Category: positive thoughts

Public Holiday recap

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It’s Freedom Day today, giving a nod to 32 South African years since the first democratic elections back in 1994. There are many, many things that you can argue could have been done differently in the intervening period, but so as to be able to celebrate the good bits therein, we get the day off.

So how did we spend it?

Well, after gym (which wouldn’t have been quite so high on my agenda had I known what was coming), there was a walk on the mountain, enjoying the waterfalls:

…and overlooking the leafy green suburbs of Newlands and Fernwood.

Before dropping down into Kirstenbosch Gardens (mid right of the photo above) where we found a Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa):

And then an afternoon at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, where we saw a Betway sponsored horse win a race underwritten by LuckyFish Betting.

We’re all good. It’s not a problem. (It really is a problem.)

That said, if you have things under control and you set your limits and stick to them, you can still have fun and come out richer than when you went in. Which I did, and which was nice.

A real pot of gold at the end of that rainbow then, mostly likely guarded by a leper or a unicorn*.

Pretty good way to spend a pretty good South African day.

.

* you had to be there.

Quota SRBH

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Not feeling 100% this evening, and a Sheffield United match to look forward to (?) very shortly, so I’m chucking a quick quota photo up here.

It’s a Southern Red-Billed Hornbill (Tockus rufirostris) on a Mopani tree, taken from the infamous Kruger National Park visit back in August 2023.

I’ve had reason to go through a few of the images from that trip (and others) recently, and so something from one of those folders was an easy choice when it came to picking a pic for a quick blog post this evening.

Onward and upward to tonight and tomorrow. Hold thumbs, cross fingers.

Curry night

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I’ve spent the afternoon crafting an Indian meal for guests this evening.

Curry, because it’s cold and wet and windy out.
And what could be better?

Additions, that’s what: Bombay potatoes, raita, naan, poppadums: the works.

Now just time to tidy the kitchen, set the table, and find some appropriate red wine.

Are we going to light the first fire of the season tonight?
(The equivalent of the UK switching the central heating on.)
It’s a real possibility. Although we may just survive on Indian spice heat alone.

Here we go again

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Heading into the interior of the Cape for a few days away with friends.

We have a standard joke in our family that every advert for a Western Cape weekend getaway is advertised as “just 2 hours out of Cape Town”, whether it’s 30 minutes or 4 hours drive, but it does seem that this one really is almost exactly that. Presumably, that’s the sweet spot between being too close to the city and travelling too far from the city, so it looks like the nail has been firmly hit on the head here.

Fine work by the organisers (it wasn’t me).

Limited plans, then: just a weekend of relaxation, good food, good company and maybe one or two beers.
And probably – almost certainly – plenty (or more) football.

Previous trips have been nothing short of excellent, and honestly, I’m sure this one will be no exception, so look out for photos and news on here. I’m told that there is an internet there, but you know me and my blogging – you’ll be covered on here no matter what.