I have exquisite childhood memories of riding out on horseback for extended, peaceful outrides to walk, and think, and dream. With the companionship of my trusted, beloved horse, we’d travel across vast open fields; beside crops of mielies; along or through nearby dams and rivers; and in-between and under trees. Usually reluctant to be returning, silhouetted images of trees and homes in the distance would quite suddenly appear, seeming to shimmer and sway in the fading light, all the while whispering reminders of my mother’s request to “return home before dark”. I have a deep longing for the freedom and safety of then.