I look forward to the topic of each week’s challenge and this week’s  “foreign”  had me  excitedly thinking of  “The Log “.

It brings back memories of an earlier time, when accompanied by nephews and niece or the neighbours’ jet-powered ten year olds, we’d set off into a world of make believe – of pirates and shipwrecks and combing for treasure.  Our beaches held the promise of adventure and priceless reward.    Highly prized were the  ‘sea beans’  from tropical Africa, that washed up after a long journey brought by the powerful Agulhas-Mozambique Current which washes the eastern side of the coast.  But one year after a powerful winter storm coupled with spring tides we came across a mighty prize, a log as long as a galleon, which had been deposited way above the high-tide line with topsails displaced, but with the riggish scent of the sea still clinging to its weathered hull.  So Log was christened  “Long Tom” and was the site of much naval action, the all time favourite was, as you can imagine:  “the walking of the plank”.   There was much speculation on where the log had originated and how long it had been at sea as it was riddled with a maze of terredo worm burrows.  Years on and this old seafarer from some  foreign faraway place is still anchored on a beach  full of fine memories .. and just for old time’s sake i climbed up and walked along it’s sun bleached deck, thinking of the rigging whistling in the wind and my motley crew all high on fantasy and fresh air.