Southeaster starting to settle in

The prevailing summer wind, the southeaster (known as the Cape Doctor because it blows all the smog out to sea and cleans our air), seems to have settled in for a few days. The angle at which it blows is critical for wind conditions where I live. Sometimes the air is completely still here while it is howling 200m up the road. Today it is dead calm, interspersed with strong gusts that lift the dirt from the gravel driveway and blast it through the house - not my favourite thing in life! At other times, there is just a steady howl and not a door or window can be opened, which makes for quite a hot house.

The sea turns a Mediterranean turquoise after a good southeaster and becomes crystal clear, exposing the kelp beds and enabling you to see right to the bottom of the seabed (assuming you are leaning over the gunwales of a boat). The waves become perfectly formed at the Outer Kom, so that surfers can pick their waves at an even pace as they almost get blown backwards by the wind. It is at times like this that digital photography comes into its own, as I can easily take 100 shots with only 2 or 3 being salvageable.

The wind warms as it crosses the Peninsula and so we don't experience the bitter cold of the southeaster on the Atlantic seaboard. It comes as a shock to the system to get out of your car in Fish Hoek in the teeth of the wind, particularly after dark,and I am sure that many a resident sits inside listening to the wind howling through the eaves, wondering why on earth they live there! But as soon as the wind stops, we all miraculously forget how unpleasant it is and revel in the marvellous summers that characterise Cape Town!