One wedding and a funeral

Very sadly for the Van Zyle clan, they lost their 88 year old Mum last week and we were invited to the funeral. Quite aside from it being an incredibly sad occasion it was a great eye opener into the culture of the people around here.

Around 200 people packed the tiny church [first time I have set foot across the threshold]. The ages ranged from ancients who were wheeled in in chairs to the very young. There were many families with small children there, who sat rigid and quiet and appeared to be taking in every word of the service.
The Kirk is quite fearsome in its austerity.With whitewashed walls and a few strategically hung tapestries encased in glass, shrieking silent orders at the congregation, in capitalised Africans.

As the temperature was approaching 40 degrees outside and there was no air co inside ,Bossy and I soon found ourselves melting into the pews..it was difficult to concentrate as the address was being made in high Africans, and I felt unable to use the service order to fan my face for fear of drawing attention.
Bossy and I had dressed so that we would camouflage..very understated, as there were many there that frowned on "infidels" even attending to show their respect, but Niki and Magda were insistent upon our presence.
At one point I was aware of the Reverend directing his comments towards us,and people staring from under their eyebrows at us. After a suitable pause Bossy whispered that we had just been highlighted as foreigners who had turned their backs on the Good Lord....Nice.
By this stage we had sweat pouring down our faces, necks backs...the only comfort was that the rest of the congregation seemed in a similar position and we hadn't been singled out for the treatment..either by the Reverend or a greater force!

To my amazement we went to the burial.
The burial ground is a drive away from the church and is surrounded by vineyards on a large plot of flat sand. This burial ground is for "whites only" which was the first rather shocking realisation. When I looked around the graveyard , I realised that no expense had been spared on any of the headstones and very grand mausoleum type, family structures. In such stark surroundings it all seemed rather incongruous.

There was a mechanical coffin lowering device that was encased in plush velvet and had plenty of shiny golden bits of scaffolding under it to support the coffin..and as it rather spookily lowered itself into the cement lined hole in the sandy earth, a choir of workers from Niki's farm started the most baleful rendition in a range of different harmonies. It was incredibly moving but also quite strange..watching the biggest most flashy coffin being lowered into the desert sands accompanied by the strains of pure African voices singing a rhythmic tribal lament.

All very sad as you can imagine.
I was aware of the great bond of "Community" with these farm people..they support each other to the hilt through life`s tragedies and joys, and the church is the centre pin upon which they are anchored.

Despite Niki and Magda`s insistence on our being there....never more have I felt like such and outsider and despite empathising hugely with the families grief, I came away feeling that even in death there is a vast chasm between those who "Have" and those who "have not".

Sorry to end on such a maudlin note..but the next story may cheer you.


AUTHONOMY

As you know I am enjoying the upward trajectory of ARK on Authonomy.
There is a forum on the site, for the writers to discuss writing issues and swap hints. Bitch about each others work and wail that their book is not moving "up the charts".
On this forum someone has started "the longest ever poem by the largest number of people" thread.

Now having always dabbled in a little poetry writing myself, I decided to go and have a look and see what it was like..well it rather caught my attention, and after the first cautious stanzas..I have become a "regular"contributor. The person who started the thread emailed me and thanked me for my valuable contributions and explained that they were away for several days and would I "look after" the thread and make sure that I didn't let it fizzle out. " Of course I will" I replied.

My problem is that the prose seems to keep falling into the dour and miserable rather too readily,and after towing the line for the past several weeks I have begun to tire of all the misery. A fellow authonmite clearly felt the same, and lifted the Longest poem by writing about dragonfly's.

Since the idea is to be inspired by the last few lines of the latest post, I was delighted to continue on the dragonfly theme.
The person who posted after me then became maudlin again.
I lost the plot big time yesterday, and wrote a catchy little ditty about a DUNG BEATLE.


I am now expecting to be unceremoniously drummed out of the Poetry club without further ado!

Get well soon Tazzy

A message for dear Tazzy. Hope you are feeling pain free darling. We have all three of us been thinking of you from here..even Willam and Gerda send their love and promise you oodles of cray fish when you come here ..just to speed your recovery.

David skyped me to tell me the op was a huge success and that a piece of snapped vertebrae was embedded into your nerve...you poor girlie. How that consultant could have recommended "plenty of exercise"..beggars belief...but it just goes to show that medicine is NOT an exact science.

Thrilled that you seem to be pain free...are you sure its not the drugs????? Whatever..YIPPEE!
Kisses DawnXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

STOP PRESS. Thursday 3rd December.

Things are going very well with the book on the Harper Collins Authonomy site.

Today I broke the 300 rank on the overall list of 5000 or so books of all genre posted on the site.

Also, when I punched in the "Children's" top weekly books..ARK comes in at NUMBER 2 !!!!!!! How amazing is that!

I really ought to start getting my final chapters drafted now...whoops...still deciding on which of the three endings to go for.

Crayfish festival

This is the "watch dog" at the house where we stayed on the Friday night

ARTY SHOTS

On one inside wall of the shack, it is decorated with washed up number plates.

The shack at Silver Dose

Late night braai at the shack

The "Donkey" or water heater at the shack!

Breakfast at the shack

Greeting sign at the shack

Bedroom at the shack.

November 09 WILD COAST trip

our route: Kakamas/Springbok/Kamieskroon/Garies [where we turned West and left the map and hugged the coast!] but we eventually ended up in Clanwilliam. Total road trip around 1000 miles.

On Tuesday evening, Willam and Gerda, our neighbours who live the other side of the Augrabies road to us arrived to discuss and plan our three day road trip down the Wast Coast, to Lamberts Bay...the purpose of this trip was to show us something o0f the wild west coast also known as the "diamond coast". Much of this land has, until recently been known as "Sperrgebiet" meaning a diamond area that was prohibited for public access, only recently has it been opened.
Willam is a fervent crayfish man, and there is a festival or "kreeffees" in Lamberts bay on Friday to celebrate the opening of the season.

whoops..wrong pictures of Willam cray fish hunting

We were given instructions to get ourselves licences from the Kakamas post office before we left on Thursday.And as we are not "campers" we were given a list of what to borrow and a list of food and drink to bring with us.
Thursday at 2.00 pm saw us loading up Willam`s overstuffed bakkie and heading off to Springbok, where we purchased HUGE quantities of ice for the three large ice boxes. We travelled the familiar Cape Town route but turned off after three hours at a place called Garies...this is right in the middle of the most deserty section, and we found ourselves on a dirt road heading towards the sea and a place that doesn't even appear on a map, called Groenriversmond [Green river mouth]. Turn off from the main highway at Garies onto the gravel road.



Either side of us, rolled semi scrubby desert and bush, which after about an hour turned into sandy hills with the cold blue Atlantic on our left.

We drove on this kind of track for 160 kilometers!

The track we were driving changed from loose gravel to pale sand and soon we saw the glint of the sea...it was by now around 6.00 pm and we knew that we had an hour of light before the sun went down.

I was quietly fretting over having enough time to erect the tent before the light left us..as it had been loaned from a friend who assured us that all the bits were in it and that it was very easy to put up so I hadn't done a practice run!!!!

It is difficult to explain quite how remote this coastland is...but from the moment the terrain changed to sea immediately to our right and gorsey dunescapes to our left...we saw NO houses at all...the very occasional tent nestled on the many sandy coves...But still we thundered on....Willam seemed unaware that we were no longer on a tarmac road...and Gerda and I were suffering from a roller coaster ride in the back.

Finally Willam started to shout "WE found it...SILVERDOSE!!!!" there on the edge of a deserted cove was a wooden shack....and we turned off the sand road into the dunes and parked next to the shack. One of Willams friends has been quietly [and illicitly] building this shack for the past 10 or so years...its made of driftwood and beach combed building materials and it meant that Bossy was OFF THE Hook on the camping front!!!!!!

" The beach at SilverDose"

Happy Birthday Jane

First things first. Happy Birthday to Jane. I hope you had a fab one girlie. Jessie is winging her way back with a little something from me for you, which may materialise in the next few weeks!

I hope the year ahead brings you much deserved happiness and joy.

Kisses DawnXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jessie returns to CHI. "Dont Look Back"

We managed really well up to the moment of Jessie's departure..through the freshly glazed walls of the new departure lounge at UP`s airport.

First Jessie dissolved into tears, closely followed by me, and the remaining passengers [about 20] who were all queuing for the little prop to Jo berg..side stepped us looking somewhat embarrassed and confused as we clung to each other and bleated our farewells through quivering lips.

Then we each turned on our heels and did not look back. Thankfully, Jessie is of the same opinion as I am on the farewells issue...DON'T LOOK BACK!

I`m sure her one and half hour flight was as "wet" as my 1 hour road trip back to the farm...How I hate goodbyes...but how much I enjoyed her company for the week.

We chilled in the sun..yes we had lots. The predicted "cold front" may have arrived from Cape Towns direction, but it never really impacted our enjoyment of the outside...and Jessie is returning as bronzed as 7 days of gentle sun roasting will allow.

Her appetite for the sun is much more acute than mine...hence my pale complexion. Bossy was even moved to get a lilo for the pool [one of those silver reflective ones] so that he can improve his Tan...I have to say I do question the wisdom of this..he is as anxious as Jessie to gain a spectacularly roasted bod...hey ho ..each to their own!.

Jessie`s break was specifically meant to be an unwinding time , but we did manage to get out in the evenings to the Club house for pizzas and Dundi Lodge and to Vergelegen a couple of local restaurants. And during the day we slinked by the pool..Jessie in full sunlight and reading the four books that she brought with her and me in the shade of the Braai room...sketching and continuing to review others books on Authonomy..I haven't yet recovered the concentration to do more work on ARK...but it will happen. I have just broken the 600 rank on the site... thankfully its all going at a far more sedate pace now!



Yes I have tentatively started some sketching...moved by a request from a local farmer/vet to do something "semi abstract" of his water buffalo...Yes you read correctly, he is deeply in love with his water buffalo, which resides in Namibia and has sent me some photos and asked me to do something that combines the buffalo..and his favorite place in South Africa. Its a house that he owns which stands in a Forest.

...Now combining houses and forests and water buffalo`s is a very big ask...but I have started by doing a detailed sketch of "ARCHIE" [the buffalo]...and will see where it takes me. Not yet ready to post a picture of Archie but will do so when he is a little further developed.

Edwin and I have been asked by our neighbours [across the road] Willam and Gerda, to visit a cray fish festival this week..we depart on Thursday for the West coast and return on Saturday.
This experience is going to be an interesting one as it will require us to CAMP!!!! Those of you who know Bossy will be aware that he only usually camps under something that has five stars above the lobby. Its really not his cup of tea!!!! Jessie was very tickled at his response to our planning,and has begged me to take plenty of pictures which I will.

Loads of love to everyone. Special thoughts to Pam and Kim, who have both suffered losses in the past few weeks, I have been thinking of you both .
Also to Tazzy, who is now waiting for an emergency back op to rectify her two dodgy discs..when I spoke with her last week she was expecting to be called in during the next two weeks. Good Luck Girlie..

Kisses on the lips to everyone.

DawnXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back in the desert 30.10.2009

Back in the desert.

Well I made it back to the desert after a very busy and short two weeks, in dear old Blighty.

The heat hit me like a blow dryer as I alighted from the little prop at Ups expanding airport. They are gearing up for an eagerly expected influx of tourists in 2010 and are expanding the airport by 50%.

In my 2 week absence the entire fascia has altered from a rather quaint and bumbling assortment of mismatched buildings to a disgusting concrete monster. Knowing Africa, I`m sure it has taken longer than two weeks to create this monster, but it has been under dusty

tarpaulines for months. In my opinion ..it looked far better before.

The flight from Heathrow was made more bearable by the three vacant seats by me and I was able to raise one of the arms and "stretch" my torso out, and weave my legs through the fixed arm of the next one, managing sporadic sleep . I had found in the recesses of my cupboard one of those blow up pillows that you strap around your neck.

I have often seen people wearing them on long haul flights and thought rather cruelly, that they must be rather precious...well these devices really do work...as long as you ensure that they are not overly blown up...as then you ricochet from every hard surface you attempt to rest against...so if you leave them slightly under blown, although they look extraordinary...they do work.

I would still have much preferred to have David and Taz sitting next to me as was planned. But Taz`s back is now so bad [she now has two prolapsed discs] that any thoughts of three weeks in the sun has had to be abandoned pending a recovery. But it WILL happen.

Poor David and Taz..they work incredibly hard and have not managed to get away at all this year,and are both in desperate need of relaxation time. Tazz`s enforced "rest" on the sofa at home, really does not qualify as a break, when every movement she makes has her in the most extreme agony. watching her sneezing was enough to make me weep in sympathy.

I missed out on seeing a number of people: Trudie, Adrienne, Kim, Loops ,Pam and Aunty,all very regrettable omissions.

But I did manage to catch Lucy and Quentin in London, whilst Jessie was tripping the light fantastic with her uni buddies the night of her graduation. Thank you both..what a wonderful evening.

And dear Marie, at last we caught up with one another, so good to see the wonderfully svelte you!!!!!

I finally managed to see Audrey, one of our neighbours in Newbury,what a joyous two hours,I spent in her company....and I hope that you are feeling better.

The "girlies"..fab night as always in your company. Viki what would I do without you? and the amazing Dotti...words fail me,you are a star.

Everything on the practical "To Do" list was accomplished...much to my amazement. Two new agents found and instructed for Beacon Cottage. And Tommy will be installing himself to "caretake" it pending new tenants being found.

Finns 21st:

We had a truly lovely family bash at QUAD in Oxford on Finns 21st..those of us who were over 30 [!!!!] disappeared after supper and left the others to carry on and party in Oxford. There were suitably sore heads the following day, and a very green Jessie struggled to concentrate on finding herself a car..but find a car she did,and proudly collected it last Thursday,she is now zipping around "Chi" [this is what I am instructed to call Chichester!] under her own steam.

Proud me with a 21 year old Finn..where have the years gone!

Tazzy,Finn and Tommy

Later that evening...without us!!!!!! I`m sure Jessie and Finn will not forgive me for posting this picture,but its so funny I had to run the risk of their fury. [please forgive me Jell and Finn]

Jessie graduation.

We had a wonderful day in London on Wednesday,my sister Jane joined us and the two of us looked on from a plush box ,up in the gods at the Royal Albert Hall as Jessie walked up onto the stage...a very proud moment.

Three new Doctors outside the Royal Albert Hall : Jess, Tash and Jessie.

Africa is HOT

Wow...the heat is extreme. Today..Saturday we are at 39 degrees... mercifully its a dry heat, and Bossy is as usual busy with the pool, which feels searingly cold, I braved a dip ..did a quick length and hopped out. I remember last year it feeling like bath water..perhaps in a few weeks it will have had time to warm up a little.

During my absence we have been given four goslings..they are very sweet, and consider Bossy and Moses as their Mummy and Daddy. Whenever they catch sight of either man, they race up to them and form a crocodile behind them, following in a wobbling line.

They have taken over the old cement watering hole in the corale in front of the swimming pool and spend their days here,at night ,one of their Mummies brings them into the garage where they overnight and from where they are removed to their watering hole, first thing in the morning.

Has anyone got any brilliant suggestions for names? I have thought of d`Artagnan,Athos,Porthos and Aramis...but its a bit of a mouth full..for the moment they respond very well to "Com Gansies", [pronounced with that soft "G"] which both of their "parents" shout at the top of their voices to call them in of an evening . Having chatted to Taz on Skype last night she has come up with the following : Fois. Gras. Pate & Truffle.

Little was very cross that I didn't return via Cape Town, and take him out for the weekend. Big spent last weekend with him and they sound as though they had a wonderful time, but it goes by so quickly and I know leaves Little wanting more. He breaks up for his long summer holiday on the 9th December, and I`m hoping that we shall spend a weekend with him before then.

Jessie is paying us a quick visit , she flies into UP next Sunday for a week of sunshine. Why?...because she can..and having completed too many hours on her first rotation at Chi, she has earned herself a week off ,before she starts her next rotation in orthopaedic surgery in December. Very exciting...she has chosen the cheap flying option with UAE, which involves a stop in Dubai..instead of my 18 hour round trip "door to door", hers will be around 30 hours....OUCH!!

Finally..huge thanks to everyone. I always return feeling fortunate to have the support of so many wonderful people back home.

Very special thanks to Sarah for her understanding and help.

Kisses on the lips to all.

DawnXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

PS. Its Bongo`s 1st birthday today, and he celebrated last night by finding my brand new leather pumps and demolishing one of them!..New Knickers and bras all intact so far!!!!!!

Thank You

Thank you to everyone who has gone onto Autonomy and backed and read ARK.

Today I found myself ranked 983rd..that's from a starting point of around 4889 Th.

Now I really have my work cut out.

The consensus of opinion is that ARK has a great story line, but my grammar and punctuation and excessive use of adjectives leaves a great deal to be desired.

So the technical stuff IS an issue, I have always apologised for this by describing myself as a "sixties child", when I remember spelling and attention to all things formal, were frowned on in favour of free spirited writing. Clearly I can no longer continue to blame the sixties and need to wake up and smell the coffee pretty damn quickly.

One of the published authors on the site sent me the an email, suggesting that ARK was the kind of book that might be picked up from this site by a publisher/agent and that I should find myself a good editor.

Well..now its time to put my money where my mouth is, so if anyone knows of a friendly and extremely competent editor of YA books can they please contact me.

Tazzy is putting some feelers out for me, but I`m now in the realm of the unknown.

Just so that I don't become overly excited..the publishing site that I originally joined, sent the the most knicker grippingly awful review. One of those that was so cutting and spiteful that I wanted to hide my head inside a paper bag, I was sooo ashamed of myself for even thinking that I could write a book.

Thanks to my little sister, who gave me a serious dressing down and a good verbal clap around the head, I have recovered myself again.

If I ever master how to upload the comment [it was long!] I will put it on the blog. A veritable "howler" if ever there was one.

I have a very amusing little tale about this site. When I signed up for it, the menu's asked for my writing name...easy Dawn Evans, and then my forum name, so I chose [rightly or wrongly] Binky Myers, you may recall the first of my tortoises who I still love dearly, even with his/her cracked shell.

Now, I appear everywhere on this site as Binky Myers..people send me comments addressed to Binky or Binks and even Little , who is very enthusiastic about the book, has managed to circumvent the age limit on the site, and has appeared,rather hilariously, as BINKY MYERS JUNIOR.

I have decided that my "real name" is fading into the deep and distant past very rapidly..Moses still calls me "Missus", Regina calls me "Aunty Dee" [yuck!] and now a whole new Internet population know me as "BINKY"!!!!!!

Some pictures of the stunning wild banana , and Jakkaranda trees in the garden..so that this post is not barren of visual interest.

HUGE THANKS and KISSES ON THE LIPS TO EVERYONE XXXXXXXXX

DAWN

Book Update

OK now I need to ask for your help.
I have now set the first 6 chapters of my book up on a new publishing web site and think I currently rank about 3899th.

I need as many reviews as possible to jigger myelf up the list.
Since you do not have to be a writer [ just interested in books!]to enter the site and prepared to register . Would you give ARK a quick read [not too difficult as I have only managed 6 vaguly presentable chapters]

If it warrants it would you care to comment and put me on your bookshelf please.

Here is the link http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=12443

I think that you may have to register before you are allowed to look at my book, those of you who do..Thank you. But please do NOT feel duty bound in any way.

The general website is http://www.authonomy.com/ and my book will be found if you put ARK [the title] into a search.

Thanks DawnXXXX

The Benevolant postcard Society & Saint Bongo

Couldnt resist posting this picture of these flowers from my own garden !

Taz and Jessie...familiar vases ?

My "stamp postcard " arrived in California and Lauren, the recipient seemed to be thrilled with it, then today I received mine from Michigan.I cant remember being this excited about post since I was about 12!
Each of the 350 members, have to hang onto the 12 postcards we receive [hopefully once a month] and then send them back to the originating Artist next year..Lori...she will be putting on an exhibition and has been commissioned to produce a book.

Its a great feeling to be part of an art project like this,as well as the immense excitement of receiving and sending messages of fun & good will all around the world. I had no idea when I clicked the "yes I would like to take part" box, that it would be so incredibly exciting...yes that's the only way to describe it.
I now have to take a photo of the P/C I received, set against my own landscape and post it to a flikr web site..and make sure this P/C is put somewhere out of Bongo`s reach.

This is the photo that has been posted to the Flikr website..the postcard set against the bark of one of our Quiver trees.

Bongo`s last major misdemeanor was to attack one of my favorite art books ..a really chunky one as well.
When we returned to the house one evening, all floors were littered with 600 pages of text and photos,shredded into tiny slips. Looking on the bright side..I could make an interesting collage up from the shreds which are all safely in a large bag...I just couldn't throw them away!!

Our neighbours told us last night that they couldn't believe how calm Bongo had become..they said how very grown up he was ...Its all a ruse on his part, part of a complex plan to prove us liars and himself a saint....In my opinion "Saint Bongo" doesn't have the necessary ring of solemnity about it though.

September 29th 2009 A time for reflection

On an upbeat note, I found this picture of water polo and have to admit that its more like my idea [and Little's] of playing water polo!

As we approach the end of September, I remember that this time last year we were in guest house accommodation, we were living out of suitcases, [our possessions would take another 6 weeks to arrive].

Our house was in a state of "mid renovation" and Little had not yet had his first experience of South African schooling.

A year on and we are settled into the farm house with our possessions around us. Little is mostly settled at school,we have another dog ..The very naughty Bongo..[who is now looking very different from the sorry little scrap who arrived on the 22nd December]

Bongo at 11 months old

Jessie,Tommy and Finn have more than survived the year, Bee has survived and so have Big Little and I. Plenty of reasons to feel grateful. However I am feeling somewhat reflective so please excuse the miserable last post.

For the past three weeks we have had an extra member in our household, a young man of 22 from Holland: Sebastian. He was sent to us by Edwin's father, for a period of three months. Ostensibly, to experience a different culture and being "handy", it was suggested that he would be happy to tile the two guest bathrooms on the new end of the farm, which have remained in "limbo" following the cessation of work. He had lost his job in Holland

A gentle young man,and a guy that I rather liked, but someone who felt he could not hack life here in the desert. So he left us yesterday, after only three weeks, hoping for better fortune and the more clement conditions of Cape Town.

The arrival of a pool table and Party time.

Yesterday, before we left the house for Kak on the weekly shop, I put my bread maker into action to prepare dough for rolls, as we had planned to braii with our neighbours Villam and Gerda [who live across the road] and their two sons.

When we returned a new toy had arrived and the braai room was being re designed by Bossy...A pool table. At precisely this moment, Gerda arrived to ask if I needed anything for the braai and that I did know that her sister brother in law and two boys would also be joining us..I said "of Course"...and then set the bread machine into action again for more dough to make more rolls!

Well in true SA style they arrived with a cool box full of booze and every intention of hitting the night in a big way.

Pool was the game of choice for the evening..what a surprise... and the various championships continued until late into the night and small wee hours! I had NEVER played pool until last night..and it showed!!

I am feeling slightly "overhung" this am, and woke to the sobering sight of the freezer having gone into melt down in the scullery. In order to understand the nature of the problem, it has meant turning out the entirety of my larder cupboards and taking bottom plinths out. Why oh why did I have one glass too many last night?

My poor little sister has done her back in again..and when I caught a fleeting glimpse of her on Skype last night..she looked in great pain and very worried. She has an MRI on Thursday...FINGERS CROSSED TAZZY!!!!!!!!

News from home. And the first understandings of water polo

How I still miss everyone. The distance seems to stretch further as the months progress and I manage myself here from one day to the next, striking off the days and weeks until the next highlight. I`m sure this is not the right way manage...but its the only way that is working !

I am really looking forward to my next return trip in Mid October...if I was equalling out my visits it should have been a December return,but Finn`s 21st Birthday is on 18th October and Jessie's graduation ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall on the 21st....give me plenty of reasons to make an early return. I cant wait!

Nor indeed can I wait to return to South Africa with Taz and David. They plan to spend a couple of weeks with us at the farm and then de camp to Cape Town. I`m going with them,and as they both have similar passions to my own, am looking forward to seeing another side of Cape Town to the one we usually take in!

Little returns to the farm for a two week holiday tomorrow. Ma'am reports that he is getting around at frightening speed on his crutches [So would I be, if I had her chasing me!].

He is working hard on his exercises from the physio girls at the hospital,who he sees once a week. All looks promising for another months rehab with the leg brace coming off [fingers crossed ] when he sees his consultant mid October.

He sent me an email last week.His form teacher had told him that when he had the full use of his leg back that he was going to play WATER POLO. The email was in bold red capitals..it read

"I AM NOT PLAYING WATER POLO...REPEAT I AM NOT PLAYING WATER POLO"

This has nothing to do with the speedo`s or the swimming caps with ear muffs stuck to them. But everything to do with the aggression of the game...like rugby but with the added element of being drowned by your opposition at worst..and at best,having your testicles surreptitiously twisted by an underwater opponent.

For some reason he has decided its not going to be his cup of tea!

(Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts) Boris Zlokovic of Montenegro grabs hold of Nikola Radjen of Serbia during the water polo event between held at the Yingdong Natatorium of National Olympic Sports Center during Day 16 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China

Poor Tommy is now in a finger brace..he has his follow up at the hospital today...so good luck Tommy. He was being "watched" by Henley for his first few games, to see how he had recovered from the knee injury,with view to their offering him a contract. Sadly the finger has now become an issue, because of the 8 weeks he will need to repair the tendon damage.

Jessie is very much in the land of the workers now and sounds happy and settled.She seems to be part of a great bunch of fellow F1`s in Chichester, and I know keeps in regular contact with all of her fellow uni friends who are now spread across the country doing their first year in real work!

Finn will have made his way back to Newcastle now for his final year of uni.

Good luck Finn,make it a good one! And Finn hurry up and get your wine web site up an running.

September in the desert

All is busy within the farm and beyond.

Workers are flocking to the area for the seasonal work in the vines.The roads are full of overstuffed lorries [with both human and animal cargo ] and from early morning till dusk, there is the sound of tractors chugging through the lines of vines, spraying. [note the white mist on the uppermost edge of the photo below]

Our vines,like everyone else's are being doused with a a cocktail of goodies "to encourage" bud development and the size of resulting grapes.

In my humble opinion, this might account for the interminable sniffles and coughs the household has been dogged with for the past few weeks!

But the bland brown scaffolding of the vine supports that surrounded us only 8 weeks ago,has now transformed to blocks of lush green new shoots,interspersed with the little teepee tops of the vines supports.

We have been joined by a new guest who has made a nest in the log basket in the braii room. She has laid three equisite little eggs.

I have scoured my book of south African birds,and I think she is a a little "Banded Martin."

She reminds me so much of the little teasing wagtails that used to peck around our courtyard at home.

When Bongo and Bee spot her, they lower their heads and go into stalking mode.She allows them to come just within reach and then flies off frustrating them.. they have now learned to stand and watch her without chasing.

My tropical border starts to regenerate ...notice Moses interpretation of my natural stone border retainers...not exactly what I had in mind..but for the moment its keeping the dogs off of freshly dug ground and newly planted shrubs.! Plenty of time for fine tuning!

After a matter of only a few weeks ,the sorry and unloved Iris bulbs that I collected from around the remaining tangled borders at the front of the house, and replanted in the first revamped border, have sprung into flower..quite unexpectedly.

That makes it three

Just an update, Little is under the uncompromising care of the physios in Cape Town and is starting to make good headway with his knee.

I cant wait to have him back for a few days on the 23rd Sept..He returns to school on 6th October,which will mark his first full year of boarding at Bishops!

Poor Tommy is still suffering from the groaning misery, his dislocated finger has had on this seasons rugby plans. Keep smiling Tommy!

And I have a black eye..courtesy of Bongo! Lets hope that this seals the saga of family injuries..mine does of course pale into insignificance compared to that of Little and Tommy.

So excited was I [and as a direct consequence...Bongo] that he had not caused any damage to anything in the house whilst we were out. He jumped up and walloped me in the face with his paw. It felt as if I had been hit with a punch...by the morning it looked like it as well!

We are now on "no jumping training sessions" which are difficult to manage ,as having christened him Bongo he believes absolutely that he should behave as a Bongo.

DISLOCATION...YET ANOTHER ONE.

Poor poor Tom...he was playing the second game of the season with Henley and suffered a dislocated finger...so dislocated that he is going to the JR tomorrow for an op on it, to insert a pin and help re attach the tendons.

Another 6 weeks out of the game for him. You can only imagine his complete dejection...as far as he is concerned this means that he will lose any opportunity of getting "Signed " for the season.

Whilst my heart breaks for him, I have to remind myself [and Tommy] that Rugby is a game that generates injuries and despite his having attracted more than most,it is part of the hustle and bustle of the sport that he has chosen to excel in.

Good Luck Tommy...think on the bright side....it means that you wont be able to fulfill your duties at work...maybe you will get some time off! FINGERS UP!
Kisses and love as always.DXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I have become a member of the BPC. A postcard exchange and art project in one, the aim of the Benevolent Postcard Society is to bring a smile to its members through the random exchange of postcards from September 2009 to September 2010. At the beginning of each month, members send a cheerful, amusing, inspiring, pretty or quirky postcard to each other — either handmade or ready made. At the end of the year, all the postcards exchanged will be collected and published as a book, the final result of a year's sharing of good karma through random acts of kindness. This "Society" is the idea of artist Lori based in Canada. Members are signed up from across the world, I think a total of 25 countries being represented.

I duly received Septembers recipient details and had intended to create a range of 12 postcards based on some of the more interesting images that I have taken with my camera since our move.

Unfortunately with all the dramas with Little, my time has been compromised ,in addition to a more practical problem of having run out of printing ink....The stationers in Kak are running round like headless chickens trying to locate the correct replacement ink cartridges for my very standard HP printer!!!!

Very aware that I was overdue to post out,I scoured Cape Town domestic airport yesterday for unusual/quirky postcards..but couldn't come up with anything.

What a did find was a small packet of used African stamps. So today after an early shopping trip to Kak...I set about making the first of my postcards

I have to say that I`m delighted with the result. I have always been interested in issues of Identity and as I looked through the stamps,was struck how,over the years, The images had been chosen to deliver certain views/messages of the country that they were representing...this is very pertinent for the "Rainbow nation" and the ever changing continent of Africa.

Added to this,the idea that every stamp on the postcard has already been used to deliver a message.

Another reason for my own delight in the African stamp P/C is the fact the "tiny masterpieces" were originally intended to validate a posted missive and have now become the source of decoration in their own right...Indeed,so conscious am I of their being damaged that this P/C will be slipped in an envelope and duly stamped with a "virgin" stamp...starting the process over again.

Tomorrow, I shall hop into The Raisin and send the little lady in Marchand "Post office" into an apoplectic fit... A letter to California U.S.A and an AIRMAIL one.