A South African Sampler

Man and his dog in the traditional lands

below the Cathedral Peak Hotel,

KwaZulu-Natal, in the Drakensberg mountains.

A naturescape in the Golden Gate Highlands, the national

park shown in Wednesday's photos of the isolated farmhouse.

The coast near Betty's Bay, on the Atlantic Ocean east of Cape Town.

An example of the hundred miles or so of barley fields against the backdrop of

mountains near the south center of the Western Cape.

This area is also called Overberg.

Swellendam is a pretty town in the Overberg, full of Cape Dutch historic 

churches, public buildings and homes.

And, my grand dogs -- Sequoia and Lola -- and I take a chance on

a walk (me) /romp (them) in the countryside north of Johannesburg,

in advance of another epic Joburg summer storm.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela died yesterday.

The former political prisoner and President of South Africa

earned international respect and fame for urging reconciliation in

forming the new South Africa.

This bust is in the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in

Cape Town, on the north side of Table Mountain.

Transmission Towers

Johannesburg's summer storms are legendary.  On the way back from the mountains, the skies were frighteningly dark gray, readying for the thunderstorms that followed.  Except that there was one clear spot where the sun still shone, and the billowing clouds were Old Testament Day-of-Reckoning in quality.

I was idly taking shots out of the passenger side window at a speed of 120 km/hr (about 70 miles per hour), when I saw a line of transmission towers approaching.  I took two fast photos of the towers from the side, then I waited until we passed the spot where the towers were lined up with the Old Testament clouds.

Click!  Nailed it!

I don't think I could have lined them up as well if I was standing still.

Golden Gate National Park, South Africa

Some viewers asked where my South Africa photos are.

I am still here for another five days, but time and good internet access are quite limited.

I thought you might like to see the rustic farmhouse in an isolated field in the

Golden Gate Highlands where we stayed one night last week.  It is on the west side of the

Drakensbergs, near Lesotho, just outside the Free State town of Clarens.

Two beautiful horses visited the next morning.

Artisan Gelato

Like gelato?  Sorbetto?  Macarons?

You should visit Artisan Gelato in Fort Myers, Florida.

Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church

This church and its very high, pointed steeple always calls to me.  

It is on Immokalee Road in Naples.

It reminds me of the wooden Seiffen Church that is

such a common ornament in German Christmas scenes. 

Looking Out

Sue was born in Missouri, moved to West Virginia when

she was married and later moved to Oklahoma.

She now lives in East Naples with her daughter.

Sue likes to find a bench at a quiet part of Naples Beach.

She reads and she looks out at the gulf.

For other photos about looking out, click here.