Category: the move

Day 683 – Coming soon…

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Today’s happenings, alluded to in yesterday’s post, can now be revealed:

It are a new braai!

[fanfare/fireworks]

Probably the thing I have missed most about our old place is the braai. I have a portable one here, and it does the job, but it’s just not the same. We’ve been here for a year now, and while we could have rushed in and put a new braai in anywhere, it seemed sensible to wait and see which bits of the garden got the wind, which bits we used most and for what etc etc. This side of the patio was one of three shortlisted potentials, and seems to make the most sense. It has a roof, it’s protected from the wind from at least some directions (yes Capetonians, including that one), it’s convenient, but not IN YOUR FACE as you use the rest of the space outside, and it didn’t require any plants or grass to be destroyed.

The builders turned up on time (to the minute, nogal) this morning and the first foundations are already down and drying. As you can see, the unit – weighing 154kg!! – has also arrived and just by hearing them struggling with getting it from the bakkie to the back garden (I offered to help!), I know that they are really looking forward to lifting it into position once the structure is built.

Inauguration by the end of next week, we’re told.

Cannot. Wait.

Day 667 – Merciful release

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My office is hidden in the bottom corner of the house, protected from the sunshine by several trees and several other bits of building.
In winter, it can get pretty cool in here, given that it doesn’t see any sun at all. In summer – most especially on days like today – it offers a merciful release from the heat. I was up early to take the boy to A Thing and it was 27oC at 7:15 this morning. It’s clearly going to be a scorcher, as promised.

I have thus retreated to my office, where I have placed the beagle’s bed, so that it too may enjoy a little respite from the ridiculousness outside.

There is a TV in here for the footy later, and there is – of course – my giant beanbag for comfort. No fridge, but the bar is just there [points yonder], and that holds the promise of plenty (or more) cold beers.

I’m settled for the day.

Stay safe, stay hydrated.

Day 652 – Scorcher

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An absolute scorching day in Cape Town today, as we hear news from 6000 miles… away of snow and ice and grey misery.

Up early to bath the beagle, we spent much of the day building new desks and fitting new shelves in the kids’ bedrooms. Being outside between 10 and 3 was never an option.

I’d love to elaborate about the finer details of these tasks (and indeed, I’m sure you are desperate to learn more of them), but a very cold beer in or by the pool is calling me, and who am I to ignore its requests?

Day 606 – Flowers

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When we bought this house, we inherited paid lots of money for the garden as well. The previous owner was an enthusiastic and very competent gardener, and thus the garden is amazing. When we moved in in February, it looked good, but this being our first spring, we are amazed to see the number of flowers everywhere.

I could take a photo of the flowers, but to get them all in would be difficult. So instead, I chose to use a bit of ICM to get the overall effect without having to concentrate on any of the detail.

Beagle-eyed horticulturists will surely recognise a couple of types of roses, at least one hydrangea and a plethora of Alstromeria spp.

Gorgeous.

Day 572 – Floor

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Bit of a frustrating day. We’re having some new flooring laid, dragging the house from the 1980s, kicking and screaming into at least the 2010s. (The 2020s are so damn expensive and pandemicky, we felt them best avoided in flooring terms. Sadly, we had very little option in actual chronological terms.) The guys came and did the prep work yesterday, and it took a couple of hours. We were hoping for the same again today, but it took six hours. That’s not to say that they didn’t do an excellent job, but I had plans for four of those six hours. But now they’ll have to wait for tomorrow.

I’m off to see a specialist tomorrow afternoon about this ongoing Covid nonsense. Part of me wants him to cure me completely. Well, I suppose all of me wants him to cure me completely, it’s just that all of me knows that that isn’t going to happen. So tomorrow will be a bit of a watershed moment. Either he has huge plans for my recovery (not ruling out a total cure, but, you know…), or he’s going to tell me to give it another six months and see how we’re doing then.

I’ve always been on of those “well, at least I know where I stand now” kind of people when it comes to medical diagnoses, but I’m not looking forward to the – let’s face it – more probable latter prognosis.

In the meantime, the floor does look much nicer. Next up, replacing the rotting wood of the cottage-paned patio doors, and dragging the house… ah, you know the story.

I’m off outside to enjoy the last of the sunshine and try and get a photo of one of our Cape Robin Chats.