Monday, September 29, 2008

Flower Power

Usually, when I return from a tour, I tend to share photos I took of wild animals or birds along the way. Today I'm "diverting" in the sense that I'm publishing some photos of flowers.


Right now, coral trees all over our country are in bloom.









I've posted photos of our national flower, the King Protea, before but since it represents such an attractive "model", here's yet another one.





Clivia, illuminated by the afternoon sun.











I have no idea what these flowers are called, but I snapped them in the Drakensberg region of our country during a hike, with a local guide, to view some of the fascinating San paintings for which this region is famous (other than it's magnificent nature).



I believe that this flower belongs to the daisy family, and I was attracted by the delicately pink hue of this particular flower.










More daisies - this time from our garden at home.










Another flower from our garden, which again, I must confess, I haven't a clue what it's called.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

In the Mood

I'll be "on the road again" with a group of German-speaking visitors until 27 September.

Will post more photos as soon as I return.


I'm in the mood today to share photos I "store" under the caption........ "mood" (surprise, surprise). The photo (left) was taken just after sunset across Table Bay (Cape Town).



I think that mist or clouds often add a mysterious kind of note to certain settings - as I believe is the case on the next photo, taken at the small fishing harbour of Houtbay (Cape Peninsula).


The same applies (left) - mist and clouds moving in from the Indian Ocean across "The Heads" at the Knysna lagoon (Western Cape).





Early morning mist (right) covering the valleys at Hluhluwe Game Reserve (KwaZulu-Natal).






Clouds adding a "special" mood (left) to this setting - taken in Swellendam (Western Cape).






The famous table-cloth (right) "spreading" over Table Mountain in Cape Town - as seen from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.



After the rain - a rainbow, which luckily for us at the time, heralded the end of rain so that we could enjoy the visit to the Kirstenbosch Botanic Garden (Cape Town).



Magnificent lightning - a common occurrence on the Highveld during summer, although not always as spectacular as my last 2 photos today represent (taken from our home here in Johannesburg).