After leaving Cape Town, Mom and I drove up The Garden Route to Port Elizabeth. It's a beautiful drive and our first stop was Mossel Bay. "Mossel" actually refers to the "muscles" and oysters found in the bay by the first explorers who came to this area. 

Bartolomeu Dias arrived in Mossel Bay first in 1488. He was on his way to India and didn't realize he had already rounded the Cape of Good Hope.  After landing at Mossel, he was chased off by rock- throwing natives. The next explorer to show up was Vasco da Gama in 1497.

Look close at this picture and you'll see the breaching whale and a surfer about to catch a wave.

There are some wonderful old buildings in Mossel Bay.

Along with some very old churches.

Mom found another swing set and was in heaven.

We did some exploring around the Cape of St. Blaize.

The surf was pretty high right outside our hotel room.

The view from the Point Hotel in Mossel Bay where we stayed.

Mom is always making new friends. With this young lady she was singing "Jingle Bells"

She had to talk to this young boy because he had on a T-shirt from our favorite city.

The view from our room.

December 16th is the Day of Reconciliation, a South African national holiday, formerly called the Day of the Covenant. The city of Mossel Bay held a "colour" run.

Everyone was getting hit with powdered colors.

This is looking north from Cape St. Blaize. Look closely on the beach and you'll see Mom swinging on the swing set.

We left Mossel Bay and headed north to Knysna, a little city on the Indian Ocean. It had a small shopping village next to its harbor.

We had to take a picture of this sign. How far away are we from our youngest daughter in Chicago? Remember they use kilometers out here.

Knysna Quays, South Africa

On December 13th Mom and I flew down to Cape Town. It is one of my favorite cities in the world. This picture from our hotel room shows Table Mountain from across Table Bay. The mountain on left is called Devil's Peak and on the right is Lion's head.

While on my first mission to South Africa I served for nearly a year in Cape Town. This is a picture of the Mowbray LDS chapel. 

The cultural hall inside the Mowbray chapel.

The chapel at Mowbray.

The Mowbray chapel sits on the site of the first property owned by the LDS Church in Africa.

Read up on the early history. A little plaque located in the lobby of the Mowbray Chapel.

This may be the last time I'm in Cape Town. The table clothe on Table Mountain.

I will really miss Cape Town.

December 5th was the Area Office Christmas party. I can't believe this is the second time we've attended this party. It was held at the Sunnyside Hotel not far from the Area Office.

On left Shawn Donnelly, Pubic Affairs Director, Never from Real Estate and Jean-Marie the French translator.

There are some great young professionals who work in the Area Office. Sandile, Sidwell and Given are all returned missionaries.

In middle Califonia and on right Kapu.

Mom with the Soweto Stake President Thabo. He is also the Director of Self Reliance for the Church in the Africa Southeast Area. He has a dimple which is even deeper than our granddaughter Chelsea's.

Monday evening, December 8th was FHE with the Area Presidency. Elders Cook, Ellis and Hamilton live right next door to the Area Office. This is picture taken in the Hamilton's flat. 

Here is a great story. This is my friend Jesse Arumugam. He is the Facility Manager for the Area Office and Temple.  He came up to me this past week and said, "I think I'll call you my missionary." When asked with he meant, he explained. "Well, you baptized Denise Milne in Bulawayo back in 1968, she married and became Denise Butterfield. Her son Jarrod Butterfield went on a mission to Durban, South Africa and he baptized me there." Jesse went on a mission to Johannesburg, South Africa. When I asked him how was his mission, he admitted after some prodding by me that on one Saturday, he and his companion baptized 31 new converts. If my eyes look a little teary, it was a moment of great joy to me as he had just finished his story.

This picture of our Institute Class at the Institute/Seminary Graduation. We had 6 get Graduation Certificates. From right, Robert, Obey a recently returned missionary from Ghana, Andrew, Jessica and Johanna.

Mom helping to hand out certificates at the Graduation.

Picture of Dorcus and Zanele at the OGC office Christmas luncheon at Moyo's a great African restaurant.

We get some of the cutest little visitors to the Office of General Counsel.

One of our Institute Class students, Tsepiso got sealed to Khanya in the Johannesburg Temple on December 12th. A mission highlight for Mom and I.

A very joyous moment for all the friends and families.

Last Thursday afternoon the senior missionaries working in the Area Office held the annual Thanksgiving dinner. 

Just before we ate, Elder Carl Cook, Area President (with plastic bag in hand) welcomed everyone.

Mom gave the spiritual thought about being thankful.

The wise men were thankful for a "star".

Mom couldn't be cuter!

Saturday we found a swing for Mom in the Zoo Lake Park.

Saturday in the park. Everyone was having fun.

I thought I was going to have to leave the park without Mom. She was having so much fun.

Zoo Lake Park is very near our flat.  In the background is Johannesburg.

Some Egyptian Geese came to investigate.

Mom in the nursery at Church Sunday.

Thinking about consequences during Primary Sharing Time.

The Acacia tree is found all over Africa. It is very drought resistant and its leaves are a favorite of giraffes but it also has some very big and sharp thorns. A giraffe as a very long tongue to get around these thorns.

Our granddaughter, Margaux, loves the giraffe so I thought I'd post a couple of pictures I've taken of this wonderful animal. At 16 to 20 feet in height, the giraffe is the tallest living mammal on the planet.  It loves to eat the leaves of the Acacia tree. 

Even in the dry season, the trees keep some leaves at the very top of their branches. Having a long neck, the giraffe can easily reach the leaves. Originally the giraffe was believed to be part camel and part leopard. In Afrikaans the giraffe is called "kameelperd" because of this old belief. Many native languages translate the name of a giraffe as "fast walker". It can gallop up to 37 miles per hour.

Its long neck has only 7 vertebrae, just like us humans but they are much longer and have a ball and socket configuration.

Besides getting around the thorns on the Acacia tree to get to the leaves, the giraffe's twenty inch tongue can also help to pick its nose. Margaux, I bet you can't do that.