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After church today, Leigh, Matt, Josh and Chambers came over for sandwiches before scattering for their various activities. I headed out to Johns Island for Chelsea’s bridal shower which was a predictably lively affair. Here is Chelsea with some of her friends.

Today was Edisto Island Open Land Trust’s annual “Back to Nature Day.” I volunteered to document all their activities, so I left home at 5.45 to be on the island by first light. We were lucky that the weather held, since storms were forecast for the afternoon, but although it was hot and a little buggy, everyone had a pretty good time. This was a bird-watching group.

Friday – the end of another week. It’s been two weeks since I’ve been back at work and I’m struggling to find my stride. I guess vacations can make one feel restless, and sometimes it takes awhile to settle back into the real life routine. After work, Leigh, Josh and I went downtown and took their official “engagement photos”. Here is one of them.

Another change of season. Suddenly it’s Summer, and guess what – my downstairs airconditioner (the compressor – apparently the guts of the thing) is totally done, finished, kaput. And GM are cutting hundreds of dealerships all over the country, and soon we will have a socialized health care system – just some milemarkers of the times. Leigh and Josh will be getting married at the end of this year, and then who knows… I just might finally get to Alaska for awhile. This image is another taken at Sunrise Park, aka Logan’s Park.

OK – forget about vacations for awhile, it’s back to work with a vengeance. There’s lots going on and with the economy being what it is right now, I’m grateful for that. We’re building a new lab in preparation for a lot of new work we are expecting soon, and part of the preparation involves installing all kinds of air handling and venting equipment on the roof. Because of the target location, the crane operators had to add an extension to their boom so that when extended, it almost seemed to reach into the clouds. Not a scenic photo op, but quite interesting and worth documenting.

Funny how often it is that the moments that matter happen around the dinner table. Here we are on the other half of the world, and we’re gathered at the table – in this case lunchtime on Sunday, after church. We toasted Leigh & Josh’s engagement with Mimosas, and Mum please note that Matt is wearing his 2010 FIFA t-shirt and it fits perfectly!

There’s nothing worse than hanging around waiting for the time to leave for the airport. Leaving is always hard – my parents, so dear, and soon so far away. Funny, when I’m here, it’s as natural as breathing to be part of the South African way of life. Of course, when I get home and see Leigh and Matt again, sit back at my desk at work on Monday, etc., then that is my reality. Almost like a form of schizophrenia. Anyway, enough already – time to finish packing and say goodbye.

Today was a day for tying up loose ends and starting to pack for the long trip home tomorrow. Mum has a commission to paint the Umhlanga Rocks lighthouse, so this morning we went down to the beach to photograph it so she could use it for her watercolor. Right now we are waiting for friends, Sue & Bob before heading down to the Durban Country Club for a “last supper” nosh. The DCC must serve one of the best buffets on the planet. When I get back to Charleston I will have to quit eating and begin an aggressive exercise program. Maybe 🙂

Life is exciting in Africa – or maybe it’s just normal for most locals, but when you’ve been away awhile, the freeways are the wild west, and turning a corner in a game reserve, you could come across some pretty large inhabitants, as I did today. Suffice to say that I paid my respects and slid away as inconspicuously as possible under the circumstances. I have so many other pics too – great images of wildlife, but I’ll post those on my regular website when I get back to the USA next week, so watch my “current work/new images” on http://www.vanessak.com/