Elzabe Spies from Hartbeespoort thoroughly enjoyed Toast Coetzer’s “Letter from Cradock” in go! #193 and it reminded her about morning walks with the family dogs to the spring on their family farm near Cradock.
She writes:
I grew up on the farm Waschbank in the Amersfoort district. I’d often accompany my father Joe to the mielie fields about 3 km from our farmstead – I still have the black Phillips bicycle I used.
Our three farm dogs – Wagter, Honnies and Poeftie – always came along.
The landscape is mostly flat, but we had some mountains and ridges on the farm. Our drinking water came from a spring in the mountains.
On Sunday afternoons, my father, my mother Bettie and I would climb the slope with the dogs and drink some of the delicious spring water at the top.
I think it’s where my love of nature and hiking was born. Thanks for the wonderful memories your column sparked!
