DIE TWEE IS TWEE KEER HIERNA TOE

I've said it before ad infinitum and ad nauseum: my guests are great; not only do they keep me entertained, they also pay for me to go on holiday! Yes, Blog followers, that's where I am going tomorrow courtesy of Karoo Birding Safaris, headed for the very northern corner of Botswana to look for, inter alia, Carmine Bee-eaters (a dream of Michael and mine from w-a-y back in 2001 when we had to cancel a trip due to his illness) and if I am very lucky Pel's Fishing Owl to boot.

But back to my guests. Having been married on 31 October 2009, Andrew and Yolanda arrived the next day and spent their honeymoon week here at Dolphin B&B+S/C. And so - two years later - they chose to spend their well-deserved annual break on the West Coast with me again. (Check out my earlier Blog "It seems that this is the time for tying the knot" which I posted on November 24, 2009.)

The update is that they're just as in love and happy as two years ago and thanks, you two Lovebirds, for the chokkie hazelnuts. It's your fault I am growing in girth!

Hope the wind drops so that you get to enjoy Britannia Bay in all its glory before leaving for home in Montague next Monday.

THE SWEDES COME TO TOWN

Neil and Ragnhild Crawford who hail from Kärna, Sweden, had stayed with me in September 2006 and toured the southern and western areas of the Cape in search of elusive plant species and were indeed rewarded for their diligence.
It was thanks to their stopover at Dolphin B&B+S/C that good friends Lars and Kerstin Peterson, through referral, spent two nights exploring the West coast and although their sights were set on flora, it extended also to avifauna, Lars being particularly pleased with species he could tick off on his 'life' list.
I was struck by the observations that Lars had made through their travels in South Africa so far: "European Union citizens and white citizens in South Africa are in many cases in a similar situation. Farmer political and economical dominance is broken" He went on to encourage us to "continue to protect the biological diversity" of our country, adding that "Ecotourism is a growing market" and that "managing nature reserves is good investment". I can relate to that, Lars.
From here to Cape Town, then via the southern Cape (Knysna etc.) to Prince Albert where they've been put in touch with Sue Milton-Dean (PhD) who, with her husband Richard Dean (PhD), manage RENU-KAROO Veld Restoration cc and are deeply involved in and committed to Karoo veld assessment, vegetation surveys, indigenous seed and plants for Karoo restoration and landscaping. Three years ago I spent two of the most enlightening hours in Sue's company as she led a small group of us through her 'patch of perfection' - a small holding that she and Richard have left pristine and where lithops compete with gymnosperms and Khoi middens give us a glimse into an era long gone. Highly recommended.

MONKEYING WITH A GOOD WRITE IS PURE MONKEY BUSINESS

I don’t know about you, but trying to follow the Dewani case has been jolly hard work, what with the hype from spin publicist Max Clifford and the surmisations and suspicions voiced by a polarised public. And so it was with delight that I learned that long-time friend Mike Nicol's book, Monkey Business, was to be launched at the Open Book Fair last month.

Personally I think journalist Zelda Venter lost the plot when she wrote (in her review of the book) of ‘being disappointed’. Read the full review at http://www.iol.co.za/tonight/books/no-new-light-shed-on-anni-s-murder-1.1156402

Layman I might be, but I couldn’t but fail to gasp at how Mike has mastered the chain of events – and in the short while it took him to put it all together. Had I the time – or, for that matter, the inclination - I still wouldn’t have known where to search to read about this fascinating case and yet this author has been able to capture the intrigue in brilliant chronological order - and probably from the confines of his office.

I’m sorry the book is only a centimetre thick and, yes, I wait expectantly for the case to come to trial. Who knows that we mere mortals won’t have the benefit of reading the sequel which captures all that. Certainly the book is not ‘premature’; Mike has just been very resourceful in seeing a gap and taking it. It smells of professional jealousy that a journalist didn’t see it first.

DIVINE INTERVENTION OR WHAT?

My day was touched by the gentle impact of a gentle man in the form of Father Elsey. Knock-knock (or truth be told, ring-ring) at my door and there stood this larger-than-life bearded priest ("I'm of the bell's and smells discipline," he claims) from Devon who has just spent three months filling in for the Calitzdorp ngk Dominee who took a sabbatical allowing Father Ed time to explore the port capital of the world - you got it - in between the 92 recitals he played during that time.

I was to learn so much from him during his 48 hours' sojourn here and, no, he doesn't mind at all that I write openly about his gayness (or is it gaiety?), his having come out six years ago and very comfortable with himself.

I was so comfortable and charmed by this intellectual and his bonhomie, not to mention his zest (dare I say lust?) for life. We spent quality time swapping lifestyles (mine is much more mundane) and sharing a meal at Beira Mar for which Father generously paid - sorry there were no whales!

As he wrote in my visitor's book (under the column of "How did you find us?") 'Chance/Divine'. A bigger and better man knows why ours paths should have crossed and I am all the richer for it.

WORTH TURNING A YEAR OLDER

Spent my birthday arvie last Saturday with family and the evening with close friends. What better way to celebrate than that?

Deer Park Café in Vredehoek, at the foot of Table Mountain, is a delightful, open-air restaurant that caters primarily for children and spills out onto rolling lawns where the kids can swing, climb and crawl up jumpin' jacks and down foofy slides. Which is exactly what these cousins did while the moms drank lattes, vino bianca and munched on chips and chocs.

The vibe at Mamma Mia in Steenberg is somewhat more adulterous - if you know what I mean Having placed orders for veal all round with attentive Debbi, Keith, Mike, Roy, Jill (with whom I share a birthday, although there's a year's difference between us - in her favour!) Moi and Kevin settled in for an evening of catch-up, having been friends for 30 years.

A great way to spend my (sorry, Jill, our) birthday and ta to all who remembered it by calling, emailing, SMSing and, yes, those luverly pressies Mwah x

THIS POOR CREATURE NOT HAVING A WHALE OF A TIME

The call went out around midday September 19th to save a stranded Dwarf Sperm Whale Kogia sima – identified from photographs by marine expert Mike Meyer - that had beached near the slipway in Britannia Bay.

MCM inspectors and volunteers worked to stabilise the animal, which was still breathing, keeping it upright and cool. Other than a few scratches, caused probably when rolling in over the shallow reef, it appeared to be unharmed. Meyer explains that the so-called pool of blood in which the animal was swimming was in fact a cloud of reddish-brown faeces that the creature releases when frightened at the surface.

It was dragged back into the water where it rolled and floundered for a couple of hours before washing up once more. Again it was pushed back into the sea, but it considered unlikely the creature will survive and anyone coming across the animal is asked to call Bernie Pols on 083 425 7678.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Dave and Ena had stayed with me before, but on this occasion Ena's daughter, Cheryl, and friend Matthew also spent two nights at Dolphin B&B+S/C, theIR intention: to see Cheryl's newly built house - all done via email from her career home in Saudi Arabia. Now that's what I call project management and with an excellent architect and local builder Steve Misplon (Pride's Buildings) the result is simply stunning.

Cheryl has every reason to be proud of what she's achieved and says she was like a child under a Christmas tree opening the boxes of personal effects that will adorn the shelves of her new West coast home.

Welcome to this very special part of the world, Cheryl; lovely to have you as a neighbour, which is essence means I also get to see more of the Hiblings too.