Welcoming 2011

Tuesday morning we had our chill coffee under the trees watching the birds having their usual feeding frenzy. When Hubby first started putting the seed out it lasted about a week but now the greedy things finish it a day. All the birds in the area must have been informed of the free food and as soon as the feeders are filled they swarm in. It is lovely to chill and watch them and the variety in the garden now is amazing. We are getting birds we have never seen before such as the Pintailed Whydah bird which we have seen pecking on the floor under the feeders. There is still plenty of Quelea feeding as well. Once Hubby had left for the workshop I did a quick clear up in the kitchen and then Diane and I left for a day at Eastgate. We booked to see the latest` Focker’ movie before having lunch at Lattelicious. As we had walked past on the way to book the delicious smell of coffee had hit me from them and so decided that we would eat there for a change. It was a good choice as the coffee was perfect and the meal was excellent. We both had pasta dishes which we really enjoyed and finished off with a carrot juice to get our health kick in. After wandering around the shops we headed back for our movie which kept us in stitches. We both agreed that this was the best one so far. After the movie we did some more shopping before heading home for our glass of wine and, once supper was over, a good evening of TV viewing.
The rest of the week was spent doing computer work and the making sure the house looked good to welcome in the New Year. New Years Eve we chilled with wine and snacks watching the start of 2011 on TV.
New Years Day after a chill breakfast outside under the trees we got ourselves ready for a day on the Vaal. Arriving at StoneHaven was quite a surprise as the place was already rather packed with a lot of people having the same idea. Since our last visit there have been many additions and improvements to the place which is really looking good. The gardens were stunning after all the rain in the last few weeks. The lawns leading down to the river were covered in umbrellas, chairs and tables as well as a large marquee. After wandering around admiring the gardens and taking pics we found ourselves a table and ordered drinks while deciding on what to eat for lunch. Hubby had lamb shank while I settled for the prawns and Diane decided to have chips with a mushroom sauce. We all enjoyed the food which was excellent as usual. We chilled over lunch for several hours watching all the happenings around us. Considering the amount of people there the service and food was absolutely fantastic. It was mid afternoon by the time we were finished and we decided to go on the cruise down the river at half three. After booking the tickets we continued to relax on the lawn until time to board. By the time we found our seats on the top deck of ‘The Spirit of Jen’ the sun was blazing down uncomfortably so we moved to a table inside. The cruise took us downriver along ‘Millionaire’s Mile’ and back to StoneHaven. We sat thoroughly enjoying ourselves taking pics, enjoying the scenery and life along the river while nursing our savannah lites. The cruise was definitely a good end to a wonderful New Years Day spent relaxing in a beautiful setting with good company and great food. Once home we all had a nap before thinking about supper and an evening in front of the TV.
Sunday was another chill day relaxing under the trees. We tried to go onto the internet in the afternoon but had run out of airtime. Monday morning I quickly cleared some washing before going to get some airtime for the computer. By the time we got back there was so much thunder and lightning activity around that it was impossible to even think about putting the computer on. This lasted for the rest of the day though we only, eventually, had rain late evening. The storm was so bad we couldn’t even have the TV on. At least we were able to do lots of reading.

Have a Fantastic 2011 and May ALL your Hopes and Dreams come True.