Another beautiful day dawn in my beloved African bush. I long to share with you or put into words, the feeling of peace and serenity it brings me plus the excitement, but I am not very good with putting feelings into words. No two days are ever the same. There is always something new to see and learn.
Wherever you walk in the bush, you see these huge holes dug into old termite mounds. They are excavated by warthogs who use them as burrows to sleep in at night and to raise their young. For something which looks like a domestic pig (only uglier LOL!!) they are very adapt at digging and use their snouts. This is also used to dig up tubers in winter when other food is scarce.
The dead carcass of a millipede which has gone white with age. I pause to wonder what it was trying to do in the crevasse I found him in? Trying to get away from predators? Looking for a place to lay its eggs? Who can tell, certainly not me.
A huge shell of a snail, it must be at least 5 inches from tip to tip. When it rains, the roads will be covered in them but as the clouds have not yet started to build up, I think it is still a couple of weeks away.
In all my wanderings, the flowers on the Impala Lily adds a wonderful splash of color every now and then. As soon as spring is in the air, these are one of the first plants to bloom. What a pretty sight they make.
I found a tiny Flap-necked Chameleon who looked very thin as there are not many bugs around and took him home and put him in a tree next to a bush with flowers on which would attract insects.
Here he is pretending to be a twig and leaf. I wonder if his disguise fools the butterflies and other insects? :) He looks kind of grouchy today doesn’t he?
As usual, I have lost more blood to the African bush. I am forever finding skin missing, scratches and gouges but it is par for the course and well worth the loss if I can be in the bush……
Wherever you walk in the bush, you see these huge holes dug into old termite mounds. They are excavated by warthogs who use them as burrows to sleep in at night and to raise their young. For something which looks like a domestic pig (only uglier LOL!!) they are very adapt at digging and use their snouts. This is also used to dig up tubers in winter when other food is scarce.
The dead carcass of a millipede which has gone white with age. I pause to wonder what it was trying to do in the crevasse I found him in? Trying to get away from predators? Looking for a place to lay its eggs? Who can tell, certainly not me.
A huge shell of a snail, it must be at least 5 inches from tip to tip. When it rains, the roads will be covered in them but as the clouds have not yet started to build up, I think it is still a couple of weeks away.
In all my wanderings, the flowers on the Impala Lily adds a wonderful splash of color every now and then. As soon as spring is in the air, these are one of the first plants to bloom. What a pretty sight they make.
I found a tiny Flap-necked Chameleon who looked very thin as there are not many bugs around and took him home and put him in a tree next to a bush with flowers on which would attract insects.
Here he is pretending to be a twig and leaf. I wonder if his disguise fools the butterflies and other insects? :) He looks kind of grouchy today doesn’t he?
As usual, I have lost more blood to the African bush. I am forever finding skin missing, scratches and gouges but it is par for the course and well worth the loss if I can be in the bush……
I'be enthralled with all the fascinating things you see on your outings. "Peace and serenity" covers it quite well Joan. I'm enthralled.
ReplyDeleteHey, you're earning your battle wounds. Love going with you on this vacation.
ReplyDeleteI get those wounds too just working around here and never can figure out sometimes what I did, they just appear.
ReplyDeleteSo nice of you to bring that guy home so he could eat better. He is so cute.
I feel like I was with you walking through the bush. I am also covered with 'war wounds' but mine are from working in the garden!! Diane
ReplyDeleteOwie. Be careful.
ReplyDeleteI think you would enjoy the walks too Ray. There is so much to look at and to find, something new every day.
ReplyDeleteMore to come Gaelyn. :) Probably more battle scars too before I am done. LOL!!
ReplyDeleteMe too Sandy. Most of time I find them long afterwards but THAT once was ouch so I will remember it. :)
ReplyDeleteI am pleased you enjoyed the walk Diane. Mine are mostly from crawling under and around these thorn bushes we have. :)
ReplyDeleteIt was too Craver!! But they are not the first and certainly wont be the last. :)
ReplyDeleteNothing Lost, Nothing Gained. Without these wounds probability we would not able to see these beautiful captures.
ReplyDeleteLOL!! You are right Birdy, they are all for a good cause. :)
ReplyDeleteA fascinating place to live, so unlike what I'm used to. I'm not sure I'd be very good at that sort of place. Love the little chameleon...he's doing a good job of pretending.
ReplyDeletemy google reader is to full, somehow i missed this post yesterday. love the Chameleon, he is soooo cute
ReplyDeleteI really need an outing to the bush for both soul as well as photographic purposes. I'm off to the Drakensberg for our annual holiday after Christmas and mt need for the bush will probably have to wait till then.
ReplyDeleteThe bush is definitely not the place for everyone Mary. Even for a lot of South Africans. A great majority of the men do though but I guess it is what you are used to. It can be tough coping with spiders, snakes, insects etc if you dont like them.
ReplyDeleteHis pretending did not fool me for a minute but then, I was not a predators looking to eat him. :)
I can just imagine how much I have to get through in the next few days Sandra. Having that bad connection did not help at all. :)
ReplyDeleteThe bush gives me something I do not find anywhere else Jonker. There is just something special about it for me and as a friend of mine tells me, I always need my "bush-fix". LOL!!
ReplyDeleteI am sure you and the family will love going to the mountains. There should be lots of interest to take pics of there too. Hopefully this season I will be able to do a lot more traveling over weekends as I need samples of insects from different areas now for the website.
I love chameleons, and always wanted one as a young child.
ReplyDeleteNever got one. LOL
That scratch looks nasty. Hope it got better.
B.
I grew up having things like this as pets Becky and really loved them. My father did not like cats and dogs so we never had anything domestic.
ReplyDeleteThat gash was a really deep one, right down to the bone but luckily I heal quickly and the scab has fallen off.
I can hear the happiness in your posts..thank you for sharing your passion
ReplyDeleteYou are right Michelle, being in the bush and nature is the love of my life and I am so pleased I can share it on this blog.
ReplyDeleteLove the sunset and chameleon shots!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jose. The sunrise and sunsets are always magnificent.
ReplyDelete