Winter morning stroll

Taking random strolls through my neighbourhood in my hometown  is something I haven't done since, maybe my early years of varsity or possibly high school. As a highly discontent youngster who couldn't wait to leave this small town called Middelburg, I paid very little attention to my surroundings. Now that I've earned a few years to my age, I'm more appreciative of this place I've called home for so long and thus eager to freeze my butt off just to explore it from a more sensible point of view.

Patterns and textures


Frost


Burning wood

Rusty stands

Black Jacks

Things I need to remember for the next time I'm inspired to go for a stroll on a 5ºC cold morning: gloves, woollen hat, ear muffs and waterproof boots. So much for packing light and travelling with just a backpack.

Why did the snails cross the road?

Good Morning Beautiful.

Even though she never sleeps, the Earth allows us to witness her come alive in the morning. From snails crossing the road to flowers blooming next to the sidewalk close to a highway offramp. 

"Some flowers are only smelled when going down on your knees to capture them"- Piet Vermeulen

 Our busy lives make it so easy to forget things that are around us as we let the little miracles of life pass us by. In the midst of the mundane activities that sometimes fuel our existence,we should remember that there's more beauty around us, all we have to do is is stop for a second and look around.

Chasing the Sunrise

I’m accustomed to falling asleep between 3am and 4am, however I slept early the previous night and by my normal bedtime, I was wide awake, excited and peeking though the blinds with anticipation...It’s been a while since I’ve watched the sunrise over the horizon. The previous night’s rain had stopped and all concerns about walking around in a different environment alone with a camera in hand were thrown out the window. I was going to see that sunrise.

There was more than enough to keep this city girl occupied on the beach this particular beautiful morning.

I kept coming back to the beach, this was on a cloudy morning. 

 Nature has many ways of reminding us just how small we are and how grand and magnificent she really is.

In Bloom

Big Cats

A lesson in Patience.

Lions love chillin', and if they could sip on some Barcadi while they're at it, I'm pretty sure they would. The King of the Jungle may remain inactive for up to 20 hours a day, however the young Princes and Princesses get to play around once in a while.

These photos were taken at an Animal Orphanage. The lions were quite inactive and just when I thought we'd waited long enough for some action and were ready to move on, they began playing.

On another note, there's nothing scarier than watching a lion in captivity pacing. The feline movement from one exact spot to another and back again is menacing. Maybe they pace because the can hear the cheetah in the next enclosure being fed first. Maybe they pace because they're just tired of having a bunch of people with long lenses pointing at them and having to endure flashlights. Maybe they pace because they want to see other animals apart from their own family and the two legged one's on the other side of the glass. Maybe they pace because they think that even though the're orphans, they can take care of themselves in the wild. Maybe they pace because they just want to be free.