Clear blue mornings with the odd cloud dotting the sky followed by fiery afternoon thundershowers, signals the arrival of Summer. You never quite know what the day will hold for you as you wake up to clear summer skies in the Central Drakensberg, and the temperature steadily rises. The midday heat can be scorching with children swallowing up the sunshine and splashing by the pool. By the early afternoon the clouds have started rolling in, the breeze picks up and before you know the heavens have opened. Usually this is accompanied by loud claps of lightening belting down towards the earth.
Summer skies in the Central Drakensberg can really put on a show! In the morning there is seldom a whisper of a cloud and the skies are blue as far as the eye can see. The mornings tend to be the best time to venture out on a hike, or take part in one of the many activities on offer in the Drakensberg. Or if you prefer to relax, sit in the garden and enjoy the splendour of the bird activity as they go about their daily routine. The gardens are alive with activity from buzzing beetles to beautiful butterflies.
My favourite part of Summer is the lush green vegetation. Everything seems to come alive after the rains have settled in and the air is fresh and clean. A photographers delight! Rolling green hills, bursts of colour as the flowers bloom, and strong flowing rivers. In fact, most of our dams are just about full to capacity. This brings to mind the floods we had early in January this year, where the rivers were bursting their banks. While I hope we continue to have good rains, I do not want a repeat of the floods and the damage it tends to cause!
The thunderstorms intrigue me and I do enjoy the display as the summer skies come alive with lightening bolts. It is quite an incredible sight to see, especially here in the Drakensberg Mountains. Not to mention the loud rolling thunder that can instantly wake you up from the deepest sleep. It rumbles and it rolls, then a clap of lightening bolts across the sky. The rain plummets towards the ground and it can be quite a downpour! Often it is all over as quickly as it started…
January is just around the corner and we have had a memorable festive season here at The Nest Hotel. It has been a joy to see celebrate with our guests and hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have. From all of us here at The Nest Hotel, we wish you a splendid and safe 2022.
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