LIAM IS BACK - me again

HI ONE AND ALL, Well back in circulation and best of all LIAM is back from his holiday visiting Ouma & OUPA Retief in South Africa, so we will be posting a few photo's or videos of him soon. Or if you want to beat the system and Billy then go to Leon & Elizma's blog - click here- there you will see plenty

watch this space

Snowing 28th Oct @ 22h30

Yip, just had an Eskimo Pie ice cream and went outside at 22H30 - its snowing, I skype Leon and tell him, suspiciously he replies REALLY!, he looks outside and skypes me back "WOW" he says, its all white outside. Well the last time it snowed here was 6th April 2008, at the end of last winter, now it snows at the beginning of winter, brrrrrrrrrrrrrr its going to be a cold one.

who knows - A WHITE CHRISTMAS ??????????

When we woke up this morning everything was " as white as snow" but freezing cold, then at around 11am after the clear skies and sun shinning, i wondered outside to video the wonderful Autumn garden with the left-over snow on the plants, was a beautiful site to see in the bright sunshine.

The BBC has a website where you can send in a news item, they check it out and if ok and good they use it. Well my video above was on the 8 O'clock BBC World news, so that makes me a famous celebrity and YOU KNOW ME, isn't that great.

TOUR DE FRANCE - OCTOBER 2008

A Holiday in the Countryside of Northern France, near a small village called Willencourt.

Up at 4am 11th October 2008 and travelled from Woking to Dover, just under 2 hours to catch the ferry over to Calais in France. Tania was joining us just for the week-end and Leon-Elizma & Liam joined us from Saturday -Tuesday. We all met at Dover in the car park, Tania parked her car and went on the ferry by foot, Leon & I drove our cars on. Wow, what a size of a ferry, then the amazing view of the White cliffs as we pulled out of the docks into the English Channel, ( a better view of the cliffs is on our way back).

Bonjour - Bonsoir - Merci (beaucoup)

Ferry from Dover to Calais - France

Then arriving at Calais, the fun/holiday gets off to a big bang, Driving on the wrong side of the road. I must say, this time I was in our own car and the only thing to adapt to was the wrong side of the road, last time we were in Italy and we hired a car. Everything is on the wrong side, the steering wheel, the rear view mirror, the gear lever, the hand break, the indicator switch and even the wife was on the wrong side. This time I was much more comfortable and relaxed and adapted very quickly. Off we went, first stop a Supermarket to get some supplies and then onto the motorway and small country roads to the cottage - about an hour and a half away. Arriving there we were greeted by this quaint little wooden cottage. A nice bowl of fresh flowers on the table and a cold bottle of French wine in the fridge (yummy).

ARRIVE AT COTTAGE

We arrive at the cottage in the French Countryside, pack out the baggage and get off to a cracking start with a Braai .( barbeque) . We sit around with a good bottle of wine, a wide variety of cheese & biscuits and talk the evening away. The next day (Sunday 12th Oct) we are off to ARRAS a town about an hour away, Mr White ( the village caretaker, what a nice guy) told us about an Annual market that takes place and it is worth a visit, they close the town square down for this. We arrive but NO MARKET - wrong date, we walk around and then find a smashing sea-food restaurant for lunch - MUSSELS and SNAILS a speciality. We all tuck in and enjoy it immensely, then sadly Tania must bid her farewells and I take her back to Calais to catch the ferry as she must work on Monday morning. "Au revoir" Tania and Bon Voyage.

SUNDAY LUNCH in "ARRAS"

Then Monday off we went to a sea-side holiday resort " Le Touquet" a very picturesque town with plenty of pretty boutiques, not to mention the 1000's of restaurants and cafe's. the most important being " CREPES " yip Ria had a field day with this. Although the weather was not on our side we all enjoyed the outing. A high-lite of the trip was OUPA playing with Liam on the back seat, for the one hour trip. While Mom and Dad upfront were moaning and groaning the he must go to sleep. Oupa & Liam won that round SIX-LOVE.

Walk around Le Touquet and of course eat "Crepes"

in the video there is a picture I got from Carol of a "Rainbow on fire" - amazing

Leon & Elizma left on Tuesday lunchtime and sadly taking Liam with them. Now we were on our own and Billy got down to some serious cooking, the video says it all.

YUMMY YUMMY - ESCARGOT _ SNAILS

to come

at the cottage

travelling around the French countryside

eating French "Crepes" , "Mussels" and "Escargot snails" mmmmmmmm ,with some more wine

back to Dover on the ferry

Baby sitting the BIG FELLA

On Wednesday 1/10/2008 it was Elizma's Birthday so to enable Leon to spoil her and eat-out, so we did some baby sitting, Now I have always wanted to to this for a very-very long time and the expectations were overwhelming and exciting to say the least.

WHAT A LET DOWN - WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT

Elizma and Leon are to organised to be "a new Mom & Dad", the little bugger was all bathed, wrapped up and fast asleep when we got there, one last check by Elizma in his room where he lay fast asleep in his cot, and off they went for a night out.

The little bugger did not make a sound NOT A PEEP, we just sat and watched TV, with ears pierced- we listened for that inevitable expected cry - or even a whimper - but NOTHING, when they got back at about 11h30, he did not even move then.

Off we went home, miserable OUMA & OUPA, tails between our legs and disappointed that baby-sitting this guy is a waste of time, could have stayed home and watched TV for what it was worth.

WOW - WHAT A PRIVILEGE THIS IS -

TO BABYSIT YOUR GRANDCHILD - WOW

Below is a collage of photo's, "LIAM @ 4 Months old", to view them in all their glory just

click here to jump over to Leon & Elizma's Blog - amazing and beautiful.

Oh by the way HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIAM'S MOMMY-ELIZMA

click here to go to LeoLizma's Blog