Fish 'n Chips...

When we were in South Africa over Christmas we picked up some takeaway fish 'n chips from a fish shop in Pinelands. I recreated this iconic dish here earlier this month. I baked the fish (cod and haddock) as well as the calamari - so it wasn't quite as greasy as traditional fish and chips. I even made a batter for the calamari, and it was delicious! :)

Storm Season...

It's late spring and as such it is storm season here in rural southern Indiana. We've had a couple of severe thunderstorms (severe is defined as having one or more of the following: wind gusts of 58 mph - 93 km/h - or greater, large hail, frequent lightning, tornadoes, etc) roll through our area over the past fortnight. Thankfully, this thunderstorm was well-below severe limits, but there was still a distinct shelf cloud visible.

Spring Flowers...

Candace has many flowers planted and these are just a few of the beautiful ones that have appeared over the past couple of months. We try and grow native plants here, and it is exciting to see them flowering! We are very blessed by the beauty of spring!

Columbine flower.

Wild daisies - also known as fleabane.

Another columbine flower. It resembles a jester's hat.

Butterweed, a common wildflower plant that is often seen in fields here.

Pretty peony.

Iris amongst ninebark flowers.

Hanging Basket Nest...

Candace loves to decorate our front stoep with hanging baskets and pretty flowers. Well, a pair of American robins have decided that one of the hanging baskets is prime real estate to raise a family! They've built a nest deep in the basket and there are now three light blue eggs safely inside the nest. We'll be following their progress over the coming weeks! :)

The nest surrounded by pretty flowers.

The mother bird in the process of laying an egg on a hot afternoon.

It's a week later and there are three eggs now!

Chicago Mission Trip...

I joined some good friends in doing a trip to Chicago on Saturday, 7th May. We went up to visit some Afghan refugee friends who have been resettled there. My friends connected with them at a refugee camp in Indiana late last year. We left home at around 06h00 and arrived in Chicago some five hours later. We were blessed with steaming cups of green tea and traditional Afghan food.

After spending the best part of the day visiting new friends in Chicago, we grabbed Nando's (a chicken restaurant that originated in South Africa!) for supper, and then left Chicago at around 22h00. It was a long drive back and we arrived home at 03h30 in the morning. It was a fantastic day of reaching out and connecting with new friends. We hope to do it again soon!

Navy Pier on Lake Michigan at Chicago.

Chicago is blessed with many parks that run along the lake.

The retired ferry M/V Abegweit at Columbia Yacht Club.

A large church in the suburbs north of downtown.

Large park in Chicago, where a refugee organisation had organised a Picnic in the Park for Afghan and Syrian refugees.

It was organised by RefugeeOne.

Cycling is quite popular in the city.

Cups of green tea with our Afghan friends.

Traditional, delicious Afghan food.

Nando's Peri-Peri Restaurant.

Waiting for our meal at Nando's.

Chicago skyline as seen from the north.

Sidewalk Chalk Fun...

The weather is lovely right now and our children have spent lots of time playing outside. A fun activity that they really enjoy is sidewalk chalk. The supplies are quite inexpensive and a simple path can become a canvas for the imagination. Our kiddos love it!

Drawing a rainbow.

Riaan even drew Curious George!

The front pathway was filled with beautiful drawings!

Jack-in-the-Pulpit...

Riaan and I (and Candace and the girls) were beside ourselves with excitement when we discovered "Jack" in the shaded flower bed along the side of the house. Candace had planted native forest plants last year, including several Jack-in-the-Pulpit bulbs. 

We have had a few of them return this year, but up until this point they've all returned minus the flower. This was the first one on our property that we have found to be in flower, which is very exciting. We often go and visit "Jack" around the side of the house! :)

The Jack-in-the-Pulpit plant the day that we noticed it unfurling its leaves.

A couple of days later and "Jack" is clearly visible inside the flower. :)

Oubache Trails Park...

We drove across to Oubache (pronounced "Wabash") Trails Park just outside of Vincennes recently. We let the children play at the playground and we then hiked down to the creek, where they loved splashing in the calm stream. We saw lots of new growth and lush green colour as spring is in full effect here in south-west Indiana!

Anya enjoying the playground.

Riaan and Eliza pose for a photo in a hollowed-out tree.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit plant.

Lush green colour on our little hike.

Family selfie as we hike up to the car. :)

Dandelions Galore...

The dandelions certainly grow quite rapidly in our area of the world. Amazingly enough, this was just two days after I had mowed our front lawn. At least the dandelions keeps the pollinators happy!

The intricate detail of a dandelion is quite breathtaking.

Freedom Day Cycle...

I went for a lovely cycle on Wednesday, 27th April. It was Freedom Day in South Africa. This public holiday commemorates the day when South Africa held its first democratic elections back in 1994. I can still remember the day that officially heralded the advent of democracy and the destruction of the apartheid regime. I proudly donned my South African cycling kit and even made a South African flag in the parking lot of the local East Side Park! :)

My South African flag made thanks to Strava. :)