Surely Sundays Are Fun Days
In all my born days I never thought I would say "whoopy! Sundays are fun days". I’m a boarder for goodness’ sakes.We loathe Sundays.Turn on a radio and I recall Esmè Everard’s distinctive lilt as she read messages from Mums and girlfriends on “Forces Favourites”. That's my cue to fall into...
On Doctor's Orders
Isn’t exactly how it all happened. Summer colds are really the pits, especially in spring. We were both bitten by a bug. Runny noses, sneezing, bunged up sinuses, laryngitis and an embarrassing gungy cough. Not bad enough to tempt one to pull a duvet over one’s head, but enough to make you...
Simple Summer Salads With A Twist
When the sun beats down on the top of my head and I feel the need of a hat and sunnies know it’s time to dust off the platters and large salad bowls. I find pleasure in digging in the napery drawer, flinging out the florals, stripes and coloured linens, the worn check napkins in shades of...
One Whale Wallows
Weekenders line the cliffs and choke up the paths in the Rep.of Hermanus. Spring break and it's chock-a-block.Traffic jams, long queues and exhausted officials are the order of the next 10 days. No matter where you were within a 1km radius of the Old Harbour you’d hear the screech of...
Drive By Shootings On Sunday Drives
Butch hadn’t had such a good day on Saturday. His Springboks lost to the All Blacks, the result was expected, but the shock of it still hits the solar plexus doesn’t it? What a shame. Sadly for them Saturday was the last straw and their last chance to impress. They’ve lost an ardent fan. To...
Fabulous Friends, Food And Frivolous Fun
Was exactly how my weekend started. We’re born into families, some are single parent ones, adopted ones or traditional ones. We can't choose them, friends are the people we pick along the way. People who intrigue and fascinate us, who we have something in common with or it’s the child you sit...
Tim's Trailer Makeover
Not my usual story about our Honey Badger, but, it’s about being motivated by the plan and execution that we have for our truck.Ours has been in the making for months and the end is not in sight. Yet. This one is a spur of the moment, “let’s get stuck in and get the job done job”. Typically...
Singing Ching-Ching It's Spring
I go ballistic every time Butch announces “It’s Summer!” (Like clockwork he does it every year on the 23rd June).My beady eyes give him dirty looks as I shiver and shake from the cold, but, I start watching the signs. And then. When he starts paying attention to the weather forecasts, reads...
Schatzie Goes Hands, Knees And Bump-Sa-Daisy
That’s exactly how I made my descent into the Fish River Canyon. Slowly, measured steps and oftentimes on my behind. I had no dignity as I squatted to slide down rocks. When did my legs shorten? It was after 55. The audience looking down must’ve rolled their eyes while they whispered...
Floss, Gloss And Go
It happens once you get engaged, married or become pregnant. Everyone has advice. All good, solid cases based on past experiences. The problem is which one do you follow? If I had to take up all the tips, tricks and warnings I’ve had in the past week, I’d have to employ Sherpas to trek with...
Gearing Up! Ready To Take A Hike
A few decades ago I celebrated my 40th birthday in Namibia. On the night, the rotund chef at the Waterberg Reserve’s restaurant made an entrance and in true operatic style serenaded me in a booming baritone blasting “Happy birthday to you” beautifully. It’s something I’ll never forget. I have...
Jolly July - A Progress Report
Slow, steady, streamlined is what’s happening with our Honey Badger. Blueprint? There isn’t one. Plan? There isn’t one. So how are we going about this conversion you might wonder? We’re feeling our way. Like building a tree house, we’ve got a tree and branches, we've got the platform and the...
Winning Winter Warmers
While we wallow with winter weather we wish-wash with water, wet, when willowy wind whistles.When we wake, winter withholds wondrously, while we wish weather would warm. Yes.I know. I'm trying my hand at alliteration. Reminds me of poetry slams with my son. This is the best I can do believe...
Catching Kate In Vermaaklikheid
Bad news spreads like a rash. The world is upside down. Our own Juju is giving away his secret recipe and weight loss plan. The UK is in a shambles after Brexit. In the US there’s a possibility that a megalomaniac with a Hitleresque attitude and a permanent bad hair day, might become the...
Clowning About - From Your Besotted Gram'ma
This is a back-to-front letter. Your Mom has celebrated her birthday, we've pampered our Dads, you've turned one and I've got a few more grey hairs. The mountains are covered in snow but the sun still shines warmly on our backs. Landmarks flash past as the year speeds up, typically all we do is...
Progress Report - This Is No Faerie Tale
Work continues at a steady pace. The piercing, shrill, whining screech of a grinder fills the air, while the white light of the welding rod blinds, yet, fascinates. Sparks fly. Work is progressing. The air is infused with the smell of grease, lubricating oil and diesel. Men in overalls and...
LynnV Has A New Shoot In Franschoek
Psst, the word is out and it’s spreading. Lynn did it! After months of speculation, she finally did it! She’s opened her new Salon on Main. She’s always true to her word. A year ago like a pupae you transformed into a butterfly, and then you leap-frogged over a mountain range to realise...
The Old School Tie
Somewhere at the back of a wardrobe we all have one. Mine was stretched to its limits, having knotted it in Standard 6 it had to keep up with the times, dragged over my head, like a noose, the knot wound tighter and tighter. The tie got filthier and grubbier with each passing term, and as...
Stocking Up
In December all roads lead to Cape Town, Hermanus and Plettenberg Bay. But, in July, we take revenge and as soon as the school bags slam shut we flip our lids and head north to warmer climes, crossing the Orange River in droves as we migrate. Planning and packing the Engel (camping fridge) is...
Getting It Right - Camping At Mana Pools
Position, position, position! No 20 is the sought-after campsite and we had it! With a large, ancient Wild Fig tree offering us shade we made camp just beyond the branches’ reach, where the early morning rays would be our alarm clock and at night the Hippos calling would send us off to...
Mesmerizing Mana Magic
Here 21st Century human noise has been obliterated and Natures’ silence is deafening. That’s really all I can say. Magical Mana. Spiritual and Supernatural. The mighty Zambezi snakes through the enchanting forest of indigenous trees. Earth and water. Such powerful energy sources. ...
Friendship - There Is No Value
That's what you wrote in our Guest book before you left for the last time. You’ll not remember leaving a copy of your book titled "Sand In The Wind", with a note:8h30am “Good Morning! book under chair, something to read by a waterhole perhaps. Best Keith” It took a while, but, we made it to...
Time Travels Through Zimbabwe
The clock struck one and time stood still in Zimbabwe. It’s here that one fully appreciates that man’s influence on the Earth is small and insignificant, but, the conundrum is that technology also has the upper hand, for a while anyway it will. Plumtree border post was our port of entry and...
The Fearless Earl And The Honey Badger
The Precious Prince has been on safari, but that’s a story for another day. While he’s been gallivanting all over the Kingdom and beyond the faithful Earl and his troop of knaves have worked tirelessly, not letting up with their determined efforts to complete the task at hand. Things are...
Meanderings During The Merry Month Of May
My favourite month by far, not too cold, not too hot, skies are bluer than blue and the landscape has changed into its autumn coat. With a very tight schedule and not many hours to spare we packed and readied ourselves to set off on a 3 week safari to Zimbabwe. We were awake before the...
Around The World In A Coffee Cup With A Storm Brewing
A whirlwind weekend wandering is possible from home, one just needs to know how. When the seasons change as they do every Easter weekend we have four seasons in a day. It’s hard to pack considering the weather. The only certainty is that it’s time for comfort food. We travelled the world...
The Precious Prince - A Faerie Tale
Once upon a time there was a *handsome Prince and Princess and all they wanted to do was travel, she wanted to see the world, he was less ambitious, but would concede. A tad. His passion is Botswana, Namibia and a little bit of Mozambique. Although if truth be told he would venture forth...
Mood Swings Unplugged
A metronome taps a beat the clock tick-tocks, seasons officially change. Nature follows suit. The harvest's in the bag, we charge our glasses with this season’s vintage. It’s Earth hour at Davis' Pool and locals arrive in drips and drabs to set up their deck chairs and blankets while...
The Rollercoaster That Was February
Forest Gump’s Mother said “life was like a box of chocolates”. February was like that, but the metaphor looked more like the box my sweet sister-in-law presented us with two weeks ago. The box was beautifully crafted and finished off with a pretty red bow, but, alas, had melted into one...
The Honey Badger Diaries
We’re not beating about the bush anymore! It’s been two years since I had my momentum dilucide and announced our longing to spend our “retirement” bush whacking throughout Africa. Our dream is a reality. With fingers crossed Precious was able to secure a viewing of a vehicle and on Thursday...
A Facial In Time Saves Nine
"People are not often naturally perfect and that's why God made stockings, shoes and cosmetics."Estee Lauder. Last week I stopped to chat which ended with the promise of a gift. Juliette must’ve seen the need for a relaxing facial when she saw me dragging my sore calves unenthusiastically...
The Weakest Link Takes A Hike
History tells us that contemplation, meditation, soul-searching and philosophising often takes place on mountain tops. Jesus, Mohammed, Moses, Mandela and Ghandi did it. I had a close call, a wake-up call, a bruised ego, a sore bottom and a chipped toenail. Last week we packed our back...
In Etosha We Slosha In Galosha
A distant rumble, a short, sharp whip cracks, the skies light up while the heavens become darker, heavier. The smell of rain rolls over the dry, cracked earth. Every animal becomes aware and focuses on the storm as it gathers momentum. Stifling heat cools down. We’ve arrived in Etosha. That...
A Voice, Brains And Books
Dolly Parton, C.S. Lewis and Nelson Mandela had one thing in common. Rather diverse characters I’d say, but, for their love of Children, Books, stories and getting children to read. I firmly believe that our saving grace is education. To read must be the greatest gift one can bestow upon a...
My Ten Cents Worth
Our friends' enquiry about the weather in Zimbabwe got the ball rolling rather unexpectedly. We were on our way to Mana Pools for the summer holidays when I put a spanner in the works. I like glamping. Sadly a wet tent doesn’t do it for me. I’ve got the (wet) T shirt to prove it. Picture...
Resolution, Revolution Or Right On From Where We Left Off
The choice is always ours. New years have come and gone a few dozen times in my life, some good, some indifferent and some jolly awful. My New Years' resolutions have been a fickle affair, being of the opinion that if we try and don’t succeed this time we can start all over again in 365...
Finishing In A Flurry
Things are tight in this house. We have a couple of hours left to do all the packing. This year has gone from 0-365 in a flash, yet, we’ve achieved much. Our country has reached all-time lows and surprisingly we’ve become more unified, determined and resolute about our future, our freedom and...
If A Cobra Can Spit So Can I
That’s the extent of my frustration. If a gadget works perfectly one minute why not the next? Sending a Kodak film to the lab was so much easier, let them sit with all the hassles. What’s more if you went to Clicks you didn’t even have to take all the duds. My card reader has just died a...
Collywobbles On A Monday
is what I’m going to have. Unless I stop sneaking into the kitchen to grab a handful of sun kissed apricots.They’re sweet and tangy with the rosiest cheeks. As I brush the furriness across my lips I must confess I imagine my Grandson’s bottom, those plump, sweet cheeks. The juices run down...
Juanita Conchita Margarita
There is a light at the end of the tunnel for sure. What could’ve turned into a “slit my wrist” moment became a re-kindling of a friendship sorely missed. My hopes were restored and my budget stretched like old garter elastic. Every time I walk into her home I gasp, by the time I get to...