Camping with Mel & Ed on farm

This weekend the whole Reyneke family made the trip down to Bela Bela with the caravan. What a huge organization it turned out to be. The caravan had to be fixed and cleaned and everything had to be tested. It looked like Adriaan prepared to go away for ever. Ursula and I just grabbed one of the rooms in the house, no sweat.

The rest were accommodated as follows: Mel & Ed in the big Wilk caravan, Ann and Adriaan in the Caravette 5 caravan, Eddie and Lizelle in their chopper tent.
There was a lot of excitement because it would be the first chance Adriaan would get to try out his new quad bike. After servicing the bike and sorting out a couple of problems it behaved quite well and provided all of us with a lot of entertainment. Was also interesting to compare the Rustler against the King Quad, both the same physical size but completely different bikes and behavior.

Friends of Mel and Ed also showed up and decided to sleep over.....during the evening a snake skin was found in the house and suddenly they decided to rather spend the night in the car!
It was freezing cold outside but they resisted the comfort of the house....I'm glad neither me nor Ursula are afraid of snakes.

Sunday morning we packed up in the rain, quit unusual for this time of year. It was a mess to get the caravans packed but at the end of the day I think everyone enjoyed the weekend.

Monumentpark-Wes gemeente is 25jaar oud

Monumetparkpark-Wes gemeente en kerk was ‘n belangrike deel van my vorming as kind en vandag is die kerk deel van my menswees.

Omdat ek nie regtig ‘n skrywer is nie is dit moeilik om my emosies van Sondag oggend 18 Mei 2008 te beskryf. Die oggend diens was die hoogtepunt van ‘n naweek se feesvieringe aangesien die kerk 25 jaar oud is.

Sondag oggend in die kerk kon ek voel dat my hart met vreugde gevul is omdat ek deel is van ‘n gemeenskap wat die Here dien, ‘n gemeenskap met ‘n visie i.t.v. van God, medemense (mekaar) en die wêreld. Die leraars van die afgelope 25 jaar het elkeen die gemeente op sy manier gelei en my lewe beinvloed.

Tydens die diens was my oë ‘n paar keer gevul met trane omdat ek bietjie terug gedink het aan alles wat in die gemeente beleef het.

Daar was fotos geprojekteer van die terrein voor die kerk gebou is. Die terrein was bekend vir sy BMX-baan. Ek weet tot vandag nie wie die baan gebou het nie, maar dat ek lekker fiets gery nee gejaag het is verseker. Dit was ook die plek waar ek en my boetie ‘n paar keer geval en seer gekry het. En soos ‘n kind se wêreld mos maar is kon ek nie verstaan waarom daar ‘n kerk moes kom, want nou gaan die BMX-baan mos gesloop word.

Hierdie was ook die kerk waar my sussie gedoop is. Ek is amper 7 jaar ouer as my sussie en ek en my boetie moes haar indra. Ek het ‘n nuwe gehekelde rok aangetrek, die het amper soos my sussie se dooprokkie gelyk, my boetie het mooi langs my geloop en ons was trots om Andorette die kerk intedra. Ek kan nog onthou hoe ons gesing het “Jesus neem die kleine kinders aan….”

“Wakker-bly-aande” by die kerk was ook lekker tye. Ek sal nooit vir Matys en al sy biery vergeet nie. Matrys se pa was ‘n boer en Matys het geken van beeste. Wanneer almal begin moeg raak het Matrys die meisies opgeveil soos beeste en ‘n dominee moes altyd bietjie keer, want anderste het hy meisies begin beskryf soos beeste.

In die gemeente het ek ook die eerste keer regtig met die werklike en harde betekenis van die woord dood te doen gekry. Ek kan onthou hoe ons saam as SKJA by gebreekte ouers op ‘n Vrydagmiddag gesit en huil het oor ‘n naby vriend wat in ‘n motorongeluk dood in die buurt verongeluk het. Saam as groep het ons ‘n klip oor bloed gerol en het ons huilend gesing tydens ‘n roudiens.

Gemeentekampe in die berge van Fiksburg. Soggens vroeg was dit gebed en kort daarna koffie en beskuit. Kleilat was daar altyd gespeel, en kampvuur stories was daar baie, ek het self eenkeer raas gekry by my ouers omdat my nuwe netball tekkies gesmelt a.g.v. die hitte van die kampvuur. Ek kan onthou hoe ‘n ouer groep ‘n kruis op die berg aan die brand gesteek het terwyl ons “jonges” onder by die berghuis vir die ouer groep gesing het “Praat ek mense engele tale…”

Voor die gemeente het ek ook my geloof bely en ‘n beleidende lidmaat geraak.

Dit was ook die gemeente wat betekenis vir my aan die woorde versorg mekaar gegee het. Die gemeente se liefde en ondersteuning na my pa se skiedelike dood was aangrypend. Ek kan onthou hoe gemeentelede vir ons kos gebring het en ons as huis omvou het in liefde. Op daardie stadium was ek emosioneel en het ek nie die waarde daarvan verstaan nie, maar vandag weet ek dat my gemeente omgee.

Ek is 32 jaar oud en 25 jaar van 32jaar was Monumentpark-Wes deel van my lewe. Die invloed wat die kerk op my gehad is sigbaar in die keuses wat ek in die lewe gemaak het en sal maak.

Ek is dankbaar en bly om deel te wees aan ‘n kerk soos Monumentpark-Wes. Dit was lekker om tydens ‘n feesdiens ou gesigte - ooms, tannies, dominees en ou vriende weer te sien.

Ek gaan die gemeente se verjaarsdag rustig verder indie sitkamersonntejie vier, want die feesuitgawe van die Posduif ons gemeente “koerant” gaan ek stadig sinnetjie vir sinnetjie lees, terwyl ek rustig my tee drink.

Night with Randall Wicomb

Randall Wicomb is ‘n ou bekende Afrikaanse sanger. Liedjie soos die Rooi Rok en die Wit broek ken elke Afrikaans sprekende Suid Afrikaner, want dit het hom bekend gemaak.

Vrydag het ons gemeente Monumentparkpark-Wes ‘n “Randall Wicomb aand” gehou. Ek en Helgard het by tafel nr3, links voor kaartjies vir ons bespreek. ‘n Piekniek mandjie en ‘n bottle wyn is ingepak vir die vertoning wat om 7uur begin.

Ek en Helgard was bietjie laat aangesien ons eers na Lyttleton-Oos kersksaal moes soek. Ek dink ons het by elke kerk in Lyttleton gestop voor ons by Lyttleton –Oos gestop het.

Dit is altyd lekker om ‘n bekende te “google”, so ‘n paar sinne oor Randal Wicomb.

Randal Charles Wicomb is amper 60, hy is gebore in die Kaapstad op 30/01/1949.

Hy is pa van 1 seun en 2 dogters. Hy het ‘n B.Sc (Hons) asook ‘n onderwys diploma. In sy vrye tyd is hy ‘n koppersmit en doen hy pottry, hy gym ook graag.

Buiten die Rooi Rok het hy bekend geraak vir die Griekwa Psalms. Ek wens ek kon die hele geskiedeniss weergee soos wat hy dit vertel het, eksentriek is hy verseker so ek gaan nie eers probeer nie.

Hans du Plessis het die tekste van die Griekwa Psalms geskryf en Randall het die verwerking op sy eie unkieke manier gedoen. Randall het ‘n baie sterk aanvoeling vir die Griekwa-kultuur en daarom is die uitbeeling tydens die vertoning iets unieks.

Helgard het die CD en VCD getiteld “Innie skylte vannie Jirre” gekoop. So saam met die kopery kan met ‘n foto neem.

(Randall Wicomb het my darem vertel hoe mooi ek is, was natuurlik daardie oommblik weer op ‘n “high”. OK-ok, ek weet dat alle kunstenaar dieselfde is, vertel jou altyd hoe mooi jou hare en oë net sodat jy nog ‘n CD kan koop, maar dis altyd lekker om te hoor)

Jarrot’s third birhday 24 March 2008

Monday the family got together to celebrate Jarrot’s birthday. I baked a cake for him and the family (even Adriaan) sang Happy Birthday. Jarrot also sang with us for himself. Jarrot tried to blow out the candles, but spraying out the candles is better description. Jarrot liked the idea of singing and blowing candles so we had to repeat it a few times.

Helgard and myself gave him a toy car and some sweets. He filled the small toy Porsche with sweets and made obstacles of the sweets.

Happy birthday Jarrot! More pictures here

Easter weekend 2008

Good Friday morning we were up early and we went to church. The minister Dr. Christo de Klerk touched my heart by the way he describe the suffering of Jesus. When using the bread and wine during the service I realized how much He went threw for us.

After church we stopped at my mum, we had coffee and we talked for more than 2 hours.

Mel and Ed invited us to their farm near Bela-Bela for the weekend. Bela-Bela is hot and dry, or like Des said anything north of the Zambesi is very hot, with a smile on his face he added Zimbesi "drive". Soon after introducing us to Karin, Des, Doreen, Tanya. Helgard had to change his winter shirt for a summer one. The weekend wasn’t just hot it was filled with laughter, campfire talk and dancing.

A campfire always creates a conversation of its’ own but Saturday night the campfire talk was exchanged for dancing. I still can’t believe that I was dancing with crutches.

Sunday night it started raining, my eyes closed in the conversation and my head was on Helgard’s shoulder, I can remember waking up a few times because Helgard’s body was shaking as his was laughing.

In the car on our way back from the farm Helgard and myself agreed that we feel relaxed and the weekend did us wonders.

Thanks Mel and Ed for inviting us. More photos here

Camera back from the dead

After our last kayak trip my Minolta DiMage G400 digital camera was drenched with water. I removed the battery as soon as I saw the the fact.

Back home I took the camera apart and saw the damp on the inside. I left it disassembled for a day or two, resisted the urge to put the battery back as long as possible. Eventually I put it back but the camera was dead as a duck. ...to he honest I was really upset. This little 4MegPixel camera is kicking my EOS 20D's but with quick fun pictures. It is extremely sharp and it still has a view finder something new point and shoot cameras don't have.

Kath wanted to toss it in the dustbin for me, I resisted.

The little silver bugger I was lying around on my desk for a month, I even took the charger plug out of the multi plug and put it away.
Some how the battery and the camera was separated but today while cleaning up my desk I slipped the battery back in to the camera and for fun switched it on.
It was alive!
Asking for the date on its bright LCD display, I quickly took a photo and the camera seems to be OK! I'm so happy. Going to buy a new waterproof Pelican case for this little one as well as a 1G SD card.

Leg in a cast

Early in January I went for a run, at the 4km mark I could feel that there was some pain in my left foot. A runners’ always believe one has to run through the pain. I tried to run through the pain but at the 8km I stopped and took my shoe off. The next 4km was very hard, it was getting dark and I could not run. I do not run with my cell phone so there was no way that I could contact someone to pick me up, the idea of hitch hiking even went threw my head. When I got home I was crying, had a bath and put my foot in the air.

The next day my foot felt better, the days that followed I realized that I need some medicine to take the inflation away. Helgard stopped at the chemist and I bought an over the counter painkiller. A week after the incident Helgard talked me into going to the doctor. The doctor explained that it was only my muscle and I need to drink some cortisone. I finished the cortisone,and painkillers and changed my exercising program to swimming.

Deléne (the doctor among the friends) helped me to bind my foot, a fracture was the next diagnoses since the pain did not want to go away.

Apparently swimming is the kind of exercise that your foot need when there is a problem. In my exercising program I focused on swimming because the Midmar mile was my goal.

After swimming the Midmar Deléne put my foot in plaster. It was my first time in plaster, it was a difficult 2 ½ weeks. I couldn’t help myself, couldn’t even drive. Helgard was very nice a helped a lot even offered me his automatic car, that made life easier

Doctor Helgard took my plaster off while he was drinking a beer. The photo will explain why I was worried……

I realized that my foot wasn’t healed, so I went back to the doctor I he referred me to the optometrist. The optometrist gave me a few options but I decided to have plaster on the foot again. So in plaster again, have cabin fever, but hopefully my foot will heal within the next month.

More pictures here

Midmar Mile 2008-02-09

Friday dawned bright with anticipation and eventually by lunchtime we (Kevin, Ursula, Helgard and Kath) were driving down to the beautiful emerald green KZN. Unfortunately after a blistering hot week there was a cold front so by the time we got to Van Reenen's Pass, it was cold and miserable and misty.

After arriving in Howick, we sat down to a glass of sherry before everyone set up their "camp" in the workshop. Because it was raining so much, everyone decided to sleep in the occupational workshop at Sunfield because it was nice and dry, although we were prepared to pitch our tents camp on the lawn.

Saturday morning dawned and Kath woke up really early to go and collect everyone's caps and tags. Ursula did the coffee rounds and before long we were ready to pile into Gert's jeep - 9 of us. It was a squash but with everyone's excitement the sardine can didn't feel too bad.

Thousands of people converge on Midmar dam each year to swim the largest open water swimming event of the year. By the time we got there, the traffic was already queuing and we had to find parking. After sorting out our stuff we caught the Halfway Toyota taxis that ferry the swimmers from the finish to the start. And there we waited and waited. Our race was delayed because the mist made the swimming conditions dangerous. Helgard and Ursula stood in the water most of the time as it was warmer in the water than out!! FINALLY, we could give our stuff to the coaches and make our way to the pens where you are separated by your cap color. (First seeds are red, then blue, yellow, green and white.) Waiting anxiously, we huddled for warmth while the first batch (red) went and then 3 minute intervals until our turn. Time for a quick team photo before the whistle and off we went.

The swim was great and didn't seem as long as you think it is. Ursula gave Helgard a good skop (kick) before leaving him and finishing the race in 42 minutes - preparing him for marriage :-) We all met at the stairs and had some OBS (Old Brown Sherry) before heading to a bar for a dop or two and then homeward for a shower and warm clothes.

That evening Gert made a delicious potjie, Kath's family as well as other friends visited and everyone was celebrating. Unfortunately it was still pouring with rain but the atmosphere was still great. Stuard was a bit reluctant to join in on the sheeps head, sticking to the potjie. The swimmers were a little tired so the party ended early, but it was well worth it.

The next day, Stuart swam his race and then it was home again for some sparkling wine and orange juice before heading up through the rain, over the pass and reaching sunny Gauteng.

More photos here, thanks Kath!

Faerie Glen Nature Reserve Sunday 3 February 2008

A Sunday is always a nice and relaxing day. Sunday after church Francois phoned Helgard and said that he wants to be outside. We agreed on a hike in the Fearie Glen Nature Reserve. Since I have a fractured bone in my foot, Francios and Helgard went hiking for 2hours while I enjoyed a Coke at the coffee shop. Later two extremely tired hikers joined me, according to them they summited the highest peak.

Proof!

After both of them had two Cokes at the coffee shop we got into the car and had a picnic at Fort Klapperkop. Like real entrepreneurs the World Cup 2010 and the business opportunities was discussed.
Francois felt like ice cream and we drove around to find a Steers. We had a big ice cream while laughing and talking about silly things.

The evening when Helgard and I were laying in front of the TV, I felt tired but happy, because it was a day outside.

More photos here

Kayking Vaal-Below Parys 26 January 2008

After 2 rainy weeks the kayaking group (Delène, Gert, Helgard and I) thought it was a good idea to paddle threw a few fast moving rapids on the Vaal. Gert is the "scout" among the kayakers, so he insisted on the rapids below Parys. The water in the river was above 100cumec

The trip started of with a few long but slow rapids. Just after the hanging bridge the real action started with the Big Daddy rapid. With a name like "Big Daddy and the sound of the water I decided to get out and carry my kayak. The force of the water was to strong, screaming and shouting I went down the rapid, I even went with my back down the river, it was a scary experience.

When the river spited, Helgard took the stream to right and Gert, Delène and I kept to left. We were unlucky because water hyacinths stop us from paddling, and we had to make our way through the 30m of of the alien invader plant. Water hyacinths sounds like a little "problem", but it was hard work, because one has to push one threw the hyacinths floating on top of the water, fit the current pushing below. The hyacinths are capable of choking the river that it looks like a grassland, see the Wikipedia page anyway…
The 1st 3 rapids after the hyacinths are called "Gapping Jaws" they are relatively easy to paddle threw. After the Gaping Jaws there is a pool and a drop, because of the high water there are huge waves.

After all the excitement we caught up with Helgard who was lying in the sun and drinking beer. (The stream that he took was definitely shorter and easier.)
After we met up with Helgard Delène and myself organized the cars while Gert and Helgard paddle further down the river.

In the process Helgard saw his camera and cell phone floating in water inside his watertight bag....we are minus one camera at this stage.

Gert and Helgard encountered two more rapids of note. At the last rapid called "Gatsien" (roughly translated it means see you arse). Helgard and Gert got stuck on the rocks just before the rapid. While being stuck Helgard retrieved a paddle form from the river, the next moment the stream caught the back of his boat and from there on he was only a passenger. He went backwards through the greatest rapid ever (ok apart from Visgat rapid that nearly killed all of us). With a lot of struggling Gert worked himself loose from the rocks but did not manage to fasten his splash skirt. Fortunately Gert made it through the rapid but his kayak was flooded. The kayak was filled with water to the top, very funny.

More photos here