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Monday, March 31, 2014

Last weekend of March 2014

It's unbelievable that today is the last day of the THIRD month this year already. How time flies when you're having fun!

On Friday evening,  Wessel arrived to help me with my laptop which had become very, very slow. Apparently he removed the updates and installed an antivirus in the place of the one I've had been using. This last one had been stalling my computer because I wouldn't sign up for the expensive new version. 

While he worked on  my computer, he asked if I had many photos. Er, I had zillions. He suggested I remove them as they take up hard drive space on your computer.  So on Saturday I moved every photo and file - that I've added since January 2011 until the end of February 2014 when I bought my new Canon - to my external hard drive. 

On Saturday morning Grant and I went out on our birding trip around the mine and into the bush. The weather was overcast and Grant warned me not to expect too much. 

Mmm

On Wednesday I will post about the "not too much" that we saw on this specific morning. We even saw a lifer!
Overcast skies over our town and the surrounding bush this weekend

It rained very hard on Saturday afternoon. The sun appeared again at about 5pm and as usual we went to the club to watch the rugby with the other expats. 

Sunday morning dawned sunny and clear and I'd hardly swallowed my oats porridge when Grant arrived to collect me for our birding excursion.

From the get-go we spotted birds: just before the boom gate; on the mine haul road; on the airstrip; and of course at the explosives magazine and in the bush beyond. 

When I downloaded the photos onto my computer afterwards, I thought that was it for a weekend's birding. 

Not at all...

At 3pm the heavens opened up and the rain came down in buckets. It thundered and lightning flashed and still the rain came down. The power dipped and grew brighter. A few minuted later it dipped and went off completely!  

The rain stopped and a weak sunshine appeared over the bush. We waited for the lights to come and I watched as my DH's glaze become fixed on the now black television screen, (he'd been watching the replay of Formula 1!)   I collected my birding bag and picked up my camera from my desk;  Grant's face lit up and within minutes we were on the mine and driving towards the bush.

The air was fresh and the bush and trees were sparklingly clean! We didn't see many birds around although we could hear them making a great deal of noise in the bush beside the road. We eventually saw a number of birds and of course, stopped so that I could photograph them! 
 The mine haul road after the heavy rains on Sunday with the sun setting in the distance

So all in all we managed to fit in some really good birding and also had a relaxing and refreshing time meandering through the African bush.

I wish you all a wonderful week ahead.

6 comments:

  1. I need to move some photos off my hard drive too. I like the convenience of having them on my laptop but eventually they take up too much space.

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  2. Besides the heavy rain (which probably is very much needed from time to time) you weekend sounds great ! I had also my man glued at the TV screen to watch Formular 1 !

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  3. good idea to clean up the PC now and then. I find mine slow too and like you i have so many photo's om it. Looks like you had a great weekend. lots of difference in the weather but
    good for birding after all/ Have a nice week.

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  4. Jo, I am glad your weather cleared up enough for you and Grant to go birding..Our weekend was completely rained out and then turned to snow..I will look forward to seeing your lifer..You reminded me I need to transfer some photos to my external drive. :} Have a happy week!

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  5. I'm glad you made lemonade out of the lemon...going birding after the power went out. Everything looks fresh and clear. How exciting to see a lifer!

    (((Hugs))) Pat

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  6. Such a lovely time in the aromatic bush with your loved one.

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