Egyptian geese family

We usually walk our dog around the lagoon near our house (when we aren't walking on the beach or the mountain - there are a lot of choices in Cape Town).  Over recent months we have been watching some families of Egyptian geese (apparently now called African geese) with their babies.  You can tell the young parents - they don't really know how to protect their young from predators and their families get smaller and smaller, dwindling each time we see then until there is sometimes only one (if that) left.  However one family with obviously experienced parents has been a joy to watch.  Eight young, tiny little things following behind their mommy.  Then still eight getting bigger and bigger until they are nearly the size of the adults.  So we were a bit distressed to see a total of nine familiar shapes on Saturday.  All the young were there and a stressed looking mommy but no sign of daddy.  I was feeling really sad about it - we are always told geese mate for life.  So today when we went there again the first thing I did was check the family - still only nine.   Then as we walked a bit further we heard a loud familiar cry and there was daddy goose on his way back.  All ten were swimming in a group when we saw them on our way home.   I know it's not that important - there are horrible incidents going on all over the world not least in South Africa but in our little Zandvlei lagoon everything is going well!

We were disappointed to hear that the jungle lodge we were hoping to go to between Christmas and New Year is closed at that time so it's back to the drawing board.  But it looks such an amazing country that I'm sure we'll find something equally good.

We have been living on the most amazing avocados recently.  Our season is about to end and it always goes out with a bang - huge delicious creamy avos.  It takes me about 2 minutes to prepare a dish fit for a king.  Here goes (this is for two people)

1 large avo, cut in half, remove pip, and carefully peel, (with fingers), pur lemon juice over
1 cup cocktail tomatoes
1 small onion
1 small slice ginger  (optional)
1/2 red or yellow pepper
fresh herbs (basil, oregano, whatever)
lemon juice
sea salt
pinch cayenne pepper (optional but gives it a nice little bite)

Combine everything, except avo, in food processor.  Process till finely chopped but not mush

Serve on chopped lettuce with sprouts.   Nestle half avo in the lettuce, pour on the stuffing which may overflow.

Easy peasy!  Unfortunately our avos are always out of season by Christmas - you can still buy them - from Spain - at an exorbitant cost and massive carbon footprint so I try (not always successfully) to avoid them.

Till next time :)