Bushman paintings among other things

Bushman paintings or Rock Art as it is also known, dates back thousands of years. These magnificent paintings or rock carvings can be found all over Southern Africa in caves and on rock shelters.  We were very lucky as children to live not far from one such site.  These happened to be on a farm about seven miles away.  After first having obtained permission from the owner of the farm, we would set off with our bottle of tea and tin of biscuits, to spend a blissful afternoon in the warm Winter sun.  One had to take a car to get there and then walk across an icy cold river with socks and shoes in hand and trousers rolled up to ones knees.  This was always a very exciting trip and had us all squealing with delight as we forged the river, slipping and sliding on the slimy rocks and occasionally falling into the chilly water.  Up on the other side sitting on the dried grass, we would rub our numb feet briskly with our socks before putting them back on again. 

The paintings were a short distance from the river and depicted the Bushmen running across the overhanging rock on an antelope hunt.  Little red stick-like figures brandishing spears in their hands, and the antelopes charging off and around the corner of the overhanging rock.  I never ceased to be amazed at the beauty and accuracy of these drawings.

Once when we went to view another set of paintings on a farm the other side of the small town closest to us, we discovered a huge sheet of ice.  In Summer, this would have been a small pond where the cattle and sheep could come to quench their thirst, but in Winter when the temperatures fell below freezing point on many occasions, these ponds would be iced over.

This particular afternoon is deeply etched into my mind. When skating is not part of ones culture, an afternoon skidding across a patch of iced over water was thrilling beyond belief.  I have this photo of my big sister about to throw a large chunk of ice into the grass, while my middle sister, a third cousin and I, with serious looks on our faces, contemplated the slippery trip from one side of the patch of ice to the other.  Life couldn't have got any better than this.