The house is really, really nice. Though he'd never say so, Koos (say "Coors" beer but leave out
the "r" and you've got the pronunciation) is quite well off. He works very long hours at his business (he's also an engineer) and enjoys simple evenings in front of a tv set to a volume decibel just below that which would crack bone.As the weather is warming up, afternoons in the back yard (the "garden") blows my mind. My view isn't quite what it used to be, but all I have to do is walk out the front door to have one of those. The new view is of, I think it's called "Jonkershoek Mountain." If I look to the left, I see good ol' Stellenbosch Mountain. Here is the living room- well the 1st living room, as there is another smaller one (livin' rich). There is a picture of the soup I'm currently addicted to, as well. Just boil in some broth and you're good to go. Where can I get this wheat on it's own, so I can make it? Man, I've got to find out what turnips and parsnips look like.
Bees are absolutely everywhere (not sure which of the two subspecies are, but they're pretty
tolerant of my prodding camera lens, so likely apis mellifera capensis, vs. apis mellifera scutellata- I know what you're thinking, I'm lucky, right?). I hung my laundry yesterday, and noticed the backyard was swarming with insects and had a field day exploring.I can't even express how much I love being able to look at and play with insects without having to kill them and pin them to boards. Last semester, I had three of these Fruit Chafer beetles (Pachnoda sunuata) in my foul collection- in the short video. I also was startled to find a Promece longipes beetle (the metallic one)! Check out those antennae and that color. There were a few of them, and they flew all around, swarming the shrub, as it's flowering, bringing all these treasures to my doorstep.
There are gorgeous plants all over his yard- and it's not even a nice yard (sorry, but in comparison to the area, it's not manicured at all- but who cares!). There are proteas (below are just two varieties) and all sorts of flowers that are heinously expensive in the states, but that are cheap here.
Koos, and lots of people here, have these little machines they use to add carbonation to water, vs. buying club soda. It's cheaper, and it allows you to have really fizzy water vs. flat water after 2 days. He uses it for his Johnnie Walker drinks. I'm accustomed to that sound now, the grinding sound. Sorry the image is flipped- lucky for you your head can turn. He braai's on weekends, and that's when we sit and talk. He lived through Africa in an interesting time, and has views of the various political parties from the viewpoint of a soldier, not just a spoiled young adult. He knows what it is to patrol a township with a rifle, and has built his business up from the ground.
Last week, maybe 2 weeks ago, actually, I biked for the first time in Jonkershoek since my
injury, to see if I could do it. I did the 10k jeep trail in the park- it was very tough, but not as tough as the first time I did it- so that's good. On the bike ride, I dustily scraped to a stop when I saw insects I had never seen there, before. A great pamphagidae grasshopper (I call it, Trojanus jonkus), a monkey beetle (Pachycnema marginella) and an unknown sort of beetle.
There's a spot I go to when I hike/bike there, and it was freezing, absolutely freezing- but as always, the water was clear and tasted great.
Another protea- I think maybe a king protea?
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