Ocean Meadows

Chocolat Negro Underwater Photography

Afraid

Fear

Resignation

Protest

Terror

Desperation

Hopelessness

Weakness

But then regained force, strength

freedom

Old Love

Available at Chocolat Negro Recycled Design and Art.

At The Reef

At Nahoon Reef this morning

A Slight Breeze

A slight breeze from south - south/west was blowing

Slippery When Wet

Christmas Time is the great holiday season in South Africa for everybody. It's summer in Mzansi and many businesses close their doors around the 15th of December or even earlier for a month of long anticipated  holdiays. 

That is the time when a majority of South Africans travel to the coast to enjoy the sea, the beach and the sun as well as many outdoor activities. But instead of summer, winter reigns in the Southern Hemisphere with temperatures of 12 degrees in the morning.

If someone still believed that global warming is only a threat to come and that we still have a lot of time to deal with it, spending the last few weeks with us in South Africa might convince him of the opposite and make it very clear that we are already dealing with the impact of climate change.

For him to steer alone a wheeled cart, fully loaded with sugar, weighing more than a 200 kg, down a steep drive way, flooded by rain and slippery as the mossy rocks on the beach, is more than an artistic endeavour. And still the rain is pouring. 

But God blessed Africa. One thing the African People hardly loose is their sense of humor.

Akono

AKONO - from Ghana, worked at the Bar Kouame in Nara, North of Mali.
Was often home-sick to the bone.
But never made enough money to pay for the trip to go back.

Every night, for seven years, he kept a cold beer for me in the back of his parafin fridge!

My Father's Flowers Are Always With Me

This is the chair everybody is ready to fight for. It stands right at the edge of the verandah overlooking the green valley. It is a dreamer's place and it has two beautiful arm-rests to place a cup of coffee or a glass of wine on top. It is my father's chair.

Once a year my father comes from a colder Northern country to visit me. He knows the secret life of plants.

Once here, he plants and replants, transfers flowers and bushes from one place to another, talks to them and convinces them that they should grow where he places their roots in the grounds. He heals and cures the damage inflicted to the plants through my neglect during the year.

He made the lavender and roses grow into giants in the shortest of time.

My father's flowers are always there and remind me of him when he's gone.

I found these little fellows in a junk shop in town.

My family and the friends, who have been staying in December with me for a while know him or her well. The Flamboyant in my garden "called Auguste ". Him or her, because somebody explained to me that this tree can be male and female at the same time. Not a bad choice I think. But I like to think of Auguste as a male.
Every year when the South African summer approaches, after windy and stormy days, he delivers the same spectacular show. Auguste, against an azure-blue sky becomes blindingly beautiful in his bright red flower dress. He enchants us.

Auguste is particular about the way he blossoms. Starting on one side, he blossoms in a very orderly manner from one side to the other. No, it is not a simple tree like the others. It's Auguste. He takes all the time that is necessay to become beautiful.