Kokstad Kids in Cape Town – New Year’s Eve

2015-01-01 | puppy1952

The day started with everyone going in different directions. Lauren and Allan had friends to catch up with, Jay went to Mixed Martial Arts, I went to gym and Lolz had a lunch date. When everyone returned it was fun in the pool again. Even Lisa, feeling hot after tanning, bravely took to the waters. Shannon alerted us all to this momentous event.

It’s freezing

Lovely once you’re in

Simon dives in

On Jay’s shoulders

An excellent diving board

In the evening Jay and Josh went to Quintin’s New Year’s Eve party and slept over. Lolz went to a party too and the rest of us went to Carol and Vere at Castle Rock.

On the way we had to take a picture of Simon near his town!

The house is set in fynbos near Miller’s Point

It is called Shah’s Folly after the builder who made a bit of mess up which the family had to rectify many years ago.

View toward Castle Rock

View toward Cape Boat and Skiboat Club

View toward the Hottentot Holland Mountains

Carol and Vere, because they have a beautiful fynbos garden, get many birds visiting. They also put out feeders and many of the sugarbirds and sunbirds have become quite trusting of them.

Malachite Sunbird

Cape Sugarbirds at the feeder

The orange-breasted sunbird takes a drink

Other visitors come each evening too. I waited on the stoep to get greet this little slender Mongoose whom Carol names “Kattie”

Nervously looking around

Getting braver

Then hides behind a bush and peeps at me

Later when it got dark a genet made an appearance. Lisa alerted me to it but it was so quick I just got a glimpse. It returned several times and I finally managed a few good photographs. It was the final highlight of my 2014 🙂

Carol served a delicious roast lamb done in a black pot over the fire. Simon fell asleep in front of TV. The rest of us sat on the stoep admiring the view and seeing the New Year in! At midnight we could see fireworks across the bay – from Muizenberg to Pringle Bay! It was an amazing evening. Thanks for hosting us all, Carol and Vere!

Kokstad Kids in Cape Town – Visit to Castle Rock and Climbing Elsie’s Peak

2014-12-28 | puppy1952

Yesterday the kids went to visit Aunt Carol and Uncle Vere at Castle Rock. Earl and I decided to have a quiet day at home. We went to the mall to do some necessary shopping and to have breakfast. It was busy everywhere but we bumped into my cousin, Susan at Mugg and Bean chatted to her and Andy for a while and then took over their table.

Here are the pictures of the kids’ day at Castle Rock.

At the braai

Sugarbird at the feeder

The fire

Sunbird at the feeder

Today they visited Anneline and Jeffrey. Earl went to sort out a problem with the repeater in Somerset West and I got the urge to tidy kitchen cupboards!

In the afternoon Lauren, the kids and I climbed Elsie’s Peak. I have climbed this mountain more times than I can remember – as a child, with my Sun Valley Grade Four class many years ago, with the boys when they were Cubs. I remember it as an easy stroll along a contour path. When the boys were little I rode bikes with them, hiked with them and always enjoyed the challenge of keeping up with their antics. Now that they are in their teens …… the pace seems to have increased somewhat. Those kids ran up Ravine Stairs! ( I should have stuck to the original plan of parking outside my sister’s house on Berg Road!) They then leapt up the mountain like Klipspringers! Lauren and I found ourselves separated from them and took a slightly different route. Jay called on the cell to tell us we’d taken the wrong route. We told them to just wait and went up Elsies thinking they were already there. But they were waiting on a different path and we only met up on our way down. The kids then ran up Elsies and we waited for them before making the descent. Anyway it was tremendous fun. But I did freak out when they leapt and ran instead of taking care. “Gran, you can do it – just plan which rock you’re going to jump on next and go for it,” suggested Jay” Yes right!

I wanted to climb up onto a rock I remembered doing as a child and Josh led the way through the bush – but on the way back I slipped and fell, grazing my knee! I’ve reached the stage that I just need to stick to the path!

The start from Berg Road – We’d already climbed hundreds of steps from The Outspan

A bench in memory of my friend Celia’s, late husband, Allan Wolfe

Cape Rock Thrush

View from the Contour Path

Lauren spotted this Cape Rock Thrush

He flew to this location

View towards Kalk Bay and Muizenberg

Josh showing Simon the sights

Towards Glencairn

Fish Hoek Beach

On the mountain

The crazy, super fit grandson

Another beach view from my rock

The kids ran down up and down this path!

Ravine Steps

Josh taking the easy way down

And here comes Jay

The whole excursion took us about three hours and it was well worth the effort. We all had an amazing time and returned home for a Pizza supper!

Beautiful South Peninsular

2014-03-15 | puppy1952

Showing visitors our beautiful land is always a pleasure and it gives us a fresh appreciation of how lucky we are to live in such glorious surroundings. Wendy and Erich from Newcastle, Australia along with their friend and hostess, Nora, arrived at our home at 11 a.m. and we made our way to the shabby chic village of Kalk Bay. We took a leisurely walk down the road and explored some of the shops before going to Live Bait for lunch. The menu offers delicious sea food and throws in a view at no extra cost. Wendy enjoyed her yellowtail (fish of the day) Earl had a seafood pasta, Nora hake and Erich and I settled for Paprika Calamari. All highly recommended. We shared a bottle (or two) of an excellent Robertson’s Sauvignon Blanc and finished with Creme Brulee and coffee. Totally indulgent and delicious.

The Railway Station

A part of the old station converted into a shop

The Subway

This was the tuck shop where we used to buy our ice creams after swimming lessons

The old post office is now a bric-a-brac shop

An old SAR Dining Car – now a popular restaurant next to the railway line

I had to pay R20 for him to pose for this photograph!

Nora, Erich, Wendy and Me at Live Bait

Erich, Wendy, Earl and Me

After enjoying our wonderful meal with excellent company we explored the harbour. We noticed a few people walking around with Nuffield Australia on their caps and stopped to introduce our friends to their compatriots. They were farmers on a Nuffield scholarship touring the country to learn about different types of farming in South Africa . They had found an apple and pear farm in Elgin interesting. There was an Irish farmer and a Canadian on the programme with them. They were also going to Kenya and Russia!

Nora and I with one of the Australian farmers.

A friendly seal looking for a handout from the fishermen

Kalk Bay Harbour

On the Jetty

After enjoying Kalk Bay we took a scenic drive via Kommetjie and through Scarborough to The Cape Boat and Skiboat Club. We did not go through Simonstown as it was Navy Day and congested with tourists.