Thursday 21st December 2023
The sizzle is on in Johannesburg. Fortunately I woke up before Rusty and we were out into the fresh morning just after 5am. The air was eerie over the low lying ground with mist rising (it could have been steam, haha) and sunrays began to peak through, creating angelic sights. The angel was the dog again and I'm so impressed that he doesn't bark at the other dog, although he does love to chase the plover birds.
The thermometer climbed quickly which meant my laundry was dry in three hours. I'd arranged to meet up with my school friend for a catch up. I like this time if the year when my office bound friends are on leave and we can meet during the week. Unfortunately the venue I'd suggested was closed so I wasn't impressed but I was more annoyed with myself for not calling to confirm the restaurant hours.
We rearranged the lunch to a garden restaurant which was pleasant due to some cool cloud cover.
I met my school friend when I was 10. We were both new kids in our year and I can still remember the first time I saw her. She was standing at the door in a pink (halter neck - I think) dress and I remember thinking that she had a blue tinge to her fresh Scottish skin. The South African sun would freckle both our skins as the years went by and our friendship feels like an extra sister. We don't chat regularly but we've got those dip in and out friendships that simply resume when we reconnect.
Her sister in law has been doing a lot more travelling with her husband than I have. So it was great to hear her suggestions and experiences. She has no immediate travel plans other than she knows they're going somewhere. We had a laugh at people's reactions to her not knowing where she was headed although she has just been offered a teaching job in Greece. However, visas put any definite plans on hold.
I nipped back onto the highway and was surprised again by the wild chaos of traffic on the 4 lane road. Rules seem to have vanished and it's a matter of keeping my eyes peeled in all directions. I think the few days before Christmas has added to the people frenzy. I was quite grateful to walk round the dog park without seeing a soul, Rusty was disappointed with not seeing any of his dog mates so he chased the birds again instead. Oops.
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