Magical times....

I grew up in a place called Tshipise, close to Musina, SA's border town to Zimbabwe. It was unconventional and magical and I returned there over the festive season to catch up with my Dad. I got to visit all the special places, filled with many "firsts"...here I broke my arm, here is my secret tree, here was where we had Sunday school class, here the bus (which my Mother drove!) picked us up for school.



Tshipise means "warm place" named after the hot springs bubbling to the surface

Huge, comforting and wise trees give welcome shade enroute to the swimming pools

Nothing beats a "hardekool hout" bushveld fire...

Boabab trees next to the swimming pools

Dad organised a walk down the koppie with people carrying flaming torches!

A thorn tree for Xmas - very appropriate...

The Tshipise Hotel, now a conference center where I literally grew up

View from our Chalet porch...

You can walk everywhere, with the trees to guide you

It was necessary to go back and to take time to walk down memory lane. An overwhelming sense of gratitude for magical times. And to be able to appreciate it again today is a blessing - Welcome 2014!