PARTY TIME Sunday March 4

The first of the celebrations was a large family gathering – and some of the family have indeed become large since we last met!! In all 27 of us descended on the holiday home of cousins Sal and Mike de Villiers for a braaivleis – the SAfrican term for what other English speaking peoples call a barbecue. The translation is ‘cook meat’ and there is usually a great deal of good red meat indeed, although the more effete younger generation are inclined to non-traditional meats such as chicken and even fish.

Judy and Steve: Rab and Terry: Ronel and Pad

 Three Herbert brothers and spouses plus three offspring and/or partners and one grandchild was the contribution on our side. The other seventeen came from the multi generations on the other side, including a fly in second cousin who happened to be in Cape Town on business.

It was lovely seeing all the ‘children’ again although it is always something of a shock to realise that the oldest child is approaching 50 and the oldest grandchild is having her 21^st birthday soon. I even mistook, initially and in the roar of conversation, one of the grandchildren for his father!

Our family gatherings are exuberant and noisy. I remember many years ago sitting with an old uncle at one of these gatherings and his saying that the noise was music to his ears, but that it had to be said that most of the folk were talking and few seemed to be listening.

Mike – the patriarch of his clan – was in his element. He has a bull-like roar of a voice and between greeting all the guests he was ordering the boys around to get the fire going, the meat prepared and telling the girls how to do the salads. His instructions being mainly ignored on the grounds of his ineptitude in such matters. Beer and wine aplenty, good food, anecdotes about the old days and people long gone. A tremendous day for all of us, especially knowing that the chances of a recurrence are slim. We’re none of us getting any younger.

That fruit was delicious

Although we woke early again this morning – at 02h00 initially, but starting the day at 04h00 with a cup of coffee when we realised we would doze no more, we’d started the day well – me with a dip in the pool. There was a bit of cloud about but no sign of the threatened and predicted rain and it was pleasantly warm. After breakfast we went up to the Constantia shopping centre to get a few necessities for  future meals – and for Rab to do a bit of window shopping and to hunt down some lipstick in a colour no longer available in Australia. This is often an important part of travel for her. I had a coffee while waiting for her and as happens so often when we are here met up with an old pal who was going home from church to call us and the daughter of another friend who didn’t know we were in town. It is always heart-warming to have these chance encounters – and also shows how small the population is.

We were surprised to see as we drove to the de Villiers that the pine forest at Tokai had all but disappeared and had been replaced by scrubby weeds. This was in its day a lovely area where people walked their dogs, picnicked in the shade and our children played Cowboys and  Indians back at a time when such activities were not regarded as racially motivated. It appears that this is all part of  the Green agenda to remove all ‘alien’ plants from SAfrica and allow the countryside to revert to its pre-colonial condition. A fine aim no doubt, although it is not clear whether the growing of alien plants such as wheat and maize will fall within the ukase to allow farming land to revert to bush veldt. The conversion from pine plantation to fynbos – the term for the natural Cape bush – is a long process, even if it is being helped along by judicious planting of the native flowers and shrubs, but it seems that this is not being done – allowing other ‘aliens’ to grow in place of the pines along with a multitude of weeds. Snakes have returned aplenty and the very dangerous puffadder, which loves to sun itself is particularly dangerous. Unlike most snakes, it relies on camouflage for its protection, so it does not slither off at the first hint of danger, but lies on the paths fangs ready  for a strike if frightened. And the fangs are particularly long and strong, quite capable of piercing a boot or shoe, let alone a modern runner.

We drove up and over the Ou Kaapse Weg – the road that crosses the Steenberg Mountains and were interested to see that the area which was cleared of eucalyptus gums some fifteen years ago seems to have reverted to native bush. We didn’t have time for a closer look but will probably do so some time. Perhaps the Tokai clearances have been done too recently to judge the ultimate outcome.

Steenberg (Stone Mountains) above Sue & Mike's house

On the way back from the clan gathering yesterday afternoon we popped in to see our friends Sue and Mike who were just finishing off their own braai with a couple of pals from the bowling club with evidence aplenty of good red wine having been and still being consumed. I was invited to join in, but having had my behaviour modified by my many years in Australia, I no longer share the somewhat cavalier attitude to driving and drinking that is still prevalent here in SAfrica, where the chances of being caught are so slim.

I thought I was going pretty well despite the early start, but when I stood up to leave Sue and Mike’s home it was like being hit with a brick and I couldn’t wait to get to my bed. We got home about 19h30 and I reckon I was asleep not longer after 19h31. we both had a good night’s sleep and woke at about our normal time of 05h45 so it seems we may have normalised our sleep patterns.