You know how sometimes a thing is right in front of you, only you never see it because you just aren't looking? Well, turns out myself and two other researchers working out here in the middle of God’s nowhere managed to not notice an entire dam on the farm we stayed at for a full two month field season. So it was with great surprise that we learned from the owner upon our return to the farm a couple of days ago that yes, there is in fact a swim-able dam exactly one vineyard further over than any of us had ever bothered walking (hint: one vineyard further = two vineyards).
In our defense, we do kind of spend all day walking around the mountains of our field site about 10 km away, so it's not a big surprise that none of us had much energy to explore the farm. But still, it's funny how life can be sneaky like that. Just a few meters further in one particular direction and suddenly an entire beautiful vista opens up.
Certainly there’s a metaphor for life in there somewhere. Something about always pushing boundaries and never succumbing to complacency, but whatever it is, this zoologist is a little too tired to find it just now. All I know is these mountains are beautiful and soothing for the soul in a way only bastions of ancient stone can be. As the next weeks roll by, I hope to be able to show you some of the marvelous fauna and flora that call them home. And perhaps share just a little of the magic of this tiny slice of South African fynbos.
Right, happy Steeming people,
The Wise Fox