In which I remember a hornbill.

A few words about Hyacinth.

That's not amazing.

In which... ugh... rain.

SUN In which we head to Stellies...

Curry night In which I cook a curry...

Barn In which there is a barn...

In which we see just how much rain Cape Town is going to get this weekend...

In which we finally see some MAGA regret. But why?

In which we meet HENGE

In which I discover the source of the problem.

In which we twist and turn along the Camps Bay beachfront

In which we leave for pastures new.

I which I finish the editing of the photos from last week.

In which we pick up the (good) pieces from last night.

Bafana Bafana night After a day of photo editing... Bafana Bafana are back in Cape Town, and we're going along. I'm writing this from the back of an Uber, heading into town and towards the DHL Stadium. A spot of food and a drink or two on the Waterfront, and then we'll head up to watch the second…

In which we wait for the fuel price to skyrocket.

In which we laugh at vilest "politician" in all of South Africa.

In which I lament Indian electrical contractors. #shocking

In which I learn a bit about where I'm going to be over the next month.

In which I introduce you to Girl In The Year Above. #music

In which an advert isn't for me, but it works anyway.

In which DJT fumes about Japan not stepping up in the Gulf.

It's not all work, work, work...

Kommetjie walk A great afternoon walking along the beaches of Kommetjie. Obviously, lighthouse: Wildlife: Less obviously, a Cape Gannet made of driftwood: But why not? Blue skies, sunshine, "strong breeze", and a nice coffee before heading North again. Lovely afternoon out.

Es-Cape Town Room Lovely family morning out testing ourselves against a local escape room. And winning, obviously. And then, a quick wander around the shops before lunch on the Waterfront. I'm not sure what difference the issues in Dubai and Doha have made to the number of visitors getting over…

In which I warn you all AGAIN about the dangers of antibiotic resistance.

In which I count the physical costs of a very energetic game of football last night.

In which I lob up a truly awful pun, as I am otherwise engaged.

In which Mark tells us about Project Anchor, when gravity will "switch off" for 7.3 seconds later this year. What a rollercoaster ride.

In which I wonder about what the dementia-ridden bag of poorly painted skin actually wants...

In which I have a busy day in front of a screen and then chill.

Hectic day Up early. Gym. Dodgeball Youth Cup all day. Heat, wind, dust, sun. Some amazing games. Many happy faces. 2,500+ photos. Editing will follow. Terrifying. United. Harsh red card. Missed penalty. Decent draw. Couple of Milk Stouts. Bed. Well deserved.

This is a scheduled post to test my scheduled post settings (which failed earlier today).

In which I briefly imagine living next door to... this.

Did I manage to survive last night's football match in the Cape Town heatwave? Find out here.

In which I recall the last time we nearly died while playing football in (almost) this sort of heat.

MBGA Absolutely no need for this sort of nonsense from our local supermarket. "American inspired", "Texas style" burgers: whatever. We know that the US - and Texas - are famed for their butchery*. But I don't think that they're doing themselves any favours by then trying to use a divisive…

It can't be real. But it is.

In which I share a few shots from Kirstenbosch this afternoon.

In which a red and white rosette is won.

In which I delight at the new season of proper rugger.

In which I try to find some glimmer of hope in the seemingly endless death spiral of the planet.

The Suiderstrand Log If you walk down onto the beach at Suiderstrand and take a right turn, following the coastline along and into the Agulhas National Park, you'll come across a large log on the beach, about 1½km towards the cottages out at Piet se Punt. Just next to the rocky outcrop know…

Sirens and Smoke That might mean something else if you were in the Middle East right now, but it's very much the South and the West of the continent that I'm talking about here. At the moment, hidden away in our little corner of Africa - away from all the sirens and the smoke - seems to be a very…

Careful now, Iran Incoming from the whirring newsreel on my second monitor this morning, this: What? Threatening the stability of the Middle East? That absolute paragon of stability throughout my lifetime? The shining example of security, solidity and steadiness for the global population? The role…

New hoodie? Looking for the perfect gift for a loved one with winter apparently on the way? How about this hoodie featuring - almost - a well-known proverb about education and empowerment? Think about it: every person who sees you in the mall or at the bar will have something - something deep - to…

A little premature? That thing I did on the drama of the Doomsday clock. Awful. But then, this also suggests that we could keep going at the frankly horrendous rates of killing each other and destroying the environment that we’ve been working so hard upon for the last 12 months for at least…

Solo Piano A compilation of Solo Piano pieces by Ludovico Einaudi. Available to stream, buy on CD(!), several different types of vinyl, or even as sheet music. 17 tracks that between them have amassed well over a billion listens on Spotify alone. And, given that he's written a lot more than 17…

The hotel coffee machine row This cartoon... ...was published before the sh1t hit the fan - or kettle? - when a so-called "influencer" revealed her repulsive hack of washing her dirty underwear when away from home: Tara Woodcox, an influencer and fitness coach, is speaking out after an earlier…