A predator in the neighbourhood

Stellenbosch is well known for its gardens, as a town surrounded by natural beauty there is no shortage of inspiration when it comes to exploring nature.

Recently as I was chatting to Kobus outside my favourite breakfast venue, River Manor, a couple of pigeons came racing out of an old oak tree, they caught my eye because pigeons are not the most energetic birds and I thought it rather strange.

As they disappeared a large shadow passed and silently came to rest in a branch near to where I was standing. Focusing my eyes on the dark shape I realised I was looking at an aerial predator, a strange looking grey bird with a bright yellow face.

Having not had any coffee yet I was startled by the sheer size of this creature that had been terrorising the birds of my neighbourhood, how could a predator of this size go unnoticed and unchecked in the suburbs, were my dogs safe, my cat often climbs into trees, this creature seemed almost to be looking at me with a predatory stare, I stood my ground with it and then moved off.

In the safety of the gardens at River Manor, two cappuccinos and half an eggs Benedict under the hood, I Googled the creature, discovering it was in fact an awesome predator, a lethal killer, a vicious attacker, ... of small birds. It is a specialist hunter of young in the nest, my encounter had probably been after it had tried to steal the pigeon chicks, maybe I had even saved them from a certain fate.

But here's the really important bit, the presence of such a predator in an urban area is an important sign, it tells you the food chain is alive and well, the habitat is healthy and able to support a top end predator like a gymnogene, this is good for everybody.

Amazing what the streets can tell you if you look. I still try and keep my cat out of the trees

Have you met the people

I love visit River Manor, sit in the gardens and listen to the sounds of the town. This wonderful place is close enough to town to pick up interesting sounds, the big oaks, however protect it from the noises you don't want to hear.

My visit always begins with the voice of Kobus, the car guard from nearby.His greeting has become a part of my ritual visit to this leafy avenue in Stellenbosch.

A reformed gangster, Kobus has been living on the streets for

the last 13 years, since completing 10 years "inside" for being in with the wrong crowd and doing some bad things as he puts it. He would rather I didn't know what he did and when I look into his eyes I am sure I wouldn't.

Now he makes a living looking after peoples cars. His hand shake is crushing, his manners impeccable, a strong sense of right and wrong isdelicately balanced by anger over the hand life has dealt him and a resentment for never having fulfilled his potential.

Kobus has an experience of life I find enlightening, first hand knowledge of the darker side of our world that are ever present but little known. There is an air of uncertainty about him that I find engaging, a sense he has been places that the likes of you and I only see on crime DVD'sand read about in the newspaper, that no matter what he does he will always stay at the bottom of the bucket.

Every time I visit, we greet, occasionally we chat about the world, we compare our positions in life, then go our separate ways, he is always there, like a feature of the area.

Kobus is as much part of that leafy neighbourhood as the trees, birds and the side walks. Its as if this is his home, I suppose if you live on the streets it is, he makes constant conversation looking after stationary cars, buzzing around waving at people, calling out, wishing them a good day, checking how they are the only time he ever really stops is when the church bells chime!

Dale Carnigie would be proud

The wine lands of Stellenbosch are very different in many respects to the surrounding areas of Cape Town. We live in a cocoon of beauty and tranquility, vineyards all around, easy access to the mountains and a wonderful sense of community.

The one thing we do however, have in common with Cape Town and in fact other parts of South Africa is convenience of shopping at the traffic lights. Granted you can't quiet do your entire month end shop between red and green, you can certainly cross off a fair number of essential basics

What impresses me however, is not the the speed of this retail experience, but rather the skill and tenacity of the sales people, coupled with their enthusiasm for their products. I have done a little service training in my time so I know what it takes to motivate people, but these guys are amazing.

We all know their stuff is junk, but we buy, not because we hope that the quality might have improved, rather we are taken in by the enthusiasm and energy of these informal traders who have 3 minutes to make a sale, they combine all the text book qualities of a great sales man, and I ma sure none of them have ever read, "How to make friends and influence people"

Can you imagine the stress of having to sell under these conditions, you have to talk through a closed window, your customers is suspicious of you and your product, you have to keep on eye on the traffic around you so you don't get knocked over, and you have tops, 3 minutes to make the sale.

I want these guys in my business!