Sky Watch Friday - Istanbul Sunset

Well it's getting late, but it's still Friday so here is a picture from our recent holiday to Turkey. This scene was shot from the Galata Bridge in Istanbul, looking West across the Golden Horn.

It was a balmy summers evening, with clear skies filled with sea gulls enjoying the dying hours of daylight. For more great picture visit the Sky Watch site.

Baboon on the move

Baboons are a common sight in the Grootrivier Pass near Plettenberg Bay. The only problem is that they are always on the move, so getting a picture is not always easy. It is also not safe to stop on the narrow roads so I was pleased when I managed to photograph this young baboon.

Continuing with Cats

I personally do not like to see wild animals caged, but Tenikwa does give you the opportunity to get up close and personal. Like this pair of Caracals. We did stumble across one at the Addo Elephant Park a while back, and it was a joy to see. These animals are persecuted by farmers and are very shy and seldom seen.



The Serval was not vey cooperative and was determined not to allow us to get a decent phograph. Yes, even wild cats are wonderfully perverse creatures.

Walking with Cheetahs

At the Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness Centre, we had the opportunity to walk with the Cheetahs.

They look like cats.........................

They purr like cats........................maybe a little louder...............

They have paws like dogs...............................................


It was a great experience to be walking with these big spotted felines.

Life with Suzi - Creepy crawlies

Last night Suzi and I were sitting on the sofa when she let out a falsetto shriek and leapt off the couch and made a strategic withdrawal. I did not know what was happening and leapt up as well. She had seen a centipede crawling on my shoulder and it was in the process of climbing onto my face.

When I leapt up the centipede fell down and disappeared. I hunted high and low for it to no avail. I then sprayed liberal amounts of insect killer all around the sofa and the skirting boards. In the meantime Suzi was now sitting on one of the armchairs with her feet up and her skin crawling.

We carried on watching TV (constantly on the lookout for this creepy crawly) and about 15 minutes later I felt as though the skin on the lower left hand side of my back was crawling. I shifted forward, looked down and saw nothing and the sensation was gone. I made myself comfortable again and then saw a rather large centipede moving across my stomach. I quickly flicked it off me and onto the floor and then returned the compliment by walking on it. In the words of Monty Python, "It was no more, it had ceased to be, it had gone to meet its maker...." it was a late centipede.

I was not going to blog about this, but Shabby Girl did say, "I hope you all had a centipedelessly wonderful Monday!" Amazing how we shared similar experiences at about the same time, on opposite sides of the world.