ARON DRAWS ON THE BEACH AT MOSSEL BAY
JOSHUA AND DANIEL WATCHING RUGBY AT THE GREY FESTIVAL. WET AND MUDDY FIELDS MAKE FOR A SCRAPPY GAME WON BY GREY AGAINST SACS 32-12. WATCHING RUGBY AT GREY IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE SATURDAY AFTERNOON RELAXATION ACTIVITIES. TODAY IS SPECIAL AS I HAVE MICHAEL, JOSHUA AND DANIEL JOINING ME.
PETER AND JACQUI IN THE JUNGLE OF THE ADDO TRAIL RUN 50KM KIRKWOOD TO ZUURBERG
MARCH 2012
EAST CAPE NIPPER CHAMPS
PLETTENBERGBAY
3RD MARCH 2012
ADDO TRAIL RUN
KIRKWOOD TO ZUURBERG AND ADDO
10TH MARCH 2012
ALLY TRIES OUT FOR THE PEARSON U16 TOURING HOCKEY TEAM AND MAKES IT INTO THE SQUAD
ALLY IS IN THE PEARSON U15 WATERPOLO TEAM AND SCORES THE FINAL GOAL OF THE SEASON.
HOCKEY IN GEORGE
JACQUI GIVES BIRTH TO TOM ON 31ST MARCH FRIDAY EVENING AT 7PM
NICKY AND HER FAMILY IN MOSSEL BAY FOR HOLIDAY
MICHAEL HAS A SWEETS STAND AT A SCHOOL FOOD FESTIVAL
RUGBY FESTIVAL AT GREY
NIPPERS NATIONALS AT KINGS BEACH
KOUGA KUS HALF MARATHON
March 2012
I was in East London for business this week. Friday back at work and get the trailer and stuff ready for our trip to Plettenbergbay on Saturday morning. Ally stays over with Meldon. Jessica, Joshua and Daniel travel to Plett with us. We leave at 5.30am and go straight to the beach. Here we spend the next two days. Even though Ally is no longer a Nipper it is a hectic two days. Our Grandchildren have a wonderful time on the beach.
SUMMERSTRAND CAMP AREA AT PLETT EAST CAPE NIPPER CHAMPS MARCH 2012
On Sunday the awards always takes longer than planned. Getting the results ready is not an easy task. Finally Ant Cox hands out the medals and we are able to leave around 14.30. As we drive out of the beach area a car speeds past us in the left lane and loses control and smashes into an oncoming bakkie which rolls before coming to a stop in the road. No one has external injuries.
We hitch up the trailer and take a slow easy drive back to PE. No incidents.
Monday morning I head off to Queenstown for the next three days. I get back on Wednesday evening in time to watch the final waterpolo game of the season.
ALLY HAS HOCKEY TRIALS AT PEARSON AND MAKES IT INTO THE U16 TOURING TEAM FOR THE END OF MARCH DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.
FINAL WEDNESDAY EVENING LEAGUE GAME OF THE SEASON; PEARSON HAS HAD AN AWESOME SEASON AND THIS IS NO EXCEPTION AS THEY BEAT ALEXANER ROAD HIGH SCHOOL
JUST AFTER THIS ALLY TAKES THE BALL AND SWIMS IT UP TO THE GOAL WHERE SHE SCORES THE FINAL GOAL OF THE WATERPOLO SEASON 2012.
Thursday and Friday are hectic. Cathy tells us that she is pregnant. This will be her first child. Jacqui is also due to have her third baby and it seems that this baby will be born a month premature. Barbara books her ticket to Israel for 11th April. Ally is in the final 20 of the Pearson Hockey team going on tour later this month. She has been working so hard to make it to the final cut as it is her dream to go on this tour. Ally loves touring with the school. Friday afternoon Ally has the last of the trials and this evening plays a strong and forceful game. Either it is this game or previous trials but she makes the final squad for the Pearson U16 touring team.
ALLY HAS HOCKEY TRIALS AT PEARSON AND MAKES IT INTO THE U16 TOURING TEAM FOR THE END OF MARCH DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.
Saturday morning I am up very early, fetch Jacqui Zeelie and we drive to Addo for the 50km trail run. We have a tough ten hours on the trail but make it to the end. Sunday moring I am surprisingly steady and make it to Nipper training where I am able to jog with the Nippers and swim as well. Ally is on Beach Lifeguard Duty and is kind of left alone to patrol the beach.
JACQUI ZEELIE LOOKS WELL ON THIS GREULING 50KM ADDO TRAIL RUN.
Sunday and it is back to normal with Nippers training.
Monday -- Graaff Reinet
Wednesday -- JHB
Thursday -- East London
Friday -- supper and bridge with Charles and Ingrid: this is how we love to spend an evening. Good Friends, Ingrid is a really good cook and entered Master Chef SA and made it into the next round but decided to pull out as it would mean too much time away from home.
Saturday 17 March -- Cathy comes to visit: it is raining in the morning so I am slack and miss my morning run.
Sunday 18th; Kevin and I cycle at Kragga Kamma Norm Hudlin. There are very few cyclists and we hear that there is a race organised at Hopewell farm today. Fortunately for us two cyclists pass us and clear the trail of the spider webs. The spiders are quite nasty looking at times so we are happy to have a more or less clear trail. Still I often feel the web in my face from time to time. After the cycle I realise how unfit I am for MTB. I am exhausted and sore. We had ridden at an easy pace but still I was muscle weary.
KEVIN ON THE NORM HUDLIN TRAIL
Stefan and Nicky bought a "new" car this month: the Audi looks as feels so very smart. They had also planned to find a new combi but were not satisfied with the vehicle that they saw so put the purchase on hold.
STEFAN'S NEW AUDI
PAT AND GERALD MARRIED 40 YEARS THIS MONTH
NICKY HOUSE AND ENTERTAINMENT AREA
Sunday: Ally has Duty and I take her to Summerstrand as soon as I get back from the MTB ride. There is a National Triathlon champs on at Summies today. We get to see the Age Groupers going off as well as the Elite taking part. Rob Ermes uses this as a qualifier to go to the World Champs in New Zealand in September this year. Rob did not have his greatest ride but still was 8th which should qulify him to represent SA. It was a real pleasure to see these top athletes in action.
Monday:;I have not run with the MPRG for a while as I have been away a lot recently. So this morning I am pleased to be in the group again. We do the Town / back of Collegiate run this morning. Elloise is a recent runner to join us. She and Andrew charge up the hill. Pat reminds me that she was first up the hill last week. Monday evening we have a really good Cell Group discussion.
Tuesday I run with Elloise. She is an OT and friend of Letitia who was on the Addo run with us a week ago. Tuesday evening Ally has water polo practice and an information session afterwards. Hadyen Skinner takes us all through some of the rules and Fouls. There is a Foul, an Exclusion Foul and then there is a violent foul (Cap Off) which takes the player out of the pool but can be substituted and lastly a bad violent foul where the player is out of the pool but no substitute allowed.
If the foul is in the 2 meter zone then they have to First play out of the zone before a goal may be played. If in the 5 meter zone then a goal can be scored if in all one movement. And if the foul is outside the 5 meter zone then a goal can be scored from the foul. There are so many variations and rules that make the game interesting. I will have to start to learn these rules and intracacies.
Wednesday morning it is a public holiday and a small group of us join an organised training run from Seaview.
ADRIENNE SPOTS A SCHOOL OF DOLPHINS IN THE OCEAN BELOW US ON THE MAITLAND HILL
I AM NOT SURE IF ADRIENNE WAS HOPING THAT SOME CHAP WOULD SEE HER SEXY LEGS AND THEN OFFER A LIFT HOME BUT IN THE END SHE HAD TO RUN WITH THE REST OF US
Thursday morning we do a short run. I think that all of us are a little tired from the Wednesday efforts.
Friday is a rest day and a bit of a sleep in is enjoyed by our family. Today I go to Humansdorp for work. This is the first of four trips that I plan to take along this route.
KENNY; BOB; GRAHAM AND PETER P AT KOUGA KUS 21KM.
Saturday morning is the Kouga Kus 21km from Humansdorp to Jeffreys bay. Tommy and I go out to J Bay where we meet the Achilles group. We get a lift to Humansdorp in the back of Bruce's bakkie. We have a good run this morning: Tommy does his best time ever for a 21kay. This is good training for his plans to run Two Oceans and Comrades.
JOSHUA AND DANIEL WATCHING RUGBY AT THE GREY FESTIVAL. WET AND MUDDY FIELDS MAKE FOR A SCRAPPY GAME WON BY GREY AGAINST SACS 32-12
JOSHUA AND DANIEL AT RUGBY. GREY NUMBER 11 -- PIETERSEN -- THE CHAMPION SPRINTER WHO IS THE MAIN TRY SCORER FOR GREY TODAY.
It has rained solidly for the past 24 hours and everything is saturated. We had planned to watch Rugby at the Grey Festival but the rain kept us indoors. Until around 3.30pm when the sun started to shine and I took Michaels two boys: joshua and Daniel to the rugby with me. Grey played SACS (South African College High School -- a boys school in Newlands Cape Town) and after a very muddy, wet game the score was in favour of the local team 32-12. Michael joins us a little into the game. I sit with Ross Kobus. This evening was a home evening as the rain came down again. Pizza's for supper.
Sunday morning it seems like it will start to dry out today. I skip the morning cycle. I am stil a bit tired after a hard week of training. This morning we have Nippers training. It is school holidays and not many of the Nippers are there for training. We have selected the Nippers taking part at Nationals and the teams are all but finalised. Church this evening led by Tim Marshall.
Monday I have to be in East London for a meeting. Driving there and back including a day of work is never easy but at present there are road works and this makes the drive tougher and longer.
Tuesday 27th. I am up and running early and have a good run with our Slow Group. Wednesday I take my car in for service. Thursday evening at the Pavilion at Grey. Hayden Skinner is giving us Water Polo lessons: rules and tactics. Really interesting. He is very knowledgeable on this game. I have enjoyed the last two meetings that he has presented. This afternoon I took the trailer to Summies where Ally and John helped me load the trailer and we dropped it off at Kings Beach for the Nationals that starts on Friday.
SUMMERSTRAND NIPPERS TEAM AT NATIONAL KINGS BEACH MARCH 2012
U14 NIPPER NATIONALS SPRINT TEAM ON THE PODIUM
Friday 30th. Nipper Nationals. Kings Beach. Starts 8am. Ally leaves for George with the Pearson Bus. I stayed at the beach until after the Inter Regional Competition was over. Jamie did well in her swim: second I think; Craig and Andrew won the Individual sprints for EP and Craig's relay team won the Beach Relay. Erica was second in Flags while Craig won the Flags for U14EP team.
The Nipper Parents started to arrive and I felt Okay to leave for George. Barbara collected me and we left at around 3PM. Our drive was at times through driving rain. So much rain was falling that as the wipers separated the water the Lights of other cars would come on and then switch off. It was a strange sensation. Jacqui was admitted into a hospital. From what I can make out it must be near to home in Binyamina and have a sea view of the Medditerranean Sea. Jacqui's baby was only due in around two or three weeks time but she was having a hard time of this pregnancy and started contractions. Barbara remains in touch via What's Up and other social Media. The family seems to be able to talk to each other continuously on these phone connections.
As we are driving to Plett this evening; Nicky and family are driving to Mossel Bay and Patrick and family driving to Coffee Bay to visit Isabella who now lives near to Hole in the Wall on the Transkei coast where she teaches Maths. She lives in a family bungalo with local people.
We arrived in Plett to join Ena for a Pasta Supper. I am reading Stieg Larsson: the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". This is one of the best books that I have read in some time. Best meaning; cant wait to pick it up and start reading again. After breakfast on Saturday Morning we left for George.
As we are driving to George this morning; Nicky and family are driving to Mossel Bay and Patrick and family driving to Coffee Bay to visit Isabella who now lives near to Hole in the Wall on the Transkei coast where she teaches Maths. She lives in a family bungalo with local people.
ALLY HOCKEY TEAM PLAYS DSG AND WITH AN UNINSPIRED PLAY ARE FORTUNATE TO LOSE 2-1. SEEM TO LACK DRIVE AND FINISH.
ALLY PEARSON U15 HOCKEY TEAM IN GEORGE
In George we stopped to purchase two deck chairs and found the York School Astro just in time for the first game of the series. The only other Parent support was from Simone's parents: Mark and Mercia and little Brother. It was a bit of a chilly morning sitting on the stands. The game was not inspiring. Tense but not a wonderful display by our team. Cameron Riddle and Anke Spies were both missing from the team. Lara Swanepoel was a replacement and played well. Katlin has recently moved to Pearson and is an asset to this team. Her energy is inspiring. Our team lost 2-1.
NICKY ON THE BEACH
MIA DRAWS PICTURES ON THE SAND
MOSSEL BAY ISLAND IN THE BACKGROUND, THE WATER IS SURPRISINGLY WARM AND WE ALL ENJOY A SWIM
NICKY'S CHILDREN AT THE MOSSEL BAY BEACH. THIS AREA IS CALLED DIAZ STRAND.
BARBARA LOVES BEING ON THE BEACH WITH HER GRANDCHILDREN
Nicky and her family had driven from Cape Town - Also in driving rain -- and were staying at a friend's holiday home in Mossel Bay. We checked into our Bungalo accommodation at Mountain View and then drove through to Mossel Bay. We stopped to pick up some provisions and then headed off to find the place where Nicky was staying. We drove all the way through Mossel Bay to the Light House before we realised that we were totally off course.
ZARA MOSSEL BAY BEACH WITH A MISSING TOOTH
ZARA PLAYS ON THE BEACH AT MOSSEL BAY
A phone call helped to sort this out and finally (by luck) we found their house. Derrick and Stephanie were the host family who were staying with their own family in another house. We walked down to the beach which is really close if not visible from this home. Here the children played in the sand before deciding that the water was irrisistable and we all had a swim. I always have my costume under my shorts so was prepared for the swim. The water was surprisingly warm. Later this afternoon I had a bit of a nap while trying to finish the book that I am reading.
Back in George we bought the ingredients for a Pasta and Veg supper which we cooked up in our Bungalow. During this, Barbara was on the phone with Jacqui in Israel where the doctors had decided that she should be operated on Now as the contractions had become too close and regular. Jacqui had a C-Section and gave birth to Tom at around 7PM.
There was a huge sign of relief and we were able to watch Ally's second game of the tournament. The game was the last of the day at the York Astro and started at 7.30pm. The Pearson side played Hudson (East London) and although they played a far better game they still lost 2-1. They were fortunate to have scored one goal as they appeared to be timid to attack the opposition and also had no finishing power.
EVENING HOCKEY AT THE YORK SCHOOL ASTRO
HOCKEY IN GEORGE; PATRICK IN COFFEE BAY - HOLE IN THE WALL WITH ISABELLA; JACQUI GIVES BIRTH TO TOM IN ISRAEL; MICHAEL RUNNING A STAND AT A SCHOOL FESTIVAL IN PE; CATHY PREGNANT WITH FIRST CHILD IN CAPE TOWN; NICKY STAYING AT A FRIEND'S HOLIDAY HOUSE IN DIAZ BEACH MOSSEL BAY; NIPPERS NATIONALS IN PE; STORMERS BEAT THE BULLS SUPER 14 RUGBY AT NEWLANDS; SUCH A BUSY TIME.
ALLY HAS A MUCH BETTER GAME THIS EVENING. WE PURCHASE EAR PLUGS FOR HER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A FULL NIGHT SLEEP. LAST NIGHT SHE DID NOT SLEEP WELL IN A SCHOOL DORMITORY - NOISE OF OTHER CHILDREN AND SNORING OF HER TEAM MATES.
ALLY LOVES THE TOURING LIFE WITH HER FRIENDS. I AM SURE THAT IT IS THESE TOURS THAT MAKE HER TRY TO ACHIEVE IN SPORT.
ALLY HAS A BETTER EVENING GAME AGAINST HUDSON THAN THIS MORNING'S GAME AGAINST DSG.
There was a Rugby Game on as well this evening. Blue (Pink) Bulls played the Stormers at Newlands. The Stormers took an early lead but the Bulls pulled back and with just minutes to spare the score was 17 all. At this time the Bulls had an illegal scrum in their own half and the Stormers made full use of this to pull ahead with a 20-17 win. We watched this last part of the game in a recreation room at the school. I ordered us a drink and found to my surprise that the beers were free to parents. In addition they were braaiing and the supper was also Free. Barbara took advantage of this and enjoyed a seond supper of Steak, Potato salad, Green salad and garlic bread. I had had a large helping of Pasta earlier on.
Back at our bungalow we had a coffee and fell into a comfortable and undisturbed sleep.
It has been a busy month of March 2012. Non stop activity. And it ends with a new member of the family being born in Israel. Jacqui's first two children; Emily and Annabelle were both born in London while Jacqui and Michael were living there. We have a truly international family. Next will be Cathy's child which is due around November this year.
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