SPIRIT OF PLACE: Oooooh ........ What a Month That Was

Well, we’re into February and 2019 is well underway. This first month of our first approaching full year in Bathurst has been an eye-opener in a great many ways, and almost daily we count the blessings showered upon us by just being here.

The Christmas and New Year period brought myriad visitors to this little village and a festive spirit pervaded each new day …………. then suddenly it was all over and the quiet returned. But that quiet was really very superficial in many respects - underneath it all there has been a veritable whirlwind of social events involving an ever increasing number of the new friends and acquaintances that have become an almost daily part of our lives.

Jon Pieters at whose home we spent Boxing Day braaing with our family along with his and a host of other residents, came out of hospital about 10 days ago following open heart surgery and a difficult recovery period. Tom Barrett and myself popped up to see him yesterday and spent a delightful hour or two chatting to him and learning plenty more about each other. During our chat Jon (who wrestled for his country and fought his final bout for SA in Scotland at the ripe old age of 57), quietly stated that the 25-odd years that he has been in Bathurst have been the happiest and most contented of his life. They have everything they need, and while there are obviously some things they would like, they want for absolutely nothing despite a very limited income …………… and I think that this is very true of most of Bathurst’s inhabitants. He also expressed his really heartfelt gratitude to all the people of Bathurst for the utterly selfless concern and help that they have all proffered during this very difficult time for him and Yvonne………..and this includes everyone he said - from those who have it all, right down to those who have absolutely nothing. The “most caring community in the world” was how he put it.

Tom in turn related a wonderful anecdote about a dwarf resident of Bathurst and Ernie Els ……….. a story I will definitely copy into the next issue of this blog.

Having said all that, and wishing Jon a really speedy recovery from hereon forward, let’s get back to the whirlwind of social events.

We were landed with the hosting of the Bathurst Birthday Club’s January/February birthday celebrators’ Saturday “do” on the 19th of Jan., and what a lovely afternoon it was - everybody brought a plate of something and one (or a lot more), of their favorite tipple, and the afternoon was spent gossiping, interacting, drinking, eating ………. and simply having fun.

The following Thursday we enjoyed a really pleasant ‘Sundowners’ braai next door at David Forsdyke’s home (much the same pattern applies - a plate of food and your preferred tipple), with the usual “office” gatherings for a bite at either the Plough or the Bistro on a Friday night…….this last Friday being the exception when a few of us went instead to enjoy a “Neil Diamond Tribute Evening” with the very talented Harry Lloyd at the Pig n Whistle. And so it goes on ……. yesterday evening Patrick and Michelle Rowley (Proprietors of the Ploughman’s Pub), celebrated their 30th Wedding Anniversary and invited the entire village to the Plough to share a pig on the spit, snacks and a disco with them …………. and a rollicking evening it was indeed. Congratulations guys - it couldn’t have happened to a nicer couple.................. this after catching up briefly with Mary Riley for a quick bowl of lunchtime fish 'n chips at the Bistro - happily she is partially up and about (to some extent), after having her leg broken by Tori's horse (see previous entry), but getting better quickly. Goodonya Mary.

In addition there is the now almost institutionalized live music at the Bistro on Sunday evenings …………. so pleasant to simply pitch up with a bottle of wine and enjoy the Musos doing their thing (and have a bite prepared by the indefatigable Annie if you are so inclined). There is of of course the Sunday Morning Farmers’ Market at Brian and Sandy’s place along the Kowie Road where everyone just goes to get their fresh veggies, free-range eggs, biscuits, cakes, quiches ……… and enjoy a bit of fresh air.

So as you can see, it has been a really busy time ………… never a dull moment in this remarkable little village …………. on top of which my team and I have been pushing hard to get the Cattery up and on its way toward completion. Plenty of hard work for this old sod each day, but a good feeling pervades at sunset when that sense of near exhaustion is put aside in favor of an ice cold Windhoek or a really chilled scotch and soda.

The weather has been really up and down most of January …… plenty of wind, temperatures up to 38 on occasion, a little bit of rain (though not nearly enough), and a couple of really exciting electric storms. The wind and rain turn the garden into a bed of dried leaves which have to be raked and piled on the compost heap, but literally overnight everything turns free after the rain and the grass begins to grow at a Formula 1 challenging pace.

Some days have brought the most remarkable golden light in the evenings, and took advantage one evening about a week ago to grab a few pics of “The Fortress of Faith” - St.John’s Anglican Church, which was consecrated in 1828 and till today remains the oldest structurally unaltered Anglican Church in South Africa. That same evening we had the most remarkable sunset and I managed to get a shot or two of the quality of light from our deck (see below).

Pat’s garden daily becomes a more exciting place to spend time in. The herbs were the first to make their presence felt, followed by the peppers, chillies, radishes, beans and now tomatoes. She has almost daily been cleaning, cooking and bottling Green Fig Preserve, and a nice little stockpile is building up. A whole host of other veggies have been planted in hills established along the bottom of the garden and pretty soon we should be reaping their produce as well.

The garden presents one with so many tingly feelings of simply “lekker” as one wanders through it - there is always something new flowering and the ‘little vistas’ that one is confronted with daily really do make life absolutely worthwhile.

Good news received during this first month now past also included confirmation that Pat’s sister Maureen and good friend Annie with be with us for a few days in March, and that Stoddard arrives on the 14th May to spend a few days with us before heading back to Sydney on the 19th.

Reckon that’s about it for this entry …………. this entry’s bird is the very shy Red-necked Spurfowl that occasionally comes to visit but stays well to the bottom of the garden.