JANUARY 2014; BUSHMANS HOLIDAY WITH CHARLES AND INGRID; LIEZEL V D WESTHUIZEN; ALLY LIFEGUARD AWARD; WATER POLO; PARK RUN;

JANUARY 2014.
RETURN FROM A FUN HOLIDAY WITH CHARLES AND INGRID BOTHA AT BUSHMANS.
ALLY HAD A WONDERFUL TIME AT ST FRANCIS WITH HER FRIENDS ON THE CANALS
PARKRUN WITH LIEZEL VD WESTHUIZEN
63 YEARS OLD
LOTS OF WORK TO BE DONE AND BRANCHES TO VISIT.
VISIT TO EAST LONDON -- STAY WITH BEN AND RUN ERIKS AND NAHOON POINT TRAIL RUN.
PARKRUN 18.1.2014 -- NEARLY 400 RUNNERS TODAY. BEST EVER

JACQUI PAINTED THIS WONDERFUL IMAGE OF HER CHILDREN PLAYING IN A FIELD OF DAISIES

JACQUI AT HER ARTISTIC BEST.

Wednesday 1/1/2014.
Barbara and I are in Bushmans. We drive home with Luke Martin who is is SA for holiday ex Perth Australia.  The house needs a bit of cleaning up but it is just so hot.
We drive through to Irma and Gerhard (Ingrid's sister) where we pick figs. Later we grate the skin of the figs but I grate the thumb and index finger of both hands until they are so sore I can hardly use them.

BACK FROM BUSHMANS AND WE ARE IN THE SWING OF MAKING FIG JAM. WE ARE DONATED BOTTLES FROM FRIENDS AND FIGS FROM IRMA (INGRID'S SISTER)

THIS IS BATCH NUMBER TWO OF IRMA'S FIGS

BATCH NUMBER ONE BOILING UP IN THE SYRUP. WE USED THE HULETTS RECIPE.

THIS WAS THE FIRST BATCH OF FIG PRESERVE -- WE CLEANED THE SKINS OF THE FIGS -- AND MY OWN THUMBS AND FINGERS WERE QUITE DAMAGED.

Thursday 2nd. My hands are stinging and sore. I am back at work. Ally stays for another two days in St Francis. Lene is in Cape Town. I struggle through a day at work with sensitive hands that sting when I touch anything.

Friday 3rd.
We start off with an attempted parkrun from Hobie to Harbour Wall. I had planned on a changed route but the extremely high tide has flooded Kings Beach so we cannot carry on. Anne walks with me as I am not able to run with a sore hamstring injury. We get back to the beach and in the water for a swim. We see this very attractive young woman on a standing paddle craft. We start chatting and both Adrienne and I have a try out. We both stand and fall; stand and fall. Finally I master about ten strokes of the paddle before falling again. I ask this girl her name: Liezel she answers. We all get out the water and I offer to help carry this huge board. As we walk off the beach I comment that she looks like a Film Star to which she replies: "I am!". Expresso morning show. But now left that and with DSTV. Not sure what she does there. Liezel remembers Nicky and her family from a few years ago when the family was on their morning show.
Liezel is an extremely likeable person and sits with our group chatting as we take pics.
I am trying to finalise some admin at work. Taking longer than I anticipated and am falling asleep at my desk.

ANNIE KEEPS ME COMPANY ON A SLOW WALK TO KINGS BEACH. THE REST OF THE GROUP RUNS. WE MEET AFTERWARDS FOR A SWIM AND ENCOUNTER LIEZEL VD WESTHUIZEN -- TV PERSONALITY. SHE INSISTS THAT SHE WANTS A PIC OF THE GROUP TO SHOW HER FRIENDS.

SHARON; PETER; LIEZEL; ADRIENNE; PAT AND ANNIE ON THE BEACH AFTER A SWIM

GERALD WANTED A GOOD CLOSE UP WITH LIEZEL.

FRIDAY EVENING we spent with Derrick and Lynn Joliffe at Schoenmakers Kop. They have a lovely home overlooking the evening sunset. We sat for ages talking about Children, Grandchildren and animals. They have two big dogs and are visited by flocks of birds which feed on the stuff that they leave out.

Saturday 4th. I still have this hamstring injury and cannot run. I walk with Gerald and John while Adrienne; Pat; Mike; Graham and Anne go for a long run.
The Parkrun attracts 200 participants on this misty, humid day. Liezel returns from her family visit to Port Alfred and joins us for a swim and then the parkrun. She is our Celebrity Runner for the day. Chris and Maria Milne keep her company.

LIEZEL THANKS PAT AS SHE FINISHES HER FIRST PARKRUN

CHRIS BOTHA; MARIA MILNE AND LIEZEL VD WESTHUIZEN. LIEZEL HAD NOT COME PREPARED FOR A RUN BUT BEING WHO SHE IS MADE A PLAN AND JOINED US.

MISTY AND MUGGY DAY FOR A PARKRUN; WE COULD HARDLY SEE PAST THE PIER THIS MORNING.

200 BRIGHT AND HAPPY PARKRUNNERS. IT IS HIGH TIDE AND HUMID. THESE PARKRUNNERS WILL ARIVE BACK SWEATING AND OUT OF BREATH.

PAT; ELMARIE; ADRIENNE; PETER AND LYNN SET UP

PETER AND LYNN CHECK THE SCORPION THAT LYNN FOUND IN THE TOKENS BOX

CHRIS, MARIA AND LIEZEL AS THEY COMPLETE THE PE HOBIE BEACH PARKRUN. IT IS A FIRST FOR LIEZEL AND FOR MARIA. CHRIS IS NOW BECOMING AN OLD HAND AT THIS AND IS ABLE TO RUN A GOOD PORTION OF THE DISTANCE.

LIEZEL GIVES PARKRUNNING A BIG THUMBS UP.

ANNE AND JOHN HAD A GOOD RUN TODAY

CLEANING FIGS FOR JAM I SCRAPED MY THUMB AND FINGER.

TWO REALLY SENSITIVE POINTS ON THE HAND. EVERYTHING I TOUCHED OR TRIED TO DO MEANT I HAD TO BE SO CAREFUL OR HAVE PAINFUL HANDS.

LIEZEL AT HOBIE BEACH.

LIEZEL V D WESTHUIZEN -- COVER GIRL ON YOUR FAMILY MAGAZINE AND FRIEND OF THE PE MPRG SLOW GROUP OF RUNNERS WHO MEET ON A SATURDAY MORNING.

SUNDAY 5TH. Happy Birthday Peter. 63! So I now have just two years left before my company kicks me out. No longer working, on a day to day basis, for a corporate firm such as JDG, is going to be an adjustment. I will have to come to terms with the fact that, at 65, you no longer have the worth, in the corporate world, that you had earlier on. I now talk about this more than I used to. I wonder how my life will change. We will have to think of some way of generating an income that will assist us to maintain our life as it is now. Ally also has just two years at High School. We will, during Grade 11, have to start making plans for 2016. Grade 11 is a critical academic year as this determines if she qualifies for certain courses at various Universities and it is the year when we will start applying for bursaries to take us through the four years of University.

PENNY PINCHERS AT HUMANSDORP. RUN BY FRANS LOOTS. CREATED HIS OWN ADDRESS OF NUMBER ONE PENNY LANE. 

The following message was sent to me in November 2012 from Shawn Combrink (Cape Town) who was one of Stefan and my Rival Teams at Dryland in 2012. From what the message reads; they must have beaten us. On one particular day, coming down from the Swartberg Pass. We would pass and then they would pass us. Stefan got it into his head that we had to beat them. So we had to work hard towards the end along the dirt road, up to the tar road and then finally up to the finish area. It was a particularly hot day. Stefan had charged ahead down the pass and then we met up at one of the water tables.

Shawn Combrink
4:02pm Nov 14
Hi Peter
The whole weekend and since then it has been bugging me that I know you but was not certain as I couldn't work out where we would have met. It came to me this morning at work. In 2001 at Two Oceans they used the detour route. I had stopped for a beer near the stone church, before the climb up Southern Cross drive. I caught up to you at the point where we turned down the hill to go around the drum and start the climb. I think we ended up walking most of the way to the finish line together. You told me about your adopted daughter. Every year after that I looked out for you because all I could remember was that you were from one of the PE clubs that ran in white and blue (i think).
I can't believe that after all these years we got to run together again although we never realised the previous connection.
I am sure that we met Stefan at the petrol station in Oudthoorn trying to fix his tyre - a black Audi. We ran out of fuel 2km outside the camp. Fortunately one of the crew went back and got us some fuel from the generators.
Thanks for an entertaining weekend and maybe next year you guys will beat us.
Regards
Shawn

FRIDAY MORNING PARK RUN GROUP -- CATHY; ADRIENNE; ANNIE; LIESL; PETER; ALEX; SVENJE; PETRONELLA.

AT THE PARKRUN WE FIND A SCORPION IN ONE OF THE CONTAINERS

LYNN; ANNIE' ELMARIE; CATHERINE AND PAT ASSISTING AT THE PARKRUN

SATURDAY 11.1.2014
Ally is now back into water polo training at school. We drive to school and twice a day.

Barbara and Lene are getting the school ready for the new term.
I seem to be over the hamstring injury and am back to jogging daily.
This morning -- starting at 5.30 from Hobie beach, up along Walmer boulevard to the airport and then back via Strandfontein road and Admiralty. About 17k. Nice easy run with Adrienne, Annie, Adrian and Petronella (Svenje's friend from Klerksdorp) who kept me going the whole way. After a swim we set up and organised the Parkrun which was most successful with about 280 runners and completed results with Bernd and Catherine by 11am.

Sunday -- Nippers training and church in the evening. I am on Duty.


Monday 13th I fly to EL. Branch visits to lots of new shops that I have never visited before. This evening I stay over with Ben. He and I find a lot in common. Tuesday Morning Ben and I run with the Eriks Group. The Rollercoaster route. Lots of hills and a nice group of people. I go on a bit further than Ben and end up doing a bit more than 10k and job back to his house. Ben has to go off to Cape Town so this afternoon I join a group of runners "Born to Run" who do a Trail run through the bushes and sand dunes at Nahoon Point. I meet up with Cristin Flynn ( a friend of Nicky ) who has her two children with her and the three of them run barefoot. Sam is a tough boy and runs on ahead. I try to keep up but it is not an easy trail with lots of ups and downs and easy to hurt yourself if you are not careful. This was, I hear, the original Nahoon Parkrun route. But as it grew it became impossible to have large numbers of runners running through this single track bush path.

BEN AND PETER RUN THE ROLLERCOASTER IN EAST LONDON WITH THE ERIKS GROUP OF RUNNERS

ON THE NAHOON POINT TRAIL RUN YOU REACH THE HIGHEST POINT AT THIS LIGHTHOUSE / LOOKOUT BUILDING

I BATTLED TO KEEP UP WITH CRISTIN FLYNN WHO RUNS BAREFOOT. IN THE BACKGROUND IS THE EAST LONDON BAY WITH A SHIP COMING IN TO DOCK.

THE SEA AT NAHOON WAS QUITE ROUGH THIS EVENING.

A FOOT BRIDGE THAT MUST BR CROSSED BEFORE THE SECTION THAT LEADS TO THE NAHOON BEACH LIFESAVING CLUBHOUSE.

Wednesday morning -- I am able to run again at Beacon Bay. Another busy day visiting shops that I see for the first time. This evening I make a Fillet Stir Fry and have a nice relaxed evening. Today, all around the country -- it is back to school. Some moving on to high school and for others there are a variety of adventures

NICKY'S FAMILY HAS A TUNA; POTATO AND CHEESE SUPPER.

NICKY IS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS HAPPY THAT IS IS BACK TO SCHOOL TODAY.

ZARA HAS A HUGE WELCOMING COMMITTEE WHO ALL RUSH UP TO HER SHOUTING HER NAME -- ZARA! ZARA!

MIA -- FIRST DAY AT GRADE R 15TH JANUARY 2014

Thursday 16th -- Drive Ben's car to the airport and fly to JHB. Ben returns from CT later today and collects the car. I spend two days in JHB and fly home on Friday evening. I get to talking to Sharon -- a young intern from Holland. She agrees to come for a run on Saturday morning.

Saturday 18th. Start with our Morning run from Hobie beach. Sharon joins us with Pat and Mike doing around 10k and Adrienne and Adrian and I run a bit further -- around 13k. We then all enjoy a really good swim to the end of the Pier before setting up the Parkrun stuff.
Today we have just under 400 parkrunners taking part in this amazing event. This is a success story. Roz took the initiative and has support from her family, Adrienne, Catherine and myself as well as our friends who seem to be there each week to assist. Some do the Race or Training run first and then come down to the parkrun to assist; Elmarie Botha is the best of these at present.

PETER AND ADRIAN ON THE RUN ON SATURDAY MORNING 18.1.2014

THE BEACHFRONT MORNING GROUP WITH ADRIAN; SHARON; ADRIENNE; GERALD; MIKE AND PAT

ADRIENNE AND ADRIAN

ADRIENNE AND SHARON

ADRIENNE; SHARON; MIKE AND PETER BETTS

PARKRUN ORGANISING GROUP SETTING UP FOR A BUSY MORNING

PAT AND GERALD ARE OUT ON THE ROUTE. WHILE GRAHAM; PAULINE; CATHERINE; ROSALIND; ADRIENNE; RAY; PETER AND ELMARIE ARE NOW READY FOR THE FIRST RUNNER TO RETURN -- MIKE KINGSTON IN JUST OVER 18 MINUTES.

When I got home after taking Ally to Water Polo and then to Lifesaving I realised that I had left my running shoes at the beach after the swim and the parkrun. I just get so busy that I can easily forget stuff like that. DOFF!


Ally has made the Pearson High School Waterpolo first team squad and is back into training for this full time.
She is also training for her Lifeguard award and has to do a test this weekend.

SUNDAY 19TH JAN 2014
We are at Summies by 6.30am. Ally has her Lifeguard award test. She has to Run-Swim-Run; Box Rescue; Malibu Rescue; Torpedo buoy Rescue; CPR and a bit of Theory. The whole team of candidates pass their test. They work well together and are complimented by Grant Breedske that they are a disciplined team.

We have Nippers Training and Ally has to do Lifeguard duty as well as Polo training at Pearson. I take the U14's for a Malibu paddle around the Pollock rocks and to the Bird Rock where we jump off and into the water. It is a great morning and the Nippers have real fun today.
Unfortunately a lady (Dinelle) has her handbag stolen with car keys and this means that Ally and I wait until late. It is 4pm before we can leave.

Ally has a Youth Group Meeting and Barbara comes to church with me.
Monday -- Langenhoven drive. Cell group in the afternoon.
Tuesday -- Ally has intense polo training this week starting at 6am at Pearson. We have 33 Mill Park Runners this morning. So good to see the love of the sport rubbing off onto others. I have a meeting in Port Alfred.
Wednesday -- In town -- I go to North End lake for a Novices practice on the lake with the Paddle Ski's. Andre Pienaar takes me in a double and we do two laps of the Lake. I love it. A bit tiring on the back but great. We could have gone on for another lap but I decide that this is sufficient for me on the first attempt.
Thursday -- Alice and Fort Beaufort for work and Ally has league polo in the evening


Friday -- Parkrun route to Harbour Wall and back with Erna and Adrienne -- Drop Ally at School for the Polo trip to Grahamstown. I spend the day at Grahamstown. Lynn Odendaal travels up with me. I meet her niece, Lauren, who used to both work and run with Cristin Flynn in EL.
Ally has two games -- the first is against Stirling which, after a tough battle, Pearson loses by two goals in the final chukka. The second game we win convincingly and Ally scores a goal and sets up many others.
I drive home.

SATURDAY MORNING RUN WITH ADRIAN; ANNIE; ADRIENNE; CANDICE PARKER; MIKE AND SVENJE

CANDICE PARKER JOINED THE GROUP FOR THE FIRST TIME.

ADRIAN AND ANNIE BATTLE ALONG STRANDFONTEIN ROAD

ERNA; ADRIENNE AND SVENJE ENJOY THE MORNING SUNRISE'

MIKE AND CANDICE LAUGHING AT ME

WHEN IN BATHURST WE BOUGHT 12 EGGS. BARBARA PUT THESE IN THE BIG CHCKEN HOCK AND THEN THERE WERE 9 -- AND A DAY LATER 8 CHICKS BY THE END OF JANUARY.

Saturday 25th. Start the day with a Beach Front training run with Erna; Adrienne; Mike; Candice Parker; Svenje; Adrian and Annie.
Then have a swim and have a great experience when we swim out past he pier and are amoungst Dolphins. This is an experience to die for. Two big pods of dolphins swim past us and around us; Including two babies who leap out the water as if giving us a display. A third pod swims past but by that time I was already heading back to shore.

From there I go to Achilles where I do Marshalling duty on the marathon route near to Builders Warehouse.
Barbara and I drive to Grahamstown where we watch our team win three matches. The last one is played at 7pm so we only get back home at around 10pm.

Sunday morning ally has another two games, the first is a play off and the second is the finals against the strongest team of Stirling. Their captain is Nina who has an amazing goal scoring ability.

PEARSON FIRST TEAM AT KINGSWOOD IN GRAHAMSTOWN FOR A TOURNAMENT

STARTING A GAME -- WAR CRY

LAUREN RANGER -- NEICE OF LYN ODENDAAL AND FRIEND OF CRISTIN FLYNN

MERIKE -- BLACK EYE AFTER BEING HIT TWICE BY A BALL

IN THE FINALS AGAINST STIRLING OUR TEAM LINES UP. ALLY NOT ABLE TO PLAY AS SHE TRIPPED AND HURT HER KNEE.

Monday morning I am able to run, then visit Mike Dean who gives me a full check. I am quite okay with good cholesterol, heart rate and ready for another year of living. I then drive to Port Alfred where I conduct interviews before going on the EL where I stay over with Ben.
The following morning I drive the Mthatha where I work for three days. Thursday back to El. Friday morning run on the beach with Cristin Flynn (Nicky's friend).

MTHATHA TRIP. SO HOT -- 38DEGREES CENTIGRADE AT 6PM.

This evening we visit Roz where the Parkrun group Braai with Bruce and Gill Fordyce.

An interesting and action filled month.