Loads done today and still loads to do, so please enjoy a quota photo of a busy, hazy and generally lazy Muizenberg Beach, taken this morning.
More pictures of Muizenberg and the people on it, including my kids (obviously), here.
Category: flickr
Yoghurt Covered
What were the skies like when you were young?
What were the skies like when you were young?
They went on forever – They – When I w- We lived in Arizona, and the skies always had little fluffy clouds in ’em, and, uh… they were long… and clear and… there were lots of stars at night. And, uh, when it would rain, it would all turn – it- They were beautiful, the most beautiful skies as a matter of fact. Um, the sunsets were purple and red and yellow and on fire, and the clouds would catch the colors everywhere. That’s uh, neat cause I used to look at them all the time, when I was little. You don’t see that. You might still see them in the desert.
Of course, there are no deserts in Sheffield, where I grew up. And while there may have been little fluffy clouds, there were (of course) a lot of days with grey clouds and even some with no clouds at all. Much like Cape Town, where I am now – although I can’t actually see a single cloud out of my study window right now.
One thing I remember seeing a lot of as a kid in Sheffield was vapour trails from aircraft passing far overhead on the Great Circle Route. That’s one thing that you don’t see in Cape Town. Geographically, it makes perfect sense: to leave a vapour trail, a plane must be above 8,000m (26,000ft) and why would any plane be over Cape Town at that height? Where would it have come from and where would it be going?
The planes we see here in the Cape (like this example from today, which was what got me thinking about this) are generally on their way in or out of the local airport.
That’s what makes this photo by arepeegee particularly special – because it has vapour trail, elements of a sunset and it’s taken in Sheffield.
I almost felt homesick, but then I looked out of the window at my no clouds and had another beer and things were all ok again.
Sod your dog
Just a quickie today as I have been playing with a rather snotty K-pu for most of the day and we’re out at a party this evening.
Who knew holidays could be so very busy?
Last night was spent braai’ing, drinking plenty of red wine and wrapping presents while listening to next door’s dog howling because it had been left alone at home all day and all night again. Really – what is the point of having a dog if all it does is sits alone annoying the neighbours because you’re never there?
It’s like being a non-smoker in a pub – adversely affected by the totally selfish choices that other people have made. And it’s not like I can even make the choice not to go to this particular drinking establishment – I live here.
One thoughtful soul told me that if I wanted to live in a dog-free environment, I should move back to the City Bowl.
“Suburbia is for dog owners,” he boldly stated. “You have to accept that when you move there.”
But sod that – it shouldn’t be my problem: it should come down to the dog owner – when they make the choice to get a dog, then they should also accept the responsibility of making sure it doesn’t annoy their neighbours. I paid (and continue to pay) a lot to live here, they move in and make life a misery for everyone around.
I shouldn’t have to put up with the noise of their sodding mutt (yet, as I type, it is still howling).
Simply, it comes down to respect – and evidently my neighbours don’t have any of that for anyone living nearby.
Half a world away…
A couple of photos taken this morning.
One of mine, taken in Cape Town, featuring my boy and False Bay:
And one of my Dad’s, taken in Sheffield, featuring his back garden:
And although for many it might seem to be a no-brainer, I’m actually struggling to decide where I would rather be right now…