Hi all. After a very pleasant few days away spending time with Roger's wonderful family, we are back. Yesterday was vile. Freezing cold weather (high of 63, I'm being dramatic) and gale force winds. I took a walk anyway but when I got down to the beach the sand was pelleting my legs and I literally had to run off the beach.
I've been a bit melancholy because Rog is leaving soon to do a two week intense climb in the Berg. It's called the Grand Traverse and I know he's going to love it but I'll miss him. I'm trying not to mope too much. Think of all the time I'll have to write. Yes, that's the way to look at it.
This morning I awoke to blue skies and pristine beaches. I took a walk and meandered around the rock pools. I love it when it's low tide. You see all kinds of fish, anemones, types of seaweed and best of all, shells.
After the stormy weather yesterday the beach was littered with shells and trash. I took out a bag and started collecting plastic bottles, fishing line, broken glass and among those I found three beautiful little cowrie shells which promptly got put into my cowrie pocket.
I walked toward the lagoon that lies on the left of Umdloti toward the next beach town called La Mercy. I love that name. Kind of like French kindness. Anyway, I found another cowrie glittering like a gem in a rock pool. It is solid white. Then I walked back towards our swimming beach. There is a natural rock formation that surrounds it making it a very safe place to swim. When the tide is out it's a great place to climb around and see what creatures are hanging out in the tidal pools.
There is a place that I call the natural aquarium. It's an odd shaped rock and behind it is a recessed area that fills with water. When the tide is out it's full of little fish of all shapes and colors. Stripey, spotted and solid. There is also a type of plant or algae that is a brilliant blue and another that is bright red. The water is crystal clear and it's mesmerizing to watch the fish swim around, darting here and there.
I found another cowrie on that beach. It is pink with orange sides. It's too chilly to swim now but South Africa is weird like that. It'll get cold for a few days
In other news, my new book Blood Brothers is now available on Amazon.com. I don't know why but seeing it on Amazon always makes it seem more official to me somehow. Now I just have to market it. It's not really my strong suit but that's okay. I'm better suited for beachcombing anyway.
Cheers from South Africa.
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