Monday Rain

I had Jade at work today; thank goodness she was all ladylike and on her best behaviour. Having Jade at work meant I had to use the pick up to work instead of the Vespa. This too was a good thing as the rain set in late afternoon and I would have gotten very wet. Other than lots of work on a Monday, this day has turned out quiet alright.

March Sunset

The one thing I am going miss when I move from Treesbank to Zandspruit is these awesome sunsets. Oh well I better enjoy it while I can and what better way is there than to sit on my patio with a beer and enjoy the beautiful sunsets March has to offer especially on Hump Day. Downhill from here till weekend, baby!

No Rain

Wow, the South African Weather Bureau got it so wrong today. They are still predicting No Rain with extremely uncomfortable hot days for today and tomorrow. No rain for Johannesburg, then what was that afternoon thunderstorm then? The storm had past when I made my dash for home after work from Houghton but got as far as Woodmead when I caught up to the storm again so I had to stop and don my rain gear but by the time I reach Kyalami, I was on the other side of the storm. On the Vespa with the visor, meant that the warm rain wasn't that bad, I just had to keep a wary eye open for lightning.

Once safely home, I took this photo of a rain storm in the distance moving north east. No rain today, Mrs Jones, no rain. Tomorrow will be the same with temperatures reaching 32˚C.

Stormy Sunset

The weather bureau predicted 95% chance of light rain throughout the day but the weather held out all day until just before home time. As I climbed onto my Vespa under ominous storm clouds, I could hear the rumble. Luckily I was heading north towards home which was clear of the storm’s path. Once arriving home, I sat on my patio and I watched the storm unfold south, east and west of me. I didn't have to wait long as I was soon rewarded with this awesome sunset which made it all worth it.

In two months time I will be moving from here to a little more to the west. Although it will be a bigger place at a slightly cheaper rate, one thing that I will miss is these stunning sunsets.

In Spite of Ourselves

I had a wonderful nothing much planned but always on the go weekend. I felt well rested this morning. But around me it was not so rosy. One work colleague had a weekend from hell and my sister, she is not having a good time.

Well for my sister Theresa, it has not been going well for some time now. Last year after battery upon battery of tests she was finally diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Disease. She has gone from about my size to just bones with skin hanging off. Hashimoto is an auto immune disease of the thyroid, not hypothyroidism which is a condition, this is a disease. It is on the opposite of Graves’s disease on the scale of auto immune thyroid diseases. The many doctors and specialists that she has seen can’t or won’t help Theresa and one has openly told her that there is nothing that they can do until her thyroid dies, that is if she lives that long.

After scouring the internet for help, the family found a doctor in Johannesburg who does the operation so last month Theresa came up and saw her. The specialist only deals with children with thyroid problems and after looking at my sister, she was shocked that none of the previous doctors were willing to help so she found a surgeon who was already on his summer vacation but he came in and saw my sister. So tomorrow my sister is having the operation to remove the diseased thyroid.

So the sun sets on another weekend, I ask my readers to pray for her, the family and the surgeon. In spite of ourselves, God has blessed us to be a blessing to others.

Hump Day Clouds

At the end of the middle of the week, I stare out over my domain from the high perch of my cottage and see once again the awesome hand of God painting another African sunset before my very eyes. More photos of sunsets, you may ask. Yes, with sunsets like these why not? And wow these sunsets are truly beautiful don't you think, as I sit alone on Hump Day with no one to share the beauty with me. Well that is not counting my four dogs. All I need to do is open my eyes to the beauty before me, and then I feel not alone but truly blessed.

Mo Sunset

Movember is coming to an end and my moustache leaves a lot to be desired. But the sunsets during Movember are awesome. Hump Day's evening produced another stunning sunset over Johannesburg letting me know that it is time for sundowners. Here is to Health, Wealth and Matthew, Cheers.

Week's Last Light

The week is finally behind me. I got my results back at quarter to five via SMS, would you believe that via sms. Okay I will admit there was a missed call a few minutes before the SMS but I was driving in traffic. The SMS said "Mr West as per Dr your results NORMAL, but you would need to make a follow up appointment Pls call to arrange Tx" Oh well as I said to colleagues at work if it was serious the urologist would have phoned Wednesday already as he is running a business after all and money is money.

Seriously it is a relief. Now I can get back to living. Tonight's photo was taken hand held with my Canon S100 at 18:58 just at last light. For my photographic followers the settings were f/2.0 ISO 1600 and Shutter 1/8.

When an Angel Dies

When growing up, I used to gaze in wonder at the ominous storm clouds building up in the distance. And in between the clouds, the crepuscular rays broke though. At these times it was for me as if God was showing me His Glory and the rays were the hairs of his brush as He painted on His canvas on the sky. Now when the anticrepuscular rays, they are the parallel shafts of sunlight from holes in the clouds, shine down from heaven, I as little boy used to say an angel has just died and was been taken back up to heaven.

Sunset Warning

Africa is always full of surprises. This afternoon as the air raid siren wails across the suburb, golfers dash for shelter from the pending storm. Although the wailing siren brings back memories for some of a telephone call in Belfast warning of a bomb and within half an hour an explosion. For some the wail brings back memories of incoming rockets into a Israeli village from neighbouring territories. Even though this afternoon the wail was the automatic warning siren of impending lightning while the golfers scurry for cover, it sent a chill up my spine. Eeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! My mind was screaming warning. Put my head between my legs. Warning! Warning! Africa is always full of surprises.

But the biggest surprise was after the storm, God presented an awesome sunset. It is as if God paints you a beautiful picture before your very eyes and says everything is going to be alright. After the terror there was the peace of an African sunset with the crickets chirping and the bats scooping. And the stress of life simply melts away. Now where did I put my glass of wine?

Some Nights

The day before the test to confirm or not to confirm the other two tests is here. Just one more night to see through as the sun disappears and the smog is seen through the haze. Just one more night I scream into the darkening sky as the chorus of the song Some Nights by Fun keeps churning over and over again.

Some nights, I stay up cashing in my bad luck
Some nights, I call it a draw
Some nights, I wish that my lips could build a castle
Some nights, I wish they'd just fall off
But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for
What do I stand for? What do I stand for?
Most nights, I don't know anymore

I did a Delia on the way home today, sort of a resolve of the last push. While shopping for some chicken soup, I saw these fresh organic carrots and they looked yummy so I added them to my basket along with apples, pears along with the Cranberry Juice. While the sounds of the snare drum roll out into the night sky I look up and mumble the words oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for anymore. For some nights I'm scared and some I stand tall. And tonight Lord I'm just trying to be brave.

Monkey's Wedding

With the thunderstorm that broke in the early hours of this morning, it dawned on me that the rain was still settling in. Now I had to use the car like normal people and sit in rush hour traffic. I tried driving to work early before the mad rush and followed one of Trevor Noah's Joburg Traffic Tips – when in doubt, follow a taxi driver. And it worked as I was arrived at work in record time in spite of the rain. It poured and hailed all day and didn't seem it was going to lift. It was only when I arrived back home after work, in the dying hours of the day, did the sun broke past the ominous clouds to give me a glimpse of what tomorrow may bring.

So while the rain continued to fall, the sun burst free to bless me with an awesome sunset. The painted sky was a perfect end to a long day. There is a saying in English and I am not sure if it transcends South Africanisms, it is the words for when it rains while the sun is still shining, we call a sunshower a monkey's wedding or in isiZulu umshado wezinkawu. But in Afrikaans it has a more interesting twist, jakkals trou met wolf se vrou, translated it means that the jackal is marrying the wolf's wife. I think in Afrikaans it just sounds just right or should I say perfectly wrong for a sunshower.

After the Storm

After the traumatic events of last week, I finally got some sleep. A little restless in the early mornings as my body still had to adjust, but I didn't want to wake up this morning. Oh I could have slept forever and ever after the storm of last week.

The sun has just gifted me a wonderful sunset as I played my one of my favourite songs on the stereo and a glass of red in my hand. And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears. And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears. Get over your hill and see what you find there, with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

Winter Sunset

Not as beautiful as the summer sunsets but crisp with a slight touch of beauty. Aaah Africa you are so beautiful. And I took you by the hand and we stood tall.

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears. And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears. Get over your hill and see what you find there, with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair. In the words of Mumford and Sons, Love that will not betray you, dismay or enslave you. It will set you free. Be more like the man you were made to be.

It has been a frosty week and as I look up at the winter sky and know that I am so small. Well I am scared of what is behind and what is before. There is only you to take my hand. And we stood tall.

Queues and more queues

Today seemed a perfect day just to ride to nowhere. Typical of a Johannesburg winter's day, today there was not a cloud in sight. So I mounted Sophia and rode in the opposite direction that I should have. I rode into town. My first stop was the Vehicle Licensing Department in Randburg and I was not expecting the queue to be out of the door, yes it looks like everyone living in Joburg had the same idea. Waiting in this queue, I saw the spirit of Jozi. A black lady offered up her seat for a pregnant white lady and stayed with her chatting about babies, smiling and laughing. This is my Johannesburg.

An hour later I was out of there and walked into Multichoice only to find another queue snaking its way inside of the building. Luckily this queue was only half an hour of time wasting then it was off to the Randburg Vehicle Testing Station, at first no queue was visible and I was happily jumping through all the hoops until I reach Building B and hit another queue. The delay was that there was only one operator using the eNaTis system and many people had also decided that today was a good day to do all the mundane things. eNaTiS is the electronic National administration Traffic information System but what I don't understand is why this acronym has alternative Upper and Lower case letters. Anyway I spent only half an hour in this queue here then I headed back home to put my feet up, enjoy the rest of my day off and continue with the rest of my long weekend. Ah the good life in Johannesburg.

Feels like Monday

Tell me why, today feels like Monday, tell me why?

If it feels, tastes and smells like a Monday then it must be a Monday. After a four day weekend, Tuesday does feel like a Monday when everything gets switched to overload. Nothing livened up today and before I knew it, it was over and I was heading home with the sun setting ever so earlier now.

So tell me why I don't like Mondays even if it is disguised as Tuesday.

Summer Set

And before we even knew it, summer had set and winter is well on its way. In Johannesburg we are blessed with winters with clear comfortably mild days with freezing cold nights. Today was just that, a day with a beautiful blue sky with not a cloud in sight and I expect tonight that the temperatures will drop but not to freezing though as it is still autumn. I better get the gas ready for the heaters 'cause soon I will be needing more warmth.

Not so quiet sunset

Since yesterday was a public holiday, today felt like a Monday but with a twist. Yes it may be Monday but tomorrow is Friday. So after a busy day at work catching up for lost time yesterday, I sat on my patio with a beer, dogs at my feet and watched the sun go down.

It is something about African sunsets that just does it for me as the burnt orange creeps across the sky while bats swoop with carefree passion. Oh Africa soon it will be dark as the vain of hope slowly fades. And somewhere in a night two jackals howl and pick the ears of my dogs. All the while a wall of noisy crickets washes up from the veld as the stars slowly blink "Hello Afrika, tell me how you're doin'?"

African Sunset

Someone once said that it is impossible to watch a sunset and not dream. The sunsets in Africa viewed from my patio are so beautiful, that sometimes I feel that I am getting a glimpse into heaven. Yeah, now don't get all theoretical on me, it is just the peaceful quietness away from all the busyness of life and then God paints this stunning sunset as he joins me on the patio.

This year has just started and I am already starting to feel the rush of so many things still to be done, that I forget to stop and breathe. Stop and admire all what is around me. With the uncertainly at work, I don't find time to have a break and appreciate the good things. What I look forward to is coming home and sitting on my patio with my dogs, enjoying God's canvas unfold before me.

Bellowing Dragon

The dragon has sure roared as rain is continuing to fall hard all over Johannesburg this afternoon. Last night being the start of the Year of the Dragon in traditional Chinese culture. The Chinese dragon does not breathe out fire like depicted in many movies and books but is a water dragon which brings the rain. Well somehow they had explain to the children the sound of thunder when the thunderstorm clouds loomed large and threatening.

The sun tried a last ditch attempt to let us know that he did his best but the water dragon won this battle so we got this half sunset half rain evening followed by a thunderstorm as the dragon bellowed a victory roar in the clouds but try as he might tomorrow the sun will be back. He may have won this skirmish but the victory is ours. So my Vespa will have to wait for another day.