VN September 2020

Vetnuus | September 2020 4 Spring – the season after winter and before summer, in which vegetation begins to appear, in the southern hemisphere from September to November. Not even lockdown can stop spring – we can see it all around us, we can hear it, even smell it. Trees sprout new leaves, and soon we’ll see young birds and animals all around us. The sun is up earlier, birds sing and hopefully (in our part of the country) we will soon have some rain. John Denver’s song about spring includes the lyrics: Open up your eyes and see the brand new day Clear blue sky and brightly shining sun Open up your ears and hear the breeze essay Everything that's cold and gray is gone Open up your hands and feel the rain come on down Taste the wind and smell the flowers sweet perfume Open up your mind and let the light shine in The earth has been reborn, and life goes on There have been changes that impact on our daily routine. Some have lost dear ones and close relatives due to the pandemic. We all know people who have been affected – either directly or indirectly. Companies have closed down. The informal business sector has suffered too. More people are strapped for cash. More people need our help and we should not shy away from assisting where we can. But life does go on. Spring is in the air. God’s beautiful creation is out there to be seen, to be enjoyed, to appreciate, to stand in awe of. The beauty is still there, still warrants taking a break for. There still is so much to be thankful for – you should still continue doing the three things I spoke about last month – start every day by thinking of the good things that happened the day before, say thank you to others and walk away from all the negative talk (that usually is talk only anyway and will not change a thing). Hopefully, you will also find something good to read in this issue. Not all is veterinary (although there usually is a link). Please feel free to sendme suggestions on topics we can cover, articles we can publish or stories we can tell. Share some of the humour of your daily life (yes, daily – there always is something to laugh about). We do need your feedback to improve on the magazine! Till next month v Regards, From the Editor Reflections from a DamWall Paul van Dam