Summer Sunsets, Water Shortages and a Storm Brewing

Sunset is my favourite time of day.  I love to be able to watch the sun wane and disappear from view. When we lived in Rio, it was easier to watch sunrise, than sunset, but it usually involved getting up very early.  So now on the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean, sunsets are are more easily seen.

Obviously, the best place to watch the sunset is facing the ocean, where the sun dips below the horizon, with accompanying pink and purple clouds, depending on the sky. However, there are many other interesting sunsets to watch, even when you're not on the beach.

 This is the view from our apartment window, across the roof of CVC Media, towards Table Mountain, about 25km away (as the crow flies).  When the days are at their longest (late December) the sun sets directly behind the mountain, making it look at though Table Mountain's on fire.

This is a close up of that sunset of a few days ago as the sun fell between the main Table and the peak known as Lion's Head...

... and tonight, as a storm was brewing and heading our way.

The photo doesn't really show the beautiful pink hews of the sky to their best, especially as the sky has been a constant blue since we arrived here three weeks ago.

Throughout the winter months last year (June - August 2010) Cape Town received very little rain. These are usually the months of highest rainfall, and although they did get some rain in spring and early summer (September - November), many areas of open grassland are looking very dry and there are fire warnings in several places. Householders are still allowed to use sprinklers and hoses, so things are not critical yet, but the pond near our home has shrunk dramatically since before Christmas.

 The ducks and geese are now standing in a dry area which used to be under water. (Notice the dark clouds to the extreme left)

 Tonight, as the skies were filling with clouds, they started their walk up the hill, to their night time roosting place, about an hour earlier than normal - maybe because they need to walk much further than they used walk, due to shrinking of the pond!

 From the brow of a hill, near the pond, we look across to the hills near Stellenbosch (heart of the Cape Winelands) and the Hottentots mountain range, behind. Tonight, there must have been a break in the clouds causing the evening sun to fall Stellenbosch, while the surrounding area was very dark.  The hill stood out dramatically and the fields look almost white, in the sunlight.

Now it is late evening, very dark and the storm came and went, with just a few peals of thunder and little rain. It will be another sticky night.