JANUARY 2017
Ally does the Ox Braai and Cape St Francis (Billy's Beach) parties
Visiting Delene and Matthew.
Birthday Celebration at Yacht Club.
Running and Cycling.
Cape Town for Ally's Induction and registration.
Bluewater Bay 15k at 1.28
Moffat on Main 10k at 58min.
Start an association with Peter Joseph - SA Guided Tours
Mosaic -- German Media tour -- St Francis and Addo areas -- 5 days
Cricket -- ODI vs Sri Lanka -- With Peter and Basil.
Queen Mary 2 -- Cunard. With Linda and Chris Backwith. City and Kragga Kamma.
New Years Day. Sunday 1st January 2017
Visit Delene and Matthew for a morning Service and stay for Bring and Braai. Afternoon Township tour with a Norwegian Family.
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| TWO BLACK JUMPING SPIDERS IN THE GERANIUMS AT MATTHEW'S HOUSE |
Monday 2nd -- Fetch Ally from Cape St Francis in the morning, Stop at Matthew and Delene for tea. This morning I see two black jumping spiders. Later I have an Airport - Shamwari Transfer with Beatrice and husband Michel.
We had a great morning with close up sightings of many animals. But especially the Cheetah which ran up to the car while we did not expect it and had the windows down.
Meeting with Peter Joseph to see if there is a possible synergy in the tourism industry. He has been operating for 15 years and has a solid background. .
Wednesday 4th. Barbara does the Shamwari - Airport Transfer for me while I have an Addo Tour for Ilios. This is my second assignment for them. Meanwhile Ally helps me with my admin work at Dole. So this is a great family business.
Thursday. Feliz Cumpleanos (Happy Birthday in Spanish). Barbara and Ally give me a new tog bag and running socks. I have an afternoon Township tour with Nick and Kirsten. And then later we are out to supper with friends.
Friday -- A morning Kragga Kamma tour with Steve (Canadian) and later with Pommer (French).
Saturday -- Beach from run and then later a full day Addo and then Kragga Kamma tour with Ciny from Ohio. In PE for a week -- Electrical Engineer consulting to Goodyear.
As we reach K Kamma we discover a front Flat tyre. AMAZINGLY we meet Nigel who is a Butcher in Despatch. He takes over, Removes the Spare, loosens all the wheel nuts, realises that my jack is not working so borrows one from a chap in the vicinity. Then jacks the Landi up, removes the wheel, Fits the new tyre and then when we realise that the spare is flat; -- his wife takes out their Electric Pump and pumps up the replacement tyre until we are finally ready to go again.
Sunday 7th. Full day Addo tour with 12 passengers from the Nautica. Their 30 day Cruise has just started and they are now on the way to East London and then Richards bay. Going across the Indian Ocean towards Madagascar.
Monday 8th. Start with a short run of 6km. I have a City Tour with Yvonne and Gonzalo from Uruguay for Ilios. Yvonne is 79 and yet makes it to the top of the Lighthouse. We visit the Donkin; Fort; Castle Hill; Prince Alfred Guards; St Georges Park; Settlers Park; City Centre and the new Stadium.
Peter Joseph takes my Landrover for a full day Addo tour with 4 from Lungile. This is a good tour for me. Earning without working. Just use of my car and provision of the Pax.
Tuesday 9th. Run in the morning. at least 37 in the group.
Chris; Mike; Andy; John; Duncan; Mike; Stuart; Maryka; Helen; Adrienne; Gaye; Andrea; Kelly; Liesl; Michelle; Ingrid; Ingrid; Lynne; Lynne; Kim; Megan; Fran; Lisa; Melissa; Benita; Davera; Lindi; Maria; Viv; Joan; Inga; Stefany; Peter; Gillian; Claire; Adelle. Stian.
Then cycling with Chris; Stefany; Anton; Andrea; with Elmarie running.
Barbara has a full day Tsitsikamma Tour / Transfer. They love Storms River Mouth. The car gives trouble but only just as Barbara comes back into PE.
I have a morning working for Nicky doing printing and deliver of pamphlets for Fouriesburg Country Tours; sorting out some shopping issues and then later I pick up 5 people from the Silver Cloud for a short Addo Tour. But amazingly in a very short while we see good sightings of Bulls and as luck has it, when I thought we would never get to it, we see a huge family of Elephant at Marion. Just make it back to the ship in time for a very important conference call.
Barbara and Ally and I have Supper with Charles at the Beach Front Angelo's. He is off to Cape Town for a Lecturing assignment.
Wednesday 11th. Short 6km run with Adrienne; Viv; Susan; Inga and Annie.
Start off at Nissan -- the car gave Barbara some trouble as she got home from Tsitsikamma.
Fill the Landrover; Change my shoes for a slightly better model; Enter the 15k BWB event.
Thursday -- A great start to the day with a run with Maria, Adrienne, Chris, Lindi, Gaye and Inga.
I have a half day Addo Tour with five guests. Most successful. Then on Friday I sort out a couple of Admin things including my Qashqai and the Landrover Tyre. And Barbara and I take some birds to African Dawn. And visit Matthew.
Saturday morning. I fetch Maria and we run the Bluewaterbay 15k. Chatting to people at the start; Lots of Achilleans there. Race starts at 6am. A short up to start off with. I should have warmed up. Then along the ridge and down Tippers Creek. Jackie Strydom and her friend join us. We are going at a fair pace and I can see that this is a possible Sub 90min 15k. Past the Lifesaving clubhouse and then through the suburb.
We are joined by Jabulani who has a Sub 1.30 group with him. We continue at our own pace. Then as we reach the first bit of an uphill at 8km, Jackie begins to Drop me. Maria keeps up with her and so I am more or less on my own for the second half. John Kotze is just ahead and I pass him. Then we turn to return back to the start. The part between 8k and 12k has a lot of short hills and I am feeling them. But I press on and no walking. Back past the lighthouse again and then under the Freeway. From there it is still quite a distance to the start of Tippers.
By the time I reach Tippers to go up I realise that I can still break the 1.30 barrier (under 6 minutes a kay). So I have to run up Tippers. Not so much of a run as a miserable shuffle. But at least not a walk. From the top it is an easy kay to the finish and I have made it by about 2 minutes.
Also on the run today: Graham Channon; Bob Stedman; Kenny Barwood (running most local events); And many other Achilleans; I finish with Peter Pholman; Rob Button wants to know if I will do Surfers with him next month. Ayanda and sister Lungi; Michael Botha; Anche; Cathy Yves and Robin; Gerald Bouwer; Margie Saunders; and from MPRG Stuart and Maryke; Helen and Joan.
8 PETER GIDDY ACHILLES AAA 66 1.27.52 Age Group results
313 779 779 MARIA BENITO GONZALEZ TEMP F 44 40-44F 1.26.16
287 674 674 JACKIE STRYDOM TEMP F 40 40-44F 1.24.23
Barbara has a Amakhala Pick up and return to PE which she does as an easy tour.
I have to work so after taking a few pics we leave for home. Maria has run her first 15k in about 1.25 and is pleased as punch.
I have to first wash the Landrover as it is still dusty from the last Addo. Then shower and get ready for a 9.30 township tour pick up. A successful tour with David and Griesel; Hans and Caroline.
Back home for a quick bite and then a City Tour with Stefan and Marina. They seem quite happy with my tour.
Meanwhile SA has been playing Cricket at the Wanderers and beat the Sri Lankans this afternoon.
Sunday Morning -- City Tour with Peter and Nadine Simkin; Meeting with Carryn and then with Peter Joseph.
Monday morning -- Leave for CT and Stellenbosch. Nine hour drive with three stops.
Evening run with Nicky.
Tuesday -- Morning run with Nicky. Drive to Canal Walk to do some shopping for Ally. Then to Milerton to check on Cathy's flat.
Wednesday morning run with Nicky. Then to Stellenbosch where we find Lydia Residence. We are completely blown away by the reception that Ally receives. There is a welcoming committee with a table at the front door. Then a Mentor introduces herself and gives me a card. Ally has a ground floor room with another student. The room is more than adequate and has a bed; wardrobe; Desk and Chair with bookshelves. They are opposite the bathrooms. I ask about registration and am told that I need not worry -- they will take care of everything.
I had pictured us standing in line to register and spending the day filling in forms etc. Nothing like that -- Ally immediately meets up with friends and seems to be settled in. We are totally relaxed to leave her here. Good people, good accommodation and an excellent meal selection.
Ally will be spending the next 10 days in orientation and induction program.
Barbara and I drive back to Riebeek. I cannot help but wonder at the reception that Ally received. Way beyond my expectations. Later Nicky, Werner and I visit Chris and Estelle for a swim and chat.
Thursday 19th morning -- Nicky and I drop Mia off at School. Then we do a 6km run up the Bothmaskloof Pass. Later Barbara and I spend the day dropping stuff off for Ally. She is busy so we are not able to say goodbye. Then visit Cathy's house.
Friday morning we leave early with dicey tyres. I drive at about 100kmph and it takes us just over 9 hours with three stops.
This evening I try to watch SA vs Sri Lanka in a T20 match reduced by rain to 10 overs each. SA manage to beat Sri Lanka by just 19 runs with some bold cricket.
2 PETER GIDDY ACHILLES AAA 66 0.57.19 Age Group Results
8 MARIA BENITO TEMP 44 0.56.15
289 7449 7449 ANDREA DYER TEMP F 38 35-39F 1.03.55
290 7406 7406 MICHELL JANSEN TEMP F 38 35-39F 1.03.56
291 7814 7814 KELLY HOLMES TEMP F 39 35-39F 1.04.02
Saturday 21st Back Home.
A couple of us from MPRG run the 10k from Moffat on Main shopping centre. I pick up Maria and Andrea. We meet Kelly and Michelle there. Maria and I do a short warm up and then line up near the front of the group. It is not a League Event so not too many entrants.
The race starts at 6am. Up 17th Ave and right into Constance road and then Lovemore Heights. (We pass the MPRG serious running group who has started at 5am, run up to the water tower and were now on their way home 21k).
We climb all the way up to the Water Tower. Here we swing a right. I had started with Maria but could not keep up with her on the uphills. This morning I am running with or around Jabulani; Robin Cowling & Susan Chapman. Down Bernard Road and ontowards the Railway line. Then a left and around onto Circular Drive. Right back into the suburbs and finally down back to the start. I had worked all the way and finished with a 58min 10kay. Maria was about 2 minutes ahead of me. The others followed together about 5 minutes later.
Running races is good for me. Keeps me on my toes and makes me work much harder than if I was running a training run on the beach front. Barbara moves her horse to a new stabling.
Sunday 22nd. Cycle with Andrea -- Road Bikes. Preparation for Herald Cycle. We ride down to the Tramways Building and then up Upper Valley Road. I think that this is my first time ever to cycle up this hill. Had to work hard to not get off and push. Then to the top of Mount Pleasant and back home. Only 22k but a good start to the training.
Addo tour for Mosaic. I have four guests. A couple and two teenagers all from Germany. We have good sightings but the heat was exhausting.
Monday 23rd. Start at Savoy Motors to check the Landrover. Seems ok. Visit to Garth Slatem. Finances not looking good. Visit to a house in Welcome ave that Barbara is keen to purchase. Visit to Andre Jensen. He tells me he has cancer and this has caused him to lose weight. He is phylisophical about the disease. We chat about his books and research. He gives me a copy of Kromme which I plan to give to my guests on Sunday 29th from the Queen Mary.
I then visit Grey -- Ian Pringle where Andre has left some copies of a Biography of Sir George Grey. Ian lets me have a copy. I collect my Fat Tracks bike board. Later visit to Peter Joseph. And then cycle the golf course; Twice around = about 10k. It was supposed to be a beginners group but was the only beginner. Cycle with Dee and Johan. Fellowship group later this evening. A busy day!
Tuesday morning. Run with the group. Was supposed to be about 5k but met up with Kate Sephton North. She is training walking for a Tankwa Camino Walk from Calvinia to Ceres 256km taking place at the end of March. Kate joined us and I ended up walk / jogging an extra 5k.
Then Chris fetches me. Joubert, Stefany and Anton cycle from KB to Lighthouse about 18km. I get caught up chatting to various people along the way and so am way behind the rest of the group.
Wednesday 25th. Meet German Media Group at the airport; Bocadellos for lunch and then drive to St Francis Dunes Resort. Pieter is our driver for the next 7 days.
he course.
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| Esti Stewart is out leader on the Chokka Trail for the next two days. |
Sunday 29th.
City and Kragga Kamma tour with Linda and Chris Backwith. Start at the Russell Road Cemetery where Chris completes the story of James Dalton. We move over to the Donkin Reserve, Fort and the Drill Hall where Terry Pattison takes us for a personal Tour.
From there we go to Kragga Kamma where we see a good variety of animals. Tea and then over to Sacramento for lunch. After lunch we do the Wild Side and end up with an ice cream and flake at Mc Donalds. A great day with a stunning couple.
Tuesday 31st. Start the day with a 5k run with the group. Fetch Nadine from the Beach Hotel as her flight leaves earlier. Then meet the rest of the group to take them to the airport for their flight home.
Matthew and Delene come for a visit.
