A group of local artists get together each week for a bit of plein air painting (painting in the open, on the spot, rather than from photos). This morning we went to a dairy farm along Kragga Kamma Road, on the outskirts of town, and painted the dam, and beautiful spotted local cattle called Ngunis. It was great to be part of this group, a good mixture of fun, sharing skills and being productive, not to mention the pure joy…
Sometimes there are things that are unique to your town, but they are such a part of everyday life that you don't even realise it. One such example is the route markers on our roads. The green background image behind the route numbers depicts the Donkin lighthouse and Pyramid, which are such iconic symbols of our City, follow the link to read the historic background. (If you look at the profile picture on our sidebar, you will see the real…
When I went on a very interesting and inspiring tour of St Albans Prison recently, one of the lighter moments was provided when we walked into the workshops which are used to train the prisoners in various skills. The first workshop we entered had been burnt out in a recent fire, and we came across this prison uniform hanging menacingly there. The Commandant was a bit taken aback by this macabre touch in the midst of her PR exercise. Her…
At the entrance to the Boardwalk Casino is a fountain, and it doubles up as a wishing well. This little guy just kept wanting to throw coins in... (a bit like the adults inside at the slot machines hehe) hope it's not a sign of things to come!
This little cafe, round the corner from our house, is one of that dying breed of old fashioned family stores, which sell everything. You can't imagine how it all fits into the small space, but no matter what obscure item you ask for (enamelled coffee cup, paraffin lamp, fishing tackle, you name it) they seem to have it in stock.It is in Richmond Hill, and as you can see from the architecture, was built some time in the 1930s. It…
Beach front flats looking over Kings Beach. They must have wonderful views of the area.
Sea gulls coming in to land. The wetland provides a quiet haven for the many birds that frequent the area. In the backgrond is the tank farm and the ore dump.
Every now and again one comes across a gem that you did not know existed, like this wetland at Kings Beach, which is made brighter by these gazanias.In the background you can see one of the fuel tanks at the tank farm and the manganese ore dumps, that will hopefully be relocated to Coega. These have always been a blight in the area and all efforts to have them moved, up to now, have proved fruitless.
Walking on the harbour wall is not allowed, but if you climb the dunes you can get a good view of what is happening in the area. The bay was very calm on Sunday with very little wind, but it did not deter this yacht from going out.