Sausage Tree Flowers!

Our Sausage tree is flowering for the first time! It was planted about 4 years ago and is going strong! For those who don't know this tree I will post photos of the fruit in a few months!! The flowers bloom at night and the perfume attracts the dwarf epauleted bat,it's pollinator. (Like I need more bats living around our house!)You need to make very sure never to park your car under neath this lovely shady tree when it bears it's fruit as those sausage like fruits can weigh up to 6.8 kg!People do like to park their cars underneath these trees for some reason...it's a bit like parking under a mango tree in fruit..only ten times worse in resulting damage to your car!) I made doubly sure all those years ago to plant our tree where no right minded (sober) person would want to park their car! There is no other tree like it on earth! You are welcome to Google for more info on this!

These pics were taken late in the afternoon,but the flowers bloom at night.

Hallo World!

Newborn Piglets

These were born the day before yesterday

When I took these photos they were just minutes old,in fact, the last one nr. ten, was still catching it's first few gulping breaths ...

All ten are fine.

Also born on the same day were five lambs,one male the rest females!

As I am typing this my brown Chinese Goose is hatching baby geese..three out on the last count..

You don't want to disturb Mama Goose on her nest of hatching babies...ask me!!

"Aren't we suppose to suck on something??"

Fighting for a teat...

yum yum yum yum mmm...

Bush Fire Season

As I sat behind the laptop today the kitchen suddenly became omniously dark..I looked around outside to see the rainclouds approaching,but all I saw dead ahead of me was a cloud of smoke billowing out over the mountain right in front of me! The whole mountain burned..I tried to take pictures of the flames at night just now,but alas,my little camera just isn't good enough for such far ranging pictures...

The front area of that mountain is burning now too...

After noticing the fire, I found ashes around the inside of our house too as I was vacuuming...

Nature is such a powerful force...

Walking The Dogs On The Farm

Yesterday afternoon we took some of the dogs for a walk in the bush,both Jessica and Tarien were home to help. Some of the dogs are quite obedient and others are wayward souls totally emerged in their own little bubble...just like people I guess......

                                                                        Like this...

                 Minkie's sister going for a swim when she is supposed to listen up in the obedience class....

Then all the dogs wanted to go for a swim.....

Cules explaining to them hounds why they are not allowed to go swimming...

I was trying to show Minki she doesn't have to keep up with the hounds,she could just go on a nice stroll through the bush with me,her Mama....

All that got me was stuck in the thorns....she pulled me straight through the bushes trying to keep up with the pack..

I was actually stuck here and had two huge thorns stuck right through the soles of my slops...

Tarien was walking behind us, taking pictures and she was laughing herself silly at me being pulled trough the thorns.

Right there was when I wished I had worn those brand new hiking boots my hubby bought me just last week..

They had no business standing all shiny and new by my kitchen door..

One of the ponds drenched in late afternoon sun..

A huge wild orchid growing  in a young Mopane tree..,can you spot it to the left side of the road..

Oh yes,that time of year again....!!!

A Matumi tree growing next to a stream....

I always love it when we go for walks like this on the farm.....

Always a good giggle to be had at someone...,

Even if I am the one being made a fool of by a teenie weenie little Jack Russel..!!

The End

World Cup Rugby!!

It is eight 'o clock in the morning and we are getting ready to watch South Africa vs Fiji!! The friends are here and the daughter from varsity is home to watch with us, the blouwildebeest biltong and all the snacks are out... GO BOYS!!! Can South Africa win the world cup again?? Hope so....off to watch the game..all the supporters in Fiji ...ENJOY!!!

By Thunder!

I woke up at 4:15 am this morning having been awakened by a strange flash of light...I was sure someone came to help themselves to a couple of sheep out in the shed, so I woke Cules up,I told him I also heard a strange noise like something being shifted around or something...my mind totally couldn't grasp what it was hearing,,,being half asleep might have had something to do with it...He got, up grabbed his gun and jump outside through our bedroom window as it is the shortest route to the shed....At that moment there was a loud clap...,Cules almost hit the dirt,he has never had any military training but has seen plenty of movies I guess. What..??? Lightning, it got us totally by surprise,we have been preparing for the rainy season by building two more sheds for the sheep and such, but this was a bit early! My husband climbed back in through the window looking very sheepish ('scuse the pun) and I went of to make our first cup of coffee for the morning. At 5:22 it started raining...gentle soft Spring rain...! So as I sit here typing at 5:35 in the morning with the glorious smell of wet earth filling my whole being, I am thinking of Texwasgirl and everyone else around the world living in a drought stricken area....

                                             Soon,soon your rain should be coming now.

A scene from the farm during November/Desember