WHAT IS THAT CONTRAPTION OVER THERE? LOOK. THINK. ASK QUESTIONS.

That contraption?My first story: My wife and I walked into this embroidery shop and I saw it immediately. No, I must correct myself just in case you misunderstand me. I didn't see it. This contraption shouted at me! It shouted at me: "Hi Neels, please look at me! I am standing on this top shelf for years and years and years and nobody takes notice of me!" I felt so sorry for it. I called a shop assistant and pointed it out and asked: "What is that?" "What?" She...

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MY PLUMBER IS A MAN WHO LIVES A LIFE OF GRATITUDE

My plumber BernardWhen I received this photograph my first reaction was: Wow! You are looking so satisfied. And he is satisfied. Life treats him with kindness and mercy. He tells me that every night he has a roof over his head; hot water in the taps; food to eat and so the list can go on and on. The other day we had a problem with our one specific toilet and I phoned Bernard. Yes, he can come any time I am ready to receive him. And he came. He had...

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NOSTALGIA: STEAMTRAINS AND CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

 These are my photographs - I grew up with steam-trains.Taken at Germiston YardThese are my photographs - I grew up with steam-trains.Taken at Germiston Yard.Today I am in a very nostalgic mood! Please join me remembering my [or your] childhood days. I grew up [partially] in Vereeniging, old Transvaal Province [now Gauteng Province], South Africa. My first childhood memories are from a railway camp near the Vereeniging town, called Redan....

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HAVE'NT GOT TIME TO ...? COVID-19 LOCKDOWN IS ALSO A GIFT

This is my story for you - in images I saved from the internet.The gift of light; the gift of having time; the gift of having rehabilitating myself.Dare I say this to you not knowing your particular circumstances?I myself have an underlying health conditionMy very good friend is really suffering because covid-19 accentuated his prostate problem. He is still reading and is intellectually activeand he keeps praying. Surrounded by darkness? The...

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LOCKDOWN NEVER REALLY WORKED AROUND EASTER

"Why do you look for the living among  the dead? He is not here; he has risen!" Luke 24: 5 - 6.This is the definitive and everlasting difference between Christianity and any other religion in the entire world. This is the cutting edge - we Christians stand or fall by this. For further reading I recommend  that you read 1 Corinthians chapter 15 - read the entire chapter. If you don't have a Bible, I suggest that now is the best time to get...

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Evidence for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ of Nazareth?

 Jesus Christ in the TempleHistorically we, the Christians, celebrate the infamous judicial killing of Jesus Christ. Do you believe that? This is not a treatise about the truth and authenticity of those events – it is, I submit to you, just a short write up to whet your appetite to read and to do you own research into these historical events and to respond to it. The society, internationally and locally in South Africa, are corrupt. There...

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I LIFT UP MY EYES TO THE MOUNTAINS = THE SACRED WRITINGS

 THE SACRED WRITINGSMy wife and I spent about a week in the Drakensberg, Kwa-Zulu Natal during November 2020. The mountains are absolutely magnificent and majestic! There are so many write-ups about mountains in the different languages of the world that I cannot and dare not try to copy or to emulate – I will fall flat on my face before I even start. You can search my blog and have a look at my write-up about Cathedral Peak. The Christian Scriptures...

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- JZ - a man of many talents: contradictions, contortionist, chameleon and octopus

ZUMA SHOULD BE PROSECUTED WITHOUT DELAY I am writing as an individual that is extremely concerned about the apparent raping of our legal system and the apparent inaction of the prosecuting authorities to act speedily and decisively against the former President of the Republic of South Africa, Jacob Zuma. The short history behind it is that Zuma was subpoenaed by the Zondo-commission into State Capture to give evidence. Zuma walked out and now refused...

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PLEASE VISIT MY GALLERY AND HAVE A CLOSE LOOK AT MY PHOTOGRAPHS

 Oaktree at Chrissiesmeer, MpumalangaJerry Uelsmann had a tremendous influence on my photography. I recall many many years before I was introduced to Jerry's work, I did some composites but was not confident to publish it wider. Then, at photo club, some photographers referred to Jerry's work and that gave me confidence. Click on this link: Jerry Uelsmann's artA bit of a confession from my side: I am back again at doing the composite images...

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COVID-19 NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM. BEAUTY IN IT

The covid-19 2020 treeMy wife and I were treated/blessed with a week holiday at a trout fishing farm in Mpumalanga - and that was a blessing.As I was walking around and looking at the plants and wondering about it and the old historic relics of erstwhile people living there, I was taking photos at random. And I took a photo of the original covid-19 2020 tree below: The original covid-19 2020 treeAs I was walking away from this tree, the thought...

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CATHEDRAL PEAK VISIT

My wife and I went to Cathedral Park Hotel during November 2020. And  it was such a blessed experience - we met the most wonderful people. Please have a look at my short audio-visual that I created and you will read their names. They told us stories about their lives and we in exchange told them stories.  While surrounded by majestic mountains, I constantly thought of my seedlings and cuttings of plants that I cultivate back home. Being surrounded by these mountains I was in awe of God's handiwork. But, having referred to my seedlings,...

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Grendel Papawers Lockdown Poppies 2020

 February 2020 was a normal month with normal human interaction and the comings and goings on between people continued on the face of it just like always. There was a threat brewing but, it was in the background and therefore part and parcel of background noise. Or so it seemed.Suddenly by end of March 2020 in my country, South Africa, our government locked our country and started telling/commanding us to wash our hands. To keep a social distance...

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MY BOSVELDER CHICKENS

 I am looking down onto my Bosvelder chickenswhile they are feeding.My Bosvelder chickens Ever since I was a young boy I had chickens - at times, for instance when I did my military training I did not had any. The last lot were the Hi-Lines which were bred for their egg laying capacity. And then they got old and were replaced by the Bosvelder's. Bosvelder means "from the bushveld" - they are very robust and strong chickens. It is the first...

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