Leo's Interests, Hobbies And Wot-Nots

Cooking

This photo is of a Pork Belly that I Braai’d (BBQ’d) for Christmas (2018) 

I can’t say that cooking is a passion as I think that using a word like passion should be reserved for that thing that you are truly passionate about. I will just stick with saying that cooking is one of my strong interests…for now.

There was a time that I just threw ingredients into a pot and hoped it would taste good, always adding more and more salt and spices until the pot resembles something edible and palatable. I, and the rest of my friends, are very happy that those days are forever gone and forgotten.

I have discovered that food is something one creates, one does in fact not make it, there is most definitely a skill involved.

On leodonaldson.com I share recipes that I have actually tried and where I can have documented the process in order that you can follow along with the recipes.

I have to interject here and make mention that I am not a qualified chef and in no way do I try to be one. I have just learned a few things along the way that works – AND – I have also learned some things along the way that absolutely does not work.

Let’s learn together and have some fun exploring the culinary delights that the world has to offer.

Writing

If you had asked me at 10 years of age, what I would like to do with my life one day? Being a writer would be the one thing that the younger me would never have even come close to mentioning.

I know that it may sound a bit cliche but, truth be told, I did’ quite literally become a writer by accident. Today I am a full-time writer of several kids’ books and am absolutely loving it.

Here, on this site, I will share with you hints and tips on how you can be a writer. I will also share with you the do’s and the don’ts of the industry. Hopefully, you will learn something and will be able to have your own book on the shelves.

I have been asked so many times in my life that I have lost count, the question that inevitably comes up every time I go to a party or a function, at some point in the evening. “I want to write or I have written a book – how do I go about getting it published?” I tried to answer the question but soon realized that explaining the process to anyone was taking too long to share, so I made a decision to write a book titled Just Do It! You Can’ Publish Your Own Book. This book is a guide on how to go about publishing your book.

Fish Keeping

This photo is of my Malawi Cichlid tank. I keep Mbuna Cichlids in it, they are the less aggressive species of Malawi Cichlid.

I got my first fish tank when I was about 12. I can still remember the tank as if it was yesterday. It had a metal frame because the silicon that holds tanks together today had not been invented yet, yes, I am that old… I painted the metal frame metallic blue and the plastic canopy I painted fire engine red. Then, I knew absolutely nothing about fish keeping.

You have to understand that there was no such thing as Google. Whatever I could learn was to be found in the library or at the local pet shop. Other than that, it was pretty much trial and error – BUT – I learned a lot.

Today I have a beautiful Malawi Cichlid tank that you can see on the above photo.

Archery

Photo of Janine and I at the Archery Range

Just about every kid in the world at some time or another has thought that being able to shoot with a bow and arrow like Robin Hood, would be cool. Some, like me, have even made our own bows with arrows. I seem to recall that they did not work very well but I enjoyed making and playing with them. Was it safe for a kid to play with a bow and arrow? No, but in the ’70s no one cared about things like that. Surprisingly, we all survived…

A while back I bought myself and Janine, my wife, an hour-long Archery lesson. I absolutely fell in love with it. What made me very happy was to see that Janine was loving the experience as well. I signed up to the club and am looking forward in taking you along when I go for practice and introduce you to the world of Archery…

Fishing

This photo is of my son and I while on our annual fishing trip in 2018

This is not the place where I tell you what an amazing fisherman I am and share with you all of the monsters that I have caught over the years.

This is the place where I tell you that I do enjoy fishing and that once a year I either fly up to Pretoria and spend the weekend fishing with my son. Every other year he flies down to Cape Town where we experience a different kind of fishing in the sea or coastal rivers and dams.

This is where I get to share my inexperience with you and hopefully entice you to pick up that old rod that you have left to gather dust in the garage and go and get your line wet.