Category: flickr

Riding

Posted on

Mrs 6000 took the kids horseriding this afternoon. I went along to meet them as they finished, only to find that they were running late and hadn’t even started. I then walked for an hour through dusty vineyards in the searing heat wearing flops and full length 501’s. It wasn’t exactly what I had planned.

Still, the kids had a great time and Cape Town was showing off a bit with the weather and the vines. I had my camera with me, so I was able to document things and you can see some of the results in the (now almost completed) summer holiday album here. If they ever upload. Things are slow this evening. 0.28Mbps slow. Ugh.

Such exertions left us all tired, hungry and thirsty, so in order to sate at least two of those issues (and to say goodbye to the holidays because we have commitments on Monday and Tuesday evening before the kids return to school on Wednesday), a visit to Col’Cacchios was called for. They sell pizza and beer, and neither has ever been more welcome.

New Year

Posted on

Having spent the first morning of 2016 on the beach and in the Indian Ocean at Struisbaai, attempting to avoid being completely roasted, here’s a photo from the same spot just 12 or so hours earlier:


Ironically, it seems like we’ve spent very little time there this holiday, but the motorboat post was from there too. You do the math. I obviously can’t.

I took a lot of photos of the fireworks last night. It was point and shoot really, because I looked up how to take photos of fireworks and then basically couldn’t be arsed to go through all the complicated steps when there was MCC to be drunk and good times to be enjoyed. At first look (unsurprisingly) some were better than others (the photos – although it’s true for the fireworks as well), but I haven’t had chance to go through them yet.
I did manage to upload a couple via my phone. They’re on Flickr. Go see. More to be added later.

Happy New Year.

Trans-Agulhas Challenge

Posted on

The World’s Toughest Inflatable Boat Challenge – The Trans-Agulhas Challenge – dropped into Struisbaai last night and headed out West again this morning. We went along to watch the start, which was delayed by 45 minutes because the local sea mist was preventing the spotter plane from spotting stuff.

When it came, the start was interesting, if rather unexciting. With the boats taken about waist-deep into the water, the pilots walk back to the beach, then, at the drop of the starter’s flag, leg it into the water, start the engines (some more successfully than others) and race out of the bay towards today’s destination – Gansbaai.

The waves weren’t particularly big today, but the boats are light and there were still a couple of mildly dramatic moments to keep the patient crowd on their collective toes. Briefly.

24081506335_9029a4ba55_k

I don’t think it was the bright turquoise sea, blue sky start that the local ‘toggers were hoping for, but it was something different for the kids, and after the ridiculous heat of yesterday, the early-morning murkiness was actually rather welcome.

More boat pictures here.

And then, much like the last little rubber duck leaving the bay… that was it.

2015 has been a particularly rubbish year, and I’m hoping for much better things in 2016. Even if you’ve had a superb 2015 (because I’m sure someone out there must have had one), I hope that 2016 exceedings your expectations and is even better.
As I write, I am unaware of any successful plan to get this blog banned from the interwebs, so I’ll still be here, peddling my wares and entertaining at least myself, if no-one else.

Happy New Year, reader.

Brandfontein colours

Posted on

You were warned that this week would be photo heavy, and so it has proven to be. Today are no exception.

No trip through to Black Oystercatcher would be complete without several stops to see buzzards, flamingusses and these wholly unadulterated colours at Brandfontein.

And then, at the end of it all, there’s some superb food and wine to be had. And a swimming pool for the kids, which is good because it was 40 degrees celsius in the shade today. Hawt.

We had a lovely time and the Flickr album has been updated once again.

Vanity

Posted on

Toggers! Here’s an excuse to blow your own trumpet (if you’ll pardon the expression).

I was uploading some lousy sunset shots onto Flickr when I spotted the Your Best Shot 2015 group being advertised. As you might already have guessed, this is a group into which members are encouraged to upload the ONE shot that they consider the best that they took and uploaded to Flickr in 2015. And as you might also already have guessed, beauty being in the eye of the beholder, there are a range of shots from the extraordinary to the… well… rather ordinary.

Butterflies, beaches, birds and black and white feature prominently, but being such a diverse collection, it’s difficult to pick a favourite.  There are already around 20,000 images submitted (presumably) by around 20,000 individuals, and having gone through the first few pages, nothing has jumped out at me screaming “Ignore any potential copyright restrictions and put me on your blog!” yet.

So here’s one of a lighthouse.

21508429296_64e496a101_b

It’s from here.

The group is worth a look (click through on the link above) if you have some time. And it’s also got me thinking about which shot I would choose, if I were so asked. If I can be bothered (and I manage to stay awake long enough), I might have a go. (I might not.)
If YOU were choosing your best effort, what would it be?