Father's Day

The preparation for father’s day is always a day earlier. Helgard decided that he wanted to give his father a photo frame with special pictures of the family. I’m going to use the same photos to draw a family tree.

Jerry Ross with Ina-Marie

Helgard with Ursula & Leonard with Munda

Father’s day is a family day, so we spent the day with the Ross family. Munda cooked a real Sunday lunch and we were responsible for dessert.

Helgards’ dad like strawberries so strawberry cheesecake was made Saturday evening. Helgard did the shopping so I had to mix the ingredients. I always thought that cheesecake is difficult to make but “Top 500 Winning recipes” made the mixing easy. Sunday morning Helgard had to help with the gelatin and strawberries that had to be put on the cake. The cake was a little sour but looked nice, whish we took a picture.

Vasity Bakery Fish and Chips

I’m like a real fish shop owner, writing on the brown fish wrapping paper. Monday 11th July was the opening day of Varsity Bakery Fish and Chips. The shop is situated on Lynnwood road close to a well-known bakery –Varsity Bakery. Allan the shop owner of Varsity Bakery and myself are running the business together.

Business on the first day was slow but the opening party with champagne that Helgard organized after closing time made my day.

Tuesday the sales target was reached. I thought it is going to be easy to run the shop. Wednesday the third day I realized that one have to work to get sales. The what, when, how questions to get the sales up are not answered yet, but I will get there...I hope soon.

Please don’t hesitate to phone to place and order – ha-ha-ha

More photos here

Helgard turns 39

This year I decided to have a proper birthday party, since it is the last year I can say I'm in my thirties. Well you need an excuse for a party, even if it is a lame one. Ursula's mother (Ann) volunteered her house so everything was very convenient for us. Adriaan also had an excellent idea to buy outdoor speakers and we hooked it to his amplifier. We used a iTunes play list on my laptop to play music through the evening.

Wilhelm gave me advice on where to buy the sheep and how to organize the braai, he also volenteered to be the chief braaier.

The plan was to put a sheep on a braai and stand around with a beer in the hand and wait until it is done.

I realized that I'm getting old, when the younger party goers did not appreciate my music selection and started playing there own CD's,... fortunately I still like their music.

Midway through the afternoon Ursula served home baked bread, which went down very fast. By 18:30 the sheep was done and the feast started. My father asked blessing for the food but mixed it a bit up with his speech, which was quite funny in a weard way.

It was really good to see my friends together having a good time, some enjoyed it it a bit too much and paid dearly for it on Sunday. Eddy was nursing blisters on his fingers for playing with the fire. Wilhelm had a chest full of palm tree needles that was a bit uncomfortable. Ine-Marie and Munda had burnt boots. Francois had to go back home to get his cool bag....nothing funny there, but he does not drink! Why does he need a cool bag? Heidi only moved 2 meter the whole afternoon and evening. Rudolph was the self appointed shooters-mixer-chief, with tequila and wit-blits as his weapons. Kath was his victim. Mel spent Sunday in bed apparently with 24hour virus. Charmaine also had a virus on Sunday but this was a real one. Adriaan built fires that burnt till Wednesday. Gert was the photographer but I believe he is not sharing all the photos with us. Andorette joined in the spirit very enthusiastically. Eddie dropped the shooter just in time. Rudi found that it took only one and a half hours to get home with the Porsche, his pickup normally does it in two and a bit.

Compliments must go to Ursula for running around and seeing to it that the food was perfect throughout the evening. Ed saw that we were going to run out of wood and volenteered his stash, thanks Ed. Wilhelm was a star braaier, thanks for Adriaan and Ann that cleaned up when we left.

Dont know what Im going to do next year to top it, any suggestions?

More photos here

Ezemvelo Nature Reserve

In the July issue of Weg / Go! magazine the Ezemvelo Nature Reserve was discuss as the Nature Reserve of the month. The reserve is 20km gravel road outside Bronkhorstespruit. So Ezemvelo was an ideal Sunday day trip for Helgard, myself en Gert.

According to the brochure that one receives when entering the 10-000ha reserve, the reserve is naturally divided into grasslands and wetlands. We were visiting the reserve in June so the wetlands was dry, but Helgard and Gert did some birdwatching instead.

The grasslands made it easy to see Kudu’s, Waterbucks, Blesbucks, Zebra’s, Warthog, Black Wildebeest and Blue Wildebeest. We were able to take pictures of black and Blue Wildebeest to highlight the differences between the two species.

Look at the tail and main, the Black Wildebeest has a tail and main like a horse. This is something we did not know, thanks for the Weg/Go! magazine that gave us the clue.




There are varies activities to do, but we spent the day laughing and eating boerewors rolls under trees near the river.



Helgard and Gert could take some nice pictures as we were driving out and the sun was setting.



If you stay close to Pretoria visit the website www.ezemvelo.co.za and do this for a day trip.

More photos here

Tuesday Evenings

Kath contributed to this post.

Every Tuesday evening, Rudy, Gert and I head over to Helgard and Ursula'€™s for a home cooked meal and a couple of laughs. It'€™s always good company with either Ursula blushing or Rudy being so shocked that for once in his life he'€™s silent. Ursula'€™s cooking is always superb and we come away feeling sated and filled with good food, wine and friendship.

Cycling on Saturday morning

Kath's contribution:

Ursula, Helgard and I braved the early winter morning to get our allocated exercise for the day. We joined a local cycling club and went "off-roading€" for about two or three hours. Ursula got a little fed-up because everyone was cycling slowly, which suited Helgard and I down to the ground. (Not all of us get up at the crack of mosies to push our bodies in a run ! ) But it was relaxing, "off-roading€" next to the tar road and sweating on the uphills on the return home.

More photos here

Rugby! Super14 final

We am from a Afrikaans area and rugby is part of the Afrikaans tradition, although it is a English game, very confusing. We support the Blue Bulls, and have to apologize for being rude and not writing in English.

“Die Blou-Bul eet nie van die vloer af nie, die Blou Bul ken nie van verloor af nie, nou vrae ek jou vir wie jy skree...”

Ons het die game in die Barnyard in Menlyn saam met vriende gaan kyk, ek kan onthou hoe ek vir Helgard gesê het dat hierdie game “memories” van eksamen se “nervousheid” terug bring.

Ons het al die eet en drinkgoed reggehad en ons was gereed vir 'n goeie game. Die wedsyryd was taai en baie gelykop. Die snaakste was toe Adriaan vir die Sharks begin skree het heel aan die einde omdat hy nie gedink het die Bulls kan meer wen nie.

Skielik is almal op hul voete en die geraas in die Barnyard was oorverdowend. Habana jou doring!

Lees meer oor wat regtig gebeur het op Supersport website.
Hier, hier en hier.

Kevin Leo

On the 15th of April our Sunday afternoon was spend listening to Kevin Leo in the garden of Gert and Ina van der Berg. They have a huge stand in Fairlands in Randburg with a beautiful garden and even a stream in the lower part of the garden.

They decided to share the beauty of their garden and the music of Kevin Leo with friends, family and members of their church. We packed a picnic basket with food and wine and shared it with my dad an Ine-Marie. Midway through the performance it started to drip and we had to hide under our blanket, but Kevin wasn't perturbed.



Kevin'€™s music really impressed Ursula, so she Googled him and found the following:

He was born in Rustenburg, he got a lot of awards for singing during his school days. Nine years ago he decided to make singing his career, today he is known as South Africa'€™s Botcelli. He enjoys having his family with him when he performs.

We recommend his shows.

More photos here

Short holiday after Argus in Cape Town and Jongensfontein

Monday 12 March
We spent a day in Cape Town and we did some touristy things. The walk in the Botanical Gardens was a little tiring because of the previous days’ cycling. After a few ups and downs Helgard bought lunch – cheese, bread and 2 Heinekens. While feeding the birds and ducks pieces of bread, we enjoyed the Heinekens. The beers made us tied and we both had a nap in the sun.



We wanted to go up Table Mountain with the cable car, but I was too nervous. Helgard drove to Llundudno where we watched some surfers.



The evening we had dinner at Campsbay and the walk at Cliffton was very refreshing after dinner.

Tuesday 13 March
After breakfast and chatting to Ester from Astrocats (the B&B where we stayed during our stay in the Cape) it was time to leave for Jongensfontein. We took the scenic route and stopped at a couple of paces along. In Robertson we bought very tasty fish and chips at a local shop. Along the way we also stopped at Bon Courage for a wine tasting session,….highly recommended!



Mavis, the wine tasting sales lady was filling up our glasses very generously. We met a friendly tourist from England that enjoyed the Bon Courage White Muscadel 2005, but the rose champagne (Cap Classique, we may not call it Champagne in South Africa) was my favorite, Helgard enjoyed everything.

We also stopped at Parmalat in Bonnievale to buy some cheese.

Just before sunset we stopped at Jongensfontein, what a beautiful seaside village.
We stayed at FRI-MA-KIN, a friend’s wooden holiday house. Almost every room in the house has a sea few.



Thursday-Sunday 14-17 March
For 2 days our daily activity was breakfast, reading, sleeping, drinking wine, sleeping, eating and sleeping
I think it is the fresh air, relaxing atmosphere of the little village and the sound of the waves that made us relax and sleepy.



While we were walking on the beach the rocky shorelines and rock pools created photo opportunities for Helgard.



The sun and the sea made this a special holiday for me, the road back to Pretoria was very long….

more photos here

Cape Argus Cycle Race 2007

Sunday, March 11th 2007, yes we are late with this post! and Ursula wrote it.

This day is highlighted in my dairy, the 30th Cape Argus cycle race. More than 35 000 cyclist took part in the thrilling event. It was the first time I experienced a race like this, the whole 109km was filled with warm and friendly supporters on the side of the road, and the exceptional natural beauty of the Cape made the race shorter.



Helgard and I are enthusiastic amateurs’ cyclists. We had to get fit and since January friends and family saw us a little bit less, because social time was training or recovery time.

The day before the race all cyclists had to collect there “goodie bags” and race number at the exhibition hall. The exhibition hall was filled with various cycling shops that were selling cycling goods. Helgard thought that good equipment will make the 109km shorter, so he bought a few things; I like his Argus sweater the most. I had a good laugh when he got nervous about the 109km and bought some “energy givers”, he even went back to get some more of the “good stuff”.



The day of the race I was a little nervous, couldn’t even eat my oats that Ester at Aristocats B&B in Bellville specially prepared for us.
We cycled in the OH group and when the sign “OH Loading” appeared I was nervous but very excited, I think the smile on our face is telling a better story.



The two of us cycled together and this made the race even more special because enjoyable moments were shared. When cycling the Argus the natural beauty gets better around every corner. Two thirds of the route runs through the National Park and a World Heritage Site.
The race was not just about the natural beauty; supporters were part of the race, even when they were not cycling. A family put the plastic plash pool on the side of the road, the kids were doing the “braai” and the parents were having a good time while drinking and supporting out of the pool.

Suikerbossie or “Psychobossie” is a though uphill battle. One of the locals sprayed the passing cyclists with a hose pipe, what a cool relief.



One of the race highlights was when I pedaled up Chapman's Peak Drive (or like the signboards on the side of the road “Champions Peak”), it was a long crooked up-hill, but there is no better view than the scenery that greets you for the entire length of Chapman's Peak Drive.

The road to victory was a gentle down ride through Camps Bay and Clifton. We were enjoying the festive atmosphere of the Cape-tonians on the side of the roads.

The race ended in Sea point (or like the signboards was saying “Seerpunt”). For Helgard it was definitely “Seerpoint” because just after the finish line his first words were “where is my Disprins”. I didn’t know that he had the Disprins in his saddlebag, so he took two Disprins to prevent his muscles from solidifying.

Both of us received a medal, one that I’m really proud of. The medal is not big or fantasy it is just a reminders of a good time. I have no doubt that I will back next year!



More photos here