After the gloom of venting about load shedding and in the gloom of a heavily overcast morning, it is time to cheer up by looking at more patterns around us. The first one isn’t a ‘natural’ pattern – and sadly is no more – but is of a garage door in the suburbs that used to sport a plain zebra that was brightened up when the residents changed hands.
The potato bush that pokes through the fence from the neighbouring garden to share its bountiful blooms with us is particularly cheering.
So are the pelargoniums that are flowering profusely in a fairly neglected part of my garden.
My garden – which was a desert of gravel and exotic succulents thirty-four years ago – has grown into a beautiful jungle of indigenous trees and bushes with a variety of textures, shapes and hues of green.
I came across this caterpillar while I was mowing the lawn last week.
When I was driving along a road out of town at around sunrise, I marvelled at the pattern made by the dew on this seed.
Something Over Tea 
I love your pics.Meeste van almal die zebra!
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Dankie. Ek was jammer toe die deur oorgeverf was.
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A well executed theme. What a shame about the zebra. The final picture is gorgeous – two of nature’s patterns combined
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Thank you very much, Derrick 🙂
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Beautiful photography, as always. While you’re mowing lawns there, we’re raking leaves here!
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Thank you very much indeed. As for lawn mowing and leaf raking … proof if we need it that whatever else befalls us, the world remains turning 🙂
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Great pictures, Anne. I love the garage door.
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I liked it too and miss it now that it has gone.
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Snappy zebra! Too bad it’s no longer there. Love the description of your garden, and I have certainly enjoyed seeing all the beautiful birds who visit.
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I find solace in my garden even though it has become difficult to manage on my own. As you have come to know, it is a haven for birds – which is a real bonus for me!
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What a delight it must be to have so many birds!
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Lovely, Anne. There is always something to cheer us up in nature. Your post yesterday was so interesting – I had no idea that load shedding was such a ‘thing’. It must be so frustrating….
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It is good to hear from you! I learned long ago that we need to look on the bright side: this afternoon for example I had electricity, a good book to read, a cup of tea at hand AND it was raining! That we are day four with no water fades into being a nuisance – there is always the hope that we will get some tomorrow.
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A good book and a cup of tea sounds like heaven.
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The pelargoniums are beautiful! Your garden is a delight!
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I love my unkempt garden for it provides a place of calm and serenity.
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My kinda garden!
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It’d be interesting to see a ‘before’ shot of your garden to compare to the current one. I love your tale of reclamation and the wildlife habitat you created while doing so.
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Unfortunately I didn’t have a camera then. We have planted over sixty trees and shrubs over the years and since then some have seeded others. Everything but the tiny patch near our pool and in the pots is indigenous. We now have plenty of shade and enjoy a wonderful array of avian visitors.
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A great contribution to wildlife!
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A very fine caterpillar indeed.
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I would love to know what it will turn into. It didn’t stop to chat, so I will never know 🙂
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I like the whimsy of the garage door and the other patterns on display!
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Thank you for reminding me of the lovely word ‘whimsy’, Belinda 🙂 🙂 🙂
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I like it too, it was a perfect word for this door 😊
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I don’t know whether English has an equivalent that carries the same weight as the Afrikaans “lushof”, but that certainly is what your garden is, Anne.
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‘Lushof’ – a pleasure garden: mine certainly brings me a lot of pleasure, thank you Dries.
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Jou fotos is altyd so pragtig. Dankie daarvoor
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Baie dankie vir hierdie aanmoediging 🙂
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I would have kept the unusual zebra garage door. That is an unusual caterpillar. We have a white caterpillar here that has sticky hairs that are difficult to get rid of and will cause an intensely burning rash if you pick one up or it falls on you. Its name is: The White-Marked Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Orgyialeucostigma)
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I do not know much about caterpillars – yet 🙂
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I was on an interpretive walk at the Metropark a few years ago – it was a “sketch, talk and walk” event. We saw that caterpillar and our guide said “no one touch it” and explained that it was considered poisonous – not to kill you but some people had bad reactions from the hairs. I had to Google it as I didn’t come up with that name … Googled “white hairy poisonous caterpillar in Michigan” – that you Mr. Google for your assistance.
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