I mentioned the topsy-turvy seasonal confusion that had me humming Christmas carols in June. It’s back. I’m doing it again. Mentally I’m making lists of Christmas shopping. So with that, I’m dusting off some seasonal observations from last December. * * * December 2014 South Africans are seriously winding down for Christmas. Schools, government… Continue reading Ding Dong Merrily on Highveldt
Category: South Africa
School Trips: Vodka, Mountain Roads, Crocodiles
I’m discovering that letting your child go on a school trip can be quite anxiety inducing. School trips used to be fairly anodyne (theatre, tortilla factory, flower festival, dairy, vet). However, the kids are getting older and we live in Africa. Just down the road we have a local attraction called Croc City. Yes, there… Continue reading School Trips: Vodka, Mountain Roads, Crocodiles
South African Wasps and Bees
Discover and identify some South African wasps and bees including the mud dauber wasp, the spider wasp, the paper wasp and the Carpenter bee.
10 Ways to Avoid Being Struck By Lightning
Here are 10 ways to avoid being struck by lightning for anyone living in a lightning hotspot. As well as often giving us a four seasons in one day and the occasional crazy hail storm Johannesburg is one of the unofficial lightning capitals of the world. It’s not something I’d not thought too much about until… Continue reading 10 Ways to Avoid Being Struck By Lightning
South African Spiders: Cute as a Button Spider
South Africa is, depending on one's point of view, either blessed or infested with an astonishing variety of arachnids. At least 2000 different types have been recorded. So, in addition our other wildlife encounters here: (Pickle being pinned to a rock by a lion cub, snake infested garages, snakes that are in fact not snakes… Continue reading South African Spiders: Cute as a Button Spider
South African Birds: Mohawks, Mobbing and High Maintenance Chicks
South African birds are weird and wonderful. Confession; since moving to South Africa I have become a bit of twitcher. To clarify for any of you not familiar with the term, it’s a synonym for bird watcher. My husband gleefully insists that this new interest is middle age trumpeting, hooting and twittering its’ arrival. Not… Continue reading South African Birds: Mohawks, Mobbing and High Maintenance Chicks
12 Days of South African Christmas
You've all heard the traditional 12 Days of Christmas song. And you always think you're not going to join in, but you do. So after some time living in South Africa, here's a South African version for you to sing along to. Drum roll please....
Pilanesberg Safari: The Big 2.5
Many come to South Africa just to go on a ‘Big 5’ safari. That would be lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant in case you were wondering. Pilanesberg National Park is a convenient 2 hour drive from Jo'burg and malaria free, so it was a no-brainer choice for our first weekend getaway. Upon arrival we had a quick… Continue reading Pilanesberg Safari: The Big 2.5
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