Skywatch Friday - Black sky

Black skies on their own are definitely not very appealing, so I decided to bring the old lighthouse on the Donkin into the picture, as it provides a nice contrast against the night sky.

Another view of the Donkin, with the moon rising over the Bay.

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Skywatch Friday - Karoo Skies

The Karoo between Sutherland and Laingsburg was looking particularly spectacular in December, with the karoo bushes in bloom, the blue sky and the cotton wool clouds. The windmill  also just happened to be in the right place.

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Clubfoot Notes - Providing encouragement

When I first leant that my third grandchild would be born with clubfoot I did not know what to expect, or what the prognosis was, or how it would be treated. That was one time when I was quick to hit the search buttons on Google, to find out more on the subject. The first thing to emerge is that there is hope and that with proper treatment a child born with clubfoot can live a normal life.

In Jonathan's case his feet were corrected though the use of the Ponseti Method, where through stretching, manipulation and serial plaster casts the foot is repositioned. When you see him running about now, like any other child, it is hard to believe he started out life with clubfoot.

My intention is not to write about the experience, but rather to publicise a site, Clubfoot Notes, which my my daughter created to give hope and encouragement to parents with a child born with clubfoot. The site is written from the perspective of a mother and is not only full of facts, but provides links to useful resources and chronicles Jonathan's treatment.

Jonathan is a delightful and very fastidious little fellow. Here he is busy cleaning the "mud" from his toes on the beach. And as you can seen his feet are quite normal

Taxi art - Route 67

I have decided to keep with the Route 67 theme, with this fleet of mini bus taxis coming up Whites Road opposite the opera house.

In keeping with reality these taxis come complete with scratches and dents.

Skywatch Friday - Route 67

This is one of the new sculptures along Route 67 in Port Elizabeth, but I am not sure what it is called or what it represents. If I have to venture a guess, the loops represent the voting line and propellers the crosses on ballot papers from the 1994 elections. I'll have to check this out.

Anyway it is one of 67 Public Art Works commissioned to symbolise Nelson Mandela’s 67 years of work dedicated to the Freedom of South Africa. 

This is what it looks like when you lie on your back on the sidewalk

I was on my feet when I took this shot, trying to get a good angle.

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Rhino Hunting Auction Travesty

A simple message, "I have something to tell you..." on you tube has really opened a can of worms on the subject of the onging slaughter of our country's rhino.

I find it unbelievable that that at a time when our rhino population is under threat, from poaching that Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is allowing an anonymous KwaZulu-Natal businessman, the right to hunt and kill a white rhino for the princely sum of R960,000.

One of their spokesmen claims that this forms part of ongoing plans to control the number of white rhinos. Who do they think they are fooling. The rhinos can be relocated to any number of reserves around the country. It is estimated that 443 rhinos were poached in 2011, so there are many areas where the population can be replenished. Would it not be better to preserve them, rather than to kill them to satisfy the ego of some rich dude.

Another claim is that the money generated from the auction will be used for conservation. Can anyone explain to me how the killing of any endangered species contributes to conservation. It is no wonder that this action has sparked widespread outrage around the country.

The statement by one of their spokesmen that, “We have not broken any laws as the law fully allows us to have hunts like this,” is also part of the spin. The fact that it may be legal does not make it right.

The fact is that rhinos are endangered and we should be preserving them rather than killing them.

To read more on this subject go to "S. Africa rhino hunting auction sparks controversy."

Skywatch Friday - Gauteng sunset

This was one of those sunsets where the red seemed to linger on forever. It was taken at the Ezemvelo Nature Reserve, on our road trip around the country.

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Black Wildebees

Black wildebees photographed at the Ezemvelo Nature Reserve - definitely the beast and not the beauty.