MAY 2012
BOYS SOCCER MATCH AT CALLIES
LADIES SPAR 5KM -- ENTERED BUT NOT WALKED.
ALEXANDRIA FOREST MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE
ALLY HAS TWO GAMES OF HOCKEY AT WOODRIDGE
FLYING DOG HITS PORT ELIZABETH
21KM RUN FROM EP COMMAND
ALLY PLAYS HOCKEY FOR PEARSON SCHOOL AND OLD GREY
KENTON EXTREME TRIATHLON AND BEACH RUN 2012
JESSICA PLAYS HOCKEY FOR CLARENDON PARK AND IS A PROLIFIC GOAL SCORER FOR HER TEAM.
I WIN AN I PAD FROM WORK
PUCK WOODS DIES AT 91 YEARS OF AGE.
Monday 1 May 2012. Public Holiday.
I attempt to go for a run but when there are no people except Liz and Rianna who are to fast for me I turn around and go back to bed for a second read and sleep.
Michael's two boys: Joshua and Daniel have their first Soccer Match today at Callies. They wear their shirts and are looking well on the field.
Daniel's match is first. He is enthusiastic and runs around but makes little contact with the ball. They play against a team that outclasses the Callies boys and the game is totally one sided.
Joshua then plays two games in a row. In both he is the Goal Keeper for half of the game. Joshua has a long way to go before he is competent in this game. The U9 team is also beaten by both opponents but in both games there is a huge amount of fun and action.
Barbara and I go to Builders to buy a few electrical items and some Mint Herb for the garden. We also drop Gerald's camping cooker off with him . He kindly lent it to me for the Outeniqua hike. Ally has Hockey practice at NMMU. I collect the Bike that Ben has fixed for me.
Wednesday morning I am up very early and take the 6am flight to JHB for a meeting. This evening I fly to East London for the following two days working there. This will save me the driving.
Thursday and Friday morning I am in East London. Friday evening I fly back to PE; I stupidly forget my wallet on the airplane and only late in the evening do they call me to say that they have found the wallet.
We drop Ally off at her friend Cameron and then I take my MTB to Andre to load on his Bike Rack for the morning drive to Alexandria.
WE SEE 6 ELEPHANTS IN ENCLOSED AREAS AROUND THE START OF THE EVENT.
Saturday morning 5.5.2012. Alexandria MTB race and trail run.
Andre and I leave at around 6.30am for Alexandria. It is just as well that we were early as the parking was not easy. We had a look at the Elephants in the enclosures and the holding bay. We registered for our event and clipped our numbers onto the front of the Bikes. As we waited for our event to start we were able to greet the familiar faces: Rob and Michelle Elfick; Mike Webb; Dallas and Jane Barnardo; Jonti and Trish Daniels; Sian and Sheena Okeefe; Tessa and Alex; Andrew Barton (Benita was doing her Big Tree run in preparation for Comrades next month), Peter Stockwell from Grahamstown; Trevor Hawkins and Dave Saker; Nina and Anja Bodish;
ELEPHANT HOLDING PENS AND HANDLING AREA.
There is an amazing vibe at the event. THis is a group of people who enjoy outdoors and exploring new places and are prepared to take a chance with the unknown. Adventure people. Few if any of us have been here before. None of us know what to expect. Maybe some tough up or tough down hills. Michael Z give a Race Briefing that makes the 55kay MTB event sound quite scary. He talks about a downhill that is dangerous and has an ambulance at the bottom.
Andre and I have entered for the 18km event. At this stage of our fitness and overall ability this is what we feel that we are capable of doing.
THERE ARE BUNGALOWS TO RENT AT THE START OF THIS EVENT.
The longer distance cyclists go off. I am so pleased that we have not committed ourselves to the tough experience that these athletes are going to put themselves to . I am able to take a pic of Trish Daniels as she leaves. She looks great. I know that this lady is a real athlete but this morning I am not thinking of her athletic abilities; I am feeling that I am so pleased that it is Jonti and her that are doing this long event and not me.
The 18km event starts at 09,30. I feel that this is what I am capable of. The ride start off with a bit of a climb. I took my bike to Ben this week to see if he was able to reset the gear changers. Both front and back were giving me trouble. Unfortunately I was not able to check the bike as I was away during the week. So now I give it a try and find that the back changer is working fine but that I am not able to use the front :"Granny Gear". That is fine. I will use the middle gear in the front and then adust the back gears when required.
ELEPHANTS OF EDEN. I BELIEVE THAT VISITORS ARE ABLE TO RIDE THESE ELEPHANTS
Andre and I had started at the back. He is a stronger MTB rider than I am and he dropped me within 300meters. I worked my way up the start hill and then down. Our first bit of field work started once we turned off this dirt road. We worked our way up hill on a grassy track and then down on the other side. There were some scary down hill sections where I am not able to ride without braking. Then we hit some major bumpy sections where I saw a lot of water bottles scattered around. I ride with a back pack and bladder and do not have a water bottle in a cage. I nearly fell here as Dave skidded to a stop in front of me.
START OF THE 18KM MTB EVENT AT ELEPHANTS OF EDEN GAME PARK
There was a young boy who I later learn is Joshua Daniel ( 10 years old) ahead of me. I am able to cycle with him for a short while. We are cycling into a breeze and I go a little faster as I felt that I could not let him get ahead of me. But he does. We ride along a fairly flat farm road passing what I first think are buffalo and then realise that they are just very large breeding bulls (not of the Blue variety).
BROWN BULLS LIE SLEEPING IN THE FIELDS
Then there is a bit of dirt road again before the next major soft sand climb. I tried to cycle as far as I was able but finally had to dismount and walk. The road consists of soft sand and makes peddling for us quite impossible. I am not sure if the front riders are able to peddle. Probably a lot more than us I am sure. Here I passed two young ladies who we found at the end of the event had not received Medals. Andre and I handed our medals to them as they really deserved the recognition.
TARYN van ROOYEN AND ALISON KERNOHAN PUSH THEIR BIKES UP THIS REALLY STEEP SECTION WHICH IS MADE EVEN TOUGHER BY THE FACT THAT THE SAND IS SOFT
By now the front runners were starting to pass us. The push up was long and tough. Finally at the top we were on a grassy track again. I looked back and saw what Michael had told us to look for: Views of the dunes and ocean behind us. We can see the PE bay and a perfect Eastern Cape morning. No Chance that you are at the top of the hill yet. There is still a long push to where there is a runners watering station. A lady with a clip board is taking down our numbers -- I suppose to make sure that we have not collapsed in a heap somewhere along the trail.
WOODY CAPE SAND DUNES ARE SAID TO BE THE LARGEST DUNE FIELD IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
Still more pushing., Imran Moesagie (Nippers dad) was ahead of me and I was able to catch up to him. We rode together for a while and into the bushy section before he assisted a rider with a flat. I often see Imran at these events. He is one of a few Muslim men who take part. It is quite tough for them as they must wear long shorts despite the hot weather. They must also wear long shorts when running and swimming. Once you are at the top of this very long pushing section there is a nice steep downhill which ends up (of course) with another steep up hill. I try to ride as far up as I am able but finally have to dismount before I fall off and push again.
IMRAN MOOSAGIE
I met up with Maryka van Rooyen from Alexandria, who was simply too tired to even push her bike up the hills. Exhaustion was making her feel quite ill. My trail running kicked in and I was able to assist her up the hills. There are lots of tough (pushing) hills towards the end of this ride. I helped her get through this difficult part. As I walk and push up these hills I start to really sweat. My eyes are stinging from the salt. There is a bit o relief from the sun as we cycle through a forest area. Still more up hills until finally we see the vehicles at the end. It was not an easy descent and for the first time on the way down I had to get off the bike and push. Rocky and uneven descents are not my best part of the MTB events. I am just too scared that I am about to fall. There is quite a bit of down hill at the end of the 18km but also lots of soft sand . So you have to continue to work even though you can see the end in sight. Finally we make it to the last section. And just to make the end fun, Michael adds the last uphill to the finish banner.
I ride to Andre's car where I load the bike onto the rack. Then walk back to the grassy finish area where I am delighted to see Anja Bodish who I have not run with for many years. She is with Tessa and Andre.
ELEPHANTS OF EDEN GAME FARM NEAR TO WOODY CAPE; ALEXANSDRIA
Andre suggests that we "Hit the road". I am more than happy to do so as the company is doing a new computer download which requires a number of tasks to be done and controlled. I am able to do much of this as Andre makes his way back to PE. We pass Benita. They had stayed over at Bokness and Benita had gone into town to run a 25km Big Tree as preparation for Comrades. I saw on the BBM that Theresa and Justin had also done this long run this morning.
RESULTS
86 cyclists finished the 55km; 68 finished the 18km; 58 runners finished the 18km run and 33 took part in the 5km event. Total participants 250 athletes.
Joshua; Louise and Ashliegh Daniels all finished the 18km MTB ride. Not an easy task. Joshua was only minutes behind me. The two girls were part of 16 lady cyclists while Tricia was one of 10 doing the 55km ride.
Andre finished in 1;39 and I was home in 1;50 minutes.
The published results show that this is the second time that this event has been set up.
Barbara's running partner pulled out of the Ladies Spar event so she skipped it. Robyn met up with some friends and they did the 5km. Ally had two matches at Woodridge. Hockey against Woodridge: Barbara reported went well with Ally playing a strong game winning 4-0 and then later being beaten in the Grey Acadamy match against the Woodridge Teachers they lost 3-4. But still Ally had a strong game. For her troubles Ally was rewarded with a Hockey Ball hitting her forehead. She ended up with a nasty bump on her head and had a headache for the rest of the afternoon.
Sunday Morning. Summerstrand are having a swim from Pollock to Humewood. I had half planned to go to this swim and to do a bit of it but laziness takes me down. Barbara and I have a relaxed morning before going to the shops for some groceries. We have ourselves Spatchcock Chicked, roast potatoes and couscous for lunch.
I spend some time cleaning my bike. I know that I should do this after every MTB ride I do. But am often lazy after the ride. Our friend Steve who has our bakkie, collects loads of soil and fills in the trampoline for us.
This week I manage to run each morning from Monday to Thursday. By then I am starting to feel a little foot weary. I persuade Ben; Ronel and Andre to join me running a 21km event on Saturday morning. Ben fetches us from my house. We leave at around 5;30am. Ronel and I have pre entered. Ben drives us to the start at the EP command Base. This is near to the airport and probably the last time that I was here was 35 years ago when I reported for three months military duty. Barbara and I had just got married. She was pregnant with Nicky. And I was sent off to the army in Namibia for a three month camp. I remember being so frustrated with the lack of communication. Everything was a secret: when we would leave, where we were going etc. We were on the train for two days and then ended up in Ochivarongo which was a main camp. Here we did a whole lot of running around and received some more basic training before being sent off to the Border of Uganda in the North. I was so unfit at that time. But it helped me give up smoking as my lungs burnt from the effort of running.
Back to Saturday morning: We found the main hall and registered for the run. It was a chilly morning with a cool breeze and mist. We stood around chatting to the various people who were on their way to register. John Nelson and Andrew Jonas -- both are fit and running well. Tommy Satchwell who reminded us that the last time we were allowed in this base we would have had to register and show identification. The start of the event was a hive of activity. I joined some of the Achilles chaps as they gathered near to the start. Achilles tries to field as many runners as they are able as this makes a difference to the Participation League between the various PE running clubs. I am introduced to a couple of members who I have not met as yet.
The whistle goes off. We are not sure why it is not a gun that starts us as there must surely be some guns on a military base? I run out of the base with Billy Emslie and Bob Stedman. They are too fast for me. I am continually overtaken by faster runners. What I normally do is to start at the back and then I am able to overtake some people. But this morning as I started at the front I am the one being overtaken. We run in an Easterly direction and onto Strandfontein road next to the old Rugby stadium. Then all the way down Strandfontein road to the Gomery turn off which leads to the University.
We run into University Way and past the security Boom. By now the front runners are coming back at us. I am running with Paddy Cloete who tells me that she has not yet missed an Ironman event. This year with the wind she just put her head down for a finish. She is a psychologist and knew Michael and Jacqui when they were studying at UPE (NMMU). Paul Wolf passes us. He is the leading Achillean.
Graham Channon is running incredibly well. Bruce Mc Ewan is in the leading group. Margie Saunders later tells me that she started off with a group of ladies who were all running too fast (10km pace). Margie would win her category and also a voucher for a pair of shoes. As we turn into the University my little group of runners comes up to catch me. Ben, Ronel and Andre. From here Andre and I run together around the back of the University and out past the security Boom again. We pass the 14km to go marker.
The hill leading back up to Strandfontein road is a gradual incline as is the road back to the Rugby Stadium. All the time we are running in Mist. We are able to hear the Foghorn of the PE harbour and lighthouse. Andre remembers a time when he was on a paddle ski in the bay on his own. The mist came down and he was totally isolated and no idea where the beach was. It was only by reading the direction of the swells that he was able to make it back to shore. Being on the ocean on your own is never a good idea.
Back into Forest Hill and by now Andre is having to wait for me. I urge him to go on and finally he does that. I am a little relaxed and taking pics with my phone. We run at the back of Forest Hill and towards the back of the Airport. Another Gradual uphill. As this is a loop I am again able to see a number of familiar runners ahead of me. I quite enjoy this greeting one another as they head home and I head out towards the loop. Jane Barnardo comes running past. At the loop I see Diane Emslie. It is good to see this familiar face back supporting a really talented athlete like Billy. We do the loop around and pass the Police Station that is located there. I am amazed at how many derilict vehicles there are in this compound. Police vehicles which must all be scrap standing and rotting. We return to the start of the Loop and there Clarendon Park Primary has a group of children doing seconding. They are the Clarries Cares group. A couple of teachers and scholars are up early on a Saturday morning to do duty. Amoung them is Jessica Giddy. She seems excited and pleased to see her Grandad running: Go Grandad she shouts at me as she hands me some magic coke that enables me to run at a much improved pace for the final four KM of the event.
As we head back towards the Military Base I pass Ronel who is not having her best day ever. Good to see Gerald Bouwers and Sue Bayliss having a bit of a tussle for position. And then we run the final few kays back into the base. I battle to maintain the pace as I am really starting to tire. But at last we reach the field where the finish banner is. We are handed a medal and coke. Andre is waiting and we swap stories before Ben and Ronel come in shortly after us. Ben seems happy that he is out and taking part in an event.
We walk back to Ben's car and take a drive down to the Hobie beach were we have a short swim. For me this is my wash as I must now be dropped off at Pearson where Ally has a hockey match. I change into shorts and Tshirt and look reasonably presentable when I find Barbara on the Pearson Fields. I meet up with Thomas Spies. His daughter Anke is in the same team as Ally. He came mountain biking with us a while ago and is now keen to purchase a bike for himself. He plans a three or four day Baviaanskloof trail ride.
ALLY PLAYING HOCKEY FOR PEARSON ON THE FIELDS ON SATURDAY MORNING. THIS GAME THE PEARSON GIRLS LOST TO ALEX 0-1.
Barbara and I have a coffee and sandwich on the side of the field where where Ally is playing on grass. They are not used to grass having been on Astro for the past two seasons. Pearson lose to Alex 1;0. We drive home for a short wash and then leave for Gelvandale Astro where Ally has her second game of the morning. Here is is playing for the Old Grey Academy team. Dean Gow is their coach. He knows Ally as he is also a teacher at Clarendon. This afternoon the game is a far better one for our team and Ally herself has an action packed game. Old Grey beat the Pirates team 4-0 through some skillful attaching play and good defence.
ALLY IS PLAYING HER SECOND GAME OF THE DAY. THIS TIME IT IS AT GELVANDALE WHERE SHE PLAYS FOR OLD GREY ACADEMY. THEY PLAY PIRATES AND WIN 4-0
After the second hockey match of the day I leave for Grey School to watch some rugby. Grey is playing Wynberg. I meet up with Bob Stedman; Tremaine Wesson; Bradley Joubert and then Charles meets me at the game. We watch the second team getting beaten by Wynberg and then the First team match is preceded by a great deal of fanfare: drums, singing and chanting. Wynberg take an early lead with a converted try. The Grey boys manage to score two penalties and the score is 10; 6 in favour of Wynberg at half time.
The Wynberg boys are exceptionally fast in the back line and are overall a strong team. In the second half the Grey boys start to close down the game: working the front line phases and playing on their strengths. This is rewarded by an early try and the Grey boys finally take the lead. The game is played at a fierce pace with a lot of pushing and shoving off the ball. The referee has a reasonable control over the game and does not allow this nastiness to interfere with the flow.
Towards the end of the game Grey had been hanging on to their lead of 21-15 and with just two minutes to go the Wynberg boys managed to force the game into the Grey 22. It was now in the dying seconds that the referee seemed to lose control. The Wynberg boys made a number of errors which deserved to be blown but he just ignored them and this allowed the visitors to score the try that won them the game 22-21. It had been a thrilling, edge of the seat game from start to finish. It was the general opinion of the men around me that the better team had won but it was unfortunate for Grey that it happened in the way it did.
PUCK WOODS DIES ON MOTHERS DAY SUNDAY 13TH MAY 2012
Sunday morning 13th May. It is Mothers day today. Barbara recieves gifts from Michael's family and many wishes on the phone. It is sad news that Puck Woods died in her sleep last night. Puck was my father's sister. There were three of them: David was the youngest. He lives in Australia where his children moved. Puck married Martin who was a farmer in Moor River. He developed Arthritis and died many years ago. Puck was a strong woman who qualified as a doctor and then continued studying even in her later years. Puck was a pig farmer and was chairman of the Escourt pig breeders association for some years. Her daughter Judy continued their legacy of farming when she married Lloyd Emmanuel and moved onto a neighbouring farm. Puck was a wonderful mother, grandmother and a great grandmother: She was an inspiration to so many people and an example of the strength of a real woman. Climbing in the Himalayas; hicking with grandchildren; setting the standard for self esteem and ethics. It was fitting and appropriate that when she died at the age of 91 she died on Mothers day.
This afternoon Ally had her third Hockey match of the weekend as Old Grey played another old Grey team. Unfortunately the opposition team were short of three players. This made the match uneven and Ally's team won a realatively easy 5-0. The light was fading and the game called off early. I had to go straight to the airport to board a plane to JHB for business.
Monday 14TH:
I leave for JHB and then two days in EL. Thursday morning I am able to run in the morning.
Friday it is cold and miserable. I have to be in Port Alfred for a meeting and drive in wind and rain.
KENTON EXTREME TRIATHLON; MTB AND BEACH RUN
Saturday morning Ally has a Hockey match at NMMU against the Kingswood girls. Pearson scores an early goal and Kingswood returns the favour. Pearson have a really tough second half and are fortunate to have a strong defence which means the score ends on 1;1.
We take Ally home for a quick shower, I load my bike and we drop Ally off at her friend Meldon Clark for the weekend. We collect the keys from Charles' house. They are not at home so we have to burgle the house: I climb over the spikey gate and enter in the back door, find the keys and then we head off to Bushmans. The drive takes 90minutes. We off load our stuff and Barbara elects to stay in the house.
There is a cold west wind blowing and it would be miserable on the beach front. I drive to Kenton where the Kenton eXtreme weekend is in progress. I have entered the Off Road Triathlon. The event starts on the beach. Once I have put all my stuff right for the race I put on my wetsuite. The swim is going to be the quickest and easiest of the legs. The water is really not at all cold. We jump in next to the mouth and are pushed into the stream by a strong current. I soon realise that people all around me are wading. I know that we are not supposed to do this so I carry on swimming. In fact I think that swimming is quicker than wading. I am enjoying the swim and make it around the buoy and then up stream back to the beack. I am the only competitor that runs around the flag that we are supposed to run. Into Transition and I shuck my wetsuite, put on my tackies with sandy feet. I should not worry about this as we are going to have sandy feet pretty soon anyway.
The Cycle let takes us up the Tow Path (Promenade) towards the Main Road. We reach the main road and have to walk across the bridge. Then down a steep descent on the other side and along a soft sea sand beach, a rocky section before being able to push our bikes up a steep sandy pathway. At the top of the path we start the bumpiest of all sections. It is a narrow path and a deep groove which makes me bump from side to side and I only just manage to stay myself from falling. We again reach the main road and ride into a game farm / housing estate. Up along the perimiter where there is electric fencing to the side of us. I meet up with two ladies from Port Alfred: Lynette and Avril. I am glad to have company at the back end of the field. There are only around 30 competitors and I soon realise that I am last.
We ride past the first check point. Then there are some tough sections up and down including one section where there is a sign (Caution Needed) before we reach the steep paved road where I simply do not have the strength to ride. We regroup at the top and then ride an easy down hill. There is a sign (compulsory dismount) we ride down the grassy hill and at the end there are three poles that we have to walk across. But just as we reach the bottom, two of the fast riders come hurtling past us, skid to a halt and run up the other side. I try my best to push the bike but the sand is slippery and I battle. Fortunately Lynette is a strong biker and she assists myself and Avril. We are now back at the entrance to the estate and now have to do this section all over again. Lynette has cleats and has fallen a couple of times as she was not able to uncleat in time. When we reach the entrance to the estate for the second time we are all starting to feel quite tired. We have to cycle up along the perimiter again and then down to the checkpoint. We now follow a different route and are soon on a dirt track leading back to the path way that takes us back to the beach.
We cycle down the path and then push the bikes over the rocks and along the soft sand section. Back up to the R72, over the bridge and down back to the promenade. Lynette takes a last fall of the day as some boisterous young locals are on the pathway. Fortunately she falls into the bush and not to the left hand side which would have caused some damage. We cycle the final section and onto the beach and into transition.
A quick rack of the bikes and we head into a westerly direction along the beach, up and onto the pathway through a suburb and along a path and back to the beach. A short (wind assisted) run to the finish and we are finally home. 3hours and ten minutes of tough riding and running.
We all finish in just around 3 hours and 10minutes:
Lynette Harbrecht
Avril Beyleveld
Meggan and Shaun Spires who had some bike trouble with a hired bike and we were able to assist him.
Eldie and Riegard J v Rensburg
I head back to Bushmans and straight into the shower. I am really exhausted and shakey. Barbara and I take a drive into the village and find a Pizza place to order a supper. A couple of drinks and short period of reading and my eyes start to close. I think that it is not more than 8pm.
Sunday morning. I have entered for the Ten Kay Beach Run. The west wind is still blowing strongly. But after a plate of porrige and a wash I am ready for the next event. Barbara again elects to stay in the house and continues to read. It is a really cosy house as the morning sun comes into the glass doors.
I drive back to Kenton and register for the event. I again take my water pack as I know water will be limited and I know how thirsty I become. Yesterday I had filled my bladder with around 2 liters and had finished that. At the start I meet up with Brian and Laura who both did the Addo trail run. As had Lynette as well. They are all from Albany Road Runners and know each other. I also see Tracey (one hour and 51minute finish and Adrian Meistre (4Hour 21minutes for the 55km event) and Philip Nienaber (one hour and 21 minute finish) who are doing the 20km MTB ride this morning. I am glad that I decided to do the beach run as I really have had enough of the bike for the weekend.
The run this morning is not going to be a race for me. I have tired legs from yesterday and am out here for the fun of it. We again run up the promenade and over the bridge. Down on the east side and up the pathway once more. Along the gravel road and then down to the beach. We run along the beach for a further about three kays before turning and heading back --- into a strong west wind -- towards Kenton. It is a real slog as the sand is often soft and the wind makes going tough. I manage to run almost the whole way, down the path and back to the beach, onto the main road and then finally, for the last time this weekend, along the promenade to the finish.
Lynette and Avril finish in 1;05 and I am 8 minutes behind them in 1;13.
I greet the people that I have met: Lynette, Avril, Brian and Laura and head back to Bushmans for a shower. I pack up our stuff and load it in the car. We relax and read for a while before heading home. On the way we stop at a Padstal -- TamJazi -- for a breakfast of Omlette with Peri Peri Livers, coffee and lots of tummy space. This breakfast is a real treat and is good medicine for the drive home. We off load and drive to Seaview to collect Ally from her friend Muldon.
LETTER FROM PATRICK TO JENNY FOLLOWING A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR PUCK WOODS WHO DIED ON MOTHERS DAY SUNDAY 13TH MAY 2012 AT AGE 91.
Hi Jenny Just to keep you in touch with family stuff. Mainly, thedeath
of aunt Puck last Sunday. She had had cancer (first on her spine)abouttwo years ago, had had an operation, recovered, was still very good
company.Marianne and I had seen her on the Thursday – she was being
looked after byvarious Zulu ladies, and her daughter Judy moving between
her farm and Puck’scottage. “I’ve had a lovely last day” she said to
Judy on Wednesday evening.
What a star. She was buried on Judy’s farm (family only) andthe memorial
service yesterday at the village. Her cottage, said one of thevillage
ladies, always had a visitor, because “to be in the company of Puck
wasmost agreeable”, and everyone knew this.
Met various cousins I hadn’t seen for twenty years or so.Robert Ingles,
the son of the son of her very good friend (who has also been tothe
Antarctic, like Isabelle) sang – Bridge over Troubled Waters, which
broughttears to everyone, and other suchlike songs. Shauna messed up and
didn’t arrive– she’d booked the wrong airticket. I congratulated the
daughter-in-law ofJudy, her son Colin’s wife, for getting Puck’s memoirs
into book form (Lis, M’stwin, did that for their grandmother Diana). St
John chatted to their childrenwho attend his old school Notties up
there. Puck’s other child, problematicTim, continued to be problematic.
Where the others said how amazing it was tobe taken horseriding up the
Drakensberg by Puck in the freezing cold when theywere in their early
teens, Tim said it was completely miserable. The Midlandsmen continued
to be the midlands men and huddled together drinking and talkingabout
Michaelhouse and the farms. Marianne got into a long conversation
withJack Goldsmith, 90, who then decided he wants to come to the
conference I’m organizingfor the beginning of November on: Religion,
Values, and a Secular Culture.
Meanwhile, we’re all doing stuff. St John is having hisannual trip to
Boston in June/July. We’re – yay! – heading off for a two-weekvisit to
the cousins in Barcelona (I’ve found a conference there… so my
ticketgets paid) and a w/end in Paris with Carmen. Marianne is back and
forth to CapeTown quite often. And I’m off next week to China for ten
days unfortunately bymyself, for three conferences in Wuhan and Beijing.
love, and see you in Wildcliffe don't know when.
Patrick
LETTER FROM PATRICK TO JENNY AND FAMILY REGARDING HIS DECEMBER 2011 TRIP TO EASTERN EUROPE.
Dear Jenny and Charles and James and Jovi and Richard, and Julia and Laura, and Unknown Entity
Hope you are all doing well, in New York and Rhinecliff, and have a great Christmas. Here, in Sofia, it snowed heavily night before last and I went out without my thermal underwear to town, to the Weihnachtsfest open air and my legs froze, minus 5, Alex said.
The day before we'd gone up to the ski resort Borowitz, an hour and twenty minutes, very pretty, and Thomas and I tried skiing (Alex has his own skis and boots), I liked it but the boots, clomp, clomp, took a bit of getting used to: we've booked for two nights when Isabelle and St John come, beginning of Jan, and when all the others have gone off somewhere - brother Simon and family are arriving from Canada at the same time as Is and StJ. We're off to Istanbul day after Christmas for a few days, that's quite exciting, staying at the Spectra in the old city, advice courtesy of Augustine and Acelia Shutte, and agreed to by Sheila when she saw the price difference between that and the hotels in the new part of the city.
I managed to negotiate the taxis to get me to and from the university for my talk to the philosophers on African philosophy, but not much response so for the next talk I roped in: wife; mother-in-law; Bulgarian/Australian couple I met on the plane coming from London (well Thomas, nearly 4, met their Caspar, nearly 4), and it went much better. Then out for supper with our new friends at the Armenian restuarant nearby, great food, and it helped having a Bulgarian-speaker in our group.
Marianne and I loved staying the weekend coming over from SA, with Peter Spence and Anna and the two kids Alexander and Cassandra, and they loved Thomas so sent M and I off to do tourism - the Gallery and stuff - and pubs, great for us! How nice to chat to cousins out of the context of large extended family Plett events. Christine gave us Sunday breakfast at her house with her housemates, rather overly concerned with the doings of Fergie and other royalty, it seemed to me, and looking forward to the Maggie Thatcher film.
If the baby's arrived, congratulations to all.I'll ask M to send some photos - St John and I attended Isabelle's graduation in Cape Town, to my surprise I enjoyed it, surrounded by a group of ullulating family of Zimbabwean science graduates. The night before Marianne had to give the speech at her mom's 70th, we dressed up St John and he couldn't believe how smart he looked!
lots of love to allPatrick - and Marianne and Thomas
Have to try our hand at a snowman this morning on the lawn outside - (where are Julia and Laura when we need them?)and then we're going to see how the skiing is at the nearby Vitosha slopes, only 30 min. away, which didn't have enough snow but now does of course.
Come home with an I Pad which the GM's won as a result of a sales competition.
Thursday: I have a good run with Svenje through target and into Walmer. Run up and down both sides of Target Kloof.
Bought myself a new pair of Asics Cumulus R800 special at Brian Bands.
Friday: joshua doore greenacres;
Saturday: Beach run; Boys rugby; Ally hockey at school and at NMMU; rugby Grey play St Andrews. Supper at Angelo's.
This mornings beach run is one of my better runs. Ben, Andre and I have an amazing Run together. After the run we have a short swim and the Ben drops me off at VP High where Ally is playing hockey. THe Pearson team Has a tough game and Ally plays well. Later this afternoon Ally plays for the Old Grey team against the PEgs team? Àlly,s Old Grey team really work well together and they win most of their games.
My best activity of the week: watching Grey play St Andrews at Rugby, I was not able to watch the whole game as Ally had a hockey match at NMMU later this afternoon. This evening straight after hockey we stop off at Angelo's restaurant for a quick supper. Barbara has steak and Ally and I have Thai curry chicken. Quick tastes and not too expensive.
Sunday morning we have a bit of a late sleep. I spend the day studying for a FAISAL exam that I must write in a few weeks time. This week I am at home. Michael has a benefit program for the cancer treatment. We attend a function at Charlo running club and they will be trying to raise funds when running Comrades on Sunday. I am able to run three days this week. I apply for my passport and am happy with the service that I receive at home affairs. In an hour have my application in and just a few days later receive an SMS to say I can collect the passport.
May 2012 was a hectic month with so many activities.
Thursday: I have a good run with Svenje through target and into Walmer. Run up and down both sides of Target Kloof.
Bought myself a new pair of Asics Cumulus R800 special at Brian Bands.
Friday: joshua doore greenacres;
Saturday: Beach run; Boys rugby; Ally hockey at school and at NMMU; rugby Grey play St Andrews. Supper at Angelo's.
This mornings beach run is one of my better runs. Ben, Andre and I have an amazing Run together. After the run we have a short swim and the Ben drops me off at VP High where Ally is playing hockey. THe Pearson team Has a tough game and Ally plays well. Later this afternoon Ally plays for the Old Grey team against the PEgs team? Àlly,s Old Grey team really work well together and they win most of their games.
My best activity of the week: watching Grey play St Andrews at Rugby, I was not able to watch the whole game as Ally had a hockey match at NMMU later this afternoon. This evening straight after hockey we stop off at Angelo's restaurant for a quick supper. Barbara has steak and Ally and I have Thai curry chicken. Quick tastes and not too expensive.
Sunday morning we have a bit of a late sleep. I spend the day studying for a FAISAL exam that I must write in a few weeks time. This week I am at home. Michael has a benefit program for the cancer treatment. We attend a function at Charlo running club and they will be trying to raise funds when running Comrades on Sunday. I am able to run three days this week. I apply for my passport and am happy with the service that I receive at home affairs. In an hour have my application in and just a few days later receive an SMS to say I can collect the passport.
May 2012 was a hectic month with so many activities.
