The ladies from Kwang

When you see lions on the move it is invariably a great thrill, but mostly when you come across them they are taking time out. It's almost like watching the grass grow. They stretch out and sleep and generally take it easy and you can sit and watch them for hours and nothing happens other than changing positions and getting more comfortable.

But even so, if you choose your moment you can get some gems, because they are after all still cats.

Like domestic cats they do have a need to press up against another living being.

Taking a break - or just lion about

These two lionesses, at Kwang in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park are doing what lions are so adept at doing....taking a break. It does not matter where you find them, or how big or small they are, a cat will remain a cat. They know how to make themselves comfortable and ignore the world around them.

Most people who see the lions in the wild go completely moggy and entrench themselves alongside these felines for the day. As magnificent as they are I find that there is a limit to how long I can sit and watch lions sleep. These two were part of a much larger pride that we came across early in the morning and after watching them for a while left. When we returned in the late afternoon, they were still taking it easy.

Skywatch Friday - back in the air

I'm a sucker for an airshow. If it's on I'm there and nothing will keep me away, because I get such a thrill watching these machines doing their thing in the sky.

These shots were taken at the 2014 airshow in Port Elizabeth.

The big mango and the Silver Falcons (SA Air Force aerobatics team) going through their paces

When it comes to versatility and thrills, you just can't beat the Pitts Specials

 .......especially when they do the "mirror"...............................

..........or how about doing an inside loop?

For more great photos from around the world, visit the team of photographers at Skywatch.

The quick and the dead

Dead trees standing starkly in a field of lush green grass.

This was one of those unhappy moments in the life of a photographer when I realised that I had accidentally moved the settings dial and over exposed the photo. The result was not what I expected, but after playing around with the contrast and luminescence settings I ended up quite liking the result.  I do so love the digital era.

Skywatch Friday - The day the sky came down to earth

My, my but the week has flown by quickly.

With two long weekends in a row and a short week in between, with only three working days, it been a manic time, trying to get through all my work.

Last weekend Suzie-K and I did a spontaneous trip to the Mountain Zebra National Park. What was just going to be a day visit turned into an overnight stay, when we secured a chalet as a result of a cancellation. Unless you book well in advance accommodation in the Park is not available over a long weekend.

But for that we would never have seen the sky come down to earth.............

This picture was taken three years ago looking in the same direction at the endless vista of rolling hills that disappeared when the sky came down.

Two mountain zebras having a drink in a pool, reflecting their images and the sky. These rare animals may at a first glance look like their cousins, the burchell's zebra, but they are quite different with denser stripes, a brown muzzle, a dewlap and slightly larger ears.

More pictures from around the world can be seen at the Skywatch site.