Inspirations

As some of you know, in another life I train a Search and Rescue (SAR) dog, well, she trains me but that's a story for another day. You can read more about our adventures here. One of the advantages of SAR training is that I get to travel far more than I used to - my kids are also 18 years old now so it's easier to pack my gear into my little car and head out for the weekend.

Last weekend we visited a very good friend who lives on a farm outside Standerton - a large town in Mpumalanga. We had a wonderful time. It was good to catch up with my friend because I hadn't seen her since August 2014. Electra (aka The Munchkin) and I walked all over the farm and also visited some of the neighbouring farms. Our first stop on the Sunday morning was a beautiful dam across the road from the farm I was staying on. This photo shows the view over the big farm dam. It was a perfect morning - blue skies, warm autumn weather etc.

I sat on a dead tree branch (after checking very carefully for Ring Necked Cobras) overlooking the dam and watched while the Munchkin had great fun playing in the water. She is a true water baby. It was so calm, peaceful and soothing. Just looking at the photos reminds me of the peace and tranquility I experienced that day.

Eventually it was time to go back for breakfast. We walked back through the grasslands flushing quail and various other birds that I haven't seen for more than 20 years. To the Munchkin's credit, she didn't chase anything. She just meandered along checking out all the exciting new smells she came across. She did insist in sticking her head into all the holes in the ground we passed. Fortunately no cobras or porcupines came storming out of any of the holes. Both are endemic to the area.

The main farmhouse is a beautiful old Sandstone building with big shady trees round the house. 

Walking round the farm I found a shed built out of sandstone, a wall with the most amazing textures and a dead tree with a mushroom type fungus growing out if it. All of them inspiration for quilts and quilting. 

The main house built from sandstone

                                      The shed also built using sandstone bricks

This dead tree had fungus growing out of it. The red around the fungus is the remains of a termite nest. What interesting colours - the sun bleached wood, the red sand and the greens and beiges of the fungus. I wonder how easy it would be to dye fabric these colours. 

This textured brick wall reminds me of a jersey pattern in one of Kaffe Fasset's books - if I could just remember which one.