The Dal Times – Issue #2 – August 2020
August 1, 2020
The Dal Times – Issue #4 – October 2020
October 1, 2020
The Dal Times
A road less travelled to Tesselaarsdal…
Issue #3 – September 2020
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Editor: Lindsay Madden Email: lmadden@mweb.co.za Cell: 082-650-9697
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The picture has nothing to do with the Poem that follows…
The photo is of a Terrapin and not a Tortoise. Never confuse the two. There are at least 4 reasons not to do so.
Firstly, a Terrapin is amphibious and lives more dangerously. This one was found in a pothole of muddy water in the road – dodging the wheels of passing vehicles. Miraculously, it had survived with only minor shell-shock – which can be seen in the picture.
Secondly, a Terrapin is smelly – something like a cross between old fish and paraffin. Its most unpleasant and my late father Helmie who was an experienced horseman, warned me when we approached a pan in the Kimberley area, that horses were petrified of them and they would bolt, if they smelled them.
Thirdly, a Terrapin is cunning and carnivorous. It lives in dams and it will pull down swimming ducklings by their legs and eat them. This is not nice. Altogether, a Terrapin is a difficult thing to love.
Finally, Terrapins are territorial. My friends Mike Reitz and Nettie McGee came to visit one warm April day. They forgot their bathing costumes and asked if the Editor would mind if they took a skinny-dip in the river. In agreement and ever the gentleman, the Editor withdrew a polite distance and occupied himself with other things. The next moment, there was a shriek, as someone had been nipped on the turtle.
On this basis it is difficult to find anything nice to say about a Terrapin. By contrast, a Tortoise is cuddly, cute and lovable. It is also not fiercely territorial. Tesselaarsdal is true Tortoise Country!
Cute and cuddly Leaping Parrot-beaked Tortoise
Out of the Blue
One of the benefits of having well-known guests at Heilfontein Hermitage such as John Maytham of CapeTalk Radio and his partner Karina Szczurek (aka The 5th Mrs Brink) is that they talk about Tesselaarsdal on the airwaves and receive unexpected input from their listeners. One of these inputs, John forwarded to the Editor and it is with Theo du Preez’s permission that we dedicate this edition to the Afrikaans poem that he wrote about the area some years back, when he was working as a local real estate agent. (We have not adjusted his layout as we think it is important to the reading.)
Today Theo is based in Paarl with De Huys Properties (www.dehuys.co.za) and he describes himself laconically as follows: “Ek is van Laerskooldae ‘n ‘under cover’ joernalis en vanaf 2012 ‘n wannabe digter, haha – meestal op Facebook”
We think that his poem captures some of the unique atmosphere of the area and we hope that you enjoy it – Dankie Theo!
Tesselaarsdal
Neffens Maanskynkop se skouerblaaie
skuins agter die vark se snoet
lê ‘n vallei so mooi
en ongeskonde
skoon weggesteek
van priemende oë
Die inwoners koester dit jaloers
inkommers met agterdog bejeën
Maar is jy Carelse, Julies of Swart
word familiesake ounag uitgelê
met koffie op die koolstoof of ope vuur
Die teerpad van 80 meter lank
van die weinig luukses tussen
die eeu-oue sandsteengeboue
Die vervalle Poskantoor
circa agtien tien
roep woordeloos na die posman op sy ros
Hermanus se seesand
en Stanford se stowwe
kleef lafhartig aan sy maanhare
met skuim uit sy bek
en stoom uit sy neusgate
Jou ouma se ouma het vertel
van die 6 myl per voet
oor die kruin
van die Kleinrivierberg
reeds in die nanag vertrek
gedos in kerkhoed en
deurtrapte Sondagskoene
om regop en trots
die koue houtbank
vol te sit
vir jou sondes
van die laaste sewe dae
Waar die bloukraalvoël kordaat pronk
en die golwe lusern ritmies wieg
in die soel lentebriesie
daar vind jy jouself
rus vir jou siel
kalmte vir jou gemoed
Hoe jy daar gekom het
deur Hemel-en-Aarde
of Solitaire of Caledon
maak skielik nie meer saak nie
Hoe lank jy kan bly
die rustigheid en stilte ervaar
die geskiedenis herleef
aan ‘n grashalmpie kou
terwyl jy jou gejaagde bestaan herbesin
Te gou loop jy sleepvoet terug
so lank uitgestel soos wat jy kan
die stad roep
hy soek jou tyd en jou geld
maak solank planne
maar na Tesselaarsdal
keer jy altyd weer
en weer terug
dit is in die sterre
van die wolklose hemel
met seringsap geskryf…
Lockdown Level 1 – at last!
Finally, we are back to something approaching normal and we would love to see you again. With 3 options – all appropriately socially distanced, Heilfontein is open for bookings in the self-catering Lodge, Log Cabin and Hermitage. Come and unwind in safety. Your kids and pets are most welcome to roam the farm with you.
Please send any comments and suggestions to:
lmadden@mweb.co.za
website: www.heilfontein.co.za