The Writing's On The Wall

OneStonedCrow Pic

YYURYYUBICURYY4ME

I spotted this message on the wall of a fish 'n chips shop in Port Nolloth, South Africa and was able to read it immediately - can you?

SNOEK VENDORS & BEARDS

I came upon these dudes standing on the back of a pickup truck at Steinkopf in South Africa's northern Cape - they were selling fresh Snoek, a delicious fish, which had been caught at Port Nolloth, a coastal town, about 100ks away:
I had a long journey ahead and no ice-box so I couldn't buy any, but when I told the guy with the shades that I thought his beard (baardjie) was supercool he was more than happy to pose for a close-up pic:

OneStonedCrow PicsI've been out fishing for Snoek once - they're caught on a line by means of a metallic spinner, or lure, attached to a large hook which is dragged from the back of the moving boat.

They have a fearsome set of teeth and as they're dragged onto the deck they're clubbed with a wooden mallet to subdue them so that the hook can be removed:

Credit: Unknown
Thyrsites atunSnoek is found in Southern Hemisphere waters and I believe it's known as 'barracouta' in Oz ...

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NAMAQUA SANDGROUSE

One night I was traveling on this deserted desert backroad - I was in zombie-mode, having driven over 800ks since early that morning ...

At regular intervals, birds that were sitting on the road would fly up in the headlights and disappear into the night sky. Some just stayed-put and, as I wasn't hearing any thumps on the bottom of the car, I assumed that they were laying low and had escaped harm ...

There were so many of them on some stretches that, eventually, curiosity got the better of me and I slowed down until I spotted one in the road ahead - I stopped and saw that it was a Namaqua Sandgrouse:


I thought that the bird was sitting on the road to get some warmth in the chill desert air - after I took this pic it flew off and, as I was about to get back into the car, I looked down and saw this chick in a shallow depression in the hard ground:

OneStonedCrow Pics... that's when I realized that all the birds I'd seen before had been nesting - I hope I didn't squash too many babies ... :(
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FROGS

OneStonedCrow PicsSummertimeIt's summertime here in Namibia, good rains are falling in the north; mother nature is providing all sorts of yummy delicacies ... mushrooms, flying ants, berries, mopani worms and these giant frogs ...

I photographed this young man with his catch two years ago near Tsintsabis

Although I haven't sampled the frogs, I'm told that they're delicious (tastes like chikken), ... I have tried deep-fried flying ants and mopani worms though ... not bad, but a bit too rich and fatty for me, ... an acquired taste I guess ...

ps ... apologies to vegetarians who may stumble upon this post :)

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