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On a farm in Africa

Pics and snippets about country life in a wooden cabin on a farm in rural South Africa. I hope the cards make you smile right alongside us. I don't own the…

44 Pins

17w

Collection by

Michele Damstra

0:27

What's in Waboomskraal will make you smile 😊

A photo story of the first time I went to Waboomskraal in the Western Cape of South Africa to fill up with petrol and wandered into the retro shop...

Water Walk...the dogs' favorite refreshment stop

Early spring, and heavy rains dumped loads of water on the land in our part of the Langkloof, Western Cape, South Africa. The dogs love this particular spot that we've named "the watering hole."

It's a dog's life...bosses at eating grasses

Walking the dogs on the mountainside, they always find something to nibble on...🤍

Detective Dogs, starring Bailey Boxer and Rhino Jack Russell 😉

A toe-curling mystery for our detective duo to investigate. We won't discuss how many investigations end with a "case closed." 😄

Walking the dogs #3 - a gripping page turner if ever there was one 😉

Making very short videos with clips from my daily walks with our dogs puts happiness on my face. It's top of my list of 'what to do to feel good.' And I get to indulge in a bit of silly humor. 😁

Cat-ch me if you can - a cheeky little farce featuring two dogs and a phantom cat...

Featuring our intrepid and dogged adventurers (and a sassy swinging-hips phantom kitty), this little bit of fun was made from clips filmed on today's walk at the foot of the springing-into-September mountain. 🤍 Michele

Walking the dogs #2 ... my shadows

Can you see the September spring in our step and stroll? Another overcast but bright day in rural South Africa, and the dogs just want to run wild.

0:39

Odd Couples

Walking the dogs #1... overcast day in rural South Africa

Took the dogs for an unexpected longer walk on an unfamiliar path in the fields surrounding our cabin. Spring flowers and winter clouds held hands, an odd couple.

Sun burns a circle - a photo and poem dedicated to the rising sun in the Klein Karoo

Yesterday, in the first light hour of the morning, I opened one of the outside doors to a friendly mist. The vast veil brushed everything with light fingers, even the sun. As the sun burnt its way over the horizon, I caught a moment when it blasted through the mist and a tree's canopy: "Sun burns a circle in the top of a tree, piercing the leaves of its thick canopy. And so it is that Sun is reborn, resurrected again, on a still, misty morn." #poem #sunrise #mist #countryside #nature

The sky wears a classic necklace of pearly cloud beads

I stopped in my tracks when I noticed what Sky wore this morning. A classic pearly necklace of cloud beads. Never have I seen such a piece of heavenly jewellery. If Sky has worn it before, I was obviously not paying enough attention to her accessories. Isn't it a stylish string of pearls? #nature #sky #clouds

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An outdoor potted polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) attracts a tiny visitor - a tree frog

The ability to notice what eye cannot see is my eldest son's NA (Naturalist Ability). He also knows the proper name for things. A plant or animal is not just a 'thingy'. I consult him and then I type. He spotted a golden blob clinging to the stem of this potted, big 'n bold outdoor polka dot plant; the tiny tree frog was soaking up the spray from the hose. I was summoned to take a look (I took a photo too). Isn't it just the most adorable, delicate little creature? #frog #nature #plants

Perky-pink amidst the dull on the garden floor, cheerful oxalis bloom close to the ground

Another 'pinch-me-is-this-day-for-real?' morning here on our sloping corner of the world. I walked to a corner of the soaked-in-golden-light garden to chat to one of my sons. In this particular spot, I stepped carefully 'round delicate oxalis quivering in the waking-up breeze. Crouching down, I noticed a bee (doubting myself now...is it a bee?) lightly kissing a blushing flower. 😘

Big tree, far off mountains, young man, fence, gate, dogs. All are silhouetted against the sun. The text reads as follows: Coming home...touches my heart. The gate is opened, the big dog leaps and bounds 'round the car, and the sun winks on the horizon. This little moment has a big impact. Dreams, Warm, Feels, Inside, I Coming Home

Coming home to an open gate, a smiling son, and bouncy dogs

I took this pic from the car when I came home from the local shop. The sun was getting ready to slide beneath the horizon. Jee opened the gate and I just felt so warm inside. I sent the photo to my dad. He replied that it feels like a "place between contentment and dreams." Isn't that just the best description ever?

Color photograph of a fabric print of red protea flowers. The text reads as follows: I stretch my legs, and enjoy the view on me and around me - these cotton pants have a protea flower print, and the mountainside here is dotted with this fynbos. On protea-pants-days, so am I. We're matchy-matchy. Yoga, Clothing, Trousers, Pins, Klein, Brother, Print, Fynbos

Protea-Flower-Print Pants - wearing the mountainside fynbos on my legs

"Having a pyjama day, are we?" quipped my eldest brother when he saw me in my cotton protea-print-yoga-like pants. I took a very close close-up of my pins in the pants because I love them and must record their existence before they expire. I found them in a second-hand clothing shop about eight years ago. The wide, stretchy cotton waistband is losing its bounce-back elasticity. I found little holes in the fabric the other day. They're my coolest pants for the Klein Karoo heat. I'll miss them.

Color photo of a beige and brown moth resting on the open palm of a young man's hand. The text reads as follows: A "Vivaldi" moth (not the scientific name - I allocate names on a whim) displays its Baroque style and fan-like contours as it rests in the palm of Jee's hand. It was on the floor, in the path of paws and heels. To accidentally squash our opulent visitor was an outcome we wished to avoid, hence the handy airlift to safety. Fan, Baroque, Vivaldi, Baroque Fashion, Lost, Surrender, Palm

Was this Baroque creature on its way to a Moth Ball? Let's ins(p)ect it...

Our wooden cabin is such a good time for such an assortment of insects, we've given up on brushing them off. Surrender is where we're at. The majority are winged creatures that we love to have around. This "Vivaldi" moth (not the scientific name - I'm inclined to slap my own name on things) was on the floor, looking for all the world like the lost accessory of a Baroque noblewoman. Here, it's in the palm of a young man's hand. He's a nature fan. #countryliving #naturepics #livingonafarm

A photo of a beige and brown moth. The text beneath the photo reads as follows: Moths are fatally attracted to candlelight; a flame leads them in a deathly dance. Sensibly, this beauty chose to be a wallflower. I guesstimated a wingspan of about 2 centimeters (photo is not to scale). It's not the smallest guest; there's a tiny, fairy-like, delicate-green moth species that occasionally visits. Wicked, Closer, Dance, Photo Escape, Flaming Candle, Moth Species, Clear Liquids

A wallflower at a Moth Ball

Like a moth to a flame, we say. It means there's an irresistable pull, a desire to get closer, even though we sense we might burn. Moths are lured, then lead in a deathly dance, by an element that is warm and exciting. I look at the melted wax that encircles the wick of my flaming candle, and within the clear liquid lies another velvet-winged dancer, singed and still. The moth in the photo escaped such a fate by doing a sensible thing: it chose to be the wallflower at a fatal Moth Ball.

A photo of the ragged skin of a fig. The text reads as follows: Charmed by the remains of a fig I ate, I got it to pose for me. Macabre and twisted? There IS a fantasy-horror element to its bent form, slimy shine, mismatched limbs, and conical head. Or am I high on figs? Limb, Fig, Slimy, In This Moment

The remains of the fig

After sinking my teeth into yet another fig, and blissing out, I placed the remnants of its skin on a surface and, of course, what happened? I encountered a creature and chose to record its misshapen limbs and shabby, hook-like garment; its conical head (or is that a hat with two ribbons flying from its pointy top?) and bent, stubby torso. I get a bit of a kick out of looking at the remains of a thing and seeing, in what's left, a new thing.

Dogs as medicine: a big dose of Bailey the boxer

My eldest son gives Bailey the boxer a cuddle as the sun softens. Unconditional love is a powerful healing force. Dogs are to the heart and psyche what ointment and a dressing are to a wound: they soothe, disinfect, comfort, alleviate pain, accelerate recovery, and protect. The BEST medicine.

A photo of the top of an eaten carrot. The text reads as follows: This is the end of a carrot. The process wasn't brutal or prolonged. After peeling, it was consumed raw by a human with sharp incisors. Surprisingly, it's what a carrot prefers. Boiling is overdone, and it goes to pieces in a stir-fry. Stir Fry, Cut, Half, Luck, Wolf, Power, Rabbit, Two By Two

The end of a carrot

Hungry as a wolf, I grabbed two carrots in the fridge, peeled them, and ate like a rabbit. I've glanced at the time on my laptop, and now I know I've got one and a half hours to get more than one and a half things done before loadshedding (our power is cut for hours every day, countrywide) hits us for the second time today. The carrots must sustain me as I scramble (I'm thinking eggs) to make something substantial while my stove is fed with an electrical current. Wish me luck.

Photo of Michele walking on a dirt road surrounded by countryside and a small portion of a dam. The text reads as follows: Walking to and past dams, walking around dams, is something we do. Turning 360 degrees, you see mountains behind mountains, vast washes of green, stretches of dirt, dips and rises, shrubs and trees, grasses and donkeys, cows and sheep, geese and, of course, the water everything needs...and we're lucky to have. Rc Lens, Country Life, Deep Breath, Writing Life, Reading Room, Herding

'Round and 'round the dam, in the Klein Karoo

'Round and 'round the dam, in the Klein Karoo. One step, two step, you've got the best view. Really. I mean it. It's true. You can breeeaethe. The only little hitch? Out of view, to the right of the camera lens, was a herd of cows. And they're not little. And I'm a little scared of them. But I took a deep breath, took big steps, and walked right through the grazing how-now-brown-cows.

Fruit of the gods - the ripe, sensual beauty of the fig

Padstals are roadside stores selling farm produce, country bakes, preserves etc. My favorite is the one that sells granadilla and hops 'bier' - classified as cooldrinks because, despite the label 'bier' (Afrikaans for 'beer'), they're alchohol free. Boxes of in-season fruit are sold at yesteryears prices. My eyes widened in desbelief when I saw a chock-a-block-full tray of figs at a price one pays for a cup of coffee. We're in good company, eating figs. They're regarded as the fruit of the gods.

Cherry tomatoes in a frying pan chase the blues away on a grey and rainy day

Today, the farmer's profile pic was apples on a tree with chunks chewed out of their red, round faces. I sent a jokey message saying "May I suggest you pick the apples before eating them?" Little did I know it was not birds, or another fruit eating animal, that tucked into the apples' flesh. Hail was the culprit. The marbles of frozen water that fell yesterday destroyed the fruits of an orchard, and the fruits of someone's labor.

Sepia photo of a light brown pray mantis found in the Klein Karoo of South Africa. Accompanying text reads as follows: My eldest soon found a young pray mantis. He called, "Come see." He knows how highly I regard them, how much they mean to me. He placed in on the skin of my arm. There it rested, eyes alert, taking me in. I walked to a tree, put it on the bark. Let's hope it's safe from harm. To me, it's more than just 'a thing'. Eyes, Dam, Arm, Sit, Brown, Pray

A pray mantis found in the Klein Karoo of South Africa

A pray mantis visits me at significant times in my life. It's uncanny and the reason my blog is called MantisWheel. I had a delicate green one sit beside me on my bed just the other day. They're incredibly communicative. Those penetrating eyes that look directly at you are cognizant; aware of your scrutiny as they scrutinize you. This light brown specimen did not come to me of its own accord. My eldest son found it outside in the garden and placed it on my arm.

Rhino the Jack Russell gets a raw meat treat from the farmer

Dogs are dogs, and fresh raw meat is their favorite treat. Our hounds are benefiting from the farmer's generosity. When a freshly slaughtered carcass is butchered into smaller chunks our canines receive a healthy bag (sometimes bags) of fatty strips and meaty bits. They sniff the air around the bag with such strong suction power they almost inhale it! The farm we live on has fields of roaming sheep and cows. The animals graze freely on the grasses.

The Tale of Garlic Head Stem - my top vegetable story

My youngest son pulled the stalk of a head of garlic and separated it from its bulb of cloves. Looking at it, I immediately saw the leg and foot of a bounding, springy woodland creature. I imagined the warty saucer-foot landing on leaf mould with a lightness and sure-footedness only a creature of the forest could achieve. Isn't it wondrous, the marvelous connections our minds make? How a thing we know as 'this' can easily show up in our mind as 'that'? I love it.

A spider resting on the folds of a window drape. The text reads as follows: Jee's roommate was sunning itself on the window drape this morning. It travels the walls and ceiling; quite the joller, this arachnid. Confident and relaxed too. It would fit in the palm of my hand, but I'm not extending an invitation. Legs, Interior, Afraid, Spider, Live, Twitch, Wall

Spider, spider on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?

Tons of insects live in the cabin. That means spiders are attracted to our interior space like moths to a flame. We leave them be, or move them if we're afraid of an accidental bite (likely to happen when we roll over or twitch in our sleep, terrifying an Eight Legs that's roaming the bedding). This common spider is a largish specimen and is being courted by my youngest son. Spider must know its the fairest of them all because Spider will then eat any cockroaches sitting on the bedroom wall.

A pod from the aliens -this is the result of an invasive imagination

On the slope behind the cabin there's a budding mini forest of fast-growing, knee-high 'trees' (I have no idea what they are) and these 'pods' are produced by them. Fans of Studio Ghibli's animated movies (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, etc) will 'get' what I see: a militarized adaption of nature, mass produced to intimidate and annihilate. Now isn't that a freaky way to look at it? The natural world is a wondrous muse.

The cutest key ring made me feel right at home...

We sat, walked, talked, poked around, all while waiting for the farmer to arrive with the key. An hour later, I phoned the agent. "The door is open" he said. I turned to Grayson (youngest son) and said (smugly, I'm afraid) "I was right!" Earlier, I'd tentaviely suggested he try opening the door - do people here still feel relaxed enough to leave doors unlocked? He thought the idea ludicrous (most South Africans would). This key ring was hanging from the lock, inside. Just my kind of sausage!

Playlist of the artists & songs featured in the book 'AN OLD MAN & A CROW and other original tales'

The months prior to our move to this cabin were heartaching. Carving out time to work on a book blew a bubble of immersive, peaceful joy and creativity into my daily life. Here and now, I can appreciate how much of nature is present in the book's pages, how the transformations and curve balls we all grapple with are in the short-short stories. The book is available on Amazon: there's a clickable link in the description/'More' box below the YT playlist. Enjoy the music!

Seeing beauty in the death of something often viewed as insignificant

In the past, I didn't pay much attention to dead and dying leaves I pinched or snipped off plants. For whatever reason, the pendulum has swung the other way; I see the poignant, arresting beauty in a diminutive leaf that coped, as best it could, with too much, or too little, water. Isn't that just how life is? We strive for balance but are thrown curve balls that topple us into crisis. Sometimes we die, sometimes we live. Whichever it is, we all hope we'll be 'seen' for the beauty we are.

invited you to collaborate on this board

On a farm in Africa

Pics and snippets about country life in a wooden cabin on a farm in rural South Africa. I hope the cards make you smile right alongside us. I don't own the…

44 Pins

17w

Collection by

Michele Damstra

0:27

What's in Waboomskraal will make you smile 😊

A photo story of the first time I went to Waboomskraal in the Western Cape of South Africa to fill up with petrol and wandered into the retro shop...

Water Walk...the dogs' favorite refreshment stop

Early spring, and heavy rains dumped loads of water on the land in our part of the Langkloof, Western Cape, South Africa. The dogs love this particular spot that we've named "the watering hole."

It's a dog's life...bosses at eating grasses

Walking the dogs on the mountainside, they always find something to nibble on...🤍

Detective Dogs, starring Bailey Boxer and Rhino Jack Russell 😉

A toe-curling mystery for our detective duo to investigate. We won't discuss how many investigations end with a "case closed." 😄

Walking the dogs #3 - a gripping page turner if ever there was one 😉

Making very short videos with clips from my daily walks with our dogs puts happiness on my face. It's top of my list of 'what to do to feel good.' And I get to indulge in a bit of silly humor. 😁

Cat-ch me if you can - a cheeky little farce featuring two dogs and a phantom cat...

Walking the dogs #2 ... my shadows

Can you see the September spring in our step and stroll? Another overcast but bright day in rural South Africa, and the dogs just want to run wild.

0:39

Odd Couples

Walking the dogs #1... overcast day in rural South Africa

Took the dogs for an unexpected longer walk on an unfamiliar path in the fields surrounding our cabin. Spring flowers and winter clouds held hands, an odd couple.

Sun burns a circle - a photo and poem dedicated to the rising sun in the Klein Karoo

Clouds

Classic

Heavenly