Gateway of hope

The imposing gateway and buildings of the Marsh Memorial Homes in Rondebosch. Established by the Rev. E.T. Marsh in 1901, it started out as an orphanage, but is now a "multi-cultural facility, catering for children whose homes are beset with financial difficulties, drug/alcohol problems or physical abuse, and who have suffered emotional trauma as a result".

O is for Oceans Day

Today was too wet and windy to go to the beach to celebrate Oceans Day, but we all are wearing blue jeans and will endeavour to "wear blue and tell two". Our two interesting facts are:

1. The Cape Clawless Otter, whose statue is seen at Kirstenbosch near the Dell, lives and hunts in both freshwater and seawater on the Cape Peninsula. They spend their days in holts (dens) in dry, sandy places under overhanging rocks or in thickets in coastal vegetaion. These holts have a very strong, characteristic musky smell so look out for one when you walk along a less crowded beach one day.

2. Some scientists think that all the water in the oceans came from comets that struck the newly forming Earth and melted into water.