Echeverias - Nature's wonders

 

My Echeverias are really enjoying the winter sunshine and less watering and have produced some gorgeous little flowers. 

Echeveria is a large genus of succulents in the Crassulaceae family, native from Mexico to North-western South America. Many of the species produce numerous offsets, and are commonly known as 'Hen and chicks', which can also refer to other genera such as Sempervivum that are significantly different from Echeveria. Sempervivums cannot tolerate the heat that Echeverias can, so mine grow primarily in pots on my patio or in the house.

  

Some Echeveria elegans in a pot 

Some Echeverias can mimic Sempervivums very closely so I understand the confusion this causes.  But when in doubt about what genus one has in one's collection, all doubts will vanish as soon as the plant flowers since the two genera have very different flowers. Echeveria flowers are not fuzzy, are often arching and the flowers themselves are quite succulent and bell-shaped. Sempervivum flowers are non-succulent and usually pink with thin, narrow, aster-like petals often on oversized inflorescences.  And if still not convinced, one only need wait for flowering to end, as most Echeverias flower yearly while Sempervivums are monocarpic (die after flowering).

 

Part of my Echeveria collection 

Many Echeveria species are popular as garden plants. They are drought-resistant, although they do better with regular deep watering and fertilizing. Although they tolerate winter quite well, the winter frost here in Tarlton is quite severe and often I take them out of the garden, putting them into pots and bringing them into the house, especially those that have got long stems and are not compact and dense any more.

  

Another section of the garden with a couple of Echeverias 

Echeverias need bright light, heavy soil and excellent drainage. When grown in soil-less mixes, they grow large and lush and lose their colour and character. Many of the plants have a waxy sheen on their leaves. When they are watered over the top, the water collects in drops and spots the leaves when it dries. These spots are especially noticeable when the water is high in minerals. Drench and let dry. Water from below.

  

My Echeverias in full flower 

These lovely plants are moderately fast growers. If your plant begins to show more and more space between the leaves, it is stretching and needs more light to help it keep a compact rosette shape.

 

The lovely pink edges on Echeveria glauca - this one is growing in the shade and the space between the leaves shows it is reaching for more light. 

In general these are inexpensive easy plants, popular mostly because of their ornamental flower-shaped, thick-leaved succulent rosettes and wonderful colours and textures... but their low cost certainly helps, too. Most Echeverias are suckering plants, eventually forming small (or large) colonies of closely growing plants. My original collection started with a few Echeverias given to me by my father in the late 80's. This suckering/offsetting behaviour makes them particularly ornamental pot plants as, in time, most will offset enough to completely fill a pot, often spilling over the edges and making living bouquets of succulent rosettes.

  

Echeverias hanging over pot 

 

 Echeveria glauca in flower

  

Two Echeverias in a pot in the garden 

Camera : Kodak EasyShare C195 

Location : My garden, Tarlton, South Africa. 

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The humble Black-jack

 

Afrikaans - Khakibos 

Camera : Canon EOS 550D 

Essential oil is extracted from the Khaki bush - Tagetes minuta (also known as Tagetes glandulifera) of the Compositae family and is used as the base oil for many perfumes. I absolutely LOVE Khaki bush myself and often grab hold of a clump while walking in the veld, pulling the leaves through my hand, leaving a strong, oily smell which I just adore! 

Also known as Black-jacks here in South Africa, the black, spiky seeds are really irritating, clinging to your socks and pants and very time-consuming to get rid of. This 'weed' springs up profusely once the ground has been disturbed, as after ploughing, and it is not uncommon to see acres and acres on farm lands. 

The leaves and flowers are a good insect repellent and are often seen hanging from native huts to deter swarms of flies and mosquitoes. In a 5% dilution, tagetes oil has been used to kill maggots in open wounds, while the roots and seeds have been found to help rid the body of poisons. The therapeutic properties of Tagetes oil are anti-infectious, anti-microbial, antibiotic, anti-spasmodic, anti-parasitic, antiseptic, insecticide and sedative. 

After the Boer war in South Africa, Australian troops brought plants to their native land where it grew profusely. It is an ingredient of many foot treatment preparations - the oil is extracted from the leaves, stalks and flowers, picked when the seeds are just starting to form. 

Khaki bush oil is not to be confused with Marigold Tagetes oil, Tagetes Grandulifera, which is produced by steam distillation from the leaves and flowers of the Marigold. 

With many pests becoming resistant to commercially produced insecticides and pesticides, many of us have turned back to Mother Nature for a solution. Well, I at least have - I often pick clumps of Khaki bush, hanging them from the rafters in my bedroom and I also crush the leaves, soaking them in boiling water and then spraying my Bonsai for that pesky fly that lays brown eggs on the leaves, slowly killing the leaves off one by one.

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Straw hats, chickens and watering cans

How does one do it? How does one weave a hat of straw and create a finished product that serves as art upon our head? It seems magical. Or, perhaps it is the magic and the grace which carries the hat that is the thing which makes that hat seem so special.  

- Bohomamma

  

Summer's end and I'm still in straw hat and brown pants, my usual summer garb. Winter is no reason to stop gardening and even though the days are cold, the sun can be just as deadly as in summer. I'm by no means a hat-lover, but straw hats, watering cans and garden gloves just seem to go hand-in-hand when you enter nature's domain.

  

But there definitely won't be any gardening done today! The Cape weather has thrown a tantrum and here in Gauteng the temps have dropped drastically to 12°C! Luckily I had put in thick, fresh straw in the chicken coup earlier in the week so at least they are warm at night. But I worry about all the garden birds...

 

Fresh straw in the chicken coop 

I think I should invest in one of these for the hen house...!

  

(Chicken coup heater - Picture from Pinterest) 

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Seeing Pink

 

We all know what pink means, right? To dress a baby boy in pink would be nearly as bad as filling his bottle with Scotch. No construction worker will be caught dead using a pink hammer, unless he was colour-blind or possessed a well-developed sense of humour. Pink means “girl” in a way so direct that no other colour comes close. 

So does that mean that Pink flowers are girls.....? 

This Cosmos in my garden is still putting up a brave show even though we have been really hit with cold weather now. 

Camera : Kodak EasyShare C195

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The sound of birds

The sound of birds stops the noise in my mind. 

 ~ Carly Simon

 

Birds... those lovely little creatures that just brighten up any day, no matter how cold. Without any complaints they just go about their business, finding food for the family, basking in the sun on a bare branch, singing soft melodies that gladden the heart. 

Having the birds in my garden visiting my various bird feeders makes me feel so special. Makes me feel alive with purpose. Brings a smile to my face and makes me feel grateful to be part of Mother Nature who surrounds us and takes care of all her siblings, me and you included. 

Nobody else knows your reason for being. You do. Your bliss guides you to it. When you follow your bliss, when you follow your path to joy, your conversation is of joy, your feelings are of joy — you're right on the path of that which you intended when you came forth into this physical body. 

--- Abraham-Hicks 

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June Gifts

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Winter is in full swing and my 20-year old Peach tree plays host to two Laughing Doves, basking in the warmth of the early morning sun. 

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Chameleon (Chamaeleonidae)

"We are like chameleons, we take our hue and the colour of our moral character, from those who are around us."
- John Lock



W&N watercolour on Amedeo 200gsm


Chameleons are fascinating and amazing creatures, always popular with anyone who sees them. They belong to the lizard family and the word 'Chameleon' means 'Earth Lion'. 

I just love Chameleons and there was a time when I used to have them in my garden regularly - no more. I haven't seen a Chameleon for... years. Yes, years... I know they might have difficulty getting into the property because of the high walls, but I at least used to see them on my walks. The over-population in rural areas is really having an effect on these wonderful little creatures... 

The main distribution of Chameleons is Africa and Madagascar, and half of the world's chameleon population lives on the island of Madagascar. They are famous for their ability to change colour. This serves as a form of communication, a response to temperature, light, and mood, as well as a defense against predators. Their eyes can rotate and swivel independently, enabling them to see almost a complete 360-degrees or observe two things simultaneously. Their tongues can be as long as their bodies. Chameleons can balance on a branch by gripping it with their claws and wrapping their tail around the branch to hold on. Chameleons can even sleep upside down! 

There are thought to be more than 160 different species of chameleon that range from just an inch to more than a couple of feet in size. The tiny pygmy leaf chameleon, found in the jungles of Madagascar, is the smallest species of chameleon with some males measuring less than 3 cm long with the largest growing to almost 70cm long.

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Red-headed Finches (Amadina erythrocephala)

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This past summer I was SO blessed with having many beautiful birds nesting in my garden, especially at my pond. Near the water the Red-headed finches gathered en masse, twittering and chattering while they fought over the best nesting spots. The Bronze Mannikens and Red Bishops tweeted and buzzed in unison as they too tried to get a foothold on this prime real estate. 

The two bushes in contention are my Wild Olive (Olea europaea) and the Butterfly bushes, Buddleja salviifolia, common name sage bush, which is endemic to much of Southern Africa, where it grows on rocky hillsides, along forest margins and watercourses. The Butterfly bushes are terribly messy, but well worth the effort for the birds and butterflies it attracts. 

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Soaking up the Winter sun

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul. 

- Luther Burbank

Cosmos are like sunshine to the ground! 

Two Pink Cosmos flowers still soaking up the winter sun in my garden, they have long surpassed their usual time of flowering. A bird must have carried in a seed, for I only have this one Cosmos plant, but it's rewarded me with some beautiful flowers! 

Camera : Canon EOS 550D 

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Pebbles and sand

I just love collecting all sorts from nature - pebbles, leaves, grass, crystals, twigs, driftwood, wasps' nests, feathers, porcupine quills, birds' nests, seed pods and even dung! It's a habit I picked up as a child and still practice avidly. It feeds my soul, soothes my senses and pleases my eye. 

A collection of pebbles and crystals in a wooden African bowl next to my bed

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Below is a lovely life lesson I picked up on the internet... 

'A philosophy professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks right to the top, rocks about 2" diameter. 

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. 

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed. 

He asked his students again if the jar was full. They agreed that yes, it was. The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. 

"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children - anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. 

The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent things like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff. 

If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important. 

Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life. 

Play with your children. 

Take your partner out dancing. 

There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal. 

Take care of the rocks first - the things that really matter. 

Set your priorities. The rest is just pebbles and sand.' 

— un-attributed 

Seedpods and dung from an Antelope 

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Porcupine quills collected on a friend's farm 

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Guinea fowl feather in my garden 

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The OC Robin

I have this Obsessive Compulsive Cape Robin that has decided that my kitchen is the best place in the world!. He also wanders through the house as if he's been doing it his whole life. And no, he's not a pet! 

A couple of months ago I sat and watched as the Cape Robin, a total new-comer to my garden, was testing out one of the bird baths. He sat on the edge, dipping his beak and shaking his head, testing the temperature and getting a good splattering at the same time. This carried on for about 3 or 4 minutes before he summoned up the courage to hop in and actually bath. 

Then he flew up onto a nearby rock, preening and cleaning his feathers from head to toe before flying up into the trees and disappearing from sight. Little did I know that he's a totally peculiar character - he actually seems to prefer the indoors to the out-doors. 

Entering through the front door which is always open, he'll spend hours wandering from room to room, sometimes walking, sometimes flying. His favourite spot, however, is standing in front of my stainless steel dustbin in the kitchen, flying up at his reflection, as one sees birds doing to motor car mirrors, coming back frequently from his other trips through the house to once again challenge himself in the shiny dustbin. 

I have wondered if he could possibly have been someone's pet at one stage, he's so totally at ease in the house. I also believe that he is lonely and that the obsessive flying up at his image is possibly because he thinks it might be a potential mate. 

He has learnt what my whistle means when I fill the bird feeders and I can now actually whistle from anywhere inside the house and he will actually come in and have a look if anything is on offer. I especially put minced meat on one feeding table for him, and am now considering leaving a snack for him in the kitchen! 

I feel absolutely blessed that he has chosen my home to be peculiar in, but I do SO wish for another Robin to join him here in my garden....

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Photographs taken in my garden in Tarlton, South Africa 

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Mommy Bobby and her clutch of 10

“Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral.”

- Unknown

Day 1

Mommy Bobby, one of Solly's hens, chose to make her nest under a truck canopy lying on the lawn in the workshop area of our business, waiting to be fitted on one of the trucks, snugly out of the rain and harm's way. For three weeks the workshop staff waited impatiently (upon my strict threats that the canopy was not to be touched!) as Bobby sat on her clutch of 12 eggs, fluffing herself to double her normal size should anybody dare to come near. 

Then, at about 11am one morning, she triumphantly emerged from under-neath the canopy, keeping her brood of 10 close to her side, much to the pleasure and relief of all in the workshop, who immediately got to work moving the canopy, now leaving Bobby and her brood totally homeless! 

Now I know I was supposed to do this long before the time, but Solly and I quickly scrambled to erect a make-shift new home for them, finishing the coup that same afternoon. At about 4pm, we slowly herded them towards their new home, securely fenced, protected against the rain and a large area where they stayed for about a week before I opened the gate and introduced them to the garden. Now they spend their days happily scratching around in the garden before she leads them home back to the coup at about 4.30pm every day. 

I’m really enjoying having chickens in my garden once more after an absence of almost 2 years! 

Day 7 

Quick make-shift home for Bobby and her clutch 

Bobby seeking safety inside the chicken coup while Chrissie, my gardener, was mowing the lawn 

Happily playing in the garden 

Mommy Bobby and the brood’s new home – 

I placed an old garden table and chairs in their area, where I do some sketching of them, what a job, they’re never still for a moment! 

Camera : Kodak EasyShare C195

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Dainty but strong

I have one lonely Cosmos plant that took root in my garden, and then fell over because it was so tall and heavy that it needed to be propped up. I thought it wouldn't flower after falling over, but it did produce a whole bunch of flowers, obviously much loved by these pesky beetles that eat holes in every flower they find. 

Interesting info : Historians believe that the seeds of the flower, originally from Mexico, were brought in with bags of horse-feed for the English troops during the Anglo-Boer War. 

Camera: Kodak EasyShare C195 

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Another breeding season starts

Another breeding season starts for the faithful Black (Vereaux’s) Eagles 

 

Fifteen eagle-generations have passed since the Black eagles (Verreaux’s eagles) were discovered in the Garden and they are again faithfully preparing their nest for another generation to come. According to some sources the Black eagles are thought to have occupied the Waterfall for over 40 years, long before the Garden was established. 

Over the past 30 years Emoyeni, the female, has produced a chick every second year or even annually at times. 

 Mating usually takes place after nest building has been in progress for some time and is not a certain sign that the female will lay, or that nest building will proceed to the eggcup stage. Mating occurs often after both birds have fed and can occur many times in one day. Laying occurs towards the end of April or early May, if the female is spending long periods of time on the nest. Two eggs are usually laid 4 days apart. After an incubation period of 44 to 45 days, the eggs hatch, but only one chick is likely to make it to adulthood. 

The Black Eagle is one of Africa’s largest and most spectacular eagles. It is big and powerful with a wingspan that measures more than two meters. This enables them to fly at high altitudes without flapping their wings, thus saving them energy. A breeding pair remains faithful to one another for as long as they live. 

(Info from the Botanical Gardens Newsletter - May 2012)

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The feeder is full

Lovely Autumn days here in South Africa and the birds are having a jolly time in the garden! Their chattering is a constant reminder of how full of joy life is, and gratitude for the sunshine we so take for granted.... 

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The feeder is full 

Overflowing with seeds 

Little birds gather 

Up high in the trees 

Jump, skip and hop 

They fly down to see 

A glorious feast 

Offered to thee 

Chirping and singing 

They fly away quick 

Swooping and flinging 

They peck and they pick 

 Puffed up and content 

They return to the trees 

Watching the feeder 

For the return of the seeds 

- Written by Sarah Sabatini 

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Just one sweet little bird...

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Just one sweet little bird 

sitting on an almost-bare bough 

leaves having already scattered 

in autumn's breeze. 

A little gift from Mother nature, 

one tiny jewel 

nestled in it's nest 

of fallen yesterdays 

- The Blue Muse 

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My Fiscal Shrike's youngster patiently waiting while Mom collects some minced meat from the bird feeder. 

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Super Moon!

Skywatcher Tim McCord of Entiat, Washington caught this amazing view of the March 19, 2011 full moon - called a supermoon because the moon was at perigee, the closest point to Earth in its orbit - using a camera-equipped telescope. CREDIT: Tim McCord 

Skywatchers take note: The biggest full moon of the year is due to arrive this weekend. The moon will officially become full Saturday (May 5, 2012) at 11:35 p.m. EDT. And because this month's full moon coincides with the moon's perigee — its closest approach to Earth — it will also be the year's biggest. 

The moon will swing in 221,802 miles (356,955 kilometers) from our planet, offering skywatchers a spectacular view of an extra-big, extra-bright moon, nicknamed a supermoon. 

And not only does the moon's perigee coincide with full moon this month, but this perigee will be the nearest to Earth of any this year, as the distance of the moon's close approach varies by about 3 percent, according to meteorologist Joe Rao, SPACE.com's skywatching columnist. This happens because the moon's orbit is not perfectly circular. 

This month's full moon is due to be about 16 percent brighter than average. In contrast, later this year on Nov. 28, the full moon will coincide with apogee, the moon's farthest approach, offering a particularly small and dim full moon. 

Though the unusual appearance of this month's full moon may be surprising to some, there's no reason for alarm, scientists warn. The slight distance difference isn't enough to cause any earthquakes or extreme tidal effects, experts say. 

However, the normal tides around the world will be particularly high and low. At perigee, the moon will exert about 42 percent more tidal force than it will during its next apogee two weeks later, Rao said. 

The last supermoon occurred in March 2011. 

To view this weekend's super moon to best effect, look for it just after it rises or before it sets, when it is close to the horizon. There, you can catch a view of the moon behind buildings or trees, an effect which produces an optical illusion, making the moon seem even larger than it really is. 

Info from Space.com  

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The Language of Birds

A Red Bishop I sketched in my garden a couple of years ago - done in one of my Nature Journals 

The “language of birds” has many names; some call it the “Language of the Gods”, others the “Green language”. Some have described the “language of birds” as “the tongue of Secret Wisdom." Its vocabulary is myth. Its grammar is symbolism. 

But what is “bird language”? On first inspection, it would be the language that the birds use to communicate amongst themselves. It is a language the birds understand, but we humans do not. To many, the language of birds is therefore nothing more or less than a series of secret codes and phrases, which pass by in daily conversation, except for those with ears that “hear”.

"Hearing" the birds in your garden is a wonderful past-time. By listening carefully, and regularly, you will soon understand each innuendo, each call, each tweet and twitter. I know exactly when my birds are warning me of an intruder in the garden, when there is danger in the air or when they're purely singing for the joy of it. I also know their mating calls, I know when there's a strange bird in my garden and I know their call when they are looking for one another. Most heart-warming is hearing a fledgling calling its parents from the ground, and their response, as they find him and carry him a little snack. 

C'mon, listen to the birds in your garden, or wherever you are, and discover a wonderful world of communication, excitement and a better story than the Joneses next door! 

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May Gifts

Inspirational words on a textured back-ground by Kim Klassen 

May. A soft syllable, a gentle name for the best month in the garden year: cool, misty mornings gently burned away with a warming autumn sun, followed by breezy afternoons and chilly nights.  

Aaah, the changing seasons! How I LOVE May! Balmy Autumn days, sitting out on the patio with a cup of tea watching the birds as they revel in the perfect weather! And this is the one month where we seem to be one with the rest of the world - while the Northern Hemisphere is rejoicing in spring, it seems as if we, here in South Africa, have been given a second spring, gently easing into the colder months to come. The discussion of philosophy is over; it's time for work to begin! 

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I had a Dove ...

A Laughing Dove in my old Peach tree last winter - a tribute to Flutterby, my little pet Laughing Dove that I was blessed enough to have in my life for 6 months before she found her mate and started a family of her own. 

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I had a dove, and the sweet dove died; 

And I have thought it died of grieving: 

Oh, what could it grieve for? 

its feet were tied With a silken thread of my own hands’ weaving. 

Sweet little red feet! Why should you die– 

Why would you leave me, sweet bird! why? 

You lived alone in the forest tree; 

Why, pretty thing! would you not live with me? 

I kiss’d you oft and gave you white peas; 

Why not live sweetly, as in the green trees? 

- John Keats. 

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Ink sketch and Watercolour wash on Visual 200gsm 

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Hedgehogs and fires

Just before Winter in March 2008, Golden Girl and Sethlong had 6 babies, first pink and wrinkly with soft little spines, but soon perfect little replicas of their parents.

Unfortunately, soon after they were weaned, their mother, Golden Girl, died. I found her dead early one morning under some grass and all the babies wandering aimlessly around. I couldn't find any cause of why she had died, no apparent injuries, and up until that time she had seemed perfectly healthy.

Sethlong exploring the new area

I gathered all the babies and Sethlong, the father, and moved them to a new enclosure in my bathroom court yard so that I can keep a closer eye on them. An amazing thing happened, quite contrary to Hedgehog behaviour - Sethlong seemed to take over the care of the youngsters. They would follow him all around the garden and at night I would find all 7 of them huddled together in the same box.

One of the new nesting boxes - the photos were taken at night, so I'm sorry about the quality....

It was quite a business, having to put out 7 food bowls every night, and never being sure whether Sethlong was eating the bulk of the food and whether the babies were getting enough or not.

One evening, I found Sethlong kicking out all the grass out of one of the nest boxes - couldn't figure out a reason, unless he wanted to make a new place for himself...

Sethlong threw most of the grass out of one of the nest boxes ... wonder why?

When the babies were about 12 weeks old, I took them all to our local game reserve (Krugersdorp Game Reserve), where they have a huge 4ha aviary and where I felt they would have enough space to ramble to their hearts content and also be safe from predators and the raging veld fires we experience here in South Africa every Winter.

These fires, besides being necessary for the natural evolution of things, cause massive loss of life amongst small mammals, reptiles and birds every year. Many tortoises, hedgehogs and ground nesting birds fall victim to this phenomena. But on a good note, after the fires have either been extinguished or burnt themselves out, you will see big flocks of egrets, herons and storks foraging around for crispy insects.

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I'm serious, stay away!

We were feeding the Ostriches on a recent visit to 'Rustig', a resort with various wild animals and hiking trails up the mountain, not far from Magaliesburg in Skeerpoort (Gauteng, South Africa) and this male put up a spectacular show of protecting his females, ignoring our offerings and charging the fence from time-to-time, a real force to be reckoned with! 

Every now and then he would nonchalantly pretend to be pecking at something on the ground, a ruse that worked a few times, but when the unsuspecting victim got closer, his attitude changed completely! In one instance, an elderly gentleman almost got his ear pecked off! 

This is one of his beautiful ladies he was protecting, a gentle gal with gorgeous long eyelashes who was delighted with the offerings of corn and seeds.

Camera : Fuji FinePix 2800Zoom 

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Just wondering...

1. What you did this weekend...? 
2. What you had for breakfast this morning? 
3. What's your favourite colour...? 
4. What do you have planned for the week ahead...? 

I'd love to hear from you! 

Me, myself, had a very quiet weekend, some rain and a beautiful veggie platter for lunch at the Magalies Hotel on Sunday, topped off with a lovely HOT Irish coffee (it was cool outside as we sat under the thatch, with a cold Autumn breeze, so that's my excuse!) 

I don't eat breakfast, so can't tell you anything there! 

 My favourite colour depends on my mood - mostly it's blue, but currently orange is ruling, even surfacing in most of my paintings and the decor in my house. 

 My week ahead looks pretty quiet, the way I like it. No rushing around here, just spending some time in the garden, checking on the Laughing Dove's new babies (they built their nest in the lower branches of the trees, so with a ladder I can just have a quick peek inside), painting, making a couple of items of jewelry and, oh yes, I have to prepare more nest boxes for my chickens, I have eight hens squabbling over four next boxes! 

 Hope you have a great week ahead of you! 

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African Leopard {Panthera pardus}

Black Pilot FineLiner ink sketch and W&N watercolour on Amedeo 200gsm   

An African Leopard sunning himself on some rocks. Powerful, graceful and arguably one of the most beautiful of all the large cats, the elusive leopard is a master of stealth and survival. I myself have only seen a Leopard twice in my life, once in the Kruger National Park and once on a private game reserve and in both instances he would have gone unnoticed if not pointed out by the guide.   

In the Cape Province south of the Orange River (South Africa), they have been largely eradicated by stock farmers except in rugged mountainous areas. The Cape Leopard that lives in the Cape mountain range is much smaller than its big cousins in the Limpopo region. Their diet is probably the contributing factor, consisting mostly of dassies and much smaller prey. 

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The leopard lingered in the sun 

Almost at close of day, 

With all its hours almost done 

And fast to ebb away... 

The leopard let his memories 

Remind him now and then, 

Because he knew each day must cease 

When moonlight shone again.   

This day had seen new life, new death, 

That's how time passes by... 

We understand while we draw breath 

Until our final sigh... 

The leopard knew his time was near, 

Just like the sun above, 

Yet leopards are not prone to fear, 

That's why they still share love...   

His cubs were waiting down below, 

As he watched like a king... 

To see time like a river flow 

To outlive everything... 

Some day his cubs would watch in turn, 

As their cubs played a while... 

With each new day something to learn... 

Some joy to raise a smile... 

(The poem is based on the magnificent painting by Stephen Gayford called 'Leopard Sunset'.) 

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Cactus flower close-up (Echinopsis)

'Tis my faith that every flower enjoys the air it breathes! ~William Wordsworth, "Lines Written in Early Spring," Lyrical Ballads, 1798 

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My Cacti put up the most spectacular show of flowers last Winter and I'm hoping to get some beautiful shots again this year. They are an absolute delight to the insects, with sweet nectar accumulating at the base of the flower, luring ants, bees, flies, and even a few wasps. 

 Camera : FujiFinepix 2800Zoom - Macro enabled 

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I'll wait for your return...

Picture from Warwick Tarboton 

 For the past week or so my Greater Striped Swallows have been getting increasingly more restless until, finally, this morning they were gone - mother, father and two babies. Nobody to greet me on the bathroom wall, no twittering and chattering coming from the TV satellite dish, no more watching them throwing their little heads back and uttering their little gurgling song... I DO wish them a safe journey to their summer destination and I will expectantly be waiting for their return in September.... 

The Greater Striped Swallow (Hirundo cucullata syn. Cecropis cucullata) is a large swallow. It breeds in Southern Africa, arriving from its central African non-breeding grounds around July-August in the Limpopo Province, Western and Eastern Cape. It reaches Swaziland, Botswana, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal during September-October, eventually leaving the region around April-May. 

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