Fantastic!

Following on from last week's camp out, Rob decided that what we really needed to keep us cool and calm, were fans.

When we built the house in 2006, we asked the builder to organise overhead fans while the electrician was on site to prevent hassles at a later date. But our builder 'persuaded' us not to bother as he said that the wind always blew and it never got hot.

Yes, well that was then.

Each year has been getting steadily hotter thanks to Global Warming! We bought a lovely desk fan a couple of years ago for the bedroom and it has helped tremendously, but what we really wanted was a steady downward draft, to help with two things, namely keeping us cool and preventing the ever vigilant mosquitoes from landing! Three fans would be perfect, for the lounge, the office and the bedroom. So on Monday Rob googled fans, found a company in Cape Town and we saw exactly what we wanted. But they didn't supply to the public, only businesses. No problem, there is a wonderful Electrical and Plumbing shop (that doesn't sound right does it really?) in Langebaan, so on Tuesday we went there to order (and have breakfast but not at the shop I hasten to add!) And on Thursday they arrived! That's service. So, on Friday we returned to Langebaan to collect them (and have breakfast (ditto previous brackets)).

However. Rob could not find an electrician. He phoned several but they were all busy for the foreseeable future and we wanted them installed ASAP obviously. So, on Friday as soon as we got home (after a really great breakfast), he set to work, helped by my daughter who was here for a few days. (How wonderful it is to have her close enough to 'pop' over for a quick visit!) Being (a lot) taller than me she was able to hold the fan in place while Rob was balanced up the ladder doing fiddly things with different coloured wires and screws, and I was trying not to think of things like electrocution, falling and hospital.

Home Comfort Camping!

Now, if you have all the comforts of home when you are camping, where are you?

Yes, at home!

For the last couple of weeks we have had the most glorious weather (apart from no rain at all), and we have bragged about our 'natural air conditioner' (aka our cool wind), and our low temperatures, to friends and family who have been suffering temperatures in the high 30 degrees C. My daughter has been heard to remark that its cooler in Dubai, so they have been dashing between the air-conditioned office and the swimming pool!

Anyway, I digress!

Yesterday the weather got its own back on us! By midday it was 38 degrees in Vredenburg and not a lot cooler here in the Baai. With no wind at all, not even a gentle zephyr to knock a degree off, by evening we were still hot hot hot inside the house. The fan was working overtime and the cats were splayed out on the tiles. Going up to bed, the higher we climbed the hotter it got, and our bedroom was like an oven. We opened the balcony doors wide and the cool air poured in.

Poor Pieta!

Remember reading about this little gosling?

Pieta as a gosling when we thought she was a he!

Yes, it was Pieta just over two years ago when she waddled her way into our lives and hearts! For two years she has been our early warning system, she has raised a gaggle of Egyptian geese, and has grazed in our gardens, searching for those 'dissels' that she loves so much. (We have also trekked through vacant gardens and stopped along the side of the roads to pull them out and take them home for her.) She has slowed traffic down by just standing in the road, and has chased bicycles and people that she doesn't know. She has walked almost daily to the sea for a swim and has made friends with Alfie and the cats!

Pieta all grown up!

And she has been safe in her little corner of the world.

Until just before Christmas.

Techno Babble!

Have you ever 'Googled' your name?

I bet you have!!

And have you also been amazed by just how many people have the same name as you? And interestingly enough, in my case, the same occupation! (Although I am retired now, phew). I know that there is another Pauline Hollis who is a teacher, and several other Pauline Hollis's dotted around the world. It gives you a bit of a jolt to read about someone with the same name, especially if they had a 'past' so to speak! And are dead.

I recently required (AKA given, xxxxxx kisses there) an amazing new phone. I say phone, but it does everything except make the tea and I am still learning how to use it!! There are a lot of extra things on it that quite frankly scare me and I am terrified that I am going to open something in error. My fingers are big and chunky (my dad used to call them 'capable') and they keep touching the wrong letters when I whatsapp people, so instead of writing 'I went shopping', it ends up something like 'o wrmy sjipponf'. And because I am doing all this as fast as I can to prove a point, I get to the end of the message and can't read half of it. If I am feeling generous I delete and start again, if not.....off it goes.  Just as well my family can translate my ramblings!

Beautiful!

And it googles too.