Here is my contribution go this week’s Fun Photo Challenge from Cee
Free and Easy Lifestyle – Fishing on the lake at Sani Valley Lodge
Magpie Geese swimming free and easy – Australia 2014
Free and Easy Fun on the Rocks – Cape Agulhas 2010
Free and Easy on the beach – Struisbaai 2010
Free and Easy Toasted Marshmallows – Struisbaai 2010
Taking to the sky – fee and easy – Greater Flamingos – False Bay Ecology Park
Free and Easy in the Sea – Fish Hoek Beach – 2006
These are my answers to this weeks Share Your World from Cee
List things or events that changed your life?
Complete this sentence: Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it’s…
Yes it’s definitely a bird!
My eye will always notice a bird. Even when everybody else is looking at a leopard in a tree, I will say – do you see that bird over there!
Yellow-throated Longclaw
What genre of music do you like?
I enjoy quite a few genres – hate the grating, head banging, loud, heavy metal type of music.
Obviously love rock ‘n roll from the 60s. Music with a beat that you can dance to.
My favourite artists are in no particular order – Madonna, Michael Jackson, James Blunt, The Beatles, Cliff, Elvis, Barbara Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Adele, Simon and Garfunkel, Joan Baez. The list goes on. I also enjoy classical music.
What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
Well – I was in a National Park over the weekend and there was a lot to smile about. Who wouldn’t smile watching a tonne of elephants wallowing in waterholes.
I really appreciate the fact that I live in a country where conservation is taken seriously in spite of a number of problems we otherwise might be having. Seeing a game guard with an anti-poaching dog really filled my heart with joy.
I am not lying when I tell you that I saw a lion today but he was far away and lying flat in the long grass – so I’m not even going to bore you with a bad photograph!
There are more interesting things to write about but this will be a short post. I took dozens of photographs; too many to post and difficult to know which ones to choose. So I am going to be brief and hope you enjoy the photo story instead.
In a small park like Addo it’s easy to get around the whole game area in a day. It’s always wise to try to stick to early morning and late afternoon but as a day visitor this is not so easy. We might have had a chance to see lions had we stayed on till the end of the day but that would be exhausting.
The main stars of Addo are definitely the elephants. Zebra can be mighty entertaining too and even though the warthogs are everywhere, I just love them and can watch their antics for hours.
This poaching monitor and his anti poaching dog kindly posed for a photo at the entrance. Dogs like this one are invaluable in keeping poaching to a minimum
A Pale-chanting Goshawk was more obliging than the lions we saw nearby
Such an attractive antelope is the male kudu
So easy to ignore these guys after a while – but they’re really cute
Hapoor Waterhole hosted a huge herd of ellies this morning
They just kept coming
Group Bath-time!
Breathing with a built in snorkel!
Fun fun fun
Here we go again
Elephants just wanna have fun
We came across three zebras having a group hug!
At Marion Baree Waterhole another group of ellies were kicking up mud
Glorious Mud
Water and mud play is good for kids, Mom
This little one certainly enjoyed it
Mommy Pig and Baby Porkie looked on enviously waiting for their turn.
It was our last day visiting Addo today but we will be back another time. It’s such a fab place to visit.
Staying outside of a game reserve is not ideal but it’s better than nothing. We’re loving The Homestead which is just a short distance from the entrance gate. Day visitors may only enter the game viewing at 7:00 am while for residents it’s an hour earlier. In the past we would be first at the gate! But today we only woke up at 7 and entered the park after 8. Then we had a leisurely breakfast at The Cattle Baron before setting off on our game drive.
There are many different types of antelope in the park and they’re all thriving. First we were greeted by this beauty.
Lovely male kudu with another in the background
Addo Elephant Park is one of the few places in the country that is home to the flightless dung beetle. Visitors are warned to watch out for them on the roads as they cannot fly away to safety.
The flightless dung beetles mostly feed on elephant or buffalo faeces, but they have been recorded to also feed on dung from other species such as rabbits, baboons, antelope and ostrich. Read about dung beetles here
We really enjoy the birdlife in the parks we visit but Autumn in Addo hasn’t produced anything too exciting. These are some of the birds we managed to photograph
Cape Wagtail collecting nesting material
Speckled Mousebird
Cape Glossy Starling
Red-necked spurfowl
Southern Boubou
Capped Wheatear
Tortoises tend to be less plentiful as winter approaches but we did find one who was still quite wide awake
We found lots of plains animals in the south today. There are a number of waterholes that attract them and the grazing in also very good. All the animals are looking very healthy. We enjoyed seeing a number of different species making Addo look like what one expects Africa to be. It was lovely to see a mix of zebra, kudu, red hartebeest, warthogs and elephants spread across the veld.
We learned that elephants were starting to dominate the waterholes and leaving little over for the other creatures. So the authorities have placed an electric fence around one we saw today. The wires hang down to a certain height and prevent the elephants from drinking but are high enough for the smaller animals to be unaffected. No chance of the zebras being squirted by elephants at this waterhole!
Do you see the wires hanging just above the zebras
This elephant walked right past – obviously knows what will happen if he goes to this pub!
Oh the bliss of elephant free water!
BUT at the waterholes where they’re free to frolic there was a lot of fun today. They swam and played and rolled in mud to their hearts content.
It’s hot – I need a swim
Oh what fun
Look at me!
Mom – I love this
What’s going on here?
Time to get out
Most of the waterholes we visited had tons of frisky elephants taking the waters. It was fascinating to watch them.
We stopped at Jack’s picnic site for coffee
And the final excitement of the day was this young hyaena lying next tot he side of the road – not often seen in Addo so we were thrilled.
Today we left Jubilee Farm and headed to Addo Elephant Park. Their camping was fully booked so we had to find accommodation outside The Park. Our intention was to stay at the south end near Colchester. However, we heard on the radio that there was rioting on the N2 and in the village. Rocks and burning objects were being thrown around so we thought it best to stay out of the troubled zone. News 24 Report
The other end of the park was not affected so we booked into The Homestead just 10 minutes away from the Addo Rest Camp entrance. By 2:30 we were set up and ready to go adventuring.
There were lots of black-headed heron around
After enjoying a variety of zebra, red hartebeest, kudu and millions of warthogs we stopped at Carol’s Rest where one male elephant was hogging the water hole while another two were fooling around and a fourth made a later appearance. A thirsty zebra was too nervous to drink while Jumbo was taking up most of the space
Please can I join you for a drink?
Clearly you’re not sharing with me!
The cheeky warthogs had no fear and joined right in
Still the zebra was not too sure
A jackal decided to make do with a muddy puddle further away
Thirst drove the zebra to take a few steps closer
Brave boy – you did it!
Aaah that’s better
The zebra got his drink then what the camera missed was hilarious. The elephant squirted him with his trunk! We nearly fell out of the car laughing and the zebra leaped out of the pond!
I think he’s telling his friend all about it
These two entertained us with their interaction
They twisted their trunks together
And seemed to really like each other
We spent ages just watching these wonderful creatures interact, push, pull, chase and scratch each others ears with their tusks – it was amazing.
But as we had to leave the park by six we made our way back to the gate and out again. On our way home we stopped at Lenmore to shop for fresh veggies at their deli. We also decided to go to their restaurant for supper. What a great decision as their lamb shank was to die for. It was served with delicious veggies too – green beans, cauliflower cheese, creamed spinach, glazed carrots and roasted baby potatoes.
A fabulous ending to a perfect day
The trouble with having gel nails is that when you’re away from your usual technician for any length of time you have to find someone else to fix them when they’re due for an upgrade! Google is a great help and this morning a quick search got me making an appointment at Divine Salon for 9:00 am. One hour later and I was very happy with the results.
Afterwards we decided to try one of the little coffee shops near Central Beach. The brekkie of scrambled eggs, fried tomatoes and avocado pear was lovely, the coffee was excellent and The Earl enjoyed his cappuccino.
We can highly recommend La Cafeteria
It has a great vibe, fun waitrons and today was a gorgeous day if you wanted to sit outdoors
Coffee is important – and ours was perfect
Afterwards we went exploring. There are two rivers that attract tourists to Plettenberg Bay – The Bitou and The Keurbooms. We drive past the former on the way to Jubilee farm so we decide to check out Keurbooms.
We found a lovely beach called Keurbooms Beach which has the famous Enrico Restaurant next to it. There is a boardwalk linking another beach on the right of the restaurant. I walked along the beach to the left and then we walked along the boardwalk to see the other secluded beach. Even though the weather was stunning today we only saw about five other people! I am sure it is very different in the summer season. There are some beautiful holiday homes overlooking the beaches.
Enrico’s Restaurant
The beach to the right
African Black Oyster-catchers on the beach
I was upset to see an oyster catcher’s foot caught in a tangle of fishing net and seaweed.
The Earl admiring the view
This is what he is looking at
The Beach on the other side of Enrico’s
After enjoying the beaches we headed to Keurboom’s River. If you’re into boating this is the place for you.
You can book a ferry trip or do a sun-downer cruise
Canoes can also be hired
There was a fair bit of activity on the river. There are houseboats, ferries, motorboats etc. It looked like a lot of fun.
On our way back to Jubilee we stopped to take photos of birds on the Bitou River.
Grey Heron
We watched a male pied kingfisher catch this fish and give it to his mate. She is about to swallow it.
A Jackal Buzzard refused to pose on the telephone wire but I got him in flight
Then he settled into a nearby tree.
It was indeed an interesting morning. Next time we come to Plettenberg Bay we will be a bit more informed about the best places to visit.
This week’s Fun Photo Challenge from Cee calls for photographs depicting caring and kindness.
Big Dog caring for puppy
Small child caring for puppy
Being kind to pet
Even warthogs care for their mates
Sharing is caring – Leopard shares his kill with hyaena
Mother love – caring for baby
Father Jacana cares for the young
The mighty lioness is a caring mother
This week’s answers to questions from Cee’s Share Your World
Been anywhere recently for the first time?
Not exactly unless you count the new home of my daughter and son-in-law. We have often been to Plettenberg Bay but haven’t stayed there in a while. The kids have moved from KZN to Plett and we’re currently visiting them.
Jubilee Farm
The most recent new place I visited was Thailand but that’s almost a year ago now. Does it count?
James Bond Island
List three favorite book characters.
Jo – in Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
Beeda – In Confessions of a Gambler by Rayda Jacobs
Scout – In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
George – In The Famous Five books by Enid Blyton
The Grinch – In How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss
The Grinch
What is your favorite non alcoholic drink: hot or cold?
Coffee – Hot – Black – Strong – Sugarless
What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
Being here on Jubilee Farm has made me smile every day. Great to be bonding with Daughter, Son-in-law and Grandchildren. Walking around the farm and drinking in the views is rejuvenating.
How amazing it has been to see our kids happily adapting to their new lives here in Plettenberg Bay. Lauren has been to meet a few colleagues at her new school, set up her classroom and has Simon’s uniform sorted. Tomorrow they start their first day – Lauren to teach a class of 22 Grade 2s (what a pleasure) and Simon to finish his final primary school year.
The Earl has been busy doing handyman stuff around the house and I have enjoyed the wonderful new kitchen so much that I’ve done a lot of the cooking!
Grandpa busy with his screw-driver
Me in kitchen heaven
On Friday Earl and I took Lauren and Simon to George. The excursion was to find school shoes for Simon and the only ones that would do were the Woolworths brand. Plettenberg Woollies could not oblige and nor could Knysna so it ended up being a two hour but scenic drive the the larger town. It was shopping paradise and we managed to complete it all in time to meet our relatives, Diane and Carey, for lunch. They drove the hour from Great Brak to meet us. It was a really good bonding time for us all.
Diane, Simon, Lauren, Carey
The weather has been pretty awesome. At this time of the year it can be iffy. Jubilee Farm is in the mountains so gets a bit of mist but it doesn’t last all day and we’ve had some really sunny clear days.
On Sunday it was glorious so Allan and I took a long up hill and down dale hike while the others followed in the Everest. I found it somewhat exhausting but totally awesome.
One of the dams we discovered
The Everest negotiating the steep track
Shan, The Earl and Allan admiring the dam
A view towards the farm house
Yet another dam
Hosting a lone yellow-billed duck
Allan and Shan walking across the lands which will be good for the cattle
Breath-taking view
Today was another glorious day but rain will follow as a berg wind was blowing.
Lauren had to go to school for a few hours, Allan took Simon to get the remainder of his uniform and we met up at The Lookout Deck for breakfast.
Lookout Deck – Plettenberg Bay
The View over Lookout Beach
Steps to Gina’s secluded little beach
Shan and I had Baby Benedicts – (spinach and mushroom)
Simon fancied the savoury/sweet French toast with bacon and maple syrup
After breakfast the family went off shopping while we explored a bit of Plettenberg Bay. We used often to visit the Beacon Island Hotel in the old days so it was a bit of a trip down memory lane.
Sand Art on Central Beach
Sunbathing is fun when you’re made of sand
African Wildlife on the Beach
The Beacon Island Hotel in the background of Central Beach
Central Beach
We had a very brief thunderstorm – not unexpected after all the heat. After the thunderstorm we sat out on the deck and enjoyed the view while Allan had a business meeting in the dining room.
It’s so great seeing our kids settling in and enjoying their new home – and we just love it too. They’d better watch out – we will be visiting frequently in the future!
The prompt for this week’s Stream of Consciousness is Passive/Aggressive
Passive/aggressives are not easy to deal with. I prefer rude and obnoxious to passive aggressive because I don’t feel guilty when I deal with the former. I can give them back as much as they give me. But those gentle, sweet passive/aggressives know just which buttons of mine to push.
One tactic I hate is when I offer the individual a treat – Would you like to go for a milkshake with me – knowing she would really love it – and the reply comes – Only if you really want to go. Like she’s doing me the favour!!!
You see that’s the problem – they look at you with wide eyed innocence and say things like “Oh – it’s okay – I don’t mind if you go to the movies without me – I’ll just stay here at home with the baby sitter and be oh so sad.” Of course you go off as if you didn’t care but all the while you worry about the sad little boy you left at home! Meanwhile, he’s as happy as can be manipulating the baby sitter to do his will.
They’re clever these passive aggressive because they know how to work on your guilt. You find yourself feeling that you’re the one in the wrong and you keep trying to keep the hard done by passive aggressive happy. It’s hard not to be drawn into their mind games. Calling their bluff or ignoring them just doesn’t seem to help! You’re always the one that ends up feeling guilty! Aaaah – it drives me insane. I’ve tried being passive/aggressive back but I can’t seem to get it right. It always seems to backfire on me. So what to do? There is no winning so I choose my battles with the p/a’s in my life. I ignore and fume inside and move on to something else if I can. OR – I just give in because I love those darn passive/aggressive people in my life.
This week Cee asks us to posts black and white photos of Cars, Trucks and/or motorcycles
“This week the topic is Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles. This is a topic you can really have enjoy. Your cars, trucks or motorcycles can be anything from brand new to vintage.”
Motorcycle
Vintage Cars
Royal Mail Van
Here is my contribution to this week’s Fun Photo Challenge
This week’s prompt is – HAPPY.
A group of young people allowed me to photograph them having fun on Struisbaai Beach
Diary of an Adventurous Retiree 