Sibling Reunion Gariep Dam – Part 2

2017-05-08 | puppy1952

May, all over the country, was likely to have changeable weather. In the Western Cape we were praying for rain as our dams are empty and the earth is dry. We also hoped that it would fall at Great Brak to dampen the fires around Rondom Mooi! We heard that they received a spit and a spot but not enough to kill the fire completely.
In the Free State there are currently no water problems! Gariep Dam is full and while we were there we had rain every day. The wonderful thing about this part of the world is that it thunders, lightning flashes, you get a downpour and then it clears up beautifully till the next shower. It didn’t dampen our spirits at all. The squatters still managed to spend most of the time outdoors, but we ate the rest of our suppers at the bungalow.

Andrew (farmer and pastor) gave thanks for our meal and gathering

John and Karly’s chicken potjie was delicious

Karly sharing words of wisdom with Eddie

My amazing hubby was moved to give all the ailing ones a therapeutic foot massage. Nothing better!

During the day each couple was responsible for their own breakfasts and lunches but most often Earl and John joined forces to cook bacon and eggs and sometimes the others joined us at campsite. And before supper you would find us chilling on the ‘verandah’ of The Mount Nelson on Wheels for sundowners. It was a chilled and happy time with lots of bonding, chatting and encouraging each other.

The environment was delightful. Our campsite was shady and many of the trees were wearing their autumn colours. The birds were chirpy and the fish were biting.

But the plebs enjoyed their squatter camp too. This poor relation is cooking brekkie

We often had visiting cousins who unfortunately had to be chased back into their trees

Sundowners before dinner

The sunrises were spectacular

The Cape Robins were quite friendly

African Pied Wagtail

This Common (Indian) Myna had a wonky leg but managed very well in spite of it

A lovely yellowfish caught and released

So pretty

After the rain

The two caravan sites

The Rondawel

On the Thursday Barbara, Andrew, Diane, Earl and I took a drive around the Gariep area and were impressed by the size of the Dam. Gariep Hydroelectric power station is 300 meters downstream of the dam wall n the banks of The Orange River on the Eastern Cape side. Gariep’s first two machines went into commercial service in 1971 and the last two in March 1976.

View showing the vastness of the dam

Big Sus and Little Sus with the dam in the background

The Orange River with hydroelectric plant on the left

A lot of time was spent on the “Mount Nelson on Wheels” front verandah

But the plebs enjoyed their squatter camp too. This poor relation is cooking brekkie

We often had visiting cousins who unfortunately had to be chased back into their trees

Sundowners before dinner

The sunrises were spectacular

The Cape Robins were quite friendly

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A lovely yellowfish caught and released

So pretty

After the rain

The two caravan sites

The Rondawel

View showing the vastness of the dam

Big Sus and Little Sus with the dam in the background

The Orange River with hydroelectric plant on the left

The Orange River is the longest river in the country. It rises in the Drakensberg in Lesotho and flows westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the international borders between South Africa and Namibia between South Africa and Lesotho. It also forms the borders between several provinces of South Africa. The Orange River provides water for irrigation and for hydroelectric power. The river was named by Robert Gordon, the commander of the Dutch East India Company garrison at Cape Town, in honor of William V of Orange. The original Khoi people called the river Gariep. In Lesotho it is known as the Senqu River.

It was a chilly day and when we got back Shirl treated us to some freshly baked scones with jam

They were delicious, thank Shirl!

Sunrise on our last day

All of us before saying farewell – Earl, Barbara, Andrew, Diane, Shirley,

The Four Stone Siblings – Shirl, Diane, John and Barbara

On Friday when we left we all agreed that this should be an annual event! Next to turn 70??? I believe it’s John next September!

Sydney in Black and White

2017-05-07 | puppy1952

I had to post these Black and White photos of Sydney for the S and or T Black and White Challenge this week

Turtle seen in the Sydney Chinese Gardens

Sydney Harbour Bridge with Sydney in the background

Sydney Opera House with Sydney in the background

Tall Sailing Ship in Sydney Harbour

Tourist pointing to Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sibling Reunion at Gariep Dam – Part 1

2017-05-07 | puppy1952

When my grandsons were very young we explained their relationship to me like this. Granny: Jay and Joshua, when Mommy and Aunty Lauren were little they had another mommy. Her name was Colleen. But a sad thing happened. She was sick for some time and then she died when they were only 10 and 12 years old.

Jay: Oh – is that her in the picture in Mommy’s room?

Granny: Yes. You can imagine that it was quite a sad time for Grandpa and his girls. But then Grandpa decided that he needed a new wife and a mommy to help look after the little girls. So he asked me if I would be come and be with them. And I said, Yes – I would so he became Lolly’s new daddy and we became a blended family.

Jay’s eyes widened and a big smile broke onto his face: “Lucky for you, hey Gran!”
Of course I thought it was lucky for all of them but my precious little lad gave me a new perspective on the whole situation! After all what did I get? Two ready made little girls who brought great joy to my life and grew up to give me some adorable grandchildren. He and his brother along with their mommy lived with Granny and Grandpa from infancy till their late teens – How lucky were we??

Not only that – I inherited a whole family on their maternal grandmother’s side who drew me unconditionally into the family and never questioned their brother-in-law’s choice of new wife and mother for their nieces. Yes – Lucky for Gran, indeed! Thirty- four years later I still feel very, very lucky.

Colleen had four siblings – Barbara who has just turned 70 and lives on a farm with Andrew in Kokstad, Kwa-Zulul Natal; John who lives on a wine estate with Karly in Stellenbosch, Western Cape; Shirley who along with Eddie has lived in many places in the country but now lives in Bloemfontein – Free State; And the baby sister Diane who lives with Carey on a small holding at Great Brak River near George in the Western Cape. As I mentioned we all have a good, close relationship and try to see each other as often as possible. But being scattered around the country makes it difficult for all the siblings to be together at the same time. My Goodness even when siblings live in the same city it can get complicated.

John came up with the brilliant idea of all of the siblings, which included The Earl and me, to meet somewhere neutral to celebrate Barbara’s 70th birthday. This message was passed from one to the other but no actual plan was in place. I was worried – we’re old – some of us have health issues – the distances are vast – where would we find a venue that suited everyone. I asked the question and everyone had a different idea. “Who is organising it?” I asked. “Would you?” came the reply. “Yes!” I agreed.

The Earl and I looked at the map and decided that Gariep Dam in Free State should be it. I sent out the email and within minutes I had a positive reply from everybody – Yes they would all come and yes the venue was fine. My chief concern was for Eddie who has been undergoing intensive chemo and would not be strong enough to travel too far. It would be only an hour and half for him and Shirl. Those of us in the Western Cape would have the longest distance to travel but we would do it in two hops. John and Karly would stop at Karoo National Park. Earl and I would pick up Diane and Carey at Great Brak. Barbs and Andrew would also do it in two shorter hops and they were happy with that.

Well last week was when it all happened and I am happy to report that it went off extremely well. The only dampener was that Carey could not join us. Just before our week away was due, a fire broke out in the forest surrounding their property. Diane and Carey helped save a neighbour’s house and were on the verge of being evacuated themselves. By the time we arrived on Sunday afternoon, the fire was still burning and thick, black smoke hung chokingly in the atmosphere. Carey was still very worried. “Take Diane,” he said. ” And if things improve, I will drive up on my own.” Just behind Carey’s work shop, where he builds motor homes, is a forest of gum trees. If they went up in flames, his livelihood would be destroyed. I am happy to report that the fire did not reach the farm but only because of the vigilance of the property owners and the fire fighters.

The first view of the forest fire as we approached Rondom Mooi

Fire Fighters at work at the edge of the pine plantation

The wind just needed to whip this up into a frenzy

Too close to Rondom Mooi for comfort

Looking into the smoky distance from Rondom Mooi

In spite of the fire, Carey entertained his grandsons who just loved the tractor/mower

Daniel takes the wheel – Sit down Matthew!

Watch out – I’ll run you down!

Wow! This is fun

Now it’s Matthew’s turn

Bella – My favourite of the Rondom Mooi dogs.

On the Monday morning the smoke still hung threateningly over the farm and after taking a drive to see how things were progressing, Carey decided that he definitely could not join us. So leaving at 9:30 and stopping in George to shop for provisions and to have breakfast we continued over the Outeniqua Pass, then through the Karoo via Graaff-Reinet to the Free State – arriving at Forever Resort Gariep at 5:00 pm.

The Karoo’s semi desert landscape has a stark beauty of it’s own. I just love the colours, the flatness and the koppies that break the eternal nothingness.

The never-ending Karoo road

A typical Karoo scene with the windmill in the foreground

A Karoo Koppie

A splash of Autumn Colours.

Everybody was already there when we arrived and it was a perfect evening. We set up our squatter camp next to John’s Mount Nelson on wheels and then everybody came down from the rondawel to braai with us.

Our view of Gariep Dam

John in charge

Andrew, Barbara and The Earl

Diane, Karly, Eddie, Shirl

The purpose of this gathering was to celebrate Barbara’s 70th which was in February but then there were 2 other birthdays too – Shirl turned 63 the day before we arrived and andrew turned 82 the day we left. So I got Rachel from my favourite coffee shop to bake a big chocolate cake with Happy Birthday and the ages iced on top.

Happy Birthday to Shirl, Barbara and Andrew

Travelling didn’t do the icing any good but it tasted delicious – best chocolate cake this side of the equator!

Everybody listened politely as I waxed lyrical

We were all so excited to be together. It was not easy for Eddie who is very weak but he made the effort and bonded with each of us. Shirl was also recovering from foot surgery but never complained and gently supported her hubby, Andrew has had a few health issues but wouldn’t have missed this gathering either. Karly was the life and soul of the party in spite of recovering from recent surgery herself. Wow – I love this bunch of positive people. Nothing stops them enjoying everything that life still has to give!

To be continued ……..

The Kgalagadi Sky

2017-05-03 | puppy1952

This week’s Fun Photo Challenge is Sky. Here is my contribution.

In Africa the sky is huge and always dramatic in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

007 Red Sky at Night 2015-03-25 06-46-48 PM 2618x1966

Dramatic Kgalagadi Sunset

Flaming Sunset

Pink tinged clouds

Share Your World 1 May 2017

2017-05-02 | puppy1952

Here are my answers to this week’s Share Your World. Thank you Cee for the questions.

Would you rather live where it is always hot or always cold?

If that were my only choice – hot or cold – I would choose hot. I think it is easier living with heat than extreme cold and I think we’re choosing between extremes with this question. I cannot imagine how inconvenient it must be to dress in layers to go outside, or to never go outside because it’s just too cold. I would not like to be snowed in and I would not like to clear the snow from my driveway before I could move not to mention having to put special tyres and snow chains on my vehicle before I could drive it. No thank you! I do love the idea of snow and the fun you can have in it but as a life style count this African girl out!

Do you prefer long hair or short hair for yourself?

I love long hair on other women. That is women who have ‘that kind of hair’ I wore mine long as a child and loved it and tried to grow it again in later life but it was aging! So now I wear it very short.

What is your favorite month of the year?

April is my favourite month of the year. In the Southern Hemisphere it is Autumn or Fall as the Americans like to call it. The temperatures are mild, there is seldom wind and I love the colours.

What is the easiest way for your to learn something new? By reading, by seeing and doing, in a classroom?

Show me and then let me do it and I most times will get it right. I am also good at following written instructions. Diagrams are a waste of time. I can’t read a map either. I also like doing online learning.

Optional 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 the rain that fell in Cape Town and where we live last week. If that’s an indication of what’s to come as our rainy season approaches it will be wonderful as we’re in the midst of a sever drought right now.

During this coming week I am in The Free State and I’m looking forward to five days of bonding with family.

Image

A full week of smiles.

Here is my contribution to The Weekly Smile challenge

The weather made me smile this week. We have such changeable weather here and if you should ever visit the southern tip of Africa and you don’t like the temperature – wait a few minutes and it’s sure to change. Two days ago we had much needed rain – it rained all night and all day – and it made me glad – because our dams are dry and our farmlands are dying so when I heard the thunder and saw the lightning I couldn’t stop smiling.

But the next day the sun shone again and I was back in summer clothes! Hubby went fishing and that made him smile. He took his friend Willie which meant Rachel was short staffed at the coffee shop on a Public Holiday so I went in to help her which made her and Jacqui smile and I had so much fun that I smiled too, so there was a lot of passing on of smiles. The patrons smiled also specially when they enjoyed their delicious chocolate cake and fabulous cappuccinos. A little four year-old girl really made me smile when I saw her cute little face covered in chocolate icing.

P1090484-002

Along with Willie, Earl took Ben, who’d never been to sea before. Imagine how he smiled when he impressed the Old Man of the Sea by catching some lovely Red Stompneus for our supper. And we all smiled when we dined together on the spoils of the day.

I smiled because I remembered to take my camera with me on my daily walk earlier this week. The tide was low and the beach called loudly for my presence. What a broad smile broke onto my face when I found two African Black Oyster Catchers foraging for mussels on the rocky shore.

We’re gonna get those black mussels

Got one

I smiled and smiled because I was the only person on the beach watching and photographing these beautiful creatures.

Black and White/Sepia – R is for Reflection, Rhinoceros and Red-throated Wryneck

2017-04-28 | puppy1952

This week’s Black and White Challenge is to use the letter Q and/or R. My submissions are in both black and white and sepia and I have chosen R.

Reflections – in which my subjects are white fronted plovers which I often see on the beaches in Struisbaai, Western Cape, South Africa.
Rhinoceros photographed in the Umfolozi Game Reserve

Rhino

Rhyno Hluhluwe

Red throated Wryneck photographed near my daughter’s house in Rural Kokstad, KZN.

How deep are our roots

2017-04-27 | puppy1952

Today’s one word prompt is Roots Here is my contribution.

Although I am deeply interested in History, I become a tad bored when some ordinary person brags about their blood line and prattles off a list of great things their ancestors have achieved. I’m more interested in what they have achieved and how they live their lives now. Only if they tell me how their roots influenced their choices in life do I prick up my ears and pay attention.

If I were to find out that I was a direct descendant of Aristotle or Archimedes I would be fascinated and quite proud but I’d wonder why their brilliance had not found it’s way down to little old me! Perhaps over time the gene pool became diluted.

I looked through some old photographs of my grandparents recently and had some nostalgic moments. Parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles are the ones that shape our lives and even then it’s up to us to reach our potential because of or in spite of them.

My brilliant grandfather

The sweetest grandmother ever

The roots I am more concerned about today are the ones in my garden! I have this beautiful milkwood tree, indigenous to the area and protected by law.

Everything we do in the garden revolves around the tree. It provides wonderful shade, the birds love it and it gives us great pleasure but its ample shade affects the growth of lawn and it’s a problem finding something that will grow beneath it. We are in the process of trying some groundcover now and slow progress has been made.

The dominant milkwood tree

This little white eye and his friends love it

There is a very famous milkwood tree in Mossel Bay. It was used as a “Post Office” during the days of the early explorers. It is marked with a plaque reading: “This post office tree stands near the fountains where the Portuguese navigators regularly drew water at Aguada de São Bras (now Mossel Bay) from 1488 onwards. In May 1500 Pêro de Ataíde, captain of a homeward bound ship of Pedro Cabral’s fleet, left a message here which was found on 7 July 1507 by the outward bound ships of João da Nova. According to tradition the mesthat were lsage was placed in an old shoe and tied to a tree”.

The letter told the story of how four ships from Bartholomeu Dias’s expedition were lost. The writer also warned future readers of the letter, of the dangers along the Indian coast.

In 1962 the South African Postal Service put up a mailbox in the shape of a shoe at the site of The Post Office Tree. Items posted there are cancelled with a special stamp.

This shoe mailbox can be seen at the Diaz Museum Mossel Bay (Photo from the internet

Today in South Africa we are celebrating Freedom Day. Twenty Three years ago new roots were planted with the first non-racial democratic elections and The Rainbow Nation was born. Our roots go down deep as we collectively strive to build a strong new nation.

Cee’s Fun Photo Challenge

2017-04-26 | puppy1952

I am submitting a few photographs for Cee’s Fun Photo Challenge. This week’s subject is Winter and/or Water. I’ve chosen water and the place where these are taken is called False Bay Ecology Park where there is a wagon wheel of settling ponds that attract water birds. These were taken on a sunny winter’s day in 2011.

Yellow-billed ducks making a splash

In calmer waters with a red-billed teal

A Little Grebe (Dabchick) in reflective mood

Aren’t I a handsome fellow – said the Purple Swamphen (Gallinule)

Cee’s Black and White Challenge – O and P

2017-04-25 | puppy1952

Today I decided to accept Cee’s black and white challenge The photograph had to have a subject beginning with o or p. I chose a owl for o and pirates for p.

White-faced Scops Owl – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Fun with pirates – Suidpunt Boat Angling Club

Grey

2017-04-25 | puppy1952

Today’s one word prompt is Grey – or Gray as they spell it in the USA where they have more sensible spelling rules!

What comes to mind when you hear the word grey? The risqué novel “Fifty shades of Grey?” I did try to read it – but was bored after five sentences. Sooo I’ll go onto something different.

Sometimes our beautiful blue sky turns grey – I miss this colour right now as we really need some dark clouds to bring rain to the parched earth and empty dams of the Western Cape.

Theewaterkloof Dam is dangerously low

Grey water is what everyone is talking about here. Do you use your grey water on the garden – how do you collect it etc etc. I collect the shower water in a bucket and haul it off to the garden so that not a drop is wasted.

I like to wear the colour grey -buy I usually dress it up with something bright – like lime green or pink or even red.

When I retired I decided to stop dying my hair and allowed myself to become naturally grey. It was a good idea – I look slightly older but it’s saved me a fortune in hairdressing fees.

Me with my sister before I stopped dying my hair

Me today – wearing grey with a lime-green scarf 🙂

Grey is a common colour of birds and beasts but they seem to look amazingly beautiful in spite of their drab feathers and fur. Sometimes they too will add a bit of colour to add a bit of sparkle.

A Cape Robin cheers up its plumage by adding a touch of red to its breast and tail

A beautiful grey heron

Elephants looking magnificent in grey with a powdering of red dust.

So when skies are grey and you’re feeling blue remember those are both colours that can be cheering too.

Share Your World 24 April 2017

2017-04-24 | puppy1952

Here are my answers to Cee’s Share Your World

Wanting something to quench your thirst, what would you drink?

There is only one thing that can quench one’s thirst – WATER. I’ve been told that you are dehydrated before you feel thirsty. Strangely I feel thirsty at night and so always have a glass of water on the night stand – maybe because I drink a couple of glasses of Springfield’s Life from Stone before and during dinner. I’m actually sipping a glass right now as I write! It’s a sauvignon blanc to die for. But certainly not a thirst quencher.

Coke, my daughter tells me, is the only satisfactory drink to take if you’re really thirsty. I only use it medicinally after a tummy upset!

Complete this sentence: Never In My Life Have I….

Never in my life have I done a lot of things including:

Been to Robben Island – and it’s not that far away but I have been to every province in my country.
Travelled to the USA
Travelled to the Far East
Travelled to New Zealand – but I have been to Australia
Travelled to the North or South Pole and I never will
Been on a Mediterranean Cruise – but I’m planning to next year
Learned to speak Greek – but I am learning Italian and I am fluent in English and Afrikaans

If you could be given any gift what would it be?

This is a question I can never answer adequately. I am privileged enough to have everything I need. Also I never know what gifts to give! But of course I love receiving gifts and giving gifts. What I receive does not matter. But I’m going to go to the impossible with this one. If I were to be given a gift I would love to get a round the world cruise. Not gonna happen – ever! But I know I will get to travel to many more exotic places.

QE2 leaving Cape Town without me

What do you do if you can’t sleep at night? Do you count sheep, toss and turn, or get up and try to do something productive?

When I was a child I had no trouble sleeping. When I was pregnant, sleep was difficult and prepared me for the many months of sleepless nights. It took years to get back into a good sleep routine but probably when my baby reached adulthood I managed to get 8 hours uninterrupted sleep again – and then the grandkids arrived and sleep patterns were once again disturbed! However, we sorted that out soon enough. Finally I got into good sleep patterns and even when I had a late night managed to rise at an hour that enabled me to get my act together and get to work on time. Rising early was never a problem. Energy levels were always high. Of course strong black coffee helped enormously.

NOW that I am retired – aaahhhh – sleep eludes me. My 9 pm bedtime has gone to 11 pm and then I battle to get to sleep so often it’s midnight. I used to wake at 5:30 without an alarm and leapt out of bed with fresh enthusiasm for the new day. NOW a chorus of birdsong on my phone encourages me to rise at 7 – but I am in such a deep fog I can’t rise till 9! Why?! Of course I don’t need to get up early but how did these sleep patterns make such a change! Anyway, once I’m up all is well and the energy is still there and I do manage to get things done – at a slower than pre-retirement pace.

When I really can’t sleep – I watch netflix! Dr House and Grace and Frankie are my favourites at the moment.

Oh the decadence of retirement!

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

I am always grateful for where I live. But right now I’m grateful for my health and my hubby’s improved health.

We are looking forward to a caravanning week away at Gariep Dam in the Free State next week. Ten of us who live in different provinces will gather to celebrate a 70th birthday. I am soooo looking forward to it.