Fiona's Ramblings

feebs-&-callum-1year-web

2011-05-06T22:29:00.001+02:00

feebs-&-callum-1year-web
Originally uploaded by PhotochefMama

I recently started cleaning up my photos and saving them on 1 drive. I have been reviewing the early photos of Callum and there are some really memorable photos. It is really so special to see how he has changed. I must make an effort to keep up taking regular photos of him.

usa-trip

2010-09-10T21:36:00.001+02:00

usa-trip
Originally uploaded by PhotochefMama

The route

light-experiment

2010-01-09T21:01:00.001+02:00

light-experiment
Originally uploaded by PhotochefMama

I have been playing with different light effects for my food photography and must say it really does work better with some light on the matter.

Photo Chef Mama

2009-10-27T15:15:00.000+02:00

What a life I have! I am now finally combining my love of food, cooking and my new passion photography. I am slowly learning the art of food styling and have started my own blog for items I have cooked and photographed. Find it here - what's 4 supper tonight. This site also has a facebook page found here. I have always been a keen researcher and have decided to share my finds with all of you so here is my collection of blogs and websites that I find as I travel the web. You can find the list here, I am currently reviewing the top 50 food blogs.

My new Address

2009-06-17T20:49:00.001+02:00

Link

We are moving

2009-06-13T12:48:00.001+02:00

Well I have finally decided enough of the Blogger bug….. so we will be moving to a new site hosted with my domain. So stay tuned for the new address.

party season

2009-05-23T09:41:00.000+02:00

well tommorow is the last of the parties from our group. i must say it so different reflecting back over the last few years and seeing how these little ones have grown up. i am preparing a memory slide show which i will post when done.

Canon Roadshow

2009-05-16T21:20:00.001+02:00

Lights, Camera, Action….on a rainy Saturday morning there is nothing better to do than spend a few hours in a chilly theatre watching fellow photographers learn new tricks and tips from some pros. And to make it better we got some nice goodies. Great fun was had by all.

Fab’s Spot back up……

2009-05-15T14:37:00.001+02:00

I have had to do a complete reinstall and have now got the site back up and running. I will however have to manually redo the articles. Pop in and check you registration as I have reset all the passwords you will have to email me or get the system to send you a new email with your details.

Time for an update

2009-05-07T13:19:00.001+02:00

Well it has been a hectic few weeks during which time I have been having the worst luck. I am really hoping this ends soon.

In a nutshell

I lost my beloved Sasha – Ridgeback due to a terrible condition known as GDV. Read up over here about it.

Rest in peace by beloved one.

A few days later I had to have my son admitted to hospital as he was struggling to breathe – all better now and he back to normal and excited about his upcoming birthday.

On top of that I had some appliance breakdowns just to make it all complete.

Well enough of that I have updated the food blogs with some yummy recipe finds for mother’s day pop over and have a peep. Here is the link

I have also updated the Doodles site with some new photography and Photoshop articles be sure to pop in there. Here is the link.

Well it is a rainy autumn day perfect to bake some birthday cookies. Chat again soon.

my digital life

2009-04-24T07:31:00.000+02:00

well I thought it was time to start using some of my many advanced mobile options. so today,s post comes directly from my mobile. I recently started using the google calendar sync between my different pc,s and mailboxes so have decided to explore the google offerings further. the mobile apps is a very nifty set of tools and if you have a data connection and gmail account could be really useful.

well that's it for today chat soon.

Earth Hour – Sign up now

2009-03-18T22:54:00.002+02:00

Earth Hour

Here is the link to the local South African Site site. Sign up in your town.

Organic Markets | Mother City Living

2009-01-16T18:58:00.001+02:00

Organic Markets | Mother City Living

Here is a nice find if you are looking for a market close to you.

Livin' life

2009-01-13T21:35:00.001+02:00

14 months in the making, 42 countries, and a cast of thousands. Wow what an inspiration.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Roll on another year

2008-12-31T22:01:00.001+02:00

Well it is almost 2009 and here is hoping it is better than 2008 which for me was filled with all sorts of change, including making a huge change from being formally employed to self employed. From being a Mom to a baby to being a Mom to an active Boy about to enter the school system in 2009. My health was not what I would have liked it to have been and with all my stress over the years it finally got the better of me leaving me with a bleeding stomach and an ulcer which is forcing me to really rethink my attitude to things. We where also told that my Mom’s health is not great and she is suffering from memory loss to the extent that the joyous carefree person she was seems lost and to me this is a huge blow as I have always been very close to my parents and to have to face up to the fact that they may one day not be here is a huge pain to me.

I have also spent this year setting up my websites and blogs and generally expanding my web presence so I thought I would list all my ventures here incase you may want to visit some of them. Some are still in the starting phases and will be expanded during 2009 so here is my list……..

Food Webs and Blog list I find myself being a huge collector of cookery books so since finding the great source of cookery resources' available I have built up and continue to collect great tips, links and references regarding cookery on the web so I thought I would share my finds in this blog.

Chocolate Stuff a blog with all things chocolate related. I have neglected this one but intend to pick it up again.

I have also started a group called seeing the light and have several resources that assist the members. Theses sites have some of the links

The Eating Plan

My personal weight loss journey

The Blog for the group info this is a new blog which I will use for the new groups following the seeing the light program

I use the Fab’s Spot site to store the tools and reading matter for the groups as well as have the forum link from this site. This site is a general community site which is based on a magazine format with articles and resources available to members only. So you will need to register to gain the full effect of the site. You will receive regular newsletters of articles and updates when you become a member at this site. The site also features a download area which has recipes, healthy eating tools as well as eBooks' related to the subjects of the site. There is a Photo section where members can share their photography and digital works. There is also a forum which has sections related to all the areas of the site as well as a general chat area.

I also have a collection of Digital/ Photography sites and Blogs they are listed here:

Digitally Magic used to show case scrapbook items

Fiona’s Doodles a blog listing links to tutorials related to Photography, Photoshop and Lightroom

New to Photography a site for new photographers to share their resource and will link up with the doodles blog

I also have a few sites which are more personally related.

Callum Troy a photo blog of my photos of my son Callum and friends

Another Callum Troy photo Blog from the early days

Then there was Toddler time a blog with advise specifically for Mom’s of toddlers

Fiona Byrns.com is just a spring board to my online items

I also have a collection of Blogs and Webs for various topics.

The School reunion this also has a related photo album

The Fiona List I was amazed to find so many references and sites related to all stuff Fiona. ( More about this when I launch it)

So all in all have a great New year and here’s hoping 2009 brings much happiness and most of all fun. And who better than a child to remind us. this is a typical picture of my son having fun with water.

Fun Paper Ornaments

2008-12-18T16:35:00.001+02:00

These look fun to make. Here is the link

Food blogs and Food Webs

2008-12-14T23:08:00.001+02:00

Pop into my latest venture a blog dedicated to everything cooking and food.

foodwebsandblogs

On the road again

2008-12-14T15:02:00.001+02:00

Well I am quite proud of myself, instead of lazing in bed on Saturday morning my family and I went off to the gym bright and early on Saturday. Me to a yoga class and Ant to his circuit and then to a steam, little Callum was left in the care of the child minders at the club. We then had a super healthy breakfast at Sumo a real treat – Oats like you have never had before, who would think I could crave oats!

Oh and did I mention I have started training on a machine at the gym called the powerplate, this is a vibration machine that increases the intensity of your exercise and wow does it work.

I have also been busy adding some new items to Fab’s Spot so pop in as there are a few new recipes and then a pdf download of a nice LightRoom article.

25 Days to go….

2008-12-01T09:15:00.001+02:00

Well the season is well and truly upon us. And we have already had our 1st party! It was the baby group and we had lovely sunny weather and the kids had a ball swimming and playing in the sun. It is days like this that I remember my childhood freedom and am glad my son can have a taste of it too.

Internet Book List

2008-11-15T21:04:00.001+02:00

The Internet Book List (IBList) was a hobby project started by Patrik Roos in early 2003. Its purpose is to provide a comprehensive and easily accessible database of books, since Patrik considers the Book to be humanity's greatest creation.

In early 2004, the project was transitioned from Patrik Roos to Steven Jeffery, the current owner.

Internet Book List link.

A nice find when I was looking for the book list of Kathy Reichs books. Since watching the TV series Bones I decided to read the books they were based on.

If you are interested here is a list of her book in chronological order:

    * Déjà Dead (1997) by Kathy Reichs
    * Death du Jour (1999) by Kathy Reichs
    * Deadly Decisions (2000) by Kathy Reichs
    * Fatal Voyage (2001) by Kathy Reichs
    * Grave Secrets (2002) by Kathy Reichs
    * Bare Bones (2003) by Kathy Reichs
    * Monday Mourning (2004) by Kathy Reichs
    * Cross Bones (2005) by Kathy Reichs
    * Break No Bones (2006) by Kathy Reichs
    * Bones to Ashes (2007) by Kathy Reichs
    * Devil Bones (2008) by Kathy Reichs

Some recent Cookery links I found

2008-11-13T13:32:00.000+02:00

In my daily searches I come across many interesting sites that have interesting recipes and ideas. I have been posting most of these on the Fab’s Spot site so be sure to sign up and get regular updates.

A new site I found which has very nice pictures and easy to follow recipes.

This is a great piece of software that not only allows you to create your own recipes but you can get recipes from the internet and store them as well as share recipes with friends and family. An idea would be to scan all your special family recipes in and make an electronic copy of them which sure to last longer than the paper versions which I am sure are all grimy.

Here are some of the foodie Blogs I visit:

I have way to many to list so I will leave you with this list for now.

I love this new technology

2008-11-11T12:55:00.001+02:00

I have been finding tools and add-ons which sure make keeping my blogs updated a lot easier.

These are as Follows:

For daily topic context searches I use Google alerts. Using Google Alerts I am able to daily get a list of searches based on the subject I have defined. These are delivered to my email box and I can select which link I want to explore. a great way to find your way around the vast space of the internet.
While surfing the web if I find a nice link I want to add to my blog I add using the the Blog it add-on for Firefox Add-ons. You can find it with all the Firefox add-ons as Live Writerfox 0.4
The other favourite is a tool to temporary save interesting articles for reading later - Read It Later 0.9925
I use the publish later feature in Live writer to keep things interesting by sitting down an updating and adding items for future publishing.
To keep up to date with favourite blogs I use the features of windows mail. (This is std with Vista) I subscribe to the blogs I am interested in and then whenever they are updated I get a brief synopsis of the page and a link to enable me to visit online. This feature is available using Outlook email and several other RSS readers as well.

Well these are a few of my favourites enjoy and feel free to ask me for more details if you need help.

Well that will teach me...

2008-11-08T16:39:00.002+02:00

So after suffering with extreme chest pain for a few days and thinking I had strained a muscle in my ribs, I decided to visit the Doctors. He immediately sent me off for x-rays which revealed I had in fact contracted pneumonia. wow who would think with no temperature no coughing and no other signs other than this extreme chest pain you could have pneumonia. I am told this is fairly common in young healthy people and is very dangerous as you could think it was something else and exert yourself and worsen the condition. I find that I am not able to take a deep breath and when I do involuntary I have sharp pains. so for now I am trying to find a comfortable position and do something quiet.

Writer Zone

2008-11-05T09:41:00.001+02:00

Well after having some issues uploading pictures I now see they have launched an update, yay now I can get back to some blogging……..

Writer Zone

20 websites that changed the world | News | TechRadar UK

2008-11-04T20:41:00.000+02:00

This makes for interesting reading. Pop in and see if you have visited each of them.

20 websites that changed the world | News | TechRadar UK

Yes I am still here

2008-11-03T15:20:00.001+02:00

Well I have been a bit off colour of late but am planning to get it fixed soon. It seems that I have a stomach irritation which will need me to be very selective over the next few weeks. So no healthy fruits and salads for me or even my favourite sparkling water. anyway it should soon get better if I treat it well, in the mean time I am rushing along getting my own business up and running. I have a huge list of items to finish as the year end is a mere 6 weeks away and then things will calm down. So I will leave you with this thought.

Well done Helen

2008-10-15T11:57:00.002+02:00

"Cape Town mayor Helen Zille was Tuesday named the world's best mayor by a global urban issues think-tank, which praised her efforts to fight crime and to prepare for the 2010 football World Cup.

Trumping 819 mayors from around the world Zille, who also leads South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance, was followed by Zurich mayor Elmar Ledergerber in second place and Leopoldo Lopez of Chacao, Venezuela in third.

"Her strong leadership on fighting crime, the preparations for the 2010 World Cup and (fighting) drug abuse has made Cape Town a world class city again," said a statement from the London-based City Mayors think-tank."

Well this makes us proud to live in this city and why I choose to post this today is to thank Helen for the huge impact her work also has on the lowering of poverty in our city. By lowering crime this at least ensures that those most vulnerable have a better chance of building a better life.

Natural & Organic Products Exhibition South Africa

2008-10-13T15:06:00.000+02:00

This looks like a nice expo to visit.

Natural & Organic Products Exhibition South Africa

Cape Town Kids - Home

2008-10-10T14:59:00.000+02:00

I love this site it is constantly updated with great ideas and things to do in and around Cape Town. If you are ever stuck for somewhere tested to take the little ones be sure to look here

Cape Town Kids - Home

I have also got a Facebook group that has links to places recommended by friends or tested by myself.

Pop in here

kite Flying Expo

2008-10-08T14:41:00.000+02:00

This is the annual Kite flying Expo, should be a nice event to take the children and camera.

kite expo site link

Fun in the Sun = Texture

2008-10-06T14:31:00.001+02:00

We walked over to the beach to collect some sand for a new sandpit and I took some pictures for the texture challenge.

Here are my entries.

Photography challenges

2008-10-05T16:35:00.001+02:00

Well I am keen too get back into my photography as I just do not seem to have the time anymore. So to get me started I have some challenges to do.

1. Wood

2. Texture

3. Pattern

I think that is enough to challenge me for this month. Feel free to join I can give the links to the sites where these are taking place.

Quote of the Day:
Your heart often knows things before your mind does.
--Polly (Pearl) Adler

Mid Week Break

2008-10-01T20:58:00.001+02:00

So one of my new treats is not having to work on a Wednesday. I make a point to have at least 1 day to just do family stuff. So today Anthony and I went off to Paarl for lunch and some shopping. We stopped in at Fairview for a light lunch. They have a really nice restaurant and as it was slightly chilly we sat inside but will return for a nice meal out doors, as you can see they have a lovely area under the trees.

Fairview is well know for it's goat's milk cheese so we had to stop off and get some. They have really nice bread too.

They take the goats very seriously here and they get 5 star treatment as you can see from the little house they have.

Well all in all an nice relaxing day with way too much good food.

Scott Kelby Photo Walk

2008-08-31T21:19:00.001+02:00

Well together with approx 7000 other photographers I ventured out on Saturday the 23rd August to photograph my city. there where approx. 243 cities all around the world taking part, and the best image from each city was entered into a draw to select the best picture of the day. Well I was definitely not the winner but learnt a lot from the other photographer's who braved the early morning and in our case cold and the latter part rain.

We meet in the Bo-Kaap area and then wandered down to the top part of town. The streets where nice and quiet so we where able to just amble around.

You can view the entries from the South African Cape Town group here. I have added 2 of my pictures.

Fab's Spot has been updated!

2008-08-11T14:58:00.002+02:00

Pop into the new improved site. If you where a member before you will need to register again. This will then give you access to the ChatSpot and The Photo Section

Life passes by......

2008-07-22T20:49:00.001+02:00

Well life moves on. I currently find myself facing a crossroads in my life and need to decide which road to travel. One road takes me half across the world to an unknown place with no family and another keeps me here but possibly working so hard that my quality of life may suffer. I need to find the option that will allow me to spend time with my young son and not have me working so hard that I have no free time and that many years from now I look back to see that I have missed the best times of his life.

What to do what to do. So I have dusted off the CV's and relooked at my skills and am evaluating my options.

As I look to the future I am positive things will find a way of showing me the way........here's hoping.

No flying

2008-07-11T21:05:00.001+02:00

We have had some heavy rainfalls in the Cape Town area. As I have been sick at home for a week it was weird to go back to work and pass the bird sanctuary and flying club flooded. Here is a photograph I took as I passed the flying club.

Rain Rain go away

2008-07-08T17:59:00.000+02:00

I wanna play outside!

New Tutorials found

2008-06-27T17:55:00.001+02:00

Pop into my Doodles site and see the new tutorials that I have found. I will be updating them weekly as I seem to stumble across many on a regular basis.

Enjoy and please feel free to request anything you would like to see.

The link to the site....

Another week closer to the middle of the year

2008-06-13T21:23:00.002+02:00

Well here we are Friday after a long cold wet week here in Cape Town South Africa. We have a nice long weekend to look forward to as Monday is a public holiday. I have had a very non productive week where reflecting back it is as if I was very busy doing nothing. I really hope to get some more direction soon, the quote below perfectly describes the current state of my mind!

I hope to be back soon with some thing more constructive. I have managed to get my newsletter working so you should be getting the weekly updates from fab's spot. If not drop me an email and I will add you to the list.

Just a thought

2008-05-25T08:58:00.001+02:00

Time for a new look

2008-05-24T14:33:00.001+02:00

I thought it was time to change so have done a new header and colour for my blog all in preparation to launch my new sites soon. So pop in again and see if they are up and live yet.

As always thanks for stopping by.

Fiona

The header is a panoramic picture taken from Simonstown looking towards Cape Town

Ambling though the Countryside

2008-04-26T23:26:00.001+02:00

We have just returned from doing a round trip along our south east part of the country. We started at Cape Town then to MosselBay (2) and up to Outshoorn (3) then along to Montagu (4) and back home.

Read more about route 62 here.....Route 62

We started off on the Sunday afternoon and the trip was going well till we neared our 1st destination just outside Swellendam. As we came over the hill we noticed that the traffic was standing still and that it looked as if there had been an accident. Well 2.5 hours later we were able to continue. Yes it was a fatal head on collision at high speed and while we sat there and chatted to our fellow road users we all realised how lucky we were to be alive as anyone of us could of come across the scene earlier and been part of the horrific crash.

When we eventually got going the sun was already setting and a beautiful full moon rose to greet us as if to say life goes on.

{Between Swellendam & Heidleberg}

The next day we set off to Mosselbay for some quick shopping and then off to our Mountain lodge.

8 Bells Mountain inn. This was a stunning mountain retreat and we felt as if all the cares of the world just lifted off us after arriving here.

They are very well suited to entertaining little kiddies and there are loads of activities to keep them entertained. Callum was in his element. He had his own playroom, and a very nice outside play area with Swings and slides and a tractor!

We too felt special as in the evenings we had a babysitter so we where able to let him eat in the kiddies dining room early and then go to dinner later and not have to rush back home - sheer bliss.

We then took a trip up to Outshoorn to the Cango Wildlife Ranch. I had been years ago and was pleasantly surprised how well maintained the ranch was and the effort they took in ensuring that the animals were well kept and not just caged! They have extensive breeding programs and take in many injured animals and care for them as they would not survive in the wild. You can read more here...Cango Wildlife Ranch

The entrance has not changed in all the years....but the inside had.

We did not believe that these where real we thought they where a stone statue as they just stood like this sunning themselves without moving!

This "baby" is one of the White Bengal Tigers that they are rearing to breed with. They are looked after by 2 trainers who are feeding them and training them. Not a job I would want seeing as they are still just cubs and look at the size of them!

Most of the Vultures where injured birds that had been rescued and therefore where happy to stay as the enclosure they were in was open allowing them to leave if they wanted too. One of the birds had only 1 wing and would never have survived in the wild. These birds are getting to be very scarce as they are killed by poisons and humans.

And this handsome devil is the Marabou Stork...well I am glad I know where babies come from, who would trust a bird looking like this to safely deliver the precious parcel!

Don't be fooled these guys may look all lazy and asleep but they are very much aware of what was going on around them. Although the ranger could not tempt them to eat I think a little toddler falling in would make good eating...!

These 2 are hand reared and very tame. You are able to go into the enclosure and stroke them.

Well we spend a few good hours there and I have loads of pictures of the experience.

We then went back to our mountain lodge for a nice English afternoon tea and scones on the terrace. I introduced Callum to the Trampoline and he was hooked. He just loved jumping away and being the only child at the resort at the time he was there for quite awhile.

Here is a picture to show you the delight on his face as he jumped away!

The next morning we packed up and made our way again through the mountain pass to the Outshoorn area this time turning left along Route 62

This route takes you through many beautiful country towns in the dry Karoo area and interesting scenery along the way.

Ronnie "Sex" Shop has got to be the most talked about little roadside cafe & pub on the route. The storey goes that someone decided that Ronnies needed more publicity as it is the middle of nowhere so they added the words "sex" to the name. Today that has stuck and it remains a cafe and pub but with a much talked about name.

No trip though route 62 would be complete without a stop at Clarke of the Karoo. We love the food made by this deli as well as buying the produce for sale in store ranging from herbal salts, jams and sauces. We had some really great sandwiches to see us through the rest of the day as we continued our journey down Route 62.

We then arrived at our next destination, Montague. We stayed at the African Game Lodge. Here is the link...African Game Lodge

True to the sign below we certainly felt surrounded by wild animals, in fact hours after arriving this little fox came to visit us

This lodge was the ideal getaway as you are all alone in the wild with the animals. They too have some cheetahs that have been hand reared and I was able to go into the enclosure with them and stoke them. They are also rearing some others that will be set free into the wild.

We enjoyed a nice nature drive in the early evening which took us around the lodge and viewed many of the animals that roamed around in the wild.

We also went into the town of Montague to the Avalon Springs resort (Avalon Springs) for a day so that Callum could swim in the hot springs. This was just great as the waters are just the right temperature and we lazed around the pools for hours until it was time to return to our Game Lodge.

The next day we packed up ready to make our way home.......stopping off for some red wine along the way, as we pass through some of the best red wine farms in our area on the way home.

And so sees the end to another very enjoyable road trip and with the site of the Huguenot tunnel we know that home awaits us on the other side.

A tribute to Fathers

2008-03-28T20:00:00.004+02:00

I attended the Memorial of a dear family friend yesterday with my father and the tributes from his 3 sons really moved me and I think this slogan says it all as they too said about their great father who was truly an inspiration in each of their lives and I can see his legacy will live on in them as they have learned some great lessons from their Dad and are using them in their lives with their children. This gives me hope that the next generation will live to have the greatness we children of the passing generation are having.

Family comes and goes

2008-03-19T20:25:00.001+02:00

Sad truth is that at this stage of life my immediate family and extended family only seem to gather at special occasions these being Weddings and sadly funerals. We had one such occasion recently with the passing of my uncle "Tickey" We all gathered to share a moment in time and remember his 88 years of life and boy he knew how to live. He was a true inspiration to the youth of today, and listening to the tributes at his memorial it reminded me just how much of a man he is. He is my mother's brother and there are aspects of her in him - the never ending energy to just keep going, at 76 my Mom makes even me tired as I have never had their energy.

I have posted a picture of my immediate family, without my middle sister Kim's family as they could not make it from Port Elizabeth for the occasion.

You can learn more about my uncle at his tribute website. Tickey

Tickey

What a nice day.....week or fortnight!

2008-03-10T19:50:00.001+02:00

As some of you may know I recently took some time off work to spend time with some good friends from the UK well sadly 17 days flew by and they have now left back home......while they where here I had a chance to do some photography and went on many field outings. I will soon be posting the pictures. All I can say is that I had a great time learning some really great stuff about my new found love photography.

Here is a snippet of some of my shots.

Betty's Bay reserve

World Of Birds

Bonsai Park

Thanks for looking.

Fun in the Sun.....

2008-02-25T18:30:00.005+02:00

We had some friends to Sunday lunch yesterday and the weather was just perfect. The kids had fun playing in the sand, on the swing and in the pool. Here is a layout I did of some of the pictures!

Callum is so in love with this cutie.....

Fab's Spot updated

2008-02-19T13:22:00.002+02:00

Well things seem to be finally getting more organised and I feel that I am at last able to complete a few of my tasks currently scheduled. I have updated the Fab's Spot website and made it more user friendly. When you enter you will see the latest developments and additions to the site. Rememebr though that you must be logged in and a registered memebr to see anything. Follow the link in the left hand side for FAB's Spot

Car Shopping

2008-02-10T09:18:00.000+02:00

Well now, after a rather depressing realization I have to sell the Audi sooner than expected. so it was car shopping this Saturday. My original plan was to get the Audi when it launched in SA, but alas that could be as late as July so We have been considering our options and it looks like I might have to rethink my opinions of BMW. We looked at the new shape and I must say I was impressed with all the safety features, so who knows this may be my new car......

Saturday morning walk.....

2008-02-02T08:03:00.000+02:00

Well no walk today, I decided to stay in and just rest mind and body. The recent changes in my life have caught up to me so I am just taking some me time. Hope to be myself soon. Well I hear the boys have just arrived home chat another time.

A day at the Zoo

2008-01-27T03:06:00.000+02:00

As is custom each Sunday we set out to have breakfast or a day out as a family. I have been wanting to take Callum to the zoo as I remember it being quite an exciting place to visit as a child. I have also on my European trips loved visiting the Zoos at the different countries I visited and the most memorable is still the Berlin Zoo. (http://www.zoo-berlin.de/en.html) It was a freezing December and I went to the aquarium and was just blown away by the exhibits of jellyfish and warm water species.

Any way back to the present. The zoo has moved out of town say 40km and is self funded. Well as we drove up I thought wow a bit rustic, well I am sad to say my 1st impression did not change and in fact it is rather depressing. The Zoo is in a very bad state and it is sad to see it so run down, all the animals are in rather aged caging and many are empty or house animals that are by no means spectacular. I wish more people would support it then maybe it would be able to afford better upkeep for the animals it houses. Anyway there where enough animals for me to take a few pictures together with my assistant photographer........

Here is a link to the photographs taken at the Zoo. As most are behind wire it is quite a challenge to get a good shot, at least it gives you an idea of the types of animals housed there and the state of the park.

http://www.worldfocuscc.co.za/photos/zoo/

Saturday walks

2008-01-27T02:16:00.000+02:00

In an effort to work less I have started going for regular Saturday morning walks. If only I could get more organized and go every morning.
Anyway last weekend the wind was quite strong but none the less we went for a walk and it was quite pleasant. Callum stopped off at the swings while I took some pictures of the mountain!
It never ceases to amaze me how different it looks each day!

End of a year 2007 into 2008!

2008-01-27T02:07:00.000+02:00

Wow what a year.....I sat recently and reflected back and sad to say most of 2007 was not a very good year. I seem to have spent too much time working and not enough time with my family and friends, this I definitely am going to change in 2008.

At the end of the year my thoughts where definitely around how I need to make some changes, what I was not expecting was that my hair dresser would have some changes up his sleeve. Introducing the non Blond......anyway let this year begin bring with it more happiness and fun times.I promised myself that I would make a greater effort to spend my time wisely and not work as hard anymore that it effects my life and makes me feel constantly guilty.

Pop into DSSA Blog

2007-12-11T07:03:00.000+02:00

Pop into DSSA and look at the Blog the girls and I have been adding some nice Templates, Tutorials and freebies. Be sure not to miss them. follow this link.....http//www.digitalscrapbooking.co.za/blog/
There is also a copy of my tutorials at this link......http://fionabyrns.com/blog/
Enjoy

My new toy

2007-11-29T08:18:00.000+02:00

Well here is my new toy, I have upgraded from the 350D to the 400D and am looking forward to some nice memories created with it.

Check back shortly for nice interesting shots.

Great Service

2007-11-16T04:56:00.000+02:00

Here is one of those stories that folks just love to moan about, and often do not tell the tale of the positive end result.
I got my copy in the mail of Shape Magazine with the Radox sample tube, but alas it had leaked out all over the magazine.
Normally I would just mumble and moan, but this time I decided to do the right thing and take a picture and send them a note.
Well I was blown awayby the quick response. Not only did I get an automated response to the mail within the hour I go a personalised mail and this went on even till yesterday. So from doing my initial email on Tuesday I have not only received letters from all at shape, touchline media and various other departments I received my new copy and all with no effort.
All I can say is that is service that deserves to be complemented. This will ensure that I will continiue to subscribe for years to come.

The Photo Shoot

2007-11-15T08:28:00.000+02:00

Here is a sample of the photo shoot pictures. A friend of mine a very talented photographer came down from JHB recently to take these pictures for us. She did a shoot at Kirstenbosch with a few families and I can truly say all the sessions just look stunning. I will have to get her back if you guys are keen.

A note from the voiceless one.....

2007-11-13T01:51:00.000+02:00

Well we have all had a bad bout of flu and I am at home as I type this as I have no voice. So lots of time to catch up on my typing. And to think I was just about to train my PC to type from voice recognition......will have to wait for that one.
On Sunday being a nice sunny day even though I could have stayed in bed we went out for an early breakfast so Callum could run around and play in his favourite park.

They have recently added some new stuff in the park like the board game tiles and the new climbing gym. It is so rare to find such a well maintained park in the area, I wish we could do something where I live. Anthony and I have spoken about approaching the neighbours as many have kids. We have a nice open area but it is just that open. I suggest we club together to install some play equipment and maintain it. Will keep you posted if we get a good response.

Well off to bed chat again soon.

Off to puppy school

2007-11-09T11:04:00.000+02:00

Well tommorow we are off to puppy school. Kira will be 10 weeks and she and I will start puppy training in the morning. I hope the weather clears else we are out in the rain......

Can you believe it is November

2007-11-01T10:53:00.000+02:00

Well this year is rushing past and it is getting to the silly season. Here in the southern hemisphere it is getting really nice and warm and I am looking forward to some quiet time at home. Well my site is coming along slowly the workload at work has kept me busy so I have not done as much as I wanted, but here is a link to the 1st newsletter to give you an idea of what has been going on.
http://www.fabsspot.com/newsletters/newsletter1.html

2007-10-29T10:34:00.000+02:00

Well Sasha & Kira are really getting on like a house on fire they play all day long. It has given Sasha a new reason to live I am so relieved.
Kira is still inside, but we will slowly start weaning her off and have her spending the nights with Sasha, they sleep in the day together in the kennel. Just so cute.

Meet Kira

2007-10-22T20:26:00.000+02:00

So she now has a name - Kira. So far she has really kept us busy as well as all the other dogs. She is at that typical puppy stage where she wants to play all the time. It is really cute to watch her with Sasha who is trying so hard to just ignore her. Se bounces around after Callum and the 2 of them leave a trail of destruction in their wake.
She goes from being super playful to fast asleep in seconds.
Last night was a much calmer night with all the dogs staying in their beds and not waking us up so we felt as if normality was returning to the household.
Well let's see what tomorrow brings.

Our newest baby

2007-10-20T08:34:00.000+02:00

Introducing the newest member of my family. This little ridgeback puppy arrived yesterday 19th October 2007 8 weeks old and as cute as a button. Already in her 1st 24 hours she has managed to have quite an eventful life, she has fallen into the pool taken over Roxie's bed and generally amused us all with her quirky moves. She is sure to become the topic of many photo shoots so you will be seeing lots of her over the months and years to come.

Time flies by

2007-10-19T10:00:00.000+02:00

So here we are mid way through October and a mere 66 days till Christmas. I also have 9 days left till go live with my big project. Hopefully after that things can calm down and I can focus on my life.
I have started my new website and are slowly managing to load the content, but keep changing my mind on the layout of things. I will design a newsletter when done to update all those that registered.

2007-09-16T11:51:00.000+02:00

Ok so I am a bad blogger and am not keeping this Blog up to date. I have a reason and that is work work work.
I have promised myself though that by end of September things would even out and I will get back to normality. I am also hoping to launch my site - it was set for spring but seeing as it does not feel like spring in these parts yet I can delay awhile.
I will soon update you on all the stuff when I am ready.
ciao for now

Well it is raining again and my roof is leaking

2007-07-11T21:41:00.001+02:00

Hello all can you believe it is raining again and we are going away.

Not to worry I hope to just relax and chill out anyway.

2007-07-11T10:16:00.000+02:00

2007-07-07T10:14:00.000+02:00

Ok I have redone this Blog layout hope it reads better now. I hope to use this as the main jump page for my other blogs. Feel free to send me any comments.

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