On Friday we had supper with my cousin Bruce and his wife Melissa. We met at a great  restaurant called John’s Pizzeria just of Time Square. I had forgotten how crazy Time Square is, with all the bright lights and TV screens. The screens seem to be getting bigger and bigger (and also better quality) – I would love to get one for home!

Although we had to wait about an hour before we got our table, the pizza’s were great, and in good American tradition, they were huge. Two were plenty enough for four of us to share. The highlight of the evening was to meet our new cousin, Emily. She was  on born six weeks ago, and this was her first official outing, so it was quite a treat for all. We were also the first of the Cameron side of the family to meet her!

Emily Cameron

It was not the greatest picture, but she was being really quiet and we didn’t want to disturb her, but she is really sweet!

Here is proud dad feeding her.

We had a great evening, and it was cool to catch up with some of the family in USA, and to get to spend time with my techie cousin. It is kind of bizarre that in a family of Camerons (who are generally very quite), both Bruce and I love public speaking, and are absolute techno-junkies.

Thanks guys for dinner, hope to see you next Sunday for dinner.

Look what I found sleeping in the waste-paper basket in my study today…..

Crazy cat - full of rubbish

Crazy cat!

Here are the pictures of Brian’s birthday pics at Vergenoegd wine estate. The rest of the pictures are here.

Enjoy

Yesterday we celebrated Lois’ dad’s 70th birthday party at the Pomegranate restaurant at Vergenoegd wine estate. They have turned the old manor house into the restaurant, but have kept several of the rooms and lounges with the original furniture, including a wonderful old grand piano (which would be REALLY wonderful if the gave it even a little maintenance.

Piano at Vergenoegd wine estate

While having lunch, I saw the most strange thing – a duck parade! The farm has about 300 Indian runner ducks living on the farm. These ducks run through the vinyards, looking for snails and small insects to eat. This novel solution to pest control keeps the vineyards pest-free in an environmentally friendly manner.

Ducks on Vergenoegd Wine Estate

So, in the middle of lunch, about 100 ducks came marching through the outside of the restaurnant, much like a class of school children out on a school outing.

Ducks on Vergenoegd Wine Estate

They marched onto the lawns, ate everything in site (at least all the snails), and left. Thinking about it, it sounds more like varsity students than school kids.

Ducks on Vergenoegd Wine Estate

Although they are both noisy and smelly, it is kind-of cute to watch. And I was really glad that I had decided to order the fish and not the duck that was on the lunch menu!

If you get the opportunity to go to the farm, do so. It is not something that you will see everyday!

Vicky was recently placed third in the SA junior powerboat championships, after just three meeetings! Vicky is Andrew's "adopted" daughter.

Your can read all of the details below.

Go Vicky!

Many of you know Lois and her guide dog Eccles. You have seen how amazing a guide dog is, and what a different they make to people’s lives. So why don’t you help to make a difference?

Yesterday we walked past a First National Bank ATM, and there was a sign up advertising that you can make a donation to SA Guide Dogs via SMS. All you need to do is to send an SMS to 38051 with the word “see” in the body of the message, and you will donate R10 to SA guide dogs – simple!

The cost of training a guide dog is over R10000 per dog, so every cent counts. SA Guide Dogs receive no funding from government, so they need all the heop that you can give (apparantly they are an animal charity – even though the dogs actually help people)

Go on, make a difference!

I have just become another uncle, and Lois an aunt! Andrew and Nikola (brother & sister in-law) have just given birth to a little boy (a meneer of note in Andrew’s words). He was born at 10:19 today, and he weight 2.36kg.

This does of course mean that the little meneer will only have a birthday every four years, I guess that saves on a few presents! Oh, and his name is Sebastian.

Congratulations to Andrew and Nikola!

My brother in law James was recently appointed as one of thirteen brand ambassador (4 in the Western Cape) for Hip to be Square – a Shuttleworth Foundation offshoot that focuses on getting school children excited about maths and science.

So, there is an article and photo about him and the organisation in Yesterday’s Sunday Argus. Here is the arcticle.

Well done James!

Here is a picture of Cameron and Vicky (Andrews children), who made it to the Bedford View News this week! They were all dressed up for Halloween.

I am glad to finally see a pic of Cameron dressed up as Tinkerbell, since I had to carry the costume all the way to Johannesburg.

Hey family! If you have any interesting things happening, let me know and I’ll blog it.

Here’s something quite interesting – we have our own family cemetery! Granted, it’s in Illinois, but you never know. I found a whole article dedicated to it, it tells you all about the Strachan’s buried there. Here’s the beginning of the article…

The Strahan or Strachan Cemetery

(also spelled Straghn or Straghan or  Straughan or Strawn)

Tilden, Randolph Co., Illinois

      The Strahan Cemetery lies .5 miles south of the town of Tilden, Tilden Twp., Randolph Co., Illinois  [Section 8 T45 R5W] on the east side Tilden [Plum Creek] Road  on land now owned by the Hunter Family Trust.   It is reported to have lain behind the present barn on a grassy knoll of trees, which have since been removed along with the tombstones, some of which are propped against a barn. Many have been destroyed or removed, so that little remains of what had been and still is a registered cemetery of Randolph County.   For many years there was something of a fence around it, but  people reported over the years that livestock had been able to enter and that the fence was not maintained.    There is not much of a knoll left, either due to erosion or bulldozing.    The tombstones are presently in the safe keeping of the Pyatt Funeral Home in Pinckneyville, Perry County, Illinois…..

The whole article is here.