Weathered

A weathered signpost on Pringle Bay beach.

Alien Flower in colour this time

I've posted this image before in B&W, but in colour it just seems stranger, perhaps something like a Passion Fruit flower.  This was found on the shores of the Breede River in the Cape, growing on the sandy banks.

Hearth

Still at Tokara Vineyards, this is the beautiful hearth in their tasting room - it would make for a magnificent winter afternoon sipping their superb red wines, surrounded by double volume glass framing the vineyards & mountains, while the hearth blazed.......something to do in a few months time.

Vineyards

These are young vines, late spring, at Tokara Vineyards in the Helshoogte Pass, Stellenbosch.

Window View

This is the often taken for granted view from our bedroom window.

Mischa

This is Mischa, she is part Bouvier, part Boxer - but most people think she looks like Falkor the Luck Dragon from the Never Ending Story.

Barrels

Old wine barrels, beyond their prime & waiting to be turned into furniture or planters.

Harvest

Apologies for not posting my daily image this morning as usual, but we started bright & early with our viognier harvest and it has been pretty busy.  We picked the first 2.5 tons with a sugar of 23.3 Baling, which is near perfect as I like the first harvest to have a lower sugar - it gives the wine a nice freshness.  I'll pick the viognier another 2-3 times, each with a progressively higher sugar level - this helps me to layer the complexity as the various batches of wine ferment in the barrel. Keep an eye open for the Rusticus 2010 Barrel Fermented Viognier, I think it will be something special.  By the way, my 2009 will be bottled at the end of this week in new packaging - and it is beautiful!

Doorway

An abandoned cottage at dusk made for a perfect photography playground ...

Oak

Took a photograph of this oak tree shoot while playing around with my Tamron 90mm Macro and new Sigma EF530 DG Super flash - very happy with the results.

Wagon wheel

While exploring Swellendam one Sunday afternoon we came across a little bistro café with a collection of authentic ox & horse wagons in their backyard.  I thought it was a good time to try out my Sigma 10-20mm.

Looking through

A friend's soon to be renovated farm house in Robertson, on the banks of the Breede River.

Light ...

... at the end of the tunnel.

Trebes

On Canal du Midi, in the small village of Trebes, there is a wonderful restaurant right on the lock which serves a great cassoulet.....this is the lonely boat tethered outside.

Different Strokes

Railway tracks in Paris, just fooling around with two very different images of the same thing - as a matter of interest I wonder which you prefer?  (Feel free to comment)

Strata

Interesting rock strata just off Arnistion Beach, looks like a giants jigsaw puzzle.

Oryx

Commonly known as the Gemsbok in South Africa, this one was photographed in our Klaasvoogds Game Reserve.  Generally quite a shy antelope (hence the long-distance photograph and me pushing my lens to the limits, plus some cropping resulted in a bit of softness), this one did come out to see what we were up to.

Medieval Night

The medieval walled city of Carcassone in France by night.  I didn't have my tripod, but I did find several well-placed low walls & boulders where I could balance my camera for a few seconds while it took the long exposure.

Lured away

I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms from not having the chance to get some decent bass fishing done.  Unfortunately we are in a very dry summer this year, dams & rivers are at an all time low so the scenery & fishing is poor.  In addition the grape harvest has started and it is doubtful I'll get away from the cellar for the next few weeks while I'm making wine.

Midmar

The beautiful Midmar Dam situated at the 'bottom' of the Midlands Meander.  Apparently a super bass fishing spot, unfortunately on this occasion I didn't have any gear with me so no stories of the one that got away.  (I have however ordered the latest Daiwa & Abu spincast bass reels.........can't wait until they arrive!)