03/07/2022
Last weekend we celebrated Wester’s birthday along with Fathers day, with all our Dads, and Rosane’s Birthday all in one! It was great fun and we had a very busy and active day out. On one of our brief pit stops home we decided to water our winter garden. It was basking so beautifully in the sun, that we were sure the hardy greens would appreciate a bit
of splashing with the hose. We set about untucking the snug frost netting from around the plants, then we continued on to grab the hose and give the garden a good drenching.
Not long after our optimistic watering session began, we notice a fear-instilling creature. Snuggled up against the wall, his peculiar, distinguished pattern gave him away as the Puffadder. The big guy blended too well with his surroundings. Carefully he continued his journey to his final destination, not even phased by the two frightened humans making all sorts of odd sounds out of fear and worry.
At chest hight with us, we notice for the first time that there is a rocky opening within the wall that we call our courtyard. We have stacked our potted plants right up against and on the wall for wintertime. This wall and the large mass of ground behind it heats up during the day when the African winter sun heats it up and radiates its heat out again during the frisky winter nights. As we have gotten frost almost every night since the start of June, our plants thank us for this natural night warmth. And it seems like the Puffadder also appreciates this natural phenomenon and was making a bee-…or should I say snake-…-line for his cosy cave.
There was not much we could do but helplessly stand and watch this stealthy, agile specimen make his way over our plants and into his hiding place. He silently slipped in and settled down for another winter hibernation nap, or until hunger drives him to go forage and satisfy his appetite.
We can now say that our winter garden is the host of a top predator in our ecosystem. We will not have to worry about mice or rats gnawing on our vegetable patch for it is being surveillanced and closely watched by a cold-blooded, bloody curling creature, hidden snugly in its cave ready to strive. Oh, the excitement never ends!
[By Talisha-Mari Muller]
