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Iran has tried members of its cheetah conservation project with espionage. The general coverage by the likes of @franslanting makes it sound like a random paranoid decision. Paranoid it may be. But random it was not. It turns out that, without the conservationists’ knowledge, an American billionaire funding them through his Panthera project was also a funder of a pro-regime-change anti-Iranian government group close to the US govt, the Saudi govt, the UAE govt, and the Israeli govt. The cheetah scientists tried to distance themselves from his statements, but it was too late. Their ties were now suspicious in light of relentless hostility from these nations to the Iranian regime. ...

Just a visual diary entry for me. Keeping my 5 yo Macbook Pro alive a bit longer by replacing the power supply. I have no problems with the capabilities of the machine (it was one of the early ones to have a retina screen), but it’s getting clunky - leading to productivity issues. Now put off for another little while insh’allah.

Skitten is adoring its balcony. It says “ak” and “gnka” out of pure enjoyment when we’re out there in the mornings soaking up sun and tea. This change of house has been an enormous quality-of-life bump for our little old Maatjiesfontein lady.

Trinket is being pretty conventional this summer - taking her 19 hrs a day mostly in bed.

Summer updates. Our chonky chap is still improving his mid-morning sleeping technique.

Coffee from Kerala? The only thing I know about Indian coffee is that it’s cultivated on the West coast among indigenous trees - which has been a huge benefit for Indian birds. Also, if it is from Kerala, it at least means that farm workers will be decently treated. . .

Sometimes we have to venture into weird little SA village pubs and meet the locals so you don’t have to. Throwback to a few years back on a winter night in Nieu Bethesda. Apart from the TV there’s not much to tell you it was taken after 1955.

Another Sunday morning kibble run for hangry kitties. This time in summer.

To my astonishment we’ve kept almost all the plants alive that @withoutaleaf’s ma gave us in the years since they moved back to India.

I may have actually got a good deal out of Munroe’s Junk Shop! I already own David Bailey’s magnificent eulogy to the 1960s, “Goodbye Baby & Amen,” so I knew it goes from anywhere between $85 and $575 US. So R200 for a second copy, (+-US$12) seemed worth it for this beautiful book, published and printed in 1969 before the ’60s were even over. Even if I don’t sell it, it’s an amazing gift for the right person.