Venus by Carol Botha

Venus is spectacular in the East just before sunrise
On 27 April,  4 planets will be visible in the East just before sunrise: Mercury ( very low on horison), Mars, Jupiter and Venus will form a nice grouping.

Dancing with Danger

Betty’s Bay has been dancing with danger in the midst of devistating fires – an all too real expectancy  surrounded us these last two days, awakening our minds to the delicate balance of earth. Only a few days before – the mindblowing destruction of the volcano of the coast of Japan and subsequent tsunami. Perhaps this is a time to reflect on how fragile as well as volitile our planet is, reaping it’s fury on the ungracious way we live on its surface.

Please send in your experiences of what is happening around you at this time of equinoctial occurence.

Thank you for your contributions

Reply to Carol Botha’s contribution – Full Moon

Thanks for this Carol, I will certainly be out with my camera at 20.10 tonight!

High tide was exceptional yesterday – beach was like a kelp forest right up to the beginning of the dunes.

The fires have been raging over the mountains. At one stage It was pretty close to us on the Pringle Bay side. The moon – red as a  harvest moon behind thick smoke fleeing from the ravaged earth, looked exquisite. My thoughts were urgent for the poor creatures out there.

Please keep us informed on the movements in our celestial sphere, we certainly appreciate it!

Love

Candy

 

 

Full moon by Carol Botha

Sometimes a little closer (perigee), sometimes a little further  away (apogee) from Earth, a Full Moon is always a spectacular sight. Today the Moon is at perigee and at a nice close approach of 356,575km. Very good reason to do some photography.

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/16mar_supermoon/

I’d like to know whether you notice changes in the tides at Betty’s Bay as I cannot be there this weekend.
Enjoy the beautiful Moon – rising at 20:10 tonight

Also nice International Space Station Sightings

Date                 Duration:            Max                      Entry                     Departure
elevation

Sat 19/8:33 PM       3min            61°                    10 above NW        61 above WSW

Sun 20/7:24 PM      5min            30°                    10 above NNW      11 above ESE

regards
Carol

Farewell lone ranger

Today Sunday the 14^th of November  our dearest Louis the baboon was poisoned and had to be shot. Our community in Silversands is in deep mourning for the lost of this extraordinary animal and friend. Each one of us had a personal relationship with him, some going back for as long as fourteen years. Many stories have been told about him and for those of us who enjoyed his daily visits, our hearts are broken. This tragic day is a shame on the human race. We will not let this rest! Tomorrow his body will be cut open, an autopsy will reveal what poison caused him to suffer is such an agonizing way. We will fetch his body and bring it home, bury him on his mountain where he belongs. His remains will be treated with the dignity and respect that he deserved.

Farwell friend, your example on how to treat softly on this earth will not be forgotten.

We avow that from this day on we will make it hard for anyone in this community to as much as kill an ant.

Go well lone ranger.

Local penguin

Look closely and you will see the egg.

Our (nearly) daily visitor

Seaside Walk

On a recent walk by the sea in Betty’s Bay.

Nature spotters

After all the rain gently soaking into our soil I am sure there are going to be lots of new things to see this week-end. Lets hear about your brush with nature – be it a gentle stroll, a walk in the mountains, on the beach, a new place of discovery, an old place revisited. We would love you to share your experience with us!

New additions

Today four franklin chicks, yesterday a bokkie in the bushes opposite us, the day before seven guinea fowl – Senecio circle is full of gifts this year!