Nice weather…

…for ducks.


Bigger duck photo

Anyone who was foolish enough to believe that spring has arrived in Cape Town was put firmly in their place by a grey day packed full of precipitation. Although I’m now fully moved into my new study, I am yet to actually enjoy the view of the Constantiaberg mountains as I was promised, since they have been covered in cloud all week.
Unless someone has stolen them. This is, after all, South Africa. Although a quick look at the recently released crime statistics shows that our “precinct” (for that is what they are divided into) is safer to be in than at any point since 2003. Well done SAPS.

All of which is very nice.

But I’m digressing when what I really want to do is go to bed and watch some Spanish footy.

Waiting for Mum

Kids go through stages with regard to their relationship with their parents. Sometimes you can see obvious reasons why this might be; for example, when K-pu was born and had to spend a lot of time with Mum (because she’s the one with the boobs), Alex became firmly (often rather too firmly) attached to me. His rampant favouritism, caused by obvious and understandable insecurity, has worn off now though and we generally gauge who is flavour of the moment by his requests for bedtime story readers (Mum/Dad/Neither).

Perhaps it’s because she’s female (and therefore fussy), but K-pu has a very strict hierarchical list of favourites. I guess I should be flattered to be in second place and I have to remember that when Mum walks in and K-pu suddenly shows a complete lack of interest in me, it’s only the same as she does to other people below second place when she sees me.
(It’s still quite hurtful though).

This picture was taken while we were away last weekend. Mum had popped up the road to pick up the boy from the Kid’s Club and K-pu – outraged to have been left with only her dad for company – went and planted herself firmly by the front door and sulked until her mother returned.

That’s (another) one for her 21st birthday, then.

Back in Cape Town

Following an amazingly relaxing weekend away at the 5-star Fancourt resort in George, we’re back in Cape Town after a completely exhausting 38 minute flight back along the southern Cape coast.

Highlight of the weekend for little Alex was the use of our own golf cart for the duration.
Obviously, he wasn’t allowed to drive it himself. Much.

Highlight for me was the scenery, the weather and the sunsets. And seeing the family having such fun, of course.

You can see the photos here – some good ones, though I say so myself.
I’ll be back tomorrow with a proper post or two. You’d be foolish to miss it.

Not a rainbow quota photo

It is important for readers of this site to understand that not every photo posted on here is necessarily a quota photo.

To clarify, a quota photo is a device used to fill space in order to maintain my “post a day” promise. Quota photos are used on days when news is slow, time is short or inspiration has run dry. These conditions do not apply today, thus what is published below is a photo that I took this morning and that I want you to see, not one that was posted because there was nothing else to say and no time to say it.

Glancing out of my passenger window for my favourite view of Table Mountain from the car as I was passing Rondebosch Common this morning, I saw that someone had daubed a rainbow across the big rock. Everybody loves rainbows.
The disappointment that immediately followed at not having my camera to hand rapidly vanished as I realised that it was in the boot. I swung violently across two lanes of no traffic, jumped out of the car and began painting with light.

You can see it bigger or visit my Cape Town set for a few more that I took this morning, plus loads of other varied and eclectic photos, each with some vague link the the Mother City.

This was not a quota photo post.

Makeshift quota photo post

Having spent the day looking after the kids, with the builders building all around us and dust and noise everywhere, I find myself sitting on the floor stuck with a makeshift computer setup – wires everywhere, minimum necessary equipment connected: monitor (on coffee table), keyboard (on lap), mouse (works on carpet – impressed) – just like the old days.

Tonight, I have two tasks to complete – upload photos to Flickr and write a blog post. The former is underway (by pigeon), the latter is what you’re reading at the moment. And then I thought:

Why not combine the two?

Hence, you get this quota photo:


Want more generous dimensions?

Taken fromWynberg School field this evening where we took the kids to get rid of their excess energy. Judging by the silence upstairs, it seems to have worked.
Viva Wynberg School field, Viva!