30 October 2008

Sky Watch Friday - Take your pick

Delicate manoeuvre by the Westbank aerobatics team at last weeks airshow


Oyster Catchers feeding at the tide line at the Maitland River Mouth beach last night

27 October 2008

PE Airshow 2008

I really enjoyed the airshow on Saturday, despite te fact that the star attraction, the Black Widow, a Mirage C3 was unable to be there, having collided with a sea gull in Cape Town, which severely damanged her wing. If you follow the lables in the side bar you will see pictures I published of her from the previous airshow.

This year we had a good collection of helicopters doing their thing. Squirrel, rescue helicopter of Netcare 911 flying off after a simulated accident.





BK 117's of the SA Airforce doing synchronised flying to the sounds of Ravel's Bolero. These are incredibly versatile machines.


The SA Police Task Team put on a good anti hijacking demonstration with their Squirrel helicopter, complete with sniper.

The Augusta helicopter, which replaced the old Allouettes, was affectionately referred to by the commentator as the Italian stallion.


Oryx helicopter of the SAAF going through its paces


Blogger has been up to its tricks again. Yesterday I was not able to do any posting or commenting and this morning I have not been able to resize my pictures.

24 October 2008

Laughing Dove

It is strange how we so often dismiss as uninteresting, or just overlook what is a common every day site, like this laughing dove. Yet when we take the time to stop and observe them, it can be so rewarding.



When I pulled into work this morning, this little guy did not move off, so out came the camera and I am glad I took the time to take a few shots, even though I was running late.



Looking at this bird it is also easy to see how the term, "as gentle as a dove" originated.

23 October 2008

Sunrise from the Donkin - Sky Watch Friday

The sunrise over the Port Elizabeth harbour, seen from the Donkin Reserve

21 October 2008

Dolphins - you've got to love them

I took these photos of dolphins feeding and playing in the surf from the restaurant at Seaview about a year ago. I have not edited the pictures at all and published them just as they were taken.

They were shot from quite a distance and show them surfing and then beating a hasty retreat, just before the wave breaks.


What is it about these amazing animals that attracts our attention? I can watch them for hours

No time to waste , co when you have to go, you have to go!


And this is what they were so intent on avoiding

18 October 2008

The urban prison

Sitting out on our front porch - in what is essentially my urban prison - this afternoon, got me wondering about the where our society is headed (At least the bars are more picturesque than those of the real prisons).



Today one cannot leave security to chance. Crime has reached epidemic proportions in South Africa, with daily reports in the papers of armed house robberies, muggings, murders, rapes, hijackings, drug and human trafficking etc, etc, etc.


We have become very involved in the Richmond Hill Sector Crime Forum, which is taking a strong stand against crime. One area of involvement is the neighbourhood watch, where were patrol the area and observe what is happening. We have been propositioned by pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers. We have seen prostitutes being picked up and drug deals going down. We have observed the drug runners making deliveries. We have come across parked cars with local citizens having it off with prostitutes (I wonder what their wives would say about that?).


We have also made these people very uncomfortable with our patrols and many speed off when they see our cars coming. But we are persistent and record their details, which in turn get passed on to the police for investigation.


Our attitude now is zero tolerance for crime. If we see it we report it, no matter how minor. In the past month I have phoned 10111 (South African equivalent of 911) about six times.

There are still daily reports of crime, but the good news is that that the crime statistics for our area have shown a decline. But then crime should not be viewed in terms of numbers. This is happpening to real people, it is their lives we are talking about, so even one crime is to much.

02 October 2008

Sky Watch Friday - Tall Ships

I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by....



.......mmmm so can anyone see the stars through all this rigging.... and how does one keep tabs on all this rope?


I must say that there is something romantic about a tall ship, but personally I like terra firma.



NRP Sagres, a Portuguese navy training ship stopped in at Port Elizabeth for a visit this week. Like many other people in the city I could not resist taking time to visit her.