Loving a touch of spring!

Sunny Sunday, You were so welcome!
Although the trees are still startlingly barren,
the birds and the bees are hectic…

The Boomslang canopy walkway was sighing happily with visitors.

The spiders are showing some thoughts about spring to come…

And the Parsley tree keeps up it’s habit of peeling in the sun, albeit still winter sun.

The sound of seed pods splitting open and sending their seed catapulting into the air stopped me in my tracks…new beginnings.

As for the Aloe’s… well they are just showing off for all to admire.

How lucky are we in Cape Town, with a treasure trove of a garden on our doorstep, with little competition elsewhere in the world.

Busy bees, scattered seed pods,

from heavily laden paper bark trees.

This is our unique world.

Lets look after it. For our children and grandchildren.

Rainbows, with a lot of pink.

Phew!
This week, my rainbow Cape Town has been in the pink.

So much happening, such busy times!
This week has been explosive with all things new and exciting.
New work, new family, which comes with a new home.
New holes in the garden, new leaves on the trees,
New Women’s day Walk,
and so the week has unfolded.

So much newness, it has been difficult to absorb it all.

We have had wild winter storms
but today we sit in glorious sunshine.
Is this a little hint of spring?
A new season, in every sense of the word.

Birthday Tea on Tuesday morning was an extraordinary event.
Driving 30 Kms from Cape Town in torrential rain,
we wound up in an industrial area surrounded by vast warehouses.
Under cover of umbrellas we dashed into one of the huge spaces,
unsure of what was in store but with every intention
of celebrating the big Birthday of an amazing woman.

‘Boeresjiek’ startled us all.
The perfect venue to party with Jacqui, the most gentle
and feminine woman I have ever met.
The table was dressed to compliment all of those qualities.
Girltime taken to a new level!

And so it was that the week was crowded to capacity
with memorable events and moments, and life events,
Highlighter pen times, so many as to bore any readers…
I won’t do that, but I will thank the universe
for delivering spring abundance in the form of
all the pieces of the week fitting together smoothly.
Thank you for that!

The Women’s Humanity Walk was the last piece of puzzle
that needed to fit in without hiccup, and so it did.
This was the brainchild of Nancy,
the founder of Woman Zone Cape Town.

Without doubt one of the most joyous events in a while for Cape Town,
the mother city came to that party in a way that should
make us all so proud to be a part of the beautiful complexity
and diversity that is ours to celebrate.

It was a walk to rival the best,
beginning at St. George’s Cathedral
and finishing at Artscape theatre.
The happiness was palpable.
So many women from all walks of life,
all corners of the broader Cape Town area,
all colours, religions, nationalities, young and old
they were there, walking and talking and moving as one,
escorted by Police cars and motorbikes,
marshals and onlookers.

Under perfect African skies
and wonderful just-right temperatures.
The singing and dancing on the steps of the theatre
were there to greet us as we all arrived,
with a Marimba band, compare and many more smiling
men women and children.

And oranges, for everyone to eat.

The Arch(as he is lovingly referred to) was there.
Desmond Tutu spoke with humour and humility
on this wonderful Women’s day.

He spoke about the women in his world, starting off by
explaining that he was wearing his dress for the occasion!
It fitted him just perfectly.

Thank goodness we still have leaders with energy and integrity.
And thank goodness for Women.
A belated Happy Women’s day to all.

The stories of life.

Yesterday I had the privilege of celebrating a milestone
birthday with a friend who has been a part of my life
for 30 years.
Thirty years! Wow!
It was a cold wintery morning, the rain was cascading off the mountain
but we were warm and dry and the happiness was palpable.
Brunch was served with pure love, gentle conversations
and deep respect for this wonderful woman.

Nan and I have painted together for years, laughed and cried together
and been witness to the roller coaster ride which is invariably
part of our life’s journey.
She has other disciplines alongside her creativity,
she is a doctor, teacher and spiritual councillor.
Also a loving mother to 3 adult children.
She is an extraordinary woman.

But then there are so many extraordinary women
and daily I am discovering that if we take the time to listen,
stories of monumental proportions start to shine out
through the gaps in women’s armoury.

Stories…
Something we women generally do well.
Listening is often more difficult, but this has become the essence
of the 13 Women Series, an exciting initiative
launched at the start of this year by newly founded
Woman Zone http://womanzonect.com
a Cape Town based NPO, brainchild of yet another remarkable woman.
A woman of intelligence, integrity
and so much empathy… making a difference to so many lives
by bringing this dream to reality.

 

Once a month, on the last Saturday of the month,
one Capetonian woman is given a forum within her community
under the Woman Zone banner,
to tell the story of her journey in life. Being a woman in Cape Town.

 

 

This is followed by rich conversations and much needed tea.
I cry every time.
Emotional me!

Yesterday sadly I missed that story.
I was brunching and listening elsewhere to another woman.
Nan spoke from her heart, told her tale
with strength, honesty and deep emotion.
Once again it was inspiring to hear how women soldier on,
often in such difficult circumstances.
It doesn’t matter which side of Table Mountain
the sharing is happening, it is happening!
The importance is in the concrete support,
the strength similar to flying buttresses,
that connectedness brings to all our fragile lives.
And so we laugh again, released by the story sharing,
aware of the importance of the telling,
the good and the not so good.
The laughing and the crying.

On Woman’s Day, 9 August, there is a Woman’s Humanity Walk in Cape Town,
once again under the Woman Zone banner,
where more stories of life will emerge and women will come together,
this time to walk and talk, maybe laugh, maybe cry but talk for sure!
Will you join in, as a woman of Cape Town?

Crying and laughing, the circle of life’s journey.
It’s what we women do well.

Sunday best.

As a child growing up, ‘Sunday Best’ usually referred
to our church clothes, all the smartest favourites
that came out of the cupboard with anticipation and glee.
I loved the dresses and frills, they made my heart sing, even
louder than my church voice.

These days, Sunday best has modified, now it is my running apparel
that I pull on in the dark, before bouncing out of the house
with just as much glee as that little girl did,
clad in all her frilly dresses, best shoes and high hopes.

Sunday runs are special for a few reasons, the company is always wonderful,
conversations stimulating, generally lighthearted, and invariably with those
who have shared more than just running tales, these are rich friendships.
These are people I love, a lot.

We run all over the peninsular, watch the sunrise in Seapoint,
the waves pound in Muizenberg and the clouds swirl and twist
around the mountain that acts as my anchor and compass,
Table mountain.
From Constantia greenbelt to Newlands forest, all our runs are extraordinary, memorable and addictive, who wouldn’t want to start the week this way?

So today, as we rubbed the sleep dust from our eyes
and bravely launched into the early morning rain showers,
we made our way around the most uncommon of commons,
an area steeped in heritage and history, wild flowers and wildlife,
Stone pines and grasses.
Known fondly as ‘The Common’ to those fortunate enough to live within it’s reaches,
it is today dotted with vast puddles, little clusters of early blooms
and not too many early adventurers.

As we traveled through Mowbray, Observatory
and then back to Rondebosch Common, our finery started to come off
and was tied around our waists, the rain had stopped and we were warming up.

 

On this quiet Sunday morning in a ‘church’ of a different kind,
I said a little gratitude prayer,
for the rich beauty all around us, the legs to run and eyes to see,
the company which as ever was inspiring,
and for the mother city and her extraordinary inhabitants,
her ever changing mountain,
and her ability to never looks the same twice
but always to startle us with her Sunday Best.

Eye spy Cape Town.

This week has been extraordinary.
We moved back into our pristine shop on Monday
and were trading instantly, out of the boxes!
So for 2 days we moved back in, selling our wares as we unpacked!
It was a bit surreal but a good feeling
having been closed for a week for a clean coat of paint.
‘Imagine on Belvedere’ is back!

We have had an English friend visiting for the week
and so between work shifts I got to re visit our city,
once again seeing it through fresh eyes.

What a treat to be reminded of that day
35 years ago when I too visited the mother city
for the first time and almost immediately
went back to the big smoke to resign from my job
and leave my apartment, piling my few belongings
into my little yellow mini
and heading for the tip of Africa.

We have been to Hout Bay, where we sat and soothed away the heat wave
with delicious local beers!

Our Englishman coped with 37 degrees better than we did!

Kirstenbosch, as ever delivered her special vistas and colours,
enthralling Jonathan.
Newlands forest, another favourite for a cool early morning walk, Moille Point and the promenade,
where we watched in awe as hang gliders
with tandem riders wafted down, landing perfectly on the narrow lawns
that lie between roads and rocks, high-rises and sea.
Hold your breath viewing!

We were drawn to Big bay to watch the kite surfers perform miracles
metres up, also ‘take a deep breath’ viewing.

We watched as the sun set over beaches whipped by warm winds
that drive the same kites skidding across the vast skies.

With vineyards done and compulsory Chapman’s peak driven,
It is good to reflect on this extraordinary and diverse city.
I am sad that our guest was unable to join me
on a visit to Nyanga on Saturday morning.
Woman Zone popped up for the second of the 13woman series, and yet another inspirational woman told her tale, Asanda Msuthu you blew me away,
so young and so very wise.
You can read more about this exciting initiative at http://www.womanzonect.com

A remarkable and emotional morning of story telling
topped off a spectacular week in our mother city,
not easily forgotten.

A snake’s tale.

Hidden in the depths of a densly forested area, surrounded by freshly spun
Golden orb spider webs (and no less complex), Guinea fowl with their week old chicks and Cape Robins scratching in amongst the fallen leaves that make up the forest floor,
there is something growing unusually fast in this, my all time
favourite Kirstenbosch Gardens.

This extraordinary development is getting more exciting by the day,
reaching heights never before reached in this part
of the enchanted garden, puncturing the skyline at it highest point.
It is not a Wild Almond, nor is it a Cape Saffron,
a Keurboom, nor is it a Tree Fuchsia.

It is none of these beautiful trees which inhabit this
“garden within a garden.”
This is something that is fondly referred to as “The Boomslang”
or literally translated the tree snake, and snake it does
high into the canopy, visually appearing as the skeletal
structure of this African snake.

It is made of steel and wood and is now being painted
a subtle green with wooden slats being laid underfoot.
This is a structure designed and created
to meander through the tree canopy and soon
hundreds of visitors daily will be able to enjoy the vistas.

People in wheelchairs  babies in pushchairs,
everyone will be able to glimpse the spectacular views into the tree tops,
bird watch or count waterfalls cascading off Table mountain
(one of the modern wonders of the world)
or gaze out towards Table Bay and the mountains that envelop and surround us.

It will give visitors a new perspective and understanding
of this previously seldom explored area of the garden and
soon the “Enchanted garden” will be a special whisper on every visitors lips.

Specialist teams are now putting the finishing touches
to this huge and exciting engineering marathon,
gently and carefully working around the treasure that
grows on the sloping ground below.
Although built as part of the Garden’s centennial celebrations in 2013,
the walkway will be completed in April 2014.

Cape Town was elected Design Capital of the world 2014,
and with this creative achievement, it is apparent why, we have some exceptional talent and visionaries in this mother city.

It has been planned with meticulous precision,
with virtually no changes to the pre-existing and hugely sensitive environment
but with such foresight that generations to come will
benefit from this amazing addition
to my favourite garden.

Cape Town… I love you!

A few days short of mid-winter
and we have just had the most beautiful long weekend,
warm, clear skies and green green green!
There are puddles everywhere from tons of rain
and the air has been washed clean.
The mountain had multiple waterfalls cascading down it
and our dams are filling up so rapidly,
preparing us for the next hot summer.
This is the Cape Town that is so easy to fall head-over-heels in love with,
the city that constantly dishes out one wow moment after another.
With my camera as my constant companion I feel compelled to share my
visual candy with the rest of the world.
Because it needs to be shared.

Imagine…

Imagine getting home from a wilderness trail in deepest
Africa with nobody for hundreds of kms around,

And instantly throwing every waking moment into the
birthing of a new and glorious retail space.

Imagine having the privilege of working with a young woman
who has a vision and an eye for selecting unique and
beautiful local stock, so that this venture can be
a proudly South African one.

Imagine how much fun (and I must admit, at times physically
hard work) we have had creating a new ‘baby’ for
the people of Cape Town, so that their gifts are easily
sourced and wrapped without the hassle of the dreaded mall.
Imagine having a spot on the planet where my own creative
musings can be displayed and possibly bought,
where I can display a mad Hatter’s tea party
and make swings and birds nests, How lucky am I?

Imagine, on Belvedere at Belvedere square is where
you can find a wonderful space to see all the new
and trending gifts for everyone…babe to great grandparent.
What a fabulous experience this has been, what encouragement
we have received,
Thank you Robyn.

Rainbow heritage.

Whilst it is said that monarchs and their heirs and spares have blue blood, I can’t help but feel terribly sorry for them.

I always knew that they were on one of the most restricted social diets in the world but really … what happened to all the other colours of the rainbow?

In Cape Town we have one of the most colourful political, economic and creative societies in the world but that is before we have begun to take note of our surroundings. Colour, colour everywhere and as many shades and tones of each as is possible to count.

Is it any wonder then that we Capetonians have rainbow blood coursing through our veins? Just one visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens at virtually any time of the year will convince you that there could never be another city in the world to beat this one. From deep Magenta through the spectrum of colours to Indigo and Violet, they are there, and all the shades in between. Yesterday I went for the best kind of walk, the first of the autumn rains had set in for the day and the gardens were virtually deserted, the tourists had headed for the glass house and only the occasional lone walker and resident Guinea fowls, Egyptian geese and gardeners were out in the rather ‘moist’ conditions.

The flowers were glowing, dripping with crystal-like droplets brought by the rain. Nothing was going to rain on their parade, in fact the dulled down colours of the sky were the perfect foil to show off their best faces.

The smells in the forested areas reminded me of my childhood, growing up in England, where my parents would take us walking in the mossy, humus rich woodlands. ‘Delicious’ is the only word I can find to describe the smell that come back to visit me all these years later.

This garden, that celebrates it’s 100 year anniversary today, with a traditional Garden Tea party for all it’s Botsoc members, must be one of our most remarkable treasures, open for all to see and enjoy. For all who live in the shadow of Table Mountain, who have rainbow heritage as our greatest heirloom, my hope is that our rainbow blood will forever be passed down from generation to generation, for 100 more years to come.

And then another 100.

Bad hair day in Africa.

I needed a smile and I found it in the most unexpected place!
As always happens with me I get to a point of no return with my hair
and have been known to take a pair of scissors to my head, or worse,
to my hair stylist’s horror, a large bulldog clip to my mop,
so when I came across this Aloe that is a North facing beauty
I had to smile…. a LOT!

Thank you Aloe, you made the day.

As did your bigger sister,
I quiver at your beauty.