Lost Opportunities

Grapple With Time

Over the years we normally celebrated big occasions with our families, many have departed or left our shores, no longer live in the same village, much happens over the years. Eating away quietly into my soul, I was the one arranging events mainly for the husband big days as they arrived and went.

Both sons had quietly entered the forties, my seventy arrived at a difficult time, none had been celebrated all falling in the hot months over here no go. January I said to the family, come July we are going out to celebrate my only daughter-in-laws big Four'0 on behalf of all missed during the past four years.

Something my husband and I had always enjoyed along the coast was once a year driving into Durban to enjoy a Fish Platter, normally comprising of crayfish, langoustines, prawns, calamari and some line fish of the day. Going in a group of four or six it always turned out a magical evening chatting with friends or family, before we all had children.

Booked on Monday for Saturday, then prayed for good weather to enjoy outdoor lunch together, well it was superb with excellent friendly staff. Manager with sense of humour arrived at the table to explain sadly no crayfish due to over fishing and illegal harvesting! Be damned when these were available in great numbers thirty years ago, shows you how quickly much changes, plus how long ago I went for a fish platter.

Delicious dish arrived with langoustines, prawns, yellowtail fish, mussels, baby squid accompanied by savoury rise, chips, greek salad, garlic butter, tatar sauce, chilli sauce. Time to dine, dig in, watching the pleasure it brought to faces that had never enjoyed a fish platter previously. Anticipation, waft of grilled fish, I only remembered to capture my plate not the platter with my starved mob eager to taste what I must have mentioned a good few times over the years.

Relaxed, we ladies enjoyed the white wine while the guys went non-alcoholic raspberry lemonade both required to drive, given a bottle of complimentary wine for not having crayfish which we will save for another day when we let our hair down.

It would be remiss of me not to show you the gorgeous winter weather we enjoy, vista over the sea sparkling under the sunny day that reached 24C under an umbrella on the verandah.

Our staggering warm Aloe varieties with Cycads in the rockery gardens.

Geese out and about with a bossy one taking control! Let's go surfing!

Koi fish pond, don't they look healthy lucky not for cooking.... _(Taken with cellphone by my son, my battery ran flat, dill brain left spare at home.)

Male urinal, once again unique, spotlessly clean, photo taken by my son. Did say MALE!

Now on our radar The Lazy Moose for another outing, will phone ahead and find out whether crayfish is available, something to look forward to along our south coast somewhere, many hidden restaurants waiting to be supported.

Wishing you a wonderful new week, I am learning very quickly when something niggles at me to never let go of lost opportunities, grappling with time no more, find the time and go!