K1.....P1....

We have had a wonderful week of mist, fog and..........rain! Beautiful damp days that force you to stay in and loll around in front of the fire, reading or knitting!

It's funny, but cold, wet, inside days always turn my thoughts to knitting. I love knitting and in my time I have turned out hundreds of different things, some successful and some not! (Sorry kids for those ghastly orange and yellow jerseys and tank tops that came out of the cupboard with horrifying regularity!)

I remember my mum and my Aunty Julia knitting up a storm every weekend in the winter months when I was growing up. Because their knitting was so similar, they would share the task of knitting a jersey or jumper, one would tackle the sleeves and the other would do the front and back. They bought the wool in skeins and then needed to wind it into balls, so either my sister or I would sit with our arms out and our hands stiff, thumbs up and fingers straight out while they hooked the skein round our outstretched hands and wound it into balls. (And our arms ached with the effort!) My aunt had a way of winding the wool round her thumb somehow, and the ball would end up with a neat hole in the middle. I tried that a few times and was thrilled when the skeins were phased out and the ball arrived, ready rolled!

But, I digress!!

Feathers and Fur.

This is the post that I was planning to write this week, except for the ending. And the middle.

While I was away, Rob said that a dove had built her nest in our tree aloe in the newly improved bed outside the kitchen window. And just before I arrived home, she laid a second egg and was now sitting tight! She had chosen a safe place, surrounded by spiky leaves to ward off any pawed intruders, but our three lads didn't even notice her sitting quietly day after day.

Look below the flowers, right in the middle of the photo, see her?

We noted the date and looked up all there was about doves, and waited patiently along with her. We chose the right time to rush out to gather wood for the fire and replenish the water in the bird bath, and I noted with horror the amount of grass that I wasn't able to pull out!

Friends and Angels!

I realise that this is a day or two late, and I apologise profusely! But yesterday I went to a birthday lunch with my oldest and longest-loved friend!! (I am actually four days older than Cathy, so we have a four day window where I was a whole year older!!!) We met in February 1959, on my first day at my new school in Lusaka, and became firm friends. We rode together, spent weekends with each other, and got up to the sort of fun mischief that used to happen in those days..........no drugs or trouble, just fun!

1959 or 1960! Look how thin I was!!!

Anyway, on the way to their farm, I was actually pondering about the blog and what to write this week! (Genius doesn't come easily, and I put a lot of thought and planning into my witty and  thought provoking blogs!)
The countryside is still dry and looking really desperate now, many farmers have already ploughed with the hope that rain will follow, but the vines are turning the most beautiful shades of yellow and red.

So as I drove past small dams that are slowly drying up, I saw birds; herons and small water birds. We always notice birds, Rob and I love to 'bird-watch' wherever we go.
And that was my 'Eureka' moment!! A bird update!!

Read on:

East, West..........................

Well, as promised, here I am again!

Home, safe and sound (as sound as I can ever be), after a wonderful holiday, eating, laughing, eating, playing with my gorgeous grandchildren, eating, cheering for the Lions and Stormers rugby teams and Real Madrid and Barcelona football teams! And, did I mention eating? And lots of vino blanco!

Friday's lunch......paella, what else!!

Catherine and I flew from Cape Town on the 14 April. Our Emirates flight was scheduled to leave at 17.55 (our time) and arrive in Dubai 05.30 (Dubai time). That gave us a clear two hours before our Madrid flight left at 07.40 (Dubai time). Plenty of time to get through the hugeness of Dubai airport, and make our way to the departure gate.

Yes. Well.