Port Alfred 2006
As I said the whole idea of a trip to the RSA this year was to celebrate my mom's 90th birthday and share some of her golden years with her. 90 is quite a milestone! My mother deserved it as she was always a hard worker and very capable
Above we have the "Gerber's" together after 30 years. Wow its hard to believe!.
We have been fortunate in that we could get together quite often over the years but not all together as we are quite spread out over the world. And even so with this global spread our family are still close and still get along well especially after all these years. As I said that we did this for my Mom and it more than likely may be the last time we can all be together again?
When we got to Port Alfred my sister Doreen put us all up and that must have been quite a strain for her and Ian as having a house full of Adults can be very trying and I take my hat off to her for her patience. Doreen has a very nice home at Port Alfred and having come out of the winters white snow it was really nice to see all the colours and flowers and the like. Simple things like hearing a frog croaking and even crickets chirping is novel as throughout winter in Canada you don't see a bug of any shape or size unless you go to a pet store and buy a centipede or gecko. You can even buy pet cockroaches here. The big grey hissing one's that come from Madagascar which are similar in shape and size as the large grey one's you used to get in central Durban near the docks ETC. Imagine how bored some people get here as they get stuck inside in winter and have no other outlets. Incidentally there was an article in the paper here that some entrepreneurial fellow in New York glued Swarovski Crystals and a chain and pinned to these some roaches so that you could wear a live broach (or Roach) and he was selling these in the Big Apple for $150 or so. (Maybe it should be called a Brrr-roach.). It is a world, world world sick.??
The first days in Port Alfred we spent mostly relaxing and getting caught up with news. After being in Durban for a week we needed the relaxation. One thing being in Port Alfred is that we can enjoy the scenery and the gardens. the following is a photograph of us in the back garden at Doreen's house .
As you can see Doreen was trying to hide behind the rose bush and Marilyn was listening while my brother Harry was trying to explain something to them. He was also an avid gardener in the past and he had an interest in Cactuses and Succulents and Cycad's. He was the chairman of the Cactus and Cycad societies some time ago.
In this picture on the right you can see the garden more fully with the built in barbecue and the tree with the bird feeders. Naturally the more you feed birds the more birds you have. I once used to feed the birds when we lived in Durban and I had to stop as there were so many that I was going through a hundred or so KGs of birdfeed per month. Doreen particularly has a fondness for the little gentle wagtails that are nesting on a vine near the garage and these birds are fond of cheese. Especially well matured cheddar.
The next day we went with Doreen to see the Great Fish River Lighthouse. Although today it is more automated and what with Global Positioning systems it has lost as lot of its importance but it is still a magnificent lighthouse. The lighthouse keeper who today has a much easier life and is more of a tourist educator and entertainer was a very knowledgeable person and he showed us around. The scenery was really beautiful with long un-spoilt beaches . I won't spend to much time on this as there is a Web Site and you can go there. Suffice it to say that we had a good time and looking inland from the top of the lighthouse we could see some giraffes in the game reserve adjacent to the coastal reserve. The following photo shows my brother clowning around. As you can see the lens consists of various circular prisms to focus the light out as brightly as possible and is built and ground out of crystal. They are actually works of art.
The following is one from the top looking down!
The following photograph the scenery around this lighthouse which is exquisite and lets hope it stays that way as it seems that the human race is hell bent on building as many buildings and selling as much property and filling in as many pockets as possible.
If you are into old machinery and mechanical things you would really appreciate the care that has been taken to preserve the old working mechanism of this lighthouse it is polished and looked after very carefully. We were also lucky to see the original generator and motor for this lighthouse at the Bathurst museum a couple of days later, not only do they have the original generator but they also have some of the original light bulbs which are also quite fascinating.
Being me, I've always loved the countryside and whenever I have the opportunity I will take photographs of fascinating subjects . I also love history and nature and for that matter all of god's creation which you can see all around you.
The following photograph is of a water tank and broken down old wind mill just that little way away from the lighthouse as we were leaving to go back to Port Alfred.
The following day Marilyn and myself decided we should take a trip to East London which is just a short way further than the Fish River Lighthouse. My brother decided to work on a Sermon or thesis of some sort relating o his work in the church.
On the way down and as we were aware of the fact that there were Giraffes on the way we looked out for them and managed to see some as you'll see from the following photograph. You'll also notice a buck standing in front of them.
It seems that the Bless Buck is a very popular buck on these new game farms that you seem to find all over. They were a very prolific species earlier on So it seems only natural that they will be reintroduced everywhere.
The trip down to Kei Mouth was to be a little bit of a nostalgia trip as this is where Marilyn and myself spent our honeymoon. It was a little strange however to get to the Kei Mouth from the wrong side. We had always traveled to it from the Natal side. Kei Mouth as a town has not changed very much at all and it seems as the town was standing in Limbo for the last twenty years. That sadly is going to change rather rapidly as the road that they were going to build twenty or so years ago is now being built with much gusto. The natural after effects of these changes are going to be that the town will change very rapidly in the very near future and that the price of property will escalate dramatically. So if anybody wants to make a couple of bob I would suggest maybe the looking at buying a property in Kei Mouth.
The Following picture is of the un-spoiled and undeveloped Kei river mouth. The bank on the other side is the Transkei or whatever it is called nowadays. The following photo shows the old town of Kei Mouth looking back from the Rondavels on a bluff further down the beach. Between all the trees there are numerous buildings hotels and the like allthough you can't really see them.
When we got to Port Alfred my sister Doreen put us all up and that must have been quite a strain for her and Ian as having a house full of Adults can be very trying and I take my hat off to her for her patience. Doreen has a very nice home at Port Alfred and having come out of the winters white snow it was really nice to see all the colours and flowers and the like. Simple things like hearing a frog croaking and even crickets chirping is novel as throughout winter in Canada you don't see a bug of any shape or size unless you go to a pet store and buy a centipede or gecko. You can even buy pet cockroaches here. The big grey hissing one's that come from Madagascar which are similar in shape and size as the large grey one's you used to get in central Durban near the docks ETC. Imagine how bored some people get here as they get stuck inside in winter and have no other outlets. Incidentally there was an article in the paper here that some entrepreneurial fellow in New York glued Swarovski Crystals and a chain and pinned to these some roaches so that you could wear a live broach (or Roach) and he was selling these in the Big Apple for $150 or so. (Maybe it should be called a Brrr-roach.). It is a world, world world sick.??
The first days in Port Alfred we spent mostly relaxing and getting caught up with news. After being in Durban for a week we needed the relaxation. One thing being in Port Alfred is that we can enjoy the scenery and the gardens. the following is a photograph of us in the back garden at Doreen's house .
As you can see Doreen was trying to hide behind the rose bush and Marilyn was listening while my brother Harry was trying to explain something to them. He was also an avid gardener in the past and he had an interest in Cactuses and Succulents and Cycad's. He was the chairman of the Cactus and Cycad societies some time ago.
In this picture on the right you can see the garden more fully with the built in barbecue and the tree with the bird feeders. Naturally the more you feed birds the more birds you have. I once used to feed the birds when we lived in Durban and I had to stop as there were so many that I was going through a hundred or so KGs of birdfeed per month. Doreen particularly has a fondness for the little gentle wagtails that are nesting on a vine near the garage and these birds are fond of cheese. Especially well matured cheddar.
The next day we went with Doreen to see the Great Fish River Lighthouse. Although today it is more automated and what with Global Positioning systems it has lost as lot of its importance but it is still a magnificent lighthouse. The lighthouse keeper who today has a much easier life and is more of a tourist educator and entertainer was a very knowledgeable person and he showed us around. The scenery was really beautiful with long un-spoilt beaches . I won't spend to much time on this as there is a Web Site and you can go there. Suffice it to say that we had a good time and looking inland from the top of the lighthouse we could see some giraffes in the game reserve adjacent to the coastal reserve. The following photo shows my brother clowning around. As you can see the lens consists of various circular prisms to focus the light out as brightly as possible and is built and ground out of crystal. They are actually works of art.
The following is one from the top looking down!
The following photograph the scenery around this lighthouse which is exquisite and lets hope it stays that way as it seems that the human race is hell bent on building as many buildings and selling as much property and filling in as many pockets as possible.
If you are into old machinery and mechanical things you would really appreciate the care that has been taken to preserve the old working mechanism of this lighthouse it is polished and looked after very carefully. We were also lucky to see the original generator and motor for this lighthouse at the Bathurst museum a couple of days later, not only do they have the original generator but they also have some of the original light bulbs which are also quite fascinating.
Being me, I've always loved the countryside and whenever I have the opportunity I will take photographs of fascinating subjects . I also love history and nature and for that matter all of god's creation which you can see all around you.
The following photograph is of a water tank and broken down old wind mill just that little way away from the lighthouse as we were leaving to go back to Port Alfred.
The following day Marilyn and myself decided we should take a trip to East London which is just a short way further than the Fish River Lighthouse. My brother decided to work on a Sermon or thesis of some sort relating o his work in the church.
On the way down and as we were aware of the fact that there were Giraffes on the way we looked out for them and managed to see some as you'll see from the following photograph. You'll also notice a buck standing in front of them.
It seems that the Bless Buck is a very popular buck on these new game farms that you seem to find all over. They were a very prolific species earlier on So it seems only natural that they will be reintroduced everywhere.
The trip down to Kei Mouth was to be a little bit of a nostalgia trip as this is where Marilyn and myself spent our honeymoon. It was a little strange however to get to the Kei Mouth from the wrong side. We had always traveled to it from the Natal side. Kei Mouth as a town has not changed very much at all and it seems as the town was standing in Limbo for the last twenty years. That sadly is going to change rather rapidly as the road that they were going to build twenty or so years ago is now being built with much gusto. The natural after effects of these changes are going to be that the town will change very rapidly in the very near future and that the price of property will escalate dramatically. So if anybody wants to make a couple of bob I would suggest maybe the looking at buying a property in Kei Mouth.
The Following picture is of the un-spoiled and undeveloped Kei river mouth. The bank on the other side is the Transkei or whatever it is called nowadays. The following photo shows the old town of Kei Mouth looking back from the Rondavels on a bluff further down the beach. Between all the trees there are numerous buildings hotels and the like allthough you can't really see them.
I remember many years back around 1965 or 66 when I went for a dive off this beach. Various members of the Durban Undersea Club came and spent a long weekend here. The dive I had was most incredible. I remember swimming out and the water was incredibly clear which was rather unusual as this is right next to a river mouth. The rocks were covered with a black hair like sea weed and there were not many fish around. There were however dozens of Eagle rays flying majestically through the water as if they were birds. They were incredibly graceful and their dark color an amazing contrast to the white spots on them as well as the contrast between the black seaweed and the sand filled with white shells.
The following day we mooched around Port Alfred and surrounds. What beautiful countryside. Everywhere is a scenic view. The following is a picture of some Euphorbia bushes at a nearby nature resort. This is apparently one of the plants that the bushmen used to poison their arrows with. They contain a white milky latex like substance which is very poisonous. I remember once that a family in Durban North cut two of these bushes down that was growing in front of their house and this resulted in the whole family getting sick. So much so that they had to sell their house as even the dust afterwards made them sick. I had also grown one on the verge of our house in Honeysuckle place and our neighbours kid, "Dean" destroyed it with a stick and managed to get some of this latex into a little sore on his arm which caused it to become badly inflamed.
On the 4th of March we drove to Port Elizabeth Air Port to fetch Ruth. Two hours later we were having tea at Tony Grahams "Lodge on Main" With Tony and Dawn. It is the first time we saw Tony for at least fifteen years.
Here he is Tony "The Music Man" Graham. It always amazes me how quickly time slips by . It seems like only a short while ago when Tony's parents came to visit my parents in our old house in Umgeni road in Durban. We then went off to Uvongo for a weekend where we had a wonderful time swimming in the lagoon and generally having fun rowing boats and the like. I remember walking along the beach and as we went to go and swim and we had to dodge the ghost crabs that were very prolific on the beach . It's funny how these memories stay with you which in turn makes one realize how wonderful of the creator who made us. Imagine that in the wink of an eye the mind can be taken back 40 years or more so that you can relive vivid memories of your childhood . Another thing that I remember about this weekend was how hot it was and in those days not much notice was taken of Sun Burn and I ended up with some blisters and feeling rather uncomfortable.
The picture at the head of this page was also taken on this memorable day when we arrived back at the Tee's and the Gerber family all together for the first time in thirty or so years.
March the 8th we went to Bathurst. This is not the first time that we've been here but nevertheless its a fascinating drive and of course museums are always interesting. Not to mention the area of Bathurst. It's a pity we could not spend more time.
Here's a picture of Marilyn at the power generator for the Great Fish river lighthouse which I said is now in the Bathurst museum
We went to a nature reserve near Bathurst and saw some game mainly buck Zebras and the like and also for some of our Canadian friends the Following is a photo of how termites attack a tree stump and the like .
You will also note the little pits on the right bottom of the photo these are made by ant-lions (Insects ) that make a sand trap to catch other insects. These sand-lions live at the bottom of the little cone and throw out sand and when an insect falls into the cone they grab a leg and pull them under the sand and devour them, this is also an indication of how dry it is as they need dry sand for their traps.
The following day we mooched around Port Alfred and surrounds. What beautiful countryside. Everywhere is a scenic view. The following is a picture of some Euphorbia bushes at a nearby nature resort. This is apparently one of the plants that the bushmen used to poison their arrows with. They contain a white milky latex like substance which is very poisonous. I remember once that a family in Durban North cut two of these bushes down that was growing in front of their house and this resulted in the whole family getting sick. So much so that they had to sell their house as even the dust afterwards made them sick. I had also grown one on the verge of our house in Honeysuckle place and our neighbours kid, "Dean" destroyed it with a stick and managed to get some of this latex into a little sore on his arm which caused it to become badly inflamed.
On the 4th of March we drove to Port Elizabeth Air Port to fetch Ruth. Two hours later we were having tea at Tony Grahams "Lodge on Main" With Tony and Dawn. It is the first time we saw Tony for at least fifteen years.
Here he is Tony "The Music Man" Graham. It always amazes me how quickly time slips by . It seems like only a short while ago when Tony's parents came to visit my parents in our old house in Umgeni road in Durban. We then went off to Uvongo for a weekend where we had a wonderful time swimming in the lagoon and generally having fun rowing boats and the like. I remember walking along the beach and as we went to go and swim and we had to dodge the ghost crabs that were very prolific on the beach . It's funny how these memories stay with you which in turn makes one realize how wonderful of the creator who made us. Imagine that in the wink of an eye the mind can be taken back 40 years or more so that you can relive vivid memories of your childhood . Another thing that I remember about this weekend was how hot it was and in those days not much notice was taken of Sun Burn and I ended up with some blisters and feeling rather uncomfortable.
The picture at the head of this page was also taken on this memorable day when we arrived back at the Tee's and the Gerber family all together for the first time in thirty or so years.
March the 8th we went to Bathurst. This is not the first time that we've been here but nevertheless its a fascinating drive and of course museums are always interesting. Not to mention the area of Bathurst. It's a pity we could not spend more time.
Here's a picture of Marilyn at the power generator for the Great Fish river lighthouse which I said is now in the Bathurst museum
We went to a nature reserve near Bathurst and saw some game mainly buck Zebras and the like and also for some of our Canadian friends the Following is a photo of how termites attack a tree stump and the like .
You will also note the little pits on the right bottom of the photo these are made by ant-lions (Insects ) that make a sand trap to catch other insects. These sand-lions live at the bottom of the little cone and throw out sand and when an insect falls into the cone they grab a leg and pull them under the sand and devour them, this is also an indication of how dry it is as they need dry sand for their traps.
The 12th March 2006
This why we came-- to share Mom's birthday. This was taken at the Golf course dinner on the 12Th March
From The Left
Tony, Doreen, Ruth, Dawn, Harry, Berning, Kotie, (The B/Day Girl) Billy, Ian Marilyn and Dick
The next day we had another do at the home (Damant Lodge) in which all the seniors join in. Here is Mom waiting in anticipation for it all. And everybody at the table.
The Next day at Damant Lodge which was the thirteenth of March, 2006 and my mother's actual birthday .
We had my sister Doreen a singing the "Holy City"and she also called the staff to sing as per the following picture. It has always amazed me how the natives can so naturally sing and harmonize. it takes me back to when I was a child and I used to hear the native buses coming past with all the occupants and singing away at the top of their voices.
At the home everyone was amused by the singing candle which starts playing happy birthday to you as soon as it is lit. Well that's modern technology for you. the It is amazing how faces come to you from the past. Marilyn and I just realized that the person standing on the left in the picture on the right just looks like my Aunt Florence or Flo as we used to call her. Well in the picture and does however at the party I cannot remember anyone vaguely resembling my aunt.
On the 16th March Doreen took us for a drive around Port Alfred and showed us amongst other things the golf course also we visited a local vets home and had a look at an orphaned giraffe they called Gambit here I am stroking his neck!
