Easter by the river

Dan and I headed out to Kliphuisie, near Bonnivale, and arrived in the dark. The house has no electricity, so we lit all the paraffin lamps and started to cook dinner.

Our days were filled with swimming in the river without end (Riversonderend), canoeing, fishing, reading about Italian POW’s climbing Mt Kenya for fun, and eating delicious wholesome food. We braaied every night which meant we could have a hot shower afterwards from the hot coals in the donkey.

One day we ambled up the hill and startled a buck which was only a metre from us. We also saw night jars, freckled and fiery, black eagles, and fisheagles. As we drove out we saw a pale chanting goshawk, which then followed our car, eating the prey we scared out in the open.

Through the binoculars…

Daniel valiantly cook me dinner in the rain. Bacon on a stick?

Long weekend in the Breekrans

Over the long weekend we spent three days out walking in the Cedarberg from Kromriver. Luckily we took tents and the gas and benzene lasted until the last meal before giving out.

One way to start a hike – with a beer.

 

Apparently this is what happens when you get married!

Overlooking Citrusdal

Danielle and I had a plunge

 

One, two…

Listening to Amelie, with the breeze flowing through our new flat. The leaves outside on the maple are changing colour and contrast Daniel’s blue jersey.  It won’t be long till the weather is wintry, but for now it’s autumn, with all that comes with an in-between season.

We have been enjoying the moods of the mountain from our balcony…

In the last little while we’re explored the southern penisula a bit more, with some time at Simonstown and then at Smitswinkel Baai for Zoe’s 30th (prong one).

Schoolboys at Just Nuisance’s grave…

Keith (EthQ) was optimistic about the surf!

The morning after…

One windy afternoon we went to say bon voyage to Dan’s friend Andrew.

This weekend we went chocolate and wine pairing, and ran the Jonkershoek Mountain Challenge. We stayed at Danielle and Thorsten’s farm cottage, and played a few games of petanque.

Last night Dan did some baby whispering with Junie.

Thinking of Alice

I hope Alice is sitting on her bench today, surveying the scenery, holding Norman’s hand and in the other holding a of stolen bunch flowers.

http://alicemuller.wordpress.com

If by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Danielle and Thorsten’s wedding video

Love love love, love love love…

 

 

Barefoot Brewery

February saw the start of the Barefoot Brewery. I think this idea has been a while in the making, but I am going to claim that it all started with a pot bought from Osmans, which was the envy of all who saw me walking down the street with it. “Now wouldn’t that make a nice biryani?”

The Barefoot Brewers

Thorstie

Careful temperature control

Happy brewers

Barefoot brewing

The first brew (pictured here) went down well at Danielle and Thorsten’s wedding the night before the big day. The Barefoot Team are now about to make the third brew!

Its serious business

In the same vein, Margie, Errol, Dan and I went to Laborie to stomp some grapes. The general manger gave us a talk on the grape making process and then we were allowed to go into the vineyard and pick chardonnay grapes from a crop left especially for us.

Laborie, Paarl

Yum yum

Errol getting in to it

Let the stomping begin

Stomp stomp

Pringle magic

This weekend Robbie, Kate, Graham, Dan and I, headed out to Pringle Bay on Friday night, and squeezed in a late braai and a bit of Risk.

On Saturday the waves were big and dumping and the early morning sunshine was glorious. We walked over the hill past Hangklip to Mouse Bay past a field of brunsvigias (which when dry turn into tumble weeds).

Devin and Sanela joined us for a bonfire on Saturday night. On Sunday we went for a not so early morning swim and came back to find the house raided by baboons. Kate and I held the dogs while, the boys chased the baboons away from the house. One little baby was stuck inside, climbing the rafters, but Graham and Rob managed to get him out without getting bitten. The house was an absolute mess and the worst part was that they had stolen our breakfast, but luckily not the bacon. The baboons looked very French running off with our baguettes! After buying some more food, Ian and Sarah joined us for breakfast and then more swimming, another braai and pancakes. Now that’s a good weekend!

(Photo credit for baby baboon picture annalene.hubpages.com)

The last few weeks…

Its amazing to think that just a few weeks ago we were in London with Vicki and Jim, wearing many layers of clothing!

The Natural History Museum, London

Vicki and Dan

On the rooftop near St Paul's

Vicki's office

Jim, Dan and The Christmas Tree

We had a great Christmas Party with all our friends at Danielle and Thorsten’s.

Scottish Santa and Pimp Santa

Siblings got together in the Christmas Spirit.

Siblings at the carols

A lot of beer, wine and champagne was drunk.

Enjoying a beer in the De Vries chairs

We had a few windy days in Langabaan, where Dan and Dan both stood on their boards.

Dan, Dan, Keith and Graham preparing for kiternating

We didn’t feel like going home so we had some more time by the beach with Obrees in Pringle.

Bjorn to Dan " And that's how you catch a crayfish"

We celebrated with Jennilee and Marco when they were married on Windmill Beach in glorious Italian- Cape Town style!

Relaxed Marco before his wedding

Christmas time

This year we were lucky to have a lot of family around for Christmas. On Christmas day we had a large family lunch with many of the Shillingtons, Grimsruds, Cunnamas and De Vries represented (as well as a Kusler and a Swallow). My parents where kind enough to open their home to everyone for the day and we had a great meal. It was also Sven and Juno’s first Christmas and Audrey’s 6th. Here are some pictures of them over the last few weeks…

Frankiedoodle and Elf Juno at the Kirstenbosch Carols

Grannie Annie and Auds playing with lego

Juno and Anna cool by the pool in Langabaan

Dan, Auds and Sven

Svenikins

Auds

Tim and Sven

Baby whispering

Junie

Tim, Sven, Graham and Juno

Grape munching

Grape munching

Discovering the BFG