Next: Into a cup measure a quarter cup of cooking oil, add an egg, and top up with half milk and half water. Beat together and mix in with a ladle to the dry ingredients. Flatten the dough on a bit of flour and cut out scones. Place on a sprayed baking tray and bake at 200° for 10–12 minutes. For a golden top, brush with beaten egg before baking. Best served with butter, strawberry jam and whipped cream — quick, easy, and ideal for festive-season visitors.

Household hints — Dehydration treatment

With summer here, it’s important to stay hydrated. Quick remedy for babies, adults and animals: 1 litre water (boiled and cooled), 40ml sugar, 2½ml salt. Mix and drink regularly.

Conservation Corner — Penhill Conservation Area Spring Walk

By Ashton Mouton

The Penhill Conservation Area Spring walk was hosted by Ashton Mouton of Recreation & Parks on 27 September 2023 — a good distraction for residents who’d suffered through the intense Spring Storm over the Heritage weekend. Ward councillor Kariena Mare joined the group, along with 13 residents, to experience the spring flowers within her local ward. Participants photographed a variety of spring flowers, birds, reptiles and pollinators in the Conservation Area, including a resident padloper (Speckled Cape tortoise) — a species whose conservation status is listed as threatened due to drastically shrinking habitat within the City of Cape Town.

Three new plant species were found and added to the species list on this walk, bringing the total to 243 indigenous plant species found within the Penhill Conservation Area, including a new sighting of Hesperantha radiata subspecies caricina — a vulnerable species not currently recorded elsewhere within the City of Cape Town.

History Hub — Stone Age tools and Penhill’s early memories

By Esther Thomas and Wendy Golding

This issue’s History Hub covered Jeff Thomas’s discovery of ancient Stone Age tools in upper Penhill, the origin of Penhill’s protected blue gum trees, the story of the original Penhill farmhouse (once owned by Rose Way’s family, after whom Way Road is named), and the oldest existing house in Penhill — a 1938 farm workers’ cottage. We’ve folded the full story, along with both photographs, into the Our History section on the About Penhill page — head there for the complete piece.

Christmas Creative

By Wendy Golding

With Christmas just around the corner, a few easy ideas for making your own décor — just as much fun for grown-ups as for the little ones. Pinecones can be painted with silver or gold paint, or painted with glue and sprinkled with glitter (try electric blue too). You’re not limited to pinecones either — look for interesting seed heads in the garden, or dried twigs and wood decorated with paint or glitter, or tied together with red and green ribbon.

Marz Mart at the Eerste River City Centre (where Spar is) has loads of affordable craft supplies — glitter, ribbons, string, stars and glue for around R110 total. Cardboard from boxes and toilet roll inserts also works great for tree decorations — a good way to recycle.

Restaurant Review

By the Lunching Ladies (Pippa, Pauline and Hester)

On Friday 3rd November the Lunching Ladies went to Somerbosch, on the R44 between Somerset West and Stellenbosch — “what a gem!” They ordered two pasta dishes and a calamari dish with a well-priced rosé, browsed the tasting room afterwards, and enjoyed the relaxed farm setting where cyclists and golfers often have breakfast on Saturdays. Prices reasonable, food delicious.

Pauline adds her own take: “My lovely old friend Pauline recommended this local hidden gem to me… when you drive into the car park you already get a wonderful feeling. With a great farm location along the R44, this winelands restaurant has a stunning atmosphere, very professional and friendly staff, delicious wine and food. I had the calamari salad, which was delicious. I highly recommend this lovely restaurant.” (Pippa)

Penhill Diary

Carols for Kids — Saturday 23 December, 18h00–20h00, at Kneale Caine’s house, corner of Grey and Kingfisher streets.

Nature walks and seed collecting — keep an eye on Penhill WhatsApp groups, as notices are posted from time to time.

We would love to hear from you. What would you like to see in the newsletter moving forward? We welcome any Penhill news (hatches, matches and dispatches included). Information and photographs for our History Hub will be gratefully received as well.