As Normal Service As Possible!

Hello to all my loyal readers!

I am home again, winged safely over the mountains both ways, thanks to Mango airlines! It's the first time I have flown with them and I must say, they were fantastic. We were lined up on time, filed along the walkways in order and on time, people sitting at the back of the plane were shuffled to the right and into the back door (how sensible is that?) and were strapped in and hurtling down the runway at the very minute we should have been! Going to Durban we had an extremely jolly captain, one of those with a smile in his voice and a sort of casual rapport that made me sit back and un-clench my fists! Thank goodness he didn't decide to do a loop-the-loop over the Drakensberg!

Mango! (Pic thanks to Google)

Rob had organised a transfer to my sister's home in Pietermaritzburg and I was met at King Shaka Airport in Durban by a smiling man with a signboard. The journey took over an hour and I was horrified at just how many huge trucks use that freeway, all jiggling, overtaking, going too fast down hills, getting stuck behind slower traffic up the hills, pulling out in front of us.......you suddenly look out of the window and see wheels and tyres! Scary!

King Shaka Airport in Durban. (Pic thanks to Google)

And then I was there!

Hugs all round, a tear or two, lots of laughs and a very welcome glass of wine! Why does a two week holiday sound so long and go so fast? I went with her to the SPCA where she organises and runs the bookshop with a few volunteers (all retired and mostly retired teachers!), and had a great time one Saturday morning taking the money at the morning market. The two dogs that she and Norman adopted from the SPCA after Boscombe died, are absolute hooligans and seem to be completely untrainable! Scissors, knives, car keys, empty bottles, full bottles, handbags, cat bowls, dog blankets (complete with dog), food within reach, all get grabbed and taken outside. Anything that isn't tied down, too high for them to reach, or closed in a cupboard, is fair game! But, they love them!

While I was there I had daily reports from Rob re Morris! My first question after 'How are you?', was 'And how is Morris?' He was taking his medicine, eating his special food. All was well for the first few days..........

And then for the third time Rob had to rush him off to the vet, again on a Thursday! Same problem, same treatment. All our fingers and toes were crossed that this would be the last time.........

My holiday continued with daily reports and updates while Diana and I carried on the serious business of doing the shopping, having the odd coffee and generally enjoying each other's company.
And then, all too soon, it was time for my return transfer to King Shaka and my flight to Cape Town. More hugs and lots of tears.

There was  a slight muddle at the airport. We had been told gate A9 on our boarding pass, but the information board said A8. Also, the Johannesburg flight was leaving at about the same time, and those passengers had A8 on their boarding pass but the information board had A9. Plus both planes were Mango, standing next to each other, both bright orange, so the queues got rather mixed up! Aren't people funny though, there was general confusion with everyone trying to see what the person next to them had printed on their boarding pass, and standing next to them for safety! Anyway, after a sort of soft shoe shuffle, it was sorted and  the queues changed places and mingled for the last time! I was very relieved to see that I was not winging off to Jo'burg!! And hoped that my luggage wasn't either!

We took off on time and landed a tad early and Catherine was there to meet me. We had a delicious supper and I stayed over with her and drove home on Tuesday morning.

Rob and Alfie were happy to see me and the cats drifted in to tell me stories about how they were starved and beaten.

And Morris?
Touch wood all is fine.

He did a huge wee this morning, he is eating the right food and licking his Methigel off fingers, thank goodness!
So, hopefully, normal service has been resumed, at least for the next two weeks.

Why?

Because two weeks tonight, Catherine and I fly to Madrid..................