Basil in 'n Blikkie

Met ons laaste boekklub vergadering daag Erika daar op met 'n boks vol blikkies, en in elke blikkie pronk a jong basiliekruidplantjie wat sy self geplant het. Ek het sommer twee gekry!

The Cape of Storms

While Cape Point is the southern tip of the African continent, Cape Agulhas lies furthest south. Between these two capes the tranquil warm waters of the Indian Ocean and the cold Benguela current of the Atlantic meet.

Cape Point rises high above the Atlantic Ocean. Certainly one of the most spectacular geographical  features of the Southern Atlantic Ocean and not to be missed. Stephanie and I decided to drive out to Cape Point one sunny morning while on our mother-daughter-seven-day-breakaway in December 2010.  

From Cape Town our route took us to the fisherman’s village of Houtbay and from there on the spectacular Chapman’s Peak drive. At one point the winding scenic route cuts into the 650m high cliffs of Chapman‘s Peak and took us via Noordhoek across the Cape Peninsula along the Ou Kaapse Weg to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.

Driving on the well-maintained tarred roads through the reserve gave us an excellent opportunity to study the Fynbos, the vegetation of the Cape Floristic Floral Kingdom – smallest but with the most diversity of the seven Floral Kingdoms of the world.

As we arrived at the cape, so did the infamous South-Easter. The first European to reach the cape was the Portuguese explorer Bartholomeo Dias in 1488, who named it the "Cape of Storms" (Cabo das Tormentas).

No doubt Dias also experienced the mighty South-Easter, or “Cape Doctor” as it is vernacularly known. We certainly did - and discovered that it could blow your mind …… or your frock right over your head!

For some reason Vladimir Putin looks much more dignified posing at the sign than I do!

Highveld Storms

Our house stood on a hillside overlooking the town. The dining room, where we spent most of our family time in summer, faced south offering a view of the rocky outcrops or “koppies” and the footpath that lead through the veld to the river. Beyond that, lay the small town and in the distance the open veld and farmlands.  On a clear day, the ragged outline of the  Suikerbosrand  could be seen on the horizon, from where the late-afternoon  Highveld thunderstorms came.

The storms always fascinated me and I could tell when it was going to rain. The dark rainclouds rolled in from the south, discharging their anger as they moved closer, bringing the smell of rain with it. Long before the wind started up, the birds would take to the air and seemed to fly faster than usual.  They criss-crossed through the air, each one finding a safe perch to hide before the arrival of the wind that would sweep dry leaves and  paper or plastic high into the air. Suddenly as it started, the wind would die down.  
Silence.

We waited then, the birds and I, holding our breaths for the loud first frightening crack of thunder. It always made me jump, however much I expected it to happen.  The large drops of rain raised dust on the dirt road and pelleted the corrugated iron roof of our home. The noise of the rain on the roof would drown out all other sounds, but it seldom lasted very long. As the angry clouds moved overhead to the north, steam rose from the roof in pale rays of sunlight. The raindrops formed tiny rivulets on the window glass.

    Sometimes a rainbow appeared.  

Where have the toktokkies gone?

Toktokkies were abundant where I grew up. Harmless black beetles that tapped with their bodies on the ground in order to attract a mate. They ate leaves and we often captured them and kept them in a box for a day or two, before releasing them back into the garden. They walked on our hands with spindly legs and their white and black striped antennae that moved slowly as if perceiving signals.We used to make "wagon" from empty Lion's Matchboxes and harnesses were made with cotton and tied loosely around the toktokkie's neck. Small sticks and leaves were loaded onto the wagon and the toktokkies eagerly pulled their loads much to our amusement.

About being bitten in hard to reach places....

My childhood was spent running and playing in the veld and I should be immune to tick fever by now. Fortunately I have only mild symptoms after a recent visit to Cape Town.

· The incubation period (the period between being infected and displaying symptoms) is about five to seven days.

· Symptoms of tick bite infection may include fever, headache, malaise and a skin rash.

· There is often an eschar at the site of the tick bite. This is a black mark that looks like a small ulcer (2-5mm in diameter) with a black centre or scab.

· Severity of illness can vary considerably. This infection can be easily treated with antibiotics such as doxycycline or tetracycline.

· Measures to prevent the infection are generally common sense, such as wearing insect repellents, long trousers and sleeves.

More info:
http://jhbhiking.org.za/cms/index.php?_qnz