Today's my day for being an angel.....

Advertising takes many forms but this angel, outside a 

lingerie shop,  attracted attention especially from 

the young (male) passers-by.

                                       

                                          Speedy Gonzales ?

                                        This baby mountain tortoise crossed our garden,at a
                                       smart clip to avoid being eaten by crows - a real threat

...that wouldn't float

The "boat" swings lazily in the wind, its single oar

just hinting at a possibility...?

My son Etienne is a sculptor of note and this is one of 

his light-hearted creations at his exhibition of Dec 2016

The boat

The boat that wouldn't float...

Echoes of the past

One of the houses in a development near the 

Southernmost tip of Africa - based on typical details

of the fishermens' cottages built earlier in this area'

For any of those who still remember this blog, I am now 85 and

going strong. And I think it's time I tried to update daily Is there

anyone out there?. 

Snowfall

Hello there- I'm back after a long absence punctuated by doctors, hospitals and other impediments. I'm not in Aurora at the moment but in Pretoria, and the most noteworthy thing to happen since I got here was snow - for the first time ever, here! All of 3mm thick at the height of the 'storm.'  Fortunately we have a huge supply of wood, from a couple of fallen trees, and a fireplace which that evening, warmed the house.

Fisheries Museum

In Velddrif an old and historically interesting building, near the fishing harbour, has been converted into a museum filled with fascinating bits and pieces, from the fossilised bill of a swordfish to the most up-to-date equipment, aimed to make the most of the rich seas off our West Coast. Sadly these are rapidly being depleted by illicit overfishing by Far Eastern countries.

Survivor

Growing in a small crack in the edge of the tarred road, this albuca junctifolia has survived against all odds. The wild flowers of this area have to be tough in the face of climatic and human challenges.

While we're talking houses...

Take a look at this one. It is in the Kruger National Park and each unit is simply a timber platform with a canvas-tented superstructure. It overlooks a river bed with a seasonal stream of water where animals come to drink or to wander up the river. And it's my idea of heaven.

Chimneys

Also in Velddrif, this old house has seen the addition of a 'braai' (a barbecue hearth) that echoes the older structure.

Another old house

Another older house in Velddrif, with the tell-tale columns that date from the earlier part of the 20th century, but still retaining the air of serenity that goes with a simple lifestyle.

Tradition

This old cottage, beautifully converted by its owners, is typical of the early cottages along the Berg River. The big chimney breast held a cast-iron wood-burning stove, and the little window in it provided light for the cook. This end room would have been the living space and other rooms would have been bedrooms. It was a simple and compact lifestyle, that today seems to be coming back into its own. Except, of course, where ostentation rules!

Profile

Palms and pines seem unlikely neighbours, in Piketberg, with low cloud beinging promise of misty rain.

Troll?

A bridge leads to the front door of a house in Velddrif, and a label on the big bluegum tree warns 'beware of the troll.' I am enchanted - and I wonder whether this Scandinavian newcomer is challenging the place of our South African tokolosh!

Mist on the mountain

In Piketberg, the mist rolls down the mountain into the town, until a little later it turns into a fine rain

Sundowners anyone?

Our spectacular sunsets have something to do with the coastal conditions just 15 km West of my back stoep, and make "sundowners" almost compulsory,

Wot no snakes?

One of the villagers doesn't allow anything in the garden eacept a few trees, because shrubbery and other plants can provide cover for snakes - but outside the garden wild flowers thumb their noses at the fearful and bloom profusely.

Most of the snakes in the area are harmless although the cobras and a few others can be deadly. Unfortunately there is so much fear of them that all are treated as enemies and killed on sight - with the direct result that the harmless mole snakes are decimated and their natural prey, the dune mole-rats, have multiplied tremendously and do great damage to gardens and crops.

Milestone

One milestone has survived the years; it is in the village square, in times gone by an "outspan" for churchgoers, with a water trough for their thirstyanimals.

Garden of a non-gardener

For those who are not particularly keen on gardening, it is a waiting game - for three months of the year the wild flowers are a visual feast.