Prepare to be surprised by sudden and ongoing changes in the weather when spending time in the upper elevations of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our biggest surprise this time was to get caught in a flurry of snowflakes while admiring the brilliant fall foliage on the parkway. Here are a few more of my favorite images from this trip. Until next time ….
While in the area, I spent some time at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm where there is a very active rookery. The squabbling and screeching of birds of all types created a deafening cacophony as chicks squawked for food and parents fussed over the chicks while defending their clearly defined territories. I guess the rules are baked into the general chaos and all the birds understand them! My favorite youngsters were the tricolored heron chicks and I was entertained by their antics for a couple of hours. All the while, the alligators loitered lazily in the swamp below, waiting for the occasional hapless baby to fall from a nest. Here are a few of the images.
My nephew farms some land in the Swellendam area of the Western Cape, set against a stunning backdrop of the Langeberg Mountain range. He uses completely natural, sustainable farming principles, and keeps mostly pigs, although there are a couple of goats and sheep who have been adopted along the way. Saroo, the Great Pyrenees farm dog is the protector of all! Here is some more information about Simon’s farming philosophy: https://www.facebook.com/1792394950/posts/pfbid0oKAosnyzS1TNvyiv3YxoPDfYLChEfWp3skyGKmS2PY8gm8mL6gQrDgusvtrFTWbHl/?mibextid=cr9u03
We spent a night in the area and here are some of the images.
We are almost at the end of a long, hot summer and I’m so looking forward to feeling less lethargic and more energized to get out there and photograph my world. In the meantime, I sat in my airconditioned office and dug back through some old folders and reminisced about past adventures. Here are a few taken in South Africa over the last few years. Such a long way to go and now even more tedious thanks to the COVID19 virus, but amazingly beautiful and worth the effort. Soon I’ll be heading to the North Carolina mountains for some fall photography – can’t wait.
There is so much to do and see in and around Cape Town that it is hard to narrow your choices. I chose to spend yesterday following the coast of False Bay and stopping off at the various beaches and fishing villages along the way. Long before GPS was invented, the sailors of old returning from long sea voyages to the east confused this picturesque bay with the more famous Table Bay a bit further along the coast, thus giving False Bay its name.
False Bay is an huge C-shaped curve in the coastline to the southeast of Table Mountain. At its widest point it is a staggering 20 miles across the bay! The bay is littered with small villages and numerous long sandy beaches, some of which have managed to escape any form of urban development. One of my favorite spots and a place I have visited numerous times over the years is the fishing village of Kalk Bay. As they have since the early 1900’s, the brightly colored boats ply the clear waters daily, bringing in fresh fish that is sold at the harbor upon their return. Seals await the scraps and compete with the seagulls for the choice portions.
The picturesque railway line that connects all the little towns along the coast is an important commuter link with the city of Cape Town.
