Hate this Traffic

 

When you see the gap then remember that you're not on the bike. Yes I hate this traffic but thank goodness I still have my pickup to fall back on. My Vespa's injector has been fixed last week but now it needs a new rear tyre, so here I am stuck in traffic once again.

Sunrise Drive

 

Matthew is writing his last exam of the term, so he is coming home for the holidays. Yay, I get to see him, so I don't mind using the pickup to work instead of the Vespa because he is catching the Gautrain to my office and the 2 of us on the Vespa with luggage is not cool, although it has been done before.

Anyways since I am using my pickup I managed to snap this photo along my route to the office this morning the the sunrise.

Better Traffic

Ahhh, now this is what morning traffic to work should be like everyday. With yesterday's public holiday and the school holidays on the go, the traffic this morning was a pleasure. Like Wednesday, half of today had to written off due to the rolling blackouts. For us workers, it was a lovely start to the weekend.

Sunrise Jam

This can't go on like this, I am going crack anytime soon. These early morning sitting in rush hour traffic jam is no joke. Breathe in. Breathe out. There you go, enjoy the sunrise without the smell of surf. If only I was sitting on a tropical beach this very minute watch the sun peer over the horizon, if only.

Palm Sunrise

Now this is a sight that I haven't seen in a long time, a sunrise. I am normally still in bed having my quiet time and here I am. I just left home and this beauty of the one eyed sun peering over the ridge just made me stop in my tracks and enjoy the faint fingers of light try find me.

God in all His glory just filled me about now, my face turned to the soft warmth as the world was painted orange. It is going to be a beautiful day.

Earlier, much earlier while still in bed having my quiet time, much earlier than usual, I shared this message on my groups...

Happy Friday.  Yes I know it is the new month and everybody is running around like headless chickens. You know what, this week was the splat moment in my life when I hit the ground at terminal velocity but as I was about to go splat, a hand appeared and caught me, not the Maradona hand of god, but the real hand of God.

At the moment when I closed my eyes waiting for impact, I felt this inner peace and calmness.

For those who don't me, I am a Christian and I don't know where each one of you are so sorry for you, you getting it now. Happy Friday, yay! 

So when your world is falling apart around you, I'm going to leave you with this BOW.

B= Bow before your God. Bring yourself before the cross and know that Jesus the Messiah is God and that He loves you.

O= Offload your angst at the cross. Humbly hold each thought up to the Word of God. Take your worry, your anxiety, your fear, your unbelief, your anger and bring them to the Lord.  Lay them at the feet of Jesus. Humble yourself before Him. 

W= Worship the Lord. Fix your eyes upon Him. Let there be a new song on your lips. Praise the almighty God who is a good good father and a great God. Take your eyes off of yourself and off of your circumstances and set them securely upon your Lord. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and come into His courts with praise. Thank Him from the bottom of your heart. Humbly acknowledge that you can't see all things, but He can. Worship Him in the spirit of holiness, praising and thanking God because He knows what is best. He is all powerful. He is in control. He knows what He is doing. No one can stay His hand. And He has you in the palm of that mighty hand.

Wow that was long. Okay to finish up. I'll leave you with today's verse... 

I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus.

Philippians 3:13‭-‬14 The Passion 

Enjoy your Friday and don't forget to BOW

Early Start

I was supposed to be in Pietermarizburg last week but due to personal reasons, I had to delay my trip down. So with an early start, I found the sun peeping over the flat lands of the Free State. Out of city and to my best friend for a week in Hilton, away from the bustle and the hustle of life. Yes I have had enough of life for now. Too many emotions for a lifetime behind me. 

Sunrise ANC

Strange title, Sunrise ANC, but it has nothing to do the African National Congress’ sunrise, all will be revealed below.

Okay Matthew had two requests for his holidays, one was to spend a few hours on the beach at night and the other was to see the sunrise from the beach. Last night Matthew, Bradley, and myself, had a boys night out. First we had supper at C-Bali restaurant at St Michaels just because previously when we had lunch there 2 days ago, Bradley fancied one of the waitresses. So this called for another visit so that he could strike up a conversation but sadly she wasn’t on duty. Later on we ended up in Margate but it was just about dead there.

This morning Matthew and I got up at 4 in the morning and went down to Shelly Beach to watch the ski-boats launch into the rising sun. It was impressive watch these brave men launch small little boats into the ocean. First to head out just be sunrise was the Sharks Board to check on the shark nets, followed by the fishermen and the chartered boats.

So far this post has been all about ski-boats launching into the sunrise, where does the African National Congress come in. well... Later on we went to Shelly Mall to get some shopping done and while there we stumbled upon this book for sale, Reason to Vote ANC. Now I have heard all about this best seller and have seen photographs but it was the first time I saw one in the flesh.

 

Straight to Bed

I arrived back home after a long day with a splitting headache. With a deadline loaming tomorrow, I just needed to get my mind away from the thought of it and that is when it dawned on me that I still have to take a photograph for today.

But then I remember that I did, it was the sunrise this morning. This means I can take some more pills for this deadline headache and go straight to bed, yay. Time to dream about the weekend.

Full Dams Poor Roads

There has been lots of rain during the past week, not just gentle rain but sudden downpours, so much water that our earthen dams are full to the brim much to the delight of the water birds. We are ever so grateful for the rain but our poor dirt roads, well just let say that they have taken a beating.

Okay that was the good part, now for the worse. Yes with all the rain comes long grass which means someone needs to cut it and it seems that our landlord has forgotten about our side of the property. So Matthew and I had to make a start on beating down the jungle which was not an easy job I must say.

Sunrise Friday

5:12am

Living just outside the metropolis has its perks; quietness, animals, and beauty yet close enough to earn a living from the smoggy polluted city.

5:23am

One of the best parts living out in the country are the sunrises and settings which the artist God takes a huge paint brush and makes beauty out of the canvas sky especially if there the sky is interspersed with fluffy clouds.

5:41am

And here I am, on a Friday morning waking up to this gorgeous sight peering through the bedroom window. Good morning world and yay it is Friday.

6:08am

Each time I looked out at this beautiful sunrise, it had changed as if God was consistently rearranging the clouds to make the perfect African sunrise just for me.

Good Morning Y’all

It is midweek and there is lots of rain about, which means that we get some spectacular sunrises and sunsets. So here I sit in my bed drinking coffee, and catching up of last night’s interwebs, while a beautiful sunrise shines through my bedroom window.

A good morning to y’all.

Monday Calling

A relaxing weekend is officially over and Monday has come a calling with this beautiful sunrise to start off this blessed week.

Home of the Chicken Pie

The dawn broke with some promise and a lick of rain but the African sun was fierce enough to show that it was his time. The few fluffy clouds in the sky don’t seem to bring respite to this hot sweltering Sunday. News from the radio while our aircon worked overtime was that this heat wave is to stay for another week.

At about high noon, we ended up on the veranda of Maggies Farm, Home of the Chicken Pie. The wind was warm which brought no relief until the rock shandies arrived and really hit the spot. We placed our light lunch order and then sat back and enjoyed the view. I ordered a chicken pie with wedges and Lynda the chicken pie with salad.

Okay the seats were hard and the warm wind didn’t help much, but the food when it arrived was tasty and filled the spot although the presentation wasn’t much to write home about. I think the best part was the drinks. What do you expect on a hot summers day like this.

And then seeing that it was safe to come out a brace of ducks waddled out among the tables looking for treats. Of course everyone knows what chicken pies are made from, and so do these ducks.
Quack quack! As safe as ducks.

Rise and Shine

Wake up sleepy head, rise and shine. Yes another wonderful day in Africa has begun. It is winter so my room is heated and has a humidifier on all night so the first thing I see through my half opened eyes is water drops.

Condensation has formed on my window panes between me and the dry cold morning air. Time to rise and shine as I sit in bed sipping my coffee. The sun is rising much earlier now which means summer is coming.

African Sunrises and Sunsets

Winter is hard here in Africa, well not because it is cold with snow as other places but because I have to leave the warm safety of my home for work when the sun peeking over the horizon and only arrive back when it is winking off to sleep.

Winter sunrises and sunsets in Africa have always being beautiful and will remain in a special place in my heart but you need more time to appreciate them. Time to slowly wake up with strong sweet coffee in the mornings that are drunk with one eye closed, and time to savour the sundowners after work in front of a roaring fiery sky. As it will be dark soon as it does quickly in Africa.

River of Mist

The temperatures dropped below freezing along the Jukskei River in the early hours of this morning. I awoke after a coughing episode all throughout last night, to a beautiful river of mist flowing downstream along the Jukskei River.

Yes it was freezing and this cold bug which I have contracted doesn’t help one iota. I had to pull on some thermal underwear, okay overshare, under my normal work clothes just to be able to stay warm while riding to work this morning.

Of course I needed to be well lubricated with cough medicine before setting out for work only to find out that when I arrived at work, the security at the gate were doing alcohol testing of everyone coming in. I tried to explain the the security guard that I had just taken cough medicine before being tested but luckily nothing registered on the blower thingy and I was let in unceremoniously.

In the end of it all, I am not feeling too well even though everything around me is beautiful.

Valley Sunrise

Today is a big work day so therefore the early start to the day was called for hence I managed to catch this sunrise over the valley which I stay in from the road past Pinehaven up the hill to Krugersdorp.

From here you can see the Kromdraai conservancy to the left, Muldersdrift to the right, and in the middle from the foreground going further out is Pinehaven, Avianto, Lammermoor, and Lanseria.

I could have stayed here watching the sunrise for a while but work was beckoning.

Monday Rise and Shine

Ohhhh what a beautiful sunrise to wake up to on a Monday morning. The days are getting shorter and the mornings a bit chillier. With the mist creeping ever closer, winter is coming!

Our Italian Greyhounds are tucked up in bed still and won’t rise until the sun has fully risen and shining down. In the meanwhile our cats eagerly await the first rays of the sun. Here is Shammy and Princess on the patio enthusiastically waiting for the sun’s heat to warm their little bodies.

Let the Week Begin

The week broke with a beautiful sunrise this morning after a relaxing weekend at home with Matthew, now back to the grindstone.

But an easy week it looks not. Oh dear I am starting to sound like Master Yoda. With more than half our New Media off sick, the start of the week doesn’t look promising. So the two of us holding the fort ran rugged, that end of the day we raised the ceasefire flag. Not surrender as we will never give up but just need a breather.

Dragging my feet back to Scarlet my Vespa GTS 300 Super, for the quick hop home, I found Johnny the Crowned Crane waiting for me by Scarlet. After a tired goodbye to Johnny I rode home only to find my day this day was not going to be put to bed that easily. Arriving home I found Jade limping with her newly repaired leg in the air.

Oh no, so now it was a rush to the vet. Thankfully, after xrays, we found that her plate was still in place but she must have twisted her leg somehow. So the vets immobilised her leg again and gave strict bed rest orders to Jade. Thou shall not jump! Thou shall not run! Oh dear how can an Italian Greyhound comply with those orders.

After getting back home I did a few chores then crashed on the bed, only to be woken from a deep sleep about an hour later with supper.

Misty African Sunrise

One of my dreams is to watch a sunrise at the end of the world in Patagonia but for now I will enjoy my misty sunrise on the highvelt in Johannesburg. In Patagonia the air will bitingly fresh and cold with none of the urban pollutants of an industrial city like Jozi. And the stars, wow I can only imagine the view of the universe above from there. The closest I ever came was a view from the Karoo. Jozi can never come close but for now I will enjoy my misty sunrise in the heart of South Africa.