Woolly Socks

I was more than usually distracted by the view this morning as I sat sipping the post breakfast coffee. Before my very eyes, the mountains to the starboard side of the bus disappeared altogether, just as if someone had closed the net curtains. Then five minutes later the nets re-opened and there they were, back again in full glory. This is the speed at which the weather is changing at the moment.

We were woken again in the night by heavy showers and furious winds from the north east that rocked this old bus. No leaks this time fortunately. About 6am, we looked out the back window ( from the bed we get a panoramic view of the sky through the treetops) to moody looking clouds and bending, windblown trees. In a very short space of time, this vision had changed completely to clear blue skies and glorious sunshine. Then back again to the gloom, followed by more rain and then sunshine again. This cycle continued for a while – at least two cups of tea in bed’s worth of time anyway.

All things considered, this was to be a long’s day, as opposed to shorts, and, to start with anyway, the woolly socks. It’s bloody cold when it’s not hot.

Good news and bad news.

Good: the camera I had ordered online on Monday was delivered to the hotel as requested today. For a long time I’ve been threatening to get a decent one so, when John left the charger for his in the UK, now seemed like a good time. Can’t wait to get snapping.

Bad: A crown (fitted years and years ago) has worked its way loose. John’s dentist fitted me in though (good timing as packing up tomorrow for the holidays) and, 20 minutes and no pain later, Bingo – it is safely cemented back in. Maybe the dirt roads had jarred it loose or perhaps I’m just chewing too much meat.

On the way home, on another dirt road to miss the building traffic, we saw two blue cranes right by the side of the road. They are magnificent creatures – SA national bird. Wish I had the camera up and running…. Never mind, there will be more.

Just eaten a fig off the tree in the garden. Marvellous. Nothing like you get at Tesco. I learned today that there are orange and lemon trees growing on this plot too. Must investigate – home grown lemons in the G & T sounds good to me.

John has jacked up the bus again. Looks a little precarious but the bubble in the spirit level is almost centred. Won’t last though. The step to get on/off the bus is now considerably steeper so will have to make sure I don’t fall off. At least the bed should be more level.

Oh, and we’ve acquired a snake. Joy. It was found in the boy’s garden at Stanford – a Puff Adder. Highly venomous though not aggressive, this snake kills and causes horrendous injury to a huge number of people. It isn’t a nerve toxin like the Cobra for instance but causes necrosis: i.e. rots the flesh. It blends in with the terrain so well that often it strikes because, unseen, it gets trodden on. And this makes it mad.

I’m not a snake fan, though I can admire its beauty, but from afar. John has been handling snakes since he was a boy so I have to believe he knows what he’s doing. He uses a purpose made stick with which he has, for now, captured it securely in a container – outside thankfully. I think he’ll set it free eventually.

And speaking of John, he has gone to bed to get warm. I think I must join him.