Beer, Braai and Bake day

We had a fabulous Heritage Day public holiday yesterday making it to the Shongweni Farmers' Market as it opened for our breakfast beers at the new Standeaven Brewery, then followed it up with a braai at the guesthouse with our mates. It was also a chance to practice my Mediterranean scones, which I picked up at the cooking class I did last week. They came out ok, although the guesthouse oven did not seem to achieve full heat and they could have cooked quicker and risen better. Great day though and best mates!!

Brewmaster Sean Standeaven shows us how it's done

Dave enjoys a "pint" of the good stuff

Biltong production

 

 

Our family friends, the Jeacocks, make the best biltong in Durban, but it's like gold getting your hands on some from their factory which supplies a range of outlets throughout the Province. So armed with a birthday present of a little home kit, I resumed production again today. I used to make biltong years ago in a home-made box, but gave up after a bad batch and the smell that permeated the garage. So here goes again. Looking forward to eating what must be my favourite snack.

 

Engineering thesis

My son Mark's final year Engineering thesis at Stellenbosch University involves the investigation of alternative methods to reduce the vibrations and noise from trains. Here we fool around with some material designed to go between the track and the sleepers with impact/dampening characteristics.

 

Weekend fun

Margaritas with mates and a night flight to Margate on Saturday was what we got up to for the weekend. Got stranded in Margate though due to an electrical fault and we needed the Airplane Factory to help us out on Sunday before flying home.

 

Night rating and PPL Certificate

Thanks to The Wings Club for the presentation of my PPL and Night Rating Certificate awarded last week at their periodic Achievements Award Evening. I got my PPL licence last April and my Night rating earlier this year. 

Mark home for short holiday

It's great to have both of my kids together, Mark here for his last holiday before finishing his engineering degree at Stellenbosch. He's off on Friday back to the Cape for the final term.

Crazy Birthday

The craziest part is turning 55... wtf, where have all the years gone?!!

 

My birthday started off with a 4.15am wake-up to get to Westville by 5 and in the air with Louis in his Savannah at Cato Ridge by 6. The idea was to fly to Johannesburg to deliver his plane to his buyer, pick up my plane at The Airplane Factory and fly back together in my plane in time for a family birthday dinner. 

 

The dinner happened on Sunday night instead and the luncheon with my mom and our aunts and couzins went ahead without me.

 

 

Best sunrises

There is something glorious living near the sea.. just to see the magnificent sunrises over the Indian Ocean as well as incredible moon rises at full moon.

Sunrise captured from my bedroom

 

East London

I did a quick jaunt to East London this week with my mate Louis to have his plane fixed at the factory there. It was also a chance to land at my favourite landing strip at Port St Johns, do a low fly-past of the hole-in-the-wall along the Wild Coast and also visit my mates grave-site in East London's West Bank cemetery.. prime spot on the top of the hill where the lighthouse casts an eerie torch over the tombstones.

 

Family Dinner

Llewellyn's Dad and Karen were over from the States, so it's about the only time I get to make bread-and-butter pudding so we all tucked in..

Good Food and Wine

We enjoy the annual Good Food and Wine Show and Llewellyn, Kate-Lynn and I sampled the wines and snacks last night. Yummy!

The Protea is South Africa's National Flower and this one from the Show last night is a beaut.. you can see why it's our favourite.

Llewellyn's birthday - 43!!

It's a giraffe cake!! Well done Liesl. And congrats to Llewellyn on his 43rd birthday. We also did a night flight to Margate for dinner which was awesome.

Birthday flight to Margate for dinner

Dinner by guests

Thanks Fede and Josh who cooked up a storm for us last night, having stayed with us for 7 weeks over the International Film Festival, then setting off for Cape Town and back home to Boston.

Josh getting ready to tuck in

Fede shows Kate-Lynn how to make risotto

 

Family

End of the week drink in the house "Prime Time" pub

Mark - I think, therefore I am

Kate-Lynn looking gorgeous as usual

Sunday fun

Awesome Sunday. Got up late, breakfast in bed!!, then wandered down to Virginia and had a quick fun flight in the plane to King Shaka International where I did a touch-and-go, slipping in after an SAA Airbus. Then a few drinks and pizza at Craft and then afternoon tea with Llew's mom at her new Mount Edgecombe home.

 

A little BMW parked outside Craft.. sort of matched my shirt and shorts..ha ha

The Durban coastline, returning from King Shaka airport

 

Dinner with guests

Our guests who are staying at the guesthouse for 7 weeks.. Josh from Boston and Fede from Spain came over for a braai last night and we were joined by Kate and James. I had the chance to perfect my chocolate fondant for dessert.. got it just right with the liquid choc oozing out, so yummy! Kate cut the strawberries into perfect heart shapes, so sweet.

Durban July Races

As a member of the Durban Turf Club I get free tickets to the July Handicap races, Africa's premier horseracing event, and at R400 for the tickets, we definitely were not going to miss out on some of the action. We are a stone's throw from there so it's quick to walk down. Sadly my July winners were not! The 13th race (see 4th pic down) was hugely entertaining though - as soon as the last horse race is over, it's traditional for the guys to leap over the fence and line up for a naked 100m dash to the finish. This year they were joined by a few brave girls too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A day in the life...

Here are a few pics of the kids and Mark returning to Cape Town and having fun at home..

MC, James savage and Dain savage

Kate-Lynn bakes biscotti - yum!

Kate-Lynn makes a fun tutu