WHEN THE WORLD WENT MAD

This pic was taken in 1974 when the war in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) was just getting started. My husband at the time was in the police force, and we had use of the police cottage, which was a wonderful retreat. The picture below is in black and white because we were unable to buy colour spools at that time. I also found myself in the ridiculous situation of having been thrown into the pool by my husband, all of 7 months pregnant. And check out those cloth nappies ladies, no pampers in those days. Also no washing machine at the police cottage!

A few months later we visited the cottage again, the baby is 6 months old now. It was on this trip that, for the first time, one of my babies fell off the bed. I was devastated. What strange things we remember when looking at old photos.
Below is the cottage in the background. Quite quaint. Lots of atmosphere and it was like being alone in the world. In was at this time that terrorists were infiltrating this area so we were constantly looking over our shoulder and listening to all the bumps in the night. It was about 10 o'clock one night when we heard a bump, bump, bump against the wall. We had gone with friends and both men were armed with weapons. In those days weapons were our new best friends and came with us most places.

*

My husband and his friend picked up their weapons while his wife, myself and my baby huddled in one bed hardly daring to breath. The men had devised a plan of action. They would both leave by the back door and go in opposite directions, meeting at the front door.

*

Silence. More silence. Then we heard them roaring with laughter. Our terrorist was a large beetle attracted to the light, and it was bumping against the wall!
We used to take the little boat provided out onto the dam, the men tried to fish and kids loved it. Kyle dam provided most of the country with its water and was vast. These pictures were taken 4 days before the dam overflowed for the first time.
Beautiful countryside, happy memories, the end of wonderful retreats, but I have these pictures and memories forever.
They closed this cottage not long after this trip and there became fewer and fewer places we could go. But it was just the other day I was speaking to the couple who came with us on that trip and in retrospect, even when times were becoming harder, we can still laugh!

*

I AM glad it was only a beetle.