Spring has Sprung................a Leak!

Spring Day! Even though we are surrounded by water and snow! We have had several days of almost non-stop rain and on Thursday afternoon we had hail! Small pieces I admit, but it's unheard of in our part of the world. Even more unusual, Cape Town reported snow on the top of Table Mountain, and pictures showed the freezing conditions with happy folk building snowmen and doing head-stands in the snow. (Why I ask you?)

So, yesterday after hearing reports of the Berg River overflowing its banks all the way to Velddrif, we decided to go and see for ourselves. (And have fish and chips for lunch.....this sounds familiar doesn't it?)

Our Bok River, looking upstream.

Flamingo Reflections!

We had a lovely lone visitor paddling in our bay last week, a Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus).While they are very prolific in Velddrif, a coastal town about 30 kms from us where salt pans produce huge piles of salt for the local Cerebos company, this is the first one that we have seen here. And all alone! It seemed very happy as it went about its business, but I felt sad for it all by itself.

Our lonely visitor (Pics thanks to Rob)

They are the most widespread of the flamingo family and are found in Africa, southern Asia, southern Europe (including Spain, Albania, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Italy and the Camargue region of France. They are also the largest and average 110 - 150 cm tall, but most of that is legs! For all that height, they are not very heavy, averaging between 2 and 4 kilos. Our cats are twice that weight! Even the smallest one!