Puff Adder Bite

It appears that our beloved Champ is determined to make 2012 a year to remember!  It started with the amputation of his left back leg, in February (after the accident).  He then really took a dip with his recovery, remaining quite underweight - despite many different feeding programs, and medication.

On Sunday, we noticed a small wound on his head, and thought he might have been bitten by something - maybe a tussle with another dog. Our little Snip is having her first  cycle, so they have been rather active!

On Monday, a lot of swelling had accumulated, and we took him to the vet. They said that he was showing classic signs of a puff adder bite.  We have absolutely no idea how or where it happened.  

Poor guy - he looks way worse than he feels.  He has still been very excited to go for walks, and has not lost his appetite, so we are trusting that he will make a full recovery! Thank you Lord for modern medicine!

In going though some of the photos of the most recent hunt, Ken thought it would be fun to add this action picture to the blog!  Craig and Allen wanted to learn how to play cricket, so John-D and Ivan taught them.  Snip was desperate to play too, but eventually had to be banned from the game!

We had another 15mls of rain last night, after a terrible wind storm. We have been so concerned to see all of the damage and the horrific ravaging of the NY area by "Sandy".  Our little wind storm was nothing, but it sure had us praying anxiously, and fully aware of how quickly weather conditions can change.  Thankfully there was no damage.  We have had 3 and a half inches to date, which is more than last year's total rainfall!

Our hearts go out to all who have been affected by Sandy, and we are praying for your safety.

Micaela will start writing her year end exams next week, and will finish her grade 8 year at the end of November. John-D will finish his grade 5 year at the end of November too! Luck for him, he does not need to write exams like she does!  He will be playing in the tennis tournament in Polokwane again at the beginning of December.  He has bought himself a new tennis racket, and practices at every opportunity he can!  

Big hugs to you all!  Keep in touch, we love to hear from you.

New Calves and Beautiful rains

My goodness the little weavers are busy this morning, and the veld is just screaming with life and joy.  This really is such a wonderful time of the year.  We have beautiful warm sunny weather, dynamic and stunning sunsets because of the clouds, and of course all of the new life!  What a joy to be alive.
The first of our new calves was born Sunday last week, and we are expecting an "avalanche" of them to come in the next two months!
Ken has been very busy with the soft ground, making preparations for the building of the new cattle kraal.  Despite the long hot days, its so rewarding to see the progress!  Micaela and JohnD both just have until the end of November, and then their grade 8 and 6 school years will officially be over!  Micaela recieved a total of 5 certificates at the prize giving last week, and we are so proud of her achievements this year.  What a long way we have come from home schooling for her first 7 grades, and now public boarding school!  She is still so happy there, and just loves it all.
JohnD has continued to school with Kobie, and it has been going really well - considering the monotony of being the only pupil.... I guess for him, being being consistently in the TOP 10 is easy! ;)
We are so very excited about the news of my sisters coming to visit us with their families - from Zimbabwe and Austraila! At the end of November and early December, we will all be together again - with the 8 children / cousins being able to spend some quality time together. We are all so looking forward to it!
Blessings to you!

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Schools are back in full swing now, and during the 10 day break, Micaela and JohnD had the opportunity to go to the Jame's home up in the Soutpansberg Mountain for a three day "horse camp". They had a BALL! Came home absolutely exhausted, filthy, happy, and very stiff!  Will hopefully get some more photos from them soon, to share.  They not only spent lots of time riding, but also swam, climbed, and just got worn out! ;)

I found this picture online... it was a formal we went to for the Air Force 90th Birthday celebration two years ago.... we so seldom get dressed up, so thought it would be fun to share!

It's pretty cold here today, windy and overcast.... we are praying desperately for more rain.

Big hugs to you all!

20th Wedding Anniversary!

Oh wow, what a fun safari... Craig and Allen, thank you so much. We had a very successful hunt, with happy hunters every day - despite some rainy cold days.  Snip and Champ certainly were kept busy, and Snip is showing amazing potential...  Now Ken officially has 2 PHD's!  (Professional Hunting Dogs!) ;)

JohnD was very involved with this hunt, and it would be impossible to recount all of the small stories collected over the past ten days! Needless to say "reflections" took quite some time, and we certainly are proud of how he is growing in his own hunting skills! 

Ken and I were so blessed to be able to go through to Merensky for Micaela's prize giving for her Tritech project. She was awarded Silver, in the National competition, along with many other talented children. We are so proud of her!

Tomorrow we celebrate our 20th Wedding anniversary.  We truly are blessed! We have so much to say THANK YOU for, and we give our Heavenly Father all of the glory.

JohnD's Zebra Hunt...

11 September, 2012
Hello, my name is Johnathan Dennis Ball. This is the exciting story of my Zebra Hunt.
It all started on Sunday, the 9th of September, 2012. We had just had guests leave, and Dad and I had the opportunity to go hunting. We left home at about 2o’clock, and went to the koppies to look and try to see some zebra. Way off in the distance we saw some zebra in an opening. So, we got the 30.06, (shooting a Winchester spring barns x tsx 150grain). After walking about one kilometer we saw them in the bush … we crouched down to try to prevent them from seeing us.
We tried to get to another koppie just behind them, so that we could see them better, and we had to take our shoes off so that we could walk quietly without scaring them! We eventually had to go down on our bellies and stay really low. After about 30 minutes we saw they weren’t looking our way, so we got set up to shoot. Unfortunately, we did not get to shoot but, when they were not paying attention we were able to get to the koppie…. Sadly the rest of the herd saw us and ran.
Then we decided that I would go up the road slowly to see if maybe they were still there, and my dad would go and get our shoes. So I went up the road and must have spooked them. When my dad caught up with me he climbed a tree to try see where they were, while I put my shoes back on. As he got up into the tree, he spooked them, and we heard them running! I immediately got ready to shoot in case they crossed the road. Unfortunately, they didn’t cross the road.
We walked down the road and then turned left and saw that they had crossed that road! So…. We turned around and back left and walked half a km and turned back into the bush. After walking another half km, we came to a blue wildebeest skull. I looked up and saw two waterbuck. My dad told me to stay on the zebra tracks, while he went to get the blue wildebeest skull. When the waterbuck ran off we heard the zebra run off as well! We kept following the tracks and saw where they were walking on the road, so we followed the tracks and after about three minutes, we saw them in the road.
Luckily the road was windy and the wind was in our favor, so we crept a little closer and we set up to shoot. The three zebra in the road, stood right for me to shoot and my dad said to shoot the middle one, but they all moved before I could shoot.  So, we waited a little longer and saw a nice zebra in the bunch and my dad said if it comes out on to the road, to shoot it … and sure enough, it came out on to the road. Facing us, I shot with a beautiful outcome… a 99 yard shot! Just as I shot, the dog went flying out from behind us to find it. We listened for the crashing and the barking to indicate where it might die. I reloaded the gun and we went to go and look for it and we found it right next to the road, dead.
We took a few pictures and called my Mom to come and bring the truck and the camera. So we waited and when they got there we took some more pictures, loaded it up and we went home.
This is my story of the Zebra Hunt! Thank you again Uncle Gerold. It was a lot of fun.
Love Johnathan

Big Buffalo Bull.... and little sneaky Snippy

This little Snip just has no idea that the buffalo are not like the cows that she has come to love and play with! She bounded out of the Landy today, thinking that they were going to be excited to see her, and were going to lick her nose just like the cows do...

Well she got a little surprise when she realised they didn't want her around and she made it out fast enough and hid under the Landy...

Talk about learning!!!

We have been so excited to welcome Craig Smith and Allen Wells. They are with us from North Carolina. This is their first African Safari.  :)

We saw the clipping of Micaela in the Letaba Herald today! There is a nice write up...  Let's see if I can get it on to this.....

A few photos! :)

 JOHND with the Harris' Zebra! Thank you Uncle Gerold :D

 OH YES, MISS SNIPPY WAS VERY EXCITED.... she had us in giggles!