I had a very stern conversation (although a little bit one-sided) with my fridge the other day, as I stood in the kitchen, surrounded by cooler boxes filled with odds and sods that seem to accumulate in fridges while we decide what to do with them (should it stay or should it go?). In one hand I held a hairdryer, on its hottest setting, blasting away at the iceberg that had grown on the 'mechanics' of the fridge, in an attempt to melt it before it completely took over the shelf space. The fridge has been doing this for years now, icing up into a big lump which then intermittently defrosts and gathers in a pool of water at the bottom of the fridge before adding to its bulk - who knows where the moisture comes from - and continuing in this cycle.
It's become rather a chore to have to continually sort this problem out, although admittedly it does make for a clean fridge, and I have dreamed for years about getting a new one, despite it not being on its last legs quite yet. I have visions of a matt silver, double-door upright fridge/freezer (self-defrosting, of course), with that thing on the outside that dispenses cold water and racks that don't have rust bursting through the rungs. And so I told my fridge that I was going to go looking for a new fridge this weekend and that I hadn't decided whether I would take it to the dump, where someone would be able to take it home and probably still use it for many years, or whether it would be consigned to a corner of the garage, as a beer fridge.
It seems to have taken the discussion to heart and pulled itself together, as there has been no sign of it growing a new iceberg. Now I feel bad about wanting to replace it! What to do, what to do?
Friday, 31 January 2014
Staring into a starry sky
It's too hot for sleep, or even to be inside on a night such as this - summer in Cape Town on the night of a black moon - the second new moon of January and so called because it will cross the sky during the day, hiding its sliver of reflected light from view. From my balcony in the relative darkness of the seaside village of Kommetjie, the seeing is excellent and the Milky Way arches overhead in a brilliant display of billions of stars arrayed in clusters, in strings like pearl necklaces and singly, like diamonds in the sky, with here and there a fuzzy spot denoting nebulae, massive, immeasurably expansive clouds of gas and dust where stars are born and die.
Without the familiar patterns formed by the stars as seen from our solar system, Man would have had no means of exploring this planet on which we exist. Adventurers might never have returned from distant lands without stars to guide them, unless an inerasible trail could have been left on the way. Small ships may never have set sail without stars to navigate by, for it was long ago discovered by Man that the canopy of stars at night provided a constant source of reference to establish where he was in relation to where he wanted to be.
Close by the familiar and possibly most well-known constellation of Orion, the Hunter, with his belt of three bright stars and sword represented by the breathtaking Great Nebula, lies Jupiter. A small telescope will reveal the positions of the four moons, Io, Callisto, Europa and Ganymede, which can be observed changing their positions during the course of a few hours viewing, something quite remarkable to see in a universe where the distances are unimaginable to our fairly feeble brains. One can only imagine the excitement felt by Galileo as he noted these movements through his primitive telescope hundreds of years ago, wondering how he was going to explain these marvels to a world not receptive to a new concept of existence.
Rather like trying to convince people today that the chances of our being the only form of intelligent life in this vast universe is nil.
Without the familiar patterns formed by the stars as seen from our solar system, Man would have had no means of exploring this planet on which we exist. Adventurers might never have returned from distant lands without stars to guide them, unless an inerasible trail could have been left on the way. Small ships may never have set sail without stars to navigate by, for it was long ago discovered by Man that the canopy of stars at night provided a constant source of reference to establish where he was in relation to where he wanted to be.
Close by the familiar and possibly most well-known constellation of Orion, the Hunter, with his belt of three bright stars and sword represented by the breathtaking Great Nebula, lies Jupiter. A small telescope will reveal the positions of the four moons, Io, Callisto, Europa and Ganymede, which can be observed changing their positions during the course of a few hours viewing, something quite remarkable to see in a universe where the distances are unimaginable to our fairly feeble brains. One can only imagine the excitement felt by Galileo as he noted these movements through his primitive telescope hundreds of years ago, wondering how he was going to explain these marvels to a world not receptive to a new concept of existence.
Rather like trying to convince people today that the chances of our being the only form of intelligent life in this vast universe is nil.
Thursday, 30 January 2014
More of this and that
'Twas a bit of a swelterer yesterday over the Peninsula! The water in False Bay has been 22 deg Celsius for a while - something quite unusual I believe the regular swimmers are saying. I wouldn't know, because over here on the Atlantic seaboard the temperature is generally a mediocre 10deg or so and the wetsuited brave are only there for the surf, not the swim.
Our Tai Chi class was a good workout! I had to lead the warm-up for the class, which on such a sultry morning seemed rather unnecessary, but then at least I could control how long it lasted! I charged through it as quickly as I could and then we had bone-strengthening exercises for the rest of the class. These exercises, which can be done anywhere, are so beneficial for circulation as well, and there is one that relaxes the tension in your back and shoulder muscles (such as that which you get from hunching in front of a computer for hours), while also strengthening the spine. We owe it to our bodies to take the best possible care of them before they start to degenerate, and mostly it is much easier than we think. Respect the body and it will respect you.
It was a great night for mosquitoes, wasn't it? I normally wake up in the early hours of the morning and can't get back to sleep, but somehow, last night nothing disturbed me. HWCFA is obsessed with swatting mozzies and won't rest until he has tracked the last one down. It doesn't help that the windows are open. The lights were on, he was standing on the bed flicking a towel at mozzies on the wall and the ceiling, the dogs were on the bed thinking it was time to get up, I was being asked questions about what I was going to do about the mozzies in the well the next day and worst of all, insecticide was being sprayed all around me. But my eyes barely flickered open and my sleep was not disturbed in the slightest. Once the last mozzie was disposed of, I was completely back in dreamland and only woke up with the alarm.
I wonder how a sleep scientist would explain the workings of that?
Our Tai Chi class was a good workout! I had to lead the warm-up for the class, which on such a sultry morning seemed rather unnecessary, but then at least I could control how long it lasted! I charged through it as quickly as I could and then we had bone-strengthening exercises for the rest of the class. These exercises, which can be done anywhere, are so beneficial for circulation as well, and there is one that relaxes the tension in your back and shoulder muscles (such as that which you get from hunching in front of a computer for hours), while also strengthening the spine. We owe it to our bodies to take the best possible care of them before they start to degenerate, and mostly it is much easier than we think. Respect the body and it will respect you.
It was a great night for mosquitoes, wasn't it? I normally wake up in the early hours of the morning and can't get back to sleep, but somehow, last night nothing disturbed me. HWCFA is obsessed with swatting mozzies and won't rest until he has tracked the last one down. It doesn't help that the windows are open. The lights were on, he was standing on the bed flicking a towel at mozzies on the wall and the ceiling, the dogs were on the bed thinking it was time to get up, I was being asked questions about what I was going to do about the mozzies in the well the next day and worst of all, insecticide was being sprayed all around me. But my eyes barely flickered open and my sleep was not disturbed in the slightest. Once the last mozzie was disposed of, I was completely back in dreamland and only woke up with the alarm.
I wonder how a sleep scientist would explain the workings of that?
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Mystical misty meandering
Cooler weather today over Cape Town, with high cloud cover becoming foggy later. Eerie blasts from foghorns on passing ships slithered ashore under the wispy fog, resonating from the mirror-like surface of the sea to scatter and fade away among the tumbled boulders along the low-tide shoreline. A sudden crash and froth of white brought a lone surfer into view as he rode his board smoothly into the bay, his stance relaxed as the low, slow swell carried him along almost to the slipway. As he clambered through the shallows, his exhaustion was evident as he could barely lift his board from the water and had lost a bootie. Clearly, there was a strong sea lurking behind the fog, and a handful of young men stood tentatively at the Ledge, undecided on whether to launch themselves into the unknown.
Monday, 27 January 2014
Fly away, flies!
Flies! The bane of my life. Since Christmas we have been under siege by flies. Not your average domestic house fly. Those shiny green ones, that buzz to let you know they have arrived. They congregate on the kitchen window, pretending that they are looking for a way out, and no matter how many times I spray insecticide on the window - the kind that kills instantly (not!) - there has been no sign of fly mortality whatsoever. I have swatted with the electric tennis racquet which, despite many hours of practising my serve and volley, has also proved ineffective, as they are just too fast. If they do get enmeshed in the wire, a satisfying crackle and blue spark are emitted, but after a few seconds, the stunned fly simply spirals up from its daze to buzz another day.
Somehow they get into the fridge and even the freezer if you turn your back for a second, and there is very little that is more unattractive than the sight of several comatose flies on the fridge shelf. The good thing about this is that, if you are very quick and scoop them up before they recover from their cryogenic coma, you can flush them down the drain. I suspect that they could come back up again if I didn't let the tap run for quite a while just to make sure. I once warmed a plate of food in the microwave and on opening the door, a fly flew out, quite unaffected. No wonder they are considered to be the most dangerous living thing in the world.
I was trying to eat lunch today while three flies buzzed around my hair, even alighting on the hand that was holding the fork to distract me, while another settled on the edge of the plate. They sure are persistent. I have put out jars of fish sauce (didn't even go to look), apple cider vinegar (supposed to do the trick, but no interest there either), hung the copper coins in a bag of water at the door (just got some copper coloured water) and even wiped down the whole kitchen with vinegar.
The flies are definitely not coming from my wheelie bin, as I keep all food scraps in the deep freeze until dirt day. But of course, who knows what the neighbours do. There could well be a fly-breeding factory operating in their bins, in which case there is no solution.
Somehow they get into the fridge and even the freezer if you turn your back for a second, and there is very little that is more unattractive than the sight of several comatose flies on the fridge shelf. The good thing about this is that, if you are very quick and scoop them up before they recover from their cryogenic coma, you can flush them down the drain. I suspect that they could come back up again if I didn't let the tap run for quite a while just to make sure. I once warmed a plate of food in the microwave and on opening the door, a fly flew out, quite unaffected. No wonder they are considered to be the most dangerous living thing in the world.
I was trying to eat lunch today while three flies buzzed around my hair, even alighting on the hand that was holding the fork to distract me, while another settled on the edge of the plate. They sure are persistent. I have put out jars of fish sauce (didn't even go to look), apple cider vinegar (supposed to do the trick, but no interest there either), hung the copper coins in a bag of water at the door (just got some copper coloured water) and even wiped down the whole kitchen with vinegar.
The flies are definitely not coming from my wheelie bin, as I keep all food scraps in the deep freeze until dirt day. But of course, who knows what the neighbours do. There could well be a fly-breeding factory operating in their bins, in which case there is no solution.
Saturday, 25 January 2014
Busy, busy, busy
It's been a long day. It started at 3am when I woke up and couldn't go to sleep, so I read for a bit and eventually at 5am decided to just get up anyway. I started sorting out a box of shampoo/body wash bottles that I have collected from hotels and B&Bs on my gallivants around Europe and South Africa over the last few years. It's amazing how long it takes to use up all these things. Then there was a shelf full of sample-sized Clarins product which they hand out every time you buy a face cream or spend a certain amount. Some of them had passed their sell-by date - I never seem to get round to the whole night cream-face mask-eye rejuvenator-body lotion scenario - but if I don't start using them soon, I will also be past my sell-by date!
Next it was a cup of tea, and while I was waiting for the kettle to boil, the pile of ironing beckoned and I thought, well it's now or never! After a few shirts had borne the brunt of my attack with the steam iron, I noticed that the dresser had a layer of dust on it, so then it was out with the damp cloth and wiping of every visible surface. That done, I began to sort out odd half-boxes of ingredients in the store cupboard, where I found a premix packet for blueberry muffins. Rather than throw it out, I whipped up the ingredients and soon had 12 blueberry muffins cooling on a rack! By then it was 6.30 and time to take my picture of Table Mountain to send out into the world.
Then a little work on the computer, shower, dress, put on washing, breakfast and off to Fish Hoek to collect some work that must be done by Monday. Then a quick cappuccino and a bit of shopping before going through to Glencairn to pick up the cat who has been on a drip at the vet for 2 days. She seems to have recovered and now it's the bank balance that is sick - no antibiotics for that! She is re-hydrated and eating again, although not yet her old self, but on the mend.
Having dropped Felix off at home and packed away the shopping, I then had to return the cat box to the vet up the road, buy a cooldrink for HWCFA, put on the Lotto and drop some keys off at the local estate agent. And finally, off for brunch with Mom, Dad and sisters at the local nursery. Phew! 10.30.
The afternoon was the normal work on the computer and for supper I have made a Spanish omelette - my first attempt and looking good even though I say so myself. Unfortunately the main ingredient is potatoes, which is off the menu, but for tonight it will have to be back on.
Oh, I almost forgot - also made a batch of homemade chocolates from raw cacao paste, cacao butter, agave syrup and raw honey, and chopped almonds. Eat your heart out, Lindt!
Today has been unusually busy and I can assure you that it was just a flash in the pan!
Next it was a cup of tea, and while I was waiting for the kettle to boil, the pile of ironing beckoned and I thought, well it's now or never! After a few shirts had borne the brunt of my attack with the steam iron, I noticed that the dresser had a layer of dust on it, so then it was out with the damp cloth and wiping of every visible surface. That done, I began to sort out odd half-boxes of ingredients in the store cupboard, where I found a premix packet for blueberry muffins. Rather than throw it out, I whipped up the ingredients and soon had 12 blueberry muffins cooling on a rack! By then it was 6.30 and time to take my picture of Table Mountain to send out into the world.
Then a little work on the computer, shower, dress, put on washing, breakfast and off to Fish Hoek to collect some work that must be done by Monday. Then a quick cappuccino and a bit of shopping before going through to Glencairn to pick up the cat who has been on a drip at the vet for 2 days. She seems to have recovered and now it's the bank balance that is sick - no antibiotics for that! She is re-hydrated and eating again, although not yet her old self, but on the mend.
Having dropped Felix off at home and packed away the shopping, I then had to return the cat box to the vet up the road, buy a cooldrink for HWCFA, put on the Lotto and drop some keys off at the local estate agent. And finally, off for brunch with Mom, Dad and sisters at the local nursery. Phew! 10.30.
The afternoon was the normal work on the computer and for supper I have made a Spanish omelette - my first attempt and looking good even though I say so myself. Unfortunately the main ingredient is potatoes, which is off the menu, but for tonight it will have to be back on.
Oh, I almost forgot - also made a batch of homemade chocolates from raw cacao paste, cacao butter, agave syrup and raw honey, and chopped almonds. Eat your heart out, Lindt!
Today has been unusually busy and I can assure you that it was just a flash in the pan!
Thursday, 23 January 2014
A sick kitty
I was rudely awoken at 2.50am by the beeping of my phone to indicate an incoming message. Naturally I thought it must be important, so I pressed all the right buttons, but couldn't get my eyes to focus at that time of night! By the time I could read the message, I was totally awake. The unsolicited call came from some idiot loan company asking me to apply for a loan. The person who invents the software that intercepts junk phone calls is going to be richer than Bill and Warren together!
I snoozed lightly and tossed and turned until 4am, at which stage I got up to have some water and was told that I was creating a disturbance and was not to return to the room! Men! So I watched the Australian Open, made tea, caught up on FB and Twitter and watched the sunrise. Lucky I'm adaptable.
Yesterday our last little kitty, Felix, was drooping and we realised that she hadn't eaten or had water for a few days, so it was off to the vet - something I am always very conservative about - because she was definitely not her usual hyperactive self. She spends her days chasing pigeons on the roof, so it's very unusual. The vet did an examination and pronounced a high temperature, severe dehydration and possible kidney problems - she would have to have a blood test and go on a drip, after which her fate would be decided.
I took her over the hill to the main surgery and they gave me a cup of tea while they did the blood test. I felt that was an ominous sign. Who gets tea at the vet? No-one else in the waiting room did, and they were there the same amount of time. Anyway, the results were good in that no sign of kidney failure, possibly just an infection, so they would put her on the drip and keep her there until she started eating again. I could just see dollar signs and hear the till go ka-ching! However, my daughter was already going into a decline over the sick cat and I could see she wouldn't take kindly to me having it put down, so there was nothing for it but to sign the paper to say I would pay and leave her there. I haven't heard anything further, which could be either good or bad. Tomorrow will tell.
Tomorrow - hopefully won't start off as early as today, but if it does, I will be watching tennis - Nadal vs Federer. I will be mad if I miss that. Then it's on with the computer work - still slogging, now to pay vet's bills! It's a great life if you don't weaken!
I snoozed lightly and tossed and turned until 4am, at which stage I got up to have some water and was told that I was creating a disturbance and was not to return to the room! Men! So I watched the Australian Open, made tea, caught up on FB and Twitter and watched the sunrise. Lucky I'm adaptable.
Yesterday our last little kitty, Felix, was drooping and we realised that she hadn't eaten or had water for a few days, so it was off to the vet - something I am always very conservative about - because she was definitely not her usual hyperactive self. She spends her days chasing pigeons on the roof, so it's very unusual. The vet did an examination and pronounced a high temperature, severe dehydration and possible kidney problems - she would have to have a blood test and go on a drip, after which her fate would be decided.
I took her over the hill to the main surgery and they gave me a cup of tea while they did the blood test. I felt that was an ominous sign. Who gets tea at the vet? No-one else in the waiting room did, and they were there the same amount of time. Anyway, the results were good in that no sign of kidney failure, possibly just an infection, so they would put her on the drip and keep her there until she started eating again. I could just see dollar signs and hear the till go ka-ching! However, my daughter was already going into a decline over the sick cat and I could see she wouldn't take kindly to me having it put down, so there was nothing for it but to sign the paper to say I would pay and leave her there. I haven't heard anything further, which could be either good or bad. Tomorrow will tell.
Tomorrow - hopefully won't start off as early as today, but if it does, I will be watching tennis - Nadal vs Federer. I will be mad if I miss that. Then it's on with the computer work - still slogging, now to pay vet's bills! It's a great life if you don't weaken!
Wednesday, 22 January 2014
One extreme to the other
After a surprisingly benificent meeting with the bargaining council in town this morning, I wended my way to my favourite spot for restoring the soul - Kirstenbosch. There I had visions of lying on the lawn in the dappled shade of some ancient leafy tree with only the breeze providing a song on the wind. The first thing that went wrong was that there was no breeze - it was scorchingly hot with no respite from any direction. The next thing was the sound of a hammer and power tools - the footbridge over the little stream was receiving some attention from the maintenance team.
Not to be put off, I headed for the bench bearing a plaque in memory of my great-aunt and uncle where I planned to sit, only to find it occupied - that would be because it was in the shade! So it was off across the lawns to an isolated spot under the trees. Of course, the sprinkler system had just been turned off and the surrounding lawn and bench were wet. Still not put off, I flicked the pools of water off the bench and settled myself in to do a bit of reading.
Not five minutes into my book, a tractor roared to life behind a copse nearby, shot out onto the lawn with its mowing attachment and proceeded with lawn maintenance. I know it's a big garden and needs constant attention, but please could they put up a maintenance schedule at the gate so that we can see what to expect before paying to get in? It was even too hot to contemplate a cappuccino, so it was back in the car and off to the mall and some welcome airconditioning.
As I drove over Ou Kaapse Weg, with its panoramic view across the Peninsula, I could see an ominous bank of clouds moving up from the direction of Cape Point - a heavy fog coming in on the high level south east wind that was only blowing across the southern Peninsula. By the time I got home, the wind was gusting, but it was still too hot to walk. By late afternoon, the fog had moved in and it was time for my friend and I to take a brisk walk to the lighthouse. To the north, the sun shone brightly, but in Kommetjie it was gloomy and not very enticing, which was a great shame for the young couple from Denmark who were having their wedding photographs taken down at the rocks. How unfortunate that they chose the only place in Cape Town where the sun wasn't shining for the event. Hopefully they didn't notice.
Not to be put off, I headed for the bench bearing a plaque in memory of my great-aunt and uncle where I planned to sit, only to find it occupied - that would be because it was in the shade! So it was off across the lawns to an isolated spot under the trees. Of course, the sprinkler system had just been turned off and the surrounding lawn and bench were wet. Still not put off, I flicked the pools of water off the bench and settled myself in to do a bit of reading.
Not five minutes into my book, a tractor roared to life behind a copse nearby, shot out onto the lawn with its mowing attachment and proceeded with lawn maintenance. I know it's a big garden and needs constant attention, but please could they put up a maintenance schedule at the gate so that we can see what to expect before paying to get in? It was even too hot to contemplate a cappuccino, so it was back in the car and off to the mall and some welcome airconditioning.
As I drove over Ou Kaapse Weg, with its panoramic view across the Peninsula, I could see an ominous bank of clouds moving up from the direction of Cape Point - a heavy fog coming in on the high level south east wind that was only blowing across the southern Peninsula. By the time I got home, the wind was gusting, but it was still too hot to walk. By late afternoon, the fog had moved in and it was time for my friend and I to take a brisk walk to the lighthouse. To the north, the sun shone brightly, but in Kommetjie it was gloomy and not very enticing, which was a great shame for the young couple from Denmark who were having their wedding photographs taken down at the rocks. How unfortunate that they chose the only place in Cape Town where the sun wasn't shining for the event. Hopefully they didn't notice.
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Our favourite cooldrink
It's been almost too hot to blog today, but a cooling breeze is wafting in off the sea, creating the perfect temperature to sit outside on the deck and watch the sunset on the Back Table. As expected, plenty of refreshment was required today, and while my poison is water, in this family Oros is the choice for a real thirst, with lots of ice and iced water, usually a few glassfuls one after the other. Is Oros a South African-invented cooldrink? I think it might be, and I'm sure my compatriots will also have childhood memories of this all-time favourite, which still proudly boasts of containing 6% orange juice, even after more than 100 years of production. It still contains sugar, which in these days of artificial sweeteners (some manufacturers even have the gall to use aspartame) is also quite refreshing. Rather some real sugar than any form of artificial substitute.
My earliest memory of Oros is way back in the Fifties (I know, I know, most of you weren't born yet!) and we would holiday at Knipe's farm, Baden, just outside Montagu. What a marvellous place it must have been to have remained among my most vivid memories from my childhood! We had a bottle of Oros and a jug of water with glasses on a tray in our big family room at the end of the upstairs wing - a kind of early tea/coffee station you might say. No worries about pocket money or a shop to buy cooldrinks at. Oros was always on hand for a bunch of thirsty children who had spent the day running up and down the dirt roads of the farm, swimming in the big concrete swimming pool fed by the hot springs and doing what kids do on a holiday in the wide open spaces of the Karoo.
Sadly, all that is left of those days is the Oros...
Sadly, all that is left of those days is the Oros...
Monday, 20 January 2014
Summer days
As part of my 'reclaiming my life' programme, I took a stroll down to the rocks this afternoon to catch up on a bit of sea time. The idyllic scene was a joy to behold - a woman throwing seaweed for her dog to swim out to fetch, a father and his young son enjoying some togetherness on a kayak in the safety of the mirror-like bay, a small group of children wading among the rock pools and shallows - with a backdrop of mountains and sky possibly unparalleled (or am I biased!?)
Enjoy the scenery. No words required. And enjoy the golden glow of sunset at the end of another day in this little seaside town that is so photogenic.
Sunday, 19 January 2014
A small mutter
Over the Christmas break, HWCFA meticulously deconstructed, restored and reconstructed the first half-size snooker table made in Cape Town in 1957, which has stood in the corner of a shed for about 15 years. The slate top is about 3/4 inch thick and we had to manoeuvre it with the hydraulic lift from time to time, but it is now as good as new, as is only to be expected. However, the next thing he has made is a cabinet for his snooker cues. from no less than teak with brass fittings and - wait for it - a bevelled glass front! He has quite rightly kept this well hidden from my direct line of sight and has in fact tried not to draw my attention to it in any way.
The reason for my displeasure - which you might wonder at - is that I have been waiting for 32 years for a bathroom cabinet and cupboards, 17 years for the shower to be fixed, 32 years for a light fitting in one of the bedrooms and five years for the last few boards above the sliding door onto the balcony to be nailed up. We lived in this house for 12 years before I finally gave up and hired a cupboard maker to install kitchen and bedroom cupboards. Before that, the double eye-level oven had balanced on a small wheeled cupboard - no doubt for ease of dusting behind it.
They say a plumber's taps always drip. Well, as HWCFA is a jack-of-all-trades, there is a fair selection of dripping taps, unmown lawns, half-installed irrigation systems, etc.
On the other hand, I myself have a fair selection of half-finished paintings, books-in-progress and half-knitted jerseys, but I still think a magnificent teak and bevelled glass cabinet for snooker cues is pushing his luck in view of the aforegoing!
The reason for my displeasure - which you might wonder at - is that I have been waiting for 32 years for a bathroom cabinet and cupboards, 17 years for the shower to be fixed, 32 years for a light fitting in one of the bedrooms and five years for the last few boards above the sliding door onto the balcony to be nailed up. We lived in this house for 12 years before I finally gave up and hired a cupboard maker to install kitchen and bedroom cupboards. Before that, the double eye-level oven had balanced on a small wheeled cupboard - no doubt for ease of dusting behind it.
They say a plumber's taps always drip. Well, as HWCFA is a jack-of-all-trades, there is a fair selection of dripping taps, unmown lawns, half-installed irrigation systems, etc.
On the other hand, I myself have a fair selection of half-finished paintings, books-in-progress and half-knitted jerseys, but I still think a magnificent teak and bevelled glass cabinet for snooker cues is pushing his luck in view of the aforegoing!
Saturday, 18 January 2014
Visitor from the steppes causes pigeon panic
A shadow passed across the thatched roof of the house over the road this evening. I could tell it was a large bird, so I craned my neck to see through the kitchen window (quite a feat with the sink in front of it) and there it was - a magnificent steppe buzzard soaring overhead. I rushed outside to get a better look but it was gone before I got down the stairs, leaving only a scattered flock of forty or so pigeons swooping and banking as they do when in flight. As the flock gathered again, they headed straight for the sheltering branches of the gum tree rather than the exposed rooftop next door, where they had gathered to wait for me to throw out a bowl of grain for their dinner.
I don't recall ever seeing a steppe buzzard chasing a pigeon - that is the favoured food of the black sparrowhawk - and so I consulted my father, an extremely knowledgeable birder, and he told me that steppe buzzards eat locusts here in Cape Town. Back in the steppes of Russia they apparently eat mice or lizards, so I have no idea why they would fly all the way here for the odd locust, but all I can say is, they must have unbelievably good eyesight.
So he wasn't a danger to the pigeons, but they possibly are not able to identify different species of raptor and merely take evasive action due to the size of the bird hovering in their vicinity. Always good to err on the side of caution!
Friday, 17 January 2014
Trimming trees, supersonic sight and post office perk
Sadly, the beetroot I burnt last night is just that, burnt. The taste has permeated the beetroot and there is no salvaging it. I'm sure my porcupine won't turn up its nose - it seems to eat anything except carrot tops, the ribs of spinach, squash and watermelon skins. Otherwise it is a veritable vacuum cleaner. So no beetroot tonight for me.
My neighbour very kindly instructed his gardener to trim the tops of the trees growing between his house and the path along the edge of the bay, and I now have about 2 feet extra view of the waves. You can see him at work in the treetops. A large vessel (USO) passed by a while later and I took the opportunity to record another event seen through The Gap!
My neighbour very kindly instructed his gardener to trim the tops of the trees growing between his house and the path along the edge of the bay, and I now have about 2 feet extra view of the waves. You can see him at work in the treetops. A large vessel (USO) passed by a while later and I took the opportunity to record another event seen through The Gap!
The fighter jet that gets hired out to take the well-heeled on a 2-minute flip around the Peninsula was at it yesterday and today. The jet far precedes the sound of its coming and it is well past the lighthouse before you hear the screaming of the engines. I was fortunate to be on the balcony this morning when it came past, barely above the level of the treetops in my line of sight and possibly only as high as the lighthouse and as it went by, the pilot banked to a vertical flight and I was treated to a top view of the jet. It was a really impressive sight and it's a pity it flashes by - there's no chance of ever getting it in the frame for a picture. I'm sure it's not supposed to hug the coast and fly so low as it causes panic among the birds, not to mention a raised heart rate at the sound, but at least it gives us an opportunity to witness a marvellous spectacle. Whatever would the Wright brothers think?
The only other bit of excitement I can record for today was finding out that HWCFA is officially in the category of pensioner and I should be looking for discounts everywhere! We get a 1/3 reduction on the post office box rental - who would have thought that!?
Thursday, 16 January 2014
Burger night at Espresso Dotkom and further adventures
Thought I would take a walk on the wild side and go up the road at night (gasp!) to my favourite local coffee shop, Espresso Dotkom, and sample their Thursday special - burger and steak night - and listen to some excellent laid-back music from a local band. The music was of the Neil Young variety, gentle, low level and almost impossible to tell from the original - the perfect accompaniment to a tasty burger with salad (no bun and no chips - have to look after my body 'cos no-one else is going to and it's the only one I've got!).
The place was full, with an assortment of age groups, children and dogs interspersed, and extra seating was brought from inside to enable everyone to enjoy an evening under the firmament with a one-day-past-full moon rising in the east next to Jupiter and Orion beginning to twinkle overhead. A cappuccino brought a satisfying light meal to an end, and it was only the fact that I had walked up there while it was still light that brought me home at this early hour - I accepted the offer of a lift home rather than walking home in the dark. Not that I'm scared of the dark, but there are unfortunately lurkers, as no doubt elsewhere in the world, and it's always best not to look for trouble if you don't have to.
As I walked to the restaurant, it did occur to me that I could have brought the taser that lies on the hall stand. It's not something I ever think of taking with me when I go out, it's main purpose being to fend off the odd baboon in the kitchen, and I would have had to carry it in my hand because it's too big for my bag. It set me thinking about what the best way to carry a taser would be, and I concluded that the only place to conceal it would be down my pants, which are quite loose, but what if I got the sequence wrong and found that it was 'live' and tasered myself? I'm still not entirely familiar with the safety catch feature. That would be a shocking experience!
But wait! As I sit here writing, I can smell something cooking. Not only cooking - starting to give off an almost burnt smell. I sniff the air to see if it's coming from a neighbour. It's not burnt potato - that often drifts in from next door - it has a slightly sweet aroma. Oh no! Now I remember I put beetroot on to cook before I went out - what a dummy! Lucky I'm sitting at the kitchen counter - it's right before my nose! I can't believe I cooked the whole pot dry! Caught just in the nick of time, I've whipped them out of the pot before they absorb the charred smell and hopefully can salvage it. I fear it's the family trait of leaving appliances on and going out (see Gallivanting with Granny blogs to see who I take after!)
Well, all in all, a successful evening with disaster narrowly averted. Nothing a bit of bicarb won't fix!
The place was full, with an assortment of age groups, children and dogs interspersed, and extra seating was brought from inside to enable everyone to enjoy an evening under the firmament with a one-day-past-full moon rising in the east next to Jupiter and Orion beginning to twinkle overhead. A cappuccino brought a satisfying light meal to an end, and it was only the fact that I had walked up there while it was still light that brought me home at this early hour - I accepted the offer of a lift home rather than walking home in the dark. Not that I'm scared of the dark, but there are unfortunately lurkers, as no doubt elsewhere in the world, and it's always best not to look for trouble if you don't have to.
As I walked to the restaurant, it did occur to me that I could have brought the taser that lies on the hall stand. It's not something I ever think of taking with me when I go out, it's main purpose being to fend off the odd baboon in the kitchen, and I would have had to carry it in my hand because it's too big for my bag. It set me thinking about what the best way to carry a taser would be, and I concluded that the only place to conceal it would be down my pants, which are quite loose, but what if I got the sequence wrong and found that it was 'live' and tasered myself? I'm still not entirely familiar with the safety catch feature. That would be a shocking experience!
But wait! As I sit here writing, I can smell something cooking. Not only cooking - starting to give off an almost burnt smell. I sniff the air to see if it's coming from a neighbour. It's not burnt potato - that often drifts in from next door - it has a slightly sweet aroma. Oh no! Now I remember I put beetroot on to cook before I went out - what a dummy! Lucky I'm sitting at the kitchen counter - it's right before my nose! I can't believe I cooked the whole pot dry! Caught just in the nick of time, I've whipped them out of the pot before they absorb the charred smell and hopefully can salvage it. I fear it's the family trait of leaving appliances on and going out (see Gallivanting with Granny blogs to see who I take after!)
Well, all in all, a successful evening with disaster narrowly averted. Nothing a bit of bicarb won't fix!
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Africa is not a country
In the space of one day, as I lolled on the couch having a break from the computer, I had the misfortune of being exposed once again to the world-wide ignorance of the meaning of the word 'Africa'. It seems that not only are the writers of American sitcoms unaware that Africa is a continent, but also their British counterparts. On reflection, as I recall from a number of books written by foreigners moving to 'a farm in Africa', it seems a large proportion of humanity suffers from the same misconception. Not least of them is erstwhile American President Bush, who described Nigeria as an important continent, but then that was just par for the course.
Even stranger is the concept of people wanting to go 'back to their roots' and coming to South Africa to find them. Sadly, we never hear of visits to West African countries from which the inhabitants were so cruelly sold into slavery for the benefit of farmers in the New World. While Oprah can only be commended for her charitable work in South Africa, one can wonder why she chose this country when there are so many more needy areas in Africa that would welcome her donations.
Not only is Africa made up of many, many different countries, it is home to more different tribes and races than countries themselves, each with their own language, culture and religion. When someone says they are going to Africa, do they mean the Arab north or the extremely Westernised south? I doubt whether they will be going to the Congo or Somalia.
No, they will be going to visit the magnificent wide-open spaces of the Serengeti, which I believe is what most people think 'Africa' is, or down to South Africa for a spot of game viewing in ultra luxurious private game reserves. Granted, it is still wild here and the risk of being eaten by lions if you are on foot in the Kruger Park (not recommended) or speared on the tusk of a rogue elephant who has had enough of tourists creeping up behind him when he is looking for a mate is very real. Not only does it offend those of us who live here that so many are not interested enough to refer to Africa in very specific terms regarding their destinations, but also not appreciating that the animals that live throughout Africa are still wild and masters of their domain, not some unfortunate inhabitant of a zoo where feeding time is an attraction.
Those who come to 'Africa' to shoot its wildlife behind the safety of high-powered rifles with telescopic sights to put a mat on the floor or a stuffed head on a wall, or even worse, for reasons based solely on superstition and greed, must surely belong to a sub-species.
With Cape Town being considered the Number One destination for 2014 by the NY Times, it's no wonder that many seek their roots here at the very tip of this vast continent. I would too, but I was born here and have no need to seek.
The people of Africa have borne the brunt of invasions for centuries. The least the world could give them is some respect for their own identity.
Africa is not a country.
Even stranger is the concept of people wanting to go 'back to their roots' and coming to South Africa to find them. Sadly, we never hear of visits to West African countries from which the inhabitants were so cruelly sold into slavery for the benefit of farmers in the New World. While Oprah can only be commended for her charitable work in South Africa, one can wonder why she chose this country when there are so many more needy areas in Africa that would welcome her donations.
Not only is Africa made up of many, many different countries, it is home to more different tribes and races than countries themselves, each with their own language, culture and religion. When someone says they are going to Africa, do they mean the Arab north or the extremely Westernised south? I doubt whether they will be going to the Congo or Somalia.
No, they will be going to visit the magnificent wide-open spaces of the Serengeti, which I believe is what most people think 'Africa' is, or down to South Africa for a spot of game viewing in ultra luxurious private game reserves. Granted, it is still wild here and the risk of being eaten by lions if you are on foot in the Kruger Park (not recommended) or speared on the tusk of a rogue elephant who has had enough of tourists creeping up behind him when he is looking for a mate is very real. Not only does it offend those of us who live here that so many are not interested enough to refer to Africa in very specific terms regarding their destinations, but also not appreciating that the animals that live throughout Africa are still wild and masters of their domain, not some unfortunate inhabitant of a zoo where feeding time is an attraction.
Those who come to 'Africa' to shoot its wildlife behind the safety of high-powered rifles with telescopic sights to put a mat on the floor or a stuffed head on a wall, or even worse, for reasons based solely on superstition and greed, must surely belong to a sub-species.
With Cape Town being considered the Number One destination for 2014 by the NY Times, it's no wonder that many seek their roots here at the very tip of this vast continent. I would too, but I was born here and have no need to seek.
The people of Africa have borne the brunt of invasions for centuries. The least the world could give them is some respect for their own identity.
Africa is not a country.
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
A walk around the island
Took an early morning walk round the island this morning before it got too hot. Anke and I stopped frequently to admire the incredible, huge cactus flowers along the path, the terns and cormorants diving for fish in the bay, and the gentle swells that rippled into to bay as the tide ebbed, exposing vast expanses of rock and kelp seemingly by the minute.
Anke did her usual bit of community service by picking up what looked like a poacher's bag (empty!) and bits of plastic, while I opened the lid of the dirtbin in the car park for her to dispose of them - a far more hazardous activity than actually picking up the litter, considering that the bins have not been emptied for a week. Gone are the days when exciting and interesting things washed up on the shoreline, like the beautiful glass floats from the Japanese fishing boats - now it seems to be only plastic from China. It's very sad that so few people could be bothered to pick up the odd bottle top or bit of string as they walk by, but Anke never fails! Give that woman a Bells!
A man was filling a wheelbarrow with freshly washed up kelp from the beach and putting it in the back of a bakkie - probably an enterprising gent who is going to chop it up and use it in his garden or, judging by the quantity, make business from it. Excellent fertiliser and free from the sea!
We finished our walk with a reviving cappuccino under the milkwood tree at Espresso Dotkom. Not a bad way to start the day!
Monday, 13 January 2014
Back in the groove - almost
Must be suffering from brain overload or else am currently living such a boring life I can't think of anything to say! Went back to Tai Chi for the first time in about 2 months, because I know if I don't get back into it, lethargy will set in and I will keep finding excuses not to go, which is just plain stupid because I really get a great benefit from it and the people are all lovely. I was pleased to find that I hadn't been relegated to total beginnership and that it all came back to me, although I did overbalance once! Must have been moving too slowly to maintain the momentum on the turn!
While I was overbalancing, a message arrived on my phone to say another book was waiting to be done, so after a weekend off, it was back through to Claremont and a good catch-up with old friends, while collecting something to keep me out of mischief for a good few days. Even the people from the coffee shop remember me from 2 years ago which either means that I made a good impression or was their best customer! They certainly know how to make cappuccino!
When I got back to the car, the foreboding I had when I initially parked had come to fruition. I suspected I could have parked a bit more centrally to the space, but took a chance, and the next parker had made sure that I was unable to open my door by parking slightly to the left, leaving a gap of 6 inches! I had to get in via the passenger door and had a good laugh because I had known it was going to happen. But Tai Chi must have had a good effect, because nothing bothered me today, despite all sorts of minor irritations with other drivers, slow traffic, etc. I just cruised and let it all go. It's a good way to pass a day - taking it easy and not rushing. I did, in fact, get home at exactly the same time as a car that yo-yoed past me all the way from Claremont, which proves that if there is even one red robot, you're never going to get the advantage!
A strange thing - I have been inundated with green flies since before Christmas, swatting about 10 a day on the kitchen window. Tonight, I cleaned, filleted and cooked two fresh fish and not one fly made an appearance. Perhaps this tells us something about what we eat - meat attracts flies and so we should avoid it??
Anyway, enough blathering for now. Got books to read.
While I was overbalancing, a message arrived on my phone to say another book was waiting to be done, so after a weekend off, it was back through to Claremont and a good catch-up with old friends, while collecting something to keep me out of mischief for a good few days. Even the people from the coffee shop remember me from 2 years ago which either means that I made a good impression or was their best customer! They certainly know how to make cappuccino!
When I got back to the car, the foreboding I had when I initially parked had come to fruition. I suspected I could have parked a bit more centrally to the space, but took a chance, and the next parker had made sure that I was unable to open my door by parking slightly to the left, leaving a gap of 6 inches! I had to get in via the passenger door and had a good laugh because I had known it was going to happen. But Tai Chi must have had a good effect, because nothing bothered me today, despite all sorts of minor irritations with other drivers, slow traffic, etc. I just cruised and let it all go. It's a good way to pass a day - taking it easy and not rushing. I did, in fact, get home at exactly the same time as a car that yo-yoed past me all the way from Claremont, which proves that if there is even one red robot, you're never going to get the advantage!
A strange thing - I have been inundated with green flies since before Christmas, swatting about 10 a day on the kitchen window. Tonight, I cleaned, filleted and cooked two fresh fish and not one fly made an appearance. Perhaps this tells us something about what we eat - meat attracts flies and so we should avoid it??
Anyway, enough blathering for now. Got books to read.
Saturday, 11 January 2014
Easing past the latest sunset of the year
Summer has returned with less intensity than before, although we still have January and February to go through. The sun is rising noticeably later and the birds seem to have got over their feeding and breeding frenzy of the last months. Things are relaxed and laid back in Kommetjie. School holidays are winding down and next week the morning traffic will be back to normal, causing stress and chaos which is absent during holidays. I would say that lays the blame squarely in a certain place!
Along the roadside, the flowering gums are coming into bloom, covering the trees with hues from cameo pink to deepest crimson. Except for the huge tree in front of my house, which has white flowers and is now half dead. Some parts are shooting out new leaves, but the branch overhanging the driveway will probably fall off in a winter storm! That will seriously unbalance the rest of the tree and it remains to be seen how long it will be before the neighbour's cars are crushed.
Tonight the sun sets at 20.01, the latest for summer, and then we start sliding down the slippery slope towards the shortest day - this is the best time to be in Cape Town - our long autumn lasts from March to the end of June. Which reminds me that autumn always starts on the Easter weekend - without fail, the temperatures drop from then, and this year Easter is particularly late on 18 April, so enjoy the long hot summer!
Along the roadside, the flowering gums are coming into bloom, covering the trees with hues from cameo pink to deepest crimson. Except for the huge tree in front of my house, which has white flowers and is now half dead. Some parts are shooting out new leaves, but the branch overhanging the driveway will probably fall off in a winter storm! That will seriously unbalance the rest of the tree and it remains to be seen how long it will be before the neighbour's cars are crushed.
Tonight the sun sets at 20.01, the latest for summer, and then we start sliding down the slippery slope towards the shortest day - this is the best time to be in Cape Town - our long autumn lasts from March to the end of June. Which reminds me that autumn always starts on the Easter weekend - without fail, the temperatures drop from then, and this year Easter is particularly late on 18 April, so enjoy the long hot summer!
Friday, 10 January 2014
Getting a life back in the day
Having spent two solid months working on 'real' work that brings in an income, as opposed to 'my' work, which involves writing, painting and doing the odd charitable work, it seems that a gap has arrived for me to catch up on life again. And what is the first thing I do? Rush into the kitchen and try out a new recipe! That speaks volumes - I have been just churning out the quickest meals I can think of at the end of each day, and that has started to pall in the palate area (not a painting palette, or a storage pallet - you see, I can't resist a little spelling lesson - it's always been a bit of an obsession). This is a cherry clafouti, which as far as I can see is a sweet Yorkshire pudding with fruit in it, but the recipe has very little sugar or flour and I used lactose-free milk, so the effects won't be too bad on the digestion! Time will tell.
The seafront is calling me - been quite a while since I took a walk, and I need to scatter the cobwebs from my brain. I heard that some imbecilic people killed 'our' cobra that had taken up residence along the path. It makes me very angry that the first reaction of ignorance is violence and the need to kill, even though the snake was in its own territory and the perpetrators merely by-passers. Unfortunately there is no hoping that they feel any remorse or will have a sleepless night over it. But a new snake will come along, no doubt, and once again allow us to experience nature in the raw to test our ability to co-exist.
I spotted the most interesting thing yesterday - butterflies mating. Here is a series of photos I took. If anyone knows of a lepidopteral society that might be interested in such photos, please let me know.
The seafront is calling me - been quite a while since I took a walk, and I need to scatter the cobwebs from my brain. I heard that some imbecilic people killed 'our' cobra that had taken up residence along the path. It makes me very angry that the first reaction of ignorance is violence and the need to kill, even though the snake was in its own territory and the perpetrators merely by-passers. Unfortunately there is no hoping that they feel any remorse or will have a sleepless night over it. But a new snake will come along, no doubt, and once again allow us to experience nature in the raw to test our ability to co-exist.
I spotted the most interesting thing yesterday - butterflies mating. Here is a series of photos I took. If anyone knows of a lepidopteral society that might be interested in such photos, please let me know.
Wednesday, 8 January 2014
Change of food and weather!
Mmmm! Mmmm! Mmm! The cooler weather has heralded the return of curry to the menu! I have missed you! The little doggies won't be charmed, because this is the one dish that they are not allowed to lick or have leftovers from (leftovers! I don't think so!) because I doubt whether it's good for their digestion. Tonight I was lazy and just threw in a few tablespoons of good ol' Rajah and a teaspoon of Durban chilli paste to sort out the heat factor and it sure is delicious.
I thought we were going to have torrential rain here today and forbade my daughter from venturing out onto the roads (why look for trouble in a place that swarms with bad drivers?) and as it turned out, it didn't rain - in fact the sun blazed down. But the southern Cape seems to have had the weather, with 82mm at Cape Agulhas in an hour and a half, I hear. That is quite excessive. Rivers will all be coming down in flood and it's a good time not to going canoeing on any of them as it takes only minutes for the water level to rise and sweep everything away that's in its path. It's happened before and it will happen many more times. Extreme weather is battering the northern hemisphere, with chunks of the UK coastline disappearing into the sea, and lakes freezing in the USA.
On a lighter note, I'm off to make my speech now - just filling the coffee flask and must concentrate - last time I forgot to put the water in and poured out an inch of cold milk with a teaspoon of coffee in it! What a genius!
I thought we were going to have torrential rain here today and forbade my daughter from venturing out onto the roads (why look for trouble in a place that swarms with bad drivers?) and as it turned out, it didn't rain - in fact the sun blazed down. But the southern Cape seems to have had the weather, with 82mm at Cape Agulhas in an hour and a half, I hear. That is quite excessive. Rivers will all be coming down in flood and it's a good time not to going canoeing on any of them as it takes only minutes for the water level to rise and sweep everything away that's in its path. It's happened before and it will happen many more times. Extreme weather is battering the northern hemisphere, with chunks of the UK coastline disappearing into the sea, and lakes freezing in the USA.
On a lighter note, I'm off to make my speech now - just filling the coffee flask and must concentrate - last time I forgot to put the water in and poured out an inch of cold milk with a teaspoon of coffee in it! What a genius!
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
Back in business
Things are looking up! I eventually got through to the fault reporting section for Telkom (turns out it is a company with another name) after holding on for more than 10 minutes, and the gentleman said he could see that it just needed to be re-set, so pressed the button and all was fixed! If only it hadn't taken them 3 days to answer the phone. So I'm back in the land of the living and can batter you with blogs again!
A cloud has lifted since reconnection, indicating how important it is to me (and probably everyone) that we are able to be in instant contact with anybody we wish - I'm sure you all remember those old days when you phoned someone and they were out and the phone just rang and rang and you really wanted to tell them something exciting. Technology has granted us instant gratification in that respect and it really is hard to go back to waiting more than two minutes for an answer.
The downside of being reconnected is that, while writing this, I completely forgot about the cheese sauce doing its rounds in the microwave and I now have a thick bottom layer and thin top layer! This will have to be beaten to a pulp with good old elbow grease and a hand whisk, but I think I can save it. Hold on...
Right, that's sorted - got the heart rate up. Now to throw it over a heap of vegetables, with some cubed, ready-cooked, extremely expensive gammon that we just couldn't find a gap for over Christmas, and into the oven for a quick and easy supper. We have pigged out on meat over the last few weeks (although strangely enough it didn't involve pork) and so are giving it a little bit of a miss for a while.
I'm still slogging away to fund my travels, and was feeling quite stressed about the speech I have to give tomorrow night at Toastmasters, but I spent the afternoon talking to myself and am now ready to go! As always, there will be the speech I have prepared, the speech I actually make and the speech I should have given, but it's all good fun!
A cloud has lifted since reconnection, indicating how important it is to me (and probably everyone) that we are able to be in instant contact with anybody we wish - I'm sure you all remember those old days when you phoned someone and they were out and the phone just rang and rang and you really wanted to tell them something exciting. Technology has granted us instant gratification in that respect and it really is hard to go back to waiting more than two minutes for an answer.
The downside of being reconnected is that, while writing this, I completely forgot about the cheese sauce doing its rounds in the microwave and I now have a thick bottom layer and thin top layer! This will have to be beaten to a pulp with good old elbow grease and a hand whisk, but I think I can save it. Hold on...
Right, that's sorted - got the heart rate up. Now to throw it over a heap of vegetables, with some cubed, ready-cooked, extremely expensive gammon that we just couldn't find a gap for over Christmas, and into the oven for a quick and easy supper. We have pigged out on meat over the last few weeks (although strangely enough it didn't involve pork) and so are giving it a little bit of a miss for a while.
I'm still slogging away to fund my travels, and was feeling quite stressed about the speech I have to give tomorrow night at Toastmasters, but I spent the afternoon talking to myself and am now ready to go! As always, there will be the speech I have prepared, the speech I actually make and the speech I should have given, but it's all good fun!
This and that
Still borrowing bandwidth at the coffee shop! So far I have spent R60 on my cellphone and have not got to the part where you actually speak to a telephone operator at Telkom! Talk about inefficiency and lack of service! If it was just about Facebook access and blogging, it wouldn't really matter, but I actually get all my work via email and cannot afford to be out of touch with the world like this.
The rainy weather is persisting, although it's not at all cold, but my car has decided to play up and won't start - something is draining the battery and I suspect it is something to do with the tail lights. It happened before and then a globe went and the problem was gone. Now HWCFA has fixed the lights, the battery is draining again! He hasn't fixed that! Looks like I'll have to take it to the auto-electrician once I've push-started it. It's funny how these things only happen when it's raining - almost as though it wants you to get wet.
The interesting thing is, I have dead straight hair, but I've discovered that if it gets rained on and it dries without me putting a comb through it, it has all sorts of kinks and curls. I have thought of not combing it after a shower, but that would mean looking like I'd been pulled through a bush backwards, and that wouldn't quite compensate for the extra body achieved!
By now, dear reader, you will have realised that I am still pretty much work-bound and have had little opportunity to go out into the world and have a bit of fun, hence the lack of an interesting topic. Oh, yesterday I was on my way out of the door to go to Tai Chi class (first time in about 6 weeks) when I got an sms to invite me to breakfast at the Foodbarn at Noordhoek Farm Village. Needless to say, I went into full rewind mode and reversed back to my cupboard, ripped off the Tai Chi clothes and donned some finery. Within 3 minutes I was on my way to a most delightful interlude, before resuming work mid-morning.
A well-deserved escape, I thought.
The rainy weather is persisting, although it's not at all cold, but my car has decided to play up and won't start - something is draining the battery and I suspect it is something to do with the tail lights. It happened before and then a globe went and the problem was gone. Now HWCFA has fixed the lights, the battery is draining again! He hasn't fixed that! Looks like I'll have to take it to the auto-electrician once I've push-started it. It's funny how these things only happen when it's raining - almost as though it wants you to get wet.
The interesting thing is, I have dead straight hair, but I've discovered that if it gets rained on and it dries without me putting a comb through it, it has all sorts of kinks and curls. I have thought of not combing it after a shower, but that would mean looking like I'd been pulled through a bush backwards, and that wouldn't quite compensate for the extra body achieved!
By now, dear reader, you will have realised that I am still pretty much work-bound and have had little opportunity to go out into the world and have a bit of fun, hence the lack of an interesting topic. Oh, yesterday I was on my way out of the door to go to Tai Chi class (first time in about 6 weeks) when I got an sms to invite me to breakfast at the Foodbarn at Noordhoek Farm Village. Needless to say, I went into full rewind mode and reversed back to my cupboard, ripped off the Tai Chi clothes and donned some finery. Within 3 minutes I was on my way to a most delightful interlude, before resuming work mid-morning.
A well-deserved escape, I thought.
Monday, 6 January 2014
A blog at last
So sorry for the blip, Dear Readers! Apart from working too hard and leading the most unimaginably dull life right now, I have no internet access at home and so have to rely on the local restaurant, and so have not blogged for a while now. This is going to play havoc with the statistics, but who cares? Every day is a new beginning and tomorrow is always another day!
The best thing about being too busy to blog (or even participate in the festive season which has just passed by totally unnoticed except for the day I had to do all the cooking!) is that I will have a spare cent to splash out on some serious holidaying later in the year! I can't wait to decide what it is I am going to be doing, but am looking forward to a surprise.
The cooler weather and very welcome rain has also given respite to the garden, which, despite being watered every day from the wellpoint, has looked dryer than ever. So much for the feeding and watering! I won't be needing the gardener for a while yet. In the meantime, my crop of tomatoes continues to blossom - all I did was put in a few plants and basically ignore them except for watering and this year's crop has been the best in 10 years.
The bromeliads are looking magnificent and the stunted hibiscus up the driveway that everyone has driven over through the years has put on a growing spurt like never before. That's a determined plant if ever there was one. It's peach-coloured blooms are a delight to the eye, and it is surrounded by swathes of white and pink wind flowers, creating a splash of colour to greet visitors to this far corner of the world.
All is back to normal with HWCFA at work again, having completed a surprisingly large number of projects in the garage and home. Things move slowly in our household, but when they get done, it lasts forever. I maintain that one day, when the original house has crumbled to dust in the mists of time, the extension that he built on will still be standing as good as the day he did it!
Another book has just been sent to me for editing, so it's enough frivolity (!) and back to the grindstone. Thank you, grindstone! What a blessing you have been.
Chat later...
The best thing about being too busy to blog (or even participate in the festive season which has just passed by totally unnoticed except for the day I had to do all the cooking!) is that I will have a spare cent to splash out on some serious holidaying later in the year! I can't wait to decide what it is I am going to be doing, but am looking forward to a surprise.
The cooler weather and very welcome rain has also given respite to the garden, which, despite being watered every day from the wellpoint, has looked dryer than ever. So much for the feeding and watering! I won't be needing the gardener for a while yet. In the meantime, my crop of tomatoes continues to blossom - all I did was put in a few plants and basically ignore them except for watering and this year's crop has been the best in 10 years.
The bromeliads are looking magnificent and the stunted hibiscus up the driveway that everyone has driven over through the years has put on a growing spurt like never before. That's a determined plant if ever there was one. It's peach-coloured blooms are a delight to the eye, and it is surrounded by swathes of white and pink wind flowers, creating a splash of colour to greet visitors to this far corner of the world.
All is back to normal with HWCFA at work again, having completed a surprisingly large number of projects in the garage and home. Things move slowly in our household, but when they get done, it lasts forever. I maintain that one day, when the original house has crumbled to dust in the mists of time, the extension that he built on will still be standing as good as the day he did it!
Another book has just been sent to me for editing, so it's enough frivolity (!) and back to the grindstone. Thank you, grindstone! What a blessing you have been.
Chat later...
Thursday, 2 January 2014
Planning a sunset stroll
All work and no play makes Jack an awfully dull boy, I'm afraid. I've spent the last two months slaving away, admittedly for gainful reward, which does make a change, but we have had such a perfect summer so far that I fear I have missed a great deal. The only consolation is that most people have been spending time with friends and children at this time of year and wouldn't have been available for exciting outings anyway. As I stand on the balcony looking at the back of Table Mountain, the sun is lowering itself towards the horizon at the end of a wind-free day over Cape Town, and I think to myself, what a wonderful world - no wait, that's Louis Armstrong - but the place that I should really be right now is on top of Table Mountain, perched like an eagle overlooking its hunting ground.
There can be few more spectacular sights than the far distant mountains stretching into the hinterland to the north east, and the gradually descending chain of peaks that wind down to Cape Point at the tip of the Peninsula before slipping beneath the waves. The beaches of the Atlantic seaboard, best viewed from on high at this time of year rather than at sea level, skirt the bays below, separated by the granite boulders that form the base of this appendix of Africa that is one of the most sought-after places to live among those who are well travelled.
If I had left my work and gone outside a little earlier, I have no doubt I would now be speeding along the freeway into town to join the no doubt hundreds of others with similar ideas. Perhaps next week, after the rain has cleaned the air and the visibility will be at its best.
There can be few more spectacular sights than the far distant mountains stretching into the hinterland to the north east, and the gradually descending chain of peaks that wind down to Cape Point at the tip of the Peninsula before slipping beneath the waves. The beaches of the Atlantic seaboard, best viewed from on high at this time of year rather than at sea level, skirt the bays below, separated by the granite boulders that form the base of this appendix of Africa that is one of the most sought-after places to live among those who are well travelled.
If I had left my work and gone outside a little earlier, I have no doubt I would now be speeding along the freeway into town to join the no doubt hundreds of others with similar ideas. Perhaps next week, after the rain has cleaned the air and the visibility will be at its best.
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