Early days with Ally

How we met

Ally and I met in the tiny village of Kleinmond (two hours out of Cape Town) across an old rusty fence in the local camp site.  I was there with my two very good friends, Ivor and Julian.  Julian happened to know another guy, Dave, who was also camping there with some of his friends who were mostly female (well done Dave!)  

So there we all stood on opposite sides of the rusty fence and Dave and Julian were catching up and Ivor and I were ogling the girls (including Colleen, Lucy and Tammy ) and they were ogling us back - but in a delightful way.  Ivor and Julian both had their sights firmly on Tammy in her leopard spotted swim suit.  I had my eyes on Ally.

We all joined each other for dinner and got chatting.  Ally mentioned her mum was a psychologist and I made some flippant remark (I cannot remember what) and Ally wasn't too impressed so we weren't off to the perfect start

After dinner, we went to the local disco, Britt's Disco.  Night-life in the area was sorely limited!  We all danced and I seem to remember doing a bit of rock n' roll over arm, under arm with Ally but I don't remember clearly.  But I probably did because it was my usual mating routine to try to impress girls with my newly acquired dancing moves.  Very primitive and by no means, always effective!

The last song to play at the disco was Kylie Minogue's  "Do the Locomotion" and we all created a human chain and danced around the room.  Cool and hip we were not, but it was a lot of fun.

I don't remember who's idea it was to go for a midnight skinny dip in the Palmiet River, but when it was proposed, it was enthusiastically received by one and all.  The water was cold and very black but we weren't deterred and there was lots of laughter and splashing and fun.

Then we all got out to put our clothes back on in the dark.  It was at this point that Ivor switched on his torch in an effort to find his socks (well, that's his story anyway.)  It was later rumoured that Julian and I paid Ivor R10 to switch on his torch but to this day, we both vehemently deny that!  At any rate, I caught sight of Ally's naked bottom in the light beam and that clinched it for me - this was the girl for me.

The next day, on New Year's Eve, we all went to the local beach in the evening to celebrate the coming of 1993.  As we walked to the beach, we carried our bottles of sparkling wine, as did everybody else.  Suddenly some police jumped out of nowhere and pronounced that we would not be able to take any alcohol onto the beach.  A few of the other young students (not in our group, of course) protested.  Suddenly our eyes started to tear up and we found ourselves coughing violently.  It turns out one of the police had let off a tear gas bomb to make his point extra clear.

So eyes streaming, we went down onto the beach without our sparkling wine.  Through the tears, Ally looked as good as ever.  Ally went for a short walk and came back with a white and black sea gull feather.  Playfully she tickled Julian's face with it and I realised she might have her eyes set on him.  But he laughed and that was it.  Next Ally gave my face a little tickle.  It actually felt really, really good.  I said so and took the feather from her and caressed her face softly with it.  And she agreed.

So that is basically how we spent the night.  Talking and caressing, talking and caressing.  No kissing.  No monkey business.  Just two people connecting.  Neither of us wanted to spoil the mood.

Finally the dawn arrived and I sat behind Ally as the sun rose and put my arms around her.  She spontaneously put my hands underneath her jersey against the warm skin of her tummy.  I was elated and very happy to be alive.

Our first kiss!

Later that night, we had our first kiss.  We were in the camp site and everyone was talking and laughing around the braai (barbecue).  Large quantities of alcohol were being consumed.  Thank goodness for alcohol or very few shy people would ever get laid.  Ally and I were off to one side.  She very spontaneously bit my ear lobe.  I warned her that if she did that again, there would be consequences to pay.  She promptly did it again and I went in for the clinch.

Now, I'm a very good kisser and I was confident that Ally would positively swoon and be consumed.  And she gave ever sign to be.  Then suddenly, without warning, she detached herself from my embrace and said to her friend, Colleen, who was sitting a little way away "Colleen, I must butt in and disagree with what you have been saying, I think that..."  Needless to say, I felt a little less confident in my kissing technique.  Ally also remembers this moment with some embarrassment and blames it on the alcohol.

Our first date

For our first date, I took Ally to the Kirstenbosch Gardens at night.  The gardens are closed and locked at night but we slipped over the wall and walked up the slopes to a place where there was a wonderful view of the city by night.  There we had a picnic including sparkling wine in crystal glasses, nuts, cheese and crackers and chocolate mousse.  We had a wonderful time.  My only regret for the evening is that we didn't go skinny dipping in Lady Anne Barnard's Bath.

Other highlights of our early relationship

After our first date, our relationship grew from strength to strength.  We had so many good times.  Here are some of my most vivid memories of our early relationship:

• Ally's 20 th birthday party on Llandadno beach
• How much fun we had at the "Kitch party"
• Getting stuck in the middle of the lake at the Yacht Club party
• Surprising Ally with Chinese dinner in my room - a very special evening
• Leaving little love notes all over Ally's room
• Our third month anniversary at Melkbos after our romantic dinner at "On The Rocks"
• The first time Ally said "I love you" and knowing that she truly meant it
• Saying "ffff- first" whenever we experienced something together for the first time
• Camping at Bain's Kloof
• Our song: "Only You"- and how it originated
• The joy on Ally's face when we bought a full set of Lanquedoc products
• Camping at Palmiet with our friends, including Eleda and Peter
• Our trip to The Graham's Town festival with Julian 
• How cute Ally looked as a pirate at her 21st birthday party
• Having romantic lunches at Le Petit Ferme
• How gorgeous Ally looked at the Viennese Ball in her velvet green dress
• Calling Ally "Allykins" - then later on calling each other "My love"
• "Have I told you lately that I love you? No. Well I do. Still? Always"
• Our romantic weekends away at Mc Greggor, Montagu, Greyton, Elgin, Citrusdal, Hermanus and Franschhoek
• Rowing on the lake at Elgin Lodge
• The way that Gramps adored Ally and how she called him her "Number 2 Hug Man"
• The beautiful, creative cards that Ally made me to commemorate special occasions (see below)
• Ally moving into Willow Road with me
• Ally's delight when I took her on a surprise date to watch Madam Butterfly
• Asking a jeweller to make us a little feather out of gold to remember how we came together
• Our trip to Joberg to meet Ally's dad and Aisa
• Sleeping out on the the balcony in Willow Road
• How we used to re-affirm our love through Ally's ring by taking it off and putting it back on
• Our picnics at Jonkershoek
• Our holiday at Storms River and Natures Valley
• Flying to Johannesburg so Ally could meet her step mum for the first time

Places we went away for weekends

• Stone Mill Lodge (Mc Greggor)
• Mamosa Lodge (Montagu)
• Greyton lodge
• Worcester and Green Gables (Mc Greggor)
• Montagu Hot Springs (Honeymoon suite)
• Windermere (Elgin)
• Pipin self catering (Elgin)
• The Baths (Citrusdal)
• The Windsor Hotel (Hermanus)
• Stonehenge Cottage (Franchhoek)
• Club Mekenos
• Hermanus Whale festival
• Bain's Kloof camping
• trip over Swartberg Pass (Prince Albert)
• Storms River + Natures Valley
• Grahams Town Festival + Wilderness
• Melkbos flat
• Citrusdal Baths
• Elgin lodge - rowing the lake

Special restaurants

• Dulce's 
• Le Perla for crayfish
• Over the Top - particularly desert
• pint of prawns at Plett
• On the Rocks
• Over the Top
• Trumps

Letter written to Ally on our 3rd month anniversary (click to enlarge)

 Cards Ally made me

Poems I wrote for Ally

If I was a bird

If I was a bird and so were you…

I’d kiss you with the gentle pecks of a parrot

I’d dive down for you with the lightning speed of a falcon

I’d shout out my adoration for you with the piercing calls of a cuckoo

I’d run towards you with the powerful strides of an ostrich

I’d sing for you from the highest tree with the sweet melody of a nightingale

I’d dance for you with the up and down bobs of a love-struck albatross

I’d cry out for you with the plaintive lament of a lonely fish eagle

I’d swim for you with the splashy kicks of a grebe

I’d soar to reach you with the majestic glides of a Martial Eagle on a rising thermal

I’d hover above you like a kingfisher before its plunge

I’d look at you with the unblinking gaze of a forest owl

I’d woo you with the gentle coos of a turtle dove

I’d prepare a home for you with the meticulous care of a weaver

I’d stroke your feathers with the soft caresses of a love bird

I’d fly south – across ocean and land – with the single minded purpose of a swallow seeking out the summer…

To sweep you up in my wings and hold you close.

Dolphins

If you ever get lonely, my love,

close your eyes and imagine that you are a dolphin and so will I

Living in a warm sea with a lush tropical island close by

We spend our days surfing the waves and exploring the coast

While at night, we float in the gentle currents and watch the stars above

Mates for life, our love is as deep as the ocean floor

While our being together is as inevitable as the ebb and flow of the tide

And our spirits fligh as free as our abandoned leaps into the sky.

So when you’re lonely my love, imagine that you are a dolphin and so will I

Because then our minds will meet in a warm sea under a blue sky.

You are…
You are the the twinkle in my eye

The smile on my lips

The happiness I feel

And the song I sing

You’re the warmth that wells up inside

The word I cannot express

The joy that makes me laugh

And the beauty that makes me gaze

You’re the idea that makes me dream

The thought that makes me swoon

The feeling that makes me breathless

And the love that spins me around and around and around

Related links
Graeme and Ally (1993 - 2009)
Wedding day (Feb 2000)
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