Barbeques and Bushfires

The past week has been the hottest week since our arrival. Really, it was no joke to have temperatures of nearly 40 degrees Celsius at 7 o'clock in the evening! Although it made for beautiful sunsets, all living creatures suffered and the infamous Californian wildfires started up. The squirrel scampered along the backfence of new friends we visited, stopped abruptly and just dropped down like that to have a rest before leaving again - totally exhausted.

Snuggles hardly moved from her cool spot on our bed all day, too lethargic to do anything.

Smoke from the fires could be seen and smelled for miles

We had the South African seminary students over for a BBQ and swim on Sunday. We had such fun in the pool again , it has been our saving grace this past 5 weeks. I shudder to think what that first water bill is going to be, but it is no luxury, it's necessary for our survival! It was good for everyone to relax...tomorrow their academic careers starts in full force!

College WOW! (Week Of Welcome)

Saturday was a big day , for more than one reason

,Our baby turned 4 and our eldest went off to college!

Standing between 2 very important flags, each representing half of his heart, then he checked into one of the male dorm rooms where he'll stay for the rest of the week, Danilo from Brazil hiding his face

BBQ feast to feed a thousand. Lots of cornbread and watermelon too.

Welcome address by the man in charge - Prof. Tatlock

one happy student!

Our stuff has washed up ashore..

Luckily not really! It all arrived safely in the same blue container we saw it leave in all those weeks ago.

Here it comes again, driving up Cantara street , past my friendly, open , flower-filled front garden (sarcasm very much intended)

"brown paper packages tied up with tape, these are a few of my favourite ??" ...uhm...can't think of a rhyming word

Do you think I brought enough proper tea to last me 4 years?

Taking an ice-cream break on the front porch of our hillbilly-hut

Sitting room before...

...during...

...and after

Now you see the gap

now you don't

Daniel's corner during unpacking...

and after! Extra points will be added if you can spot the difference.

Team Alberts-Botes having a post-move poolside KFC supper. We are very tired but very grateful for the safe arrival of our earthly possessions.

And so the long day ends

It's all new

A huge part of adapting to life in a new country, is finding a supermarket and figuring out what's what. In America, bigger is (always and obviously ) better. Take a look at the standard sized milkbottle - when it is full, I can hardly get it out of the fridge without dislocating my shoulder. The apple and spicebottle were placed against normal sized UK specimens which can be found at some shops. The bugspray is one of a new favourite collection of mine which also includes Fly, Ant, Cockroach, Wasp and Hornet KILLING spray. Luckily they are all in different colours which enables me to swiftly choose the right weapon for the intruder.

I'm good like that. :)

Red meat is expensive, lamb and mutton hardly available at most shops, which means we have a lot of chicken, more chicken..and then some! As a treat we also resort to this...tuna!

I see a sign...

What better way to feel what a new car drives like - take it out for a spin...to Hollywood! We went in search of the famous sign and found it perched on a hill about a half hour's drive away. The letters are 13 meters tall and has stood there since 1923 (as old as Ouma Miemie). It used to spell out "Hollywoodland" but was shortened in 1949. It has been the scene of only one suicide, disappointed would-be actress Peg Entwhistle jumped off the "H" 67 years ago.


We drove up as near as we could legitimately get.

There was a road leading up another hill where you could park and get out for a walk...if you dared! We did.

The kids looking out over the San Fernando Valley (where we live) from the hill opposite "The Sign". There is no direct access to it.

Two REAL stars in Hollywood!

The views ahead and behind driving along Sunset Boulevard

The palm-lined sidewalks in Beverly Hills.

Some of the lovely buildings we found in the streets of Hollywood, there are 100's more, I just could not keep up with photographing them all.