Only Three Seasons

My original plan was that within a two week period I would experience all Four Seasons. However, my travel delay has made this turn into only three seasons.

Today is the first day of summer, so that means that so far this week I have experienced spring and summer. On Saturday it will be winter time where I am. I will arrive a few days late to experience autumn.

honey bee, blossom, fertilizing, pollen, orchardI have been enjoying spring this year, especially the flowering trees in the orchards.

102 Degrees - Late Day Heat - Hot DayI am taking off for winter just in time as summer is going to hit hard this weekend with a forecast of up to 105 degrees. It will be nice to spend a week in winter before a long hot summer.

Snow Scene, Village in Snow, Country Snow Scene, Little Village church

I will not see a winter like this in South Africa, but the temperatures will get down into the 30’s while I am there.

Autumn Color, Fall Color, colorful trees, Jena, GermanyI will miss autumn in South Africa, but it would have been too late to see fall foliage anyway. I am not sure exactly what it will look like. I have only been in South Africa in September.

Mexico City - Spring - Jacaranda Tree - Coyoacan - Purple Blooms - PretoriaWhen I was in South Africa in 2001 the Jacaranda trees were in full bloom and it was very beautiful. The picture above is not from South Africa, but rather from Mexico City. They have similar climates where the Jacaranda trees thrive.

I will have to wait for another time to experience all four seasons in a short time period. It is actually quite easy to do as you only have to travel between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres around the day that seasons change.

Steven

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Packing by Subtraction

Tonight I have an interesting twist on The Packing Formula. Instead of adding things to the suitcase I am subtracting them.

Packing, Suitcase, Clifford the Big Red SuitcaseIn my post In the Wrong Place I detailed my return home from Zurich instead of heading on to South Africa. Knowing that I would soon be heading out again I kept my suitcase packed. I now have my passport and it is time to get ready to travel again.

However, now I have too many items in the suitcase for the number of days I will be in South Africa. Therefore, it is subtraction time. I theoretically could simply zip up the suitcase and head out the door, but why take more than I need. A lighter suitcase is just easier to move around, but instead I will probably add a book or two 🙂

United 787, Zurich, SwitzerlandMy trip will take a little bit different route this time. I do not want to go back through Zurich and endure another day long layover. Instead I will be flying through Frankfurt both ways.

Terminal Z, Follow z signs, Frankfurt Airport, German LanguageFlying through Frankfurt will be easy as I know that I usually just have to Follow Z Signs to get to where I need to be. I am very familiar with this airport.

From Frankfurt I will travel on South African Airways to Johannesburg. It will not be the first time for me to fly on South African Airways. I flew with them between Capetown and Johannesburg back in September 2001 before they joined the Star Alliance.

United 747, Jet, Plane, travel, SFOI looked to see if I had previously posted any pictures of a Lufthansa 747 and couldn’t find one. I know that I probably have some in the picture archives on my computer but decided to just share a picture of a United 747. On the flight between Johannesburg and Frankfurt on the way back I will be flying on a Lufthansa 747. I have not flown on a 747 since United retired their fleet. See: My Last United 747 Flight

A380, Airbus, Lufthansa, Biggest Plane, First A380 FlightThe flight between Frankfurt and San Francisco will be a first for me. It will be the first time that I fly on an A380. I did just happen to have a picture of a Lufthansa A380 that I used in my post At the Airport.

Hmm, my post subject wandered a bit but that is not unusual.

Now to get ready to lecture to my students in South Africa via Skype. I am still teaching even though I am not there 🙂

Steven

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