We're doing well here!

Dunno where the dark hair comes from, as both the First Mate and I were born blond, but the little 'un is behaving and doing all the things she needs to do to survive with very little encouragement. This is a good thing, ja?


She and the First Mate come home tomorrow. I wonder what Dusty-dog is going to think, as he literally follows the First Mate everywhere and has been in a big sulk while she's been away.

Oh dear.

Rachel...

...was born at 09:46B this morning.

Easter cruise.

Took "Three Summers" out for a ride two days ago, last opportunity before the big lifestyle change...


Tomorrow we are expecting the mini-skipper's birth, so while she went for a boat ride three days before her birth day, I wonder how long before her next ride?

I figure as soon as I can get a cradle-mount fixed in the cabin!

On the beach.

Can you believe it, our first walk on the beach since we got here!

Dusty-dog and the First Mate heading into a south-easter:


13 days to go...

Another job done!

From this a few days ago:


To this, installed this afternoon:


The basin was already there, the cupboard was made to fit.

That was NOT a good idea!

Riding 20km, after having ridden the bike for the first time since about 2000, 2001ish? around the block yesterday to make sure it didn't fall apart!

Still, I survived, and finally managed to get off the torture-machine after 1 hour, 3 minutes of dusty, corrugated dirt road: more or less what I expected but way slower than some of the serious dudes!


Next time, maybe a bit of preparation would help, but then 3 days wasn't much warning that I would be taking part rather than helping out :-(

Still, as a team, we didn't actually come last, but I have my running partner to thank for that ;-)

I think I will be immobile for the next day or two.

Oops...

The triathlon is now a biathlon... no swimming...

Which means no safety boat...

Which means...










I'm available for other things...















Which means...



















I'm now a participant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


















Oh gawd, I have to cycle 20km in two days time!!!
























HELP!!!

One last fling!

We decided we needed a weekend off, and went to Cape Town to meet up with some friends, do some touristy stuff, and generally relax a bit before life gets turned upside-down with the new arrival, due in four weeks!! Only four weeks!! Eek!!!

Besides, my Dremel died last week, and I had to get a replacement, which isn't easy to find locally (another excuse to go to the Mother City)!! Before anyone suggests I'm crazy to replace a dead tool with another one just like it, it really wasn't designed to build a 17' boat, but it did, and probably did more hours than any other Dremel out there!!

So, a bit of V&A, a bit of coastal driving - the road between Camps Bay and Suikerbossie above Hout Bay must be one of the best twisty bits of smooth tarmac in the world, and begs for the right foot to press down a bit more than is sensible, but I refrained. Mostly.

Ended up at the "Lookout" at Hout Bay harbour for lunch on Sunday afternoon, where the view wasn't too shabby:


Then back home on Monday. Summer seems to be coming to an end, with the weather dropping form 32º on Sunday to 18º today, with an overnight low of 8.5º!! Ouch!! Still, I had the best night's sleep for ages, snugly curled up beneath the duvet, instead of throwing off the covers in an attempt to keep cool and leaving myself at the mercy of the mozzies (mosquitoes, irritating whiny things).

I seem to have volunteered the little boat, Suzy Doo, for patrol as a safety boat during our town's first triathlon, which will be held on Saturday. Let's hope the temperature goes up a bit, otherwise no-one's going to do the swimming bit if it stays like this!

The First Mate is still growing, and last scan revealed the little one to be approximately 2.5kg, a bit ahead of her time - I'm really hoping she doesn't decide to come early!! But, I guess she'll make up her own mind, right?

So, this is what it is...

The job, delivered and installed:


Then I had to pop up to Jo'burg to rescue mom from vicious visitors in her kitchen - took me ages (30 seconds) to catch the intruder and take him (her? how do you tell?) outside:


And then return to our little town to discover that Santa has visited late (or early?) and given me stuff to make stuff from:


Feeling comfy in SA at the mo'

It was delivered...

...to a happy customer today!


And no, it didn't look like this when delivered, but I was too busy assembling the bits, rush home to pack, pay internet bills, sort out flights, etc. to take a pic on site.

I will though, next week after I get back from Jo'burg (though I hear now it's called Jozey, or something like that?).

Anyway, to bed now, have to leave for the airport at 07:00, way before my usual wake-up time :-(