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!!!!!!