Mid-week and another thunderstorm is brewing. Since Monday, every afternoon there have been great flashes of lighting, rumbling thunder, big splodges of rain and noisy birds. Early evening, 50+ birds take to the sky outside our flat to catch their dinner. I am convinced they are birds of prey...I am reluctant to get the binoculars out in case they turn out to be pigeons.
Luckily not too much to report on the wildlife front, the odd cockroach and mosquito around the flat and beautiful yellow birds and black birds with elegant long ribbon like tails when we drive around. I will get a book and then can sound more knowledgeable rather than simply describing them. Lots of butterflies too, who sadly seem to have a kamikaze instinct and fly straight into the windscreen when driving. Perhaps our exploration into the mountains this weekend will reveal a bit more. We are planning a trip South of Maseru to a place called Malealea for some walking and a night stay at a lodge... can’t wait.
Starting Sesotho lessons on Friday evening. Helen (our friend from Dolen) told us about it so we’ve signed up for a term. It’s great with Matt’s short commute and 8am-4pm days as it means we have time in the evenings, something which Matt could not take for granted back in the England. Therefore, evenings are pretty relaxing, with no TV, we spend time chatting, looking over maps and planning weekends, watching the odd DVD. There is also the fun of cooking in the dark as there is still no light in the kitchen... our landlord is super laid-back. Fortunately we’ve got quite used to working out the difference between a finger and a mushroom by now!
More news soon.
Hey Kits! Bet you wished you had all of Prison Break now! Jokes! Sounds lovely, I'm glad you can now tell the difference between a mushroom and a finger:)
ReplyDeleteBlack birds with long tails are widow birds...and the ones outside your flat are a special kind of kestrel (sorry, I forget the name) but are the only(I think) bird that migrates east-west as opposed to north-south. Stayed in the flat(if its the same one Bernie was in) for a month in Nov 08 and have fond memories of the dripping tap!
ReplyDeleteMaria Moore(on Dolens health committee and nurse in North Wales)