Just another manic Sunday

Sunday has been a delight, back to front action - boys were keen on haircuts - pounded them out in record time; before that we were in Happy Valley for Aiden's rugby match against HKU, he played and kicked really well.  I needed to catch up on a dose of work, so I spent the four hours before that on compliance training (breathtaking), Ev had no match, but practiced at the stadium at 9, thankfully Ange was kind enough to fight her way into Sai Kung.  I got my day off to a start with a 4.30am 55km ride.  Feeling like I lived this one (and definitely ready for bed).

Aiden on a line break, getting his back line away.

I was struck by this - having talked to Rose about the breathtaking drought in Cape Town;
Aiden running back from kicking a conversion with a backdrop of sprinklers watering the hockey astro next door.
INsane world.

Saturday morning - so not Sunday actually - Ev in goal. Not much of a game, his team won 9 - 0 so he did exactly what he's doing in this photo all game.  The other dads were more interesting - in the various states of disrepair of middle age.

Modified parts - how cool would these be for a T-shirt?

 Though of course not my images to use - that's the upside of learning how to do this from photos - the artless art for those who cannot draw.

A poster from the coaster and other bits and pieces seen

The principal part of this poster is a set of coasters that Santa brought via Durban, which I thought were really cool.  The rest are bits and pieces that I collected with my camera in the course of the holiday.  Jordan has sent me a series of photos with the table mat versions which are bigger and just as cool.

Serious stuff

I thought South Africa was full of cool T-shirts.  I decided there and then that I had to get into some screen printing.  First step, learn how to convert a photo into a 2D black and white stamp suitable for silk screening (bizarrely, more complex a Photoshop operation than it would seem.  What better thing to start with than my beautiful Surly touring bike.  Will be getting the stuff together over the next couple of weeks - prepare yourself for some disc trucking.  I had such a cool time riding in Knysna - would love to head out tomorrow morning - but it is 10 degrees out there and absolutely pissing with rain :-(

Every now and then group photos that work

As a rule, I have to say that I dislike group photos - they are so seldom aesthetic, and probably only have some sort of archival value (which in itself could be disputed).  These two, however, were really cool:

There was a collective desire for a Christmas photo - and this is the armpit hair version - spurred
on by Jordan, who had decided to grow hers and had to be doing a stubble flash.  Tracy convinced
Wendy an Ian to do the foreground thing - kudos Tracy - it's fantastic. 

Some time later, Jordan's lovely mate Allie was convinced to do a lounge star jump.  Aiden was impressed;
Ethan and Daisy were "what's going on here?".  Courtney and Jordan had a giggle, Roy had a mouthfull of  beer,
and Ian looked up from his laptop.  What I can't explain is why Ev is sniffing a pair of socks.  Hey, it's Christmas.

Some of the others

Ethan - vris and all grown up - so cool seeing him

Daisy - by Ethan - lovely photo with a smart background in the form of Paul Klee

Simon Oz and Finn - also taken by Ethan - thankfully - I was so busy chatting

Jordan, as it turns out reaching for the stars with fantastic matric results a couple of weeks away

Simon, easily my craziest portrait of the holiday - getting intimate with the Kob we caught and munched.

Roy - as groovy as his Madiba cap.

Ruth looking so cool in her Far Side shades - and in such a good space despite a kak hard 2017.  You go sister!

Big smile from Dylan.

Courtney trying out a pair of beer goggles straws - though in this instance on Aiden's coke.  Aiden looking
concerned about volume?

All of us in the Weskaap light

 

You, beautiful you - so divine seeing you.

Me with my groovy restored belt-bike (so groovy in fact that I subsequently fell off it and did a rib or two. 
Amazing how the passage of time does nothing to soften a bike fall).

Aiden - being bad - with his annual big Geordie message :-)

Ev, with his supercool new hat from the Sedgefield farmers' market.

Ange with her supercool hat - which a week later was to blow off and sink in the Bushman's river.
Who makes a sinking hat?

Hogsback flora

Hogsback fynbos, fine, fragrant detail.

 

King Protea - beautiful glowing velveteen pineapple sized beauty.

A field of grasses and flowers bordered by rows of rosemary.

Hogsback portraits

We had a day in the clouds, fourteen degrees in the middle of summer - it was fantastic and mystical.  The guy selling crystals (nooit, fully healing powers bru) told us that the only month in which it's never snowed in the Hogsback is February.

Daisy and Aiden

Ev laughing - probably at winding me up by pulling faces.

Roy and Ruth out in a wasteland of chopped exotics

Hogsback house - lovely to be back after 17 years

Roy and Ruth organised a cottage in the Hogsback - basic and fabulous - starry starry night