Writers Blog

I dont post as much as I used to, mainly because I often cannot always get a strong signal on my wireless modem. It ranges between a single bar of GPRS or 2 bars of 3G - which is a really strong signal. I live below the line of sight of our cellphone tower, but when connection to that is not easy, I pick up the tower in Port Durnford.

I know that traditionally Port Durnford is seen as in the same class as Soweto outside Johannesburg - unsafe at the best of times but suicide to visit after sunset!

I have no problem with being there, and acknowlege that it may not be safe if you drive a highly risky car - attractive to hijackers - but I hardly believe that a V8 Discovery is high risk - R 1 200 to fill the tank from empty -  or my Freelander - R 800 to fill from empty. The average hijacker is dirt poor and to fill and run a Landrover is kind of impossible for them.

I was kind of stunned recently that I was warned that if you are stopped by the traffic authorities, they check that you have a set of reflective triangles in the car! If you break down, you are supposed to put these out so that other drivers can see a warning sign just before they plough into a white car! I am just amazed that if you are rammed on the road, you are not imprisonned - or fined - if you dont make an attempt to brake the car that rams you! That is kind of an unreasonable thought, but it is apparent that most drivers tend to drive way too close behind me! I have even had 2 signs laminated for the rear windows of my Landrovers, aying "I'm not driving too slowly! It's called the speed limit!"because when I am driving the speed limit, I am by a really long way, the slowest vehicle on the road!

I have bought sets of triangles for each of my vehicles. I dont think that I will be checked, but if I am, I am in the clear! I only found out by accident because my neighbor wanted to borrow a set, and I loaned him the set from my Ventertjie - a comon make of luggage trailer.

I do want to find out if it is possible to put a rooftop tent on the trailer, since I am not easily able to put one on top of my landrovers. That would come in handy if I ever wanted to drive way off road and visit Mocambique.

My computer has just done something wierd! It located an "orphan" file (what that means is a mystery) but in cleaning up the file, it deleted the file and I have not experienced the usual problem that I have of my modem dropping the Internet connection. I hope it is a lasting "fix" and I will not suffer dropped connections again!

I have a kind of problem at the moment!
My left foot on Monay was terribly swollen and tender. The GP could not find any influencing problem so prescribed an anti inflammatory to reduce the swelling. Even though it is no longer swollen, it is still very tender. It feels like somehow I have managed to break one of the bones in my foot. I will go back on tuesday and he can assess it again, although it may require vme to drive through to Empangeniand have an Xray. I am tempted though to go to the Bay Hospital, as i feel that there they will if necessary, put it in a cast that is not made from Plaster of Paris. When I had  a cast made for my elbow, they used a type of plastic, that I could take off to bath - it is easy enough to mould one that can be taken off to bath!