Dina and Dirk invited me over for a long weekend to their extensive and picturesque farm in the Freestate of South Africa.

‘My’ bungalow was expecting my arrival. How lucky am I?

Thick lavender bushes surrounded the Laupa and the residential home.

The smell of lavender first thing in the morning is just delightful. Swarms of bees occupied the purple fields.

The lavender is complimented by a dry garden with various succulents.

The structure and scope of each plant simulated a flower.

While colorful patterns shimmered brightly in the sunlight.

It’s a photographer’s artistic studio.

The whole property was my creative outdoor studio.

There are many options to capture nature in its glory.

The landscape offered picturesque prospects in either direction.

I just needed to look for the perfect light and the perfect time.

It’s all about timing.

Man-made dams invite colorful reflections in early mornings and late afternoons.

The Golden Hour sun rays reflect best at that particular time.

This highland plateau is known for cold winters and hot summers, due to elevation and the relatively nearby Lesotho Mountain Range.

The Free State is dotted with farms and has perfect farmland with rich soils and relatively even farmlands.

A few mountain ridges offer perfect settling corners, or hoeks, for housing, out of the wind, or straight into the wind. It’s just as well a good viewpoint over the vast valley ahead up until the next mountain range, which marks the neighbor’s territory. It is breathtaking. This being Africa, it is also a safety advantage.

Visitors can be seen long before they get to the homestead.

Dogs are the farmer’s best friend in many ways. Farm and working dogs are common on farms, which kept me company just as well.

But again, the safety aspect is not disregarded.

What one dog doesn’t hear, the other one will.

Ten ears are a fair alarm system, as they are tuned in to common noises around the farm.

Dogs are a good excuse to do good exercise and go for a walkies. I had my camera ready, just in case.

Dirk and Dina have taken a step back from busy farm life, as the next generation is taking charge of managing fields and farmlands. It’s hard yakka as work never stops.

Various crops need to be planted and later harvested in different seasons.

Cattle, sheep, goats, and horses need to be attended just as well.

Being exposed to nature’s pleasure and pain. It is to Dirks’s and Dina’s delight to see sons Connie and Thabo taking on the challenge superbly, keeping this family estate going and growing.

I have nothing but the uttermost respect for such endeavor and commitment.

And made some sweets for afternoon tea. Dough-whisperer versus dog-whisperer.

Dirk told me about a hidden track up these mountains, a zig-zag course leads you right to the top of the tableland. This is the first challenge for Zimba and me. It is imperative to feel comfortable with one another for upcoming challenges and this is the perfect training ground. Let’s go.

It is also a perfect viewing and exploring platform for surrounding ranges and lakes, over the Van Niekerk’s Maarmanshoek.

I was a bit nervously excited when locking the front wheel hubs and engaged 4 WD. The track was fairly steep and loose gravel is always a challenge. But the path was also well maintained and Zimba had as much fun as I did, climbing up higher and higher in low range. Moora, Moora as the Malagasy say.

Slowly but surely we reached the top for the first time. It felt like entering a new dimension. I was all alone. I was in peace. And I was stressed. What to do first?

Shall I drive on? Shall I set up my Osmo camera? Would my Olympus give a better option. Or is Rick the preferred alternative? I did all of the above in the upcoming days. This opportunity was not to be missed.

But first, it was time for a nice cuppa coffee in tranquility and superb views.

The alarm went off at 4:00 am, which is the coldest time of night. But what a view. There was no wind, which is quite unusual, and a clear stary night accompanied my coffee. The army of dogs was already used to Zimba and myself. Thankfully, I didn’t wake everyone up.

I got up the hill in total darkness. Only the stars and a weaning moon shone brightly over the high plateau. Zimba looked fabulous in these surroundings of emptiness. I captured him with long-exposure photography. What a way to start the day. To the east of the horizon, the first light broke beyond the mountains.

The weather conditions were still perfect as I got Rick airborne. Magnificent.

Zimba was the tallest obstacle near and far and there was no other traffic. I practiced Active Track with my drone. It means that the camera is locked onto a particular target, eg Zimba, and the drone follows my bakkie sideways or from behind.

It was a bit extra nerve-wracking to concentrate on dusty tracks as well as on the positioning of the drone.

It was a bit cooler and windier the next morning as I got up at 4 am again. I drove a bit further onto the plateau and was hoping for some reflections of a wee dam up here.

I followed the track to the sunny side of the mountain where I came across some old farm ruins.

Only patchy walls resembled an old settlement that was abandoned some time ago. Nevertheless, the ruins added structure to the picture.

Zimba tackled this terrain superbly, I am chuffed with his performance.

We are not the youngest anymore, but types like us aren’t made anymore.