Over Table Bay: A Bug and a Biker Dude (and Surfers)

Wildlife here is often familiar yet strange--donkeys with stripes, crows with white bodies and black wings, giant moles. A week or so ago, we encountered this critter in the back yard.

Looked a little like a grasshopper, but, oh, the colors! And the size--I figure it was three or four inches long. When Bill asked his friends at the plant about this strange bug, they told him it was a locust. Just imagine a whole swarm of these guys descending on you! Think it might make a recluse of me.

Over the weekend, we snagged a scooter for Bill so he can zip back and forth to the plant on his own steam. Here are some photos of his practice runs around our little cul de sac.

Biker dude getting ready to head out!

"Hey, I can turn this thing"--bottom of the cul de sac.

Off toward the main road--oh, no!

And safely returned, with just a few scratches from a close encounter with a shrub.

He's getting the hang of it and rode it to the plant today--just in time, since I start volunteering this week with Abalimi Bezekhaya, an organization that supports microfarming in the Khayelitsha area. If you are interested in knowing a little about Abalimi, there is a wonderful video at this url: http://vimeo.com/19360310. You can also find the organization's website if you google the name. The work they are doing is just amazing, and they are creating a replicable model that can help pull people out of poverty all over the country and beyond.

On Sunday, we stayed for the Church Council meeting--we've been promoted to members! So we didn't head home until after 2:00. We turned onto the beach road, intending to lunch at Big Bay, and saw the ocean was full of kite surfers. I'm not sure if this sport has reached the U.S., but it is more popular than wind surfing here. Fortunately, we had packed the camera, so here are some shots.