Kirstenbosch at its best

What a beautiful day for a walk in Kirstenbosch! Being pensioner's day, I got in for free, but only after the cashier used a calculator to work out whether I was 60! The mind boggles!
Naturally the place was packed with everyone over the age of 60, and in particular the ever-popular tearoom, where plates piled with waffles, scones, cream and berry coulis were being scoffed with glee! I was going to have a sedate grilled fish and salad, but weakened for an Eggs Benedict, which was excellent but far too much and a tad rich. To compensate for my gluttony, I set off for the upper reaches of these magnificent botanical gardens, dodging walking sticks and zimmer frames as best I   could.
But seriously, I have never been any good at climbing hills or stairs without stopping frequently to catch my breath (I have an aunt who is similarly afflicted and it has nothing to do with fitness), and even those who looked 20 years older than me took the climb briskly. Armed with hats, backpacks and stout hiking boots, they put me to shame as I slung my Guess handbag over my shoulder and plodded ever upward. At least I was wearing walking shoes!
The vistas were vast and the proteas and pincushions perfect. See for yourself!

 

Pampering the pooches

I’ve always been incredulous of people who spend vast amounts on fixing up their pets’ ailments, such as having pins put in a multiple breakage of a leg and various amputations, probably because mine have lived almost rudely healthy lives. Our first two cats, a brother and sister, lived to the age of 20, although it would have been kinder to let them go at 18, and the dogs are now both 17, with some serious old age ailments. Many have advised that they are past their sell by date and should go to doggy heaven, but wiser souls have informed me that they will let us know when they are ready to go. It is very difficult to make a decision to dispose of a pet that has been in the family for more than half of your children’s lives and particularly when they have given nothing but unconditional love and companionship (something often lacking in the human world).
A few weeks ago, blind Susie’s eye gave in and without hesitation we had it surgically removed rather than put her down, because she has the body and constitution of a young dog, but just blind. The result is that she is a perfectly content old dog living in the lap of luxury, and doesn’t even know she’s had her eye removed because she couldn’t see anyway.
For about 6 months we have been managing Monty’s perineal hernia (when I say we, you know that I am doing it!) through massage and diet but things came unstuck this week with the need for a surgical procedure that could occur at any time over and over.  So another decision was made, surprisingly quickly, to have the hernia repaired and castration (should have been done years ago and the culprit for the hernia). The vet said that when he first saw him he wouldn’t have considered an op, but after watching him sniffing energetically all over the surgery with the eagerness of a young dog and establishing that his heart was strong, he agreed that Monty still had an adventure or two in him.
Despite the costs being eye-wateringly high (the receptionist said “Brace yourself!”) when she gave me the bill, he is already showing remarkable progress despite his discomfort and I have no doubt that we have made the right decision. It’s not about the money; it’s about the enrichment of our lives.

Crisp, sunshiny days

Third spectacularly still day in Kommetjie, the sea mirroring a cloudless sky, sparkling sunshine dappling the surface and unusually clear vision across the bay to the granite boulders lining the shore on the far side of Chapman’s Bay.
We forget that Cape Town can be a miserable place when the wind blows. It slips from our minds the instant the wind drops, and we once again live in the most beautiful place in the world. The light changes constantly in this intermediate season, from hazy heat shimmering against the cliffs of the Back Table, to today’s crisp view of all its chunky features.

The weathervane and palm trees indicate an onshore drift, bringing only the sounds of the anchovy boats chugging round and round, keeping us awake at night as they haul in these tiny fish, so important in the oceanic food chain and something that surely is slipping away from us as it is harvested so relentlessly. It’s not just the sound of the engines keeping us awake, but thoughts of our planet’s future. Mars is not for me.
Daisies do not appear to be endangered, as a white carpet decks most of the open spaces in Kommetjie, with the island particularly pretty this year. The yellow daisies are also widely strewn, and bright pink and white vygies splash their vibrancy in ever-spreading circles as the years go by. One can only hope that future developments do not rob us of these simple yet vital pleasures in life.

Taking to a tent

As I look back over the last few years, since I started my mostly daily blogging, I can see a pattern developing. Not only is the weather the same almost to the day, with seasonal fluctuations repeating themselves, but the very events and experiences repeat themselves. This leads me to conclude that life is just one great big repetitive cycle and we shouldn’t expect anything to change unless we make some major changes ourselves.
There are a number of ways to change our lives. The weather will change if we move location. The places we go to will change if we find other interests. Our outlook will change if we rethink our reactions to experiences. Perhaps this is why some people travel – it’s the easiest way to break the cycle of repetition. There’s no doubt that travel broadens the mind – you view things differently once you see how other cultures live.
This can’t be experienced in fancy hotels and resorts – these are isolated from the realities of daily living – and simpler accommodation in places off the beaten track can often be the most rewarding for authentic experiences. Luxury living soon palls (for me, anyway) and it isn’t long before I’m wanting to be in the kitchen cooking my own food rather than eating out. And there’s something rather unsavoury about having someone clean up after me in the bathroom (certainly for them) and using a vastly oversized, too thick bath towel when a threadbare hand towel is far more efficient and waterwise makes me feel I have left a tap running overnight when we are all urged to conserve our resources.
I’ll be taking things to the other end of the scale next month when I go to a Star Party at Bonnievale – only campsites are available and it’s a long time since I slept in a sleeping bag in a tent! It’s probably the wrong end of my life to start camping again, but it will certainly be breaking the repetitive cycle!

Bouncy dog

The individual suffering most from my indisposition appears to be Cleo. She is a very intelligent little dog and requires a lot of playtime and exercise, without which she amuses herself. Yesterday she chewed a piece out of the newly laid flooring on the balcony in a place that cannot be repaired. HWCFA has yet to discover this.
Today she chewed the cellphone charger cord into a gazillion pieces.

But her greatest source of delight is jumping onto me with a toy to be thrown incessantly in a game of 'fetch'. Do you know how exhausting it is to have a 10kg dog bounding boisterously up to your face while you are trying to lie quietly on your bed, not to mention the clouds of dog hair she is shedding as summer approaches? No wonder I thought it was hayfever and not flu!
I have spent the entire day throwing her toys through the doorway as far as I can and my aim has improved to such an extent that I could be considered for a position in the national cricket team. However, my enthusiasm for all-day games has not matched hers and I have had to close the door to keep her out.
Of course, this is what brought on the chewing...

Supine

It's three years since I was last felled by the flu, but I seem to have succumbed to what everyone else has. Head cold, straight to chest. HWCFA asserts that I must have caught it in a coffee shop, in which he thinks I spend an inordinate amount of time. Different strokes for different folks, I say. There could be worse ways to catch a virus.
So after a night of trying to sleep sitting up so I could breathe, the dogs all decided to join in the fray at 4am, one weeing on the mat (I wasn't about to go outside) and the other vomiting. The joys of pet ownership - it's lucky they are such nice doggies.
Having no need to get up,  I decided to take full advantage of the opportunity have total me time - Antiques Roadshow, Great British Bakeoff, Masterchef, Come Dine With Me ... now I'm all tv'd out and got it on music.
It's a vital part of life to take time off to vegetate and meditate. I can see the sea and ships going by, someone else is doing the minimal chores and I am indulging in some R & R. There's nothing to achieve by being on the go all the time. It's not a measure of success or self-worth, and we shouldn't have to be ill to have time off. I'm all in favour of lying in the shade of a tree staring out into space through its green canopy. It is all that is required to restore the soul and it costs nothing.
But today I am happy to cuddle under the covers.

The scent of Spring

Buddleia, brunfelsia and freesia. The intoxicating scents of Spring. The best plants in any garden are those that fill the air with sweet aromas, particularly on warm evenings such as this. The jasmine has covered an entire corner of the balcony and flowers for much of the year, but at present the purple blossoms hold sway while the jasmine buds still form.
A large moonflower guarded the entrance to the family home in Clovelly in my teenage years, well-named due to the scent only being released in the moonlight,
and it is unfortunate that they are poisonous and not suitable for domestic gardens, as I would definitely have at least one in mine.

Bright yellow mesembryanthemums are the stars in my Spring garden and I am working towards having the outside verge covered within as short a time as possible, if the guineafowl will permit. Their shiny petals never fail to bring a cheery tone to a dreary corner and some even flower through winter,  which is an added bonus!

Blowing in the wind

The first strong southeaster of the season pumped through Cape Town last night, reminding those from other parts of the country why they don't live here, and bringing welcome rain to the southern and eastern coasts. The mountains on the other side of False Bay bore a tablecloth of pure white tumbling clouds to match that spread along the upper reaches of Table Mountain, and all traces of the smog of the last few days blew away with the wind, revealing the majesty of the Cape mountains in the late afternoon sun.
I was unable to capture the scenery as I was driving alone and couldn't pull off the highway, so you will have to picture the scene in your minds, as you imagine me hurtling along in my half-a-loaf-of-bread along Nelson Mandela Boulevard, buffeted by the southeaster which is always strongest on this stretch of road and trying to enjoy the full panorama of windswept Table Bay, ships straining at their moorings, grey cliffs and white cloud and distant mountain ranges melting into the far distance. It's a view that never fails to invigorate me, as it heralds the beginning of summer, when the old is blown away to make room for new adventures and every new day is full of exciting possibilities.
Makes me want to go on a road trip! Who's coming?

New raptor comes to visit

I've turned my workstation around so that if I look up from the computer I can see out of the window. And not a moment too soon! This morning a movement caught my eye and blow me down! It was a juvenile raptor that I had never seen before landing on the peak of the neighbour's roof,  level with my line of view. I leapt up and grabbed the first camera I could find, my cellphone (probably the best choice), and ran to the window. I managed three quick shots before Cleo's frantic barking scared it off and then was lucky enough to catch it in flight. Mango Kitty was cowering on the deck without taking her eyes off it, obviously thinking she might be the object of its attention!
It was a substantial size and I sent out requests for id to a couple of birding sites on Facebook, where it was concluded that it was a juvenile gymnogene.  Exciting stuff! I hope it becomes a regular visitor - I have a good supply of food for it!

More rain, with a bit of sun

As we near the end of winter, we seem at last to be getting a bit of much-needed rain, with next week looking wet, after a surprisingly sunny weekend.  This is a racing weekend for He Who Can Fix Anything and it usually rains, so fortune is smiling on the current leader of the Fine Car championship. With only two more race days, it's looking promising for a win, although let me not put the curse of the commentator on it.
Today was a quiet day recuperating from my country break and also my carpal tunnel op, with sudden sharp twinges surging through the nerves as they restore themselves now that the restrictive tendons have been eased. Hopefully full use will be restored soon, as I have projects to get on with!
The new moon solar eclipse, combined with a cold front from the South Atlantic, have produced awesome seas off Kommetjie, with the biggest swells of the year, and perhaps a very high tide tonight. The sea lice have crossed the road and climbed the walls, so we will see how the lawns look in the morning!