Action-packed weekend

A courtyard scene, similar to the Al Shabandar Palace Hotel we stayed at in Damascus Syria just before the violence escalated.

We had an action-packed weekend finally putting up our Damascus wallhanging in our middle east corner of the house, and celebrating the arrival of 3 Sling aircraft in Durban. On Friday we partied at Ayre Aviation whose new training plane arrived, our Sling ZDL also being delivered by Mike Blyth of The Airplane Factory, and our friends Marc and Lee whose Sling SAA flew back to Durban the same day too.

Fellow lecturers Tarryn and my daughter Kate-Lynn with Llewellyn at the Ayre Aviation celebration

Around-the-world celebrity and owner of The Airplane Factory delivers Sling ZDL to Dave

Getting back into the pilot seat after a 2 1/2 month gap

Llewellyn has the camera on zoom as we take to the skies

Friends celebrating the arrival of our two planes with instructor Brad

The new rainbow colours of ZDL

Click on the link to see more photos and my flying blog here.

 

80th Birthday party

What a celebration - my mom's 80th Birthday on Thursday 18th October, dinner at home, followed by a birthday bash with family and friends hosted by the Galways at Alverston on Sunday. Mom was surrounded by probably the biggest gathering of the Galway family clan since "pa fell off the bus", and we enjoyed a lamb on the spit, drinks and scruptious salads and puddings.

 

The "old ducks" - mom, Val, Jean and cousin Marie at the party

Birthday dinner at our home

Mom and son, Dave

Granddaughter Kate-Lynn (my daughter) and Llewellyn tuck in

The Galway family clan

My Mom and Kate-Lynn

 

Mom turns 80!

My Mom (left) turns 80 today and she is still working part-time at my attorneys practice, Mc Naught and Co. Incredible!

Mom joined Mc Naught and Co as our conveyancing para-legal after a high-powered career with SA Breweries in Johannesburg and when she moved to Durban, Clements and Johnson Attorneys.

Mom worked tirelessly for me at the Bluff office until she retired in her 60s and re-located to my brother's smallholding in Johannesburg. She lived there for over 5 years until he sold up and emigrated to New Zealand. Mom and Gordon then returned to Durban to be closer to her family and friends and re-joined Mc Naught and Co in a part-time capacity, but coming to work 3 mornings a week, which she has been doing through her 70s, now reaching the milestone age of 80!
 

Thanks Mom for your incredible hard work and commitment to my business over all of these years. Have an awesome birthday today and party with your family and friends on Sunday.