Pelicans and all at False Bay Ecology Park

2015-12-19 | puppy1952

I’ve missed my Happy Place not having had a visit there for months so Early and I took a drive there on Thursday afternoon. It was a gorgeous day but there was a bit of a South Easterly wind blowing.

As we expected the flamingos were out if full force, scattered across the first two pans.

It’s the best place to find Greater Flamingos

Most of them were in deeper water upending like ducks.

A flamingo impersonating a dabbling duck

There were a few fraternising with geese and ducks on the shore

Of course the Red-knobbed coots were everywhere

One of the many black-winged stilts wading in the shallows

The one at the back is a juvenile

Cape Teal gathered in large numbers

quack quack quack with a feather on his back

Not always seen so commonly is the White-faced duck

Pelican Island

A Flotilla of Pellies

Gliding gracefully across the pond

A real poser is the black-headed heron

The light on the glossy ibises didn’t make photographing them easy!

The highlight of the day was an African Snipe but he the reeds were either in front of his face or he turned his back to us – these were the best I could get!

First he looked one way

And then the other

I think this is my best side?

We know a place where nine times out of ten we find the spotted eagle-owls. Today we found mother, father and the baby who is quite big now. Photography was not good.

The best I could get of the youngster – look carefully and you will see mom in the shade behind him.

Among many others we also had good sightings of purple swamphen, grey and purple heron but they didn’t pose for long enough.

So with a contented feeling we made our way home but I’m sure it won’t be the last visit we make to False Bay Ecology Park while we are here for the holidays.

A running tale dedicated to Chantal

2015-12-18 | puppy1952

My friend Chantal and I, started running together about 25 years ago. It was her idea. She wanted to get fit and thin after having a baby. “No way, Chants,” I said. “I’ll do aerobics, circuit training, modern dance – anything – but run – never!” But my younger friend has strange powers of persuasion and I ended up going along with the plan. We followed the Run/Walk for Life programme – and it worked. Within three months we were running 5km with ease. And we loved it! Over the years we have been eratic in when and how we ran – sometimes together and sometimes alone because of our changing schedules. I hurt my back 7 years ago and this and a dicky tummy made me stop running and turn to other forms of exercise. But Chantal has kept it up faithfully forever. She’s just relocated to Australia and her running route, now among the jetty beauties of Sydney, is on to envy indeed.

But Chantal – you’ll be proud to hear – I’m back on the run – Yes – I know I said this last year too – but when the summer ended so did the running on Struisbaai Beach. But now that Summer is here again and the Beach is calling I’ve decided to resist no longer. I started on Wednesday – Fish Hoek being my beach of choice. Not as glamorous as your neck of the woods where the beach goers are young, fit and gorgeous, and the beaches just too amazing to describe – but it suits me fine to be among peers many of whom I recognise from years of residing in “The Valley!”

Now just in case you think I’m back to my normal stride – don’t be fooled – I jog along at an elderly pace with my grandsons in tow – streaking ahead and doing double the distance there and back, there and back to check on the old girl. Josh is like Bolt and Jay only attempts to be in order to prevent his younger brother from making him look bad. Josh’s pace is too fast for him and he is doubled over with exhaustion in his attempt to keep up. This puts him into deep depression but at least it’s a motivator to get him up in the morning! We’re there just after 7.

This morning Grandpa came along too as he had to pick up staff from the station. The boys thought he’d join us on the run – but that wasn’t going to happen – nor did he venture into the icy sea. However, he was good enough to take some photies.

We have a family of Egyptian Geese who trust the Fish Hoek humans enough to swim amongst them. Usually Egyptian geese prefer fresh water but not so in The Western Cape – there are several seaside places they frequent.

It didn’t bother them at all that I was so close

A seafaring family of geese

The Lads braving the cool waters – note the shark boat taking out the net

I wish you were here to run with me again, Chanti – miss you my friend!

Wine Farm and Beaches

2015-12-16 | puppy1952

On Monday afternoon we went down to say farewell to Struisbaai beach as we the following day we would be heading to Cape Town to spend the Christmas holidays with the kids in Cape Town. The water was stunning. How lucky we are to have this on our doorstep.

The tide was quite high

Abri’s boat on anchor in the background

Holiday Makers having fun on a jet ski

Earl thinks he might like to have one!

We woke up early yesterday, washed the linen and towels and made sure the house was in order for our holiday tenants. While the washing was drying on the line, we decided to try out the new restaurant on the Main Road. It is called 55 Knots and has a magnificent view of the sea. As it was a stunning morning we decided to sit out on the deck.

We made friends with a couple at the neighbouring table and the gentleman kindly took this photograph for us.

The first thing I want to know about a new restaurant: – Is the coffee good? – and I am relieved to say that Yes – 55 Knots has passed the test! Our breakfast – a three egg omelette with a choice of three fillings @ R45 was superb. So they will definitely be seeing us again soon. And the new owners have trained their staff well. Our waitress was wonderful. She was quick, efficient and friendly. The owner also came to check on us and we were pleased to give her positive feedback. They have only been open a week but we are sure they will have an excellent season.

The linen and towels were dry when we got home and so after packing everything away we bidding the house farewell, we dropped the keys off at the agent and set off for Robertson. It was a pleasant drive and we did some high speed birding but didn’t get an impressive list.

Before meeting Abri went to the tasting centre and enjoyed the dam and birds for a while. A white-throated swallow posed and performed beautifully for me.

A lovely place to relax – the dam at Springfield Wine Estate

White-throated swallow at the edge of the jetty

About to fly off

We’d come to Springfield to collect some wine which Abri is generously donating for an old members reunion at Cape Boat and Ski-boat Club next month. But we were also invited to a ‘light’ lunch.

Our host preparing calamari and prawns for lunch

Our lunch was a gastronomic delight served with my favourite Springfield Sauvignon Blanc “Life from Stone” of course

A family of geese have taken over Abri’s Swimming Pool

After our excellent lunch and the wonderful company of Abri and his daughter Emma we made our way to Cape Town. So it is in another holiday town that we find ourselves. I grew up on Fish Hoek Beach so I will always have a soft spot for it but it does tend to get terribly crowded during the season! Although the same can be said for Struisbaai, it is a longer beach and you can always find a place to put your towel!

This morning I decided to beat the crowds and go down to the beach early. I rallied the troops who complained bitterly at having to drag their sleepy bodies out of bed at the rude hour of 7:00 am. Josh was somewhat more enthusiastic than Jay and I am so grateful that they accompanied me on a run down the beach. They decided against the swim afterwards – Jay said he was too exhausted and Josh had a blood nose! He did run faster and further than Jay and I managed so maybe that’s what brought it on.

Initially the water was freezing – far colder than Struisbaai – but once I was in it was glorious. The shark net wasn’t up yet so I kept a close eye out for monsters. I wallowed for ages and chatted to some other Fish Hoekites – there were very few young ones in the water – we were all over 50!

Fish Hoek Beach

It was pretty early

Shark net going out.

Earl was up even earlier and went off fishing but didn’t get too much – It’s calamari for supper tonight!

All creatures wild and wonderful in Struisbaai

2015-12-14 | puppy1952

Having been away for over a week we returned to find the vegetables doing okay in spite of our neglect! The tomatoes had gone wild and we had to set up a trellis to support them. The little rockery was quite overgrown and the poor flowers swamped by the tomatoes and parsley. But now it’s looking a little better! We are still working at getting the lawn into shape and were delighted to find most of the bald patches looking green.

The lawn is beginning to grow at last.

We popped down to the harbour as soon as we arrived

Our picturesque harbour looking at its beautiful best

We were delighted to find the resident stingrays swimming in the shallows but some kids were throwing sand and pebbles into the water. The parents were not saying a word and I wouldn’t mind my own business. Actually I consider that it is my business to educate small boys on how to take care of our wildlife. So I told them the rays would stop visiting if they insisted on abusing them. All I got was a defiant stare from them and a cross look from their parents.

The stingrays fortunately ignored their oppressors

Because we are letting the house we have to pack up all our personal belongings, check the inventory and make sure everything is in order for the tenants. In between doing the chores we have been enjoying the birds in the garden.

In past years we never got sparrows visiting the feeding table but now they are the most frequent diners. We get three species – The Cape Sparrow, The House Sparrow and the Southern Grey Headed Sparrow.

I think the Cape Sparrow is the most striking of the three – this is the male

The female is somewhat duller

Southern Grey-headed sparrow

Speckled pigeons, Red-eyed doves, Cape Turtle doves and Laughing doves also come and take their share but the sparrows rule.

Speckled pigeon

Laughing dove taking a rest

The Cape Weaver used to be our most common visitor but only a few visit these days.

Our new sugar-water feeder is a hit and needs filling twice a day! The witogies and sugarbirds love it the most but there is interspecies tension when the weavers try to get a lookin too.

Mr Sugarbird is the usually boss and even chases Mrs Sugarbird away

But the Cape Weaver is a force to be reckoned with

It’s my turn now!

Well we have a better view from up here while we wait

Another frequent visitor to our garden

We have seen some really interesting creatures in Struisbaai and once even had a steenbok trot down the road a few months ago. But one creature I never expected to see blew me away yesterday. Earl was visiting Abri and came racing back to fetch me – “Bring the camera and come quickly!” but he wouldn’t tell me what he’d seen. I guessed it would be the steenbok but instead

This little creature and his brother on the lawn of Abri’s sister’s holiday house

Quite unconcerned about the attention and behaving like meerkats behave

Jeannette explained: Their mother abandoned them and Abri flew to fetch them from a game farm in The Freestate for me to take care of.

She lives on a farm in Robertson and has raised wild orphans before. The vet is used to her turning up with strange pets. These two do not have cages and roam free in her farm garden although they sleep indoors. Because they don’t have other meerkats to cuddle up to for warmth they have to have blankets and a hot-water-bottle! Her German Shepherd is quite okay with the strange pets and does not try to eat them!

You just never know what you’re going to come across next!

Tomorrow we return to Cape Town for the Christmas Holidays.

Wild Fears

2015-12-09 | puppy1952

We make our way stealthily through the inky darkness. There is no light other than the dim beam from our torch. I am not used to the bush and every rustle conjures up visions of wild animals lying in wait to pounce on me. My husband enjoys my discomfiture and teases continuously telling me that jackals have their lairs just metres from our rondawel.

I giggle nervously half believing him. It has been storming but now the night is still and fresh. I open the door and a wild creature leaps out knocking me off my feet. I gasp and shriek. The creature is on top of me pinning me to the ground. I feel his hot breath on my cheek and brace myself for its vicious fangs to tear into my flesh. But instead, I am suddenly covered with wet licks from the farmer’s German Shepherd. During the storm he’d jumped in through the window and settled down for a nap, which we have now interrupted! Hubby is beside himself with laughter while I am hopping mad!

Exhausted now we settle down for the night. But wait what’s that I see. “My gosh, Darling, there’s a snake in the thatch!”

“Relax,” assures my hero – I’ll get him out. He gets up and ties a hook – gaff style – to his rod, but too late the snake suspecting danger slithers into the thatch and disappears.

“He has to sleep,” – Hubby says – “we’ll deal with it in the morning.”

Exhausted by my hectic day I finally drop into a troubled sleep. Suddenly I am woken with a feeling of foreboding. I sense my husband stiff and in a cold sweat beside me.

“What?” I say –

“SHHH,” he says, “Don’t move! Something hit my wrist – It’s lying next to us.”

Move? – I’m rigid with fear – not a muscle will obey me. He whips the cover off and shines the torch beside us and there, black and terrifying and curled up fast asleep – is an enormous Songololo!

False Bay Ecology Park – A Sunday Afternoon Excursion

2013-10-27 | puppy1952

Having spent the day indulging in urban activities yesterday, I had to catch up on some school preparation this morning. However, who can work when the south easter has dropped and the sun is shining brightly. Unable to resist the call, I grabbed the only other human left at home and kicking and screaming forced him to go birding with me! He was supposed to have gone to a braai with his mom and brother but somewhere along the way managed to get himself left in front of the computer. Grandpa was fishing so he just had to do!

Every Cape Tonian and his brother were out enjoying the sunshine so we fought the traffic through Kalk Bay and Muizenberg and found ourselves at False Bay Ecology Park just after 3:00 p.m. We were warned at the gate that on such a sunny day the Cape Cobras were about so please to be careful!

It was a picture perfect day. Greater Flamingos were abundant and graced every pond. The black-necked grebe outnumbered the dabchicks and all kinds of different ducks swam about gaily.

Black Necked Grebe

Hartlaub’s Gulls

Glossy Ibis

Mr and Mrs Cape Shoveller

Greater Flamingos

Pink is in

African Black Oyster Catcher

We spent a good two hours exploring the park and Josh impressed me with his excellent birding knowledge gained from the recent beginner’s course he attended. We spotted the Spotted Eagle Owl in his usual spot and a black crowned night heron flew out of the reeds and away from us. But I needed to see the beautiful Purple Swamphen. He obliged by coming out just before we were about to say our goodbyes!

Sleepy Owl

Purple Swamphen

Our Fishing Grandpa was successful at sea so it was sushimi and salad for supper – a perfect end to a glorous day!

Victoria and Alfred Waterfront – Retail Therapy!

2013-10-27 | puppy1952

I am pretty good at spotting a bird in a bush or a leopard in a tree when travelling in a game reserve but when it comes to spotting just the right item of clothing in a crowded mall I need an expert to accompany me. My fashion guru friend, Sharon, is just right for this task so early on Saturday morning we made our biannual trip to the shopping Mecca of Cape Town – THE VICTORIA AND ALFRED WATERFRONT

Wikipedia describes it as follows:

The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in the historic heart of Cape Town‘s working harbour is South Africa’s most-visited destination, having the highest rate of foreign tourists of any attraction in the country.^[1] Situated between Robben Island and Table Mountain and set against a backdrop of sea and mountain views, it offers a variety of shopping and entertainment options to visitors, intermingled with office locations, the Somerset Hospital, hotels (such as the historical Breakwater Lodge – once a 19th-century prison) and luxury apartments in the residential marina.

I couldn’t put it better myself but I shall try to put my personal slant on it as I describe my fabulous day spent there yesterday. We tend to get rather insular in my niche down in the deep, deep south of the southern suburbs of Cape Town and trekking ‘over the mountain’ is like going to a foreign country for some of us! Sharon and I were in high spirits as we set off leaving a galing black south easter behind us and entering a less windswept and sunnier city. I was too ‘snoep’ to park inside where you pay a fortune per hour so found an outdoor spot where we only paid R10 for the entire day! It required a short walk to the V&A entrance but we were cool with that!

I am visiting Australia in six weeks time so Christmas shopping was on the top of my agenda closely followed by Summer Wardrobe. This is where Fashion Guru Sharon was to prove helpful. Let me explain – when we go walking, Sharon will say – “Did you see that girl’s belt?” And I will reply, “No, where?’ A little further on I will ask, – “Did you see that bird?” And she will reply, “No, where?” So you see my need! Racks and racks of clothing – and I just get all confused. No seriously – I know what I want – it’s finding it that’s the problem. So having my fashion advisor is a great help.

Shoes, as you know are irresistible to any girl, even when she’s in her sixties, so it made sense to stop at Green Cross first – and yes – the perfect flatties suitable for old ladies were found and bought! Sometimes when we shop we get irritated that assistants are disinterested and unhelpful. But today we met a new calibre of sales people who looked as though they enjoyed what they were doing and bent over backwards to show us their wares. Perhaps they saw the Gold Card coming?

I was keen to get gifts of quality with an South African feel – novel but nice. Here again I was pleasantly surprised. Excellent service and enthusiasm from those selling form carts as well as those in the more formal shops and the prices were reasonable. I get really annoyed when I see tourists are being ripped off. I didn’t see much of it on The Waterfront yesterday! But having said that – tourists beware – it does happen – shop around!

African Art Stall

After an hour or two of success we went to Melissa’s for a coffee – caffeine is so important for shopping stamina. We prowled every walkway, passage and shop and at lunchtime hit The Greek Fisherman, sat outdoors and had a delicious Sushi Platter for two – Yes I know – Japanese at a Greek Restaurant doesn’t sound right – but you can get sushi anywhere nowadays and it was excellent!

Pirate Ship in the harbour

Table cloth on the mountain

Our energies renewed, we set off to complete our shopping determined to explore every possible shop ending with the ‘platinum passage’ where the designer shops are situated – way above our budget but worth a visit anyway. Surprise, surprise – I saw a little number I couldn’t resist and on inspecting the price tag, found that I could in fact afford it!

Time flew and at 5 o’clock we needed coffee and Baklava before trekking back over the mountain to our normal lives. No more swanning it on foreign shores. But it was fun while it lasted and we did enjoy pretending to be fabulous in glamourland!

Ladies at leisure

Thank you V&A Waterfront, The Greek Fisherman, La Player, Queen’s Park, Pia Boutique, Country Road, Forever New,Call it Spring, Zoom, The Red Shed and all the crafty carts for helping us into escapism. The retail therapy was great!

‘

The Coffee Quiz

2013-01-08 | puppy1952

I am taking up the Coffee Quiz challenge set by CrazyTrainToTinkyTown .

1) How many cups of coffee per day
I only drink one or two cups per day – but they have to be good.

2) What is your favourite caffeine delivery system?
I have never been to Starbucks – wasn’t there when I was last in England many years ago. Here in Cape Town we have a variety of excellent coffee shops and most restaurants serve wonderful coffee – I judge a restaurant by the quality of its coffee – even if the food is good I won’t go there if the coffee is bad. There are two places I can be guaranteed of a good caffeine fix in my local mall – Wimpy and Food Lover’s Market

3) What was your best cup of coffee?
I have never had better than the Espressos on the Swiss Alps – Verbier

4) What was your worst cup of coffee?
When I was touring England it was very difficult to get a good cup of coffee – no Starbucks – The worst coffee I ever had was at a restaurant near Jane Austin’s house. I asked if they made filter coffee and was relieved to hear that yes indeed they did. When the coffee arrived it was awful. I asked the waitress how she went about making it. And she had done all the right things and then she said, I poured in half and cup and then added boiling water” Why? Because people don’t like it strong. I am afraid I was a little sarcastic – My darling, I said, Across the channel – they do!

5) What does your favourite mug say?
It’s one my grandsons gave me and is extremely complimentary. “Worlds Greatest Grandma” It has a little poem on it that says things like “You’ll beat any other grandma in any grandma test, there are no grandmas better, you can’t get better than the best.”

6) How do you take your coffee?
Strong, Hot, Black and Rich – Men are better that way too.

7) When was your first cup?
My most memorable coffees were the tiny Turkish coffees I drank at home in my teens – My father was Greek and I believe the Turks taught the Greeks to make coffee.

8) Have you ever gone on a coffee date?
I go on many coffee dates with girlfriends. We chat, bond and get high on coffee. Average price for a good cup of coffee in Cape Town would be between R8,00 and R18,00 (55p to £1,30) depending on whether you order black filter, espresso, cappuccino etc.