Wordless Wednesday : Empty nest ...

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Skywatch Friday : Keeping to the blues ...

When a cold front hits the Southern African Cape ... .....

..at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town with Table Mountain completely shrouded with cloud ...



... it usually travels up the country ... and several times during our winters .. deposits snow on the highest peaks in the Drakensberg, Kwa Zulu Natal ....

... these are taken a few winters ago in the Northern Drakensberg ... the photo has the Amphitheatre in the distance sprinkled with snow ... (hubby and Elaine) ...

... and then the cold front -usually -sweeps right up to the Highveld ... (where we are - Johannesburg) ... and normally we have cold, cloudy, dreary days for a bit ... then the sun comes out and we are left with blue skies .. icy cold .. but at least the sun shines .... and is still shining (these pics were taken yesterday in our garden) ...

Welcome, warm sunshine and blue skies - a backdrop for the white 'Iceberg' before the roses get the 'chop' ... pruning time ! ...

... and sun-kissed lemons on our laden-with-lemons tree ... ... umm .. I'm thinking lemon meringue pie again .. ?! ..

Even the little birdies think summer is on it's way - a weaver made his nest the other day and is trying to entice the females to have a look ... no 'go' so far !! Well, would you ? ... it's a little untidy ... !!!!!!

I see more blue skies in this award winning red wine bottle !! It has also recently received a Gold Medal at the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2009 .... and I have to say it is yummmmmy !!

Raka Biography Shiraz 2007

Raka winery is in Kleinrivier near Standford - in the Walker Bay area of the Western Cape.

Have you been there Cheryl and Bob? Note to you both - it's an excellent wine .. worth a trip to the wine tasting ?? !!

For more spectacular skies have a look at Skywatch

Wordless Wednesday : Come with me

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Wordless Wednesday :

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Basket ware ..

... is an art that the African rural women have a real talent for .. as well as their beading. Firefly mentioned their beadwork a little while ago so I thought I would focus on their baskets.



There is a small roadside stall beside the main road near Champagne Castle Hotel where the women sit all day and every day, with nimble fingers, making baskets of all shapes and sizes .. from large laundry baskets .. snack platters and bowls .. trays .. trinket baskets, from large to small to teeny tiny ... mats ... waste paper baskets ..... etc ...

They not only have 'elaborate' stalls like this one, but they also sit under trees on the grass verges, twisting and weaving their grasses while displaying their goods to passer's-by. The baskets are of excellent quality and it's well worth stopping to browse and .... purchase some ... you won't be able to resist!!

I have bought many over the years ..... these are my two laundry baskets - the largest of the two we purchased about 11 years ago and it's still perfect! Well .. almost .... wearing a little where the lid goes but other than that, it's perfect ..... and it's been stuffed-to-overflowing with the family laundry over the years ...

Everytime we go to Kwa Zulu Natal, especially the Drakensberg area, I usually buy one .. be it a snack bowl or small bread basket or a trinket basket like these below ...

This little one is one of my favourites and I bought for Elaine years ago for her 'rings and things'. I love the tiny little lid with tiny handle ...


When we first started going to the Drakensberg area, all their basket ware was made in natural grasses and shades but over the years they have added colours .... the colours seem to be nylon which is a pity to add an unnatural fibre but that's what they do ... I suppose to make them eye-catching.

Another 'teeny tiny' basket ....

.. and then I have a collection of fruit, snack and bread baskets .... these are some of them ...

Thokozisa .. the happy meeting of ways

This is the Central Drakensberg's version of a mall ....

African curios galore .....

Several sculptures are scattered around the 'mall' ...

Art Gallery is up the slope in this rondavel ...

Beautiful 100% woollen rugs are woven here by local women ....

.... and sold in the shop called the Hand Woven Rug Co ... or made to order and delivered locally and/or exported around the world ...

Well worth a visit when in the area.

They have a website - www.cdic.co.za/thokozisa.htm - take a peek!

Skywatch Friday : Peeping through ...

... the clouds ... .. are majestic mountains in Central Drakensberg.



I have added the photo below to show the whole range viewed from the Champagne Castle Hotel at the foothills of this magnificent mountain range. The highest peak - or what appears to be - in the centre is Cathkin Peak 3149 mtrs .. to the left of it .. the flat bit is Champagne Castle and is actually higher but it's behind so appears lower .. that's 3377 mtrs. To the right is Sterkhorn after the dip which is Gray's Pass. Then comes Dragon's Back - not very clear in this photo - so let me add another photo below this one to show the beautiful sharp peaks of Dragon's Back.



The little 'blob' in the centre of the photo is the Sphinx which I featured last week - that's where hubby and I got to on our mountain walk. Spectacular!



Dragon's Back ....

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Wordless Wednesday :

Sadly neglected ....
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Weekly Winners : 8 - 14 Feb

For those who don't know .... hubby and I spent last weekend at Champagne Castle in Central Drakensberg.

It was extremely difficult choosing photos for Weekly Winners this week, as between the two of us, we took loads of photographs.

Hope you enjoy the selection ......

Gushing stream

Mossy branch

Gentle waters
Steps to ......

Budding proteas

Nearly-nipped-us crab!

Nibbled-leaved protea

Sleeping hiker

Intricate nature

Blurry birdies! Caught in the act!

Charming chapel

Bursting thistles

African art

Misty mornings

Horse lashes-to-die-for!

Tranquility

More wonderful Weekly Winners pop in to see Lotus