Noorsveld

The Karoo is well known for its many different succulent species. Driving through some parts of the Karoo, specially around the Jansenville area, one will find a variety of euphorbia plants. One in particular stands out. The local euphorbia are smallish, thorny plants with a milky sap and are known as noors, giving the region its name of Noorsveld.

It is uncertain where the word noors comes from. The plant with its yellow flowers reminded the British of gorse and it is thought the gorse was evolved to noors by the Dutch settlers settling in the area.

The noors only flowers in dry conditions and not when it is full of water after good rains. The noors is often chopped as fodder for stock with the result that Noorsveld farms can carry more livestock than farms in Karoo conditions where the noors does not occur.

Rain in the Karoo

The Karoo can be a dry and lonely if it hasn't rained for a while. Farmers are very dependent on water and most farms have boreholes and windpumps to get the water for their farms to be able to function. But when it does rain, the Karoo and its inhabitents rejoice. Specially if a thunderstorm approaches after a hot day and cools everything off.

One of the things the people of the Karoo loves most is seeing water in puddles and dams after the rain

Red succulent flower

I have a number of succulents and plants in pots around my pool and the other day I noticed that one of the small succulents had a couple of flowers in bloom.

I liked the little "frog" peeking at me from below the flower

Greater Striped Swallow

Recently on a early morning walk while visiting in the Karoo, I found this Greater Striped Swallow sitting on the barbed wire farm fence while his kin was sweeping all over the show chasing insects. The Greater Striped Swallow, like all the other swallows you get around here, are summer visitors to our part of the world. They are fairly widespread throughout South Africa and can usually be seen perched on trees and fences or gliding over open, rocky or urban terrain. They have a soft "chissik" call which can be heard while they are in flight. They can be identified by their pale, streaked underparts.

Farm road

It is inevitable to drive around the Karoo and visit all its interesting towns and places and not venture onto a dirt road somewhere. And when you do drive along one of the dry Karoo gravel roads leaving a plume of duct in your trail, I bet you will stumble upon a couple of old rusty road signs. In this case the sign indicates a cattle grid on the road.

Grass fire

On my way home on Friday I noticed the fire department's grass fire unit go by towards some smoke in the distance. I took a shortcut and actually got there before the truck, just to find a grass fire next to the surburb of Overbaakens.

There were three crew members in the truck and they got the hose out very quickly and started working on stopping the fire from getting to the houses. I took this pic litterally moments before the truck nearly ran over me. I was standing right up against the truck to get the pic when the fireman (not seeing me there) decided to pull it forward. Thank goodness for my catlike reflexces. *wink*

Here the fireman firelady is doing her thing with hose in hand

Lizard

Standing at one of the view points when I visited the Valley of Desolation near Graaff Reinet recently, I found this little guy sunning himself on the rocks. As I got closer he ran down the side of the rock to hide. Literally seconds later he was back and as I got myself comfortable and in a position to take a photo, off he went again. But again seconds later he was back. Either he was really enjoying his spot in the late afternoon sun, or he was keen (but a bit shy) to be photographed.