Today we went on a quick road trip to the Pretoria Botanical Gardens. This is a Waterfall we passed on the way up the ‘koppie’, I used Instagram to take the shot. It took us about 45 minutes to drive there. My Tea Leaves cardigan came along and I knitted a few rows in the car. I am busy with the front and sides section, so it’s just plain stocking stitch of close on 300 stitches per row. This can become a little monotonous with so many stitches, so every little row counts, right, whether sitting in the car or under the oak tree knitting…
I have also started a new cowl project, I saw it over on Ginny’s blog, the Circumnavigate Cowl, I loved it and spun up some Camel silk yarn for the project, (so soft!!) ok, I am going way off topic here, I’m supposed to be posting about our day trip, but you know how it goes when one mentions knitting, spinning and yarn all at once, the brain begins to focus on all things fibre related….
I will be writing more on this tomorrow though! 🙂
Now back to the gardens, (ahem…)
This photo was taken at quite a distance and I was really nervous that this little Dassie (Hyrax) would dart away into the bush, so the camera was shaking ever so slightly, hence the ‘not too great shot’ ! But there he is anyway, he is called a Dassie and I read on the information plate that his closest relative is the elephant! His skull bones look very similar to that of the elephant and he has thick pads on his feet. His feet also have a suction cup shape to enable him to climb up steep surfaces and the last fact I learned was that they do not actually drink water but obtain water in the grasses that they eat.
All the Aloes are starting their winter flowering, you can see the orange flowers at the top of the Aloe plant, too beautiful…
I love these tall thorn trees in any shape and form, they just say ‘Africa’ to me!!
I thought this tree’s bark was so interesting and looked like velvet…
Hope you are having a lovely weekend and happy 1st of May…
looks like a great trip and a beautiful day!one of my favorite photo objects are old trees…I love them, they always “looks” somehow wise.
Wonderful! I love waterfalls! And trees and little animals and yarn of course!
Linda, you live in such a pretty part of the world and I love seeing all the photos. You inspired me with your Tea Leaves and I am trying to
finish up a few projects so I can cast one on for me. And oh the spinning, one day I hope to do that too! 🙂
What lovely photos, particularly the top one of the waterfall. Just wondered what Instagram is. Is it a type of camera? Oh to be somewhere warm and sunny, where it is not raining. Ginny
Beautiful pics, looks like a great day!
The bark on that tree reminds me of the under side of a giraffe neck or that of an indian cow, smooth wrinkles. I love the juxtaposition of the waterfall and your yarn. It looks like the water is turning into yarn.
linda, i love this post, it has so much to love. we drove through pretoria once, i wish i would have known about the botanic gardens. love dassies, they are so cute.
i have knit circumnavigate and love it, i’m sure i’ll make another for next winter, it would make a good gift. the wool your spinning will make a beautiful one.
and my tea leaves is getting it’s sleeves now. it had been put aside for the knitting for africa, just now getting back to it. i was kind of hoping to finish it up before we leave (6 more days!).
such a cute photo of your children too, i always love the group photo.
This brings back such memories. I know exactly where that trail your kids are on is. We lived in Pretoria for 3 years (my 2 oldest were born there) and went to the gardens often. Now we’ve been back in the States for 7 years and I miss South Africa so.
The tree puts me in mind of the elephant. The rounded wrinkles and the skin-like texture – I was surprised, at first glance, that it was only a tree. I wanted it to walk and wave ears. I think I’ve read about Dassies before – how astonishing that such a wee thing could be next of kin to such a great sized thing. And you will note that I am most taken by the two elephant related impressions. Picture of the fam? Loved it. And what a gorgeous place. I hope that some of my shots of our desert and mountains give you the same joy and shock of strangeness that your shots give me.