Happy Christmas

23 December, 2014

As most of us do this time of the year, we reflect on the closing year, and look ahead to the new-year with anticipation and hope.  We also are reminded of each and every person who is dear to our hearts, both friends of many years, as well as new friends.  We are so grateful to each one of you for your involvement in our lives. Thank you for keeping in touch, and for your love and care.

We want to wish each and every one of you a very blessed Christmas Holiday Season.  May HIS presence fill your homes with love, peace, grace and an overwhelming awareness of the gift HE gave us! Himself. He really is GOD WITH US. J

I guess the biggest change for us this year was that both our children are now “out of the house” so to speak. They do enjoy Merensky High School and all of the social, academic and sporting challenges that they are faced with.  They have both matured, as living away from home will always do. We really are so very proud of them both.  I am sure the new-year will bring many opportunities for more personal growth, and they certainly keep us on our toes.  Micaela placed 5^th in her Grade with her academic achievements, so she was very excited that all of her hard work paid off.  With the busy hunting season, we REALLY missed them a lot, as they have always been such a help in both the field and the lodge!

We had a busy hunting season, with many news guests and a few returning regulars. What a blessing each and every one of you were to us. Thank you!  We harvested two of our own buffalo bulls this year, which was a welcome blessing.  We hope to have a few more available for next year too.

The Nguni Cattle have continued to give us so much pleasure this year. 

We plan to attend the SEWE Exposition in Charleston again this coming February, and hope to also attend the Cattlemen’s convention in Arizona. J

Our fury 4-legged friends at the moment are our ever beautiful and sweet Lady, (miniature long-haired dachshund) who is now just over 9 years old.  Camo the “reprobate” ;) who is one and a half.  We have to keep him clipped as his long curly hair is a nightmare to keep clean in the bush!  He most definitely is KEN’S DOG! He is such a character and keeps us all very entertained.  Penny is our family “baby”, who is a Foxy cross.  We got her in June, and she is a very busy and LOUD little sweetheart!  We still have the two cats, Marmite and Kit-kat, who love to keep the dogs exercised!  They are both “bush” cats, Kit-Kat keeping the lodge mice free, and Marmite keeping our home mice free.

Dennis and Carol, are both very well. Keeping busy and still both active. What a blessing they are to us.  Cathy, (Ken’s sister) has moved back to the farm now, and lives with them when she is not travelling.  Lovely to have her around again.  Her daughter Kirsten, is now living in Cape Town, and is engaged to Oliver Moss.  J

We have had some lovely rain so far this season, and the veld is looking magnificent.  We await the birth of the buffalo babies as usual this time of the year… and thoroughly enjoy all of the little blesbuck, impala, wildebeest, hartebeest and other little ones running around in the bush this time of year.  We have had the coldest summer in a long time, and certainly a mild winter too.  We have only had the odd very hot day. 

Hopefully with the influx of all of our Christmas and New-year guests, we won’t have too many power cuts, or rainy days. 

Looking ahead to 2015, we don’t anticipate too much change ahead, other than wanting to lose the few extra kilos and get “fit” – whatever that means! J We have all been blessed with good health, and we believe that it will continue.  From the heart of the Bandolierkop Bush Veldt, we wish you all a very happy Christmas, and a wonderful new year.

Dennis, Carol, Ken, Jo, Micaela and JohnD xxxx