It is Saturday in the Eastern
Cape - 11.00 a.m. With no paying work expected until
the New Year I am spending the next three weeks carrying out domestic
maintenance, maintenance of my personal websites and adding a few extra pages
and maybe a few illustrations to my autobiography, The Graceful Retirement
of an English Gentleman. It is 90° F outside and the humidity way up at
86%, so I guess it’s rather like being in Louisiana in summertime. We had a rainstorm
last evening – 10mm in an hour or so – the new guttering I put up last week
appears to be working well – I went out to check it during the storm and water
was gushing from its open end at about 2 liters a minute. Still some water
getting into the bar though, and you can see from the splashes on the exterior
wall where, somehow, the guttering is not quite doing its job.
While sweeping water out of the bar a couple of hours ago I
noticed a familiar ‘shape and pattern’ under the drinks table – a 45cm night
adder. I don’t revel in killing wild creatures but when a potentially dangerous
one invades my home, I have to draw the line because of Katie and the two cats.
We’ve never had a night adder in the house before – a couple of boomslangs
(bright green tree snakes) in the past, and last year a Cape Cobra
outside the scullery door.
My next-door neighbor, Wendell Muir, came to see me
yesterday afternoon, bringing with him a dozen farm eggs and some rashers of
home cured bacon. He stayed for tea and, as luck would have it, Liz called from
WA just before 4 p.m., and so Wendell was able to chat with her face-to-face on
Skype for ten minutes while I fed the animals. I always enjoy Wendell’s visits
– they give me the opportunity of catching up on the neighborhood news.
Apparently they have (at last after 2 years) now graded and fixed the Clumber
route to Bathurst .
I gave Wendell some of Liz’s marmalade and her special Carolina Marmalade. I
guess these are some of the things I shall miss when I part from this country
life for the new beginning on the other side of the Pond
A delicious farm breakfast was somewhat spoiled by the CNN
news of that terrible elementary school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut – now
is the opportunity for Obama to get something done about the gun laws in the
States. I have nothing against individuals owning guns – indeed I have a
Beretta 7.65 semi automatic (legal) myself – but this 20 year old entered the
school with a assault rifle and 2 or 3 hand guns. No one outside the military
or the police should be allowed to possess an assault rifle and it should be
made a criminal offense to be found with in possession of one. I am stating
that in my personal capacity and as a Veteran and retired instructor in air
warfare and weapons. There has to be a limit drawn somewhere.
It’s just turned midday, the wind has sprung up and,
predictably, the first rumbles of thunder can be heard on the North side of the
house. I have no doubt the rain will follow a little later on. A break here for
a G & T and to watch a little football. No Not soccer – at a risk of
offending some of my readers I don’t think I have watched a single soccer game
over the last 20 years – maybe 40!! No, I have been watching “my team” the New
England Patriots play against the Houston Texans. The Patriots were 21 – 0 up
after 2 minutes of the 2nd Quarter. Tomorrow they’re on Sunday Night
Football (I just love Faith Hill !!) I believe playing the 49ers. I took a short
break just now to watch the remainder of the 1st Quarter. Great game
and Tom Brady is playing a blinder! Go Patriots!