A day in the long grass

Early one Saturday morning we leave for Dinokeng. 

Honestly, about 6kms to go and the traffic is diverted off the highway because of an accident. Argh! It takes forever to get onto the offramp then down the other side and back on the highway. It's hot, but we have plenty of water and we are listening to all the callers on 702. 

Dinokeng. Let's just say we won't be back. Driving in thick bush all day with little likelihood of seeing anything in the long grass. Must be hell in summer, hotter still and even less chance of spotting anything. We also made the mistake of thinking that the Elephant Wateringhole would actually be a watering hole with or without elephants but it isn't. Don't follow these signboards unless you are looking for a fenced off area where you can braai a chop and go to the toilet. But before even that let me tell you what happened - I didn't follow the map so ended up on a 4x4 track that was getting more and more difficult to manoeuvre and the only way out was going back or down a 30° incline, through a sandy dip, or sand pit, depending on your view. Yes, we choose to go back the way we came. First gear up the hill, all the way. Argh, again ;-) Our map flew out the window and no one realised until we had to decide west or south and could not find our piece of paper that would reassure us we were making the right choice. Argh, yet again. Just take me home country road, I am done. 

 

A summer holiday

My brother sent me this photograph of us on the beach with mom so many (many) years ago. 1970something.

I remember that summer well. My parents had given me a camera and I had photographed everything at strange angles, so the horizon leaned steeply to the left or right in the pictures, and everything looked as though it might slide off the edge. I thought it was fabulously creative but my parents didn’t agree. 

Remember this was back in the days before digital, when you had to wait for the film to be developed and prints done before you could view your photographs. The way you share then was to meet with you friends and hand the pictures round in the circle while you explained them. Those were the days my friend...

Meanwhile in my own garden

I have been off to this place and that place (more about that later), meanwhile in my own garden everything has been celebrating spring. Flashing a lot of colour and basting in the warm weather.

Wrapped up

So, it’s the end of winter and before I pack away the blanket I knitted last winter I decide to finish it, something I failed to do for two seasons.

 I wanted the border that wraps around to be quite broad but ran out of wool right at the end so there’s this change of colour. Not very subtle but this was the compromise to get it done without unravelling an entire circuit. It really it a most comfy blanket, and such lovely colours.

Crunch, munch, munch, munch

Wide open

We got these proteas on the weekend. They are in the kitchen, and while we drink our morning tea we watch as the sun bursts in the window and splashes them with light.
They love the sunshine - look how they have stretched themselves to gather the warmth.

Men in their amazing flying machines

Many, many years ago when we visited an airshow there was a crash and it just left the most unpleasant memories. Not just the horror of the crash but how it changed the mood of every spectator, how we all just wanted to leave, to escape what we had witnessed and how it took hours to get out of the resulting traffic chaos. When they showed it on the News that evening you realised that it's not just information that you can accept was an event of the day.

So, every year since I want to go to the airshows but don't. However, I love planes, I enjoy flying. I imagine how incredible the feeling must be to race through the sky, to go in this direction and that, to try to touch the moon and then plunge to earth but knowing at which second to turn the plane away from gravity. 

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that we went to the Rand Airshow on Sunday.
At the entrance we used they had the field they were using for the helicopter flips. Why would we not. I have flown in helicopters before, to art direct photographic shoots and had enjoyed it.
This was a 2 minute flip to the farthest edge of Germiston Lake and back. Wonderful, until we hovered in one spot for a moment and then made a sharp, I mean sharp, turn right to return. I was wearing a seat belt but I still put my hand out against the door to steady myself, to prevent myself from falling in the pilot's lap, and to settle the contents in my stomach. I think I might even have started a prayer. Ha ha, wow, yes. Of course, once my feet were firmly on the ground again I could say it was a wonderful experience.

A thousand kiosks selling food, drink, hats, bags, biltong, shirts and slushy and at the end of these an exhibit of some planes. The Harvard was my favourite.

Then the show started. The planes went up, up, up, up, they came down, upside down. They flew in formation and at one another, on their sides, they did all sorts of incredible things and made it look effortless. The crowd gasped and was in awe. Cameras and cellphones pointing skywards to capture the wonderful displays. I took 397 photographs and won't be sharing them all here. Thankfully, I hear you say.