Early morning light from the deck. We have been so fortunate to have this lovely weather even though, when I stepped outside, I nearly froze! The trees are just starting to turn, lots of golds and yellows and the reflections are gorgeous.
The garden is looking pretty tatty now; been removing dead stuff so there isn't much color left, though around the side of the house, because of the warm weather we've been having, the poppies are blooming again!
"They" are telling us it will be an El Nino year which for us means drier and warmer - anything has to be better than last year. I was so convinced I wouldn't be here this winter, that I got rid of almost all my winter clothes so now I have to replace them. But they were all too big for me anyway, so regardless, I would have had to do this. Should be fun, though I am definitely not much of a shopper.
I am narrowing down my search for a web programmer/designer and will most likely make the decision today. It's "gulp" a big decision as it is what will be presenting our image to the world so it has to be good. I can see what I want it to look like it my mind's eye, now the trick is to be able to communicate that to the designer. The ones I am looking at all say it can be done and tested and live by my Nov 5 date so...
Once I have decided who to use, I will start getting all the content ready - words and pix - so that once the framework is done, they can start populating the site. I think it is going to be a very busy month :)
The community here had a get together down at the marina pavilion yesterday evening, to celebrate the dredging that is finally happening. I think they have finally decided to hire someone on an ongoing basis to work with all the government entities involved so that we can maintain a permit to keep the marina and entrance clear - talk about bureaucracy - I have lost count of how many government bodies are involved and have to have their say. Anyway, it was an effort to go down there, but I have to force myself to do those sort of things. It is just that I don't have much in common with them all - they are all couples, well most are and very clique-ish. But there is a single lady down the street who wants to walk every day so we are going to try to get some sort of schedule going, which will be good. I should be out there now, instead of sitting here in a nice warm house writing this.
One thing that really stands out for me in this country, is that there is a sense of community. And it was very apparent to me last night.
Biff has lived on this street for about eight years now. On the day he moved in, I was here and a neighbor called Angie showed up at the door with flowers. I didn't remember that but Biff did, and when we saw her the other day when we were taking the dogs for a walk, she stopped in her car and invited us over for drinks.
So yesterday evening we went next door. (I took one of the pineapples we had bought from the roadside stand the precious day.) Two other neighbor couples showed up as well, and Angie had lovely snacks and the wine and beer flowed. Everyone made me feel so at home and comfortable. There were no airs or pretenses, just honest, down to earth people. But what really struck me is that everyone there looked out for the others on the street, without any expectations. Angie was hilarious with her stories of goings on. I felt like I was in a soap opera and we even came up with a name for it - 20 Leslie Rd, Angies house. But all the joking and carrying on was in such good humor. I can't remember when I was in a situation like that - it is a completely different mind set and something that is sorely lacking in the States.I must say that I feel that the mood and tempo of South Africa has changed - and for the better. When I was here five years ago, it felt as if everyone was on edge and there was fear in the air. Now, it doesn't feel that way at all. I have had nothing but good experiences with the locals who before seemed to carry a real chip on their shoulders. Of course, a lot of the problems have not disappeared; houses are still alarmed and robbed anyway; cars must always be locked and you have to always be aware of where you are. And, like any other country, there are places where you just do not go. But overall, it feels good.
Prices have risen a lot, but it is still about half what it costs in the States. Some things, like cars and computers and TVs cost the same, but the basics like housing and food are substantially less. For the middle class, salaries are rising and for the corrupt upper echelons, their income has gone through the roof regardless of any standards. For the poor people, times are getting tougher as food prices rise but there is an investigation now into why the prices are escalating and there is a feeling (probably a knowing) that someone somewhere is raking in a lot of money.
Every country has its issues. It's a matter of weighing them against the good that is out there and focusing on that, instead of always looking to what is not "right," and then getting on with life.
