Langhuis

The thorns of the tree, Ziziphus mucronata, are spaced along the length of every branch in pairs. One of the pair points robustly outward and forward while the other curves back and inward in the opposite direction. Nguni legend says the thorns tell us something about ourselves - that we must look ahead to the future, but we must never forget where we came from. (Ian McCullum)

Walk at dusk, alert for puff adders in the thick fynbos, the low sun ahead creating silhouettes of the jagged rocks; a Hadeda Ibis sits atop a gargoyle.
The wind is strangely still as I set the fire just metres from the waves. Out comes a cold Castle lager and my feet rest on the hearth as the evening chill greets me and I look up at Aldebaran and Rigel, split by the galactic equator.
My sister, Shannon, joins me, an open bottle of red in hand and the fireside talk starts.Read more