memorablemeanders.blogspot.com

Monday, September 27, 2010

A really quiet weekend in Khartoum

Gattina from Writers Cramps hosts this meme: What did you do this weekend? Do you know what you did on the weekend of 25-26 September 2010?  As she says, you never know when you might need an alibi! 

We didn't get to the desert. Not to camp and not even for the day. Boohoo! Work commitments kept Grant from getting home in time for us to get out of the city to sleep in the desert as planned. We also didn't go Saturday or Sunday either as he had to oversee the completion of the project that caused the trouble in the first place!

However, I'm sure we'll have a chance to get out there again soon.

Meanwhile, I cooked  and tidied the apartment (Miriam only comes in again on Monday) and blogged...

...mostly perched on the edge of my office chair because "His Nibs" takes up most of it!
As usual I snapped away at the pets. Here Shadow is watching the budgies. This is the first time he's shown any interest in them up there


I also baked a loaf of Low GI bread. I have posted this recipe on my blog on two occasions. Once in South Africa (where ingredients like whole-wheat flour and shelled sunflower seed are readily available) and once here in Khartoum where I have to "make-do" with what I can get in the local supermarkets. The recipes can be found on my labels: Baking Bread
 I photographed the birds on the feeder. Above the common bulbul, whom I called Frederick (his call is "Quick Frederick")  had a real mouthful of banana, the bulbuls' favourite fruit
I just had to include this photo to show how Frederick uses his tongue to flick the fruit into his mouth. Amazing, huh?


As I'd been looking forward to the sunset in the desert, and subsequently missed it this week, I dashed up onto the roof and captured this beautiful image. I don't "fix" any of my photos (wouldn't know how even if I had the software) so this is the true reflection of the sunset on Thursday night
Later that same evening (that we didn't spend in the desert!) I photographed the full moon from the flat balcony.  I love it!


On Sunday morning I went onto the balcony to feed the wild birds, and saw this beautiful sky. I took a few photos from our front balcony and then dashed upstairs onto the roof to photograph the sunrise


As I panned in I got this lovely picture of the sun over the Nile and the cityscape

 

For more on What did you do this weekend, click here

The Arabic word for banana is Mwz (pronounced MORZ)
The Arabic word for moon is al-Qmr (pronounced a-gamirr)

14 comments:

  1. Wow, Jo, what a beautiful set of pictures! I love the cat and bird pictures, of course, especially the bulbul using his tongue to get the piece of banana. But those sky pictures -- stupendous! "Oh, yes, sunrise over the Nile, just another day in the life..." LOL
    I'm so sorry you didn't get to camp out in the desert. I know you were looking forward to it. So glad the sun and the moon visited you in the city.
    Oh, speaking of birds, I hear a skein of Canada geese flying over the house as I type this. I saw some fly over yesterday when I was out in the yard with the dog, but I'm too slow, and so is my camera, so I missed them.
    Thanks for sharing these fabulous pictures.
    -- K

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks like your weekend was busy - don't we really create our own busyness?

    Love the sun shot.

    ReplyDelete
  3. All lovely photos, Jo. I didn't realize that you could see the Nile from your balcony. That is so neat :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Kay;) Thanks for popping in and sharing my joyful weekend with me! I also missed a great bird photo this morning. The kites are full-up here but this morning as I walked out onto the balcony one flew low over me (I always worry that he may be after the budgies in the cage out there or Shadow, lying on the top step of his stepladder) I didn't have my camera and he was so close and slow that I SHOULD have had a decenet shot. Not to be. Thanks for your kind comments. I loved the sun and moon photos as well. Have a great day (((Jo)))

    Hi Bill; Yeah, we do create our own busyness. Hope you had a lovely weekend. Greetings from Jo

    Hi Joyful, thanks for popping in. I have to go up onto the roof (one level up from our balcony) to see and photograph the Nile. I trust all is well with your mom and that she is better.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Kay;) Thanks for popping in and sharing my joyful weekend with me! I also missed a great bird photo this morning. The kites are full-up here but this morning as I walked out onto the balcony one flew low over me (I always worry that he may be after the budgies in the cage out there or Shadow, lying on the top step of his stepladder) I didn't have my camera and he was so close and slow that I SHOULD have had a decenet shot. Not to be. Thanks for your kind comments. I loved the sun and moon photos as well. Have a great day (((Jo)))

    Hi Bill; Yeah, we do create our own busyness. Hope you had a lovely weekend. Greetings from Jo

    Hi Joyful, thanks for popping in. I have to go up onto the roof (one level up from our balcony) to see and photograph the Nile. I trust all is well with your mom and that she is better.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This sunset is unbelievable ! It looks like a huge orange balloon, what a view !!! All your pictures are very nice it's a pity you couldn't go into the desert, but it won't run away !

    ReplyDelete
  7. Shadow may have seen the birds for the first time, but not for the last. Hope he doesn't decide to jump for them.
    Your pictures are beautiful. Sometimes a quiet weekend is a good thing.
    Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a lovely time you had. Love all the photos. Cat and Birds reminds me of old days. When our Talking Parakeet would call the cat. She never knew what to do, You see the voice used by the bird was identical to mine.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The picture of the sunset over the building is utterly amazing! Great post.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Incredible set of beautiful photos.
    The Sunset and the Full Moon is fantastic shots as well as the Mornings Atmosphere..

    ReplyDelete
  11. What beautiful pictures!! It's a dream to a view on the Nile!!!
    Chance you have!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, Jo--Fantastic sun and moon shots!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your desert sky is just amazing. I love the sunset and the rising moon. Great captures!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Jo,
    I've fallen behind with my comments!
    What wonderful pictures you've posted. I love Shadow watching the budgies, hope he doesn't get too curious!
    The sun and the moon are awesome :)
    ☼ Sunny

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting my blog and taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate your feedback. Jo