Forty Degrees!

Untouched photo of Sunrise

Forty Degrees

Too hot to think

Only want to drink

Ice-water

 

Too hot all day

Nothing left to say

Like I oughta

 

Meh! You can write the rest of the poem yourselves! Human body temperature is 37C. Anything above that and your brain ceases to function! It is 40C today.

Fires are raging uncontrolled across much of the Cape Peninsular. People have had to evacuate homes. And while it is usual to have mountain fires at this time of year, and even necessary for the propagation of certain plants, such as protea, we don’t usually get them down among the houses. It is desperately dry, and very hot, with a slight breeze.

You hear the helicopters flying endlessly, tirelessly, taking one massive “bucket” load of water after another, trying to quench the flames. They fly until the last possible moment at night, and begin again at first light. They hope that they will put the fire out today. Otherwise, a bit of rain is forecast for tomorrow. You can read a bit about it here if you like Cape Town fires rage through the night.

Meanwhile, for those of us out of harm’s way, we can enjoy the pretty skies of yellow light as the sun filters through all that smoke. This untouched photo is of a sunrise a few years ago, at just such a time of fires on the mountains as we have now.

 

When breathing isn’t enough! – Wordy Wednesday

Let the Sun shine through

Yesterday was not a good day! – After an hour at the dentist, where I got my front tooth fixed, and nearly had a heart attack when I got the bill, I drove straight into a traffic jam, at 1.30 pm! Road works on the freeway! (Now, these were the roadworks I was expecting on the way to the dentist, as I’d run into them the last two times I’d been that way. But nope, the lanes were free and I arrived 20 minutes early for my appointment! So I sat in my car and did crossword puzzles.)

Still, not too bad? Yeah, I was recovering; having hugged my dogs and posted my blue skies photo.

Later in the day, after I’d walked and fed the dogs, I thought I’d do a bit of gardening quickly, and hack back some of the side vines to put in the big rubbish bin (wheelie).

Now, in South Africa (well the Western Cape for sure), people go round the streets in the dark of night and rifle through your rubbish bin, which you’ve already put outside on the street for collection the next day, because the refuse guys usually come before 7 am. There is nothing of use in my bin, as we recycle everything, but if I ever do have something that I have not already taken to a charity shop, then I put it on top for the guys.

When my parents were visiting here from the UK, years ago, and we were going out one night on rubbish night, my Dad whispered to me, “There’s someone going through your rubbish.” I’m like, “Yes, of course.” We are so used to it that you forget it is not usual in all countries.

Well, I don’t mind them going through my bin. But I do mind that they open and empty every packet and the bin gets very smelly, and there is rubbish on the street for me to pick up in the morning. One way round this is to fill up my bin with garden refuse. I do this every week. Only this week I hadn’t had a chance, because my right thumb was extremely sore, red and swollen at the base joint; my dog, Little Monkey, in her inexhaustible exuberance, had sprained it and I couldn’t do any gardening.

So, since my thumb was much better now, I decided to go out and cut some vines to fill up the bin. I fished around for my gardening gloves on the floor and then was looking for the good shears, when my left index finger got “stung”. I jumped back, only to find the large hack saw attached to my finger-pad by its nasty sharp interlocking teeth.

OUCH!

(I usually keep the hack saw blade wrapped in cardboard, so I don’t know what happened there. Yes, it is in thick cardboard now!!)

There was quite a hole ripped in the pad of my finger, and blood spurting everywhere. By the time I’d sorted that out I decided the bin could go out as it was. And looking at blue skies, hugging my dogs and breathing wasn’t going to work any more.

So I poured myself a large Pernod on the rocks! Cheers!

post script: If I had any computer skills at all, I would have removed the telephone line from the sky photo above!

I am a Hundred

Gratuitous Sunrise

Time flies! I can’t believe this is my 100th post already. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has visited my blog and liked, commented on and followed my posts. I am thoroughly enjoying reading everyone else’s posts, learning interesting things and admiring amazing photography. Here’s to the  Blogging Community!

Old Yeller

Old Yeller – Little Monkey

“Why am I so yellow?” asks Little Monkey.

Because the low angle of the early morning winter’s sun slants golden rays upon your outstretched body.

And because, underneath your street dog disguise, you are a Golden Labrador – with a heart of gold!

 

A Brand New Day

Sunrise – Cape Town

Look up!

There was a very popular youtube video recently, called “Look up”, reminding people what they miss when always busy with their smart phone.

Here is another reason to look up – literally. These wonderful morning skies are only around for a moment. If you don’t look up you will miss them.

Here’s to a bright new start to the week. I hope your have a good one.