Total well-being covers me like a wave … during spring high tide. This is pure bliss, a little piece of heaven, my park bench in Johannesburg (a little reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Sandton City … see the story on my Johannesburg adventure), my “studio” on a cold winters day (hot very hot …) ….. Sitting on our deck at my writing space, looking over the green of the farmlands through the trees. The trees are varying shades of green and the odd one ahead of the curve, already putting on its gold autumn coat. The maize is tasselling, it is a mixture of the yellow / beige tassels interspersed with the deep green plants. The sun is crawling in bursts, like a 7-month-old learning for the first time, between the thin dusting of mist that is slowly rising and dispersing. There is a cool breeze that is keeping any annoying flies at bay. The sounds of the morning, the birdsong, the bellowing cattle and the strains of the old borehole pump whining across the valley are all the sounds of home. The bunnies scurry from under the deck, the chickens start their day of dust baths, crowing and clucking and the sheep start the short walk down the hill to the grazing camp for the day.
The sounds that the day is beginning, and it is going to be a good day. All is at extreme exhilarating joy until …. Life jumps out at you like a policeman at a hidden speed camera while you are rushing to school sport, or until the wildlife gets you.
Life in Africa is not easy. And yes, South Africa is full of diversity with vibrant colours, complex yet enticing smells and rhythmic sometimes primal sounds that appear to come from the very earth herself. The scenery is extremely varied, from the heights of the Drakensberg Mountains to the endless pristine beaches of golden sands, from the barren and seemingly lifeless landscape of the Karoo to the lush, tranquil forests of the Garden route, it all has one thing in common, it will leave you breathless and wanting more. Feeling overwhelmed yet inspired, powerful yet calm, indestructible yet miniscule in the beaty of nature. The variety of cuisine on offer matches this diversity, from the fine dining and French inspired dishes to the traditional Cape Malay, Indian and African dishes. The people and infrastructure are equally as diverse, from the sophisticated and on-trend buildings in Cape Town through to the public facilities at a filling station in Hluhluwe. It is the perfect example of complete happiness and joy …. until life get in the way. Life is in the form of (but not limited to …) an energy crisis that is gripping our land, the rampant corruption that is plaguing our government and the never-ending threat of crime which has become so prevalent over the years.
Living in KwaZulu Natal feels like we are in a country all its own. Yes, it has countless attractions, yet it is jammed pack with enigmas, mystery, riddles and constant obstacles and complications. Euphoria and life’s problems are the opposite sides of the same coin, one seems to come with the other regardless how you spend it. As a province we have had to contend with severe flooding and extreme weather and who can forget the unrest which happened last July.
On the farm, situated in the beautiful midlands of Kwa Zulu Natal, we live a life full of constant delights but this rollercoaster we live on sometimes needs greasing of its wheels, but it never is out of service. We have had a very wet season so the odd area of yellow sick looking maize shows through …. LIFE. The access roads on the farm are muddy and difficult to navigate …. LIFE. I can hear the nerve jarring, harrowing calls of the jackal from across the valley … LIFE. We are looking at the great big blue African sky and wondering if it ever going to rain again …. LIFE.
Pink Farm Chick 