Goodbye Winter............I think!

Last week we had some really foul weather. Huge rain, wind that cut through us like a knife, seas that pounded and crashed through the night, and if we were uncertain about winter having departed, we were reminded of it in no uncertain terms! We even had snow on the mountains inland and every B+B, camp site and Guesthouse was fully booked this weekend as everyone headed inland to freeze themselves daft by playing in the snow! And on Thursday, instead of staying in next to the fire, I had Hospice and Rob had a transfer from Cape Town to Wellington. He set off in rain and arrived home in rain. And in between? Yes, rain!

The Dutch Reform Church in Wellington, built in 1840.

But when we woke up yesterday morning, spring had arrived! A day early I might add! And Rob had to head off to Wellington to pick up the passengers and transfer them to Franschoek. So, I went along for the ride. My camera was charged and ready for me to capture the snow covered mountains, white and shimmering in the early morning light.

In the Bleak Midwinter.................!

Yes, it's winter and it's cold............and wet! This is the view from the office window yesterday morning! See the rain running down the window panes?

We had 10 mm rain after this storm and two cats were out in it!

However, we are warm and snug inside, thanks to our stove that Rob had installed a few years ago. This was because the builder just couldn't get the chimney right and the fire place smoked so badly that we had to have the doors and windows open to clear the smoke! This, of course, defeated the whole object of having a fire. Eventually the builder told us the whole problem was due to our neighbours roof! After that, he wasn't allowed back and I was ready to kill him with a log! And Rob cleverly found a stove with doors that works every time!

The veranda was awash!

Winter Wonderland!

When people think of South Africa, the word 'sunny' usually comes to mind. Well, think again! It's snowing over most of the country, in fact we have just heard that it is the first time that snow has fallen in each of the nine provinces at the same time. In Kwa Zulu Natal some roads have been closed, leaving people stranded between towns. In areas that don't usually experience the 'cold white stuff', work has come to a stand still while people rush out to frolic and throw it about and generally behave like children! Rob's daughter Angie, who lives in Johannesburg, sent us this picture of her with her work mates, look at the snowball! When this was taken, it was a chilly minus 2 degrees! And that was at 3 o'clock in the afternoon!

Angie (second from the left) sent us this pic. Thanks Angie!

Powerless....but not for long!

We have a joke here in South Africa that goes something like this:

A woman goes to answer the door and finds a hooded figure holding a scythe, on the doorstep. "Yes?" she asks. "I am the Prince of Darkness" answers the cloaked figure and the woman turns and calls to her husband, "Darling, the man from Eskom is here!"

(Eskom is our power provider! And we have Koeberg, the nuclear  power station, just down the road near Cape Town.)

Koeberg Power Station (thanks to the website)