Gates..

..are (yet) another thing I have a thing for. And I’m not going to try pseudo-read anything into it. Oh wait, let me have some fun..

Maybe I subconsciously see gates as portals to magical lands or forbidden fruits. Maybe it’s a control issue, a deep-seated need to romanticize boundaries—a creeping fascination with thresholds, literal, metaphorical, unhinged even, including the gates.

Or maybe it’s just a picturesque obsession with exclusion. I don’t know, and I don’t care. Whether they’re open or closed, I really don’t care. What I do care about is the image, and the journey of trying to capture it as best my mind sees it. Nothing more than an artistic pursuit. Probably.

I did venture in, of course, curiosity drove me to see what lies over the hill.. :)

So much history here, a subject for its own dedicated post. This gate leads to the most pristine private river pools and waterfalls beyond description, winding down to connect with the Oliphants River.

No desire to hop the fence and romp in the recently sprayed, toxic, mono-crop canola fields, as pretty as they may be.

It took me a couple of passes to come by at the right time of day and year for the shot I had in mind.

A gate, windy gravel road, fence and a pole, these are a few of my favourite things.

Between Gates 2 & 4..

Many will recognize this, but I don’t think that pine plantation survived the recent devastating fires. If so, I’ll add it to my little “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” series. If someone drives past this spot, please send me a quick snap, I’m no longer in CT.

Gateway to a ravine of wonderment.

Then there are times when the means..

..justifies the ends.

One road for cars, the other, cattle. Acacia karoo in full blossom, and me going through my Wes Anderson phase.

Entrance to Grootvlei farm. The gate reserved for livestock.

The clouds about to offload, much to the farmers delight, their manifestations answered.

A gnarly, rickety yet functional gate, I love it!

Dull, but I liked the curves and leading lines.

Same storm, different gate.

Cute!

99.9% of the time people return a smile! I love South Africa!

He just wanted a pat, so I gave him one.

More about the angles, shapes, textures and colours.

I could do a minor post about this row of cypresses, standing like sentries guarding the entrance to Zoar..

.. and how it delayed my journey by a good half hour.

Look out for the little rock, the key is hidden under the larger one. Enjoy your stay!

Last opened in better days.

Entrance to the secret, suitably overgrown, rambling garden. That’s our indigenous jasmine in full flower.

This storm, with these wonderous, (albeit a bit over-saturated) heavily laden clouds, travelled alongside me for a long way.

No sh1t, Sherlock!

That’s all, folks. Thanks for sticking around!