It was over spitting watermelon seeds at each other during a picnic gathering at the University of Michigan, 45 years ago that this amazing adventure in life started. This cute little coed and I were sitting next to each other on a blanket during a dormitory picnic for the new resident advisors (which included me) and the dormitory student government members (which included Mary Margaret). We ended up chasing each other while spitting the seeds at each other. And as they say…”the rest is history”! Six months to the day later we were engaged and 1 year later to the day (August 27, 1971) we were married.

To celebrate this happy event, my life mate and I took the twisty, windy Chapman’s Peak Road which hangs over the steep mountain face and falls steeply down to the ocean over to Hout Bay where we enjoyed a wonderful lunch/dinner at the Chapman Peak Hotel. It is famous for its fried calamari and we were not disappointed. With starters of local raw oysters, a Greek salad and a toast with a little bubbly, the meal was complete. The weather was ideal since Chapman’s Peak totally blocked the 25 knots of wind we were getting in Simon’s Town before we left. The sun was out and the bay was sparkling. It was such a beautiful and perfect setting for two who love the sea.

The during the drive back to Leu Cat, reality set in and we decided to stop at the Longbeach Mall and do some grocery shopping. Yep, we have been married 44 year, haven’t we…