JANUARY 2012

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER LOOK GOOD TOGETHER; NERVOUS AT FIRST BUT HAD A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE ZIPPING AROUND CERES MITCHELLS PASS MOUNTAINS



JESSICA HANGS AROUND WITH SPIDERMAN



SAUL; CATHY; BARBARA AND ALLY ON THE FOOTBRIDGE OVER THE DWARS RIVER IN CERES

NEW YEARS DAY IN CERES
CATHY AND SAUL HAVE MTB'S AT CERES
BARBARA AND ALLY SADDLE UP
CERES NAMED AFER THE GREEK GODDESS OF FERTILITY
MTB AT KRAGGA KAMMA NORM HUDLIN
MPOSHANE GAME RESERVE MOUNTAIN BIKING
10 KM ROAD RACE AT GREY JUNIOR SCHOOL WITH ANDRE
HOPEWELL MTB RIDE WITH CHARLES
ALLY PASSES HER SURF PROFICIENCY AWARD TEST
MEETING IN JHB
BLUEWATER BAY 15 KM RUN
BIKE RIDE AROUND MARINE DRIVE
NIPPERS TRAINING

As you come into Ceres you cross the Van Breda bridge. This bridge crosses the Dwars River


BRIDGE OVER THE DWARS RIVER IN CERES. CONSTRUCTED BY MURRAY AND STEWART. 1928: VAN BREDA BRIDGE. CONSTRUCTION 1993

Sunday morning 1; January 2012.


NICKY AND STEFAN KITTED OUT FOR A ZIPPING EXPERIENCE


We are staying in Ceres at the Porterhouse B & B. This is around one Kay from Lynette's house. This morning we are up at 7am and after a good breakfast we mount up on to the MTB's and go for a short cycle around the village. We find an old ruin of a property and then cross a foot bridge. Barbara is on the bike with the damaged saddle. This makes cycling quite uncomfortable. I think that there may have been other damage as the bike is not riding as well as it should and has a bit of a squeak.

We find the pathway to the Zip line road. After a wrong turn Saul leads us across a pathway and then up to the tarred section of the road. We cycle to where the Zip Line ends and then walk the short pathway to watch a group finishing their tour. Bafu is the leader of their team this morning.

SAUL; CATHY; BARBARA AND ALLY ON THE ROCKS AT THE FINISH OF THE ZIP LINE ADVENTURE


Once we have watched this group Saul and I cycle up the road to where we had been the previous morning to do our Zipping. I point out some of the features. Only now do I realise that this is the road to the dam that Andrew had spoken about. The rock features, the sound of the water, the pools and variety of the plant life makes the effort of the cycle worthwhile.
Strangely enough we saw two small tortoises on the dirt road to the mountain.

We cycled back to where Stefan and Nicky were staying at Lynette's house. As we went we crossed a foot bridge. Ally had a bit of a sore knee and we had a brief rest on the foot bridge. We met up with the rest of the family. Aaron has chicken pox. He picked it up from Daniel in PE and it now appears that Jacqui's children have also contracted this irritating infection. Mia and Christian could also be on the way to catching the virus.

Back to our B & B where Cathy and Saul packed up and left for Cape Town. They have animals that cannot be left for extended periods. We spent the rest of the day between resting and playing UNO at Lynettes house.

Monday 2nd Jan 2012
Now we are into 2012.
We pack up from our B & B and leave for PE. It is a longish drive. We take the route via Ashton, Barrydale (where I buy some jam tarts which I then lose when I put on top of the car and drive off). We have the three mTB's on the back of the Qashqai and this makes me stop often to check if all is safe. We drive straight past Oudtshoorn and finally make a stop in Joubertina at "Die kraalitjie shop and food" a cafe where we have a snack before the final leg to PE. At this little shop we are reminded of the water restrictions.

We fill up in Oudtshoorn where I find this weather report



As die klip nat is, dan reen dit
As die klip droog is, dan skyn die son
As die klip beweed, waai die wind
As jy nie die klip sien nie, is dit mistig

If the rock is wet, it is raining
If the rock is dry, the sun is shining
If the rock is moving, the wind is blowing
If you are not able to see the rock, it is misty.

STOP IN JOUBERTINA FOR COFFEE AND A SNACK

DIE KRAALITJIE WINKEL EN KOS IN JOUBERTINA.


WATER BEPERKING. WATER RESTRICTION. WERK SPAARSAMIG. WORK SPARELY. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TRANSLATE LITERALLY. IN FACT I FELT QUITE SPARE.

Tuesday 3rd
Back to morning running.
It is hot weather with rain from time to time.
I am battling to focus on work.

Saturday Morning we go to the beach where we do our Admiralty loop of around 15kay. And the swim thereafter.

Sunday morning; John, Kevin and I start at Norm Hudlin cycle park for a 15kay loop. I am slow and by the time I get to the end John has already started a second 8kay loop. We wait for a bit and then Charles and Martin arrive. We all go off together and they do the 15 while we do another 8kays.
For me the MTBing is great but so too is the area where we are. Right now the farm looks like a spring fever has hit it with all of the colourful grasses and plants


WATSONIA


VYGIE


GUINEAFOWL


ERICA


RETSIO


PROTEA


PIN CUSHION PROTEA


BLUE GRASSES

A little later we go down to Summerstrand for the first Nippers session of the season.

Monday morning
I leave for King where I work the day and then book into Mposhane Game park at the top of the Kei pass. I have brought my MTB and go for a cycle. THis is a really good de-stress for me. I ride up to the house; down again and then round to the back of the house. It is here that I spot a small herd of Zebra. I have seen hares and scarab beetles and even one small brown buck run across the track but this is my first spotting of Zebra. I ride back to the camp where Jonathan is the houseman.

Monday 9th.
Left early for King where I had a full day before driving on to the top of the Kei River Pass. Just past the Komga turnoff there is a turn to the right. I have previously stayed here: Mposhane Game reserve. After being greeted by Jonathan who is a Zimbabwean who is the hospitality manager, I unpacked my MTB and had a bit of a ride in the reserve. Not too many hills but just enough to make me work up a bit of a sweat. This is good therapy for me after a day like today. It is only myself staying here and I feel very comfortable to leave my stuff outside and to sleep with an open door. It is very hot recently and these rooms have no fans. Here in this area it can be still and humid.


MPOSHANE ZEBRA



SCARAB BEETLES ON THE PATHWAYS OF MPOSHANE


THIS IS MY ROOM AT MPOSHANE. SIMPLE, NO TV OR CELL SIGNAL, SMELLS OF WOOD AND THATCH


MOUNTAIN BIKING AT MPOSHANE WITH BUCK AND ZEBRA ON THE HORIZON

Tuesday 10th.
Left Mposhane early for Mthatha where I spent the morning. This is a stressful drive for me and I have to remain 100% alert all the time. I worked in Mthatha this morning and then back to Dutywa in the afternoon. I completed two shops before driving back to Mposhane. Here I was again the only resident and immediately took the bike out for a ride. On both afternoons I have been able to see buck and Zebra. This afternoon I saw two families of Zebra in two different sections of the reserve and also a small herd of 5 Blesbok. I see a number of Hares as well. I managed to find two different routes to take. It is a bit lonely and I worry when I scare up these huge Zebra. But it seems that they are more scared of me.


GORGE AT MPOSHANE. THIS IS THE VIEW FROM THE ROOMS AND THE MAIN LODGE

Wednesday 11th
I am in Butterworth for the day today. This evening I am able to get onto the MTB again. This is really good therapy for me after the day of driving and working. This evening I see a small herd of Springbok who show me, with their pronking, why they are called Springbok. The houseman is Jonathan – Zimbabwean. He makes a good supper every evening as well as being the barman. I sit at the bar and work as there is little signal and they have a booster for cell phones located on the bar.


Thursday 12th.
I am up and leaving Mposhane early. On the way to the N2 I come across a fallen Eucaplytus tree. It had been a thunder storm the previous evening and I am sure that this old tree had been hit and this had caused the tree to fall across the road. I meet up with Lisa who has two young children in the car and they are going to school in East London. Lisa has recently moved to another game park (hunt lodge) where her husband is the manager. Rob is a farmer and he too has a child to get to school. I think that we are going to be stuck here for ages – it will be a massive job to move this tree and to clean up. I am wrong. Farmer Kevin and son arrive with a front end loader which appears like magic through the forest and field, rides clean through the already damaged wire fencing and pushes the tree off the road as if it was a twig. We all clean up and are able to ride on in a few minutes.
Today I am in Butterworth again and then Stutterheim before driving home.


EUCALYPTUS TREE ACROSS THE ROAD FROM MPOSHANE TO N2 AFTER LIGHTENING STORM THE NIGHT BEFORE


FARMER KEVIN HAS A FRONT END LOADER THAT MOVES THE TREE OFF THE ROAD IN MINUTES


Friday I drop Ally off at Pearson. School started on Wednesday and Ally had her first day in Grade 9 at this school. For the past 6 to 8 months she has been looking forward to going to school here. It will take some time for her to settle in. She has already made the U15 Water Polo Team.

This afternoon Charles phones me and we meet at Kragga Kamma for a bike ride. Martin, Charles and I do the 15kay loop. We meet up with another couple who tell us that they rode over a Pufadder lying in the road. Amazingly they did not kill it. I am coping better with some of the hurdles and this afternoon managed to ride over the ramp in both directions for the first time. I cannot keep up with the speed and skill of my two friends as we ride the straights and the windy bits through the trees. It takes us around 90 minutes and we leave just after 6pm.


MARTING GIVES CHARLES' WHEEL A PUMP


KEVIN; CHARLES AND MARTIN



MARTIN GIVES INSTRUCTIONS


SEEN AT THE END OF THE NORM HUDLIN CYCLE PARK: FINNISH: ONLY SCANDANAVIAN PEOPLE MAY GO THIS WAY

After a shower I walk to Grey where I register for a benefit 10kay on Saturday morning.

Saturday 14th
TEN KAY ROAD RACE AT GREY JUNIOR

I walk to the Grey – College Drive where I meet up with the group: Adrienne and her family and Andre. Warren and Lee Collier, a couple of Achilleans; Robin; Robin; Keith, Sue and Liesl; Andrew. Jacqui Zeelie greets us. We hover around the start and then charge off at a fast pace, Around Grey, Wares road to Linkside. Up first avenue Newton Park and then right into the suburb.

We run to 5th ave (gentle downhill) and then left loop and back up 6th ave. Keith Harris and his son Ethan are marshalling. Andre has been off excersize for weeks and is not strong. We probably started a bit too fast and are now battling a bit to maintain the pace. We press on along college drive and see the One Kay to go mark. and then run the rest of the way. I think that we finished just in an hour. Jacqui is right behind us. I see Peter Wilson who tells me that this is his first 5kay run non stop in many years. We see Adrienne, Mike and Pat finishing.

Andre and I walk back home. I have a quick shower and then drive Ally to her friend Muldon where Wade meets them for some fun and hockey practice. Barbara and I go shopping and I buy a pair of jeans.
Later I fetch Ally for her SPA test at Summerstrand.

Varrin coaches the team and they all pass their theory. In the morning it is time for the practical.

Sunday 15th January 2012 morning
It is the day Ally passes her first SPA practical at Summerstrand. I drop Ally off at Tara vd Venter and the two of them are at the beach from 6.30am to around 5.30pm. It is a really long and tough day for all of the first timers. Today is also the first time that there is a drowning at Summerstrand while lifesavers are on duty watch. Two very competent and experienced lifesavers; Richard and Stewart are first on the scene and yet not able to save the youngster nor able to find him.

Monday and Tuesday I am in JHB for meetings. Achilles moves from Old Grey to Little Walmer Golf Course. I am sure that this is going to be a really positive move just from the point of view of routes to run. Not having to cross Cape Road is a major bonus. The time when Achilleans are at their most vulnerable is when leaving the club en masse. From Little Walmer there are all kinds of routes where it is not neccessary to cross main roads at all.

Thursday this week Michael has a scan for any recurrence of the Cancer. We are all a little apprehensive but amazingly there is nothing to be seen. The Doctor shows us the pictures of his tummy. All a mess due to the operations. But no cancer. There is a kind of euphoric feeling in the house after this. We know that this is not the final and definitive reading but at least we know that right now M is clear.


One of the amazing things of being a Grandad is precious moments like these:


SPIDERMAN CHECKS OUT THE SCENE BEFORE HEADING OFF TO CAPTURE SOME BAD DUDES


JESSICA HANGS AROUND WITH SPIDERMAN


DANIEL IS SPIDERMAN

Saturday morning 21st January
I drive to Bluewaterbay and run the 15 km road race

This afternoon is a real busy afternoon cleaning up and moving stuff around. I had another go at cleaning the MTB as I planned a ride in the morning.

Sunday morning
I had planned to cycle on the MTB but as no one responded to say that they would be there I decided to haul out my poor lonely and unused Road Bike. It is ages since I last rode this bike and had to give it a few turns and pump wheels before leaving. I rode up Cape Road and left into Moffet. Up to Builders Warehouse in Buffelsfontein road and then down towards 6th ave where I planned to turn left and home. As I was riding I pass a number of cyclists going the opposite direction but one group in particular attracts me as they are riding MTB's with slicks and there are a couple of women plus a young child.




FRIENDS OF BRUCE FROM CRADOK (VIV AND MERLE) THIS GROUP IS PRACTICING FOR THE HERALD 40KAY CYCLE RACE IN A FEW WEEKS TIME.


BRUCE KING. I INTRODUCED MYSELF AND THEN FOUND SOME GOOD COMPANY TO RIDE AROUND THE MARINE DRIVE


EIGHT YEAR OLD GORDON KING CYCLED THE MARINE DRIVE WITH REALLY LITTLE OR NO EFFORT. HE SEEMS TO LOVE DOING THIS ACTIVITY WITH HIS DAD.


So after thinking about it for a short while I turn around and chase after this group. Once I had caught them I introduce myself and decide to join them for a ride around the Marine Drive. We ride up to Glendore road and left over to Schoenies road. Right and then down to Schoenmakers Kop and the Marine Drive. We turn left and ride along the coast line to Willows and then Noordhoek and the University before making our way to 2nd ave Summerstrand to where the group is staying.

I meet up with Bruce King and his son Gordon who is just 8years old. He is at Clarendon Park School and there is an older sibling who was at Clarendon and is now at Pearson: Sabrina who Ally knows. It is a small world as Bruce and I find all kinds of connections such as he has played Tennis with Craig Giddy and is a long time friend of the van Vuurens who have a daughter who is the "goalie" in Ally's waterpolo team that went to Cape town.

After the cycle I wash and Ally and I go through to Summerstrand where she takes part in the Lifesaving training and talk and I am part of the Nippers Coaching team. I love this activity as it gives me time in the sea and surf. It is wonderful to see how the youngest of the group -- Micro Nippers and U10's take to the water and are soon able to swim out a distance and to surf some really tough waves.


Barbara has been doing a bit of a claen up in the house. She takes a table and cuts the legs short and makes this into a coffee table in the TV lounge. Then she gets a whole lot of old games and puzzles and sorts them out. One of the Puzzles is a huge thing in a box without a picture to see what to build.

Jessica and Barabra have a special bond and activity building these puzzles. Very theraputic for both of them. This needs a huge amount of patience. They started on this puzzle with no picture and within a day had complete to put all of these unknown pieces together.


JESSICA AND BARBARA BULD A TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE PUZZLE IN ONE DAY

Monday 23rd
Rowena and I drive to Graaff Reinet and Middelburg where we work for the next two days.


Thursday and friday I am in Meetings in East London.

Saturday morning I am up early and working at the Achilles Marathon at Altona School. Ally has a Waterpolo tournament at Pearson. Ally plays well and scores a bevy of goals. the best goal is when she is passed the ball and swims the entire length of the pool with the ball on her chin and then shoots an amazing goal.
Sunday morning I meet with Andre and we drive to Norm Hudlin where we hook up with Kevin and Gerald. We do the 15km route and have a great ride. I then go to Nippers where we take the Nippers to Hobie beach for some sea and board training.
Sunday evening Mike Perks talks at church.

I spend most of the following week at home.

And so ends January 2012.
Next month Barbara goes to Canada.