Nature going wild!

Here in South Africa the weather can change dramatically within a couple of seconds. Yesterday was the hottest day so far, 40 degrees in the shade! Our guests enjoyed our pool and read a book in the shades of an umbrella or the veranda. At 16.30 the weather started to change. Clouds developed in the bright blue sky and the wind started to pick up. Within minutes the sky turned into a dark blue grey mass, with rolling clouds becoming bigger and bigger. The sun got chased away quickly, giving us some nice view of white thick clouds with bright golden edges.

We hurried to get the sundeck chairs, umbrellas and couches inside and waited for the rain to arrive. I took the chance to grab the camera en walk up the hill to try to catch some pictures of nature going wild. It was amazing!!!!!! I was standing on top and had an incredible view over the Lowveld area. I could not see the Drakensbergen because the clouds had swallowed them completely. The wind was getting stronger and stronger, almost blowing me away. When the clouds were dark grey and became to heavy they decided to release their load. It started in and around the Drakenbergen where the curved shapes changed into long streams of endless rain. In the middle section of my view on the hill, clouds where heavy and not prepared giving up their load, while on the left hand site clouds were still growing bigger and bigger.

In the comfortable zone of our future house (for the ones who do not know, the unfinished bungalow on top will become our house) I managed to take some shots. Unfortunately I did not succeed in capturing some amazing lightning. Some went straight into the earth while others tried to impress us creating complete drawings of bright white light in the dark blue sky. Although the pictures do not capture the feeling you have standing on the hill surrounded by the weather going crazy, I hope they give you an idea of the power of natures elements. I felt incredible small, but also free and enjoying life to the max!

When I walked back it was still dry in Parsons. Branches were flying around and trees knocked over. Warthogs were running towards their burrow and bokkies searched for shelter, knowing what would come. When nature decided that it had played enough in the area of Kurhula lodge it released its load. Rain at last!!!!