This morning the temperature was relatively warm and getting out of bed was not too bone-chilling. We were ready to set off by 8:30 and made our way toward the southern part of the park. We did not find the lions! At first, there was very little to see and elephants were conspicuous by their absence. Later in the day, this changed and we saw some at a number of the water holes and in the bush. Hapoor Waterhole, however, did not host any elephants at all. For some reason, the elephants are more spread out and in smaller groups than usual. Zebras, however, seem to be gathering in very large herds.
This beautiful canary was the first bird to greet us this morning Always beautiful to see and hear. There were lots of bokmakieries about todayMousebirds were also all over the placeBuffalo and Red-hartebeest ignore each otherWhat a place for a crow to perch! The buffs don’t look impressed. Ngulube WaterholeBurchell’s Coucal spotted on the other side of the roadAnd these warthogs tooRed Hartebeest were about tooNear Lismore a baby zebra feedsMarion Baree hosted a good number of elephantsAnd they were in a playful mood
We stopped at Jack’s Picnic site for our breakfast break. This site is kept beautifully neat and tidy and the restrooms are clean. There are lovely little secluded sites with picnic tables and braai places. There are no bins and you need to take your rubbish away with you. This prevents monkeys from entering the site to raid the trash cans. It works. We did not see a single vervet while we were there. At the caravan park, we have to keep a close lookout for monkeys and make sure that no food is left outside and the grocery cupboard door is kept closed even while we are sitting outside. Our cousins are very opportunistic and will grab whatever they can if given half the chance.
Jack’s Picnic SitePicnic sites protected by spekboomThis boubou tried his luck – but rules are rules!Mr. Shelduck was visiting Hapoor but no sign of his wife.Mrs. Moorhen was there with several chicks but she seemed to have a favouriteShe kept feeding just this one – to be fair he was the only one who came close to where she was foraging. The others were late to the dinner table!Come on down little brother – Mom’s got food!The spoonbill was back at RooidamGhwarrie had a few elliesThey were preparing to leave when we arrivedWoodlands seems to be the place they prefer and so do the kuduAs we neared the gate this giant approached us.And passed a little too close for comfort!
We returned to camp at 1 pm. The weather was stunning with the temperature quickly rising to 28 degrees C.
It rained last night and we woke to overcast and chilly weather. Fortunately, we had put our chairs in a sheltered place.
I packed a breakfast bag and filled a flask and we were out of camp by 8:30 am. There were a few spots of rain which soon cleared up and by afternoon the skies were clear again. Temperatures were low but not unusual for this time of year.
We spent most of the morning exploring, stopping a Zuurkop Lookout Point to have breakfast. We did not go to the southern part of the park until our afternoon drive when we went in search of lions and did not find them!
Our first spot of the day – Pale Chanting Goshawk. There were two. The light was not quite right but still lovely to see these awesome birds.
You may alight from your vehicle at a place that overlooks Domkrag Dam and it is usually a worthwhile stop. We spotted elephants and kudu in the distance and the dam had a few birds to entertain us.
Grey Heron patiently waiting for some actionJuvenile Striated Heron catching the morning raysA pair of Egyptian Geese – (Earl’s Photo)
Today as we drove around we saw a good number of malachite sunbirds.
They flitted about rapidly but this one reluctantly sat still for a few seconds.The handsome Common Fiscal was more obligingVery common but very pretty. I couldn’t resist snapping this female Cape SparrowAnd later a pair posed beautifullyA speckled mousebird soaking up the morning sun
We were hoping to be entertained by meerkats (Suricates) but instead, a pair of yellow mongooses put on a good show for us.
They are just so cuteThis handsome guy was striding across the veld too.And keeping a close eye on the girls
At Carol’s Rest Waterhole there was very little action. While we watched some ant-eating chats take a bath we heard a tapping on our rear window. It was a cheeky wagtail imagining that he saw a potential rival. He was attacking his reflected image! We had such a giggle and even when we drove away he followed us for ages. I got some shots in the side mirror!
Poor Waggy attacking an intruder!Ellies were all over the park
Hapoor is usually a good gathering place for pachyderms but today it was fowl of the water variety.
A rather good-looking yellow-billed duckAnd a hamerkop dropped in for a chat tooKudu ruled in the park today and we saw quite a number of lovely males with stunning horns
Rooidam produced some waterfowl too.
HamerkopAnd a very busy spoonbillGhwarrie dam attracted elephants too
In the evening we went over to Jim and Maureen’s campsite. Jim had a fire going which created a lovely ‘gees’ (atmosphere) and kept us relatively warm. Maureen cooked a delicious chicken and vegetable stir fry with just enough ginger and chilly to give it a bite.
The sunset once again was just too stunning.
Monday, 06 June 2022
Omiword it was freezing when we got up at 7:30 am. The temperature was about 4 degrees C. After a hot shower and a warming cup of coffee we set off toward Colchester Gate and tried to find the lions on the Ngulube Loop where they had been reported but we had no luck. We did, however, see an Aardwolf! It was a lovely sighting but he dashed back into the bush and refused to pose for his portrait. But this is a free clipart drawing of one!
And yes – he gave us such a look!
Of course, we stopped to photograph other creatures along the way and were pleased to see some of the waterholes had attracted a bit of wildlife.
Marion Baree Waterhole is one of my favouritesWarthogs really rule in Addo. This handsome lad was good enough to poseThe best bird in Addo has to be the BokmakierieGlossy StarlingA special bird to see – Red-necked Spurfowl
We exited at Colchester Gate and went to Taste of Africa for breakfast and to make a few purchases at the Spar next door. It was still very cold at 10 am.
We then went back through the park and explored a few roads and waterholes enjoying some lovely sightings.
QuelleaYoung kudu
At Peasland Waterhole there were simply scores of zebra coming and going
Don’t ask – something was funny!There were lots of red hartebeest in the park tooWe have seen the tail end of a few buffalo but this one decided to give me a quick glancebefore heading off on his own missionLots of these girls were trying to hide amongst the treesThey have such pretty facesSouthern Bou-bous also made an appearance Such a gorgeous birdAnd please beware of dung beetles – Don’t drive over them and don’t drive over dung where they might be hiding.
More tomorrow if I get time – otherwise the next day!
The plan was to leave on Friday, spend the night with the kids in Plett and then meet our Jeffreys Bay friends, Jim and Maureen at Addo on Saturday. We were only supposed to leave on Friday morning but everything was ready by Thursday afternoon so we hitched up the Gecko and left planning to find a caravan site at whichever place we made it to by around 4 pm and that turned out to be Dwarswegstraatoord, Groot Brak. What a delightful place. We had a caravan site with its own ablution. I did not take photos but everything was pristine and comfortable.
We went to Transkaroo for dinner and it was awesome. They had a fire going and the menu was great. We both chose pork belly on mash with crackling and vegetables. It was delicious.
There’s nothing like a roaring fire to create a welcoming atmosphereA Table with a View
An awesome sky after sunsetA really wonderful meal
We left early the next morning, stopped at 34 Degrees South in Knysna for breakfast, and arrived in Plett at 10:30 am. Lauren, Shan and Si were of course at school and only due to get home later in the afternoon. Allan had just completed his work for the week and once settled in he asked if I’d like to join him on a Robberg Walk. Yes indeed. So we left Earl who can’t manage that level of hiking to do some shopping and Allan and I did the 5km trail.
It was a perfect day for this hike which takes you along cliffs and beaches with the most magnificent views. In places, it is very narrow, steep and slippery. The paths are uneven and rocky and you need to be able to cope with steep, uneven steps. Imagine how aghast I was to make way for a young man who was running the route! Allan was very patient with his ancient mother-in-law or perhaps grateful that he had an excuse to rest from time to time! My excuse for stopping frequently was to admire the stunning views. It took us an hour and fifteen minutes to do the trail and afterward, we treated ourselves to excellent coffees from the hut in the car park. If you are reasonably agile and have no mobility challenges this trail is well worth doing. There is also a 10km trail if you have the time and energy.
It was lovely to spend the afternoon with the rest of the family when they arrived home and in the evening we had a braai.
This morning we were up and off by 7:45. We stopped at Windfarm just before Port Elizabeth for our breakfast break. This is quite a new venue with a petrol station, restrooms and a few eating places. We went to Oumeul and had coffee and croissants – mine with ham and avo and Earl’s with bacon and egg.
We always enter Addo at Colchester Gate. There are signs up saying no caravans but we know from experience that off-road caravans are allowed through and have never ever had a problem until today. One of the men on duty told us we had to turn around and go via Patterson. I explained to him that off-roads were and always have been allowed to enter. He said that this was definitely not the case. I asked him to ask the person on duty in the office. She agreed with him and said we had to go through the main park gate.
“Please make sure,” I said. “Show me the rules.”
She took me to the map outside the office and pointed to where it said, “No caravans allowed.”
“But look here,” I explained, “It says, ‘4×4 caravans and trailers only’.” She conceded the point but her colleague was still not happy. He was afraid that they were going to be in trouble for allowing us through. I checked the park map that you receive when entering the gate and even on that it clearly states that off-road caravans are permitted to enter at Colchester Gate. Perhaps it was the first time that these two had been on duty there and were not well-versed in the rules.
We were delighted not to be turned around and enjoyed the drive to camp spotting some lovely animals along the way.
Of course, Warty was there in all his gloryLots of red hartebeest too. Every now and then some elephantsThis one was drying off after a bath
Jim and Maureen were already set up on site C17 and we found one of our favourite sites, C25 vacant, and set up there. We spent the afternoon in camp and had a lovely braai at our site with our friends in the evening. The sunset was just stunning.
And this mom and baby cheekily entered the camp and walked right through Jim and Maureen’s campsiteSunsetDinner’s readyThis domestic kitty came looking for company. I’m sure he is an illegal immigrant
What two totally normal things become really weird if you do them back to back?
Attend a funeral and then leave to attend a Christening?
What is something that you just recently realized that you are embarrassed by, that you didn’t realize embarrassed you?
Nothing comes to mind. Very little embarrasses me.
If Australia (including New Zealand and Tasmania – which I KNOW are different countries); the UK, Ireland, Germany, the USA, and Brazil or Italy were represented by one food, which would it be for each?
Okay – Australia – Prawns on a barbie. UK – Mushie peas? USA – Hot dogs? Hamburgers? Italy – Pasta of course but also Eggplant Parmigiana or anything made with eggplant.
What might happen if Goldilocks and the Three Bears were set in modern times?
Once upon a modern time, a vagrant child name Goldilocks was at a loose end one early morning. She was hungry and tired after a hard night on the street so she went looking for a kind soul who might give her a free meal. She found herself outside a smart house and rang the bell at the security gate. No reply. Frustrated she pushed the gate and found that for whatever reason it was not locked. Cautiously she made her way up the long garden path and then knocked on the door. Once again there was no reply.
This was because it was Mother’s Day and the Bear family had gone to an upmarket coffee shop for breakfast. While the littlest bear was presenting his mom with a wrapped gift and Father Bear was ordering something more exciting than cooked oats, Goldilocks was wondering how she could break into their lovely home.
The window to the dining room was a crack open and being a somewhat skinny child she managed to squeeze in. Well, there was no food set on the table but the dining area was open plan to the kitchen and there was a big shiny fridge just begging to be opened. Goldi found an array of delicious treats, cheese, ham and avocado pear. In the breadbasket, she found some fresh croissants and she quickly made herself a delicious snack. After this, she felt quite sleepy so she went upstairs and found a cosy bed. “I’ll just take a little nap and when I hear the Bears come home I’ll slip out,” she thought. But what the poor child did not realise was that the house had a silent alarm and just as she fell asleep armed response and the Bears whom they had alerted arrived and entered the house.
“Let me go in first,” said the burly guard with a gun. “We might catch the culprit red-handed.” The family followed close behind and exclaimed in horror when they saw the messy kitchen. Goldi had failed to clean up after herself. They then all ran upstairs and it was Baby Bear who found the sweet child cuddled up in his bed. Now he was a kind-hearted little fellow so he decided not to say a word.
The guard checked every other room and the Bears checked to see that nothing was missing. “We must have disturbed the intruder. No harm done!” said Mr. Bear.
The guard left and it was then that their son confessed that there was a kid in his bed. “Please can we keep her?” he begged.
The shocked parents tip-toed into the room, saw the little urchin and instantly fell in love with her. “Yes,” they said. “She is clearly a neglected street child. We will call social services and adopt her!”
And they all lived happily ever after.
Where was the most embarrassing or inappropriate place you’ve passed audible gas?
I can’t remember such an incident but it was probably in the classroom and the kids were too polite to comment!
To follow our Gecko Weekend at Glen Oakes in The Hemel en Aarde district, Cathy thought it would be nice to extend our break-away with a visit to Guano Caves. We had never been there and neither had she and Alec but the reviews on the place were good. However, trying to book was not easy. Cathy phoned a few weeks before departure and was told to email. She did this and did not receive a reply. She phoned again and they said to wait 48 hours. She did but still no reply so again she telephoned and asked to speak to the owners. Only then did she manage to book! Because of this, we were worried that the place might not be all that it was cracked up to be but we were not disappointed.
We left Glen Oakes in slightly overcast weather on Monday morning and stopped at Ou Meul in Riviersonderend for breakfast. There was plenty of double parking for our two rigs. We ordered two teas, a cappuccino and an Americano. Cathy and Alec had bacon and cheese omelettes and the Earl and I had spinach and feta omelettes. They were served with sourdough toast and were very good. I also bought some croissants for the following day’s breakfast. It was a lovely place to stop.
Cogmanskloof pass
Check-in at Guano went well and we were assigned Sites 26 and 28 which are next to each other. The sites were big, even and shady. The ablutions were excellent but you need to bring your own toilet paper and soap. If you want a plug you need to pay a deposit of R50 at reception. I am sure this is because some campers walk off with them! The ablutions were clean and Cathy and I were quite satisfied with the ladies’ section. Hairdryers were available. There is a built-in tile bench in each spacious shower cubicle. There is also a long ledge on which to place your shampoo, shower gel, etc. The men told us theirs did not have that but they did have a bench.
Two Geckos at the Guano GateSpacious and shady campsitesFull-length mirror as you enter the bathroomsBasinsPlenty of hot water in the showers
There are also several family bathrooms with baths and showers with double roses on the perimeter of the ablution block.
The camp kitchen only provides washup facilities. All cooking must be done at your campsite. There is a laundry but the washing machine was out of order.
Camp Wash-up Area
The facilities are lovely. There are two pool areas with crystal clear cold pools. In the main pool area, there is an enormous outdoor pool and supertube as well as a heated indoor pool made to look like a Roman Bath. Treatments are available at a spa too.
A beautiful arrangement of poolsA lovely bridge leading to the picnic area
The main pool and indoor Roman Bath are situated near reception, the shop and the restaurant. There are plenty of loungers and there is enough shade. We had a meal at the restaurant on Thursday and found the food very good.
Looking down on the main pool.
Guano Caves Resort has a petting farm and there are a variety of exotic animals to see. They also have rabbits in enclosures and birds in aviaries. I am not in favour of animals being kept like this but they were well cared for.
This poor swan was alone as its mate had died.There were a variety of different ducks swimming on the pondsPeacockCamels enjoying the Karoo EnvironmentThey do blend into the landscape
On Wednesday after enjoying Cathy’s delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and croissants we made our way to Montagu. Earl and I visited Leiwater Bird Hide in Barry Street. How surprising to find a bird hide on the pavement! It overlooks a lovely little dam where a variety of waterbirds nest. We did not see very much but what we saw was delightful.
Common MoorhenReed CormorantEgyptian Geese and Sacred Ibis
We then met up with Cathy and Alec at the Montagu Museum. There are two to visit and they had already done the first one. After enjoying the second we popped across the road and had coffee and cake at the Rambling Rose which was excellent. Afterward, C and A went to buy wine and we went to see the church museum. Both museums were very interesting and it cost R15 each to see both.
A young boy sitting at the table in his highchairSheep guarding the cake displayCheesecake and apple strudel were delicious. Coffee was excellent
When we were done the Earl and I took a short drive and went to Cape Dried Fruit Packers where we bought some dried apricots, nuts and olives.
Our campsite attracted wild birds which kept us entertained.
Karoo ThrushCape WeaversThe ringneck doves called from the trees constantly and also came down when crumbs were available
Overall the visit to Guano Caves Resort was most enjoyable. The water for all the pools comes from a spring at a temperature of 24 degrees C. By the time it reaches the pools it has cooled down so the Roman Bath is heated to 35 degrees C. Unfortunately they were experiencing technical problems so we did not get the full benefit of the really hot water. The pool was, however, warm enough to enjoy a swim each day we were there.
The Roman Bath
It is a lovely venue and we will certainly visit again.
This Easter we planned to visit the kids in Plettenberg Bay. But our grandchildren needed to get to Queenstown for a very important Twenty-First Birthday celebration. So our daughter asked if we’d be prepared to help with the logistics of getting them there and back and perhaps include a trip to Mountain Zebra National Park. Absolutely no persuasion was needed! The only negative was that there were no caravan sites available at such short notice but we could get a family cottage for Saturday and Sunday night. This was probably just as well as Lauren would not have enjoyed sleeping in a tent in the very cold temperatures that hit over the weekend!
On Thursday morning we left Struisbaai and travelled in the pouring rain to Plettenberg Bay. We stopped at a Die Skeerhok Padstal just outside Heidelberg for breakfast.
The weather was cool and overcast but the rain had not yet reached Plett. Simon had just returned from a school camp and regaled us with wonderful stories of his adventures while our son-in-law fortified us with strong coffee and snacks. Our daughter Lauren and granddaughter Shan returned from school soon after that and there were hugs and delighted greetings as we had not seen them since Christmas. Lauren teaches Grade 2 and Shan is doing a learnership in the foundation phase and loving it.
After dinner, we had an early night as Shan was eager for us to get on the road before the crack of dawn. She planned to get to the game farm in Queenstown as early as possible to surprise her boyfriend whose birthday they were going to celebrate! Indeed we were all up before the sparrows and after a warming cup of coffee hit the road at 5 am. Lauren drove all the way giving The Earl a well-earned break after the stress of driving in inclement weather the day before. It rained most of the way to Queenstown too but Lauren handled the conditions superbly.
After breakfast and refuelling we made it to the farm by midday. Jordan was hugely delighted as he was only expecting Shan to arrive on Sunday. What a wonderful welcome we had from his parents who put Lauren, The Earl and me up for the night. Jordan’s maternal grandmother and paternal grandparents were there too and miraculously there was room for us all as well as some of Jordan’s friends. Everybody was super friendly and we had enormous fun.
The kids enjoying a delicious Mac Cheese and Venison Pie for lunchThey had two pet springbok on the farm – Rage and Gracie who is still a babyThe Earl was delighted to bottle feed Gracie
Etienne (Jordan’s dad) took Earl, Lauren, Granny Denise and me on a game drive. We were delighted to see a variety of animals including Sable antelope, waterbuck, blesbok, zebra and some lovely birds.
A beautiful Sable AntelopeSome curious waterbuck and blesbok
The drive included a scary ride up a steep mountain but the views were worth it.
Before dinner, the adults all sat around the kitchen table and played sevens while the kids socialized on the enclosed verandah. It was all wonderfully entertaining.
There was some hectic competition but Granny Denise, I think, won most of the games!
The weather was chilly but the warm and friendly company more than made up for it.
The next day Lauren, Earl and I left at around 8 o’clock and made our way to Mountain Zebra Park. Our early start meant that we could have two full days in the reserve and what a great time we had. We treated ourselves to having our meals (Brunch and Dinner) at the restaurant and the catering and service were excellent.
Here are the highlights of our visit.
Soon after entering, we found this Spotted Eagle-owlOur cousins were everywhere and gave us a huge welcome.
We have visited the park several times but have never found the lions. Imagine our joy when we could show Lauren the male! He was trying to hide in the long grass but we still got good views of him. The females were nowhere to be found.
Please look at us Your MajestySo you found me at last!
After greeting the lion we went to check in and have brunch. After that, we took a walk around the camp.
Too chilly for a swim but Lauren agreed that the pool was lovely
We had a brief rest and then went out again. In the distance, we saw an eagle on a rock. It then took off and we saw it land again. Luckily he did not fly away and we were able to drive right up to the spot.
Verreaux’s EagleYes, it was cold but a leg stretch was necessary. Lauren protecting me from the lions!Different from the Blue Wildebeest are these Black Wildebeest with their attractive white-tipped tails. Their horns are also a different shapeThese two were having a confrontationThe Mountain Zebra were decorating the landscape.A baby
The best part of MZNP is that there are wonderful views.
Lauren was dying to see Eland and on our last afternoon, she was delighted to get a few.
ElandZebra not wanting to be left out.
Over the two days, we very much enjoyed the birds.
Helmeted GuineafowlSwarms of Red-billed Quelea were everywhereAnt-eating ChatFamiliar ChatBuff-streaked ChatAcacia Pied BarbetCommon OstrichAfrican SpoonbillChestnut-backed Sparrow-larkFemale Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark
Our two-day visit was really awesome. We left on Easter Monday at 7 am, had breakfast at the farm and then drove all the way back to Plettenberg Bay. The kids had thoroughly enjoyed the Twenty-First celebrations. More relatives and friends had arrived and it was extremely festive.
Lauren and Earl shared the driving, we stopped at Colchester for lunch and arrived back at 6pm.
Earl and I left the following morning, met our sister-in-law and her kids for breakfast at Vic Bay, stopped in Bredasdorp to do a few chores and arrived home at 3 pm. What a great Easter Weekend.
Here are my answers to this week’s Share Your World guest hosted by Tena.
Do You Prefer Salty Foods or Sweet Foods?
I am addicted to salt. A habit that drives my husband crazy is shaking salt onto my hand and licking it. And I always add salt to my food. The Earl is convinced that I will get hardening of the arteries because of excessive intake of salt but according to my doctor, it will do me no harm. I have lowish blood pressure and my body needs salt for that! That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!
I also like sweet stuff – especially chocolate.
Would you rather be in a place where it is excessively hot or excessively cold?
I am lucky enough to live in the Western Cape with its mild Meditteranean climate so summer is usually hot and dry and winter cold and wet but temperatures seldom fall below 6 degrees C. We often travel further north in Africa where it gets very hot and I don’t mind that.
I prefer the heat to the cold. I cannot even imagine what it must be like to deal with extreme cold like in Arctic countries. Working your life around such conditions must be exhausting.
I have skied down the Alps but I’ve never built a snowman!
Favorite Mode of long-distance travel (Bus, Plane, Train, Automobile, or other).
We don’t have a good train service in South Africa so long-distance travel has to be by car or plane. It depends on how quickly I want to get somewhere. I enjoy long road trips and going nowhere slowly. We don’t do more than 500km per day before stopping to camp overnight and there are so many great places to stop at and explore.
I once did a coach trip in Europe and that was awesome. Travelling in a luxury bus is very comfortable.
Cruising is another preferred choice to high-speed dashing from place to place by plane.
A Cruise Ship I once travelled on.
What was your favorite holiday growing up? (You can also use American holidays or appropriate holidays from your country)
Christmas was a big thing in my family growing up. It was a huge affair with all the family gathering together. There were plenty of cousins around so we had the greatest fun, usually at Granny’s house. There was a huge pine tree in their garden and my grandfather would decorate it with lights. He and my grandmother made Christmas very special. It was a magical time. The week before Christmas they would take my siblings and me on an outing to the city. We would visit every department store, go to Santa’s Grotto, sit on his lap and list the gifts we wanted him to bring. I always wondered how he managed to be in six different department stores at once. At each store, we got a lucky dip filled with toys of inferior quality. Each year our grandparents complained that the quality got worse but we didn’t mind at all! The best though was having lunch at The Wimpy in OK Bazaars – a rare annual treat for us.
Another part of Christmas I loved was attending Midnight Mass. We would go to sleep early, wake at 11 pm and then go to church and sing Christmas Carrols which I loved before the service started. On our return, we would have hot chocolate and open one present each. It was such fun.
Adderly Street Cape Town in the 1960s – Ok Bazaars on the left
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Gratitude Section
What gave you the most gratification this week?
I was not well this week. An attack of diverticulitis had me on antibiotic medication and drained my energy but I was still able to be up and about between regular naps. While lying about I browsed through old PowerPoint presentations of the grandkids growing up and past holidays and that made me feel good. We have had so many good years.
How the Grinch stole Christmas – Christmas Eve 2011
Are you more productive at night or in the morning? Do you think it’s possible to change and get used to another schedule?
Throughout my adult working life, I was a morning person. I had no trouble going to sleep early and waking up early. I was that irritating person that greeted her less enthusiastic colleagues chirpily while pouring a cup of coffee before the morning staff meeting. (Coffee is an essential food for teachers, chirpy or not!)
On holiday in game reserves, it is essential to be out at dawn. No problem – I would rally my sleepy travelling companions and make sure we were out there bright and early.
Now that I am retired, things are a little different! I can still rise early if I have to but these days I go to sleep later and rise later too. I am still more productive in the morning but I can certainly do stuff at night too.
Can people change from early birds to night owls? – Yes, I think so. Can night owls change into early birds? I can’t see any of the night owls of my acquaintance ever changing into early birds. If they couldn’t during their working lives, why should they try now?
What’s the biggest vehicle you’ve driven? If you don’t drive, what’s the biggest vehicle you’ve ridden in?
The biggest motorcar I ever drove was a Volkswagen Caravelle and I loved it. We sold it when we moved to Struisbaai in 2015. Now I hardly drive at all. The Earl drives a Ford Everest and I do drive it on occasion but it is not as easy to drive as the Caravelle.
What wonderful memories we made during the ten years we owned that amazing vehicle. I used it to transport kids to school outings and sports matches etc. We could pile kids, dogs and luggage in and still travel in comfort and above all it was a superb safari vehicle. However, there was many a time that I was mistaken for a minibus taxi! It was sad to see the disappointed faces of potential passengers trying to climb aboard while I explained that I was not able to transport them to their destination.
2005 – Me at the wheel of our brand new Volkswagen Caravelle – On our way to Kgalagadi
What songs would be played on a loop in hell? (Suspend disbelief for this one, it’s cool not to believe in Hell, but let’s use our imaginations to answer. Of course one can always skip the questions they find odd too. And yes, I took into account that individual tastes will influence individual choices.)
Chris de Burgh’s Spanish Train comes to mind.
(Deep and chewy philosophical question): What does it mean to be a person? What constitutes “personhood?” (there may be some diverse opinions, but we’re all mature adults in here, so be respectful of others please).
To be a person you have to have self-awareness, reason, morality and a sense of responsibility toward others. You need to know the difference between good and evil. There is good and evil in us all but some of us are human and others are monsters.
A human will have a conscience, feel remorse and work to improve him or herself.
The problem with people is that they are also “sheeple.” Monsters will take advantage of them.
A monster has no morals, no conscience and feels no regret for doing harm to others. Monsters in History are Hitler, Idi Amin, Sadham Hussein and the like. Rapists and sadists are monsters. Anybody who needs to have power over others is a monster and does not deserve to be called nor treated like a person. Something in their DNA is wrong so they are therefore not to be considered a person.
How evil was this guy and what does it say about gullible people?
GRATITUDE SECTION (Always Optional)
How were your spirits (mood) over the past week?
I have been in good spirits. These are the small things that made me happy.
Our gardener did a wonderful job dividing and transplanting the clivias that were crowding other plants in one of our beds. He even created a lovely brick border without being asked. We are just so blessed.
The Earl’s protégé, Sam, who is spending a few days at Breede River surprised us by popping over for the afternoon. It’s an hour and a half drive! We had a lovely lunch together.
I got new linen for two bedrooms and some new towels too – this is because we now have our house with a holiday letting agent and we needed to upgrade a bit. Good news – we have tenants for Easter!
The bananas were going off so I made banana bread with almond flour and it was delicious!
Friends from Cape Town are moving permanently to Struisbaai and were here getting their new home ready for the final move. It was so good to see them.
I could go on as it is the small things that make me happy.
Last month I presented a Beginners’ Course on Zoom for the Cape Bird Club. This culminated in an outing to Strandfontein Nature Reserve on 27 March 2022. Click here to find out more about this reserve which an Important Birding Area
Members of the Bird Club assisted with leading and about 14 beginners were taken around the park in five vehicles. It was a beautiful sunny day with little wind so conditions were perfect for bird watching. Thanks to Priscilla Beeton, Johan Schlebusch, Joy Fish, Heather Howell and Earl Fenwick.
The two-part course prepared the beginners with basic birding skills and for what they were likely to find in the park. Each of them had a specially compiled checklist of birds they might see and there was great excitement when they were able to identify the birds they had learned about.
Here are some of the birds that obliged us.
Yellow-billed ducks were enjoying themselvesShowing off her beautyThe red-billed teal turned his back on usCape Teal and Red-knobbed Coot greeting each otherReflective moodThe ponds were calm and the pelicans were enjoying the sunshineThis is the lifeGreater Flamingos – not quite in their adult plumage,Pied Avocets contentedly swimmingThis bird sports a recurved billA Black-necked grebe was a real treat to seeThe Little Grebe is more commonFulvous Ducks – Not often seen at Strandfontein – A real treatCape ShovelerThe Glossy Ibis has a decurved bill Reed CormorantWe saw an African swamphen but I didn’t get a good photo so I’m cheating with this one taken a while ago.Black-headed Heron and Sacred Ibis
I might just have been more excited than the beginners at seeing all these lovely birds.
When I am not off caravanning, cruising the oceans or helping out at Fishing Tournaments, I enjoy a fairly quiet life here in Struisbaai. I am often asked, “What do you do all day?” Isn’t that just the most difficult question to answer! I do everything I used to do when I worked only at a slower pace and how wonderful it is not to rush from one activity to the next. I now have time to read more, potter in the garden, learn Italian and blog. And every day I enjoy a long leisurely walk. The creatures I see in my garden and on my walks bring a great deal of pleasure too.
Orange-breasted Sunbirds enjoying the sprinkler Witogies joined themWhile the Cape Robin decided the bathtub was a better optionTortoises are frequent visitorsAnd just the other night this young Spotted Eagle Owl and three of his siblings called from the roof and the lampost outside our house
Struisbaai boasts the most beautiful harbour and I visit it almost every day. There is always something interesting to see – the fishing boats coming back from a day at sea, the stingrays swimming in the shallows looking for titbits from the chukkie crew members as they clean their fish. The cormorants and gulls don’t miss a chance at a free meal either.
From the harbour I usually go along the boardwalk to our lovely long beach which is stunning at low tide. Sometimes I might be lucky enough to see something out of the ordinary.
Always lovely to see a Cape BulbulAnd a handsome crowned lapwingMany people paint and then hide rocks for others to find – I found this one but decided to leave it for someone else. It looked so pretty there.This Rock Kestrel eyed me but did not fly awayA Little Egret decided on seafood for breakfast on this particular morningSammy Seal was tired of swimming so came ashore for some R&RAnd a bit of groomingThe beach is wonderful for long walks, swimming, fishing, windsurfing and kitesurfing A favourite South African pastime – This is the first time we are using our new braai with its new chimney – No more smoke in our eyes!The colour of the sky at sunset is just stunning
Adventuring into Retirement 