Category Archives: Tripping

Flying Low and Slow Over Puget Sound

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Finally, weather and instruments synchronized and my long-awaited flight happened!

I had been watching the weather and it looked like it would be ok but knowing how bad the weather predictions are, and I was looking at two weather sites which showed different results for the day, I wasn’t making any concrete plans.

But I got the text on Sunday night “We’re on for tomorrow.”

Monday morning dawned brilliantly clear and still. Frosty cold but I knew that wouldn’t last. I didn’t drink much coffee that morning – there are no “facilities” on the plane! The plan was for them to fly in to Port Ludlow Marina and pick me up at 8. I thought I was early but as I drove up, I saw the DeHavilland Beaver float plane taxiing in. I grabbed my stuff and ran to the dock and Chuck, who is the head pilot at Kenmore Air, said, “Olympia is fogged in. We may not be able to go.” Damn!

P1040358We were to fly from Port Ludlow to Olympia to pick up Mya, the marine flight technician in Olympia and then make the stops around the mid-Puget Sound area. But if Olympia was fogged in, well then we couldn’t go. So we tucked ourselves into a cozy corner in the Inn and I interviewed both Chuck and another oceanographer, Julia, while we waited…and waited, with Chuck texting back and forth with Mya who sent pix of a very foggy Olympia.

But luck was with us and the fog cleared in time for us to leave, get down there and still have time to puddle jump up the Sound to do the water monitoring.

The inside of the plane was stripped except for three seats. There is a hatch in the floor through which the testing array is lowered. Kenmore uses this plane almost exclusively for these flights which technically, are run four times a month. Of course, being that this is Washington and the weather being what it is, things don’t always go as planned. On the days it’s not going out on these flights, it’s in normal passenger use, flying the normal routes.

“I got to fly right seat!”

Strapped myself in and put on the head set and Chuck pushed us off the dock. Because it was so cold, we motored around the harbor a bit to warm up the engine! Then headed into the very light breeze. The plane felt sluggish as it gained speed, then popped up onto the floats and you could feel a slight slap slap slap of the waves as gathered speed. Then pop – we were flying! Made a nice wide turn to the right and headed south.

IMG_1245And oh, how spectacular it was! I saw the house and our little community in a new light. Nestled on the shore, my estuary clear to see, then the hill behind and then open forest and then the snow covered Olympic Mountains! It was absolutely breathtaking!

The area looks so completely different from the air, and we weren’t very high. At the most just 1,000 feet and often, throughout the day, down at around 200 feet. I was amazed at how much unpopulated area there is; so much forest land and a lot of clear cuts. But also lakes I had no idea existed and islands and estuaries and fingers of water branching off the main waterways.

The flight was about half an hour and we landed in a clear and bright Olympia! Mya was waiting on the dock with all the equipment. They have devised a whole system for this program and as I believe it is the only one in the country, if not the world, that does water monitoring from a float plane, they had to be quiet ingenious. There is a frame that  holds the winch which lifts and lowers the big array of instruments and which is powered by two large – and very heavy 12v batteries.

Because they know what they are doing and I didn’t want to get in the way, I took the opportunity to go to the head as I had no idea if I would get another chance, and I really didn’t fancy stepping out on a pontoon and hanging my butt out – not only was it still very cold, but it could get quite rough and I didn’t fancy getting wet!

With everything stowed and in place, we headed out to our first designated testing zone.

Chuck is an amazing pilot. He learned to fly in Alaska and is a real bush pilot – he can fly anything anywhere and is a natural. He says he plays the plane like a piano and that by finessing it, gets the results he needs.

The test zones are historic points that have been used throughout recent history by Universities and other organizations that are interested in the health of the Puget Sound. And to the uninitiated, it seemed like we just landed randomly. But each spot is marked in the GPS and Chuck prides himself in landing within 100 feet. And he nails it every time.

MyaOnce we landed at the designated monitoring spot, Mya opened the hatch and lowered the array. It has to stay close to the bottom for 90 seconds then is drawn back up. During that time, the different tubes in the array draw in the water which she then takes samples of, with Chuck writing all the relevant details like depth, color of water, and other  specifics in codes for the tests that would be performed in the labs.

The array is actually tied into the Toughbook computer she uses on the flight so I was able to see the charts of what the array records during the ascent and descent. Fascinating stuff! I should have been an oceanographer.

As time went on, the wind started to kick in, and by the time we got to our fourth zone, it was iffy whether we would actually land. We did a fly by at about what felt like 5 feet and Chuck knew it would be ok. So we landed rather bumpily but by this time, I had complete faith in Chuck’s abilities. We rocked and rolled as Mya did her thing.

This point was at the end of the Toandos Peninsula which is my neck of the woods and when Chris was around, we used to take the boat all over the area. Brought back a lot memories – we took the first long trip down here on a day as clear and beautiful as this one.

The take off was really bumpy but it is amazing how quickly the little plane rotates; it seems like barely 30 seconds and we were airborne. That was my last stop as they were heading north and they could drop me off along the way. We cut up and over the Toandos, staying away from the Bangor Station, the navy nuclear sub base. No point in being a moving target!

Port LudlowComing in over the top and into a stiff breeze, Chuck did an almost “dead stick” landing, coming in steep into the harbor. At the what seemed like the last minute, he flattened out and it was a perfect landing.

A perfect end to a perfect day.

Cat is Out of the Bag

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TulipsNow that the cat is out of the bag and Zoze knows I will be in New Zealand at the end of the year, I can be open about my plans! I was so afraid she would see my grannytravels posts and our cover would be blown!  I think we all did damn well, keeping our lips zipped for almost three months.

It was fun… We had Skype on video (gotta love technology) and were chatting away and I could see Jenni in the background doing stuff, bringing out an enormous gift-wrapped box and coming over to hand it to her Mum. Zoze gets busy carefully taking the paper off, no doubt to reuse – just tear it, Zoze! – and inside are piles of packing papers and she laughs and starts digging through it until she comes across what looks like a card, which she opens. With prompting, she opens up the sheet of paper inside, still not recognizing what it was.

When she “gets” that it is my ticket, she comes unglued! Starts crying :) and then can’t believe it and that everyone except her knew about it! What fun! So now she really has something to look forward to, as do I!

Let the planning REALLY begin!

Summer

IMG_1205I think I planted too many tomato seeds! I have had 100 percent germination, so today spent a couple of hours re-potting the Heirlooms into 4-6 inch pots. I am definitely going to have to find people to give them to as I have three dozen seedling – and I still have the other seeds I planted – another dozen or so!

I also set out a variety of lettuce in pots – some is ready for eating already; others have a way to go. But it looks like there will be no shortage of veges this summer.

My Private Charter

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So, what’s new?

I have a great trip to look forward to on Monday (weather permitting). I am going to fly in a float plane with Kenmore Air on a Department of Ecology mission to go out – probably to the coast – and do water monitoring! The last float plane I was in was an old Grumman Goose (I think) going back and forth between St. Thomas and St. John in the Virgin Islands, whenever my visa was going to expire back in the late 60s. So the idea of going up in the small plane is pretty exciting. I don’t know yet which type of plane it will be as Kenmore has 25 so it could be a  Beaver, Otter or Caravan.

And what is even more fun is that instead of driving over to Seattle at crack of dawn, they are coming to pick me up at the marina in Port Ludlow! My own private charter!

From there, of course depending on weather, we will fly out to the coast and I am hoping we go up and over the Olympic Mountains but suspect we will go south out to Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay. We fly and land, fly and land to pull monitoring and testing equipment. It will most likely be an all day event and I was told to dress warmly (no kidding!) and take a lunch.

One article I will do (and the reason I get to do this) is for Harbors Magazine and the other, which will be a lot more in-depth, is for Ecology.com. I hope to get some really cool shots and video as well.

Daffodils are adding a bright spot in an otherwise dreary late winter

Daffodils are adding a bright spot in the otherwise dreary late winter

On another note, my eye is healing nicely, thank goodness. You can barely see anything there except it still, at least to me, looks a little bruised, but it no longer itches or hurts! What a relief that is. I don’t want to ever have to go through something like that again!

Although the world is turning towards spring, it is still winter here. But…the days are longer and we begin daylight savings on Sunday. Leaves are popping out on the fruit trees; there are daffodils across the street and hyacinths are pushing their little pointy heads through the soil. So it is getting better.

The weekend is just around the corner and it’s Gallery Walk in Poulsbo and it is supposed to be relatively dry! I haven’t been to this one before, just the one in Port Townsend and I think there are a lot more galleries in Poulsbo so it should be fun.

An NRV Day

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Spring is trying to make an appearance

Spring is trying to make an appearance

So today I did – exactly nothing! I don’t know why I was so lagging but I decided to just go with it and took and NRV day. For those of you unfamiliar with this term – No Redeeming Value!

I watched the last of a series on Netflix. A British detective series called Waking the Dead. I’m sad there are no more available yet; now I will have to find more English programs – they are so much better than the blood and guts the American ones spit out.

It wasn’t raining today, a blessing! But it was damp and cold; even the kitties weren’t thrilled and spent most of the day inside. A couple of days ago I did get some of the brambley blackberry vines cut down but still have about a third to hack away. I better get to them soon as they are already sprouting and once they get going – they are like triffid weeds and completely take over.

But all around things are sprouting. The fruit trees have velvety buds appearing and a few primroses are braving the weather. And the first rhody flower is showing it’s face. So there is hope!

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Yesterday, Susan and I went to Poulsbo for a get out of the house coffee. And had an interesting return trip.

Susan posted this on Facebook:

Driving us home today from an outing Poulsbo, Susan Colby, had a very close call at Termination Point. Susan exhibited such amazing driving skills. Some guy pulled out right in front of us and with no time to pick a different course, Susan punched it just enough that he went behind us. I fully expected an impact. There was a semi coming toward us on 104 and we would have been shoved into its path had the other driver hit us. Still shaking but really glad it was she who was driving. I am not sure if I could have pulled that off. Thanks, Susan! I think you need to pull the name “Granny” off of anything you are involved with. You are far from what most folks think of when they hear “Granny”. Thanks from me and my husband, kiddos and grand-kids!”

A really stupid driver! So I at least know my age is not affecting my reactions! Now, if it would just leave the rest of me alone, I would be a happy 18 year old again.

Cabin Fever

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Oh man, talk about cabin fever! I have been trying to limit my driving – gas is up again as are expenses – but I HAD to get out of here today!

So my excuse was, although a necessity, was to take the rubbish to the dump! How exciting is that? But then I added on a trip into Port Townsend and coffee with Susan at our favorite, Tyler Street Cafe. Actually, our favorite was closed for an upgrade, it’s going to be a full cocktail bar and restaurant when it reopens in a couple of months. I’m afraid it won’t have that wonderful vibe anymore, so Undertown might be off our list. But we won’t write it off until we check it out.

And then we went for a lovely walk around town and discovered (actually Susan knew about it) a delightful Tea and Spice store. It smelled wonderful and I can get all the spices I need for curry and chai – same price as Central Market – so that is a real find. I didn’t buy anything, just lifted lids and sniffed a lot!

I haven’t been a tourist in Port Townsend for a while and there are a couple of new restaurants and stores I need to check out. The town was busy, as the sun was out! I had to park quite a way from the center which is unusual, but good for the merchants.

But what a difference the sun makes – even though it was cold = turtle neck, sweater and jacket – my glasses knew the sun had strength as they turned really dark to protect me! Damn my Transition lenses, I need all the light I can get!

Port Townsend and the Sun is Shining!

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Sun in Port Townsend!

Cape Cleare salmon sandwich

Susan and I had a local lunch today - Cape Cleare salmon grilled at the outdoor bbq at the Co-op. Yummm...

It was gray when I landed yesterday but a brilliant sunset as we approached Port Townsend. But it poured like crazy overnight and this morning – voila! Partial sun mixed with full sun!

It really is a beautiful place when the sun is out. This is the sort of weather where visitors say, “Oh it’s so beautiful! Let’s move here!” Most last two years and can’t handle the cold and gray and flee…

wisteria

Susan had to show some tenants property today and the entry was covered with wisteria.

But I know what it is really like and how rare these days are so there is no chance it can work it’s magic on me.

This evening, we are meeting up with Mardelle at Galatea for one of their famous martinis but it will be an early night as she is going to kick up her heels at a dance class tonight and Susan has a big day of work tomorrow.

Decisions, Decisions

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Well, I certainly have had a lot of time to think about things, now that Ryan is getting over the surgery and I am getting over the stress of it all!

Seal Beach is a very cool area. Still laid back, lots of older houses that haven’t been torn down and replaced with MacMansions! The house is just two blocks to the beach and I have been walking along the sidewalk or along the beach at least once a day. The negative ions are doing me the world of good. It’s definitely a location worth looking at as a home base. Just about everything is within walking distance – grocery stores, banks, library, post office and Main Street has an eclectic collection of sidewalk cafes, stores, bars and full restaurants. It’s not the glitz of Newport Beach, still has the old beach town flavor which suits me fine.

When I spent the time with Cody and Mel in Apple Valley, I considered moving there, even went so far as to look at Spring Valley Lake, a nice area quite close to them. But the more I think about that, the more I know it wouldn’t fit me and what I want my life to look like. I just don’t think I am a suburban grandma!

For most of my life, I have done what other people wanted me to do – except my initial running away from South Africa when I was 18. But that was because I didn’t know how to handle the situation I was in, as I pretty much had no role models to learn from. That role model deficit followed me for a long time! So I have either run from situations or done what I thought was the right thing to do, which was pretty much always what other people thought I should be doing and not what my heart, intuition, gut was telling me.

But now it’s time to do what I know is right for me, regardless of what I am hearing from other sources about what I “should” do.

I love being close to the family here. That’s why Seal Beach is good – almost equidistant from the boys. One-two hours to get to either of them, or them to me. Close but not in their pockets! Whether I can afford to find a place here is another matter, but I have simplified my life so much that all I need is a small place. I do know I won’t go into an apartment in a complex. Here in SB, as in many other small beach areas, there are one-bedroom apartments over garages behind the main house. This would suit me fine. Or, if Betsy does decide to stick around and wants to share a place, I can do that.

Of course, for years I’ve talked about living somewhere other than the U.S., but my short stay in South Africa brought home the fact that moving to a foreign country as a single person is not an easy feat. Add the fact I am a woman and “mature!” makes it more difficult. It is a dream I have not given up on and who knows what the future holds for me. I just know that at this point in my life, I need to be here.

Of course, all this hinges on ecology coming through and I am ever-hopeful.

It also means I will not go back to South Africa to stay. The main reason being the boys and their proximity.

But a huge factor in my decsion is the fact that I can’t do the traveling I want to do there, due to the lack of safety in the country. I am too independent to live there and it is not a place for a single woman, regardless of age. If there was a companion or partner in the picture who was willing to travel and explore, I would think harder about being there. But I have to face the fact that on my own, those options are non-existent.

I will miss seeing that side of the family and my friends there. And I know how important  friends, especially girl friends are! And most of mine are in Washington, where I know I will never live again! If I am based in SB, I can visit there fairly inexpensively and the girls can visit me – which I know wouldn’t happen in South Africa.

So whether ecology comes through or not, somehow I will find the ways and means to stay here. On 23rd, two days before Betsy returns, I head up to Port Townsend where Susan has a place for me, as does Mardelle. Teresa has a small truck I can use for transportation so hopefully the weather will cooperate while I am there! But it’s Washington so….

And I will see my kitties!

Today, Ryan and I are going to have a BBQ with Cody and family for Mothers’ Day and am really looking forward to that. Such a blessing to be this close.

SoCal Update

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First, a Ryan update. He is recovering well from surgery. That part has been close to miraculous! He has seen his doctors and they are pleased with his progress but his sciatica kicked in big time. He has been pretty much bed-ridden since coming home from the hospital. He’s had all kinds of painkillers etc but I think the only thing that is going to help is time – and patience! And that is not something he has inherited from me. I hope that tomorrow will find him back at work!

Daddy's goggles and boots = superman

Once Ryan was settled at home, I went up to Apple Valley in the high desert to see Cody, Mel and the little boys. They have grown so much in the three months since I saw them! Both as cute as can be and extremely active. Meaning you have to be young to be a parent and have the boundless energy to keep up with the kids!

The area is all desert, the yards decorated mostly with multicolored gravel and desert plants. With limited water, there are very few grass patches. But we went for a drive around Spring Valley Lake which is a man-made lake surrounded by typically southern California type suburban homes. It has a clubhouse, pool, tennis courts, a beach and boats and marinas. A real surprise way out there. And the bonus is, it is extremely inexpensive to rent out there. A 4 bedroom, 3 bath house is just on $1000 a month! It would take some getting used to, living in that barren sort of environment, but it would be fun to be close to the little boys and a good place for them to visit with water and beach close at hand.

Now I am staying at Betsy’s while she is away for three weeks. Getting here was a challenge and a story in itself!

To go up to Apple Valley, I rented a car which needed to be returned in Burbank, close to Ryan’s house. Betsy’s place is in Seal Beach, a 1.5 hour (no traffic) drive. It turned out that the day I was to return the car, there was no way for me to get from the rent-a-car place to Seal Beach. Ryan not driving, Les working and Betsy already left!

So I resorted to public transportation – and THAT was an experience! A 1.5 hour trip took almost 5 hours to complete.

First of all I had to figure out the schedules. And being inter-county, coordinate two disparate bus systems. I finally – I thought – figured out. The start was right near the rent-a-car drop off so I thought I had it made! What I hadn’t factored in was you pretty much need to know the area before you try to work out where the bus stops are. So first off, I ended up at a stop going the wrong direction! I sort of got a funny feeling that I was turned around so asked someone also waiting, and sure enough, I needed to be across the intersection on the other side of the street to get the right bus!

Fortunately, I hadn’t missed the one I needed and climbed aboard. Being a “senior,” this bus only cost me .25. There weren’t a lot of people on board this leg. The announcements of which stop coming up, then approaching and then arriving became rather annoying, but at least I wasn’t going to miss my stop. At one stop, a young man in a wheelchair, with his little dog boarded and he was so stoned… he reeked of pot and he was certainly a happy chappy!

That first leg ended at the iconic Hollywood and Vine intersection. The bus trip planner said to get the Red Line to my next departure point. OK, where is the Red Line station? Not realizing that it was the subway, I was totally at a loss until I asked a little old lady where it was, and she told me in very broken, Russian-accented English that it was across the street – the Subway!

Here I was in the middle of Los Angeles, earthquake central, getting ready to go on the underground! Oh well, as they say “In for a penny, In for a pound!” Besides, if I didn’t take the leg I had mapped out, I had absolutely no clue how to get to the third leg of the trip! So I descended into the bowels of the Metro. First I had to figure out the payment system which of course didn’t want to take my quarter! When I finally managed to shove the coin in the slot, head through the gates and get to the right platform, the damn train was heading away into the tunnel.

underground

Metro station at Hollywood and Vine

The station was really attractively tiled and the ceiling covered with old film reels. It was very clean, although at this station I didn’t see any Metro personnel to ask questions.

By this time I was getting a little frazzled, with no idea which direction I was supposed to go. So again, I asked and a very helpful young man directed me to the right platform and showed me where the map of the system was. So then it was about a 10 minute wait for the next train, which whisked me off to the Blue Line station which was in the same terminal at my next stop. Fortunately, this time there was an official Metro person to direct me to the right platform.

This train, from downtown to Long Beach was packed! Standing room only. Lucky for me I managed to snag a seat, but I did see a young Hispanic man get up and offer his seat to an older lady, so chivalry is not totally dead! At one stop, an old Mexican guy got on, selling chocolate bars – 2 for $1 – I wondered how old they were and then he was off the next stop before he could be thrown off! Gotta make a buck, somehow!

Ninety-nine percent of the passengers had much darker complexions than me! The shades ranged from Nigerian blue-black to cafe au lait and everything in between. I felt like I was back in South Africa, a definite minority! Ryan had expressed concern about me taking this particular train as it goes through some very rough areas of the city;  Watts, South Central and other not so salubrious areas! Graffiti decorated the walls lining the tracks and the houses looked very rundown and tatty. But I had no problems and felt quite at ease with the whole situation. The train made at least 14 stops before we got to Long Beach, where again I ran into the issue of which way do I go! Asked again and once again, was going to head in the wrong direction!

Each of the first three legs cost me a quarter, all three being in Los Angeles County. The fourth leg was a local city bus which cost me sixty cents. The further south I went, the more the bus cost! The last leg, from Long Beach to Seal Beach, one of the shortest legs, cost $1.25 – and that was the senior fare! No wonder fewer people take public transportation down here.

But during the two train legs – not once was I asked for my ticket so wonder how many of the other passengers were actually stowaways!

For me, this trip was an experience, an adventure. Fun to do – once. But for the majority of riders, this is their only means of transportation and I can only imagine the frustration of having to deal with it every day. Waiting, changing trains/buses/tubes and dealing with the masses. We are very fortunate having our own wheels to come and go as we please.

I was very happy to get off the last bus at almost 7pm, walk the last couple of blocks and pop a bottle of wine. Sleep came easily and early.

Another Farmers Market

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chilli sauce

Some of the great home made stuff at the Karkloof Market

Karkloof Farmers Market this morning. After all, why miss one when it is so close, just about a mile away from Stocklands, the B&B where I am staying for a couple of weeks.

This area is the retirement community centre of this country, and I was not alone with my silver hair! Although there were a lot of younger people there too. It is held inside a big metal barn, with some additional stands outside. Lots and lots of home industry type products, and several tart stands. I knew I was onto something in Washington when I started making them. They all looked really good! Several cheese makers, bakers, jam makers and a wide selection of actual food stands, with different breakfast foods; bagels, French toast, omelettes. All very tempting. I did buy some dry cured bacon for Mick as he complains about how much water is in the store-bought bacon and how it doesn’t fry nicely.

Inside-market

The Karkloof Market is in a large barn

Manning that stand was a fellow I thought I recognized, and sure enough, it was Rob who is part of the Conservancy that Mick heads up. He was out of context, but he said, after I asked him about the bacon, “And where is Mike this morning?” and it clicked who he was. Then I saw a face from the past! Tim Lea was manning the Rita Lea, his wife’s stand. She has Rita Lea’s Country Kitchen and makes really good pies – not fruit pies, but different meat pies that she sells frozen, ready to bake. Tim is Rosemary’s brother-in-law. That’s a story with a twist, but not for the blog.

cheese

Locally made cheese at the market

The place was jammed! Easter long weekend and gorgeous weather has everyone and his brother out. And lots of visitors to the retirement communities! Maybe that’s where all the young people come into the picture, visiting grandma! And incidentally, a source of a lot of “bed nights” at the B&B.

I don’t think I would do well in the hospitality business. Don’t have the patience for the complainers out there. They really have nothing to whine about here; it is four star and very nice. But some people just have to find something wrong with everything. This one couple arrived yesterday evening, and I could tell immediately from the woman’s body language that she wouldn’t be happy with anything. Fortunately, I don’t have to deal with the guests much, just check them in when Adele is not here. So I am nice to them, but glad I have minimal interaction with them! I like to choose who I associate with – too picky I suppose.

The internet here is really, really bad at the moment. It’s satellite and for some unknown (though I have a suspicion) reason I can barely connect today. It’s like working on a dial up!Hopefully, once the land lines are replaced with fiber optic cables (all the copper phone lines were stolen in November), the connectivity will be better. Apparently they are in the process of burying the new cables. Makes it a bit difficult to do any research. I am expecting a call from the service provider – customer service here is marginal – and maybe they can fix the problem.

Normal Life

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avosSo 10 days since I posted.

Just sort of slipping into normal life, I guess.

I did do a nice little day trip to clear my head. Drove the Old Main Road down from Cato Ridge down to Hillcrest, through the Valley of 1000 Hills. It was a gorgeous day, and I needed to decide what to do about ecology.com. And knew if I remained sitting in front of the computer, I wouldn’t really think about what I needed to think about. So got in my little putt putt and headed out.

soul-singer

This guy entertained us at the Shongweni Market

The road is windy and narrow and things really haven’t changed much up in the hills. Cattle wandering around the roads with and old ikhehla (old man) herding them along. A couple of the places have changed or gone out of business, but really, everything was pretty much the same. I stopped at the craft market and looked at all the stuff, all pretty much the same, but the setting is spectacular. And right next door is the Chef School, which now has a microbrewery and deli, which I will save for another trip.

Then I went on down to Hillcrest and the AIDS Centre to see Paula, who was just on her way out to lunch. I was very impressed with the improved quality of the beading the ladies are doing, some gorgeous stuff and of course, I didn’t have my camera with me, so another “next time.” Paula still claims I put them on the map with the first article I did on them, when the ladies were doing hand painted fabric bags.

From there I went down to Pinetown, still on the Old Main Rd, down Fields Hill and into the center of town. The area has cleaned itself up a bit in the center, but the first impression is still not good; dirty and trashy but even that was a bit better than three years ago.

Bread

Bread at the Shongweni Farmers Market

My main reason for going down there was to find pectin – the lemons are dripping off the tree outside my window and I want to make sugar-free lemon marmalade. So have to have the pectin which most people haven’t heard of! Even at Knowles, the BIG supermarket, they didn’t know what I wanted! And that store is enormous and has just about everything you could wish for – except pectin!

Anyway, by the time I headed home, I had come to a decision about the job, so felt better about it. I will finish out this month, get the big water project published and then spend my time looking for a new job, the very last thing I want to do, but out of necessity, must do. When the funding comes through, I will then return to the job. Jane, Janis and John are really wonderful people and completely understand my situation and have said there is always a job there for me, when the funding is in place.

So spending time looking online for jobs, and am waiting for a response from an interesting one in Reno, NV. Not that I particularly want an office job, but I have to eat so will take what I can. I am also putting out the word that I do Internet Research as a freelancer. Something I can take anywhere with me.

Yesterday, I spent the day with Rosemary which is always fun. It’s amazing how we don’t see each other for years at a time, yet we slip back into our old friendship like the years in between never happened. Fifty years of friendship create strong bonds!

Today was Farmers Market. When I first went to the Shongweni Market years ago, it was a real farmers market, with lots of vege stalls, eggs, flowers and food. Today, although the whole market has grown beyond recognition, there were only three vege stalls, a couple of places that had eggs, one free range meat place – and what seemed like hundreds of craft or flea market-type booths. So I was a bit disappointed, but we had coffee and bacon rolls – well, Debbie and Mick and bacon and egg rolls, mine just bacon and onion but so good, and just like a remember.

Tomorrow is my birthday and when Mick asked me what I wanted to do, I said “Go to the beach for breakfast.” So in the morning, we are going to Umhlanga Rocks and will walk along the boardwalk and find a cafe. Maybe the one Chris and I used to go to will still be there. And then when we get home, I hope to Face Time with all my kids and kidlettes.