Mother Nature - Awesome

I could cry! I typed about half of my blog this morning and it was saved as a concept. At least that what is what the blog site said, only it was not saved and here I am again trying to remember what I wrote...

While Ingrid was watching her series on TV, One Day, I went out onto the deck with my glass of wine to look at the stars. Although the wind was blowing, the sky was clear and I was once again amazed at the number of stars up above. After about 5 minutes I called Ingrid out to star gaze.  It did not take long before we saw a shooting star. Usually a shooting star flies across the sky, but this one fell out of the sky and started to burn bright orange and then there was nothing. I think that it was probably a meteor. Awesome! We both made a wish! Maybe you can guess what mine was.

After our braai and a little later a cup of ginger tea we went to bed. Shock and awe! At around 02h00 the wind came to visit. Howling and gusting we were rudely awakend to the creaking and moaning of the roof. Just when you thought that you could doze off again, another gust tested the structure and it was soon apparent that we were going to stare not at the stars, but at the ceiling all night. Stangely the gusts even changed the air pressure in the house and that was tangible. It did not take long to retreat to the bunker. Down the stairs and into the back room. How pleasant, no pressure differences and no creaking and moaning. ZZZZ

05h15 was once again ding dong time. It has taken a week for a routine to develop here. Wakey wakey> cup of coffee > walk > grocery shopping > breakfast > swim in the ocean > cuppa tea > afternooner > laze > another swim > dinner > tea > bedtime. Today's walk was local. From the deck one can see a walk through the nature reserve. With the wind still blowing, but not as hard as last night, and in the shelter of the brush we were done in about 30 minutes. Check. Been there, done that.

Today we decided to drive to Jeffreys Bay to shop for some shorts for Ingrid. First stop the surf shops (factory outlets and brand shops). At the BIllabong factory outlet she bought a T-shirt and pair of jogging pants and I walked out with a hoodie. Well I paid first and then I walked out. Some very pretty little boutique type shops and if one were to live here, I think that that one could become poor. Such lovely things! 

I was on the lookout for a Mint plant and wonder above wonders there was a nursery there. How unexpected and yet welcome. They stocked 1 MInt plant and it came home with us. Jeffries Bay is a surfers meca. Surfboards are like sirens to me (The mermaid type). They call to me and tease and tempt. It would be so easy to submit to their charms! No luck in the surf shops for a pair of shorts.

To the Mall and in and out of every shop. When you see it you know. Ingrid did not see it. No shorts for her. Funny how that works. When you go shopping for an item you "can't find it", but if you are not looking you find.  We settled in at a booth at the Wimpy. A visit to South Africa can't go without at least once having a toasted chicken mayo on white bread at the Wimpy. Check! Ingrid enjoyed avo on toast with fried egg. Into Game to look for a bicycle lock and they had stock. 

A few groceries later we were pushing our trolley back through the mall and Ingrid walked into the only shop we had not visited for shorts. What do you know. A pair of suitable shorts. Not to be expected at Cape Union Mart, but there you go. Shorts. Check.

Off home for a cuppa tea and little laze. Caught up for the lost hours last night with a little afternooner. Back to the supermarket as we had forgotten to buy bottled water. We tend not to drink out of the tap here. I guess one could, but we just have not. We had not had our morning swim and Ingrid surprised me by agreeing to go swimming at Main beach, on condition that she wanted to. Once at Main beach she smiled and said she would go in with me. My wife tends to smile so much more here. It is a genuine smile of pleasure and that makes my heart very happy. I love her smile.

Mother Nature has shown us awe in the heavens, awed us with her breath and this afternoon she awed us with her warmth and blue skies as the wind had died down to a mere whisper. Reconnect with Nature is the name of Ingrids Business. Come to Africa to Reconnect with Nature. She is our Mother!