This time of year is such a joy! The weather outside my window is worthy of inspiration. It’s a serene afternoon – warm, not too humid with a gentle breeze playing through the trees. Summer is my favourite time of the year.

The grass is green – carpet-like in the front garden and verdant in the back. The trees are lush and tending towards overgrowth, muffling the sounds beyond the garden.

I hear the sound of a light aircraft in the distance probably on its way to land at the Rand Airport. The subdued whoosh of cars on the nearby road is broken by the invasive rattling of a motorbike speeding to clear the traffic light before it turns red.

I hear the voice of my neighbour who has arrived home – the car door slams shut, the sounds of footsteps getting fainter as he moves towards his house. A hooter across the road hails the attention of the house occupants. A bakkie with a trailer laden with gardening equipment dashes up the road – garden service for the day is over and it’s time to drop off the rubble at the dump.

The radio is softly playing in the kitchen – a musical accompaniment to the business of the day, that is moving towards sunset. A microlight passes overhead. A lawnmower starts up. Chè taking is advantage of the coolness of the late afternoon to clear the long grass growing outside our window.

The cats come in asking for food. They’re better than any alarm clock – when it comes to food they keep time better than anything and anyone I know.

I close my eyes and try to discern how many different bird sounds I can hear …

Dinner time is approaching and soon delicious aromas will waft in the evening breeze from the kitchens close by. Perhaps someone will have a braai making the smells more tantalising. I wonder what everyone is having for dinner?