Adventure is out there.

Sorry about that guys, I missed a week in there..

Cole has been enjoying his new school as much as any teenager enjoys school, but he is settling in well and has joined the rugby team! Ellery and I got to go to his first match for Nelspruit High and it was so much fun to watch the boys play. The Nellies are quite good and took home a win against Waterkloof High with a final score of 31-7!

Ellery and I made the 8 hour plus round trip to drive up to Joburg for a day and attended HuntEx 2025. It always is fun to attend HuntEx and see all the displays across four or five different show halls. Ellery and Jono scored some great deals and other Jo even came to hang out with us for the day.

On the way back to Nelspruit, we stopped at Trodam Shires to meet Nicola and meet her absolutely gorgeous gentle giants. I took a quick spin out on Trodam Velvet, a beautiful six year old shire mare. She was such a darling, so sweet and so gentle and also one of the most responsive horses I have ever sat on. It was really a privilege to meet Nicola’s horses.

I was man down for part of the week from what we suspect is tick bite fever. Basically the worst headaches and body aches you can imagine. Luckily, it clears up very quickly with a round of doxy. Most of the week days the last two weeks have been dedicated to report writing and data work so I have been bundled up in my office (it has been absolutely FREEZING here) with the doggos working away and visiting Akria in the mornings.

Sunday, the 4^th was Ellery and the twins’ birthdays (and also Star Wars Day, just saying). The twins were with their mom so Ellery, Cole and I had a pretty relaxing day. Cole and I made a baked cheesecake and Ellery did some much needed sorting and organising in the downstairs garage and storeroom. Slowly we are unpacking…. Slowly.

Sjoe, okay so this was a bit of a tough week for me. The unexpected loss of Koda really hit hard. We were planning on having him come join us at home this week and that was not the heartbreaking curve ball I was expecting.

The was a short week due to the Easter holidays… actually this whole month is a short week basically. The kids are on holidays from school 28 March – 7 April, then again 18 – 21 April, then again 25 April to 4 May. I think in total they only have 11 days of school this whole month. Crazy. I wish we had holidays like that when I was in school. Cole was supposed to go to his mom’s last weekend but decided to stay with us for the weekend instead so we got busy working more on the horse stables. I am not really sure what we are doing with them at this point though. Since I only have Akira now, I cannot bring her home. Horses are herd animals and need other horses, especially since she’s a baby still she really needs horsey friends to teach her how to horse. I know we are going to have to get another horse or two before we can bring her home, though I am not sure my heart is ready. No one can replace Koda bear. But since we already started the stables, Ellery wanted to continue working on them as leaving unfinished construction is the worst thing you can do – that’s how you get dry rot wood and unsteady structures. Cole, Ellery and I built the framing for the roofing. I must say though, it is looking really good! Whatever horses live there will definitely have an incredible view of the mountains leading to the Barberton valley.

Other than that most of the week was work focused, trying to get all these annual reports done! I did teach Akira new things this week though. She is learning object identification and can now accurately distinguish between “ball” and “flag” and will go over to whichever one I call out and touch it with her nose. Hehe, she got so excited about the idea though that when she was in her stall, realising that her stall toy is a hanging ball, she kept touching it over and over and again and then staring at me like “treat? … I touched the ball, where’s the treat?!?” which soon escaladed into her head ramming her ball trying to make sure I saw her touching it. She is such a cutie!

I feel like I have had to write too many of these lately and each one hurts a little bit more… Yesterday, we tragically lost our rising 5 year old shire cross gelding to a tragic freak accident. We were just planning on moving him to the farm and have already started building massive Koda-sized stables for him.

My big boy. You were absolutely one in a million. There will never be another that can fill your shoes.

You had the kindest, most gentlest of souls and would do absolutely anything for a carrot or a cookie. I remember Donnacha helping me groom you every morning in the stables at Karingani, you were so massive, even then as a youngster, that he could only just reach your legs to brush but you stood perfectly still mindful and careful of this little human so close to your giant feet. And walking around the offices, completely at liberty – no halter, no leads just you and I past the busy workshop and its lound noises, playing and running around together like no one else in this world existed, just us. You used to drag your nose in the sand sniffing like a bloodhound tracking the path of elephants when we walked in the bush, stopping when you came across their droppings to check out all of the scents. I have never seen a horse so scent driven as you. Everything you did, you did it with your whole heart. You always gave it your all. You were gorgeous, seriously the most handsome horse that I have ever met, and I know that I am very biased, but I am not the only one who thought that. The proof is hanging on my wall, Grand Champion Draft Cross. That’s you, my grand champion. You were so amazing! Riding you in the river, you were like a motorboat full speed ahead playing and splashing all about. You loved swimming in that river. I will never ever forget that day and I am so grateful to Quintin for capturing such beautiful photos of our first ride together. I will always cherish those memories and those photos..

I miss you my giant goober. I hope you are running free through endless green pastures with Kamira.

I love you Koda bear, goodbye my sweet boy. I wish we had more time together…