Busy first week in South Africa

Winterton and beyond!

It has been an amazing week in and around Winterton. It’s difficult to capture Winterton because there isn’t really a central town. I borrowed these images to capture the gist of the place 

Michelle and I spent most of the 6th tossing mural ideas back and forth and out the window. Looking at the scaffolding, the building surface, and getting a better sense of what matters the most to my host, and the scope of what I could accomplish in two weeks, the design became clear. What we settled on was an image I had been playing with and a quote I saw in Michelle’s kitchen. It wasn’t vaguely related to anything we had talked about in the past.

Step one - stabilize the scaffolding with a few bricks and an inner tube that happened to be nearby in the yard. 
Step two - rough in the shapes with chalk to get a feel for scale and proportion, map out a matrix that would allow me to transfer the design to the wall.
Step 3 - lots more, just dig in and get it done. 

As with the mural in Australia, I had to overcome the fear that I did not have the skill to paint the image we had agreed to. I knew I could do and I didn’t know how to do it, all at the same time. The only way to get to the final painting is to paint. We bought a can of red and a can of green. As I had requested, Michelle had collected “empty” liter sized paint cans.

Collection of paint and brushes in the handy work tote

She had collected them from the local hardware store and they were actually the empty containers of tints. With those, we added yellow, blue, and black to the collection of colors.

Climbing onto the scaffolding reminded me of 5th grade recess and the jungle gym. I have such strong, happy memories of the hours spent climbing and chasing up and down the bars. Swinging onto and up the scaffolding, I felt 12 years old, free and happy. 

Zleani and I wore matching outfits to work

The structure was a little less stable on the highest level where I spent the first 5 days. When the wind was blowing, there was a bit more sway, forcing my attention even more into the moment. It was like being on a boat at sea - one hand on the railing at all times, watch your step, be present, go slow. Talk about an exercise in mindfulness!

In the evening, Michelle took me to see local sites. One night, we had sundowners (drinks) in the paddock to fully appreciate the massive expanse of the setting sun. The next night, we drove to the next paddock over at dusk to watch the flock of falcons swoop and gather, then roost in tall trees for the night. The falcons flew with a fluid synchronicity that reminded me of fish. At dusk, they were silhouetted against a grey sky and stunning in their movement.

Look- there they are🤗

Yesterday, we left the farm and headed toward the Drackensberg Mountains. First stop, a famous bakery, then on to lunch at the Champaign Bistro , next door to the chocolate factory (free samples).  

The highlight of the day was the Drackensberg Boys Choir concert. Two hours of heartwarming harmonies from students 9 -15 years old. Watching the various shapes and sizes of young humans was as interesting as the concert. That said, the music brought me to tears.

For that two hours, it felt like all was well in the world. The first half was formal, each boy laser-focused on the conductor, standing stiffly, arms to sides. The voices were incredible. The second half was traditional African music and filled with so much energy, dancing and storytelling and drumming. I highly recommend planning a stop to attend a concert if you are visiting the Drackensberg area!

We finished the day with a look at the Drakensberg Mountains. It was too cloudy to see much but I did get to see zebras and impalas at a small private reserve along the way. We drove back to the farm through corn fields, past people walking along the road to go home at the end of a long day. The horses blocked our path to the house for a bit but eventually decided to move along and let us through. 

View from the gate on the 12th of March