Good Day "36"

Hi Peggy. No it's not over yet. I challenged them to go to Court to get a Restraining Order against me 3 weeks ago! They have been very quiet ever since. I continue to help Don wherever and whenever I can and will not be bullied into submission by the lout, or his employers!

Don is happy and comfortable at present thanks. Anna is as bad as ever because osteoarthritis doesn't go away. In fact the cold and wet weather adds to daily chores being made even more difficult, but thanks for thinking of us Peggy.

Hi There Peggy!  Do hope you are coping all right with the cold weather as well!   Syd & I are approximately 375 miles apart!!  Almost equivalent to Lands End to John O'Groats! :-)

Our possible return to the UK is still in the pipeline, just awaiting favourable events to occur before final decision can be made!  Might be a few months yet so we are not rushing he housing situation yet!! 

Lots of people on the move these days..or so it seems any more..I still think "variety" is the spice of life and one reason why I like to watch International house hunters on TV at night. Gives me an idea of how the ordinary folk like to live in the world when they get the chance to do so. Last 20 years of my life since the kids got married we have done very little traveling and can't you see how it's affected me in general. I tend to have to go places now through the books I buy to read. I am finishing off the Holloween decorations today. I just hung an huge flag over my wall sized fireplace of autum leaves and at the bottom it says "Welcome"... will build the toasty fire for the fireplace an bit later. You people are not going to believe what the fourth most popular Holloween outfit is for "couples" over here..are you ready....an Naked Prince Harry with an naked Los Vegas showgirl.  I would guess the 'Naked" is some kind of artifical body skin. Sounds better to me then the one they had of Richard Nixon and his poiinty finger one year. Someone has also made up an "thriller" dance step to Micheal Jackson's music also....but what they call "line dancing". You just never what some days will reveal...opps!...I mean bring. Smiles*

Thanks Peggy. There are 2 Table Mountains as you might have gathered. The famous one forming the backdrop to Cape Town and other little known one near Pietermaritzburg. Cathy lives near Pretoria which is 35 miles from Johannesburg and about 370 miles from here. Ironically Cathy used to live here in Pietermaritzburg and I used to live in Pretoria (albeit a very long time ago).

I suggest you look up South Africa on Google Earth then you can "visit" wherever you want to. As you say, things are close in England. When I told Ron I was driving up to Oxford from South Petherton he commented that it was "so far." The next day I drove to Doncaster and the day after that to London. No journey longer than about 4 hours. Here, when I go to Joburg to visit my son, I drive it in 5 to 51/2 hours depending on traffic. It is 350 miles. Last time the roads were empty and I did the 350 miles in 4 hrs 10 minutes without going over the speed limit by more than 5 MPH. The secret is to keep going and not stop. That trip was in a half-ton pickup truck too. (A small Ford)

What you saw of my property is only a tiny part. In total it is 7 acres and when my wife was still alive she kept a pair of horses who did a good job of cutting the grass. Now she's gone and so have the horses I manage the place with the aid of one gardener, a lawn mower and a large brush cutter. I also have let the maid go and manage the house by myself - washing and ironing et al.

I am renting the place out from next year and moving to a "lockup-and-go" so I can travel when I want to. Expect me in England again next June.

All the best to all POEsters