Sam's 26th birthday

A delicious breakfast to celebrate Sam's birthday. Jo was hiking the Plett Camino so was away. The restaurant was awesome. Most of us had Shakshouka. Sam loved the song I created for her.

A very cute and delightful doggie we met at the restaurant

Poker with the boys

 A wonderful night of poker with Antony, Russell, Paul, James and Richard. I started with $100 and came away with R160. Russell and Richard were cleaned out!

Flight to Cape Town

A 26 hour journey from Sydney to Cape Town on Singapore Airline. I was delighted to have three seats to myself for 2 of the 3 legs. Wonderful! 

3 seats to myself for two of the three legs

Blissfully reunited with Jo

Birthday song for Sam

I’ve Watched You Become

Verse 1

Feels like yesterday, Cape Town light

Holding you there for the very first time

So small, so perfect, breath held still

Didn’t know then just how much I’d feel

Through London years and Sydney skies

Watching your world through visits and goodbyes

But every time I saw your face

I saw the person you’d become

Chorus 1

And I’ve watched you become who you are

From a spark to a rising star

From “faster, faster” chasing the wind

To a heart that lets the whole world in

And even from oceans apart

I’ve carried you here in my heart

Verse 2

Running wild with no brakes at all

Laughing loud, never scared to fall

Sunset gold at Llandudno

Salt in your hair, that ocean glow

Sunrise swims in the quiet blue

Finding something honest and true

Curled up slow with a book in hand

Then lighting up every room you stand in

Chorus 2

And I’ve watched you become who you are

All that light, all that heart

Every laugh and every tear

Every doubt that brought you here

And you shine in all that you do

In a way that’s so deeply you

Verse 3

Now you sit in that sacred space

Holding lives with such quiet grace

You see the parts we try to hide

And help them breathe, and soften inside

You’ve known those shadows in your own way

That’s how you know just what to say

Turning pain into something kind

A healing hand, a steady mind

Chorus 3

And I’ve watched you become who you are

Not in spite of the scars

But because you feel so deep

You can hold what others keep

And the world is better, it’s true

Just because it has you

Verse 4

In Kenilworth streets you’ve made your home

Not far from Matt, not far from your own

Sunlight drifting through quiet rooms

Soft conversations, creative blooms

From Stellenbosch halls to Hermanus shores

Giving your heart to something that’s more

And every client that finds your care

Feels something safe just being there

Bridge

From dancing to Abba as a child

To standing strong and undefiled

From fearless speed to deeper sight

You grew your wings in your own time

And all the love you give away

You see it in the lives you touch

It’s there in how you show up

In all the quiet things you do

Final Chorus

And I’ve watched you become who you are

And I couldn’t be more proud

Through every high and every fall

You’ve found a way to hold it all

So keep shining, just like you do

The world is better with you

The death and rebirth of Brennan Park's great tree

 The enormous fig tree in Brennan Park which has guarded the children's playground was injured in a storm and sadly the council had to chop it down. A sad day. The amazing thing is that they have saved a massive branch which they will plant and it will sprout roots and grow. I had no idea fig trees could do this. The great tree will live on and hopefully in time, grow back to its former glory.

The Dance

I love this country song sung by Garth Brooks. It epitomises how I feel about my relationship with Ally.

The Dance

Lookin' back on the memory of

The dance we shared beneath the stars above

For a moment all the world wasn't right

How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye?

And now, I'm glad I didn't know

The way it all would end, the way it all would go

Our lives are better left to chance

I could've missed the pain

But I'd had to miss the dance

And holding you, I held everything

For a moment, wasn't I the king?

If I'd only known how the king would fall

Hey, who's to say, you know I might have changed it all

And now, I'm glad I didn't know

The way it all would end, the way it all would go

Our lives are better left to chance

I could've missed the pain

But I'd had to miss the dance

It's my life, it's better left to chance

I could've missed the pain

But I'd had to miss the dance

Palm Beach and Barrenjoey Lighthouse

Elna and I did another lighthouse outing, this time to Barrenjoey Lighthouse in Palm Beach and it was a super day out.  The lighthouse is high on the top of a rise, so quite a steep walk up but it's well worth it, spectacular with is sandstone walls.

Completed in 1881, the lighthouse was designed by colonial architect James Barnet and constructed from locally quarried sandstone. The tower stands approximately 18 metres high, with its light positioned about 113 metres above sea level, giving it a range of over 19 nautical miles. It remains an active aid to navigation, marking the entrance to Broken Bay, Pittwater, and the Hawkesbury River. 

It was lovely to take in the atmosphere and get photos from multiple angles while Elna did her magic with her sketchbook.

Elna doing her magic

And two gorgeous swim after our walk