Movie and burger night at Pezula kept us awake for the movie, and provided interesting burger options. The lamb with mint tatziki, and the chicken with halloumi cheese and avo the stars. The cinema didn’t have the intimacy of Franschhoek and the hardware failure midway through the movie had that definite ‘home movie’ feel.

Sun out, wind manageable, meant that I was out paddling. The wave action from tidal flow and passing power boats had me floundering to keep my balance, which wasn’t helped by some large fish-type thing that darted out from under my paddle. I did manage to keep clear of the sandbanks.
An anxious moment at the apartment with a wall that forms the new kitchen not being structurally sound. Fortunately, with the sun out they were able to get a new supporting wall into place. The plumbing for the new vanity unit also needed to be moved as it wasn’t where the basin will sit. Dodgy stuff this building! We did get to see the completed vanity unit, the first cupboard crafted for the apartment by Design-Wise. Quite magnificent.
Handing over a print of his portrait to Ernest.

  
Clear, cold skies. A sky of blinking stars. Braai fire.
On the easel, a rowing boat on the beach at low-tide. Wet sand, glistening in the sun, with the odd indentation in the sand leading to the boat. It’s an uncomplicated painting that absorbs. The serenity of water. One of those ‘stop before you mess it up’ paintings.
A trip out of our valley on a grey, stormy day to Plettenberg Bay and Dirty Therapy Nursery. After wandering through the nursery trying to imagine what will work on the new patio at the apartment, a French, soup plate sized cappuccino, on the terrace with its views to the mountains. 
We stopped at Almeria, where we have spent many happy holidays with Aly and at the Grand on Main Street, that felt as though we were back on Zanzibar. Only cleaner and without the humidity!
In the drive to create as energy efficient house as possible, I have come across ceiling fans (Aeratron ceiling fans) that are eco-efficient, an award winning design, and silent. Using only 10% of the electricity of normal ceiling fans, they reduce winter heating costs by as much as 30%. The walls, floor and roof have insulation, and with double glazing the heating and cooling needs should be reduced