The Bell Grapevine

More riding pictures

bellgrapevine — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:16:57 +0000

That’s right guys, I have decided that while we cannot host every picture, we can at least save the low resolution versions on the web. So if you want to just see all of the pictures from the rides etc then click on the links that I will provide after the future posts. In the mean time, if you click on this different coloured text you will see all the photos from Uncle Ook’s birthday ride.

A Little Ride

bellgrapevine — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:41:57 +0000

Not a day over 60. No really.

Last week in celebration of Uncle Ookie’s birthday, a number of us including new riders, Cuz D, Kev and Shan went for nice little ride ending at the driving range pub for a birthday drink.

Kev took a bit of strain riding for the first time in a good couple of decades wile Cuz D managed to get attacked by a reed. Uncle Ookie also decided to shed some skin for his birthday, not quite like the snakes do, but rather left some of it on the pedal. Grusome. Through all the injuries though, at least none of us were doing as bad as Ian who was sitting in a hospital in Pietermaritzburg with a broken foot and thumb.

Bun also learnt how not to use a bomb to pump up tyres. Three down and we resorted to a handpump again.. Sometimes the old technology is the best technology.

Good times. We will post some more of the pics up in another post.

Congratulations!

bellgrapevine — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:49:38 +0000

Congratulations to Michael and Maritza and Sam and Brent on the news that there will be yet more pitter patters of little feet this year. Keep us up to date and email scans or news and we will track the progress on this blog for the whole family to see.

Riding the Northern Suburbs

bellgrapevine — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:26:22 +0000

Okay, in the spirit of learning, here is my first try.

So last Saturday Big B, Pablo I, Cuz J were up at the crack of dawn to go on a ride with the trail riding club. As most of you know, I’m not much of a morning person, so this took some serious will power.

The ride started at 7:30 and we left from the Mugg & Bean in Paulshof (Sandton Doll!) and off we went. Its was a beginners ride and according to them it was 15Km, Big B says it was 18 K’s though ( I think its becasue he was riding around in circles at the parking lot though – T). Hell of a nice ride. Pretty flat single track most of the way with two nice river crossings and loads of obstacles along the way, also no major roads to cross. Halfway stop was at a pleasant coffee shop and had breakfast and a fruit juice for most of us…Big B of course had a beer. Like the New Zealander he says he’s not riding if he can’t have at least one beer. We got back at about 11:00 or so.

For all of you who do read this blog and Big B and I are planning on doing the ride again on Saturday, not with the club this time just us…which means Big B can have more than just one beer before breakfast. If anyone is keen, meet us at my house or at the Mugg & Bean (in Paulshof that is). I am sure you will get an SMS to this effect anyway.

Here are a couple of shots of the ride, looks like fun ‘innit?

Well time to get back to work, my boss is a slave driver you know

Cuz J

Easter at the Risco’s

bellgrapevine — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:17:14 +0000

Thanks be to Aunty J to host the whole family at her home for an easter hunt. Apart from the deft parking I managed to execute, the kids were very impressed wiht the whole hunt. The Easter Bunny had been busy that morning laying eggs all over the place. How he fitted so many in his little hopipng bum will remain a mystery for now.

So much sugar can’t be a good thing and I have vowed to lay off the choccies for a while. This is the cake I baked. That’s right, I did bake a cake all on my very own.

Ame loving her choccies

Baby Sadie Belle loves choccies too

I think that she’s hunting for the easter bunny…and he’d better be careful…

Little Angel…yeah right

Duncan ate a sour worm…I think.

Patiently waiting…

Pablo, Bjorn…whatever…I think we found a clown…

Welcome

bellgrapevine — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:03:20 +0000

Hi all

Yes, that’s right, the Bells are moving into the digital age even if it’s a non-Bell getting them there. By becoming a digital Bell I’m not saying that the Cathedral at Notre Dam has installed a new loudspeaker, nope The Bell Grapevine should be as easilly accessible from your cellphone as it is from a computer and you will be able to be updated on all of the latest goings-on.

After much talk from Uncle Bunny about printing a news paper, I’m sure dont you find this far easier and Uncle Bun will thank me later for saving him so much of money. With family scattered, for the most part, in all over the Southern Hemisphere, this blog is intended to be a resource for family news, updates and funny stories.

Let’s start in simple steps. For now I propose that you send any news and stories which you would like added to The Bell Grapevine to the email address which I’ve email mailed or SMS’d to you. I, teh M0d3r8r, will then take some time to post the story on your behalf. You simply then just check in a day later and voila. (I hope) Eveything is there.

When I have some more spare time I will put together a comprehensive guide, or manual if you will, to uploading your own stories on this blog. It will require a login and some rudimentary understanding of the websites and writing, so if you are keen let me know.

I think the goal is to publish something at least a few times a week - one or twice, I’m not pushy – so as to not let this die and be confined to halls of fogotten projects. Remeber anything is news and rather send all you have than nothing at all. Also, remember that pictures speak a thousand words in the words of some great fellow whose name escapes me right now, so if you have a couple of those then send ‘em along too.

Right, so that is it for the first installment, I will load some other stuff up in the mean time so at least you have some pretty pcitures by the time that you log on.