SPIRIT OF PLACE: ITS BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE HOME

The rush to get things ready for our visitors over the past two weeks was well worth the effort - some pictures on the walls, rugs on the floors - a few ornaments here and there ………… and suddenly No.6 is beginning to feel like home. With the exception of the kitchen units and the office the inside of the house is pretty much done, and workable in most senses of the word. I am busy with the deck, and by the middle of next week should have the roof up in that area as well.

So! Things are definitely moving along, and Pat and I can take a few minutes here and there to think about - and talk about - the visits we had from Dales and Meryl, and then a few days later from Chavane and the girls along with Lucille and Karen. It was so good seeing them all again. Sanchia has grown in every way since I last saw her nearly five months ago. She is definitely her own person with a well established set of values that she will fight to the death to protect. Goodonya Girl!

Leila is a little gem - a pure rock star in every respect - organiser extraordinaire - mediator ……….. and manipulator par excellence. But what an absolute joy to be around. She created a little candlelit circle in the garden and persuaded her mother and Lucille to decorate the trees with fairylights ……….. this was A Zen Garden specifically for Grandma - a little place of meditation with a whole ritual that attended her time in the circle. She also insisted on celebrating Jesse’s birthday ……….. a chocolate cake was baked and iced and decorated with Jesse’s name. The fairylights went up again - invitations were drawn up, and despite a quite chilly evening we were all instructed to take our places around the blue table and “Happy Birthday” was sung to this very confused and dressed up little dog. Thank you my darling, you made your time here with us very special.

We did most of the Bathurst things: Visited Waters Meeting for a picnic of sorts, Steak night at Lara’s, drinks at the Plough and the Pig and Sunday evening Jaffles at the Bistro where we were wonderfully entertained by an array of musicians, not least of all were once again Annie and Barry who really moved us all with some wonderfully emotive music. After it was all over Sanchia and Karen asked Annie if they could do a number ………. not knowing what to expect I prepared myself to be embarrassed - but to my utter surprise and delight their two numbers of lilting and thoughtful harmony brought them a standing ovation and congratulations from all the musos present who had preceded them during the evening. Well done girls, I look forward to seeing some of this on You-Tube in the not too distant future.

Thanks also to Mary Riley who allowed the kids two visits to the Al Pacas, Apache the Shetland Pony and a little bareback ride each on her grey horse - all well attended by her fleet of dogs and the odd donkey or three.

Saturday was Patrick and Michelle Rowley’s 1st Birthday as proprietors of the Ploughman’s Pub, and once again they did themselves proud with spit-braaid rolls for everyone and a hot-shot disco that had most of the regulars dancing, despite the sad (and quite unnecessary), Springbok loss against the All Blacks which we all watched in the bar. Happy Birthday guys …………. I think all of Bathurst looks forward to having you around for many more years to come.

Our Hadedas chicks have hatched, and watching mom feed and care for them is an experience all its own …………. also attracting the attention of a number of other Hadedas in the area that dad spends a good deal of noisy time trying to chase away from the nesting area.

Our little resident Olive Thrush (Turdus olivaceus), spends most evenings in the small concrete bath under one of the garden taps where he bathes and preens for a good ten to fifteen minutes at a time. I have made him this week’s No.6 bird of the week.

Enjoy the pics of our new home.