First attempt at camping

Can you remember what happened over the weekend of 1-2 January 2011. (Easy on this weekend, LOL. It was New Year!) Gattina of Writer Cramps hosts the fun meme: What did you do this weekend? Do pop into her blog and join us in telling what you did this weekend!

At ten past three on Friday afternoon, the pick-up was loaded and we were ready to head out for the bushcamp thirty kilometers from town. Only problem is, it was raining and continued to rain!

Last week I said to Grant that I'd love to go camping for New Year. He was a little reticent as it has been raining here in the Free State for the past two weeks. I'm sure all the rain Australia has had recently, has now moved down to South Africa and pouring over us here! Most mornings dawn clear and by midday thick black clouds form overhead. Between three and five o'clock, the heavens open.  Then the sun appears and we enjoy lovely evenings until it sets at about 6.50pm! We've had on average of 50 mm of rain per day. The farmers need the rain, we gardeners love the rain, but camping in the rain? Mmmm.

However, we decided to "play it by ear". We provisionally booked a campsite at an 4x4 adventure farm in the mountains about 30km from town.

On Friday afternoon at ten to three, set up for a night of camping, we left town. Only problem was, it was raining! We turned off onto the dirt road towards the adventure farm and drove along in the pouring rain. Thick black clouds were hanging over the mountains we were ahead,  so Grant suggested I phone the owners of the farm to find out what the weather was like there. They confirmed what we already knew. It was raining so heavily there that they'd not been able to pitch the tent we'd ordered. We turned around and came home. All within the hour!

We drove into a cloudburst as we entered Marquard. Once inside the house, I grabbed my camera and photographed the downpour from the office window.

*Sigh* So much for my exciting camping trip in the wilds. However, Grant promised that if Saturday dawned bright and clear, we would make a second attempt at our camping trip. Which is what we did, but more about that tomorrow!

For New Year's Eve we were Darby and Joan and spent a quiet evening at home. We made a batch of samoosas and springrolls which we enjoyed with a cup of tea. We were in bed by nine!

At 4.10pm we were home again and watching this torrent from the office window!

On New Year's Eve, Grant and I made a batch of vegetarian springrolls and a batch each of meat and vegetarian samoosas. We froze the bulk of our labours and fried half a dozen each for a treat that evening. The last time we'd made these, was while living in Khartoum. You can see the recipes here and here. I must admit, the pastry we used there was far superior to the brand we managed to find here in South Africa. I wasn't impressed with the way the pastry curled away from the forms while cooking but the filling was as delicious as always!

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