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Karoo Locust Swarm Flypast 11 March 2022 – Two Pictures and video – please scroll down

/ John Bartels / 1 Comment

Today our friends were in the Karoo National Park in South Africa where they witnessed the fly past of an enormous swarm of locusts. The fly past lasted about 2 hours, plus about another hour “for the stragglers to leave….” The swarm was so large that our friend DT wrote in her WhatsApp : “Yes it is amazing we can hardly see the mountains … it looks like a sand storm in the distance.” Thank you DT for the pictures and video (which I enlarged).

Scroll down please: There are two pictures and then the video followed by a quiz question about the size of locust swarms.

Thousands of dots in the sky
The swarm close up – a bit like the milky way!
https://videopress.com/v/vAqNdGSB?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true
Video – It took about 3 hours for the swarm to fully pass!

Quiz: How big was one of the biggest swarm of locusts ever?

Answer on page 2

Pages: 1 2

Beautiful Hartenbos February 2022

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Hartenbos is a town in the Western Cape of South Africa, about 45 km from George. What a stunning beach! Thank you to DT for the two pictures

Cafeteria beneath St Martin in the Fields Church, London (next to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square).

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A wonderful cafeteria is in the crypt beneath the famous Church. Try it next time you are in London.You won’t be disappointed. The second photo below was taken in the cafeteria which is bigger than the photo suggests. There is an excellent gift shop next to the cafeteria. To the left of the Church is a lift down to the gift shop and cafeteria. There are also stairs.

St. Martin’s in the Field, next to the National Gallery.
The Crypt

“Home Alone but we have Each Other!”

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“Our family are far away but we have each other AND their double bed!”

Ps We have a loving carer!

Montague Bird Sanctuary- Leidam

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In the centre of the small and beautiful town of Montague, 180 km from Cape Town in South Africa is the Leidam Bird Sanctuary. According to Professor Google, 52 species of birds have been identified there. If you go to Montague don’t miss it. Perhaps the Sacred Ibis is the star. As you can see, I am still feeling my way with iMovie using my iPhone! Enjoy.

Ha Dee Da chick cleaning mom – Port Elizabeth 18 December 2021

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Two videos. The second is enlarged. Enjoy.

https://videopress.com/v/egt676d1?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata
https://videopress.com/v/VbBXVtgd?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata

The Path to the Sacred

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The forest guarding the Sacred Path.

There is a sacred path deep in the forests of Southern Africa. It leads to an ancient river. The path is sacred because if you are privileged to walk along it and pause a while you sense there is a reality way beyond what your limited senses can even remotely imagine. Suddenly you ask: Where else have I felt like this? The memories come flooding in: The ancient granite Matobo Hills in Zimbabwe; a deserted cove in Corfu; the Redwoods in California; the grove at the top of Alta Plaza in San Francisco. Connections. Connections. Connections. Connections to the great beyond. Please scroll down.

Below is a small song with words that I have written as a tribute to the Sacred Path. I have also played it for you.

The Path to the Sacred

The path to the sacred
Is calling me home
The path to the sacred
Where worlds become one

I answer the call
A door opens wide
My friends are there waiting
There's no more divide

John Bartels - December 2021

The sheet music is on page 2

Page 2

Sheet Music for "The Sacred Path"