POTD: 10 Feb 2007

Thats right - 84. My best score ever. Had a cracker of a round this morning - with a first nine score of 40 (two birdies and two pars in succession). Back nine wasn't as successful - shot a 44, to give me the 84 total, with 38 points.

POTD: 09 Feb 2007

Went out to Moyo in Melrose Arch last night with K's folks. These are the African vocalists that did a little number for us - three floors down, in the bowels of the restaurant. I had the lamb tagine again - very nice.

The Web (2.0) Explained...

Came across this video on YouTube and thought it would make a good post. It explains the evolution of the Web from early days, where content and presentation was important, to the evolved Web (or Web 2.0 as it sometimes referred to) that we know today - an information ecosystem moulded by, and for, its users.

JHB Demolition

Check out the demolition of four buildings in Jhb - to make way for the Gautrain.

POTD: 08 Feb 2007

Just finished this book. Anyone who has seen the movies Bowling for Columbine or Fahrenheit 9/11 will know who Michael Moore is. As the review on the back states - Michael Moore is the sand in the underpants of the Bush administration. I found the book pretty humorous in parts (like Moore's 7 questions to President Bush, the letter from God, and the calling on Oprah Winfrey to step in as a candidate in the next elections), but on the whole, its the same stuff you always hear from Moore...Bush stole the election, Bush is fighting his daddy's war, there is no link between bin Laden and Hussein, oil is the primary reason for the Iraq War ..blah blah blah. Well researched, and humourous in its attack on the Bush administration, but if you've read Stupid White Men, then don't bother with this - its the same stuff all over.

POTD: 07 Feb 2007

K and I attended a wine tasting evening held by Fairview estate some months ago. Apart from their wonderful wines and cheese range, they decided to start a label that was less formal than the Fairview label - and in doing so, took a look at the wine growing regions of the world. Due to the goats that they have on the farm (for the cheese side of their business of course), and the famous wine growing region in the Rhone Valley of France - the Cotes du Rhone - they called the new label "Goats do Roam". Needless to say, they got into a bit of trouble for doing this, and had one or two legal issues with the French Wine Authorities, but I guess they must have been allowed (or determined) to keep the label - as I found this bottle in a wine shop the other day.

POTD: 06 Feb 2007

After dropping K at work, I headed off to Benoni Country Club for a round of golf. About three holes in, I spotted what looked like Springbok about 3 fairways down. Sure enough, when I got there, I came across a herd of about 30 Springbok, some Hartebeest, Duiker and Peacock. The round of golf wasn't much to talk about, but the animals were pretty impressive.

POTD: 05 Feb 2007

Had the misfortune of starting my car this morning, only to find out that the battery was on its way out. My car mis-fired all the way to K's work this morning - so I decided to have it checked out. Sure enough, there was one dead cell in the battery (and anyone who has done Science and remembers that connecting batteries in series means that if one goes, they all go). As Murphy's law would have it, the battery was 3 months out of its warranty - so I was forced to buy a new one.

The Dullstroom Highlands

Just arrived back from a great weekend away in Dullstroom. We left on Friday afternoon, and 2 and a bit hours later, checked into Critchley Hackle. On the outer edge of town, it is built around a beautiful trout dam, overlooking a valley and gentle rolling hills out towards the Lydenburg in the East. Didn't take us long to settle in, and settle down with a glass of red wine and the burning log fires in the pub (log fires in the middle of summer? I know...but yes, there were log fires. It gets pretty cold in the Dullstroom region, and the log fires not only add to the ambiance, but are necessary in the freezing winters, and chilly summer evenings).
I woke up early on Saturday morning to try my hand at some fly fishing. After 2 hours of nothing, my luck eventually changed, and I seized 3 trout within about 45 minutes. The dam is stocked every 2 months or so, so the trout are all pretty much the same size - around a kilo each. I decided that a "catch and release" policy was best, as there was plenty of trout on the menu each night.
We had a great breakfast, a walk around town, and then went on a drive out towards Lydenburg. Came back just in time to cast a few more lines (no success this time) before watching the rugby and settling down for another superb meal.
Here are a couple of pics from the weekend:

This is a shot from outside our room, with full moon in the background.

Early morning mist on the dam.


Early morning fly fishing action.


K and her dad Roy.


The Wilsons - K with Roy and Sharon.

All in all a good weekend away. My personal highlights:
- Catching 4 trout
- Waking up at 5am to watch the sun rise
- Scottish Oats (with whisky) for breakfast
- A night sky full of stars
- Two fine dinners with K's folks at the table, over a good bottle of wine.

POTD: 04 Feb 2007

Another scenic early morning shot of the Critchley Hackle grounds, trout dam, rooms and mountain in the background.

POTD: 03 Feb 2007

Got up early on Saturday morning to try my hand at a little fly fishing, and was rewarded with this sunrise shot.