Off-road 101

Since buying my scrambler in May I've travelled quite some distances in an around my area. I maintain a slow and reasonable speed, because I try and stay alert for photo opportunities. It is also difficult to scout for interesting places and concentrate on rocks, holes and branches at the same time while riding. So eventually I found a happy medium between speed and alertness.

However, I was soon to learn an all together new interpretation of speed.
This weekend while I was enjoying a beer at our annual beer fest, I was approached by some guys who wanted me to join them on a ride on Sunday. I know three of the seven are very experienced riders from whom I could learn a lot, so I eagerly agreed to meet them early the next morning.

I have never in my life had such an experience. The guys ride as if the Devil himself is chasing them, and I had some difficulty keeping up at first. But, once my brain registered, and my eyes became accustomed to the speed, my depth perception soon improved and I was able to keep up with them quite easily.

We did some technically difficult grades, which ranged from hill climbing to forest riding and crossing rivers and ravines. All the time I was learning new techniques and the guys were never short on advise which could help me improve. At the end of the day, we had completed just over 80km's; all on dirt. It felt like 200km's!

This was going to be of immense value to me when I leave for my trip to De Aar in December.

Here we are at the top of a hill which was once("believe it or a not) a ski-slope. Yes, someone actually thought it would be a good idea to chisel a flat piece of ground out of the rock-face, smooth it over with some carpet and teach people to ski.

The slope is about 120meters long and you have to open up the taps and maintain a steady speed to reach the top. Of course the only way out of there is back down again. Pretty hairy, but very satisfying when you manage to reach level earth again. From this camera view you are looking down the slope.

The next ride is in two weeks time, and I'm looking forward to see where we'll be going this time.

Signal from Neptune

Second of the 'Half' calendar series.

Bush Camp

B has left a big hole in my weekend activities after she flew to New Zealand last Monday. After sulking for at least ten minutes on Saturday, I decided on a whim to go camping in the mountains behind our town.

I grabbed a few things and left home at about 3 in the afternoon. After finding a nice spot on the leeward side of Perdeberg(Horse Montain). I made camp and started gathering wood and stones I'd need for the night.

I spent most of the night staring at the stars counting satelites and enjoying the night sounds. It was very relaxing. That was until the early morning hours when the wind shifted and cold weather moved in from the east. I froze my butt off, but it was still worth every minute!

I only took my tents top cover, covered the bike and made my bed underneath the motor.

Scouting for the Desert trip

I took a trip down to Koppies in the Free-State to scout out the railway line in preparation for my trip to De Aar in November/December. The idea is to follow the line by bike from Sasolburg via Bloem and Kimberley down to De Aar without using the tar roads, where possible.

From what I saw on Google Earth it's not only possible but could be a very interesting trip, as there are some excellent sites not visible from the main roads. I've already discovered a concentration camp north of Koppies and an old abandoned Escom factory.

This pic was taken as I crossed the Vaal and entered the Free State.

Power Station South of Sasolburg

Abandonded Escom Factory, Kragbron

Vredefort Concentration Camp

Blockhouse ruin, Koppies.

I'm looking forward to the trip, and I know it's going to be harsh, but why else would one do it?

Bagus sleeping

Bagus has no been through three spells of Biliary and finally the illness has left him alone, long enough to actually grow.

He is a handsome boy with wonderful character, and judging from the size of his paws he's going to be a big boy.

Here he is sleeping in his basket meant for when he was a puppy, yet he still forces himself onto it eventhough it's become a bit small now.

The Suck generation

This morning I get a telephone call in the traffic, and as any good up-standing S.A. citizen does; I answered.

It was the young girl that works in my department. “Where are you” , she asked. “Just past town, near the office”, I replied. “But didn’t you get my sms?”, she asks again. “Was that from you?” I asked innocently.

The thing is this: I employed C to work in my department as a junior designer, come appy. I give her a lift to work everyday, because she lives in my area.

This morning I get a garbled message on my phone, which I cannot decipher, nor do I know who it’s from. It looked something like this: H lke gng 2b lte by 5 or 10 dis mng. Cn u wgt 4m?

WTF? I’m a proud member of the 80’s generation, I’ve kept up with technology without missing a beat. I have the latest laptop and scan G3 and ‘Stuff’ regularly for new goodies. The latest upgrade in cellphone technology is a month away, and my camera was swopped to digital the moment it became an event.

I know the tools, I don't understand the generation. Bunch of lazy arse I tell you. Just yesterday the other young ‘person’ in my office has a baby tantrum because I’m discussing his work with an Afrikaans colleague, well.. in Afrikaans. Why on earth would I speak to a fellow Afrikaner in any other language? That would be as stupid as our factory workers speaking English to each other, both being Zulu, for God sakes!

I repeated everything I said in English back to him, just to stop his huffy and get him to work. Wanker..
Same guy who gave up working just yesterday morning, because his work keeps getting stuck in the imagesetter when more than one page at a time is processed. I continued doing my work by printing one page at a time. He finally got the message and finished whatever he was doing two hours later than he could have.

It’s a generation that wants things to happen in a instant, but they are unwilling or able to deal with it when it doesn’t. Bch of fk’n lsrs!

They suck, and we’re in deep shit when their kids pop out and join the human race in ten or twenty.

I get another sms as I arrive in my office: "I sent you a sms this morning to say that I will be late by 5 or 10 min, and asked if you could wait for me?"

I phoned her back and apologised for not waiting. I think the crap msgs r a tng o da pst.

B leaves for New Zealand at the end of September and it's pretty sad. During our strenuous 4 year relationship we were often on the verge of killing each other, and other times we were so in love we couldn't leave each other for a moment.

Since our breakup, our friendship has grown to such an extent that I am truly heartbroken that she is leaving.. for good maybe.I wish her all the best and thank her for being my model over the last few weeks.

She has agreed to do a few more shoots before her departure, for which I am grateful, since I am really not that good with people, and finding another person for my photos will be an impossibility.

On the other hand I am also excited that B is finally making room for herself in the world and putting her dreams above all else for a change.

She never questioned where we went on our Photo-ventures, and was alwasy willing to get up at whatever time it took.

Thanks Fairy-girl, I wish you well.

Sacrifice

For the good of the many.

Model from blacksockstock - http://blacksockstock.deviantart.com/art/stock-1030-93037606