When the sun is setting, between dusk and darkness, there is a moment when the light turns blue. And the world stops for a heartbeat.
Merlin – our little schnauzer – loves vegetables and fruit. I use cucumber as his training treat, but he is also a huge fan of snap peas, apple and broccoli. Once, when he was a smaller puppy he was (accidentally) left alone with some braaied ribs and corn cobs. He chose the corn and left the ribs untouched.
Maybe I should not have been surprised when he took a big liking to strawberry. However, he gets it without the sugar.
We had lunch today with some friends who have been blessed by 1-year old twins. Although incredibly cute, their energy is a little overwhelming. However, they are such a pleasure to be around with – there is something magical about that stage of toddler’s life when just walking around is a major adventure.
Little outside Johannesburg – in the middle of nowhere – is a farm with a brilliant business plan. They have converted the area into a dog park with a restaurant, dog spa etc. Although that sounds simple, there is no direct competition anywhere close by – and people drive long distances to get there. The dogs are allowed to play freely between the tables, while you have your lunch or a drink; there is a pond for swimming and several short walking routes. It is the ‘critical mass’ that matters tho. There are always plenty of other dogs to play with, and lots of mud. Merlin’s idea of heaven on earth.
Day 150 deserves another mini celebration!!
Although I admit that in the past weeks the busy work schedule combined with spring flu has made it difficult to motivate myself for the challenge. But I am still here – maybe in few weeks I will even catch up on posting and editing the photos. And if not, – well – photos don’t have a ‘best before’ date.
Due to a number of late evenings at work, my recent photography has been limited to small, home-bound photos of everyday objects. And what could more every-day than eggs and a whisk? However, it turns out you can do some pretty interesting stuff even with such simple items.
Proteas is one of the most interesting looking flowers I have ever had in my vase. They are a bit of an acquired taste, and not everyone appreciates them. In South Afrika they are now in season, and every flowershop and supermarket is full of different varieties. Also – being native to dry areas – they last for weeks. My kind of flower.
I have done several jobs in my life that required long hours. I am no stranger to 80-100 h weeks, and for many years that was just “the way it was”. Someone once told me, that “if you enjoy your regular Tuesday, you are living a good life”.
This Tuesday, we braaied.
As has been painfully obvious from my earlier posts – Stuart and I like two things: books and good food. Therefore it is no surprise that one of our favourite places nowadays is Social Kitchen – a fine dining restaurant in a bookstore. The store really encourages people to pick up a book from the shelf, order a drink and sit down to read – and many do.
Although we rarely sit here and read, the atmosphere and food get us coming back. Most often with friends.
Stuart has always found it funny how obsessed Finns are about berries. Initially he thought it was only me – but he has met enough Finns since then to know it’s a national obsession. I think it is a result of such a short season for berries in Finland. Being able to buy fresh, good berries practically 10 months a year is not something you can do in Finland.
It is a more a general observation as well. People in Norther Europe live and cook (even today) much more based on what is in season. Even though you can get asparagus from Finnish supermarket around the year, the price during the spring season is so much cheaper (and taste so much better), that most people only eat it during those few weeks. Most South Africans could not even say when the asparagus season is.
Johannesburg nightlife has apparently improved a lot in the last few years. There is a whole host of neighbourhoods and little pockets of buzz, that have never been part of the city scene before. Not that I would know. We are in a bit of a hibernation phase – happy to snuggle up at home or meet friends at their houses. And when we do go out, we tend to frequent the places we know.
Again today, I decided to make a more of an effort in the future. Old friends can take you to new places. Thank you Sid!
