Calitzdorp January 2009

Back in August of 2008 we wrote of our search for the wild gazanias in the Klein Karoo and our trip to Calitzdorp. Well, we made that trip again last week, but for a different purpose.











We did stay at the old schoolhouse, and we did visit the makers of port wine, but the real purpose of the trip was to get away from telephones, cell phones, and computers. There was no way for us to check email or use a phone. It was a lovely,
quiet, peaceful time.






Calitzdorp is about a five hour drive east of Cape Town, in the Klein Karoo, a very dry desert-like area which gets very hot in the summertime. We were extremely fortunate to have three days of relatively cool weather; highs in the 80s and nights cool enough for fleece. Our August trip was highlighted by the blooms of the aloes in this area. They don’t do as well in the summer.






They tend to turn red, a sign of stress, and the younger ones fold up in defense. Actually, I think the top surface cells lose moisture and shrink, causing the appearance of folding up. This brings to mind the whole process of adaptation and evolution, but that’s another whole set of articles.











The old schoolhouse is located near a river and its dam. We saw some birds, like this heron; heard some baboons, definitely pests here because they raid the fruit orchards;








and Kurt, reminding Zindzi how to swim. He also tried Thula, their year old puppy, but met with limited success.










Other high points were some of the succulents that we saw on our walks while out in the country. This protea with its stunning flower was an unexpected find.











The fantastic geometrics of this little succulent just make you wonder how and why.











And then we spotted these bright yellow blooms and went to investigate. There are no leaves on the stems of this plant. Just stubby little fingers. Amazing!






I just had to save the best for last. This flower greeted us on our return to Cape Town. It was blooming in Becky & Kurt’s front yard. It is one of the group of plants nicknamed “Carrion” flowers because the pollinators are flies attracted by the perfume of rotting meat. Eeeewwwww! And, did I mention adaptation?




We all had a restful holiday – no parties or fireworks – just the stars and peace. We wish the same for you and yours in 2009.

Floyd

In Search of Wild Gazanias

Dear Friends and Family


“In search of the Wild Gazania” has been the conceptual title we used for this entire trip, though as yet we have done little searching for wildflowers and are running out
of time.


Last week we went to Cape Point National Park, because we were told that the wildflowers start in the South and then move up the coast north until the entire Namaqualand region is blanketed in wildflowers. Of course, seeing them depends on luck, the amount of rainfall the different areas have had during the winter, warmth,
and being in the right place at the right time. By the way, at Marshal’s shop in Lisle during the summer, there are South African gazanias. They are a great, short, bright daisy like flower that opens and shuts with the sun, often yellow or orange but they come in other colors. In the States they are an annual; here a perennial.

On Cape Point we saw Protea, and some other flowers we were not familiar with that reminded me of large mounds of flowering white moss; no gazanias. What we did find at the Cape of Good Hope were tourists (a rarity right now), ostrich, baboons, and other flowers in purple, pink, and white.


Then this last weekend we got to spend some quality time with Becky and Kurt. We took the dogs with us into the Klein Karoo (Little Karoo), a desert region, mountainous with valleys along rivers dry in the summer and wet in the winter, headed for Calitzdorp. The area is famous for its ostrich farms, lamb, port (like in wine) and succulents. We stayed several nights back in the Matijies Valley, 17 km down a steep, mountainous, dirt road. But what a special place it was. Cold, crisp, silent nights; beautiful stars, great wood fires for braiing (grilling), ostrich watching our every move, cows, sheep bleating on the mountain sides and a canyon that echoed every time a dog barked. And the dogs had such fun barking and listening for the echo; I don’t think they ever figured out that they were barking at themselves.



We stayed in a converted one room school house appropriately entitled the “Old School House” that was in use around 1910-1920. There was no fireplace, but somehow that old place with creaky floorboards and high, high ceilings retained the heat. Of course we packed in food. We had found a truly special place.





Traveling into and out of that valley was difficult but the scenery was spectacular. Large aloes bloomed on the sides of the mountains. There were birds everywhere eating the blooms. Spring was coming to the Klein Karoo.









In the valley the air was crisp and clear. Early mornings were especially beautiful and the dogs loved their morning walk.








One morning there at our feet was something unexpected. A wild gazania had opened in the crisp early morning sunshine. It wasn’t a hillside full, but it was the first blooming one we had seen and it was a welcome sight.









And our neighbors were really curious about what we (and the dogs) were up to. We thought about ostrich steaks and ostrich omelets, but decided to remain good neighbors.



Love to all,
Betsy (and Floyd)