Buckets

While working in Limpopo (northern province in South Africa), I had to adjust to a lot a new things. Exploration geology is very much an outdoor experience and I got used to lots of sunblock and a t-shirt tan. Driving around in a 4-by-4 bakkie (truck) also became part of my daily life.

The exploration area I worked in is part of the Bushveld and is covered in lush shrubs and trees. The farms we were drilling on were mostly game farms with high fences and lots of gates between the different farms and even within one farm. Many of farmers kept their wild game separate from the typical farm animals like cows and rotated them between the different paddocks. This meant that you could be opening and closing 10 or more gates on the way to a borehole. Deciding who's driving and who's opening gates became a very strategic decision. Claims that I was always driving on the farm with the most gates have not been verified :-).

On the one day, I was particularly deep into the one farm at the furthest borehole. The day had started well and I was almost finished logging. When I looked up from the core at some stage, I noticed the most amazing clouds moving in from the horizon. The entire day had been very hot and clear blue skies, but suddenly a whole bank of dark-grey clouds were moving closer. I took a few pictures and hoped for cooler weather. I'm used to clouds with manners. You know the kind that slowly moves in, announces it's intent of rain and allows you time to get under cover. These clouds were definitely more arrogant.

I quickly rushed to finish logging with the idea to get off the farm and unto the main gravel road as soon as possible. But when I stopped at the first gate on the way out, buckets of rain came hurtling down. I struggled to keep the gate open with the wind gusting mercilessly. I finally grabbed a huge log and dragged it in front of the gate. By the time I got back in the bakkie, I was soaked through and pools of water were in the door of the bakkie and on the floor. This process was repeated at each of the 4 gates after that. The rain was so heavy that I had trouble seeing and the dirt roads turned into moving sand sludge. I hadn't realized that not only were Limpopo clouds arrogant, but also in a hurry. When I got to the last gate before the main road, the rain was completely gone and the sun was shining. A farmer passed me by and didn't understand how the hell I was soaked when the sun was shining. I just smiled and was glad he didn't ask if I were a geologist followed by the inevitable when will stop drilling chat.

After that I learned to simply sit quietly in the bakkie and wait out the rain. Much easier on my clothes and the bakkie :-).