Set Me Free

A true story of the adventures of a little Cape Robin, a story of discovery, fear, human encounter and salvation told in fourteen pictures for children (because you need patience for this) and some selected adults

Once upon a time there was a very young girlie-bird

who did not listen to her parents and  flew into a human's house

just to look at the world from the inside out

For a while this was really nice

Oh yes, really really nice. Because there was so much to see !

A world of glass in front of her

But then the question that arose was: how to get out of here ?

And when the human came for the first time in her life true fear set in

It did not really help to ride a bike

because Cape Robins are not made for this

But she tried so hard in anyway

Her heart started racing and she felt if not of the human she is gonna die of fear !

Help me ! Help me ! She now shouts in the direction of her parents house

Too late! The human is already here !

The human however was of the kind category

and true, she was caught

but then set free

The Rope Artist

Trapez Act

The trapez artist waits inside.

The Godfather Of All Garden Gnome's

I just wanted to say this is a mighty big garden gnome.

FLOWER BALLS

Very beautiful but considered alien and invasive in SOUTH AFRICA.

THORNY CHILDREN

I have a friend and she got me all confused

By making me think I truly was in Mexico

She has so many children and they are all thorny ones

She loves them dearly all

even the most ugly hairy and hurtful ones (and their children)

like only a mother can do

cause only a mother can see beauty where there is really none

Then my friend got sad for a little while and forgot about them all. Who would have thought ?

 Her family cried all day and night

So I had to come, take pictures of them all and tell her in this way

to look again at her thorny ones

Mystical Lavender

May be you will say to me one picture of the lavender is enough !

In that case, I will tell you: look away ! Cause I ain't gonna stop.

I had a strong vision of this lavender, that I have been trying to find!

My vision was to see and capture the inside, the essence of the lavender on film.
And I have taken pictures for weeks. 

To get what I want to see.

Until today when I received what I have been longing to have.

This is my fathers's lavender.
It reminds me of him.
 And I do love this lavender.

Beauty Itself

" IF YOU HAVE TWO LOAVES OF BREAD, SELL ONE AND BUY A LILY ".

This is an old chinese proverb but I I think it applies to every flower.
A flower is beauty itself.

SYMBIOSIS 2

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

I LOVE YOUR HONEY

OH YES I DO !!

THE COLOR YELLOW

The color yellow is good for you. 
If there is the slightest hint of sadness in your heart find a yellow flower or several  if you can. Each one is like a little sun smiling back at you.

LIKE A PAINTER 'S PALETTE

I eat, drink and live color. I feed on it like a parasite. It is my daily bread. I crave color.

It adds the spice to my life that I need.

The painter' palette is what I call the Copperleaf or FIJIAN FIRE bush. When you drive through South-Africans cities you can see this bush crowning many gardens. It is one of the most popular species grown in South-Africa. 

The leaves are mottled orange, red and pink.

Slightly shaped like a heart, brown leaves with contrasting rose-pink markings.
Or reddish leaves with slightly paler markings.

And come closer now please. 

Still Closer. 

Every pattern and color combination that has been designed and then printed on silk, cotton, linen or any  fabric has been created by nature before. 

There is no greater artist than nature.

A Thousand Feet Are Going Nowhere

 IN MY GARDEN

Do you remember walking over meadows?

It was the sweetest most mysterious- looking place anyone could imagine.

Frances Hodgson Burnett

I found this old color print a couple of months ago in a second- hand shop. The painter's name is John McPherson. Flower fields, squirrels, pheasants, big trees and birds in the distance. Can you imagine how it smells? Can you hear the birdsong?

It shows a scene that reminds me of the area where I grew up in Europe. My family lived next to the river Rhine, close to the french border. The natural environment next to this mighty river is very special. There are many estuaries with river-arms stretching into the interior of the country. Along these river-arms abundant vegetation grows.

The whole region is a nature reserve today. When I was young meadows where everywhere. Just recently I read in an article that meadows are disappearing. There is no more room for undisturbed growth.

In my childhood meadows were part of my life. They were everywhere. In front of our house. Even our garden resembled a meadow. On week-ends the whole family packed a picnic basket, squeezed themselves into a blue beetle-Volkswagen and headed for the woods.

Woods are always friends with meadows.

And after lengthy walks all family members would lie on inflatable mattresses or in the grass, eating, drinking, talking or sleeping. Not without the occasional curse when bitten by mosquitoes. My mother taught me how to make a little crown out of flowers.

Flowers of all colors grew in abundance- waist high for a little girl- and playing on a meadow in summer was like diving into fairyland. The time passed quick.

When did you walk the last time bare-foot over a meadow?

Watched a bee......

doing acrobatics

The beloved friend of my childhood " die Pusteblume".

Meadows had dark openings....... food for scary children fantasies

Meadows had delicate flowers

and with their grasses, herbs and flowers they gave you itchy ankles....