Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)

A fairly common nomad in Southern Africa, this black and white wader is interesting for its long thin curved bill. Another interesting fact about these are that they sometimes swim in deeper water and upend, like a duck, looking for food.   In flight the long legs extend beyond the tail and I was lucky to get a shot of the landing as well. Usually found in wetlands, sometimes at the coast. Feeds on small fish, insects and mollusks by sweeping the bill side to side.

The Core of Us – Part 3 (Pain)

The Core of Us, relates to our deep love for a place called "Struis Bay", in South Africa. For those who have not read the previous parts about this story, here are links to them: 1. The Core of Us (Life) 2. The Core of Us (Love) We continue our story, from where we left it, returning from honeymoon. As mentioned in our previous part 2, our mother was diagnosed with cancer in 1996. We decided to get married earlier than originally planned, April 1997, and this choice proved to be a great one, in looking back. By June/July of 1997, she really worsened to a point where we knew that there would be no treatment anymore. At this point mom and dad was married for 43 years. This is also another wonderful example to a young married couple, and our other parents have now been married for 55 years, two sets of parents that taught us the values we live by every day. Husband's parents: Still laughing and holding hands after 55 years. Dad took over primary care, and he did everything for her, carried her to and from everything. It could not have been an easy thing to handle, but he never complained, never. My husband suggested that I took two weeks to go and visit. I spend a lot of time with my mom, talking about everything, including death, future, past and everything in between. Dad also enjoyed the support and we spend some invaluable time together as just the three of us. On 19 October, at 5 am we got a gut wrenching phone call from my husband's dad, mom had passed away at 11.30 pm, 18 October 1997 in her bed, in our house. We left immediately for the 2 hour drive to Struis Bay, to support my dad and stayed for the week. We lost a mother, role model, a loving soul mate, mentor, rock in my life. She will always be missed and always be remembered in fondness and love, which she deserved. Possibly last picture of Mom, and doing her favorite thing, reading in favorite spot. Fast forward a few years, dad got married again, but it was not a great match for the family nor did it turn out for him, as he eventually returned to his house, and struggling with an unstable marriage. By this time, we took the difficult decision to move a 1000 km north, to the Free State Province, leaving behind our families and everything we knew and grew up with as children. In February 2006, dad came to visit us, alone, and to our shock he lost a lot of weight by then, he was 76 years old by this time. We set out to make the most of the month and we did. Lions feeding, dad watching. He gained some weight and saw new things, like lions feeding in nature, which really got him excited. It was such a wonderful, peaceful time. A great honor to have had dad spend time with us. Something very special also happened on that first day he arrived. We had a framed picture of each parent's wedding day in the hallway. He came into the house, walked straight to the picture of him and mom and took his finger to lovingly touch her chin, sort of greeting. So special and sad, he still missed her, maybe even more than before. We took him to an Art Museum where we enjoyed lunch in the tea garden in between the exhibitions outside. I will always remember how he started laughing when walking past the sheep. I saw a picture of these sheep again in a magazine recently and got quite emotional. Dad visiting art gallery and museum, loved the sheep figures. After the month, he took the train back to Cape Town, were my husband's parents collected him and drove him back to Struis Bay. All the way back he was sad, but also shared with them his time with us. We did not know this, but it was our last time with him. Our last photo session with dad, lots of laughs. He loved his old bicycle, riding it to the shop, and around. On a Thursday in August 2006, he fell, went to the doctor, and then suddenly was rushed to hospital. We got the news, but was told not to worry, everything was under control. This was said again, and again over the weekend, by his then wife. By Sunday evening we got the message that we should drive down, still not getting real information. We left Monday and arrived in Struis Bay just after Midnight that evening, Tuesday morning, if you want. We just finished unloading, when we got the message, dad had just passed away, he had an aneurism. Walking into the house, we also found all the valuables had been removed, and found out that this had been done earlier that day by his wife, and may have been the reason behind not giving proper information about his condition. So we were faced by the loss, and not being in time, of our dad and the unscrupulous behavior of people with no regard for anything but themselves, even emptying his bank account, we later found. This was the most painful experience of our lives and to this day we still feel it in our gut, when we talk about it. We did get most of it back, eventually, but only by playing mind games and holding carrots up to deflect attention. So here we were again in Struis Bay, another funeral to organize and another most respected rock in our lives lost. Dad was a gentle giant, with an infectious laugh, big hands, big heart, drawing people to him, kids loved him. He never spoke badly of anyone. Mom and Dad are together again, buried in the same grave. We visit them, each and every time we return to our beloved Struis Bay, before we go home. Every time we walk into the house, we see them there, we hear them, we laugh with them, we tell stories about them, we will always remember them and our son will know his grandmother and grandfather. He will know what they represent to us as parents, the example they left to us and that at least some part of him is as a result of them. The next part will be called bliss. A related post about quilting, will be about my project, taking mom's old pieces of clothes and making a quilt of remembrance.

Right-of-way – Flightless Dung Beetles

In the Addo Elephant National Park, it is not just Elephants and other large animals that have right-of-way, when you drive around. The small insects do to, and in specific the "Flightless dung beetle" (Circellium bacchus).   They are now restricted to the Addo National Park, as this is the only area with animals like elephant, rhino and buffalo, still remaining in their natural area. They live by eating fresh dung or rolling it into a ball to bury for later use. The females also make "brood balls", which get buried underground, and they mate, underground, laying 1 egg into the ball. They are definitely some of the most important insects within the Addo National Park, the cleaners. We found one on the tar road, and it seemed it was very particular on the direction it wanted to go, steering the ball over the road.   When you walk or drive in nature, remember to give 'right-of-way' to all creatures you encounter, they are all giants in their role in the ecology of a region.

A Storm Blew In…

Last night, a few hours ago, various types of storms blew in from all directions. It is 3.30 am, and I am typing a post! I am doing this because it is fresh in my mind or is it because my mind is still fairly fresh? The obvious part of this story is the real cold front that reached us last night, and came in with a huff and a puff, strong winds, temperature dropped by 10 degrees C, but not much else so far. In Cape Town, there is localized flooding, some areas are getting snow, I expected more, but maybe this part is still coming.   Another storm came in the form of mommy. We were both excited, well, I was from early Friday, also anxious, because of the issues with all the airplanes in the world, you get nervous, and just want her to be back home. In any case, I think our 13 month son picked up on the excitement and also seemed to be excited yesterday. Mom arrived and I kept him awake for it, as she walked in, he came around the corner and froze. Mom, in tears and overjoyed, grabbed him, hugged and kisses followed. He was just stunned at the rush of estrogen in the house. After about 10 minutes, his little brain computed what had just happened and he suddenly started running and then came and stood in front of us, smiling and grabbing mom by the legs, ran away again, came back, same procedure. There is something else that happened, the family is back together, I am not a single parent anymore, I am a husband and a dad. To that end, a few thoughts. For a week, and this is very nearly every week, I make decisions around our son, suddenly another decision-maker is in the house. This normally is not an issue, as mom falls in with what is happening and we are fairly aligned with things involving our son. She does do things a little different, which is not bad, in fact, I think it is great for both the boys. Although there is a deep bond between the boys, there is the wonderful bond of "a mother and child", I saw that last night again and I just realized how important the loving touches are for him and me. I would not be surprised to know that a man developed the "King size bed". Not sure how many men get allocated 1/3rd of the bed in the bedroom, I know my dad always joked about that, but after sleeping alone, suddenly we are in the same bed again, takes some getting used to. She slept like a log on her 2/3rd, I slept 1 and half hours on my bit. I am not complaining, just saying. The best part is not having to be there all the time for at least 48 hours, giving me a little break, mentally, but this is also something to get used to for both of us, because mom need to realize that a toddler is busy, especially those little hands. I guess my point in this post would be that a traveling, working parent brings other factors into the equation. It is not just the bonding and giving parents and child a chance to bond again that is important, it is the constant changes in the household, between the parents and not to mention the growing and ever-changing toddler, what is good today, may not be tomorrow. We are lucky to have a 17 year start on our marriage, but still, it is a constant process of talking, understanding, compromising, making little adjustments within a fluid environment of being parents and spouses.

Crimson-Breasted Shrike (Laniarius atrococcineus)

This bright red-breasted Shrike is endemic to Southwestern Africa, and we were lucky to see it in Marikana reserve. Unfortunately, I could not get the best of pictures, but because I may not get a chance again, here they are, regardless. There is a yellow morph of this, red been replaced by yellow, but it is rare. They love Acacia thickets, which is also where these were taken. The white wing bar is also clearly visible. The red does stand out in the trees, lovely finds for us.

Ashy Tit (Parus cinerascens)

Woodland and forest birds, of which this specie is mostly found in Southwestern Africa. Often in groups, sexes alike.   Only 13 cm high, small bird, but beautiful little bird, very close to another specie, the Southern Grey Tit.

Giving an Exploring Mind Water.

Water and Toddler, I found that the two are nearly inseparable in our case and I have a feeling this may go for many toddlers.   I bought Boeta a table that has a bowl in the middle for his first birthday, knowing that playing with water and sand would be on the cards in the summer. Today we took our chance again to play with the water, while the winter temperatures stayed fairly acceptable. Unfortunately, we are preparing for another cold front coming in, from Friday, another wet weekend ahead. I put water in with some rubber play-things, which included fish, crab  and other marine type figures. He, fished them out, threw them as far as possible, leaving an empty bowl with water to hit, which he loves. I knew he will be wet after this exercise, but I also need to give him the space to mess and have fun outside before we get stuck inside again. He loved it, finished by some carrying of the table.   and then we moved on to some ball playing. Now the main ball to play with is earth. He loves it and picks it up and throws it, for himself or to me.   Sometimes the ball do not go in the correct direction, but most times it does.   And finally some chasing daddy or daddy chasing boy. He loves running games and in his mind he is a superb sprinter that very few people can catch. Lots of fun for all.   We went in for some dry clothes, lunch and a bit of resting or napping, not before he had a last look at birds over the ocean and yes a wave goodbye!

Yellow-billed Duck (Anas undulata)

You cannot miss the bright yellow bill of this duck, with a black saddle in the middle of the bill. The feather edges as white and gives a nice scaled look to it. Orange feet to finish the picture. We have seen these all over South Africa, in every and any type of freshwater ponds, lagoons and more. Usually feeding near the edge of the water, both sides of the edge. I have taken a few pictures of them, so here goes, enjoy. At a water reservoir, Central South Africa. The following at a river in the Eastern Cape: And finally, today, Boeta and I took a drive, and we found them at a local farm dam.

Lions

A compilation of pictures taken at similar breeding facilities...of Lions. These last 2 are still favorites of mine. I took this with an old video camera a few years back and this is not in enclosures but in a big reserve. First pic shows the male in size and second pictures the KING is laying down watching over his kingdom... Melting into the African environment..