Nature's Surprise and JD's Reaction

South Africans, and visitors to our country, has come to expect warm, sunny winter days.  Daytime temperatures usually reach into the high teens (degrees in celsius) and minus degree temperatures are only experienced during the nights and also only in certain regions of the country.

Soccer fans from all over the world came to South Africa with only the minimum winter clothes in their luggage, prepared to enjoy the famous mild South African winter.  Many came with the idea of camping around the country to see and enjoy as much as possible, as economically as possible.

Yet one should never take nature for granted as our present winter weather proves.  The past week has been one of the coldest in many, many years.  This is what locals and soccer fans alike, woke up to in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Southern Cape the past three days.

A very unusual De Doorns farm schene.

 (Leon Potgieter)

Jonkershoek area is usually a camper's paradise, even in winter.

(Mark Wilmot)

Is it jus my imagination or can you also see the cold

 in the Hottentots-Holland Mountain area?

(Hailey Anne Melton)

Even JD has turned bear on us and decided to go into hibernation until the weather returns to normal.

He found this warm spot in the house and on trying to get him to move,

all I got from him was this very sleepy look and a very dismissive mieow...

before returning to his favoured position.

Maybe he just knows how to handle this winter,

and we don't.