Thursday 29 March 2018

March 2018 Photo Treasure Hunt




Can't believe it is the end of March already.  Been a grey, cold and often snowy month here in the UK so going through old photographs of the Kruger National Park and God's Window in the Panarama route in South Africa was a very pleasant way to pass the days.  Once again an interesting selection of topics from Hawthorn, looking forward to seeing other participants interpretation of the headings.  Check them out  Here



1.  Hole

There are potholes big and small blighting our British roads and then there are Burke's Luck Potholes, enormous holes formed in the sandstone by years and years of water erosion  where the Blyde River (River of Joy) and the Treur River (River of Sorrow) meet in Mpumulanga, South Africa.  You can get some idea of the size of the 'holes' when you look at the bridge and people at the top of the photograph.







2. Making.

I am at present knitting myself a cable fronted pullover.  I am going through a knitting phase, gone off crochet for a while.  What is it about green and photographs.  It is actually a pretty sage green, nothing like the photographs at all. Lovely Lady always complains about it on her other blog and now I see what she means.  Rug in background is a funny colour too. It is definitely not pink!



                               




3. Reading Now.

I'm not great about reading during the day, it is some sort of guilt feeling I have. So other than the daily newspaper which I read thoroughly and enter the Sunday Crossword competition, I do not have a novel on the go though I have several stacking up waiting to be read.  What I do read last thing at night  is from My Daily Bread and the readings that go with it. 







4  Black and White

I am sure you  have all stopped AT a zebra crossing but how many of you will have stopped FOR a zebra crossing!!!  Photographs again taken in our beloved Kruger National Park, Mpumulunga, South Africa.  No two zebra have the same markings, they are all individual, like fingerprints. 









5  It starts with an .........H

This is a Hornbill being mobbed by starlings at the Skukuza Camp Site again in the KNP.  This time it was taken on an all too brief stay there with Hawthorn and Himself  out visiting us from the UK.  You will see how colourful Southern African starlings are compared to our rather dull black spotted ones here in Europe.  The birds were all after the bread crumbs they were scavenging from around the tents.  There are very strict rules about feeding any of the wild animals in the park but somehow the birds in the campsites manage to get around that rule!!  





6.  My Own Choice.

This month my own choice is a sort of continuation from last month's sad tale about Audrey the Amarylis.  Well the second bud went on to grow and grow and produced not two, three or even four buds but five.  Hawthorn suggested the extra one was to make up for the previous disaster.

For those that did not read about poor Audrey the Amarylis,  the original bud just rotted away after a halfhearted attempt to open..  The picture below is a reminder.




Forgiven.  




20 comments:

  1. Your Amaryllis is beautiful. Those rock are fascinating, one looks like a screaming face

    Julie xxxxx

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  2. Thank you, especially for pointing out the screaming face. After all these years of looking at the picture I had never noticed it but now it is 'screaming' out at me.

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  3. I was just going to say the same about the rock photo. It does look like 'The Scream' How uncanny! Love the zeberas crossing. Very clever for black and white.

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    1. I think I did not connect my Burke's Potholes with The Scream as I must admit to not knowing about that painting until it was stolen some years ago. South Africa and Zimbabwe are a bit culturally backward regarding European art. But now I can see it and most of the bloggers have mentioned the connection too.

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  4. Lovely amaryllis, & the hole is amazing. I understand how you feel about reading, as I am much the same & read a little before I go to sleep, which is usually a reference type book or maybe a true story of some kind. I've a post ready, but don't know if an Australian should be blogging after the commotion we've just caused in sport, but will read all the hunter's blogs anyway. Take care.

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  5. Susan, the Australian Cricket team is not 'Australia' - it is a group of three young men who have done a very stupid thing. So please do contribute as usual. We love your take on Kate's themes. xxx

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  6. Those holes are amazing; proper holes. If you look again at your making photo, the yarn on the wool winder is almost showing the true sage colour. One day I like to think I will work how how to photograph green.... Great to read about your African photos too.

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    1. Yes, they are terrific holes. You can access the bottom where the river flows out and people go and put their feet in the lovely cool water. It's high up on an escarpment and the river is too cold for either crocodiles or bilharzia.

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  7. Lovely images and stories, nice to see some from home xxx

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    1. I try to find African photographs when they can fit your titles as I know both you and Lovely Lady enjoy them. xx

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  8. The holes are huge and fascinating. Like your black and white photo and 'H' too. The amaryllis is so pretty:)

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    1. Thank you. I just had to use the zebra crossing picture but wish now I had cropped the photograph to bring them closer.

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  9. Replies
    1. Thank you. I have never grown such a spectacular Amaryllis, not even in South Africa where they grew in our garden.

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  10. A brilliant collection! I love the holes and Audrey is looking good too!

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    1. Thank you. Sadly Audrey has finished now. I must see if I can save her for next flowering season. Don't often have luck so will have to look into it.

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  11. The holes in the sandstone are amazing - never underestimate the power of water. The poor Hornbill looks thoroughly fed up :)

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    1. Yes, the Hornbill does look fed up with the Starlings mobbing him. The Starlings may look different but their character is just the same as ours here.

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  12. Oh what an interesting take on the list. Love the holes they have to be a favourite , and yes Audrey is a stunner. The jumper looks as if it will be nice and cosy despite your unhappiness with not being green. I did not know starlings came in different colours either ,so another new thing I have learnt today.

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    1. Thank you. The Starlings are so pretty even with that evil red eye. Their iridescent colours flash in the sunlight but like our European ones, they are a bit of a pest in the garden, taking the food before the smaller birds can get to it. But I remind myself, they too will have babies to feed.

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