Grounded by the weather

Having boasted liberally and to great lengths about the phenomenal weather that Johannesburg has enjoyed since I arrived at the end of June, today finally turned around and bit me in the butt – and the cloudy day has caused my flight lesson to be cancelled. Ironically though, the cloud level around home is fine enough to fly in, but at the airport I am flying out of the level is far lower, and hence I am grounded…

The weather has turned though actually, and today is a completely unusual day. The temperature is far lower than it has been (still mild by UK standards) but Felix the cat has decided that this is no day to be outside, and has curled up on the duvet – right next to Ulricha, I might add!

It is remarkable to think that September is already just about at an end – the year already three quarters of the way through. Already I have been in South Africa for 3 months.

Ulricha’s parents returned from their week long holiday at the sea side, and seemingly my supervision of the pool was in fact quite good. I am relieved, I must say, as my technical experience of these things is rather limited. But even I would have to say that I am proud of myself on this particular score! Hopefully in the next few weeks it will be warm enough to enjoy the pool – without fear of frost bite!

I think for now though I am going to follow Felix’s fine example – and climb in under the duvet!

Spring has sprung

It's that time of the year - or at least it is in the Southern Hemisphere...

Having endured some really torrid weather in Cape Town last weekend, and seen the Eastern Cape get lashed on Monday and Tuesday, it was wonderful to end the week with some really beautiful weather in Johannesburg. The mervury climbed steadily throughout the week, and eventually today we have a temperature of very close to 30 degrees - and that's just the start of Spring!

But it really is a beautiful time of year.
On Friday I was away from the office early in the morning and enjoyed a cup of coffee at a coffee shop local to my office - but outside, in the morning air. There were small finches all around us, tweeting and chatting as they enjoyed some seed specifically left out for them. The whole scene somehow made the office seem much further away.

On Friday afternoon - with out finance ledger system having finally given up the ghost, after threatening to do so for most of the week, I was out for lunch with Ulricha, at a resturant overlooking a small lake. There were a few water fowl at the edges, that after the meal we went to see, and even a family of ducks with a shy brood of little ducklings - and a rather angry parent, concerned that I was getting too close for my photo shot.

It's that time of year when I am looking around and seeing all kinds of beauty in nature - and even in the inanimate. The statue at the top of this piece is in Ulricha's parents garden, and just looked so stoic on Friday when I took the picture.

This really is just the beginning of Spring, but it promises to be quite some Spring, and seemingly a very warm Summer.

But we do need the rain - oh how we need the rain!