Shepherd's Hut (ex Cowboy Cottage) Martyrsford. #BigSkyCountry
In the big backyard of a working Angora farm lies Cowboy
Cottage. It is dry country with vast skies. The vegetation and rich animal life
seeking out the oases of water are well adapted to the sun and wind. This Karoo
gem is an ideal place to reconnect, and create good habits; good habits are hard to break.
On a flight toward a recent running race I read the
in-flight magazine. It had an article about Japan, host country to the then
impending Rugby World Cup. The author referenced the special stature given to
aged companies over 100 years trading. Tradition. Creativity. Longevity.
Deference for purpose-oriented integrity and relationship was prime. And of
course, the final of that World Cup was due to be played on a dusty and windy
Karoo morning where we had no signal.
#LancasterLight, our effervescent and inquisitive 4-year old
had been looking forward to Cowboy Cottage for weeks. We’d been hearing about
Buzz, Woody, tractors, and all the things he was going to do out in the
big-skied Karoo country. We think he managed 25 minutes of sleep on the 150
minute journey. And we could breathe…
Cowboy Cottage is not star rated, nor does it need to be. It
has a colossal Karoo sky full of constellations! There is no electricity and no
GSM signal. It is clean and well appointed in terms of utensils, crockery and
cutlery; the kind that you would expect in your grandparent’s place. Everything
invites you to slow down, reflect, and connect. Stories lay in the comforting
items used to furnish the cottage and invite you to listen and share your own,
giving essence and value.
We arrived late afternoon, quickly unpacked and settled in.
I lit a small fire. Resources are precious and even wood should be used
sparingly. I disappeared for the first of 3 runs of the weekend… but I’ll give
another blog post to that. By the time I got back 20 minutes later, now
de-stressed from the drive, the smells and sounds from the fire and the cottage
immediately reinforced my smiles and early impressions.
Tracy and #LancasterLight were talking and laughing, the
salads were nearly ready, the liquid refreshment was ready, and the fire had
settled nicely. Time to braai (barbeque) the sausages and eat as the sun slowly
sunk behind the clouds secreting the stars to the susurrus of the wind in the
trees. And so we slept.
Saturday dawned, and with the early sun streaming through
the windows a 4-year old is ready to face the day with questions and energy…
Karoo, are you ready?
- Coffee? Check.
- Food? Check.
- Running pack with water and snacks? Check.
- Camera? Check.
- Adults ready? No check, but let’s do this anyway!
And off we went exploring. For those with their senses
primed, there is much to perceive. For those with open minds and hearts, there
is much to learn. The Karoo, if you’re on foot, is primal in a way only more
basic in the desert. The ground is hard underfoot, and dusty. If it rains, it
pours and then its muddy… and best you don’t find yourself in a
kloof/wadi/valley… flash floods are possibilities!
Signs of life and death were common: from birds chasing
gnats to bones; from lizards stalking moths to karoo flowers and sun-bleached
twigs. It is not often that you find color in full force here. Perhaps the
aloes flaming red would closest. If you really want color here, you have to
look up… blue. Big blue. We went exploring roads, paths, fences and clusters of
trees. It was a fun hour, but it was starting to get hot.
I joined the family again another hour later and we talked
about some of our life this past year, some of our dreams for next year, and
definitely about Christmas! There will be more family and an 80th birthday in
the mix. Talk about longevity…
As happens in hot climates a mid day nap is inevitable:
except for an excited 4-year old. We did manage to keep him quiet and lying
down for an hour or so. But then it was back to the questions and the learnings.
I taught him snap. And he caught me cheating! I would always look at the bottom
card, and if a match came up, I’d pull that card and pretend to beat him to
saying, “snap”. 3 times out of 4 I’d let him win with a shouted, “SNAP!” That
was followed by a guttural laugh and an evil giggle: so much happiness
escaping, perhaps drawn out by the big sky country!
We had made a cursory effort to find out the rugby score,
for the South African team was playing in the final at 11am SA Standard Time…
but did it really matter?
We read books and watched the wind wander past as it danced
with the dust. We ate and we drank… and then #LancasterLight and I disappeared
onto the hill opposite Cowboy Cottage. What could be up there? Treasure? Of a
kind, treasure there was: mohair. This wool has brought profitability to this
climate. And of course, this natural fibre forms part of the Blister Resist socks by Balega. They, too, are a company with heart. Diamonds here are more likely to start a fire than bring wealth. These
white-coated creatures flitted through the rocks and filtered through the
bushes of this koppie (hill).
And we loudly stalked two of them over the hill; one of us
with his camera and the other with a stick-gun (that’s the four-year old’s
technical term). It was fun seeing if we could find the hoof prints (only once
found in the rocks and stony ground).
Martyrsford is into its 6th generation as a family farm. It
qualifies for the kudos given those old Japanese firms. The valor and
commitment shown to the purpose, cause and relationship with the people,
animals, plants and Earth of the Karoo is an important story to tell, even
briefly. For there isn’t much to tell, other than that… It is a relationship
where integrity runs deep, and simply.
Another mealtime approached and a braai was ordered. The
wind was as strong as in the windy city so eating outside wasn’t planned. We
shared another talkative, connecting meal at the table. And with no TV in the
house it wasn’t suggested that “we” might be happier if we sat and watched
something while we ate.
If you didn’t have a kid or kids of your own, you may be
forgiven for thinking that no afternoon naps with all that running around would
bring an early night for #LancasterLight. Clearly it did not. There were more
questions about midges and sheep and animals and people and all kinds of
things… and stars! Tonight there were visible stars and a moon. What fun it is
to see things so clearly, whether there is understanding accompanying the
wonder or not. Life is an experience, a journey to connect with nature, with
each other, and with our selves.
The parents pushed through to a normal bedtime… and then
played the usual musical beds with a little human. All the beds were welcoming,
so sleep there after wrapped us up.
Sunday morning arrived with time for another cup of coffee
before a last exploration of the local fauna and flora. Every experience and
every part of the journey is an opportunity to relate more closely to the
knowledge being shared around us; and while a child is often more open to
expressing this inquisition; we all have the opportunity if we do open our
minds and our hearts.
A quick clean up, and slowly (as we were invited to be by
our gracious host, the Karoo), we meandered back home.
PS: the Springboks did win the rugby and my wife was happy!
This is not a philosophical post... if you don't like philosophy, skip to paragraph three 
It gets hot. Even when it isn't hot, its fairly brutal for running. Ground cover is usually at a premium in this semi-arid area. And of course the bushes know how to protect themselves against soft, human skin. It is why goats do so well here! 
So why have Balega's brand of mohair catapulted themselves into first place on my list?
