Supermoons, Superplants & Superstudents

As you probably noticed – I’ve been battling technical problems that prevented me from posting news of my various adventures over the past weeks! I apologise. I promise that it was not for want of trying to send news.
Anyway, I think the gremlins have been banished and I have just returned from another sojourn in “The Klein Karoo”. My stay coincided with the appearance of the Supermoon, which is a period when the full moon is at its closest to planet earth and appears enormous and vivid – especially in the clean desert air. On my drive to my destination I had this wonderful sight as the sun set and the supermoon rose:

Over the following nights I watched and tried to photograph this pregnant moon with my little compact camera. I did manage to obtain a few images that do some justice to the beauty of this rare nocturnal display:

This visit also coincided with the Perseid Meteor Showers and in spite of the brightness of the close, massive moon I was treated to some celestial fireworks. I had come to teach a course to a group of wonderful young people, who in spite of life challenges that would have disillusioned lesser mortals, have chosen to become custodians of our urban conservation areas. These are driven young people who are chasing their dreams while contributing to the protection of our environment. These are my Superstudents.

Spring is rapidly approaching and some of the succulents were in flower. This is one of the many confusing but exquisite members of the genus Ruschia: