Turn Around, Slow Down and Wonder

Yesterday was another warm and calm morning. I again went to Baviaanskloof, with the intention to go up the mountain. This time I took the left path at the fence on the border of the estate. I was rushing up through the beautiful fynbos, along the little stream. After a while the path crosses the stream and I ended up in a dense indigenous grove of old trees overgrown with climbers. 

Dark and mysterious  full of dead wood, moss and ferns. 

The path only goes down towards the trees and houses of the other side of the estate. No that's not where I wanted to be. I decided to turn around and slowly retrace the path. 

I will go up another day. However yesterday I slowed down to look around and notice the little wonders I had missed rushing up and down into the dark side.
There is a miniature lake so calm. I feel like the tiny lonely bubble drifting on the surface.

Tiny flowers unwrapping themselves, opening towards the light.

Seeds ready to fly into the adventure with the intention to find fertile ground, a spot in the sun.

Further down I see the queens of the fynbos. There are flowering proteas everywhere wearing their crowns. 

Life giving to tiny creatures like ants and bees.

There are beautiful flowers and a million little wonders to discover. 

So easy overlooked in the rush on a misleading path.

Order and Chaos, Protection and Adventure

Today's walk did not feel like autumn. It was a perfect day. Perfect as the budding protea. Containing everything tightly packed in a perfect order. 

But at the same time the other side is visible. There are seeds produced last year, ready to be blown and scattered and to be dispersed around into the chaos. 

It is just a matter of luck to find fertile ground.

I see some sand in a hollow on a rock. Just enough to collect some moisture for a short life. A little pocket of opportunity in the chaos.

There is a fight for light going on. A struggle of life or death.

The sun comes up bright and strong over the mountain. A bush stretches its hairy fingers greeting the promise of enlightenment. 

The brightness lights up the chaos. Light and shadow are created.

I watch a lizard  It is protected in the unknown dark, invisible - attracted by the warmth, it is coming out in the open.  Alert and careful moving in and out of the shade. In the light it is visible, clear defined, alive but very vulnerable. 

Different from a seed, I have the choice and can decide every day anew to stay fuzzy hiding in the shade or come out clear, defined and alive in the bright light. 

A new path - Vlakkenberg 2

In my meditation this morning I had this deep feeling of loneliness. 

It was a grey morning full of sadness. 

I followed my feelings and went for a walk up the Vlakkenberg, opening my senses, and willing to listen to what this mountain has to say.

This walk starts with a lot of steps full of rough stones. Hard to walk, unpleasant step by step. There is a fence on either side of the steps. Razor wire keeping me restricted. I see the sun rising through the wire. The warmth is so far away.

Along the way an old tree trunk. Remainder of a twisted life full of old ghosts, haunted and full of pain.

A spiders web collected a thousand tears.

A broken pebble reminds me of an ancient stream. The water gone millions of years ago, embedded in stone it is waiting to be washed out again. 

I step over a trickle of life giving water. Fresh green springs from the tears.

I see life protected, sheltered by the rocks. I see a new and fertile land in the distance.

I see a new path leading the way up.

I carried on walking and it turned out to be a long walk through fynbos full of birds.