SPIRIT OF PLACE: What's in a name?

York Road is becoming more and more special every day ……………. there is so much to do still, but each day we are getting closer and closer ……………… yet further and further from the final completion that we envisage.

Does a house need a name? We have been talking about it. The first option was to go back to our first house in Irene and fall back on Zane Grey - those sentiments from my early teens - and go for “Pokey Moonshine II” ………….. I like it, but Pat ain’t sure …………… what about “Spirit of Place” she asks? How about just “6 York Road” I ask? Or simply “Being There” (Remember Peter Sellers in that amazing movie?).

Please help us out ……………. some suggestions at the bottom of the page would be very welcome ……………. First Prize is a night or two or three with us in Bathurst at a time that might best suit you.

One of the things that this page is going to do is present a bird from our property with every new posting. This entry’s selection is our very friendly Southern Bou Bou who really does spend his time very near at hand as we work in the garden …………… and has a call to absolutely die for (doesn’t that sound a bit gay?)……..not meant to …….. but it is beautiful. My plan is to build a photographic folder on Flickr dedicated purely to the 6 York Road bird population ……….. target = 50 ……………… Stay Tuned for the link as we move forward.

The garden seems to believe that Spring has arrived, despite it being mid-July. Attached are some pics of the flowering Quince, our Peach Blossoms, the early Coral Tree flowers, Strelizias that are looking beautiful everywhere and Camellias that present new buds every day in a display that is all their own. The drought has not been kind to gardens anywhere, but we seem to be very fortunate with new life happily presenting itself everywhere on this amazing piece of ground that surrounds us. I really can’t wait to finish work on the house, move in, and spend a bit of time sitting and soaking up the plants, the trees, the birds, the monkeys and quite amazing sense of overall peace that the entire environment lays down in front of us each day.

Today is special in a number of ways …………… it is my daughter Chavane’s 40th birthday, (our baby girl is 40!!!!!!!!!! ….. that represents a shock all its own! Enjoy it my Darling - you are so very lucky to be spending it in Vietnam on board a Junk with Lee ……….. look after her Boet, you know how special she is to me). It is also Rob Pienaar’s 73rd birthday - one of my oldest friends - my Best Man at my wedding - and someone whose intellect gives me continuing pleasure on a very regular basis - thanks Rob. It is also Tanya’s birthday - happy birthday for your daughter Hanro ………. timing it seems is one of those ‘accidents’ of nature?