Sometime I am amazed how pretty some of the dirt roads are around Bloemfontein, this is on the way back fro Krugersdrift dam today, I went out to see if it had started overflowing from the recent rains we have been having. I don't know what it is about trees falling in the roads I travel... but this time it seems this branch broke off a day or two ago, it had been cut up and dragged out of the road where it had come crashing down. Glad it did not happen as someone drove past in the dark... it fell from quite high up on the tree. One of the reasons I also think we should do away with eucalyptus trees, after a few years they shed branches like leaves. A little further down the road I turned off a trail and ended up at this abandoned ruin, sad to see what was once a home so shattered and broken. As you can see the recent rains are starting to add up, more and more standing water after each shower we have... The countryside is greener than I can ever remember for this time of year as well. A bit further on I saw the house mentioned in the paper a few days ago that had lost a roof in one of our storms, the folks seem to be re-organizing their lives as they have the place rebuilt. Although camping in a caravan in one's own back yard is probably not what they would have wanted to start 2011 with. "A few minutes ago every tree was excited, bowing to the roaring storm, waving, swirling, tossing their branches in glorious enthusiasm like worship. But though to the outer ear these trees are now silent, their songs never cease."John Muir
Shrek the KLR650 that is... today is the anniversary of me saying, "The Green one is mine!" and signing on the dotted line... So around 11AM MD popped around to my office and we took a coffee break... then we decided to take Shrek for a Birthday Ride to Hoopstad to visit friends of MD's. First thing was to but on the tankbag and pop the warm gear in the topbox and fetch MD... when I arrived she was already ATGATTed. Did not take any pics on the way but what we did next made up for that, here we are about to go Offroad in a diffrent way! The combine is a factory on wheels, with all the latest data gathering electronics, here we are being shown how much yield the particular stretch of maize is giving, this information is then used with soil samples to determine next seasons nutrient dose. The business end... First of two loads we saw ofloaded in the run across the field... Taking a break before the next run... yeah... parts of the dirt road to the farm looked like this field track... but we beat the Sand Monster. Off into the sunset goes the Monster... Then we saw the momma of all tractors! Showing MD the controls and GPS assisted computer guidance system... similar to that on a cruise missile... but being used to literaly guide the plough... all the operator has to do is drive it to a particular field, do the first row, set the system and wait for it to finish the back row to turn it around again. All this with a 10mm precision. The newer ones do the turning around as well I hear... who needs a driver! Shrek patiently waiting for us to finish guzzling coffee, tart and flapjacks! Typical Free State Platteland hospitality! And by the time we got to Bultfontein it was getting dark... arrived back home just after seven after a wonderful ride and visit. Nice way to celebrate 12 months with Shrek! Wow... what an amazing twelve months this has been, not without it's sorrows but nothing unsurmountable, just like when you hid a rough spot while riding you apply some power, the same way when life had rough spots we were able to draw on God's power and make it to the other side... it would have been a much less rewarding trip without His guiding hand I believe. "For believe me: the secret for harvesting from existence the greatest fruitfulness and greatest enjoyment is - to live dangerously." Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900) This is my WD label... for all my future bike blogs.
The route... Hoggies to Seymour via Mitchell's pass... The mountain with a heart... just for US!
The pass goes down there..... Getting ready to mount up for the next stop... one of many for various reasons as well! Now where did the road go, this looks like the Roof of Africa! A short while later on a really bad patch we got to test our ATTGAT gear... after getting out from under the bike, dusting ourselves off and checking that all parts both on us and the bike worked we decided to roll the bike over a bad patch... A noob off roader... seasoned off roaders would have hurtled down here flat out... it did get better later on as I got the hang of gunning it through obstacles... I have more confidence in my gear after dropping Shrek three times... or was it four! So a fall would not be too bad as I kept the speed pretty low, using lower gears to brake downhill and to scoot out of slippery bits. I am getting better at this dirt stuff but without the proper gear it would have been very painful. Here one can see the busted clutch lever from the last "drop"... need to add that to my carry on spares next time. and here is a KLR solution... use a tool as a spare part. (axle spanner lever) It works pretty well by the way. a Much needed respite from a very hot and sweaty decent. From here the road re-appeared and was quite fun to ride, we decided to return to Hoggies via Fort Beaufort and Alice. I was not up to facing more of this type of road for one day.
Of course we were very glad that we had Guardian Angels looking over us, we will be more carefull next time as I think they worked overtime this trip! "Remember that nobody will ever get ahead of you as long as he is kicking you in the seat of the pants." Walter Winchell (1897 - 1972)
I notice that my Labels are getting out of hand and the only way to fix it will be to upgrade/migrate the blog to the newer customised template but the thought of all the stuff that has to be fixed is a daunting thought... I also notice that my page hits counter has now surpassed the kilometre-age of Shrek, when did that happen? 5000 views, I am amazed and at the same time humbled that so many have taken a peek into my life, I trust you found something that made you think or just touched your soul in some way or another. "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep." Robert Frost (1874 - 1963), Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
“Our Father Which Art in Heaven,” “Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power,and the Glory, For Ever. Amen.” Matthew 6:9,13, KJV When I saw this picture on The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth I just had to put it up and use it as the theme for today, I am today putting in electronic format the thanks I have been expressing to God for my recent holiday and all that went before and after it. The wonderful people I met that helped me in one way or another, the people that let me into their lives in some way or another and the wonders He let me experience, it was a life changing experience in so many ways. His gift to me has been that I will never again doubt that anything cannot be done and that we should always face a challenge, with Him on our side who can be against us. Since getting back quite a few challenges have been put in my path but I believe that they will be overcome in a miraculous way, not that the physical means have not been provided either, that already has been amazing.
My ideas for an Adventuring Company will become reality, that I am sure of as well, the books I have come across since I started thinking of this have been both inspirational and an affirmation that I am not crazy.
I have also had this thought that whatever form the Adventure idea takes will have to include a way of uplifting the people we come across in the process, whether it be just being a witness to their lives or influencing them to aspire to achieve their dreams as we are. That would be the real reward.
Pray - Tina Cousins
What a miracle is life the fields are high and fruit is ripe so hold out your hands yeah, hold out your hands
And you're the same as me you breathe the air I breathe and we don't understand yeah, we don't understand
And if you don't ask questions you won't know why so say a prayer for the dying while there's still time. So
Pray for good and pray for love Pray for peace and pray it's enough pray for salvation, pray that we're right pray for one day we open our eyes And pray for them and pray for us pray one day we can live as one pray for the children whose time is to come And pray they forgive us for the stupid things we've done
We all see the same sun each day a golden praise is sung to the wonder of man yeah, the wonder of man And when we look why can't we see all the riches that are free oh we don't understand yeah, we don't understand
And if you don't ask questions you won't know why so say a prayer for the dying while there's still time. So
Pray for good and pray for love Pray for peace and pray it's enough pray for salvation, pray that we're right pray for one day we open our eyes And pray for them and pray for us pray one day we can live as one pray for the children whose time is to come And pray they forgive us for the stupid things we've done
The song sums up my feelings remarkably, I may have put the lyrics up before but they just fit with the theme... Video insertion thanks to my newest toy on Firefox called FoxyTunes a "remote" for your browser that controls your media player, Winamp in my case... it is absolutely awesome. While listening to a song you can search for everything related to the song, I mean everything! It is also available for IE... if you have to that is... Isn't Technology wonderful? Another gift we should be grateful for. "Happiness isn't something you experience; it's something you remember." Oscar Levant (1906 - 1972)
Should one backblog? that is when you blog about something after the fact so to speak but make the date correct for the subject. I do sometimes and have been doing so for my 12 Days with Shrek journal. I do not think it is cheating but it does show a chink of procrastination I suppose. Anyway... I will be backblogging sometime about Bill Flynn, my favourite South African actor. I see his memorial service will be on the 23rd July... hamba gashle Bill. I bet the Angels are in hysterics at present with your tales. Maybe God needed some cheering up. I have a motorsport meeting later that I am not looking forward to... I am not good in confrontation, especially with numbskull's. 6 hours later... The meeting actually went well... there were no fisticuffs and some good points were raised... but I have this deja vu feeling that this has been said and done before... now to see if the words will become deeds. We all want to promote dirt racing in it's various forms. The only thing I regret is that I had to turn KatieB down for coffee, I would have rather done that than a stressful meeting. The quote sort of sums up my feeling about my love for being involved with dirt racing and the club affairs. I just detest the politics involved... That is why I like adventureing with Katieb... there is no hidden agenda or facade... we are who we are... I love it that way... "Play: Work that you enjoy doing for nothing." Evan Esar (1899 - 1995), Esar's Comic Dictionary
Woke up humming "Missing" by No Mercy and for the first time I had an urgent need to get home, I miss my kids and cats but I miss something else as well. The Yatclub... a highly recommended establishment for weary travelers. This was taken as I digested a breakfast of note... I had my own mini loaf of freshly baked bread and the most delicious omelet made by the host Des. The tranquility of the dam at the Yatclub, now I saw why Des said he changed the name to Yatclub... this stretch of the Grobbelaars's river is scarcely big enough to float a canoe. These clouds made up my mind that I needed a warm mug of coffee... back in Bloem preferably! One went before me... So I am not the only crazy biker out in the freezing cold... making wee breaks to errrr strech the legs... cold weather and 3 cups of strong coffee do not help the miles go by. The desolation of Karroo vistas... my heart is sometimes as hungry as these vast places... I am craving someone to share my dreams with again and somone has been texting me a few times this trip that I feel may just be the one to share with. I may be wrong... Last picture of the trip as I stood freezing on the Lootsberg pass... there was even more snow around the corner! From here we had crosswinds, headwinds, tailwinds, a few drops of sleet and a conviction that something needed to be done... Reaching Middelburg I decided to brave the wind and try for Colesberg, maybe staying overnight. When I saw the distance between Colesberg and Bloem I sent a text request for sustenance... ETA 7 pm it is. I think this is when the little arrow took effect. The rest of the day is history and engraved in my heart forever... Tomorrow is bright with possibility. "Sometimes I think we're alone. Sometimes I think we're not. In either case, the thought is staggering." R. Buckminster Fuller (1895 - 1983) Day 12 of 12 Days with Shrek
Morning breaks while I wait to be picked up to get reunited with the Beast. Life sprouting from decay and the circle continues... I made it to Century City and The Canal Walk shopping centre, signposting for the canal Walk was rather obscure though but after using some logic I figured out was going on, just sorry I took no pictures though. Got to Mug&Bean easily as I had parked right at the entrance it was at. Met H as well as our Union Rep! She was also visiting her kids in the Cape... H seems quite happy but we did not get much chance to talk... L was shopping! and only arrived after a while, she is having a ball with mom and I am glad they could be together again. Finished up mu brunch for the road and we said our goodbyes... I want to get home... somehow the song Missing is ringing in my head as I head north up the N1 to Worcester and the turnoff to Route 62... The valley where my and M's favourite sauce is made! This is also the Koo valley that Route 62 goes through. Scenic beyond description. Someone else doing Route 62 in a V12 Jaguar... fellow seekers of the highway's treasures... A stiff breeze blows as I dismount at the den of iniquity that I had heard and read about... but do not judge a book by it's name. The best bouncer in the Klein Karoo, if he growls at you, you are asked politely that your presence has offended the bouncer and that you had better be on your way... he never growled once while I was there... Ronnie tending to his patrons needs, I wish I had more time to spend and hear about all the stories this interesting man has to tell... I will be back! The road from here to Oudsthoorn was very good and had some good twisties especially outside Calitzdorp, fortunately it only got dark as I approached Oudtshoorn... I found the Yatclub that Ronnie had recomended very easily and they made me feel very welcome... I walked up the street to the Dros and had supper while watching the Sharks trounce WP... as I walked back Missing played in my head again... Day 11 of 12 Days with Shrek
Postnet's securicats... The team, Rudi, Jan and Graham... The steed and me in armour... that reflective harness made more than one motorist notice me... On the way to Worcester before I saw the oil... Stranded in a wooded glade, back at Mountain Breeze while Justin awaits the elusive seal...
Thar she blows! Humpback whales. These Americans completley forgot that is was Independence Day for them... and for me as well. I wonder who was more inquisitive? Oy! That plane keeps buzzing us! The Gentle Giants, Southern Right Whales. Three abreast on the Starboard... Gansbaai from the bay. Back in harbour... A very blurry squirrel... these were the most camera shy creatures of the whole day! day 9 of 12 Days with Shrek
