Between Vacation in Plettenberg Bay and leaving for Monrovia for a duty tour until mid January, I had one day at home in Kosmos to attend to all the household and family arrangements.
Johan Jr had a few days off, and spent Christmas at the Dam, while Louis and Lerika Wessels who spent Christmas with him in Malawi - was supposed to return with the Beechcraft Baron he was flying up there to have it serviced here at Wonderboom Airport.
Johan Jr had a few days off, and spent Christmas at the Dam, while Louis and Lerika Wessels who spent Christmas with him in Malawi - was supposed to return with the Beechcraft Baron he was flying up there to have it serviced here at Wonderboom Airport.
Louis was then changing jobs - he is starting on the 1st of January with MARS (Medical Air Rescue Services) in Harare Zimbabwe.
We planned to have a dinner at home in Kosmos with the Pettey Family, on my last night in South Africa, and hoped that all of our family and theirs could all be present, before we scatter all over the globe for 2007!
Here is a pic of the Beech Baron at Likoma Island halfway up the Malawi Lake, the aircraft got damaged when a passenger stepped on the flap and broke the flap, this meant that it had to be flown back to South - Africa with a field repaired flap.
Louis still had to fly some clients in another aircraft, a Piper Cherokee six, from a lodge in Zambia, the morning of the 28th of December to Lilongwe in Malawi, which meant that he would arrive home an hour or so after I left for Monrovia on Friday the 29th.
Louis still had to fly some clients in another aircraft, a Piper Cherokee six, from a lodge in Zambia, the morning of the 28th of December to Lilongwe in Malawi, which meant that he would arrive home an hour or so after I left for Monrovia on Friday the 29th.
A sad state of affairs since Louis had been away nearly six months!
However things changed for the better that day, Louis and Lerika took off again in the Baron as soon as he landed in Lilongwe and set course for Beira in Mozambique and then on to Polokwane to clear customs into South Africa, the weather was not great but ok for an instrument flight with some isolated thunderstorms in the Nylstroom - Now called Modimolle - area.He called on his cellphone about 120 Km from Polekwane and gave us an estimated arrival time of 2000 at Wonderboom. This meant that the whole family would have dinner and a few hours together before I had to leave again.
Dinner was postponed to accommodate Louis and Ken and myself drove to Wonderboom Airport to pick Louis up
Here Louis arrives at home and is welcomed by Kirsty and Johan Jr.
Louis was very surprised that his older brother whom he had not seen in six months did not come to meet him at the airport but that became clearer later in the evening.
The two (below) had a serious matter to discuss and needed some time alone!
They had a few glasses of wine and it was raining on an off with no wind and pleasantly warm, Kirsty made some sushi earlier and we brought a few pounds of fantastic smoked cape salmon from Robberg Fisheries in Plett.
After the excitement of welcoming Louis home they (Johan Jr. and Kirsty) disappeared into the garden while we were getting ready to start the meal.
After a few minutes Kirsty walked into the lounge and made the announcement. That they are now engaged - and on her finger she had proof of this.
The ring
. Here we all are Louis, Juanita, Kirsty and Jenny standing behind me Johan Jr. Ryan and Ken.
