A SHORT JOURNEY INTO DULLSTROOM MPUMALANGA

 

Brunsvigia, Dullstroom, Mpumalanga 2021

Brunsvigia, Dullstroom, Mpumalanga 2021

Please have a look at my GALLERY page for a number of images of Dullstroom, Mpumalanga. 

That visit of me and my wife during February 2021 was rather eventful in that I still have living proof of our visit there: plants that I cultivated! Eucomis and brunsvigia. The eucomis was familiar to me because I have some in my garden - the story of those plants are below. 

BRUNSVIGIA

Brunsvigia? Oh gosh! What  is that? I quickly learnt. 

When we were on our way to Dullstroom, I could never have imagined what was waiting for me; and to top it, I never thought that it would have a long lasting effect. 

These plants are indigenous plant material from South Africa. My photos bring back such a lot of very fond and inspiring memories. It is a trip that I will not forget because I now have living plants in my garden; I brought  back seeds and leaves; then I cultivated plants from it. 

My very first impression of this exotic looking plant, which was later identified as the brunsvigia, was that it is not real. How can such a thing of beauty exists? How can it just grow in an open country side with the harsh sun burning down on it? It becomes very cold and rough out there, and yet, it was growing and flourishing; how is it possible that a thing of such beauty can survive? And to crown it, the veld was peppered with it. And it is indigenous to my country. I find the brunsvigia an interesting plant. I had to get out of the car and have a closer look. To touch it was bliss. The candelabra flower contained seeds. And I took some - it was irresistible.  

Back home, I put about 60 brunsvigia seeds into the soil [in pots] and about 35 plants are growing. It took months in the coarse river sand to sprout. 

Brunsvigia from Dullstroom, Mpumalanga

Brunsvigia, Dullstroom, Mpumalanga

EUCOMIS

Now, onto my eucomis!

Some time ago I got a eucomis autumnalis [pineapple lily] and I was intrigued by this very strange and wonderful plant. I immediately started reading up about it and realised it is indigenous to my country. The upshot was that I cultivated 105 bulbs from five leaves that I cut and put into coarse river sand for about 6 months; I harvested the bulbs and shared some with a fair number of my friends. Every time I look at my flowering eucomis,  it is such a pleasure to remember how I cultivated it - by cutting five leaves into 15 cuttings, putting it into the coarse river sand and keeping the sand moist. Then I had to wait very painfully and slowly for about six months to investigate and found that there they were: tiny bulbs! 105 of them.

And during February 2021 I got 5 leaves in Dullstroom and cultivated 18 bulbs from those leaves; also in river sand. The waiting game started all over! Well, I am very happy to report that after six months of patiently waiting, the bulbs were waiting down under for me to admire.

Now, I ask you: how can you not be captivated by these plants.

Eucomis: Dullstoom, Mpumalanga 2021

Eucomis: Dullstoom, Mpumalanga 2021

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THINKING BACK TO MY VERY EARLY CHILDHOOD WHILE I AM SITTING IN MY SPECIAL GARDEN

Lush green fern - as a child we never had ferns like these 

Gardens and steam trains. I grew up with steam trains. But not with gardens. I think we were too poor to have a garden - I mean a big, lush garden overflowing with beautiful scented flowers and exotic plants. We didn't even have friends with that type of garden. Do I regret it? No - absolutely not. I grew up with steam trains fired up with coal. You could see the smouldering coal inside the fire chamber. And you could hear the metal shovels throwing the coal  into those fiery chambers. There was not time to think about what I did not have. 

And that is how still live: I cannot regret the things that I did not have. Get on with living your life.

But - it changed. My wife started our garden in the Morningside home where we were living for on 41 years. And that is where I started gardening on 1 January 2013 - that makes me at almost 72 years of age a relatively young gardener. 

That was the background story of me making this video. I don't know who the videographer of the train was, and I don't know who is involved with the beautiful music that I have used. I want to pay tribute to them and thank them for making - and that enabled me to create my story of a train and a garden.

Oh yes, you will see a sculpture at almost the end of the video. Who sculpted it? Me and two much younger people under the tutelage of Nicholas Smith - thank you Nicholas and thank you that you are still my friend. 

I do hope that you have enjoyed it.

God bless you. 

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THE NEW YEAR 2022 AND WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING SINCE MY LAST POST?

 Wild olive  tree [olea africana] in my previous home in Morningside Sandton

You may ask me what have I been doing with myself? Well, a lot of things happened in the meantime. All of a sudden I realised that I am not the world's greatest blogger! I assure you that a lot of things happened. 

The photograph of this wild olive tree [olea africana] is standing in the garden of my previous home in Morningside, Sandton. My wife planted it many years ago. This is a composite of the original image I took.

We sold the property after living there for almost 41 years - yes, we built it and now we are no longer living there. We are now living  in a home in Rivonia, Gauteng just about 6 kilometers from the previous property.

And we are so happy in this house - it is an abundant blessing. 

Our son is working in Qatar and of course he wanted to know what we were doing - you should remember that, that property was the only home that he knew although he was born in Parkhurst, Johannesburg.

I made a short video explaining to him what was happening to our garden. We moved from a rather big piece of land to a very small piece - now we are learning brand new gardening methods because it is container gardening. And I tackled the containers we had and painted it in preparation to move to the Rivonia. Please look at my video - the narrative is in Afrikaans our mother tongue.

The first pots I am pointing out were made by my paternal grandfather and his eldest son, Uncle Johannes. 

The four brown clay pots I got from friends who are sadly no longer with us - they passed long ago. The story behind these pots are that the indigenous people of the northern parts of South Africa made it. The ones in my video were relatively recently made. But another photographer friend who also did spelunking found similar pots deep down in the grottos and the indications are these were a couple of hundred years old. What I particularly like about this story is that the original markings on my pots are exactly the same as those deep deep down under the earth and a couple of hundred years old!! 

This is all for now - I will later tell you more about the move. 

I trust that you will be blessed during 2022.

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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 asked me dumbfounded.

"That thing over there."

"I've never seen it!" 

I couldn't believe my ears. How long have you been working here? About seven years she replied.

I asked another young lady and she was just as flabbergasted as the first - she did not had the faintest idea because she has never seen it. Another elderly lady shouted out: "It’s a weaving loom!"

My immediate response was: "No, it’s not!" 

It turned out that it was the owner of the shop who mentioned it being a weaving loom and the latter young lady was her daughter - mother bought this shop seven years earlier and never bothered to find out what it is!

 My friend, the contraption was shaking with embarrassment. They took it off the dusty shelf and I started examining it; eventually I took about eight photographs of it and decided to find out what it is.i

I started writing e-letters and whatsapp notes to lady friends and male friends - nobody had any idea. But then some-one offered an explanation: you wind wool around the spool and make a rug. And then another one tried explaining it - you weave wool around it and join the ends.

And so, my quest to identify it took some direction, but not quite satisfactory.

The point of my story is not what that contraption is about; it is about people walking oblivious about their surroundings.  Do you notice things around you?  Good for you. My next question is: do you ask what it is? For instance, a tree? What is a tree? Find out. Google it. Read about the rooting system, read about the leaves. Go for it.

My next story: I walked into this huge reception area of a posh auditor’s firm who pride themselves to be not your ordinary auditors and was stunned by the opulence. The furniture was luxurious. The glass tops on the coffee tables were thick and on the face of it hugely expensive. I was met by the official whom I had the appointment with and we started chatting. I congratulated her working for this well-to-do firm and I pointed out some of the artwork that is so in your face that you can't miss it. Her response? "Sorry, I have never noticed it!" She was working for that firm for more than 9 years. She then told me that she walks there every day and never seen it before.

I recently discovered the late Prof. Mike Rose on my twitter account! He couldn't get enough out of life! He lived it to the fullest extent. Always asking questions always inquisitive about his surrounds and the people around him. And asking himself what he can do about it. And he referred me to an article by a medical doctor advising that you should count and write.  I read his BlogSpot article ON COUNTING AND WRITING and you can find it here by clicking on this link.

They are indeed doing their jobs faithfully and responsibly. But my question is: is there not more to life than just doing your job faithfully and diligently? Does it mean that you are only doing your job to the best of your abilities and that is where your life ends? The answer is of course there is much, much more to life than that. Is your life tiresome and sole destroying? To go thru life not noticing must be dreadful.

You simply have to read it. Start counting and writing!

Cheers for now.

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MY PLUMBER IS A MAN WHO LIVES A LIFE OF GRATITUDE

My plumber Bernard

When 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 to travel from the other side of Johannesburg to my side in Sandton. That means he had to battle the heavy traffic despite covid-19 protocols in place in South Africa – although only on level 1, but nevertheless mid-city traffic is a problem. We battle with the taxis being somewhat of a law unto themselves and road rage and the normal other congestions of city traffic. Collisions. Delivery trucks that overturned or lost its cargo.

When he arrived at my house he got out of his car and he smiled at me and greeted me: “Good morning Uncle Neels, how are you?” Wow! This is a man just emerging from a battlefield! And he smiles. “How is Aunty Annemarié? O I am glad to hear she is also healthy and fine.” And so, the conversation goes on and on – he did not mention a word about the plumbing problem. We were discussing the recent rains and approaching winter. He told me that his one daughter is now living and working in the Lowfeld [Nelspruit town]; he is so happy that she does have a job to do. He longs for her; but she is working and is in a position to fend for herself. Nelspruit is so far from home that she couldn’t just jump in her car [or a taxi] and come home for the weekend. “Isn’t that a blessing, Uncle Neels?”

He lives a life of gratitude.

Bernard in the botanical gardens

After a rather protracted conversation he referred to the toilet. And he took out his tools and started working. Quietly. Calmly. Contently. Satisfied. He has a job to do.

“No thank you, I don’t want something to drink because it is a long way back home.” He gave me his account; and he left still very grateful for having had a job to do.

When I first met him, his hair was still pitch black. Now, it is turning grey and his movements are not as swift as a youngster, but he did a sterling job. We can breathe now!

I salute you, Bernard! I really do! 

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NOSTALGIA: STEAMTRAINS AND CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

 

These are my photographs - I grew up with steam-trains.

Taken at Germiston Yard

These 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. We were very poor my father could not even pay attention! But, having said that, I do remember the steam-trains because my dad worked on the railways as a train conductor. And I spent many days with him right at the end of the long line on coal trucks [ I think that is what they were called]. I try to remember because me and my family left Vereeniging 1963 about. 

I can smell the steam and smell the root and soot. Hear the coaches on the tracks. When I served the State Attorney, we got a railway concession for holidays and we spent many nights on the "sleep over night trains." Please click on this link to listen to the trains. I bring pay a tribute to the photographers in South Africa who took these footage - I don't have the means to track them and ask permission to publish this - but I pay my respects. It is apparent that these guys must have spent many hours preparing to take these footages not to mention to locate the exact spots to photograph from. It is fascinating to sit in a car with them chasing a loco and to see how the photographer zoomed in on the wheels. Oh!!! those wheels!! Those wheels!! 

You will see that some of the footage were taken by railway machinists themselves; at time they are hanging out of the loco to take footage of the wheels!!! I am listening to the sound of the link that I gave you. There are also footage of the insides of the loco while speeding along the long lonely stretches of the arid Karoo. Look at the black smoke pouring out - the passengers in the coaches had to contend with the soot and grime while eating "padkos." If you don't know what "padkos" means, it means special food-packages that you prepare for the long journey. 

I do hope that you have enjoyed this lot - and if you happen to know the whereabouts of the photographers please forward that information to me to enable to engage with them. 

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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 condition

My very good friend is really suffering because covid-19 accentuated his prostate problem. 

He is still reading and is intellectually active

and he keeps praying. 

Surrounded by darkness? 

The prophet of old Isaiah reminds us:

"Let him who walks in the dark, 

who has no light,

trust in the name of the Lord

and rely on his God"

[Chapter 50:10]. 

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