Flower Season 2016

I can't believe it! Time has simply flown by. Winter has rushed past so quickly I barely even noticed it. Yes the temperatures dropped. Yes it even got quite cold at times, but once again this year we didn't get the winter rains we were hoping for. 

The early flowers in Velddrif at the old graveyard

Acres and acres of flowers at West Coast National Park

Somewhere along the road between Port Owen and Hopefield

Some detail of the fields heading towards Hopefield

On the roadside between Port Owen and our nearest large shopping centre at Vredenburg

Somehow, though, the countryside managed to green up with the bit of rain we did get, and we had a truly magnificent flower season this year. So whilst the farmers cry out for rains, and the dams are low, and we can expect even more severe water restrictions this summer, it has been a great season for the holiday visitors.

Autumn

I love autumn in the Western Cape. I love the slight coolness after the long hot dry days of summer. I love the clouds, and the contrasts of the bright sunshiny mornings, and then cool foggy mornings.

We need the wind in summer time to cool things down for us, but in autumn we have less wind and great reflections

 
 

Too late for the sunset

Sunset was looking good while I was washing the supper dishes tonight, so I decided I'd missed so many fabulous sunsets lately that I'd grab my stuff and head on down to the Port Owen Holding Jetty on the river. Well I was too late - the sun had well and truly set by the time I got there, but I got a couple of okay shots anyway.