While driving through Potsberg dad and I spotted a Cattle Egret looking for food. Not long afterwards it was successful and caught a scorpion.
We sat by the side of the road for quite a while watching it fight with the scorpion. This was a first for me. Even dad said he never saw one eat a scorpion before.
This is the reason why I love photography and spending time in nature. One always see something new and if you have your camera with you one can document what you saw…
Ostriches are very big birds that can’t fly…. But oh my word they can run very fast and they lay very big eggs….
I used to love to listen to the stories my mother told me about her childhood vacations on the Ostrich farm were her grandparents stayed. She told me how she and her nephew use to go play in the Ostrich penns. They were not aware that it was breeding season and got to close to the eggs. Mom told us that she never knew she can run that fast or jump over the fence….
When I was about 10 years old my parents took us to Oudtshoorn known for all it’s Ostrich farms. My mom also showed us were she spent her school holidays. I remembered that holiday as if it was yesterday. Sitting on the back of that big bird and feeding it. I found it very interesting that Ostriches eats stones well everything they can swallow to be honest. They really like shiny things too.
Ostrich eggs are very big and srong. One can stand on it and it won’t break. I would never believed it but I saw it with my own two eyes. One Ostrich egg equals 24 eggs and it is a taste to get use to. I personally love it especially when you make omelettes of it.
While visiting the Westcoast National Park last year for the first time I had the opportunity to take some awesome photo’s of the Ostriches in a field of yellow flowers.
Tortoises are more visible these days in The Westcoast National Park. Maybe it is just because they have grown and are bigger so one sees them better….
I was very lucky this time around they did not all head for the bushes when I got out to take some photo’s of the.
I read on Instagram that in 1930 there were only 30 Bontebok left in the world….
According to Wikipedia they were killed as pests and at one stage only 17 existed.
Today Bontebok are only found in South Africa in protective areas like our Sanparks.
I was lucky and got a awesome photo opportunity when I visited The West Coast National Park and Potsberg in September last year. The Bontebok walked straight to my car like a model and looked straight into the lens….
At another spot I captured a few in a field. When I edited the photos I spotted a calf and his mom….
Thank you for taking the time to look at my work. Please feel free to let me know what you think.
While driving in Postberg you spot a lot of beautiful flowers but one can’t really take nice photo’s from your car. One have to get out and get in close. Only then do you find hidden gems.
I tried to identify the flowers by going through my books. I use Wild Flowers of South Africa by Braam van Wyk, Field Guide to Wild Flowers of South Africa and also Field Guide to Fynbos by John Manning. My only problem is some of the photo’s are so small and some only taken from different angles than mine that I struggled to identify them 100%..
I can only blame myself too. At one stage I was quite clued up on my flower. But if you don’t refresh your mind every now and then one seems to forget… So I have just decided to work on this again. I have so many files with photo’s of flowers, plants and trees. Maybe I must start identifying them and get a expert who will be willing to help me. What do you think?
SambreeltjiesSoetuintjieSoetuintjieBokbaaivygieSorrel or SuringMagriet and ReënblommetjieReënblommetjie
Thank you for taking the time to look at my work. Please feel free to comment on my work. I believe that one can only learn from others and your mistakes.
Potsberg has some of the most beautiful landscapes. I just love capturing them. During flowerseason it just take it to the next level…
In the past there were more colors visible but due to the drought we had the yellow flowers took over and only here and there you stil had patches of purple, pink and white flowers. Don’t get me wrong it is still awesome and I got some beautiful photos with Bontebok and Ostrich. These I will share at a later stage….
Due to the fact that my trigger finger worked overtime I need to split our Potsberg visit in 3 posts….
Thank you for stopping by my blog. Hope you enjoyed your visit. Please let me know what you think of my work. Have a Blessed week.
“If you don’t start somewhere, you’re gonna go nowhere.” Bob Marley“You can’t have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.” Charles F Kettering“When a defining moment comes along, you define the moment, or the moment defines you.” Kevin Costner“Failure is the foundation of success; success is the lurking place of failure.” Laozi“If there is to be any peace it will come through being, not having.” Henry Miller“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” Henry David Thoreau“I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong.” Audrey Hepburn
Potsberg, West Coast National Park, Western Cape, South Africa, 2012
“The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” Henry Ward Beecher
Addo National Elephant Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 2010
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sandbaai, Hermanus, South coast, Western Cape, South Africa, 2012
“What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind.” Buddha
Country View, Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa, 2012
“Life is uncharted territory. It reveals its story one moment at a time.” Leo Buscaglia
Kraaifontein, Western Cape, South Africa,2012
“Enjoy all you have while pursuing all you want.” Jim Rohn
Country View, Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa, 2012
“Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” Saint Francis of Assisi
Kraaifontein, Western Cape, South Africa, 2012
“Those who possess strength have also known adversity.” Byron Pulsifer
“Next to knowing when to seize an opportunity, the most important thing in life is to know when to forego an advantage.” Benjamin Disraeli
Elephant, Addo National Elephant Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa,2010
” An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight. The truly wise person is colorblind.” Albert Schweitzer
Hermanus, South Coast, Western Cape,South Africa, 2012
“It is health which is real wealth, not pieces of silver and gold.” Gandhi
On Route to Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa,2012
” All you have is now. The measure of our peace of mind and the measure of our personal effectiveness are determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment.” Andrew Matthews
Warthog,Addo National Elephant Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 2010
“Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world right in the eye.” Helen Keller
Kraaifontein, Western Cape, South Africa, 2012
“Life flows on within you and without you.” George Harrison
Potsberg, West Coast National Park, Western Cape, South Africa, 2012
“Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” Mahatma Gandhi
I took this photo on our way to a lookout point. It was a circle route and the same rock formation keep changing. I will post them all in sequence as soon as I have finished editing the Potsberg/ West Coast National Park outing.
I call this specific one It’s me, It’s me okay It’s not me….. It looks like a finger pointing up but someone broke the finger…
Elephants drinking, Addo National Elephant Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa, 2010
Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend – or a meaningful day. Dalai Lama
“If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane.” Robert Frost
Potsberg Private Nature Reserve, West Coast National Park, West Coast, Western Cape, South Africa, 2012
“Happiness is a state of mind not what’s in your wallet.” Byron Pulsifer
Golden Gate Highlands National Park, Free State, South Africa, 2012
“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” Vince Lombardi
Potsberg Private Nature Reserve, West Coast National Park, West Coast, Western Cape, South Africa, 2012
“If daily you feel a sense of gratitude for the blessings of this life it will be a cushion & buffer when challenges arise.” Rose W-T
On route to Bloemfontein, Groot Karroo, South Africa, 2012
“At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a wife, a friend, a child, or a parent.” Barbara Bush
African Daisy, West Coast National Park, South Africa, 2012
“Flowers are those little colorful beacons of the sun from which we get sunshine when dark somber skies blanket our thoughts.” Dodinsky
Sneak Peak at Potsdam and it’s lovely flowers and game
WOW what a eventful day. My parents and I went to the West Coast National Park and Potsberg to go look at the spring flowers blooming. But more about the flowers and the day in the park at a later stage….
Something weird happened at one stage I lost the car’s fan belt. Now people I have no idea how or when.
But all the sports started after I had to do a emergency breaking because the man in front of me with his 4×4 just stopped put the bakkie in another gear and cruised on. From there my trouble started. I started struggling to turn the car even the slightest turn I had to put in all my muscle power. At one stage I got out of the car to see if I maybe have a flat tire or something and nothing was wrong. I send hubby a message telling him I think the there is something wrong with the car’s power steering.
On our way out of the park we had to decide if we are going back the way we came or are we taking a new route. I am soooo glad we chose new route. A few kilometers outside the park the car started overheating and then the battery light came on. I went of the road and parked so that I could see why the car is overheating we did check the water and oil when I filled up the car this morning with diesel at the Langebaan service station. After I stopped and waited for the car to cool down so that I can check the water the car just did not want to start again it was dead nothing happened. So I send hubby a message to say the car broke down. If we had chosen the same route as this morning all of this would have happened in the park and cellphone reception in the park is very poor. Only here and there you will get a signal for a few seconds then it’s gone again.
Well hubby phoned uncle Leon Rall for help and he send two of his mechanics to come and have a look at the car. Petrus and Elvis really took very good care of us. Petrus phoned a man to ask him to find us a fanbelt. Then he went and buy it and came back and tried to fix the car. After they put in the new fan belt and jump started us, they said to play it safe they will follow us home to make sure we got there safe and sound. Ha Ha then the fun began. We drove a few kilometers and the car started boiling. Petrus and Elvis had a look to see what the problem could be. So it went on for the next 48km. It started getting dark and then all of the sudden all of the light in the car started to go on and off and then the Speedo, Ref counter, Clock and temperature just hit 0. I stopped and then poor Petrus who had to home long ago came to our aid again. Now the battery don’t charge…. What next. It was getting dark soon and my nerves were shot because I could not see a thing in the road. I phoned hubby again and told him that the car is dead…
He then told us to go to Malmesbury Police station. At that stage we were about 8km from Malmesbury. So Petrus and Elvis did their magic again and got us safe and sound at Malmesbury Police station.
I never thought that my flower outing would end up to be an 13 and half hour outing….
Even with the car that broke down I still had allot of fun and can not wait to share my flower and landscape photo’s with you all.
Just look here fan belt just missing…. Maybe it loved the scenery so much it decided to elope…
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