The men and Jay were all up by 6 o’clock.  Earl made them breakfast and Jacky kindly packed some sandwiches, fruit, biscuits and juice.   The other three boys and I surfaced at 8 o’clock and they settled for coco pops for breakfast.   They played with Carla for a while then went off to the rock pools while we went to shop at Kleinbaai.   We treated ourselves to coffee and cake at the local coffee shop and had fun chatting to the camp owner of the establishment.   He is about to give it up to start a seafood restaurant near the harbour.

After giving the boys hot dogs for lunch we went down to the rock pools and watched them and Carla having a great time investigating the marine wildlife.   The boys used rocks to build a dam and trap their fish.

In the meantime, the anglers were having a successful day at sea.  Jay caught his quota of species and got a junior record.   Mike beat his own record and the others got some good fish.   In competition, the anglers have to catch as many species as they can.  Each species has a limit on the number allowed per anger so they have to choose when to release and when to keep. Jay caught a good-sized roman and decided to keep it. Later he caught bigger ones but had to release them.   

We went to the club to watch the weigh-in and stayed to have a drink and a sandwich.  Earl was super proud of Jay and of his whole team but we won’t know the results for some time.

On the way home I dropped the boys at the pools so they could show Jay their dam.   Josh and Daniel returned some time later with the latter in tears.  Jay had thrown a rock which hit his ankle.  It swelled up and I treated it with ice an voltarin ointment and hoped for the best.   He made a miraculous recovery and after another great braai was soon in the thick of a play-fight with Earl and the other boys.  They all got their pyjamas twisted into straitjacket but after a great deal of hi-jinks and hilarity and further accusations of this one is hurting that one, I sent them off to bed and it wasn’t long before were silence reigned supreme.

The anglers ate a cooked breakfast and left later than expected at 8 o’clock this morning.   The rest of us were out of bed and breakfasted by half past nine.   The boys went down to the rock pools but returned and played cards and entertained Carla for a while.   At 11 o’clock, we all piled into the Caravelle and headed to Hermanus where we watched the whales perform for the tourists.  It’s as if they know they are being watched.  The waterfront at Hermanus is lovely with rolling lawns, pavement cafes and buskers performing African music.  We watched breaching whales for a while then went to Fusion for lunch.  The boys had the most amazing beef hamburgers topped with onions deep-fried in batter.   Jacky and I shared a vegetarian nacho.   It was delicious!

After lunch, we went to the street market and the boys spent their pocket money on trinkets for their moms, dads and siblings.   Joshua got himself two caps – U.K. and Arsenal.  After Daniel had spent money on each member of his large family, he said, “Gee this has cost quite a lot.  It must be expensive for my parents to look after all of us!”  Yes, indeed, Daniel – glad you appreciate it!

Lines up was at 3 o’clock and we got back just in time to have a cup of tea before going to the weigh in at the boat club.  Team Kiora did quite well but did not catch as much as they did yesterday. Jay was disappointed that he’d missed the market and was envious of the African Stick Game that Leo had bought.   I told him that privilege was being old enough to fish with men!  He told me of his adventure with the whales today.   “Granny, this Minky whale circled the boat and then popped up and said woof right next to my ear!  I got such a fright!”

After the weigh in Jacky and I took the kids to the rock pools.  It was a perfect evening.  It never ceases to amaze me how the weather can change from freezing to hot from one day to the next.  Today was the first day this week that I wore a t-shirt!

Mike left of Cape Town at about 6 o’clock and Gus and Jacky a little later.   Earl and I decided that it would be better to leave early tomorrow morning.   I asked Leo and Daniel how they’d feel about another night away from home.  Leo said, “No problem, but my mom will probably be upset because she’s missing me.”  A few days ago after talking to his mom on the phone Daniel said, “My mom’s voice sounded strange.  I think she was trying not to cry.  Poor mom, she misses me so much!”  So his response was, “I’m fine with another night away but I know my mother will be very upset.   She hates to be away from me.”  I phoned the moms and Leo’s mom Belinda said she’d rather we left in the morning as it would be safer.  Daniel’s mom said, “Daniel is just like his dad.  They both think I can’t live without them. Please tell my son I’ll cope.” 

“Daniel, mom says she’s happy for you to stay another night.”

“She’s just been brave.  As soon as she puts the phone down, she’ll be in tears.”

Dream on my boy!

Greg wrapped a red roman in foil and cooked it on the braai, I warmed up some left over vegetables and made a salad and that was supper.

The boys entertained us with jokes, songs and poems and ended the evening by making a movie with Earl’s cell phone!   However, the obeyed without too much of an argument when I insisted on calmness and sent them to bed.   I think they have finally worn out!

We got up at 5 o’clock, packed and after a breakfast of coffee/hot chocolate and Ouma rusks were ready to leave by quarter to seven this morning.   The men and the boys had to strap the bicycles to the trailer by torch light, as the house has no garage or outside light!  

Jay prayed for a safe journey and all went well until we were just 40 km from Kleinbaai.  I was travelling behind Earl and Greg and saw the boat swerve.  I slowed but did not manage to avoid one of the cement bricks fallen from a truck right in my path.  Gadoof, my right wheel hit the brick and I heard a hiss as my tire blew out.   Fortunately there was space on the shoulder of the road and I pulled over immediately.  Two other cars had met with the same fete before me.    I phoned Earl and he had to find a safe place to leave the boat before he could come back to help.  Greg stayed with Kiora.  

The Caravel has a special implement to unlock the wheel nut before one can change the tires.  Murphy ensured that ours did a little disappearing act and Earl thought it might have been left in Durban where we had 4 tyres fitted in December.  He raced off to Hermanus to see if he could obtain another one.   After a long wait, I decided to tidy the luggage in the boot.   I moved one item and said gadget magically reappeared.    At that moment, Earl returned with a mechanic who had not been unable to find what we needed and had come with a selection of objects that might do the trick.  None of them would have worked so thankfully I found our tool!

This delayed us by two hours but once we were on the road again the trip went smoothly.  This time Daniel said a prayer and made sure to ask that no more punctures would occur!  I was impressed to note that they remembered the name of  “Sir Lowry’s Pass”.

The boys kept asking whether they would have to go to school.  I gave them the choice and there was great debate as to whether or not they would go.  The pros were that they would see their friends and get to choose new groups to sit with.  The cons – they were tired and unwashed and Dan and Leo didn’t have their uniforms.  In the end they compromised – didn’t actually go to school but went to the fence at break and chatted to some of the kidsJ