Quite relaxed in spite of the weather!

Enjoying a night-time braai in South Africa

When we left Jo'burg the sun was shining and everyone thought that summer had arrived at last in the southern hemisphere. Oh, no it hasn't! Since we have been in Natal, the weather has been wet and gloomy - apart from one day, Saturday. Jane says that her sister Clare warned her that we would bring the rain because when we first arrived in Norfolk the weather changed for the worst and never really recovered. On Wednesday we plan to fly to Cape Town - I hope the pattern doesn't repeat itself!

On Saturday the weather was glorious. David and I were left in charge of Shannon while Sean and Jane went to a seminar on Water Births and Pregnancy Health and Well Being at Crompton Hospital in Pinetown. During the morning we had a visit from Sean's parents who are here from Spain for their annual holiday to escape the worst of the Spanish holiday season. It was good to see them again after so long. In the evening we went for sundowners at the dam and then had a braai (barbecue to the uninitiated). Jane and Sean's complex has its own dam, a beautiful oasis in a gorge with a river running through it. We had planned to go fishing in the dam on Sunday, but the threatening clouds returned so we scrubbed that idea, but my time was not wasted as I spent the afternoon looking up slow-cooker recipes on the internet for Jane to use. Today, Monday, she is cooking honey-mustard chicken. I love slow cookers - throw everything in first thing in the morning and, 'Hey Presto! Dinner is served'! (How is yours going, Gabriela?)

On Wednesday, Jane will be thirty, so tomorrow evening we are going out for a steak dinner to celebrate. On Saturday she is planning a wild party to which she hopes Suzi will join her from Australia. Suzi is arriving in Jo'burg that morning and being met by an old school friend (and Facebook buddy) Rowan, who has offered to drive her straight to Natal so that she will be in time to help Jane celebrate.

While I have been typing this a troop of monkeys has appeared outside, come to scavenge for whatever they can find. Before anyone says, 'Ah, sweet!' let me tell you that they are anything but! Read Jane's blog of Wednesday July 4 - 'Mangy Monkey's are at it again!' You can find Jane's link to the right of this blog under 'Interesting Sites'.