The Garden–different points of view

Looking North from outside the lounge patio

Looking East towards Kents Road perimeter. The kitchen pergola is visible through the cutting.

Closer up looking East towards Kents Road, with a better view of the hydrangea display.

Looking towards the South-west, with the new fence in the distance. This could become the home of a Billy-the-Goat-to-be…

Looking Southwards with the overland power cables visible top left. The pines along the    s-bend perimeter are just visible top centre. Chickens might possible live there one day.

Looking towards Chartwell from the Western perimeter.

Jump, Sophie, jump!

To end off the year 2013, Brynn demonstrates her animal training skills with a display of various show-jumping activities, using a set of cane chairs.

Dad gets summoned to act as assistant handler. Here he oversees Sophie on the seat, while Brynn explains to Bennie what is required of him.

It is amazing to see the obedience of both dogs, irrespective of whether there’s a treat on offer or not. They simply do not dare to disobey, because their trainer does not accept second best. Try repeatedly until the trick is perfected!

Here Bennie clears the “obstacle” with miles to spare! Quite obviously destined to be a star show-jumper, if Brynn has her say.

Bathday

At Chartwell, we don’t bath every day, we bath on Sundays – but only if we pong a bit – like dog! Sunday 29 December dawned with some decent sunshine, and it was Sophie and Bennie’s turn for a jolly good scrub-down.

The team effort starts with Sophie getting shampooed. She’s not keen on the initial wet-down, but then the finger-nail action is obviously most enjoyable. I don’t just like it… I love it!

Now it is the turn of Bennie, who has been standing idly by, grinning at little sis. This involves a bit more pushing and shoving. And grunting and resisting. Bennie isn’t really phased by water, but any self-respecting male dog should not simply submit, not so? Brynn waits patiently to wet down her beloved pet.

There! Bennie stands perfectly still while Brynn gently soaks his entire coat to prepare him for the shampoo.

There… that’s more like it. This scratching and rubbing around the chest and neck is the life. Bring it on!

Wish you were here!

 

Why bother thinking and writing when we can do all this for you? Just put a tick in the appropriate box! Here are a few of the quips on the reverse of the card. © New Zealand Cards.

I’ve found New Zealand to be --
☼ Full of New Zealanders
☼ Full of Tourists
☼ Full of Sheep
☼ Full of Problems
☼ Very Nice
☼ All of the above

The country is --
☼ Small, green and wet
☼ Underneath the World
☼ Underneath Australia
☼ Sunny?
☼ Most of the above

The scenery is --
☼ Amazing
☼ Quite nice
☼ Wet
☼ Difficult to see through the rain
☼ Covered with sandflies
☼ Some of the above

I’m glad the place is --
☼ Small
☼ Cheap
☼ Friendly
☼ Conservative
☼ Sold
☼ One or two od the above

I wish I was --
☼ Back home
☼ Rich
☼ Dry
☼ Famous
☼ Drunk
☼ Staying longer
☼ All of the above

Working out

28 December 2013. Time for pent-up energy to be released by the younger generation in the local public park in Waikanae.

Tyler is the first to attempt the obstacle course.

Followed by Brynn…

Help me please, Dad. These bars are so high up…

Adjoining the cricket field

Brynn refusing to be outdone by big brother Tyler.

Both near the end of the course. Well done, guys.

First stroll : Terrace Road

Our second day in the Reikorangi valley sees us taking our very first walk in New Zealand – a stroll around the neighbourhood, really. Turn left up Kents Road and you end up in Terrace Road, a ‘no exit’ road, a cul-de-sac, if you wish. Benny and Sophie are left to guard their turf, while the human counterparts glance up at a threatening skyline…

 
Just a few metres up Kents Road, we encounter the source of the bovine chorus which I’d heard a few times earlier during the day. Free range milk on hoof, as supplied by Mrs Cuddy. Thankfully, there’re no flies around, to speak of.

 
Like a true Dr Who, Brynn could be snapped a number of times doing a high speed run ahead to explore and discover. And, on a couple of occasions, running back again to urge us on to inspect her discoveries. Her unending energy is astonishing. That’s the T-junction of Kents Road with Terrace Road in the distance,

 
A short distance up Terrace Road, I spot a field of sheep. A few are of the mountaineering persuasion, and I snapped this shot of them showing off on a fairly steep grazing hill.

Brynn ran ahead to stand and wait while I got a shot.

“Dunwurkin” – a real good Scottish name. We met the owner of the property on the return leg of our walk.

 
I suspect that Brynn has spotted an interesting animal somewhere in the distance.

Owner of Dunwurkin, a keen bowman explains some of the finer aspects to Tyler, who attends archery classes regularly down Reikorangi Road.

 
Tyler meets up with a pair of goats munching grass next to the roadway fence.

 
Meet Billy, Tyler’s newest acquaintance.

Now we discover what Brynn had spotted. This furry ball was promptly named “Midnight”. It was quite a job persuading Midnight that he should get back inside his owner’s property.

While the owner of the property across the way made no bones about what he wants.

Jeanette admires the foliage on some of the trees/shrubs along the way.

Part of the “Two Fold Mini Highlands” population look at us in apparent bewilderment.

Family on the downward leg back home in Kents Road.

Brynn posing against the neighbour’s post box in the background.

Christmas on Boxing Day

At the Wellington airport, sailing clear through customs without a hiccough, we were greeted by Bianca, Brynn, Clayton and Tyler at around 00:45 on Boxing Day.

An uneventful trip along the SH1 northwards, found us at Chartwell and opening Christmas gifts with lashings of warm coffee until about 3:30am, after excited introduction to Benny and Sophie – what affectionate pets!  Bedtime was welcomed by all, in anticipation of a re-scheduled Christmas as agreed.

A few hours later, we enjoyed an informal Christmas breakfast and a stroll around the property to familiarise ourselves with the various aspects of the garden, the happenings of the recent past, and explanations of anticipated developments to be tackled in the garden.

All Black Tyler demonstrating his passing techniques to dad Clayton, with the aid of his Gilbert rugby ball Xmas present. Clayton was attired in the customary tartan kit.

 

Jeanette was feeling out of this world, quite astounded by the splendour of some of the many fine displays of hydrangeas all over the garden.

While waiting for the gammon to be done on the bar-b-q, a few drinks were enjoyed under the warm but cloudy sky on the lawn next to the kitchen herb garden.

Followed by a walkabout to the lower cliff garden and to inspect the recently-erected fence, designed to keep Bennie and Sophie from getting at the dogs on the neighbouring property to the south of Chartwell.

Back towards the house, we passed through the pergola which separates the western and eastern lawns.

Purple flowers offering their juices to the busy bees…

Clayton and Tyler head past the new veggie garden towards the proposed future chicken coop. They will be free-range, organic and happy creatures. They will be so happy that they will lay dozens of fresh breakfast eggs. Clayton assured everyone that he is on top of the matter, and virtually knows everything about chooks that is needed. We shall wait and see…

Whilst walking around the grounds, were constantly “tailed” by Coco, the cat. Here, Coco presents his best end as he disappears back towards the house.

Another huge blue and white hydrangea display looking northwards.

Sitting down to Xmas dinner of traditional crackers, French champagne (given by the Real Estate agent when they purchased the house, and saved for this special occasion), gammon, chicken, roast potatoes, and a selection of fresh vegetables, followed by a huge bowl of trifle.

Happy Boxing Day

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we trust that you have had a pleasant trip with us, and that we will be seeing you again on an Air New Zealand flight soon.”

The leading member of the cabin crew, a well-dressed fifty-something with short grey hair, was busy shoving a set of red reindeer antlers and a huge “Merry Christmas” banner into the overhead luggage compartment above the seats of Row 1 of the Air New Zealand Airbus A320 flight NZ842, as the craft was slowly trundling along the taxi route to the brightly-lit terminal of Wellington International Airport. We sat expectantly side-by-side on seats D and E of row 6 quite near the front. We had just spent the whole of Christmas Day 2013 on flight SA7700 (operated by Qantas) and with Air New Zealand since supper time.

He glanced down at his wristwatch, and continued, “It is now precisely midnight, so allow me, Ladies and Gentlemen, to be the very first to wish you all a very happy Boxing Day 2013. Thank you and goodbye.”

The plane ground to a seamless halt as the jet engines powered down.Wednesday 25th of December at 12:00 midnight in Wellington. We had left terra firma in Cape Town on Tuesday 24th at 12:00 noon, a long flight to the freedom of a new life.

As the crew opened the hatch six rows in front of us, I unbuckled, leaving the past 66 years of my life on seat 06E, and strode down the aisle to meet the rest of my life with determination and resolution. I shall not ask what New Zealand can do for me, but hopefully rather attempt to see what I can do for New Zealand, albeit perhaps an insignificant contribution.  As long as it is a positive one…

Christmas is on the way

Christmas is still quite a few days away, and today brought in three lots of greetings and wishes from friends:

 
This one from Jill and Ken Leahy was accompanied by an added explanation: “ Our snow-birdie kindly posed by the globe just to make sure we know where you are headed!” How original and apt. We appreciate your thoughts. Thank you, Jill and Ken. (New Zealand looks so CLOSE to the bottom!)

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Long-time dear Frankie Jones visited for the last time in 2013 today with a beautiful Helen Steiner Rice card, most warm gifts for a old climate down under and a personalised 5-page hand-written letter, reviewing our past relationships dated back to 1983 and looking ahead to the future. Frankie is one of the few who still takes the time and effort to write out such thoughts in long-hand with pen on real paper! Thank you so much, Frankie.

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Melanie Friedman (and Candie Pixie) popped in for tea and a chat, bringing along some gifts and a card in support of an Animal Rescue Organisation in Cape Town. Thank you, Melanie and Candie. (The cats on the card are pictured on the Cape Town waterfront, looking Northwards.)

So much to do, so little time

Sunday 15 December 2013.

My, my, how quickly the days have slipped by, almost unnoticed. That’s probably because we have started to panic at the realisation that the many tasks still to be done are starting to outweigh the time left in which to complete them. Cecil John Rhodes and Winston Churchill are just two of the many to whom the quote “So much to do, so little time” is ascribed. You can add me to that list now, with 9 days to go…

Sunday 15 December 2013 will most likely live in the memories of  many South Africans as the official State Funeral day of the late former president Nelson Mandela at Qunu in the Eastern Cape, which was broadcast to the nation.

Today was also the day on which we travelled to The Strand to the new home of Mike and Lizette, where they arranged an extended family braai, as a farewell to Jeanette and myself.

Here are some of the photos we took as a memento of this, our last visit to the Strand and of being physically in touch with so many of you. I will not pass comment on the photos, save to put names to faces for those readers who may have been out of the Western Cape picture for some time, and  do not recognise some of the changes. For some reason, I did not get any photos of the girls young ladies, who were around and about with their boyfriends.

The photos are in no particular sequence:

Dean

Bethany

Jené and Bethany

Yet another one of Bethany

Dean

Lizette

Ilze, Joan, Alta, Anna

Jeanette with Jéan

Alta, Lizette, Chandre, and Ilze

 
Ilze, Joan and Anna

Jéan and Di

Bethany with Jéan

Di and Jéan

Deon

Jéan and Mike

Di and Jéan

Roger with Rochell

Trevor

Roger

Jeanette with Trevor and Anna

Roger

Mike

Thanks so much to all of you for your love and good wishes. We appreciate your sincerity. And, most of all, thank you to Mike and Lizette for opening your home to all of us and providing such a going-away spread. Thank you, Mike, for doing the cooking over the braai, and thank you, Lizette, for the rest and the washing up!