A misty day near the foot of Table Mountain. Exquisite flowers form a soft tapestry of pink and grey, against a backdrop of glowing muted green. The softness of the Cape Town day made me feel as if I was enclosed in a precious hidden garden of beauty; free as a bird between the walls of the sky, the mountain and cloth of cloud, and the gentle dignity of the plant life...
*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa
The shyness
of little faces turned towards the sun...
petals slightly daunted by the recent heavy rains and winds of Ireland
yet still beautiful in their innocence and simplicity.
If the God of Creation
created such innocent beauty
then how beautiful are we
His created human children,
in His sight.
Let our hearts
be at innocent as these little blooms
Let our thoughts
be as adventurous as the contrasting colours of the petals
let our spirits be as courageous
as the petals which stand up to the rain of challenge and difficulty
and bloom undeterred on into the beauty of the day.
Let us have the courage to be ourselves
As these tiny flowers are
so uniquely - so wonderfully - themselves.
Praise to the God of Creation who crafted these exquisite miniatures!
*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette - please feel free to use copright free for any worthy purpose
The animals in South Africa are so beautiful. They have such personalities. Look at this sheep, looking intently at our family and friends having an animated conversation. The sheep was so interested in what we were doing ...
The tree stands, proud and strong, against
the soft sfumato of the sky...
as strong and beautiful
as a poem in the golden evening.
Is there any more beautiful sight
than the South of Africa in the joyous evening...?
*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette
Many years ago when I was a small child, an elderly Sesotho lady tucked me down next to her knee to tell me a story.
"Child, do you want to know why there is always a cloth of white on Table Mountain in Cape Town?" she asked me. Wide-eyed and breathless with excitement, I pleaded,
"Yes, oh yes. Please tell me."
She comfortably settled her traditional build back in the chair, and told me,
"Once, long long ago, there lived an Old Man next to the Table Mountain.
He used to rock in a rocking chair, and smoke a long pipe, thinking about nothing much at all.
He used to look far, far away in the mountains, and his beard grew longer and longer.
Then one day, he had a fight with another man who tried to banish him and his rocking chair from the mountain. Enraged, he ran up into the mountains, and hid his chair there. Then, to punish the other man, he began smoking and smoking with his long clay pipe, big smoke rings and puffs of smoke that rose in the air. But the other man could not find him. However, he saw the puffs of pipe smoke which made rings and clouds of smoke in the air, so much that eventually they covered the top of the mountain like a tablecloth covers the table. And that is why it is called Table Mountain."
Puzzled, I asked, "But where is the Old Man now?"
"Somewhere under the blanket of smoke he has been smoking for centuries," she answered.
"And how did he stay alive so long?" I queried.
"Some say he died, and it is his ghost which still sits and smokes. And when you go out in stormy weather, why the old people say they can still hear the creak-creak-creaking of his rocking chair as he rocks back and forth, blowing up smoke rings to cover the top of the mountain," she answered.
And recently in Cape Town, I saw the smoke for myself. Maggie, you were a wonderful storyteller...
I thought of you in the evening as I stood outside, trying to listen if there was a creaking sound coming on the wind...
*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette in glorious Cape Town, South Africa.
Why not visit?
*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette
Travelling recently to Cape Town in South Africa, we were in a bus caught in the snow blizzard which swirled like white foam across the high windows. Thanks to Almighty God for keeping us safe, to the bus drivers for their expert driving, and to the hostesses who made our trip so comfortable. InterCape Sleepliner was a wonderful and safe way to travel. Heavy mist covered the mountains in Cape Town, just lifting as we were departing. Have a look at just how beautiful Cape Town is ... why not visit there?
*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette
