Pilgrim’s Rest South Africa

Joan kept me very busy in one day visiting Sudwala caves, the dinosaur park, Lone Creek and MacMac falls.

That night we planned to stay at Pilgrim’s Rest, a small town in Mpumalanga declared a National Monument in 1986.

The original architecture remains largely unchanged.

Pyrite in quartz

Pilgrim’s Rest was declared a gold field in 1873 soon after digger Alec “Wheelbarrow” Patterson had found gold deposits in Pilgrim’s Creek.

The valley proved to be rich in gold and by the end of the year, there where about 1500 diggers working in the area.

Towards the end of the 19th century claims were bought up and underground mining started by the Transvaal gold Minings Estates (TGME).

Wonder if anyone got confused?

Mining was active until 1971 when Beta Mine closed down and the village sold to the government as a national museum.

TGME opened again in 1999 and there is active gold mining in the hills around Pilgrim’s Rest.

Recognize anything here?

We got into town too late to explore the shops yet enjoyed the window displays.

And there was a wedding going on so no room at the Inn.

So we camped at Pilgrim’s Rest caravan park.

And enjoyed the sunset.

Then after breakfast…

…we wandered the streets…

…and shops…

…admiring the local wares before heading down the road for more adventures.

Mac-Mac Falls South Africa

After leaving Lone Creek Falls, Joan took me to Mac-Mac Falls, yet another spectacularly plunging sight at 213 feet (65 m).

This national monument is linked to the historic South African gold rush of the 19th century. In an effort to easier mine from the Mpumalanga reef escarpment gold-hungry Scotsmen tried to get the river out of their way by blowing it with dynamite. The result was the twin waterfalls.

Along the trail we saw this unknown lizard…

…and dragonfly sunning on the rocks.

Joan warned me not to eat the toxic foliage of the Belladonna that bobbed gently in the breeze.

We continued on our journey and visited even more waterfalls the next day, future posts.

MWT - Bucks in Velvet: All dressed up and no where to go

Must be that time of year to fatten up on the lush greens. Saw two Mule Deer bucks happily browsing between the empty mule corral and the generator building (just in case of power failure).

Mule Deer are browsers and eat a great variety of vegetable matter, including fresh green leaves, twigs, lower branches of trees, and various grasses. They eat so carefully they can even consume the fruit of cactus.

The Mule Deer carries its thin, black-tipped tail drooped, unlike the uplifted, bushy white tail of its eastern cousin. They have large ears that move constantly and independently and thus the name Mule Deer.

They have a distinctly different gait from the leisurely, graceful leaps of the white-tail deer. When startled, a Mule Deer will move in a series of stiff-legged jumps up to 8 yards (7.3 m) with all four feet hitting the ground together. In this way they can reach a speed of 45 mph for short periods.

Mule Deer are active primarily in mornings, evenings and moonlit nights. This inactivity during the heat of the day is a behavioral adaptation to the desert environment that conserves water and keeps the body temperature within livable limits. Sweat glands and panting also provide evaporative cooling during hot periods. During the middle of the day, the Mule Deer beds down in a cool, secluded place. Another physical adaptation, its larger feet, allows the Mule Deer to claw out water as much as two feet deep, which it detects with its keen sense of smell.

Antler growth begins in the spring. Antlers are a true bone, covered with "velvet," a soft, skin-like tissue that carries nourishment and calcium for the rapidly growing antlers. Full growth is attained in late summer with the tines forking into a series of Y's and rising above the head. After the antler growth is completed, the blood-supplying velvet is no longer needed and begins to fall or get rubbed off. This leaves the antlers shiny and hard. Mule Deer breed in late November and early December. A buck will find a suitable doe and they will often play chase games at breakneck speeds before mating. They will remain together for several days. then late each winter the antlers fall off, and with spring, the growth cycle begins again.

To see more of the world, or to share your own, go to My World Tuesday by clicking here.

Happy 4th of July from Grand Canyon

Sego lily, paintbrush and lupine

Here’s nature’s red, white and blue decorations found on the Kaibab Plateau. (Thanks for the idea Tom.)

No fireworks allowed here, thank goodness or the forest would probably burn around us. And although I do miss the colorful light show I don’t miss the noise and smell. This afternoon we’ll have a parade where water is shot instead.

Happy 4th of July!

Be safe and sane but have fun too.

Blooms at Cape Royal

Once a week my schedule takes me to the Walhalla Plateau where I give a 1pm talk about the history of Southwest Archeology at Walhalla Overlook. I was there last Tuesday.

And a 2:30 geology talk at the end of the road on Cape Royal.

Prickly pear cactus and sego lily

I love seeing how the blooms change weekly.

Wax currant beginning to fruit

Cliffrose showing its feathery tail fruit

Paintbrush

Wonder what will be blooming next week?

California Condors at Navajo Bridge

On the way to Page last week we stopped at Navajo Bridge which crosses the Colorado River at Marble Canyon.

Almost always a good place to see California condors. But don’t just look into the sky as they do tend to roost under the bridge on the girders.

We got lucky and saw three condors, #70 a 19 year-old female…

…and #73 an 8 year-old male, plus one unknown in elusive flight.

These two were both very good at trying to hide from the camera.

Visitors to the North Rim always ask where to see condors.

It is possible, but they are more often seen on the more crowded South Rim.

Condors are curious and like crowds, better chance of something dead to eat.

During summer many condors hang out by Kolb Terrace Reservoir near Zion National Park and are seen soaring above the Angel’s Landing trail. (Probably looking for dead hikers as the trail is steep and difficult.)

 

Navajo Bridge also provides an excellent view of the Colorado River.

Sky Watch Friday

At Horseshoe Bend I watched the sky…

…and so did this Raven.

On the way home Mike watched the sky…

…and the sky watched us.

To view more skies from around the world, or to share your own, go to Sky Watch Friday by clicking here.