Prince Albert flowers

Some photo's taken with my new Canon EOS over the weekend.

More to follow...

Feeding

Lemon Cordial

Arno came back from a ride and told us that the Jooste's lemon tree had dropped so many lemons and they were just rotting under the tree. We rode to their house yesterday and asked them if we could have some lemons. We filled a shopping bag with these lovely thick-peel lemons; 20 in all.

This morning my mom and I decided to make lemon cordial. We weighed the lemons at just short of 3 kg's. They yielded exactly 4 cups of juice. I don't like a very sweet cordial so we added 3 cups of sugar, overfilling the last one just a little.

We stirred until all the sugar had melted making sure that it didn't boil.

Voila! Two beautiful bottles of lemon cordial. A Saturday morning well spent. Now for a tall glass, a sprig of mint, a slice of lemon, some cordial and ice cold sparkling mineral water.

National Braai Day

It's National Braai Day! Like we needed one! Above is a picture of Trevor at his braai. My parents' tradition is to braai every Saturday evening but we're swopping days tonight. After a very sunny day with just the right temperature, a cold a wind has come up now making us all put our jackets on and brave it next to the fire.

Tonight is the 2nd night market held at the market square in town. Our plan is to head that way after 8pm so that it's at least dark when we get there.

My 41st birthday

'Happy Birthday' bunting strung up outside my room by my Dad. What a lovely sight to wake up to. He bought it for Arno's 60th two years ago and I have a feeling it's going to become a regular feature of birthdays celebrated in Prince Albert.

A close-up of the bunting.

Afternoon birthday tea party; complete with silver birthday candles. Life's too short not to go to town with celebrations.

Hex River Valley

Roadtripping

Off to Prince Albert at last! We hit the N1 at 16h48 amidst rush-hour traffic.
Veld flowers next to the highway shortly after going through Du Toitskloof Tunnel.

A double poinsettia, I am told. The photograph doesn't adequately capture the intense saturated red of these flowers. Taken at the Shell Ultra City in Worcestor.

Early morning garden

Geranium flowers.

Geranium flowers peaking their noses out.

My first rose of the season, slightly weathered already.

My first strawberry. After transfering it from the nursery pot into its new more spacious home it turned red overnight. That's gratitude.

Watsonia flower.

Star jasmine

Violas

Fern fronds

The beautiful fronds of the tree fern in the back garden... like unfolding caterpillars.

The Road Less Travelled

Life is difficult.
This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult - once we truly understand and accept it - then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.

The opening paragraph of M. Scott Peck's The Road Less Travelled

Spring

At 09h00 on Saturday I headed to Cape Garden Centre to indulge in some green retail therapy. I returned with a bootfull of spring blooms including three varieties of tomatoe seedlings; Ox Heart, Roma and Moneymaker (?), four geraniums, three violas, one strawberry and one Parfait Raspberry Dianthus.

I also bought three Watsonias - I knew of a Watsonia but didn't have any idea of what it looked like. I saw two sugarbirds flying into the nursery grounds to suck at the flowers and I thought that's what I must buy and it turned out to be Watsonias - long elegant plants with chalky peach flowers. They are destined to be planted between the burgundy icebergs in the front garden where they will enjoy long hours of sunshine and easy bird access.

Saturday lunch

What a joy to be able to prepare my own meals again after two weeks of Stonebreakers.

Last day of the MBA

My overriding sense today, the last day of the MBA programme, is that I can't believe I am where I am. There were so many days when I couldn't visualise ever reaching this, nevermind believing that I would. I am feeling an enormous sense of achievement; the way it must feel to climb a mountain you've seen through your window for many months but never believed you could scale. I am glad that it's over; only a dissertation to hand in by 1 March 2011. It's been painful, wonderful, scary and life-changing all at once, but it's time for the book to be closed and fondly looked at on the shelf, never to be read again.

Kitchen longing

I have been away from home for 13 days now and really miss my kitchen; it's colour, brightness, jars of stuff, shiny rosewood and row of beloved recipe books.

Plum blossoms

Plum blossoms. Wolfkloof Farm, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Glenda's garden

Glenda, who owns my home away from home when I'm attending the MBA, has a lovely potted garden just outside the breakfast room. As it is my last time at her guesthouse I thought I'd take some photographs in gratitude for the just over 12 weeks I've spent there over the last two years. Visit Glenda's guesthouse at http://www.olivebranch.co.za/ or at Richmond Road in Three Anchor Bay, Cape Town, South Africa.

Recession. What recession?

After 10 days of student isolation, I ventured into a shopping centre today to buy flowers for a friend. It was like the week before Christmas. Aren't we still in a recession, a double-dip recession, for that matter? Do we have short memories or are we just stupid?

Eureka!

My little potted Eureka lemon tree has had a long and ambitious season and is still prolifically pushing fruit. It must have 10 new blossoms and this one ripe lemon. Someone harvested the other ripe lemon while I was away....

Brain food

This morning I decided to bake bran and raisin muffins for my MBA group mates who live elsewhere and have to spend two weeks in Cape Town. Ina Paarman mix + oil + eggs + milk + yoghurt = early morning bliss.

Kruisriver, Route 62

Some more photographs taken on Tienie's farm, Boesmanskop, in April this year.

Boesmanskop

Photograph taken by me at Boesmanskop, Kruisrivier Farm, Calitzdorp.

Tienie's place is a lush green haven. The French country-style suite above the snooker room is well worth a visit. He prepares superb meals and his home is full of Hanneke Benade's beautiful drawings. I have visited two exhibitions of Hanneke's work here.

www.boesmanskop.co.za

Karoo beauty

Prince Albert in Spring.