Full moon July 2019

 Full moon; 16 July 05h58

 Waning gibbous 18 July 2019. 19h39

Sunrise 19 July 07h12 

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HAPPY FRIDAY TO YOU ALL ! 

Sky view arriving home

Driving home yesterday, I stopped to capture this incredible cloud formation over the neighboring township, Loskop. 

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HAPPY FRIDAY TO YOU ALL ! 

Total lunar eclipse

27 July 2018

Full moon with Mars very close to it last night - captured in the central Drakensberg

As the earth's shadow obliterated the moon...

Within about 40 minutes of total eclipse, the moon started becoming red in appearance

- a blood moon

I was using my manual function to get a closer and clearer image . During the processing of this image, I breathed out and this was the result. (I left it in the post for effect) The silvery specks surrounding the moon are stars. The heavens over Africa, were clear and diamond-studded the whole night

A last look at the blood moon in total eclipse 

Last night many of the Valley residents gathered  at a local hotel; they had an astronomer to explain the phenomena to them and later over goblets of gluwein, to ward off the cold, they moon gazed together.  I know it happened all over South Africa that people got together at observatories and watched the eclipse. I opted to stay home and go out and photograph the moon in stages. Until it's eclipse. Which is what I did. 

I knew that my friends and landlords were also home but by 8.30 their house was in darkness. They'd gone to bed. While I was out in my garden an hour later, the screen door to John and Ronnie's  house creaked and I knew John had come outside. He called to Ronnie that the moon had almost disappeared. Then he called even louder and said: "Doll, phone Jo and tell herDoll, phone Jo and tell her to come out and see the moon." to come out and see the moon." I bellowed from my veranda : "Jo is out, John." He said: "Oh hello Jo,you must be taking photos of this amazing sight!"  (how well they know me, LOL) Then the door creaked again and Ronnie emerged calling at the top of her voice: "Hi Jo, how are you"

Typical of farm dwellers. You can talk as loudly as you wish without the neighbors hissing "shut up" as would happen in a town neighborhood!  So there we were, two people one side of the huge lawn separating them from the other on her cottage veranda. All chatting at top decibel about the beautiful moon!

Early this morning, I  captured the moon over the milking shed 

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL! 

Waxing gibbous moon this week

Waxing gibbous moon. visibility 99%; age 12 days. 25 July 2018 5.31pm

Today the moon is full. I was out at 4am but needed to get to an appointment so forced myself NOT to stop and capture the beautiful bright orb in a clear winter sky.  

However, tonight is a lunar eclipse which is also hailed as the longest eclipse yet and called a blood moon. I'm getting out my large jacket and will be out in the garden (the cats and dogs will be thrilled) with my camera watching the eclipse. Of course... I'll be photographing it. I know that blogger friends, Eileen, (US) Bill (Ireland) Spare Parts and Pics, Mac Wheeler (Florida) and others will do the same when night falls in the Northern Hemisphere! 

Meanwhile, you all have a WONDERFUL  Friday.

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Back again!

Phew!  

Apologies to all my wonderful blogger friends. I'm still here but been busy with almost all of the five projects which I run to keep the pot on the boil.

 Last week., we had a tad of snow on the peaks and behind

The valley is looking beautiful with the trees sporting warm bronzy hues

At month end,  it's always wrapping up sales at the lovely little art and gift shop which I manage for Steve (the artist) and his wife, Estelle.  After a good month in April which included two long weekends and the school holidays, I was warned that May would be a "wet squib" regarding sales.  

But...

I had a bumper month, Praise God!

Around the same time, I also distribute cosmetic orders and collect money from customers who'd ordered from me during the month. 

Meanwhile, to promote the accommodation which I manage for a businessman here in the Valley, I've  joined two more websites. I already feature my accommodation on Airbnb 

(do click on the link to see my beautiful vacation stay here in the mountain). However, friends in hospitality have suggested I also join Booking.com.

 I've also linked up to Lekkeslaap which caters for the local Afrikaans-speaking   guests. The latter was reasonably easy to join, although it involved two weeks of e-mail communications between me and the new-institution consultant; supplying information which ensued in a bit of a paper chase! Eventually yesterday at 8.04 am I received a text message on my phone from Ilana saying my accommodation is now LIVE!    By 8.34 am I had my first inquiry for a three-day mid-week stay in July! Hallelujah!

Booking.com was slightly more complicated. To access my Booking.com dashboard, their European office had mailed the verification code to my physical address. When I phoned the number I had in Cape Town (South Africa) to explain this item would never reach me at the given address,  they suggested that the office in Rome make a video call to me while I was at my accommodation.  We scheduled Monday at 8.30am. On Sunday night I checked up on Google that the time in Italy is the same in South Africa. It was. 

Being punctual by nature, I was at The Bunker (a 20km trip from my home into the Valley) shortly after 8am.

I waited. 

8.30 came and still I waited. 

At 8.45, I turned off the beside lamps (which I'd lit for good effect on the video), drew the curtains,  closed the door and left.

At 9.15 my phone rang. It was the Rome office. Full of apologies. I said: sorry, I was on time and you are 45 minutes late. I told them I was at my retail business and couldn't possibly return to the accommodation . We then re-scheduled for Wednesday morning. Same time. And on Wednesday exactly at 8.30 a video call came through and I "met" the attractive Italian girl who told me how to hold my phone so she could take screen shots. Within ten minutes our business was concluded and the consultant told me my accommodation would be live within 24 hours. Yesterday (Thursday) morning I went live and I now feature on three vacation stay websites.

I also have my details at a local booking office here in the Valley which has phoned through one firm booking for August and one inquiry for the end of June.

So, I think you, reading this post, may forgive me being absent from Blogger for a few days. 

Oh, and I have started a blog about The Bunker here . If you have the desire and the time, do click on this link and let me know what you think! I'll be posting quite regularly there ; the buzzword in hospitality is to BLOG your business. I've heard other hospitality owners groan when they heard this, but we "old" bloggers have the advantage here. I may even offer my services to people who want to promote their accommodation with a blog. 

Mmm. 

I need to find some more hours in the day! 

I hope you've all read to this point and got my point on why I was away from Blogger for almost a week. 

Have a great day.

Sunrise over the farm

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Marital Flip

Last Saturday this helicopter lifted wedding guests from the resort opposite the shopping center and treated them to an areal view of the valley  

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HAPPY DAY TO YOU ALL!  

Healing skies and surroundings

 Sunrise earlier this week over the farm where I live

  The afternoon sun playing over my lawn on Sunday

I had a summer cold for ten days. Praise God it's finally over. I didn't go to bed or even stay home from the shop. Yet I healed. I believe it's the beautiful surroundings in which I live. Thanks to all who sent me get-well wishes.

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The view

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Waning Gibbous Moon

Waning Gibbous; visibility 33%; age 23 days. 9 Feb 2018 @ 4.35am

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Pre-supermoon

Waxing Gibbous; 29 January 2018; 7.02pm. Visibility 94%; age 12 days

We had overcast skies at the time when I should have been photographing the Supermoon. Last night, returning from Probus I manged a few photos but they were very blurry. 

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HAPPY FRIDAY TO YOU ALL! 

Welcome summer rains

 John sent me the above photo; remember Grant and I used to stay in this rondawel?

  A welcome downpour here on the farm where I live

 More photos from John up at their home

 Incredible cloud formation over the Valley

The clear, rainwashed skies over my neighbor's farmhouse 

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HAPPY FRIDAY TO YOU ALL!  

Sky view to work

I just have to share the amazing view I have of the sky and mountain peaks as I drive to work every morning. 

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HAPPY FRIDAY TO YOU ALL!  

Stormy Skies

If you spot a large black dog you'll know what we were doing when I took these photos...

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HAPPY FRIDAY TO YOU ALL!  

Silhouetted against the sky

When I look towards my neighbor's garden, I see this giant (albeit injured) against the beautiful sky. John tells me that this tree was struck by lightening some years ago but still stands tall against the sky

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HAVE A WONDERFUL FRIDAY, EVERYBODY - THE LAST ONE FOR 2017!  

Sunset over Cathkin Peak

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Is it a plane...

Helictopter flip over the shop veranda this morning 

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Double rainbow

I couldn't resist posting all the images I have of the double rainbow over our shopping centre - taken on Wednesday after a welcome thunderstorm. 

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HAPPY FRIDAY TO YOU ALL! 

and

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE IT