Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Woodturnings embellished with pewter ...
Here are a few pics of recent turnings embelished with pewter.
Oak vessel with pewter decoration.
Oak vessel with pewter decoration.
Diameter 240 mm.
Bubinga vessel with pewter top.
Height 165 mm.
Bubinga vessel with pewter neck ring.
Height 160 mm.
Detail of foot. Camel thorn (Acacia erioloba) bowl with pewter rim and foot. Diameter 87 mm.
Oak vessel with pewter decoration.
Diameter 240 mm.
Oak vessel with pewter decoration.
Diameter 240 mm.
Bubinga vessel with pewter top.
Height 165 mm.
Bubinga vessel with pewter top.
Height 165 mm.
Bubinga vessel with pewter neck ring.
Height 160 mm.
Bubinga vessel with pewter neck ring.
Height 160 mm.
Height 160 mm.
Pewter textured with a Dremel tool with a small spherical carving burr.
Bubinga (Guibourtia demeusei) bowl with pewter rim and foot.
Diameter 103 mm.
Bubinga (Guibourtia demeusei) bowl with pewter rim and foot - detail.
Diameter 103 mm.
Camel thorn (Acacia erioloba) bowl with pewter rim and foot. Diameter 100 mm.
This wood is harder than the pewter! The wood makes the absolute best coals for a braai which has resulted in it recently being declared a protected tree as a result of overexploitation.
This wood is harder than the pewter! The wood makes the absolute best coals for a braai which has resulted in it recently being declared a protected tree as a result of overexploitation.
Camel thorn (Acacia erioloba) bowl with pewter rim and foot. Diameter 87 mm.
Detail of foot. Camel thorn (Acacia erioloba) bowl with pewter rim and foot. Diameter 87 mm.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Suzuki Burgman 650 ride to Mossel Bay ...
Check out my Facebook album to see pics of my ride to Mossel Bay to deliver the keynote address at Eden District Municipality's Climate Change and Disaster Management Summit.
The address seemed to be well received.
If you are interested you can download the presentation here.
You can download the Western Climate Change Response Strategy and Action Plan and the summary document here.
The guest password for both download drops is "1amaguest"
Saturday, January 24, 2009
How woodturning can revive a broken wine glass ...
What do you do with broken wine glasses?
Take one basic spindle, round it, drill a hole equal to the narrowest diameter of the glass stem
Taper the hole to fit the glass stem ...
... until the glass stem fits snugly
Reverse it on to the mini lathe
Round off all the remaining corners
Reverse it on to a cone revolving centre in the tailstock
Turn the spindle down to 25 mm diameter
Turn some beady and covey bits and a spiky bit for standing in the lawn at a Kirstenbosch concert or into beach sand
Increase the class factor by a factor of ten by adding some grooves
Increase the class factor by another significant factor by burning black lines with a piece of wire
Part it off to a fine point, insert the glass and add another tool to your tool rack!
Here I am with my friends Gerry and Holly at the Kirstenbosch concert with the resurrected glasses
Many of those around commented favourably about them
"Look Ma no hands"
Some recent woodturnings ...
My new specialised photo booth. Requirments: Basic stand - 1 small planet; upper diffuser - 1 medium cumulus cloud; lower diffuser - 1 weather textured "best 4v4 by far" bonnet; light source - 1 medium yellow star; setup time - negligible
Yellowwood bowls cored from a single bowl blank
Beefwood bowls cored from a single bowl blank
Close-up of beefwood bowls cored from a single bowl blank
Bubinga bowls cored from a single bowl blank
Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria excelsa) vases. I dropped them off at the waterfront this morning and the small one sold before I arrived home - wonderful
Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria excelsa) vase
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Grootvadersbos State Forest and Infanta ...
We spent 4 days of our Christmas break at Grootvadersbos with a Christmas day jaunt down to friends at Infanta.
Woodturning Retreat ...
Wow - I haven't posted anything on my blog for ages.
Anyway I've posted a batch of photos on Facebook of our great woodturning retreat at John and Jane Wessel's place at Sedgefield with the WCWA.
Check out these 3 albums of pics.
Left is a pic of Gert Ferreira watching John demonstrating techniques involving pewter and woodturning.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Cape Town Storm 30-31 August 2008 ...
Here are a couple of interesting images showing the storm we have just weathered here in Cape Town over the past 24 hours.
The satellite images on this post are all "copyright EUMETSAT 2008"
I have accessed these images from the SA Weather Website, following the links "Satellite Images" from the menu at the top of the page and the "EUMETSAT Satellite Viewer" link on the left of the page (South Africa falls in area 8 and 9).
The webcam images are all taken from the "Cape Town Webcam South Africa - Kapstadt Webcam Südafrika" site.
I generally use the EUMETSAT site (area 8) to track the weather approaching Cape Town.
This together with the Cape Town Webcam South Africa site which shows me the prevailing weather in the southern suburbs, where I live (left of the mountain), in downtown Cape Town, where I work, in front of the saddle between Table Mountain and Signal Hill, and directly approaching Cape Town from the Atlantic Ocean on the right of the image.
I use the latest webcam image daily to decide whether it is 'weather safe' to use my motorcycle to travel from home to downtown Cape Town, or alternatively, if I'm at work with the motorcycle, how much rain-gear to wear for the ride home.
30 August 2008 06h00
The cold front approaches Cape Town from the West
30 August 2008 09h00
The approaching cold front (north-westerly wind from the right side of the image) causes cloud to form over Table Mountain and occasional rain in the southern suburbs
30 August 2008 15h00
The wind is really howling now - up to 90km/h
I rode to Gert's house in the northern suburbs during the morning and although the wind was vicious I didn't get wet till I was 2km from home on my return to the southern suburbs (Plumstead)
30 August 2008 15h00
The rain had really set in during the afternoon when Chris and I took a drive to some 4x4 shops to look at accesories for his Landrover
By the time we went back to the Waterfront to collect "Milandi" (My Landy) at 18h00 it was raining harder than I have ever experienced in downtown Cape Town
30 August 2008 21h00
The webcam shows the streaming rain really well
30 August 2008 21h00
The main front is through Cape Town.
What Gigi and I call 'Spikkel weather', from the speckled appearance of the cloud patterns that follow each front, then sets in.
This weather is a series of freezing cold rain squalls, often bringing hail or snow, interspersed by cold sunny intervals
31 August 2008 06h00
It's still dark in Cape Town - and I'm still asleep in bed with occasional rain and light hail pattering on the bedroom window which faces the approaching weather
31 August 2008 06h00
The satellite image shows the 'squally' weather
31 August 2008 09h00
I'm lying in bed with Gigi, drinking coffee accompanied by her famous buttermilk rusks, watching the BBC Series "Walking with Dinosaurs" and posting this blog
later ...
31 August 2008 12h00
OK - The 12hoo image has finally been loaded.
Here is a full disk image showing the front spreading up into South Africa today. You can see the cold air from the deep cold southern ocean 'exploding' northwards across the south of the continent.
The cities up north, like Johannesburg and Pretoria, are in for a rude drop in their temperature this evening!
This is an interesting 'Air mass' (whatever that is) image from the WeatherSA web site which clearly shows the cold front in all its glory.
My sympathy to residents of New Orleans.
I've just heard on the midday news of the evacuation of the city ahead of the approaching hurricane Gustav which is forecast to strike the U.S. Gulf Coast harder than Katrina did three years ago!
Photo copyright NOAA
The satellite images on this post are all "copyright EUMETSAT 2008"
I have accessed these images from the SA Weather Website, following the links "Satellite Images" from the menu at the top of the page and the "EUMETSAT Satellite Viewer" link on the left of the page (South Africa falls in area 8 and 9).
The webcam images are all taken from the "Cape Town Webcam South Africa - Kapstadt Webcam Südafrika" site.
I generally use the EUMETSAT site (area 8) to track the weather approaching Cape Town.
This together with the Cape Town Webcam South Africa site which shows me the prevailing weather in the southern suburbs, where I live (left of the mountain), in downtown Cape Town, where I work, in front of the saddle between Table Mountain and Signal Hill, and directly approaching Cape Town from the Atlantic Ocean on the right of the image.
I use the latest webcam image daily to decide whether it is 'weather safe' to use my motorcycle to travel from home to downtown Cape Town, or alternatively, if I'm at work with the motorcycle, how much rain-gear to wear for the ride home.
30 August 2008 06h00
The cold front approaches Cape Town from the West
30 August 2008 09h00
The approaching cold front (north-westerly wind from the right side of the image) causes cloud to form over Table Mountain and occasional rain in the southern suburbs
30 August 2008 15h00
The wind is really howling now - up to 90km/h
I rode to Gert's house in the northern suburbs during the morning and although the wind was vicious I didn't get wet till I was 2km from home on my return to the southern suburbs (Plumstead)
30 August 2008 15h00
The rain had really set in during the afternoon when Chris and I took a drive to some 4x4 shops to look at accesories for his Landrover
By the time we went back to the Waterfront to collect "Milandi" (My Landy) at 18h00 it was raining harder than I have ever experienced in downtown Cape Town
30 August 2008 21h00
The webcam shows the streaming rain really well
30 August 2008 21h00
The main front is through Cape Town.
What Gigi and I call 'Spikkel weather', from the speckled appearance of the cloud patterns that follow each front, then sets in.
This weather is a series of freezing cold rain squalls, often bringing hail or snow, interspersed by cold sunny intervals
31 August 2008 06h00
It's still dark in Cape Town - and I'm still asleep in bed with occasional rain and light hail pattering on the bedroom window which faces the approaching weather
31 August 2008 06h00
The satellite image shows the 'squally' weather
31 August 2008 09h00
I'm lying in bed with Gigi, drinking coffee accompanied by her famous buttermilk rusks, watching the BBC Series "Walking with Dinosaurs" and posting this blog
later ...
31 August 2008 12h00OK - The 12hoo image has finally been loaded.
Here is a full disk image showing the front spreading up into South Africa today. You can see the cold air from the deep cold southern ocean 'exploding' northwards across the south of the continent.
The cities up north, like Johannesburg and Pretoria, are in for a rude drop in their temperature this evening!
This is an interesting 'Air mass' (whatever that is) image from the WeatherSA web site which clearly shows the cold front in all its glory.
My sympathy to residents of New Orleans.
I've just heard on the midday news of the evacuation of the city ahead of the approaching hurricane Gustav which is forecast to strike the U.S. Gulf Coast harder than Katrina did three years ago!
Photo copyright NOAA
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Route 62 on a Suzuki Burgman 650 …
This is a blog post that documents my trip from Cape Town to Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo, along Route 62, where I recently attended an environmental conference, a first combined conference of the ‘Fynbos Forum’ and ‘Arid Zone Forum’, nicknamed ‘Interfaces’. This was my first long distance motorcycle ride. The weather was forecast to be fine for the day of my departure from Cape Town and light rain for the morning of my return. As I would be arriving back in the afternoon and was well equipped to weather a little rain on my return I decided to keep my carbon footprint low and travel to the conference on my bike rather than travelling by car. As it transpired the likelihood of rain on my return evaporated during my stay in Oudtshoorn. To explain my interest in keeping my carbon emissions for the trip low I should explain that over the past two years I have been the project co-ordinator for the Western Cape Provincial Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan. You may like to download the Western Cape’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan Summary Document
I left Cape Town at about 08h00. Unfortunately the ride to Paarl along the N2 was directly into the rising sun. This was not entirely pleasant as under those circumstances one sees the world as a black and white silhouette. A motorcycle visor, even one with a slight peak, does not provide the degree of glare protection of a car windscreen visor. Of course the same black and white silhouette applied to the motorists I was traveling along the freeway with so I kept a wary eye on my rear view mirrors. I traveled without incident though. I topped up the bike at the N1 Winelands 1 Stop about 43 km from home, just outside Cape Town. As a concession to my lungs I decided before I left Cape Town that I would avoid riding through the Du Toitskloof Tunnel and instead took the scenic route over the top of the pass. The shade cast by the mountains was a most welcome relief. This is the view over Paarl from near the top of the Du Toit’skloof Pass.
Here I am down the sunny side of the pass towards Worcester. The sun was rising higher and now less of a problem. The road along the Molenaars River was in excellent condition and the traffic was light.
I turned eastwards at Worcester on to Route 60 into the Robertson Karoo. The sun was now behind me and I was warming up nicely. This picture is taken from a gentlepass, looking back along the route, just about 10km before Robertson. A gentle ride through Robertson, the village of Ashton and through the scenic Cogmanskloof to Montague followed.
Cogmanskloof just outside Montague, the western gateway to the Little Karoo. This is also the start of Route 62. The Little Karoo is a stunningly beautiful arid zone in the rain shadow between the Langeberg range to the south and the magnificent Swartberg range to the north. Further north beyond the Swartberg range lie the plains of the Great Karoo that dominates the inland plateau of southern South Africa
Route 62
After Montague a beautiful ride unfolds along the northern slopes of the Langeberg towards Barrydale. At Barrydale I stopped at “The Country Pumpkin” for a toasted sandwich and coffee. The hospitality included a complimentary Muskadel, for which the area is well known, and a Route 62 biker pin. Showing admirable self restraint I managed to resist the temptation to drink the Muskadel with my lunch. Perhaps they should provide the Muskadel to riders and drivers in a small bottle to drink later in the evening after completing their journey. Serious ‘brownie’ points were earned by this restraint! I’m sure that the issue of not drinking the Muskadel did not enter the mind of the biker downing his second (at least) beer at the table just across from me! I also topped up the Burgman’s tank with 9.19 litres in Barrydale. I had travelled 263km from home in Cape Town and 219km from the previous fill-up at the Winelands 1 Stop. The average fuel consumption for the latter distance was therefore 4.2 litres per 100 km (4.4 litres per 100 km indicated on the bike’s instrumentation).
Leaving Barrydale I stopped at the viewpoint above the village and ‘stripped’. It was getting up above 20degC now! Off came the riding trousers, the lining of my jacket and tracksuit top. Much better.
Now I set off right across the Little Karoo towards Ladismith at the foot of Towerkop in the Swartberg range. I traveled the entire route cruising easily on the Burgmann between 100 and 110 km/hr. Although the bike can easily travel faster than this I felt entirely comfortable at this speed and was relatively happy to ‘read the environment’ as I road along. Being a trained environmentalist traveling through any landscape is to me just like reading a fascinating book. I just can’t bear to travel fast and miss the whole story.
According to articles I have read the Burgman apparently tops out about 180km/hr although I have no intension of ever testing this stastic myself. My sense of self preservation is way too developed for that!
As I rode into Ladismith, with the first really close view of Towerkop this was the view that struck my eye. It’s ironic that during the studies for the provincial ‘Growth Potential of Towns’ study most small towns in the province touted tourism as the future economic mainstay of their municipal economy and yet the above photo illustrates the extreme lack of attention paid to this aspect in local ‘development’ initiatives. Shame!
Another view from the main road where I managed to exclude all but one telephone line!
Towerkop (Magic Mountain – 2197m) is topped by a huge sandstone dome with a huge cleft. The cleft dome of Towerkop is explained by a legend involving a witch. The legend is that, in a hurry to fly home, the peak loomed before her and in a rage she whacked it with her broomstick, splitting it in two. You can read the story of a Tyrollean traverse between the two buttresses.
I paused for a short biscuit break at the turnoff to Seweweekspoort. This is a gravel road pass through the Swartberg northwards to the Great Karoo. I have driven this road on numerous occasions in the past and once even walked its entire length as a family outing with a group from the Mountain Club. The Swartberg pass is the best place in the country that I know of to view the spectacularly folded rock formations of the Cape fold-belt mountains of which the Swartberg is a part.
Just opposite the turnoff to Seweweekspoort is the mission village of Zoar.
Looking north, in the background, is Seweweeks Peak, which at 2325 meters high, is the highest point in the Western Cape Province. As usual at this time of the year the peak had a light dusting of snow which is unfortunately not visible in the photograph due to the unco-operative angle of the winter sun.
As I walked around the back of the bike I spotted the opportunity for a self portrait. Perhaps next time I’ll also smile!
Further eastwards one arrives at the amazingly scenic Huisriver Pass. Unfortunately the pass is currently under maintenance but allowed for a short rest from the saddle.
The red cliffs of the Huisriver Pass with a Klapperbos or Chinese Lantern Bush in which a lesser double collared sunbird was feeding. Ah the joy of being out of the big city
While standing waiting for the Stop/Go I remembered driving over the original narrow gravel road Huisriver pass with my parents as a pre-teen. The ride through the pass was in a convoy of one-way traffic so unless one was prepared to wait double time for the next group of vehicles travelling in the same direction it was not advisable to stop for more photographs. I have many pics from previous trips anyway so cruised on gently, enjoying the scenery, towards the village of Calitzdorp
Passing through Calitzdorp at the foot of the Huisriverpass I had to make a detour to Boplaas, where I indulged myself by buying a bottle of award winning, five star Boplaas Vintage Port. This should ensure my survival during the remaining winter evenings at home
And now the final leg of the trip unfolded. With the Swartberg range extending eastwards ahead of me
The remaining 45 minutes ride down the long straight road to Oudtshoorn …
… where my ride ended at about 5pm. In all I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would be more than happy to tackle the ride any time again in the future. Topping up with 7.54 litres of fuel for the 176 kilometres gave me a fuel consumption of 4.28 litres per 100 km (4.3 litres per 100 km according to the bike’s instrumentation). In all a very satisfying fuel consumption figure. A total of 16.73 litres fuel (excluding the 43 km from home to the Winelands 1 Stop) for the 395 km covered at an average consumption of 4.23 litres/100 km (55.61 mpg)
I was booked by the conference organisers into Lavender House. I stayed in the Butterfly Room. Ya, well, no, fine! Any way a clean comfortable bed is all one really needs whatever the décor! I was actually lucky to get the accommodation. I registered rather late for the conference and was offered the room when a colleague’s wife, inconveniently for him, produced their first child early, a few days before the conference.
From the sign above the window in my room you would not believe that the country is in the throws of a serious electricity crisis.
Also in the grounds of Lavender House was a pond with both the noxious invasive Kariba weed and a black bass.
On my return to Cape Town I had to pause for a pic of these beautiful aloes just west of the Huisriver pass
A view westwards along the Swartberg Range.
Oops
Just beyond Cogmanskloof I came across this truck transporting baled paper for recycling
The truck's load had slipped ...
Spilling it's contents and blocking one lane of the road
Near Rawsonville ...
Beautiful vineyards and mountains
Looking into Stetynskloof
Half way up Du Toitskloof Pass
Into the setting sun
Du Toitskloof Pass
Near the top of Du Toitskloof Pass
Compare this with the weather we experienced on the same route a couple of weeks ago
All in all it was a great trip which I'll definitely repeat sometime soon.
Just out of interest for other Burgman riders the fuel consumption figure for the 531 km ride home (which included 89 km of town riding in and around Oudtshoorn) using 23.65 litres of fuel came out at 4.45 litres/100 km (52.86 mpg)
I left Cape Town at about 08h00. Unfortunately the ride to Paarl along the N2 was directly into the rising sun. This was not entirely pleasant as under those circumstances one sees the world as a black and white silhouette. A motorcycle visor, even one with a slight peak, does not provide the degree of glare protection of a car windscreen visor. Of course the same black and white silhouette applied to the motorists I was traveling along the freeway with so I kept a wary eye on my rear view mirrors. I traveled without incident though. I topped up the bike at the N1 Winelands 1 Stop about 43 km from home, just outside Cape Town. As a concession to my lungs I decided before I left Cape Town that I would avoid riding through the Du Toitskloof Tunnel and instead took the scenic route over the top of the pass. The shade cast by the mountains was a most welcome relief. This is the view over Paarl from near the top of the Du Toit’skloof Pass.
Here I am down the sunny side of the pass towards Worcester. The sun was rising higher and now less of a problem. The road along the Molenaars River was in excellent condition and the traffic was light.
I turned eastwards at Worcester on to Route 60 into the Robertson Karoo. The sun was now behind me and I was warming up nicely. This picture is taken from a gentlepass, looking back along the route, just about 10km before Robertson. A gentle ride through Robertson, the village of Ashton and through the scenic Cogmanskloof to Montague followed.
Cogmanskloof just outside Montague, the western gateway to the Little Karoo. This is also the start of Route 62. The Little Karoo is a stunningly beautiful arid zone in the rain shadow between the Langeberg range to the south and the magnificent Swartberg range to the north. Further north beyond the Swartberg range lie the plains of the Great Karoo that dominates the inland plateau of southern South Africa
Route 62
After Montague a beautiful ride unfolds along the northern slopes of the Langeberg towards Barrydale. At Barrydale I stopped at “The Country Pumpkin” for a toasted sandwich and coffee. The hospitality included a complimentary Muskadel, for which the area is well known, and a Route 62 biker pin. Showing admirable self restraint I managed to resist the temptation to drink the Muskadel with my lunch. Perhaps they should provide the Muskadel to riders and drivers in a small bottle to drink later in the evening after completing their journey. Serious ‘brownie’ points were earned by this restraint! I’m sure that the issue of not drinking the Muskadel did not enter the mind of the biker downing his second (at least) beer at the table just across from me! I also topped up the Burgman’s tank with 9.19 litres in Barrydale. I had travelled 263km from home in Cape Town and 219km from the previous fill-up at the Winelands 1 Stop. The average fuel consumption for the latter distance was therefore 4.2 litres per 100 km (4.4 litres per 100 km indicated on the bike’s instrumentation).
Leaving Barrydale I stopped at the viewpoint above the village and ‘stripped’. It was getting up above 20degC now! Off came the riding trousers, the lining of my jacket and tracksuit top. Much better.
Now I set off right across the Little Karoo towards Ladismith at the foot of Towerkop in the Swartberg range. I traveled the entire route cruising easily on the Burgmann between 100 and 110 km/hr. Although the bike can easily travel faster than this I felt entirely comfortable at this speed and was relatively happy to ‘read the environment’ as I road along. Being a trained environmentalist traveling through any landscape is to me just like reading a fascinating book. I just can’t bear to travel fast and miss the whole story.
According to articles I have read the Burgman apparently tops out about 180km/hr although I have no intension of ever testing this stastic myself. My sense of self preservation is way too developed for that!
As I rode into Ladismith, with the first really close view of Towerkop this was the view that struck my eye. It’s ironic that during the studies for the provincial ‘Growth Potential of Towns’ study most small towns in the province touted tourism as the future economic mainstay of their municipal economy and yet the above photo illustrates the extreme lack of attention paid to this aspect in local ‘development’ initiatives. Shame!
Another view from the main road where I managed to exclude all but one telephone line!
Towerkop (Magic Mountain – 2197m) is topped by a huge sandstone dome with a huge cleft. The cleft dome of Towerkop is explained by a legend involving a witch. The legend is that, in a hurry to fly home, the peak loomed before her and in a rage she whacked it with her broomstick, splitting it in two. You can read the story of a Tyrollean traverse between the two buttresses.
I paused for a short biscuit break at the turnoff to Seweweekspoort. This is a gravel road pass through the Swartberg northwards to the Great Karoo. I have driven this road on numerous occasions in the past and once even walked its entire length as a family outing with a group from the Mountain Club. The Swartberg pass is the best place in the country that I know of to view the spectacularly folded rock formations of the Cape fold-belt mountains of which the Swartberg is a part.
Just opposite the turnoff to Seweweekspoort is the mission village of Zoar.
Looking north, in the background, is Seweweeks Peak, which at 2325 meters high, is the highest point in the Western Cape Province. As usual at this time of the year the peak had a light dusting of snow which is unfortunately not visible in the photograph due to the unco-operative angle of the winter sun.
As I walked around the back of the bike I spotted the opportunity for a self portrait. Perhaps next time I’ll also smile!
Further eastwards one arrives at the amazingly scenic Huisriver Pass. Unfortunately the pass is currently under maintenance but allowed for a short rest from the saddle.
The red cliffs of the Huisriver Pass with a Klapperbos or Chinese Lantern Bush in which a lesser double collared sunbird was feeding. Ah the joy of being out of the big city
While standing waiting for the Stop/Go I remembered driving over the original narrow gravel road Huisriver pass with my parents as a pre-teen. The ride through the pass was in a convoy of one-way traffic so unless one was prepared to wait double time for the next group of vehicles travelling in the same direction it was not advisable to stop for more photographs. I have many pics from previous trips anyway so cruised on gently, enjoying the scenery, towards the village of Calitzdorp
Passing through Calitzdorp at the foot of the Huisriverpass I had to make a detour to Boplaas, where I indulged myself by buying a bottle of award winning, five star Boplaas Vintage Port. This should ensure my survival during the remaining winter evenings at home
And now the final leg of the trip unfolded. With the Swartberg range extending eastwards ahead of me
The remaining 45 minutes ride down the long straight road to Oudtshoorn …
… where my ride ended at about 5pm. In all I thoroughly enjoyed myself and would be more than happy to tackle the ride any time again in the future. Topping up with 7.54 litres of fuel for the 176 kilometres gave me a fuel consumption of 4.28 litres per 100 km (4.3 litres per 100 km according to the bike’s instrumentation). In all a very satisfying fuel consumption figure. A total of 16.73 litres fuel (excluding the 43 km from home to the Winelands 1 Stop) for the 395 km covered at an average consumption of 4.23 litres/100 km (55.61 mpg)
I was booked by the conference organisers into Lavender House. I stayed in the Butterfly Room. Ya, well, no, fine! Any way a clean comfortable bed is all one really needs whatever the décor! I was actually lucky to get the accommodation. I registered rather late for the conference and was offered the room when a colleague’s wife, inconveniently for him, produced their first child early, a few days before the conference.
From the sign above the window in my room you would not believe that the country is in the throws of a serious electricity crisis.
Also in the grounds of Lavender House was a pond with both the noxious invasive Kariba weed and a black bass.
On my return to Cape Town I had to pause for a pic of these beautiful aloes just west of the Huisriver pass
A view westwards along the Swartberg Range.
Oops
Just beyond Cogmanskloof I came across this truck transporting baled paper for recycling
The truck's load had slipped ...
Spilling it's contents and blocking one lane of the road
Near Rawsonville ...
Beautiful vineyards and mountains
Looking into Stetynskloof
Half way up Du Toitskloof Pass
Into the setting sun
Du Toitskloof Pass
Near the top of Du Toitskloof Pass
Compare this with the weather we experienced on the same route a couple of weeks ago
All in all it was a great trip which I'll definitely repeat sometime soon.
Just out of interest for other Burgman riders the fuel consumption figure for the 531 km ride home (which included 89 km of town riding in and around Oudtshoorn) using 23.65 litres of fuel came out at 4.45 litres/100 km (52.86 mpg)
My first attempt at pewter work ...
This is my first attempt at pewter work which I intend to incorporate into my woodturning.
I started off with some simple pieces which I pasted on to celebratory cards for Gigi and her sibs on the occasion of celebrating the anniversary of Mutti's birthday at Oude Nektar last weekend.
You can see more pics of the cards on my Facebook album here
I started off with some simple pieces which I pasted on to celebratory cards for Gigi and her sibs on the occasion of celebrating the anniversary of Mutti's birthday at Oude Nektar last weekend.
You can see more pics of the cards on my Facebook album here
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Dorothy Constance Dennis ...
This is a cutting from the Rhodesia Herald, August 1964, showing my grandmother, Dorothy Constance Dennis.
Click on the picture to enlarge it and read the text.
Click on the picture to enlarge it and read the text.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Western Cape Snow ...
Western Cape Snow
On the way back from sunny KZN we hit the cold front south of Beaufort West. It rained heavily all the way back to Cape Town. In Worcester at 2pm it was so dark and rainy that all the street lights were on!
It was great to see water all through the southern Karoo. Laingsburg was awash, the Groot river flowing very strongly under the bridge.
Matroosburg was covered in snow but the view was not great due to the low cloud
Hex River Mountains at the head of the Hex River Pass
A very wintery Hex River valley
Snow on the Hex
Winter view of the Hex valley
Radiation from cell phone masts is not proven to be harmful but don't let anyone tell you that poorer communities don't suffer the brunt of bad planning decisions
Picture postcard landscape with farm cottages - but bloody cold!
I just couldn't resist pictures of the winter vineyards in the Hex valley
In Du Toitskloof Pass
Cold!
We chose to drive over the pass to see more snow rather than drive through the tunnel
Witteberg - literaly
More cold!
The Du Toitskloof mountains were pouring water
View back down the N1
View from high up Du Toitskloof pass
Every little stream was gushing
Snow and cloud
Our car and small trailer full of lovely Kiaat and Red Ivory logs from up north
The streams were really flowing
Over the top of the pass
It was raining so heavily down the Cape Town side of the mountains that there was no point in stopping for pics
Then into the late afternoon Cape Town traffic, jukkk!
And home to a very warm welcome by the boys.
On the way back from sunny KZN we hit the cold front south of Beaufort West. It rained heavily all the way back to Cape Town. In Worcester at 2pm it was so dark and rainy that all the street lights were on!
It was great to see water all through the southern Karoo. Laingsburg was awash, the Groot river flowing very strongly under the bridge.
Matroosburg was covered in snow but the view was not great due to the low cloud
Hex River Mountains at the head of the Hex River Pass
A very wintery Hex River valley
Snow on the Hex
Winter view of the Hex valley
Radiation from cell phone masts is not proven to be harmful but don't let anyone tell you that poorer communities don't suffer the brunt of bad planning decisions
Picture postcard landscape with farm cottages - but bloody cold!
I just couldn't resist pictures of the winter vineyards in the Hex valley
In Du Toitskloof Pass
Cold!
We chose to drive over the pass to see more snow rather than drive through the tunnel
Witteberg - literaly
More cold!
The Du Toitskloof mountains were pouring water
View back down the N1
View from high up Du Toitskloof pass
Every little stream was gushing
Snow and cloud
Our car and small trailer full of lovely Kiaat and Red Ivory logs from up north
The streams were really flowing
Over the top of the pass
It was raining so heavily down the Cape Town side of the mountains that there was no point in stopping for pics
Then into the late afternoon Cape Town traffic, jukkk!
And home to a very warm welcome by the boys.
Gordon's Cottage - Colesburg
Gordon's Cottage - Colesburg
On the way home from AWSA 2008 we stayed in Colesburg in our favourite accommodation in the town, Gordon's Cottage
Phone +27517530390 for bookings
The front door
The cottage dates from 1861
The main bedroom
There is another room with three single beds
View into the lounge
Gigi by the heater in the lounge
From the lounge, looking back into the bedroom
The kitchen ...
... looking into the back room
Old kitchen utensils displayed in the back room
Washing up area in the back room
The kitchen looking back into the lounge
Very rustic
The bath with lots of hot water
Perfect for cold Karoo evenings
A very pleasant short stay as always
On the way home from AWSA 2008 we stayed in Colesburg in our favourite accommodation in the town, Gordon's Cottage
Phone +27517530390 for bookings
The front door
The cottage dates from 1861
The main bedroom
There is another room with three single beds
View into the lounge
Gigi by the heater in the lounge
From the lounge, looking back into the bedroom
The kitchen ...
... looking into the back room
Old kitchen utensils displayed in the back room
Washing up area in the back room
The kitchen looking back into the lounge
Very rustic
The bath with lots of hot water
Perfect for cold Karoo evenings
A very pleasant short stay as always
AWSA Symposium 2008 Group Photos ...
The Association of Woodturners of South Africa (AWSA) 2008 Symposium was held in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa from 3 July to 6 July, 2008
These are the three group photographs I took.
You can download the three full size images from MediaFire here.
In MediaFire click on each file name and then "Download image".
The photos below are smaller 640 x 480 pixel versions of the full size images.
AWSA 2008 group photo 1
AWSA 2008 group photo 2
AWSA 2008 group photo 3
These are the three group photographs I took.
You can download the three full size images from MediaFire here.
In MediaFire click on each file name and then "Download image".
The photos below are smaller 640 x 480 pixel versions of the full size images.
AWSA 2008 group photo 1
AWSA 2008 group photo 2
AWSA 2008 group photo 3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
