#NaBloPoMo 20 – Lions and more@ Addo

2015-11-20 | puppy1952

It was the call of the fiery-necked nightjar calling loudly that woke me at a rude hour this morning. I lay listening to The Good Lord Deliver Us over and over again before reluctantly climbing out of bed and heading to the showers. Good thing too – because it was already light and gate opening was at 5:30. We made it to the gate by 5:45.

The weather was somewhat cooler but still warm enough for shorts and t-shirt but I took along a jersey for when the windows were open. Our first bird of the morning was this summer visitor from Eastern Europe

Although the steppe buzzards breeds in Eastern Europe they migrate to Southern Africa in summer arriving in October and leaving in April

Another non-breeding summer migrant is the barn swallow

These birds start arriving in September and the last ones leave in April

An intra-African migrant Lesser Striped swallow greeted us early this morning.

Lesser Striped Swallow – present in South Africa from July to March

The Southern Masked weaver is a common resident in South Africa and is not too shy to pose for a portrait. They can become quite tame and frequent campsites in the hope that they pick up a snack or two from the friendly humans.

How those vicious thorns don’t stab them I do not know.

As we drive around the reserve we frequently hear – Willie – come out and fight – scared. Or that is what the field guides tell us the Sombre bulbul is saying. But I think it sounds more like. Look out – you can’t find me – whaaaaa. But today we did find him – right out in the open too.

Another one who calls out loudly and likes to hide is the very pretty little Diderick Cuckoo. Today Earl found him trying to camouflage in the foliage.

The male cuckoo is very good looking – but he and his wife don’t raise their own chicks. The female chooses a variety of hosts including the southern masked weaver, red bishop, Cape sparrow and Cape wagtail. She lays up to 20 eggs per season so that’s a lot of surrogate mothers she has to find!

It is important to get out into the park early if you want to see predators. Lions are lazy and sleep in a shady spot most of the day. Today we found two large males at Carol’s Rest and they were just lying there – awake and just staring into the distance.

Lions Rule

Red Hartebeest, zebra and kudu were waiting, dead still, over the road on the hillside, very aware of the enemy and too scared to come down to drink.

We parked off, had breakfast and drank our coffee while we waited to see if anything would happen. Warthogs have to be the bravest and cheekiest of animals. The appeared from the other side of the waterhole so did not consult with the herbivores on the hillside. They boldly approached their kings and I wondered how the conversation went.

Please, Your Majesty, may I go down to drink?

Now let me think – I’ll check with my brother

NO! Get out of here or we’ll have you for breakfast!

The cheek of those subjects!

You would think the others would learn from the warties – but no – all of a sudden a herd of donkeys in prison clothes came racing across the road – then stood dead still in front of their sovereign.

We’re just out of jail and very thirsty – May we have a drink please sire?

Oh sure – if you want to be steak!

So they turned tail and headed back to the hill.

They have to leave some time – we’ll just have to wait!

We watched these antics for over an hour and then decided to head back to camp.

We were thrilled to find two meerkats – but only one photograph is worth posting.

Life is good in Addo Elephant Park

Jackals are usually on a mission but this one must have had a tough night as he is settling for a nap

I’m watching you – please leave me in peace.

Back at camp we decided to follow the jackals example and have a nap before going out in search of more game later in the afternoon.

It was 3 pm when we set off again and I have to eat my words about summer reaching the Eastern Cape ahead of us. A cold front sneaked up, strong winds blew and the heavens clouded over. It is calmer as I type but freezing cold! It will probably rain in the night.

Anyway this did not dampen our spirits and we had an enjoyable game drive. Surprisingly there we saw no elephants until the very end.

It was great to see a black-shouldered kite

A greater double-collared sunbird posed and sang for us.

And finally at Hapoor we found a small herd of elephants

We decided to do a small potjie over the fire for tonight’s dinner

And just to make our day a bushbuck came to visit

#NaBloPoMo 19 Garden Route to Addo

2015-11-19 | puppy1952

NaBloPoMo

Last night’s dinner was great. We went to Royal Siam a wonderful Thai Restaurant in the Milkwood Village Shopping Centre, Wilderness. Milkwood Village is centred under the beautiful protected milkwood trees and has a variety of shops and restaurants with indoor and outdoor seating. As it was a tad chilly we decided to sit indoors but the ambience was still great. The service was wonderful and we enjoyed the food – a prawn and avo salad and zebra rainbow rolls for me and sweet and sour pork for Earl.

Good cuisine in a beautiful setting

We were packed and ready to leave at a minute to six this morning. It is a beautiful part of the country to travel through and if ever you do it don’t rush past as we did today but rather stop and explore as many of the wonderful spots that you can. Knysna with its stunning lagoons and lakes is a particularly lovely place to stay.

Our friends Jim and Maureen had been at Addo for 6 days and were due to leave today so they waited for us to arrive and we had breakfast together at the restaurant. They had also saved a good caravan site for us.

All set up and ready for a 4 day sojourn

The climate in the Eastern Cape is very different to where we live. Summer has truly arrived here while back home it is a tad warmer than last month but we still need our jackets in the evenings and early mornings! Addo is hot! We are in Africa! We immediately shed our jeans and long sleeved t-shirts for short and cool tops!

Addo is an elephant park – so yes on our first drive this afternoon we saw them aplenty. But we also saw other creatures.

You’d be forgiven for thinking it was a warthog park because there are thousands of them about. Still, I just love the ugly creatures. They stick skinny, little, aerial tails straight up in the air when they run from danger, so that their kin can follow them through the bush and not get lost.

I was thrilled to get piccies of this mother and her piglets.

Leave my babies alone!

Aren’t we adorable

Only the males of the kudu antelope have horns. They begin to grow when he is between 6 and 12 months old and he usually has 2 and a half twists by the time he is six years old. Sometimes a male may get up to three twists in his horns.

A male kudu gives us a meaningful stare – he is about 2 years old

Two twists and growing!

Eland are not as commonly found in the game parks as kudu, but Addo has a fair number of them.

Both male and females have horns

Although it’s great to see the big animals, I just love the smaller ones too. This cute little yellow mongoose gave us great pleasure

He is an inquisitive creature

The yellow mongoose, is sometimes called the red meerkat. He weighs about 500g and is about 50 cm in length.

We also saw tortoises both big and small. This chap is a leopard tortoise

The leopard tortoise is the fourth largest species of tortoise in the world. The adults reach 56cm in length and weigh up to 18 kg.

I think he likes us

We found this handsome heron atop a dead tree. The black-headed heron is a large bird, standing 85 cm tall, and it has a 150 cm wingspan. It usually fishes for fish and frogs but will also hunt away from water and wait silently and still before capturing an unsuspecting small mammal or bird. He also eats large insects.

Seeking non-aquatic prey, I think.

This pretty little Karoo Scrub-robin posed nicely for us

We found these tiny goslings while watching elephants at a waterhole and I couldn’t resist snapping them. They were quite unafraid of the enormous pachyderms

Mom and Dad were close by.

We saw scores of elephants but I will just post a few here as there will be plenty more in the next few days.

The driver of this car was a tad nervous when Jumbo came right up and stared at him through the windscreen

Both the male and female African Elephant have tusks – except in Addo Elephant Park. This was due to years of interbreeding but new stock has been introduced and some of the new generation females are beginning to sport tusks again.

Note the lack of tusks in this female elephant

Stay tuned for more Addo reports over the next few days.

#NaBloPoMo 18 – Birding etc at Ebb & Flow

2015-11-18 | puppy1952

NaBloPoMo

Oh what bliss to wake up to a brilliant blue skies and sunshine this morning. The rain is desperately needed in the Western Cape and it was great to hear it during the night, but when camping, one is delighted to have some good weather.

What a pleasure to sit out, listen to the early morning chorus of birdsong and watch the activity on the river while sipping our first cuppa of the day.

A gorgeous morning

A group of young, energetic, American holidaymakers canoeing down the Touw River

A noisy Egyptian Goose greeted us hoping for a tidbit

My wonderful hubby cooked his special scrambled eggs which includes cheese, mushrooms, bacon, banana and baby tomatoes and somehow it tasted extra delicious as it was eaten alfresco.

Gourmet Breakfast at Ebb & Flow

After breakfast we did a marathon walk along the Pied Kingfisher Trail. It was 11ish and already quite hot. It’s beautiful walk not only for the birdlife but also the flora.

We also found a tortoise and a dung beetle in the path.

P1070431

Dung beetles keep the veld clean as they eat the faeces of herbivores which consists largely of undigested plant matter .

Some dung beetles roll the dung into balls and move it to their nests but others stay near the dung and feed from it there. The dung is also fed to the babies and this is why she lays her eggs in the dung. It sounds disgusting to us but not to a dung beetle!

Although the trail is called the pied kingfisher trail we did not see one. However, we saw a few other birds.

A Karoo Prinia

Levaillant’s Cisticola

Yellow bishop

Reed Cormorant catching some rays

On the last leg of our walk we met a German couple and as we were chatting a little Malachite Kingfisher appeared and we watched it catch insects in the water collected in the gutter on the side of the road.

Although we didn’t get the pied we were delighted to find a Malachite Kingfisher

All morning in camp I’d heard the Black-headed oriole but it insisted in hiding in the foliage. But this afternoon he obliged and posed beautifully for me.

Earl’s feet were hurting after our long walk and he blamed his heavy shoes. We decided to go to George to find a softer pair. After that we went to Victoria Bay and walked along the promenade.

These rocks bore plaques of remembrance possibly for people who love Victoria Bay

Signpost to everywhere

This bay is a surfers’paradise

It has been such a happy day and now we are going to pack up as much as possible the have a sushi supper in George so we can have an early night and leave for Addo at 6 am tomorrow morning. Watch this space for more!

#NABLOPOMO 17 – Garden Route National Park

2015-11-17 | puppy1952

NABLOPOMO

I was not raised in a camping/caravanning family. When I was a little girl my mother told me, “Camping is not a holiday! A holiday is a relaxing stay in a luxurious hotel where everything is done for you. Why would you want to stay in a tent or a caravan with no modern conveniences when you could be more relaxed at home!” That’s why we hardly ever went away on holiday. We couldn’t afford it! I do remember going to The Kruger National Park when I was seven and The Lakes, Wilderness when I was 13. I thoroughly enjoyed both of those holidays! There were odd weekend trips in chalets at odd venues but other than that – no we stayed at home. “After all,” my dad would say – “we live in a holiday resort – the most beautiful place in the world – why would we want to go anywhere else.” And yes – I was content to enjoy the seaside town where I grew up but just because it was the most beautiful place in the entire world didn’t mean that I didn’t want to see other places!

So when I grew up I really had the attitude that camping was not my scene until I went to deepest, darkest Africa which required a 4×4 vehicle and roof-top tent. That was my first introductions to the joys of camping in the wild and I loved it! There is something very special about being in the bush, cooking your food over an open fire and doing your ablutions in inadequate facilities – sometimes even digging a hole for the deed. It’s called ‘communing with nature.’ For a few years we did this on trips to Botswana and some parks in South Africa but then we got soft and decided that air-conditioned chalets were more comfortable – and way more expensive!

Now that we’re retired and want to travel more widely we’ve settled for the cheaper option of an off-road caravan – and I’m so glad we have because it is great! It’s not as rough as roof-top tenting and not as soft as chalets. It’s a happy medium of outdoor cooking and relaxing and sleeping in a dry comfortable bed! If you’ve been following my blogs you will know that we had a great trip to Kgalagadi earlier this year and today we set off on another caravanning trip.

We were up bright and early and left Struisbaai at 6:00 am. An old friend of Earl asked us to meet him for breakfast in Riversdale. They hadn’t seen each other for 4o years and it was great for them to catch up.

Earl and Fred catching up

Travelling the Garden Route is always a pleasure as it is so picturesque. We passed by Little Brak, Great Brak, Mossel Bay, George and finally reached Wilderness and The Garden Route National Park where we are staying at Ebb & Flow Rest Camp. What a beautiful place it is. We set up camp and then went to George to do some shopping.

We are right on the Touw river at Ebb & Flow

Our camp chairs are stored in bags and Earlie thought he’d packed two but the one turned out to be a tripod! So we went to Cape Union Mart to purchase another one. While there we spotted a few things we thought might be useful for our new camping life – like a super bright spotlight torch and electric cool box!

This cool box gives us extra fridge space

I have made some wonderful blogging friends from a many countries around the world and for their benefit I am going to describe the South African Braai. The word braai rhymes with cry. It is the shortened word Braaivleis which means roasted meat. Loosely translated it means Barbeque but a barbeque is not quite the same as a braai!

South Africans use invasive, alien wood to make a fire for their braai. Electric braais and Gas Braais are not considered proper braais. Every campsite in South Africa provides braai places and almost everybody braais when camping. Most South Africans braai at home at least once a week. You can braai almost anything and Fish Braais are quite popular if you catch your own fish. But the most common food braaid is chops and “boerewors” Boerwors is unique in South African. The word means Farmer’s Sausage. It contains 90 percent beef or a mixture of beef, lamb and pork. The other 10% is made up of spices and other ingredients. Not more than 30% of the meat content may be fat. Boerewors may not contain any “mechanically recovered” meat (meat derived through a process where meat and bone are mechanically separated). Potatoes are wrapped in tinfoil and cooked in the coals. Any vegetables can be cooked this way too. A salad also usually accompanies a braai. Some people also make cheese, tomato and onion sandwiches on a braai – so delicious.

There isn’t a South African man alive who can’t do a good braai – It is seldom the domain of the women.

Chops, Wors, Sweet potato (done in tinfoil) and Greek Salad

It was very pleasant here today and we were visited by Helmeted guineafowl.

A pretty but common bird in South Africa

The Egyptian Geese passed nonchalantly by before taking to the water

Fortunately the rain held off until the braai was done but we still managed to eat under the canopy without getting wet and afterwards everything looked clean and fresh.

Hopefully the weather will be sunny tomorrow as we have some great bird walks planned. Watch this space!

#NABLOPOMO 14 – Grahamstown Training College

2015-11-14 | puppy1952

NABLOMOPO

I was not exactly a high achiever at school but I knew that when I left I wanted to have something more than just a job – I wanted a career! I had my subject choices all mapped out for my Standard 9 and 10 years – English Afrikaans Accountancy Biology Typing and History. But then shock – horrow – they dropped Accountancy from the curriculum forcing me to choose Geography or Latin instead. Well my sense of direction is seriously faulty and I couldn’t have cared less about weather patterns,climate or the topography of the land so Geography was an absolutely no-no. I might have enjoyed Latin but I hadn’t taken it in the previous standards and so it was too late now! My parents investigated a number of other schools ‘up the line’ but none came up with better options and so they suggested I try for a commercial matric. That meant I would learn shorthand, typing, accounting and commerce in addition to my two languages. “After all,’ they said, “you will probably want to do a secretarial course after matric and this way you can go straight from school into a lucrative job. If you work hard and hone your skills you can command your salary and go anywhere in the world with you qualifications.” I’d already learned to type and I enjoyed Accountancy so perhaps they had a point. So off I went to Gardens Commercial School for the next two years. And I don’t regret it for one second. I became an expert typist, took down some rapid shorthand, aced my accountancy and ended up with a first class matric. BUT – I did not want to become a secretary. The call had come – to be a teacher!

In order to do apply I had to have a recommendation from my principal. “I want to apply to Cape Town Teacher’s Training College’ I said. He gave me a glowing testimonial but did not hold out much hope that I would be accepted – “They don’t take girls with a commercial matric,” he said – “Why don’t you consider becoming a commercial teacher instead – you’d handle the course brilliantly!” But I was adamant – “I don’t want to teach high school – I want to teach the little ones!”

He was right of course – CTTC refused me. Undaunted I decided to apply to Grahamstown and surprise, surprise they accepted me without hesitation! And as it turned out – this college was actually the best one in the country!

A handful of other Cape Town girls including my close friend, Ann – a year ahead of me – had to take the train at the beginning and end of each term. We would leave at 7 pm in the evening, change at De Aar where we usually met up with the Kimberly girls the next afternoon and then spend another night on the train arriving at 7 am the following morning. And we loved it – the fun and comeraderie made it all the more exciting.

College was great as everybody boarded in the four houses – Lincoln, Bangor, Canterbury and Winchester. There was great competition among the houses and a wonderful spirit of belonging. We were extremely well trained and instilled with an ethic that we have all maintained into old age.

Our founder, Mother Cecile, came to South Africa from England and started an orphanage and a school then a training school for pupil/teacher and finally in 1904 Grahamstown Training College was established to train teachers. Mother Cecile worked tirelessly and set a good example for all who followed. She died in her early forties.

Although the college closed in 1975, The Cape Town branch of the GTC Old Girls’ Guild celebrate Founder’s Day with a church service at Brook Chapel, Bishop’s School. We are a breed apart – and we range in age from 60 to 90+ Thanks to Bishop Christopher Gregorowski for conducting the service today and reminding us of the great work that Mother Cecile did for Education in The Eastern Cape in the early days.

After the service we enjoyed and wonderful tea and catch-up in the Staffroom – many thanks to Terry Wilke for once again allowing us to use the facilities at Bishops.

Old Girls arriving at Brook Chapel

On the left – a lecturer from 1952 and a student from the sixties

NABLOPOMO 13 – An Unexpected Treat

2015-11-13 | puppy1952

NABLOPOMO

Having recently relocated to a small town at the tip of Africa, I have neglected to find myself a hairdresser thinking, “When I go back to Cape Town, I’ll pop into my trusted young man who knows just how to handle my mop.” It is always a treat to see Johan. Not only is he an excellent stylist, but he has a knack of making one feel special. He always pays me a compliment even when my hair is in a sad state of neglect. After three months without a cut, I was sorely in need of his expertise with a pair of scissors.

After catching up on each other’s news he tentatively asked, “Are you doing anything tomorrow night?” Well he’s young enough to be my son so I knew he wasn’t angling for a date! “Not that I can think of right now,” I said “Why what’s up?”

“Well, I’ve started studying make-up and I have a lesson and no model – would you oblige?” Wow, Is the Pope Cathelic – “I’d love to,” I said. What girl doesn’t like to have her face done up for free?

I warned my dearly beloved that he would have to take me out for dinner afterwards so as not to waste my beauty watching TV for the rest of the evening.

Now I have been to a various beauticians and hairdressers in my long lifetime and although I love the sessions these experts can’t seem to help themselves from pointing out your flaws. “What have you done to your hair?” “Oh no – you don’t use eye cream?????” “Do you want to always wear a scarf when you’re older – then for Goodness sake use the neck cream!” “I do hope you use a mask at least once a week!”

Not so with, dear Johan. He only has lovely things to say and his teacher was just as complementary. I have looked in the mirror many times so I know the truth, but it was nice to hear – You have excellent skin and your eyes are a lovely shape. His teacher advised on the use of shades that would suit the older woman so as to soften the look (or not to make her look like a witch, I would say)

Usually I take exactly 2 minutes to do my make-up every morning. After the cleanse and moisturise routine – 30 seconds – I slap on the foundation, brush on some blush and colour the lips – that’s it! How long would a professional take – Try an hour and a half! And all the instructions of which brush to use, what colours to choose, how to get both eyes to look the same etc. etc.

First the hair is clipped back

Then the colour tested

And carefully applied

Now for the eys

Make sure both are the same

An artist at work

Tools of the trade

A very natural end result!

I felt like a queen when it was all done and thoroughly enjoyed dinner out with my darling hubby. Thanks Johan for a really lovely treat!

NABLOPOMO 12 – A Fundraiser with Pieter Dirk Uys

2015-11-12 | puppy1952

NABLOPOMO

It is my portfolio for the Bird Club to organise an annual fundraiser at Theatre on the Bay, Camps Bay. This year we had South Africa’s most famous satirist, Pieter Dirk Uys doing one of his hilarious one-man shows – An Audience with Pieter Dirk Eish.

It is mind boggling to watch him change, on stage, as he impersonates one well-known political figure or fictional personality to another, with just a simple costume and a touch of make up. But it’s his facial expressions and talent for mimicry that finally fool you into believing that he has actually turned into that character!

The audience was asked to ‘pick a box’ with a number on it and in this box would be the costume of one of the characters that he would impersonate. I was flattered when he called me by name to choose a box. I have been a Pieter Dirk Uys fan since his first show – Adapt or Die – and my favourite character is Nowell Fine – who was a Jewish liberal, Progressive Party supporter in her youth during the Apartheid Era. Her character has grown so that she is now a loyal supporter of everything in the New South Africa. So I was delighted when Box Number 15 which I asked for, revealed her costume. My favourite quote from her when asked why she doesn’t emigrate to ‘safer, crime-free country’ is “I’d rather be murdered in my bed than get up and make it!

All his characters were done brilliantly and we were in stitches as he wove stories around each one and how they’d affected the lives of South Africans over the 30+ years he has been doing his one-man shows. Although done with humour the lessons hit home. Pieter made us leave the theatre knowing there were some crazy things about our country but that there was plenty of good in it too. And it is with this positive attitude that we must all look forward to a better future.

After the show he came into the foyer and mixed and chatted with the audience. He encouraged everyone to take selfies with him. My hubbie and I also took some photographs with my camera. Hubby had been a class ahead of Pieter at primary school and they got to chatting about their old teachers.

I’m a big fan!

Hubby and Pieter Dirk Uys

Our chairperson with the Legendary Pieter Dirk

What a stunning evening and a wonderful way to raise funds for the Cape Bird Club’s conservation projects.

#NABLOPOMO 9 I’m not too old.

2015-11-09 | puppy1952

NABLOPOMO

You hear it all the time – Age is just a number – it doesn’t mean a thing. Yeah Yeah – but I still wonder – when is ‘old’ going to happen? What is it that makes one old? Is it the colour of one’s hair? The changing shape of one’s body? The failing of one’s health? Or is it just in the eye of the beholder?

When I was a child I thought my grandparents were old. They were fit and healthy but to me grandparent meant old. And Granny used to say quite cheerfully – “I’m getting old you know my darling.” And I didn’t disagree. But my grandchildren – oh no – they don’t believe I’m old at all! Okay – so I was pretty young by modern standards when they were born – but I was the same age as my grandmother when she had grandchildren their age. Firstborn Grandson said to me one day when he was about 12 “Granny – all my friends’ grandmothers have grey hair – why don’t you have grey hair?”

“Oh but I do, my boy. I just have a very good hairdresser.” He was horrified – “You mean it’s died?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“So you mean you really are old?”

But I am afraid it did not bring about new respect. On the contrary – If I said – I can’t ride bikes with you anymore – I’m too old. He would reply – get real Gran of course you can! It’s a precedent, I’m afraid that I set – and now that they’re almost grown men they are still finding it hard to accept that Granny is getting on you know!

When they were in Primary School, I wrote this silly poem.

Over the Hill

I am getting older, I’m
nearly fifty five.

Over half a century I have
been alive.

I should be slowing down now,
and easing up my life.

I should be getting mellow
like every older wife.

But here I am a-peddling up
this bloody hill.

I hear my grandsons calling, their
voices loud and shrill.

You can make it Granny. You’re
really doing well.

(I do not want to tell them
that I almost fell.)

They think I am their
playmate. They think its rather fun

that Granny takes them
cycling when their homework’s done.

And as they dash through
puddles and do wheelies up the curb

they encourage me to follow;
but really that’s absurd!

They fall and seconds later
they’re back up on their bikes,

a band-aid heals their
scrapes but Granny falls, and yikes –

She needs a month of physio
to get her muscles right.

So falling off her bicycle
would not be very bright.

Now they’re heading down hill
at a break-neck speed.

Those boys are getting all
the adrenalin they need.

With screeching breaks I
follow at a calmer pace.

“Go Grandma”, calls a smart ass
Aloof, I turn my face.

I could be baking cookies, I
could be knitting socks.

Instead I join my grandsons
scrambling over rocks.

I could be watching T.V.
or at a ladies’ club.

Instead I join them hiking
when they go with the cubs.

I’m glad that I, a grandma
can still do all these things.

Being active with my
grandsons – oh what joy that brings.

We have such fun together out
in the cool fresh air.

And if people think it’s
funny – I really couldn’t care!

October 2007

Now climbing mountains with them is even scarier – Firstborn and Second born are 15 months apart in age and tower above me. They race up the mountain like mountain goats with no consideration for their safety and laugh at me when I tell them to please be careful. Their younger cousins, are not far behind either while I huff and puff and worry that I’m going to have to call emergency services to bring them down in a helicopter! When did this happen? I thought I was still fit but I can’t rock hop anymore!

But if this is old – that’s okay! They laugh at me now because I fuss about their safety but they still won’t let me off coming along for the fun. Aren’t I a lucky grandma!

Second and Fourth grandchild scary me silly

Second and Fourth grandchild scaring me silly

#NABLOPOMO 7 Heading back to Cape Town for a week

2015-11-07 | puppy1952

NABLOPOMO

It’s Day 7 of NABLOPOMO and I am exhausted. So no great writings tonight!

Hubby and I packed up and came to our Cape Town home this morning leaving at 10:00 am. BUT there were huge delays with stop/go roadworks. There were at least four. At one we waited for 25 minutes and it was hot. We stopped for lunch at Peregrine Farm Coffee Shop which was lovely. We had a spinach and feta quiche. I scraped the filling off the crust to avoid the carbs. Another time delay was having to come the long way round there is storm damage on Baden Powell road. We were in two cars so I had to follow Hubby through some dicey, high crime areas to get home! He warned me to keep my doors locked but I didn’t feel threatened at all.

Obviously the universe was not smiling on us kindly because on our arrival we found the kids had changed the front door lock – it had been giving trouble – they were out so we couldn’t get in. A phone call later we had the number of the key and headed to the mall at break-neck speed hoping that the locksmith was still open. No luck – BUT – the little electrical shop in the mall that doesn’t sell keys just happened to have one. They were on the verge of closing so took our money but didn’t give us a cash slip. No problem – we had a way into our house!

After unpacking Hubby went off to meet his mate’s boat and helped him offload and take the fish to the seller. He brought home a lovely fresh yellow-tail and the two of us had sashimi for supper.

The cats were delighted to see us. The big one scoffed the fish but the little one had to been hand fed!

We will be here for a week as we have a few things we need to do:-

Sort out the caravan’s tarpaulins
Attend the Bird Club Fundraiser
Attend my College Founder’s Day reunion
Celebrate my birthday with my breakfast club
Go to Telkom to order a line for Struisbaai

The next interesting event in our lives will be a caravan trip to Addo Elephant Park.

I will do a better blog tomorrow!

#NABLOPOMO 6 Childhood Fears

2015-11-06 | puppy1952

NABLOPOMO

The Nablopomo prompt for today – What was your biggest fear as a child? Do you still have it today? If it went away, when did your feelings changes?

Did I have fears – oh yes I did. I was a child full of fear and worry.

The first fear that I actually remember is of a treasured ornament my mother had. It was a Toby Jug – a scary container in the shape of an old, animated face. Now I loved my grandmother – but this face reminded me of her and in my childish mind I imagined it was her but instead of being comforted I was scared silly and wondered where the rest of her was. I could not express this to my mother at the time, all I could do was cry and tremble and to this day I remember how terrified I was. It was fairly large and stood on the floor next to the door or on a low table, my memory is dim on the detail but I know that I could not walk past it without the terror gripping me. I remember her holding me on her lap and talking to me about the jug, reassuring me that it was just an inanimate object and nothing to be bothered about. Logic did not come into it and I just buried my head in her her soft,warm shoulder, refusing to look. Wisely this jug was put out of sight until I’d outgrown the fear! After my mother died it was sent to Baby Brother overseas but was broken in transit much to our distress.

Ours was similar to this!

I wonder why I had this next fear which I only vaguely remember now – probably because of the constant reminders about it. Driving through an avenue of trees scared me silly. I know I hated Fairy Tales and it was probably the thought of Hansel and Gretel lost in the woods and meeting the evil witch that did it! One wonders how such gruesome tales could ever have been told to innocent children though they’re mild compared to the monster stories the children of today lap up. Being the sensitive little innocent that I was those tales of witches fattening up little children for the pot had a damaging effect on me – no not really but it did colour my attitude toward stepmothers until I become one of those wicked creatures myself. Aha – then I started to think about it from her point of view. (No, I didn’t eat or try to poison my stepdaughters.)

Even worse – they had to share accommodation!

When I was about four years old I had a scary dream the like of which has never been repeated. There was a dark, spooky house behind the one in which we lived (in the dream) and I ventured into it only to encounter skeletons and ghosts and the scariest of monsters the images of which live with me to this day. How at four I could have dreamed up such a thing I do not know as there was no Television to infect my mind in 1957. I woke up screaming and my mother rushed in to comfort me. I told her every detail of the dream and she soothed me back to sleep. That was the best part of the experience and I can still smell here sleepiness and feel her warm softness as she held me close and settled me down. Yet when I reminded her of this dream when I was an adult, she had no recollection of it at all. A wise friend told me – well she had four children whose troubles she sorted you know – she’s not going to remember every one of them! So very true. I, myself, tend to suppress awful things that have happened to my children. My baby was very ill and when the doctor came to examine her he got down on his knees to examine her in her camp cot on my mother’s lounge floor. She reminded me of this when my daughter was about 10 and I simply couldn’t remember it! So weird what the mind retains and what it rejects!

Of course I outgrew my fears and today I don’t consider myself a fearful person other than when flying or sailing in small boats! But those I have control over. It’s up to me to fly or not or sail or not.

But fearing for my children, I have no control over. I send up a silent prayer for them every day and put the angels on duty to protect them. I call out to the universe to keep them all safe – that includes my daughters, their kids and my nieces and nephews and their kids. I cannot even bear to think that anything bad should happen to any of them. I don’t worry about who they will marry, where they will live or how they will conduct themselves in life – that is up to them. They are all beautiful and adorable and I just want them to live happy, healthy and very long lives. God bless them all.

Birding in the Overberg – Day 1

2015-10-24 | puppy1952

Overberg is an area of the Western Cape, east of Cape Town and beyond the Hottentots-Holland mountain range. The name, Overberg is derived from Over ‘t Berg, which means over the mountain and is a reference to the region’s location relative to Cape Town.

It stretches along coasts where beautiful beaches can be enjoyed, and over mountain ranges with interesting geological formations, abundant birdlife and fynbos. The landscapes are stunning explosions of different greens, browns and golds and now that we live in this beautiful area we are enjoying exploring and discovering all its hidden corners.

Our friends, Jim and Maureen from Jeffrey’s Bay visited us this week. They too, are keen on wildlife and birds and so we spent a couple of fabulous days doing what we love best – enjoying nature and finding birds – and the Overberg is just the place to do it.

On Tuesday evening J&M insisted on taking us to dinner so we introduced them to the wonderful cuisine offered by Seagulls restaurant in Cape Agulhas. On cold winters evening there is a roaring fire in the grate but today it was warm so no need for that. Jim, Earl and Maureen ordered Spare Ribs which they said were good, while I settled for their delicious beef stroganoff – the Banting version comes with a Greek salad instead of pasta.

Jim and Earl enjoying beer together

Maureen and I prefer wine

Friends together again

The next morning we were all up bright and early and Maureen and I decided to walk to Cape Agulhas – about an hour on foot from Struisbaai. And what a wonderful route it is along the rugged coastline.

The lighthouse at Agulhas

Sharon and I did this last week and M being a race walker was keen to do it too. The men went off to explore the harbour and the beach and met us at Potpourri the best place in the area for breakfasts, light lunches and delicious cakes.

We then did the compulsory standing at the Southern Tip of Africa thing and got the photo.

On our way back we found this puffy disappearing into the grass on a vacant plot. Stay there, Puffy, or a vigilant gardener might decide to decapitate you with the edge of his spade.

We went home to freshen up and then went off on a bird watching drive to Arniston. Now Arniston is an easy 40 minute from Struisbaai if you go straight there. But if you are tuned into nature it takes a lot longer than that. No prizes for guessing why. We took the gravel road through the farmlands and of course stopped for every bird and creature of interest. The beautiful flora growing in the veld also had us oohing and aahing.

Struisbaai to Arniston and Back

The weather had turned chilly so Maureen and I were very pleased that we’d done the walking thing early. The game was on to find more than 60 species and in spite of the weather we did quite well.

Always special to see spoonbills

Red-capped larks were everywhere

Agulhas Lark sang beautifully

Common Ringed plover

Black-winged stilt

Pretty flora too

When we got to Arniston we realised we did not have enough fuel to get home and there is no petrol station in Arniston! But the kind staff of the hotel helped us out with a can so the day was saved.

As Maureen and I made our way to the hotel restaurant we found Phil and Richard about to depart in a most amazing chariot. We chatted to them and they told us they’d shipped the vehicle from the UK to Durban and were travelling around South Africa in it. There next stop would be Hermanus and then Stellenbosch. Wow – totally open top – in all weather!

We meet interesting people on our excursions

We enjoyed coffee and cheesecake before exploring Arniston

We decided not to do the cave as the tide was wrong, it was cold and we did not feel like slipping on the rocks. We’ve all been in the cave before so didn’t really miss the experience but it is well worth it on a good day.

We found some more birds for our list on the dunes and around the village.

Cape Sugarbird

A Cape Francolin showed us her chicks

A Cape Bunting

Karoo Robin posed obligingly

We then set off for Struisbaai taking a good long time to get home too! All in all the round trip took us 7 hours.

Jackal buzzard

Rock Kestrel

Bokmakierie

The guys cooked steak and sweet potato on the braai, gem squash in the micro and we served it all with a Greek salad. More to follow tomorrow.

Male bonding at the fire

A Visit to The Breede River

2015-09-07 | puppy1952

Spring really smiled brightly and presented us with a glorious day on Saturday. After breakfast we bade farewell to Barbara and Andrew and packed an overnight bag and made our way to Riverine on the Breede River to visit my sister and brother-in-law who were spending the weekend at their holiday house there.

We arrived at lunchtime and after taking sitting on the jetty and taking in the amazing view of the river we sat on the patio and enjoyed Tana’s delicious chicken salad.

The Breede River

The house

Sisters

After lunch we took a drive to Cape Infanta.

Relaxing together

Brian and Tana

Me, Brian, Tana

The Southern Right Whale blowing a V shape

His fin

More of him

Perfect day for fishing

Lovely place to walk along the sand

Little Egret in the shallows

Earl found this rock kestrel

We passed a farm that had emus!

And a rhebok

A Denham’s Bustard was a highlight

So after this lovely day we returned and Tana cooked us a delicious lamb curry and after chatting we went to bed after 10. We had a late lie in on Sunday before enjoying Brian’s breakfast and then took a long walk around Riverine. Then it was back to Struisbaai!

Thanks Tana and Brian for a stunning weekend.