October started with school holidays and a full house. The kids were here from the 2nd to the 6th, and although we did not do anything particularly wild or adventurous since it was such a short holiday, the farm felt alive in the best way. Schotia and I spent the weekend at a horsemanship clinic, Just the two of us, dusty, sunburnt, and I was so very proud of her. She took to it so naturally, and when we got home, she was desperate to show Bellatjie everything she had learned. Watching her work with Bellatjie groundwork cues athome, with that same mix of patience and determination was very special.
Orion tried his hand at welding (under very close supervision) and helped Ellery to weld up a new pole mount for one of our security cameras. And Cole, was a teenager and played games on his phone most of the holiday though he did make us the most delicious dinner – a Mediterranean sun dried tomato mac and cheese! We also finally started to get our veggie garden up and running planting lots of seeds. I cannot wait to be able to start harvesting again.
The rest of October… well, let’s just say my patience got tested in a whole new way. The feed and tack room construction turned into a full-blown waiting game. Madds construction managed to stretch a “three to four day” job into over a month of excuses, vanishing acts, and general chaos. But at long last, the building is finished. Mostly. I so far have sealed and painted the tack room and Elvis, one of our farm hands, painted the exterior for me. So next I need to paint the tack room and then I can start building shelving, saddle racks and all the fixings.
The horses were their usual mix of chaos and charm. Akira continues to grow into her legs, Moose thinks he is my personal assistant (whether I asked for help or not), and Bellatjie is doing great, especially with all the extra attention from Schotia. Moose was particular “helpful” and entertaining in his new role as construction supervisor leading to the horses being kicked out of the top field during most of the construction period. He loves to be where the action is, sticking his nose into quite literally everything! I absolutely adore him in every way.
October also brought a few feathered houseguests. As a registered wildlife rehab volunteer with MTPA, I took in a few rescues which lead to more rescues and now a house full of screaming baby birds. At least nothing makes you feel more wanted then a flock of starving baby birds yelling at you the second you walk into the room. So far we have raised an African green pigeon (named Sneaky G), a white-bellied sunbird, a couple of swifts, a Burchell’s coucal, an amethyst sunbird, a red-winged starling, a black-capped bulbul, another random pigeon/dove (still waiting on his adult feathers to know species) and had an injured African goshawk for a night before she went to the vets and then off to Dullstroom Raptor Centre. It has been busy. Each little baby needs to be fed every 2-3 hours throughout the day, but it is very rewarding (and a little sad) when it comes time for release and they head back off into the wild where they belong.
I have learned that apparently, I am a crazy pigeon lady at heart. Who knew pigeons were so affectionate and cuddly? They get very excited when they see you, start flapping their wings and making adorable little cooing noises and then will cuddle up into your hand. The other birds just yell at you until you feed them then want nothing more to do with you.
Work ticked along in the background. We are currently prepping for the GKEPF-JMF U19 Cup coming up very quickly at the beginning of December, which brings together local community youth soccer and netball teams from communities around the Greater Kruger. It has been a mix of planning, branding and graphic work, and herding cats (the human kind), but seeing how much excitement it creates every year makes the long hours worth it. The tournament is important because it gives young people from communities around the Greater Kruger a chance to be a part of a team, to compete, gain confidence, and feel genuinely supported in a space where positive opportunities are often limited. By creating safe, structured activities and strong role models, it also helps steer vulnerable youth away from crime and other high-risk paths.
The days have blurred between animal feeds, endless cups of coffee, and the hum of the farm slowly finding its rhythm again after winter and turning brilliantly green. Oh and rain. Lots and lots of rain! It is miraculous how the brown dry bush magically turns lumo green seemingly overnight after the rains first arrive. And now somehow the year is nearly over, December is upon us and Christmas is quickly approaching! Next week marks a full year of living in our new home ❤
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