The seasons in the Limpopo valley seem to seamlessly merge into one another.
The actual starting gun are the first showers. The clouds usually threaten for some weeks before delivering their bounty. The vegetation, especially the mopanes, have been well prepared, with tiny buds on every growth node, just waiting for the cue. Literally a day after the first rain the veld goes from grey/black to a gentle lime green, and this intensifies right throughout the year until about August.
The beautiful child of Spring follows, with the rush of everything trying to package their lives into one hot and balmy season. Bugs galore, and every little grass and forb showing off their beautiful flowers. Life seems to be accelerated, with the heat of the days suggesting an urgency to the insects’ short lives. The trees are showing off ripe fruits that attract many feeders regardless of size.
As the season progresses the mopane leaves become more leathery and tannin filled, and the gently waving grasses drier and less palatable. All this while, the weather shows day after warm day with gorgeous blue skies and temperate star-studded nights that demand an extra blanket on one’s bed!
Before you know it, the scorched brown landscape that turned to grey/black once again delights with the arrival of the rains, completing the year’s natural cycle.
For the nature lover, each season has its own attraction and diversity and should be appreciated in the moment.
