Eyeonlife

07/06/2024

A lightning visit by three Cape Batises to our deck. Quick flitting and too much excitement to get great shots!!

03/06/2024

Look what we found lurking in the trees in Scarborough! A white-fronted bee eater.

02/06/2024

Friday saw me taking to the hills again after a long absence. I survived surprisingly well and the walk was spectacular!

Uncategorized Taking a new route June 2, 2024June 2, 2024 eyeonlif Having hiked to Sirkelsvlei from Olifantbos on many occasions, Friday saw our hiking group tread new trails as we set off from the Smitswinkel lookout near the Cape Point Nature Reserve entrance. Only our leader had walked the trail....

27/05/2024

Standing outside under the silvery moon, the distant throb of the engines of a small cruise ship passing by and the closer crashing of waves along the shore of the bay. No night birds call. Balmy air, redolent of summer without the heat and haze. Craters on the moon crisp and almost tangible.

25/05/2024

The seeing is exceptional tonight. Hand-held Nikon P900.

25/05/2024

You can never have too many hikes in Cape Point Nature Reserve!

TrailsUncategorized A stroll in the sea air May 25, 2024May 25, 2024 eyeonlif As summer refuses to yield completely to autumn, the perfect place to enjoy these milder days is on the trails that criss-cross the plateau at Cape Point Nature Reserve. Just such a day was Tuesday, and our little hiking g...

20/05/2024

Seems as though a small cruise ship passes every day! Yesterday was Coral Princess and this morning Silver Moon. Scheduled to arrive in Table Bay for sunrise on Table Mountain.

18/05/2024

Cape Point portraits - Cape Bunting; Cape Starling; Ostrich.

14/05/2024

https://eyeonlifeonline.com/blog/a-taste-of-autumn/

Random musings Protected: A taste of autumn May 14, 2024May 14, 2024 eyeonlif This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password:

12/05/2024

A difficult day
Filled with flashbacks of nostalgia
A redwing starling sang
And I was back in a summer's day
Clovelly, sheltered from the blustery
Summer wind where the birds gathered
So long ago, but a child
And Mother in the kitchen
Making a favourite meal
No more

11/05/2024

The first heavy seas of winter have arrived! No wonder the noise has been deafening! The sea has been so flat for so many months that the memory fades, and I get excited all over again at the sight of a white-capped wave rearing up at the back of the Outer Kom.
This is what living in Kommetjie is all about - ultra-white surf in a sea of ice-cream green, accompanied by rumbling across the bay as the air is forced from the inside of the waves, rich ozone-laden spume tossed across the surface and laid across the rocks as the tide rushes up the shoreline, sea lice scrambling to safety on higher ground, warning us of higher seas to come - as always, like a thief in the dead of night.

(Pic from archive)

10/05/2024

I peered through the window as dawn brought a lightening sky through the heavy cloud cover, raindrops running down the glass, trees bending in the wind and a thought popped into my head - what a wonderful day to be alive! On the other side of those clouds, the sun is eternally shining, the garden is loving the rain and the wind is blowing away any traces of smog to bring healthy fresh air for our very existence.
Without contrasts, there can be no appreciation of anything in life, and it is only through appreciation of every moment, whether good or bad, happy or sad, that we can truly discover what living is all about. Every song that has ever been written is about that person's self-discovery, about how they feel at that moment. Popular songs are those that are easily related to - heartbreak, heartache, love, sadness, happiness - about our most intense emotions, not events. A good measure of your mood is what song is echoing in your mind at any given time.
What's in your head right now? Is that how your day will be?

09/05/2024

A mega twitch this afternoon at Strandfontein Sewage Works. Whinchat, a rare vagrant. Pics taken at quite a distance near edge of pan. Wonderful weather, excellent company.

04/05/2024

Today I went on a tour of Newlands Brewery, an odd thing for a non-beer drinker, but perhaps I may be converted. The offerings from the Newlands Spring Brewing Co need sampling!

Eat, Drink and Be Merry Newlands Brewery – the tour May 4, 2024May 4, 2024 eyeonlif As a member of the Friends of the South African Museum, I have the opportunity to trundle off on a wide selection of cultural outings. The last one was a fabulous fossil tour in the Karoo, but today’s visit to th...

04/05/2024

I am pleased to announce that my travelogue, Gadding in Europe, which is a lighthearted look at a trip with my parents, is now available in an easy to access .pdf format, which will be forwarded by me. No need to access Amazon or Kindle. A R100 charge to support my authorship is all that is necessary. DM for further details. Thank you for your support.

24/04/2024

A mere R30 per month will give you access to all password protected blogs. The more subscribers, the more blogs, and hopefully one day sufficient to remove all advertising. Thank you for your following.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry Protected: Not to everyone’s taste April 24, 2024April 24, 2024 eyeonlif This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password:

24/04/2024

https://eyeonlifeonline.com/blog/staying-ahead/

Random musings Staying ahead April 24, 2024April 24, 2024 eyeonlif I would have been a completely useless cavewoman.Unless I have had a hot shower and washed my hair first thing in the morning, I feel unprepared to leave my cave and expose myself to the outside world. I have the kind of hair that br...

19/04/2024

I am always very appreciative of 'Shares' if you wish to pass my blog on!

Trails Past the wrecks again April 19, 2024April 19, 2024 eyeonlif The Shipwreck Trail from Olifantsbos in the Cape Point Nature Reserve is one we have done many times over the years, but every time it is different. The weather, the wind, the sea, the wildlife and the people change with each visit,....

19/04/2024

Driving past the fire-blackened mountains along Plateau Road from Cape Point Nature Reserve, I spotted a protea bush among the skeletal remnants of 20 years' growth that had decided not to give up - each branch had sprouted new leaves along its entire length, and it was so uplifting to see that nature overcomes all adversity in a cycle of constant renewal.

At a time when one has to question whether Man serves any useful purpose on this planet, and the atrocities perpetrated by the human race not only among themselves, but also against the flora and fauna of this world, it is comforting to know that when we have long since disappeared from this beautiful blue dot hurtling through the universe in an insignificant spiral arm of a lesser galaxy, that which knows not how to hate and destroy will remain as evidence that peace and love will endure forever.

18/04/2024

https://eyeonlifeonline.com/blog/independence/

Random musings Protected: Independence April 18, 2024April 18, 2024 eyeonlif This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password:

18/04/2024

Keeping close to Mom - Kgalagadi, 2019

18/04/2024

https://eyeonlifeonline.com/blog/variety-is-the-spice-of-life/

Random musings Variety is the spice of life April 18, 2024April 18, 2024 eyeonlif As I look back over the last few years, since I started my mostly daily blogging, I can see a pattern developing. Not only is the weather the same almost to the day, with seasonal fluctuations repeating themselves, but...

11/03/2024

https://eyeonlifeonline.com/blog/night-sky/

Looking Up Night sky March 11, 2024March 11, 2024 eyeonlif I have lost count of the number of star parties I have attended. You may think that each one is like the last, especially as everything in the night sky is pretty static in relation to our time on earth, but every time you look up is an oppo...

01/03/2024

https://eyeonlifeonline.com/blog/the-hoped-for-hike-happened/

Trails The hoped-for hike happened! March 1, 2024March 1, 2024 eyeonlif Today saw me venturing off on what must be classified as the easiest hike on our entire trail list – a stroll from The Kom in Kommetjie (a stone’s throw from home) along the coastline to the log at the end of the houses that...

27/02/2024

https://eyeonlifeonline.com/blog/barefoot-for-summer/

Random musings Barefoot for summer February 27, 2024February 27, 2024 eyeonlif I’ve never been one for wearing shoes. They have always been rather an inconvenient necessity, something you need to wear to keep your feet warm in winter, or to go with the business suit or evening dress you are wearin...

25/02/2024

https://eyeonlifeonline.com/blog/hoping-to-hike/

Trails Hoping to hike February 25, 2024February 25, 2024 eyeonlif Summer has passed me by. My editing work seems to peak over the festive season, when everyone is on holiday after a long year at their desks, and it is my task to ensure that the books are ready for the new year. This entails day afte...

23/02/2024

https://eyeonlifeonline.com/blog/brain-fog-is-real/

Random musings Protected: Brain fog is real February 23, 2024February 23, 2024 eyeonlif This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password:

30/01/2024

https://eyeonlifeonline.com/blog/suddenly-a-snake/

TrailsUncategorized Suddenly a snake eyeonlif January 30, 2024January 30, 2024 0 Comments beauty, birds, Cape Point, Cape Town, emergency, healthy, hiking, nature, plan, Platboom, safety, snake As a regular hiker down at Cape Point over the last few years, as well as enjoying beach walks in the purs...

29/01/2024

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Trails eyeonlif January 29, 2024January 29, 2024 0 Comments adventure, American Golden Plover, beauty, Cape Cobra, Cape Point Nature Reserve, Cape Town, danger, fresh air, healthy, nature, observant, plan, prepared, snakes Sudden snake As a regular hiker down at Cape Point over the last few years, a...

25/01/2024

https://eyeonlifeonline.com/blog/scooter-shopping/

Random musings Scooter shopping eyeonlif January 25, 2024January 25, 2024 0 Comments budget, convenience, delivery, heat, long time coming, shopping, time saver Yes, it’s true. I have converted. Those annoying little scooter drivers with the large cooler boxes on the back that weave in and out of ...