I have not been able to walk this far for a long time now, but after the stents that were inserted in my lower abdomen, I can now walk again.
The high foothills of the mountain were a challenge, but I was determined to give it a go.
It's all a mind matter isn't it? We are free to say yes, I can or no I can't. The first leads to positivity and the latter leads to failure.
I saw this quote and it was my affirmation.
“I have just three things to teach:
Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and in thoughts,
You return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
You accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
You reconcile all beings in the world.”
Lao Tzu
This was the view of a hill opposite the hill that we were on. I say we, as my wife walked every step with me and I know that she was keeping an eye on me, but her excuse was in the case of snakes :)
This orchard is at the left of the picture above.
This was the start of our hike, around the dam and up the hill.
We were headed towards the lower slopes of the mountain.
One day I will walk that entire track, but today my test run was only 1 kilometer.
As we went higher some lovely sights appeared such as this bean formed big anthill.
Yep, the ants work all of the time and I don't know where they were taking that stone. Maybe they are building a stone castle for their queen inside that big mound of clay.
Burnt out Protea bushes could be seen all over the area, as we had a huge fire here a while ago.
Once these were colorful proteas, but now only the scorched shells remain.
Some of you have seen the photos that I posted in the past, about the Cape Sugarbirds on the colorful beauty of the protea flowers.
Views a plenty and this was at the top of the hill where the mountain range appeared in the background.
A pair of waxbill birds were dining on the long grass stalks. I love their red masks.
We had reached the turn around spot and this was the scene near the end on our way back down.
Amazing to watch this moorhen dancing on the water leaves.
So yeah, I completed the walk with minimal pain, and this means that the blood flow to my legs was restored.
I deliberately selected rough terrain to do the hike, as I knew that it would test my legs to the limit and I am happy to say that things can from now on only get better where my walking is concerned.
But I am not out of the woods yet as my iron levels are still critical and we have had many setbacks by the doctors attempts to locate the source of my internal bleeding. No, I am not complaining now, as we will in the new week hear if they have found a way for me to go for a nuclear red-cell scan to locate the source of the bleeding.
I am sorry to lay my condition out here, and I need no help, but I only wanted to show the context of my achievement with this walk. So regardless of everything, we are happy with this part of my progress.
I hope that you enjoyed the photos and the walk.
And That's All Friends.
Photos by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon Powershot SX70HS Bridge camera.
Thank you kindly for supporting a post on behalf of @papilloncharity
That’s a super achievement Zac, well done. You can be proud of that.
Hope that they can do the scan and find were it is coming from so better treatment is more effective.
Take care my friend 🤗🤗 and have a wonderful new week!
Thank you Jackie and I will just keep on pushing.
We are also praying that a way to do the scan can be found, but we will wait and see.
Happy unpacking my friend !LOLZ
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(5/8)@littlebee4, I sent you an on behalf of @papilloncharity
You are so welcome Zac 👋🏻😊 let’s hope 🍀🍀🍀🍀
Thanks so much, I have… lots of boxes and items to unwrap hahaha still…
Enjoy your weekend and take care!
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And thank you also Jackie 😀
You will get there eventually 😜
Blessings and another !PIZZA
Anytime 👋🏻😊
Yep, eventually hahaha 🤣
Thanks a lot Zac
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No worries as I know that things will sort themselves out. Under your guiding hand of course 😊
My pleasure Jackie.
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It will 👋🏻😊 thanks Zac 😎
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Good to hear that you’re getting out there and able to do a walk like this! Unfortunate to hear of the health issues, the nuclear scan usually does the trick of finding out where the source is.
Beautiful walk you took with lots of nice scenery around!
Thank you. As I said elsewhere, one only has to keep on trying.
Yes, agreed, as the doctors also reckon that the scan will be the best way to locate the source of the bleeding.
Thankfully the area is packed with nature from the mountains to the sea and there is always much to see. !LOLZ
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(4/8)@cmplxty, I sent you an on behalf of @papilloncharity
I am glad that you could do the hike! Our bodies are amazing. I am hoping with you that the iron levels will get better.
On a different note, what hiking route is this? Me and @urban.scout are always, well, scouting for new walking routes. And I am very bad at finding new routes even if I only stay a couple of minutes away.
Thank you and I will not stop to push the legs now my friend.
There are two ways to approach this hike. You can start the hike from the R44 and it crosses the Helderberg mountain into the nature reserve, or you can start the hike from the nature reserve's side where we walked.
Info is here. https://www.alltrails.com/parks/south-africa/western-cape/helderberg-nature-reserve
Exercise is always the best. I have lapsed into a bad habit of stopping the gym and training to focus on the studies and that did not work out so well. So I have a couple of kilos to shed!
That looks awesome. Me and the girlfriend just returned from a very serious hike! Have you heard of the "Three sisters" in Kleinmond? It is a very hard one. Some steepish places you need to climb going on all fours. And steep cliffs with no railings. The girlfriend was not impressed, but luckily we turned around after getting to the three sisters, as my knees began to give me problems. The last three kilometers were hell as I barely made it back. So as nice as a hike can be so dangerous can it also be.
Easy to fix, as you just have to program your mind with consistent exercise thoughts !LOL
I have a good pastor friend in Kleinmond and we once wanted to buy a house there. But we were put off by the restricted access and departure from the town, as only one road goes through it and when that road is blocked by a protest at both ends, then one is stuck. Even just blocking the one end would mean many miles of a detour to get somewhere. Nope, I don't know the "Three Sisters " hike.
That last three kilometers is how I felt at the start to the end before they opened my leg feed arteries.
Never over exercise your knees, as they will take their revenge on you in later life.
!LOLZ
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(4/8)@fermentedphil, I sent you an on behalf of @papilloncharity
That is the biggest problem with Kleinmond. My dad's father bought property there in 1940 or something like that, granddad built the house with his own hands. The last protests there were so close to the house, very scary stuff. And with the mountain road always close to closure due to landslides, it is not optimal.
Oh yes, I am very conscious about the knees. My other granddad (on mom's side) had a knee replacement and the lady next door had two knee replacements. You never really go back to where you were. Eish, the human body is something else.
Oh yes, ease of access and departure is a priority nowadays and one can never be careful enough. Kleinmond is supposed to be a preachers retirement village, but I for one will not go and live there.
I read an article today in the doctor's rooms about new land invaders that built their shacks around a school and during a riot they first stole most everything in the school and then burned he school down.
I mean what's this? Madness!
Glad that you know about taking care of your knees and I also have some friends that had knee replacements. I joke with them by telling them that the day that they decide to die, to call me first so that I can collect their knees afterwards, as the prices of metals are very high these days 🤣 !LOLZ
That is truly a shame. People are in desperate need for education to help them in life and then they burn down places of learning and sometimes a safe space for some of those students. It is really a shame to hear about these things.
Oh that can be a very profitable business, but I am sure there are people already in it lol. I will stick to philosophy and see if I can get some people to invest in it so that I can share it with others!
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(3/8)@fermentedphil, I sent you an on behalf of @papilloncharity
Great journeys start a mile at a time!
I hope you get well soon and of course I follow you to stay informed.
I'm close to you friend!
Thank you for sharing your first kilometre, beautiful photographs, I felt like I was there with you.
A hug!
So right and it indeed has to start from somewhere.
Thank you for the message of support and I am glad that I could inspire you with this hike. Hopefully there will be many more to follow.
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I’m happy you are still getting out and about and taking these amazing photos.Wonderful what can be done to help you regain your walking.
Have a great day and keep well Sir Stephen. 😊
Thank you Lady Jo and it was a painful process to get me this far, but no pain no gain.
You also have a great day and my kindest regards to you 🙏❤️
!PIZZA
I am proud of you, my friend, and those views are worth the effort. I am glad that Marian took care of you and I hope that one day we'll hike up the Table Mountain together.
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Thank you Hannes and I try to sound brave, but it is more to convince myself that I can do it. And it works 😊
She is really a great support in my life and I am lucky to have a wife like her. I hope that the one day will indeed arrive as we will spoil you. And of course, you will love Table Mountain !LOLZ
Cheers and thanks.
I believe you, Zac, and I think as long as you don't do too much it should be alright. You are really lucky with your wife 😊
I have seen videos and photos of the Table Mountain and other areas in South Africa - awesome landscape, amazing wilderness. It surely is something I would love 😀 !LOLZ
Have a !PIZZA from me, served with !LUV
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With my wife around I can assure you that I will not be allowed to follow my habit of extremes 😉
All that I can say is that you will be mightily impressed and to see it personally is much better than to see it on videos my friend. So, I really hope that one day you will visit us, as you will be sure to have a great experience. They say that once Africa is in your blood, you will never forget it 😮 !LOLZ
Cheers and thanks.
That's good, very good indeed, my friend, and you should take care that Marian's always with you 😅 !LOLZ
I know that reality is always much better than any photo or video, so let the Hive moon and I will try Africa in my blood 😀
Have a !PIZZA from me, served with !LUV
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Thank you my friend and be aware that Marian sticks closer to me than my make up 🤣 !LOLZ
We certainly pray that this will happen one day as we will at last meet face to face and I will show you around, not only to nature, but also to some of Papillon's projects.
You will have a great time my friend and you wouldn't want to go back home 😉
Cheers and thanks.
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(2/8)@johannpiber, I sent you an on behalf of @papilloncharity
Although I am quite sure that you don't put make-up on 😅 !LOLZ I know how close she is to you, and that's good 😀
That would really be great, my friend 😀
Have a !PIZZA from me, served with !LUV
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Its good to hear that you made it.
Thank you and one can only keep on trying my friend.
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