Awake with the birds

Saturday morning - 
We left the house at 05:00 .... why do photographers do everything at dawn? *shaking my head* if it was summer it would be 04:00 out of the house for the early sunrise...
Oh yes, they want to get that beautiful morning light, that glorious golden color.


So I joined hubby on his trip to Marievale, must be his one millionth trip there, he didn't have any of his usual buddies with him and with Tigs out of the house at a sleepover I decided to pack my flask and blankie and join him on this trip. This was my first. 


Marievale is a bird sanctuary and a real birders paradise and of course heaven for photographers. Perfect little hides right here at home (45 minute drive for us).
We were the first ones to arrive and book our spot. We watched the sun rise, had coffee/him & hot chocolate/me. Listened to the birds beautiful choir as they woke and came out to warm in the early morning sun.
It was a good morning! The birds got louder, I love their music ...

Hubby packed a camera for me but I think he put it on all sorts of crazy settings just to confuse me and to make sure I don't take better pictures than him.

So these first ones are from my cell and below are the ones taken with the Sony a550

Sun rise 

06:30  -  Sun rises now 

07:00 

The crew  of enthusiasts 

My # 1 Enthusiast 

The real camera photos - 

Redknobbed Coot

Purple Gallinule

Hottentot Teal

Cape Clawless Otters

Malachite Kingfisher

Common Stonechat

Black Crake

Cape Shoveler - bottoms up!

Buffstreaked Chat

Beautiful morning, loved it, thank you babes 
 xoxo

Pink Therapy

On Wednesday night I go to therapy; and these past few weeks I have been doing PINK therapy; it’s a type of medicine that relieves pain, cures and restores health.

PINK is the universal color of love.

Pink is a combination of red and white. The energy in pink is determined by how much red you use.

Pink is a quiet color.

It combines fullness and energy and provides feelings of caring, tenderness, self-worth and love, acceptance.

… that and the smell of turps every Wednesday evening is so good for me … as the pink is just about finished I’m thinking, what is my next therapy color?

Mango Yum

Mangoes will be gone soon - and before they dissapear and only come back at the end of the year again grab a few quickly and try this. It's yum, this was my sisters recipe (sure she won't mind me sharing)

1 cup natural yoghurt (preferably greek yoghrut)

1 cup fresh cream

2 large mangoes cut into slices

Brown sugar

Put slices of mango at the bottom of the dish. Beat the cream and add the yoghurt.

Pour over mango slices and sprinkle with brown sugar. Refrigerate.

Enjoy
xxxx

Rain now?

It's the end of April, the TV blankets are starting to come out and although we have a small quick autumn it is officially autumn - red, yellow, brown trees are proof of that. Some people are starting to wear gloves, scarves, boots and coats.  Calm down it's not that cold yet....and then we are having rain...this is today's rainbow.

Not just rain but thunder in our area; like a proper summer thunder storm. So weird for this time of the year.
And then this - our beautiful gold koi looks ready to spawn!! Just that it's too cold already, it's a bit too late for that and that beautiful koi might die.

Raining in autumn and in already freezing water beautiful koi struggles to swim. Strange weather and strange things happening all around us.

I have nothing to wear ?!

I have nothing to wear reminds me of a t-shirt I owned when I was in my late teens. Yes another one of those funny t-shirts. These ones I remember very clearly, my mother hated them and we loved them. My sis had one that said: "I can't believe I forgot to have children" this was so typical of her, she was the forgetful one who always lost things especially keys...and she did have kids late in life as if she only remembered she could do that when she was like 50 oops, I mean turning 40.

My t-shirt said: "I can't believe I'm 21 & still have nothing to wear" that also suited me I was not too good at buying anything half decent for myself although I was already working and buying my own clothes. Things have not changed too much, I'm still 21, LOL, and I still have nothing to wear. I am always envious of people that can put an outfit or look together by just mix-matching anything in their cupboards. You know those girls that put on a brown paper bag, high heels, jewelry and look glamorous! Yeah that effortless look, everyone around me seems to have, I am envious of that.

Anyway, I have a crisis now. I am going to my friends wedding and I really-honestly-truely have nothing to wear. I have spent hours going into all the shops you can imagine. Except ackermans (nothing against them) but I was in every store from the most expensive to the normal places and I bought nothing.

Today's fashion? Well yes, I see that the creased look is in, the doilies are back - I think they mean to add lace but it ends up looking like my grans whole cupboard exploded in one dress. Leopard print and sequins are also back and every store had them. I hate all of that.
Anything that looked half decent was a t-shirt or a dress in t-shirt material and expensive. Now I am quite happy to spend good money on something pretty for my friends wedding. I don't want to embarrass her but I am not going to pay R700 for a Jo Borkett t-shirt with no funny sayings on it!! Sorry Jo I draw the line here.

I got so desperate I started taking photos of the options out there....Help! I really have nothing to wear! 


CREASED PLASTIC LOOK
love the gold - yeah!







RED INDIAN APACHE LOOK
who ever though that blankets could be worn?







TARTY PROM QUEEN LOOK
ugh, say no more




MY PJ's
my favorite most comfortable piece of clothing



BLUE BANK T-SHIRT 
at least the other guests will know I'm a friend of the bride. David will be relieved he doesn't know me!

So my friend - "I know you don't care what I wear, you already have a dress, which you thoughtlessly bought without asking me if I also wanted one in a bigger size, but just so you know I have not given up and I'm still looking for something unique"

This weekend we are going out again, this time hubby is coming with.

Oh brother, total melt down in the mall I can see it already!!

Morning Drive in Joburg

My morning starts early, we need to be at school before the bell goes off (promptly at 07h40), I don't like arriving at the school when the bell is going off or they are closing the gate. We live 26k's away from school. Some days are really hectic. It's actually crazy every day, sometimes I'm in the car hooting to speed up my child that is always running a bit late, every minute counts. And then we hit the road. It's bumper to bumper traffic most of the way, we have small pleasant gaps of open road near home and then we turn into Glenanda and we sit...
Taxis, trucks, out-of-order robots, slow drivers, more annoying taxis and pedestrians. We have it all.
I lose my patience quickly and use the hooter freely and sometimes sign language too.


I am working on that - the sign language piece. That is why I try to keep myself busy admiring what's around me, watching people. We have some great views in the city and real South African people and things to look at along the way...
It's hard work staying away from negativity and I really hate it when people can't see the beauty of where we live, it's a bit of a jungle sometimes (well lots of times) but there is beauty all around us. Just stop a while and look you will see it too.


First let me explain, I say that I have a photography crazy husband, and I do, but these are not his photos they are mine. He and the boys have cameras and lenses and fancy gadgets to support their hobby. My equipment is a tiny quick snap camera (which is actually very slow) and my cell phone. Really, that is all I have. 
I then load them on my iPad and put it through instagram & colorsplash and make some changes (fuzzy them up etc) I am not even trying to compete with the photographers out there, my pics would never meet the expectations of the camera club. 
And yes I did take these photos while sitting in traffic, robots and making some very very quick stops (every minute counts) I can't afford to waste time in traffic some were even taken through my dirty windscreen. So now that you know my secret here is my story - 


This is my morning drive to school and then to work and this is Johannesburg.

Joburg seen through my eyes

It starts somewhere here...

The Saddened & Hungry 

Sun is not completely out yet - on most mornings anyway 

Love staring at the sky 

I love this road, the maple trees are starting to turn dark brown red, they form the most awesome canopy

This is the 'truck' road, they like to break down at the top of the hill or under the bridge. I enjoy the view of the buildings and I try to ignore the trucks and soak in the sunshine

What's in the buckets? I know one has vetkoek others have meat...that's all I'm saying
I never make fun of someone else's food :O)

Ahh! Washing day! 

Other side of the fence is the Jeppestown railway line
Washing is out on Tuesday afternoon

...and Wednesday and Friday mornings

I'm amazed at how it hangs here every week and no one takes clothes

I wonder if she uses sta-soft?

Sweets, Lion matches, colour popcorn, bananas & apples 

Bread, vetkoek, rock cakes, boiled eggs, chips

Marshall Street brings memories of when my dad drove us to church, if you speed here just a little you go over these bumps that make the butterflies in your tummy somersault. I still love the feeling and now I can do it myself 

I also love the arch that the trees form, it's so beautiful.
Can you see the 'waves' on the left hand side of the road? Just a little speed over these and it's such a nice feeling in the tummy

We are close to the school and this Jacaranda tree is breathtaking in October when it's painted in purple

I like this house, very different from the one in Rome, but I'm glad we also have our own Colosseum in SA!

Caledonia Hill - the cross is a memorial from the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902); it commemorates the Scottish officers that died during that time. When we were kids we used to come up here on Sabbath afternoon (church was just down the road) it's a beautiful view of the city from the top

Unaware of anything around him, he wakes up just before I stop the car, he knows when we have arrived

Inside the school - in front of Sable House

Sable House - I know the boys might not agree but I think the school is beautiful

Famous or not this is 'Commissioner Street' - 
taxis & pedestrians drive me insane here but the street sellers keep me amused 

Chips, sweets, boiled egg, etc

One of those shops that sells EVERYTHING you can imagine. The window front is open - no glass! 
You can really see the products properly :) 
Shop front changes about once a week

The Forgotten & Lonely

Sweets and I'm almost in the office

That's 35k's and I'm about to drive into the parking lot, will be facing a different jungle in the building. This is my morning drive

I didn't know when I staretd preparing for this blog and taking photos of my morning drive, but The Star newspaper is running a photographic competition The Glory of Our City  celebrating the 125th year of Joburg!

Readers are invited to submit photos of Joburg, (historical or funny, anything) one of the prizes is a Nikon D7000 (sounds impressive enough to me) and it is so easy just email your pic to star@nikon.co.za

I might just enter one of my photos for the amazing I Am Jo'Burg competition.

I have been doing this drive for the past five years, every morning, it's never boring but I am soooo glad this is the last year (year six!) of mom's taxi.
I love this city ... xoxo