acacia blossoms

acacia blossoms

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

September - Late Edition






September - a month between moons. If it was March we could have called it Many Weathers. But here in the southern hemisphere we watched September behave with adolescent confusion as winter turn to spring.

There was heat, and then rain, followed by wind, and clouds, and finally the haze of early summer.  Trees sprang flowers from dessicated branches filling the air with scent.





The monkeys left the roof to investigate and feast on the tiny pompom plumes of the acacia trees.  There were giraffe about the place doing the same thing.  Its strange how its easier to see a giraffe thats far away than one thats just about to step on your feet. 

Our month was one of travel. Meetings here and there, and things to be done in far flung places. We drove and drove from south east to north west.  Like a pendulum that has reached its furthers extension, we were there a few hours before we turned and headed back again.We diced with twilight donkeys, and lumbering cattle herds on their way home to the kraals. We dodged potholes - some of which are made worse by donkeys and goats that eat the calcrete beneath the tar. Alongside the road one of Africa's greatest rivers ran like a wise and patient elder spreading life giving tendrils to the kalahari sands.






There is upheaval everywhere - riots and strikes, and authority figures being challenged; systems threatening to crumble. Everywhere we look there are crimes against the planet. Outrage simmers below the surface breaking through in geysers of fury. These are times of change. We have to care.

Here on this continent, our wild things are under seige. The ancient remnants of jurassica are facing wholesale slaughter. If its not contained soon, very soon, our biodiversity will be safe in story books only. From tortoises, and crickets, through splendid birds, marine life and plants all the way to super predators, elephants and rhinos. Its happening right now. Here, and all about.  

To all those working tirelessly and at great personal risk to preserve our wild things - THANK YOU





It is incredible to think that those giant planetary forces that swirl about beyond the reaches of our cosy blue dome of sky, and beyond our imaginations, can have such an effect on us all.  Our comfort zone is a tiny bubble of blue in an infinity of darkness and dust. Frankly, moving to Mars does not appeal to me at all. We could spend some of the space exploration budgets on taking care of home.







14 comments:

Friko said...

I suppose that living at the 'coalface' as you do you see the destruction climate change has wreaked even sooner than we do here in the hills. We remain damp and green, although we have noticed a great lack of insects this year, butterflies and honey bees seem to have almost disappeared, there are fewer bird varieties and agriculture is suffering from the incessant rain.

I cannot see mankind having the intelligence to look after our planet, once big business gets a grip on yet another resource, like fossil fuels under the Arctic ice.

It'll have to be Mars or bust.

Val said...

Hi Friko; well i think most everything comes back to a human overpopulation of the planet. However there are enough resources for all if used with consideration for land and requirements. Even global warming is apparently triggered by our activities - although there are two schools of thought there too.

i am afraid you are right - big business rules everything. BUT in this dramatic time of change hope springs eternal!! No Mars for me :)

thanks for visiting.
V

Amanda Summer said...

val, first i missed your posts and am so happy that you are back.

my heart sank when i read about the destruction you are witnessing on your continent. i've never been to africa and have the feeling that it is slipping away from us all. i have to wonder......when will we learn the error of our ways? when all the magnificent creatures are gone, as you say? the joni mitchell lyric keeps running through my head - they paved paradise, put up a parking lot. i do what i can in my own small ways. i recycle, i pick up trash from the ground. but in general i feel so helpless when it comes to the bigger picture of what we are doing to our planet and the destruction of whole species on the other side of the earth.

thank you for touching our hearts with your words. thank you for making us think about what we are doing to our world. and to those, as you say, who are working at great personal risk to preserve our wild things, my deepest gratitude.

Val said...

hi Amanda! thanks so much for finding me again. I have been busy with other stuff but still love the blogosphere! the chinese and asian scourge of our wildthings is truly fast and furious. We are hoping and trying to get the message through before too much is lost. but it is a helpless feeling. I still believe though if every helpless person adds their pennyworth it amounts to a big lot of influence. how big an issue is it in your election season? there is much to be thankful for and i am trying to focus on the positives. perhaps its only change? xx

Lori ann said...

val, i don't know what to say, i wish there were more that we could do. china is a formidible foe, it makes me furious and deeply saddened. i'll write another post, i guess if we keep reaching out. thank you for your post also, i've missed you too.
thinking positive thoughts,
lori

Lori ann said...

p.s. i know you expressed an interest about alaska, i wrote more about it here (photos mostly)

http://www.loritimesfive.blogspot.com/2012/10/kantishna-experience.html

joost said...

Thankx Val for taking us again into your exciting live. Great piece of writing again!

Kristin said...

Life sounds so very complicated in your part of the world, Val. Flowering trees and the move toward spring sound lovely, and the riots, strikes and destruction completely the opposite. Thank you for sharing each with us.

I cannot seem to do anything from here but pray for an end to the latter. That, I will do.

Val said...

hi Lori
love your alaskan photos and stories - how beautiful and fabulous that you saw those bears and mooses (mice?) thanks for the positives - they will win eventually x

Val said...

Joost - thanks and looking forward to hearing more of your ideas!

Kristin - well certainly life is never dull, and always full of suprises, but somehow it carries on. just worried about our wildthings and wild places at the moment, but always hoping for the best. thanks for your prayers. x

Anonymous said...

Hi

Since, you are an expat/foreigner, I wanted you to check out http://www.linkexpats.com (networking for expatriates). I thought it might be interesting for you and your readers, maybe you can add it to your links list as well.

The website is a networking website for expatriates and foreigners. LinkExpats has already been mentioned in Mashable, Washington Post, InTheCapital and other large technology news websites.

mana76445 said...

Wonderful, just what a blog it is! This blog has provided the helpful data to us continue the good work. roof cleaners stuart

sandy said...


1

ارخص نقل عفش بالرياض ارخص شركة نقل عفش بالرياض

شركة شحن عفش من الرياض الى الامارات
شركة شحن من الرياض الى الامارات
شركة تشطيبات منازل بالرياض
شراء مكيفات مستعملة بالرياض

high profile escorts in delhi said...

Thanks for shareing comments