Spending Quality Time With Friends

2016-06-27 | puppy1952

We recently had our very good friends, Heather and Peter, spend time with us. It was an enormously happy time and the Weather Man obliged us with some stunning sunny days.

It was great to show them the improvements we’ve made to our home although they’re not quite finished yet. We enjoyed meals together, immersed ourselves in catching up on each other’s lives and it was a treat to take them to our favourite birding spots. We have so many shared interests so it was great to have an extended time together to enjoy each other.

The sunny days made it all the more exciting and although winter birding is not as productive as spring and summer we managed to do pretty well each day. Tuesday found us on the Arniston Road.

Jackal Buzzard

Rock Kestrel

Denham’s bustard

Denham’s in the foreground – steenbok in the background

There were hundreds of our national bird, the blue crane in the farmlands

A malachite sunbird enjoying the aloes

A bee, his only competition

Cloud Cisticola? Not sure about this LBJ’s identity

The Arniston Hotel where we enjoyed a great lunch

Arniston

Arniston fishermen coming in from a day at sea

On Wednesday we chilled at home till later in the afternoon when we set off to Agulhas Light house. On the way we enjoyed some birds and then went to see the light house museum.

There were literally dozens of African Black Oystercatchers on the rocks

A little egret soaking up the sun

Enjoying the lighthouse museum

After the museum we took a drive to Suiderstrand picking up a couple of birds and enjoying the views.

The famous “Pietie se huis” which is now part of the Agulhas National Park Rest Camp.

A Black Shouldered Kite with a hapless mouse for dinner

Bokmakierie

In the evening we introduced our old best friends to our new best friends over a stunning braai of ribs, chops and sausage

The next day we took off down the Elim Road and were thrilled with all the birds we found before having lunch at The Black Oystercatcher Wine Estate

A gaggle of Spur-winged geese

Cape Robin singing happily

A delight to find a fish eagle

Scores of Denham’s Bustards about

Flamingos on the Salt Pans

The Black Oystercatcher

Lunch was excellent – we all had the sticky chicken salad

The sun was setting when we returned and so we popped in at the harbour to see how the boats had done. A few fish were caught but not as much as the fishermen had hoped!

Sunset

One of the ski-boats returning from a day at sea

Friday’s weather matched our mood as we bade farewell to our friends as they made their way back to Cape Town on a cold and wet day.

What a delight to have been able to share those few days with our dearest friends!

Share your world #25

2016-06-26 | puppy1952

Here are my answers to Cee’s Share you world Week 25

How many languages do you you speak?

English is my Home Language. Most English speakers are lazy about learning other languages as no matter where you go in the world you can almost always find somebody who knows English. But I like languages. I speak my second language, Afrikaans, fairly proficiently. Now that I live in a community that is 90% Afrikaans speaking I am becoming even better. I will soon be spending two months in Italy so have begun a Duolingo online course in that language and I’m loving it.

My father was Greek but all I ever learned in that language was a few greetings, to count and to swear!

What are some words that just make you smile?

Stunning, super and fabulous are words I use a lot and I guess they make me smile. A sentence that would make me smile – We’re going to Kruger!

If you were the original architect of one existing building, which building would you select?

When I was in Australia I couldn’t get enough of the Sydney Opera House – so I guess it would be that one!

Would you rather have telepathy or telekinesis? (Telepathy is the communication using your brain waves, telekinesis is channeling the energy onto physical objects to cause substantial, observable physical changes.)

Telepathy – My husband thinks I already have it and can’t understand why I don’t know what he wants before he asks.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am grateful for an amazing week with friends visiting us and the fun we had birdwatching and exploring the area of the Southern Tip of Africa.

Next week I am looking forward to a quick visit to Cape Town to collect my British Visa and to collect my repaired car. Also I am anticipating that all alterations here is Struisbaai will be complete!

Share your World #23

2016-06-10 | puppy1952

Here are my answers to Cee’s questions for this week.

What was one of your first moneymaking jobs (other than babysitting or newspaper delivery)?

I had only three student jobs before I graduated with my Teachers’ Diploma. The first was at a bakery on Saturday mornings – it was hectic and I was paid R2.00. I was 16 years old and only did it for a few months. After that I had a vacation job in an office in the city. It was for three weeks and the experience was awesome. The permanent staff in the office were so interesting and I learned a lot about life from them – perhaps more than was age appropriate! Then at age 17 I had a vacation job at the local hospital as a Nurse Aid. Well! That was an even bigger experience – It was very hard work – making perfect hospital beds, emptying bed pans, doing bed baths, dealing with vomiting patients and the highlight – watching the birth of a baby!

My first real job was as an itinerant Speech Correction Teacher – and from then on a very chequered career in teaching – I don’t regret a second.

What is your favorite month of the year?

I would rather answer this as my favourite season of the year – Autumn/Fall. Here in the Western Cape this is the most beautiful time of year. The weather is changeable but in a good year May/June produces windless, sunny days that are neither too hot nor too cold. It’s the stillness that I love – the clear days when the sea is a calm as a millpond and it is a delight to sit in the sun and drink in the fresh air. I just love it.

What three things in nature do you find most beautiful?

Birds, the bush and the sea. Birds are all around us – they sound wonderful, they look beautiful and they fill me with joy. The Bush in South Africa is amazing – my spirit is renewed every time I enter a wildlife park and experience the isolation and wonder of the wild. The Sea – ever changing and dramatic – who can live without it.

List at least five of your favorite spices? (excluding salt and pepper)

Garlic, origanum, Ina Paarman Rosemary and Olive, Basil, ginger, cinnamon.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am grateful that the process of applying for a UK Visitor’s Visa is over – what an intense and expensive experience – Schengen was so much more pleasant. I have the latter – hopefully the former is as successful. Travel for South Africans is complicated!

I am looking forward to a week of getting our Struisbaai home into shape – the extensions are complete and the new cupboards almost all done. Now for the final decorating!

Share Your World #22

2016-06-02 | puppy1952

Here are my answers to Cee’s Share Your World Questions

Every country in the world has lost men and women in some kind of Armed Forces. When does your country celebrate their deaths?

We remember Poppy Day – 11 November – but it is not a public holiday.

Here in South Africa people lost their lives in their fight for freedom and so perhaps Human Rights Day celebrated on 21 March is when we remember those who lost their lives in that kind of war. Specifically the events of Sharpeville are remembered. On that day in 1960, 69 people died and 180 wounded when police fired on a peaceful crowd who protested the Pass Laws.

Similarly 16 June – Youth Day is an important day of remembrance. On this day we reflect upon the young protesters who were ambushed by the apartheid regime police in Soweto on 16 June 1976. Over 500 youths were killed. They were students from a number of Sowetan schools who took to the streets to protest against having Afrikaans at the medium of instruction in their schools. About 20 000 students took part in the protests which took place over a few days. This was in 1976.

What is your favorite holiday or holidays?

Of course this has to be Christmas although I find it stressful to have to think of how best to celebrate. With as large an extended family as we have, it is difficult to please everybody. So over the years, the way we do it has changed several times and is changing still. But in the end whatever we do turns out to be fun.

Easter is also great – who can resist all that chocolate?

How do you celebrate that holiday?

With overindulgence of course! Last year we celebrated in Cape Town – very unusual! We had a tree and opened gifts before breakfast. Then at midday we had a roast turkey and roast lamb with all the trimmings. We did not have the traditional pudding but usually we do. This time we had my sister in law’s amazing trifle.

Even though our grandkids are quite big now, we still have an Easter Egg hunt. Great fun.

I know that some people take holidays very seriously and while we appreciate the significance of each one, we treat the day as we would any other – grateful for what they signify but we don’t attend events that make a big thing of them.

What are you grateful for in the week that’s past?

A great deal! So much change has taken place in our home. The highlight was receiving our recovered recliner. I just love the colour and it makes a huge difference to our lounge. The workshop extension to the garage is almost complete, the desk unit in the lounge is in use and the bedroom cupboards and bookshelf in the braai room will hopefully be completed by the weekend.

This chair had become quite shabby but I had a sentimental attachment to it so I couldn’t part with it – love the result of the reupholstering.

Our new double work station

What are you looking forward to in the week to come?

Our Schengen Visas are ready for collection and I need to apply for the UK Visa. Am I looking forward to that? Well it will be a chore and another trip to Cape Town but at least it’s a step closer to what’s needed to go on an overseas trip – and who can complain about that! It is also great to see the kids and friends back in our old home town!