Richtersveld National Park

Richtersveld National Park, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Another Adventure in South Africa - searching for Hyobanche glabrata in one of the most interesting landscapes I've seen. Didn't find it there, but enjoyed the hunt.

South Africa sunrise

South Africa sunrise, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

I usually work in Color, but I thought this was more dramatic in monochrome. I used a Fuji X1 for this photo, and it has a black and white setting, which was perfect for this dramatic sunrise at Houthoop Guest House. We camped there September 2, 2013, so this was the sunrise on September 3.

Phoenix City

Phoenix City, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Hunan Province, China - this is an ancient city built largely from wood. It was on the post-conference tour for the International Wood Culture Society for obvious reasons - to take a look at the use of wood in an old town. It rained so hard the day we visited that it made it a bit of a challenge to navigate the streets with the crowd of people maneuvering umbrellas. On the other hand, it was very photogenic.

Phoenix Town

Phoenix Town, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Hunan Province, China - visited this ancient city on October 30, 2013. It was a very rainy day, which made the visit a bit of a challenge. I enjoyed the colorful umbrellas and rain ponchos, though.

Koi

Koi, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

I visited Yueyang Tower in Changsha, China on October 22, 2013. There was a pond with dozens of koi - very beautiful to see and mesmerizing to watch.

Phoenix City, China

Phoenix City, China, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

I just returned from China last night to cap off a two month marathon of international travel. Here's one of my photos from the post-conference tour for the International Wood Culture Society Symposium on Taxodiaceae. Stay tuned for some blog posts about the trip (along with ones from South Africa and Australia). I have a lot of catching up to do, including photo processing, but I'll try to make a series of blog posts over the next several months.

October 30, 2013 - pouring down rain for this morning in China. The old town of Phoenix City was built around 1000 years ago. The workers work brightly colored rain ponchos and traditioinal hats. This woman was taking a break from the rain, sheltering in one of the gateways between sections of the old town.

Faces of China series

Faces of China series, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

In Cypress City for lunch today. When we finished I did a wander about the block. This elderly farmer came around the corner with a double load of brooms over his shoulders. He was curious about the strangers in his town and I was curious about him. It was a nice encounter.

Fruit stand in China

Fruit stand in China, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

I arrived in Beijing last night. I had a day to wait until my flight to Changsha tomorrow, so I went for a walk around the neighborhood of my hotel. I found a food market with lots of produce stalls.

Namaqua National Park seascape

Namaqua National Park seascape, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

We camped at Varswater in Namaqua National Park, South Africa, for two nights. It was rainy and wet, but the sun came out to brighten up the early morning scenery.

Penstemon payettensis

Penstemon payettensis, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

A beautiful species from Idaho. This was from the American Penstemon Society field meeting last June.

Hyobanche sanguinea

Hyobanche sanguinea, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

This is what a pollinator might see while foraging for nectar in a Hyobanche species. The flowers are pretty sturdy, and are likely pollinated by birds or rodents.

West Coast National Park, South Africa

Fynbos and Hyobanche at Cape Point

Fynbos and Hyobanche at Cape Point, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

This photo could be subtitled, "Where's Hyobanche?" - Look for the bright red dot in the photo - that's my search image for finding Hyobanche in fynbos habitat...

Hyobanche sanguinea at Cape Point

Hyobanche sanguinea at Cape Point, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Hunting for Hyobanche is analogous to going on an Easter egg hunt. The plants are very small, but quite spectacular in appearance in terms of their beautiful colors. When they are out in the open, as in this photo, they're not too difficult to spot. However, often they are under shrubs in thick fybos habitat, or in open patches in prickly thickets.

This population was on the Cape Peninsula of South Africa - not too far from the ocean.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

Morning of August 26, 2013 - right before a massive cold front moved in and soaked us for the first few days of the field season. This was my first morning in South Africa, and I enjoyed a nice cup of cappuccino in the garden restaurant while having this lovely view.

Southern Night Sky

Southern Night Sky, a photo by andiwolfe on Flickr.

I'm back from South Africa, and I have a lot of material to post over the next several months. I'll start off with this highlight pic, though. This is a long-exposure from Kokerboomkloof in Richtersveld National Park. We camped there the nights of September 4 and 5. The dark sky was so impressive! It was lovely to see the milkyway in all its glory, plus the Magellanic clouds, Omega Centauri, and numerous other Messier objects visible to the naked eye.