… we think we love you!
It’s Sunday, the day of rest (for lucky us, that is, but not for Steven and Ken and some of the guys still beavering away at the factory, bless ‘em) so, Gideon and his brother, Philip (our newest bestest friend) very kindly whisked us off to Tala game reserve to do a little shooting – but only of the pixelated variety. And this handsome dude was just one of Tala’s many delightful models willing to pose. Gideon, Philip and Dick showed endless patience while I wielded my sturdy Canon trying to fill the frame with four-legged beasties – or two-leggy-legged in the case of some dust-bathing ostriches. Crazy-looking birds those – crazy-headed, too. And a chance and very close encounter with two female elephants was a definite highlight … (pictures to follow shortly).
Y’know, bumping along the dusty tracks in a little ol’ Nissan rental, windows down, sun ablaze in an azure sky, fanned by the breeze and wowed by the vast rolling scape of African grassland and basking animals – well, it’s a surefire recipe for A Good Day. Throw in good company and happy banter and it’s darn near a perfect one.
Late in the afternoon, we called in at the factory. Much progress this weekend including the fitting of both trampolines. I mention these because they’re made of Dyneema (billed as the ‘world’s strongest fibre’) and they’re definitely the best we’ve seen or tried. Walking or lying on them (they make great beds for hot nights) is a joy: the mesh is fine and light and mounted so there are no gaping holes round the edges for unwary feet to slip down. A very neat, small, quarter-circle clearance either side of the compression beam allows easy access to the anchor roller – a nice practical touch.
What we’re not quite so wowed by are the windows. But this is a tricky one. The material, Lexan Margard, is excellent stuff – far superior to glass and immensely practical. But due to its flexible nature, it must be fitted with a wide band of sealant on the saloon interior side of the windows. This wide band of sealant is black and is visible outside, through the green tint of the Lexan. Aesthetically, this dark border isn’t great, but it is absolutely necessary to secure the windows against walls of crashing water in very rough seas. One solution would be to have black tinted Lexan Margard, instead of green, so the sealant wouldn’t be visible – but alas, Lexan don’t manufacture such a beastie. Ah well, not to worry – it’s reassuring to know that we have the best material for the job. Safety always takes priority.
Tonight we must sleep well. Tomorrow night in the wee smalls, we follow Butterfly and her police escort to the marina for the big splash – metaphorically speaking, of course. Her introduction to the water will be a gentle one, no doubt – or heads will roll!
Time to practice a little night photography …
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