CNN) — South Africa’s viniculture industry employs around 270,000 people, producing some of the world’s most sought-after wines. But not all jobs are best left to humans. In some cases, it’s better to get your ducks in a row — and then put them to work.

Outside Cape Town on the banks of the Eerste river, Vergenoegd Löw The Wine Estate has repurposed a centuries-old practice by marshaling a battalion of ducks to keep its vineyard free of pests.

Inspired by ducks used to remove pests from rice paddies in Asia, the winery calls on the services of some 1,600 ducks as part of its effort to make wine production more sustainable.

“I call our ducks the soldiers of our vineyards,” says managing director Corius Visser. “They will eat aphids, they will eat snails, they will eat small worms — they keep (it) completely pest-free.”

There is always something to learn every day!

When we were little, my brother and I went over to the the railroad track one day.

We found a lot of polywogs swimming in the dirty water next to the tracks.

We caught a bunch of them and brought them home.We filled some new jars with clean water so you could see them swimming around.

We set up a card table on our front lawn and began selling them to the kids in the neighborhood.

We were sold out in twenty minutes.

One hour later, all the kids returned and wanted their money back because all the polywogs had died.

I guess they couldn’t live in clean water.

So, my first business venture was a flop.

Other new startups followed over the years.

Some were successful.

Other, not so much.

That’s the life of an entrepreneur!

Cheers!

Today is the day!

Yes, our wonderful grand daughter, Hannah, marries the love of her life, Jacob.

Having met during their college years at the University of Michigan, they’ve been in love ever since.

They have planned an elaborate ceremony beginning in downtown Detroit and then a ride on the bridal bus to the beautiful botanical gardens where they will be betrothed.

As grand parents, we have watched her grow up from a little girl to the beautiful young woman she has become.

As I look out my window this morning, I see bright sunshine.

That is appropriate because Hannah is the bright sunshine of all our lives.

May Hannah and Jacob remain close together as they encounter the challenges ahead.

May God bless this marriage!

These on-water bungalows are the latest way to pamper the rich among us.

Rich people have many choices including:

Where to live

How many homes to own

How to spend their leisure time

Who their friends will be

Which social groups do they want to join

How many and what brand of cars will they drive

Will they give to charities or keep their money within the family

Which doctors will they chose for their medical needs

Where will they send their kids to school

Unlike the rich most of the world’s people ask; “How will I make it through the day?

Seoul, South Korea

A US Navy destroyer sailed near a disputed South China Sea island chain on Wednesday, challenging the restrictions imposed by China and others on transit through the area.

Lt. Nicholas Lingo, a spokesperson for the US Navy’s 7th Fleet headquartered in Japan, said it was the second so-called freedom of navigation operation in the Paracel Islands.

They are known as the Xisha Islands in China — so far this year, and is the third targeting Beijing’s “excessive maritime claims” in regional waters during the same period.

Wednesday’s operation by the guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold.

It is challenged not only China but Vietnam and the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which also claim the islands.

As all three governments require military vessels to seek permission or give advance notice of “innocent passage” through the area, Lingo said. (CNN)

The dangerous, ongoing game of “cat and mouse!”

Let’s hope it remains just that.

We are all imperfect.

Many people try to be perfect, to do everything to the absolute best of their ability, in their personal lives and in every other aspect of their being every single day of their lives.

We might call them perfectionists.

It is a very difficult, challenging and exhausting way to live your life.

And you know what? It is impossible!!!

We are all a work in progress.

God is not done with us yet.

There is still more to do and become.

Work on eliminating your faults and shortcomings.

Get rid of those bad habits.

You can become a better person tomorrow than you were today!

As you begin to peel away those flaws, you’ll like yourself more and it will be easier to live with yourself.

If not today, when?

CNN) — When the engine on his small plane failed three times, Vincent Fraser had no choice but to make an emergency landing in mountainous terrain just south of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

GoPro video of his perilous landing in western North Carolina shows Fraser maneuvering his single-engine plane under power lines and into a highway’s center turn lane, with cars traveling in two lanes on either side.

Fraser, who was flying with his father-in-law, spoke about his harrowing July 3 landing Monday morning on CNN’s “New Day.”

“The only thing really going through my head was I needed to keep my father-in-law safe, and I needed to keep the people on the ground safe.

I was just trying to do it the best that I can without hurting anybody,” Fraser told CNN’s John Berman on Brianna Keilar.

They were over Fontana Lake when they first had engine failure and Fraser didn’t see any roads because of the trees and mountainous landscape.

You don’t know what you’re capable of until you are confronted with a seemingly hopeless situation.

We were discussing families with one of our past students when he said, “We have no food in our house.”

When we say. “We have no food” before we go grocery shopping it means we have no food that we like!

We do have things like peanut butter and jelly or cereal or canned soup. We just choose NOT to eat what we have.

In this case the boy was asking us to buy him some bologna and a loaf of bread.

His mother had so mismanaged her monthly food stamps that there truly was NO FOOD.

We took him to a grocery store and were amazed how wise he was in selecting some meat and vegetables. Evidently he had had a class on nutrition in school and he knew how to shop.

He bought enough to feed his family until their next check came.

I have never forgotten that experience.

Please share if you can.

If not today, when?

CNN) — Passengers traveling on an Emirates flight to Brisbane, Australia were stunned when they noticed a huge hole in the side of the aircraft while they were disembarking.

Those on board the Airbus A380 from Dubai to the Australian city became aware of the damage as they exited the plane following the roughly 14-hour flight on July 1.

Images of the aircraft shared on social media reveal the extent of the puncture, which was due to a ruptured tire caused by a “technical fault” during the journey, according to the airline.

“Was absolutely terrifying at first and the cabin crew knew something serious may have happened – were immediately in contact with the cockpit.”

“Shortly after, they resumed as normal. Their calm demeanor was reassuring — they knew it was not catastrophic.”

That cabin crew were well trained and responded with a calm demeanor.

Leadership is so important in a situation like that.

In our youth, we pursue various activities that appeal to us.

Sometimes an activity becomes a passion.

My passion was sailing.

At the age of 15, my brother and I would go out in our little wooden sailboat when we heard small craft warnings because we knew we’d have strong winds.

One problem was that the little boat had a hole in the bottom.

So,, we brought a pail with us.

One of us would sail while the other would bail.

My passion for sailing continued to grow.

I was in over100 sailboat races.

The biggest thrill was racing on a 70′ yacht from Chicago to Mackinac Island.

We traveled the length of Lake Michigan.

Now that I’m 80, it’s time to walk away from sailing.

But, I’ll always have the memories!