Animals Farewell - Horses' New Home and Piglets Gone

Earlier in September, our 2 ponies Arend and Valk found a new home... Because we are only staying on the farm until the end of the year, we knew from the start we would have to sell them again. They taught us many lessons, and we have been blessed by the opportunity to have had horses and getting some valuable experience and life lessons.

What triggered the sale so soon though, was the planting of new orchards. Their camp (and grazing/food) next to our house is now a young fig orchard.

The new owners live on a farm in the Baviaans, and we are sure they will take good care of the ponies - so after having come to visit and see Arend and Valk once, the next step was to figure out the transporting business. 

After weighing Arend on the cattle scale, we determined that the 2 ponies together on a trailer would still be under the weight limit. Thus, the trailer it was! 

First, they tried coaxing Arend on, thinking that if they could get him on Valk would quickly follow. Unfortunately they had underestimated Arend's stubbornness. 

Tempting with treats...

He refused to budge. 

New Orchards

Since June, preparations has begun for the planting of new fig and almond orchards. It has been an interesting process to observe! The new fig orchard is directly next to our house, and we've spent a few annoying days trying to concentrate on school with the loud clankings of a bulldozer ripping the (rock-hard) 'Klein Karoo' soil next door....

First, Charles in the TLB cleared the area of 'veld', aka mostly 'renosterbossies' (a very tough but useless plant that abounds in the Karoo) and thorn trees. It is quite impressive watching him work as he knocks over trees and crushes shrubbery.

Mechanical advantages.

The heap of vegetation is left for a few days to dry and then burned.

Cleared enough for the next step. 

Once most flora is removed, it is time for the bulldozer to go to work. 'Oom' Jan rented the bulldozer per day, and the bulldozer rips the soil.

Of course pipes had to be removed before the bulldozer rips ("if that's our house's water....").

The thick, strong pens.

Nice neat rows of surprisingly deep 'trenches'.

 Symmetry.

While the bulldozer was still ripping, the little fig and almond saplings arrived (at first we thought it was just sticks haha). As their new home was not yet ready, trenches had to be dug real quick and the saplings kept moist.

'Tipis'.

 

Spring Amidst the Orchards

Spring has arrived in the Kammanassie valley, and we have been awed and inspired by the loveliness of this season. Because we are living among the orchards, we've had the enormous privilege to watch the fruit trees' stunning blossoms emerge and I've taken many pictures. This post includes mainly snow white plum blossoms, light pink apricot orchards and pink peach trees. So turn your face towards the sky, take a breath, and smile. Here follows some flowers to celebrate the beauty of a new beginning.

First comes the buds.... 

Apricot buds.

Plum buds. 

Then the blossoms explode.

 Apricot orchards... 

Plum orchards...

Peach orchards...

Kammanassie Winter

 As mentioned in the SARIE (August edition) magazine article about our lifestyle, we have so far experienced 3 seasons here in the Kammanassie - from December's breathstealing heat (summer), to the fantasy autumn colors amongst the orchards, and now the freezing temperatures of winter. As with each season, it arrived on its own time and had us wearing 7 layers of clothing, pretending to be dragons in the kitchen (that should tell you something about the temperatures...), and yelling excitedly at brief glimpses of snow on the mountains, between the drifts of clouds.

Because winter is rain season in the Cape, we've had some long, wet days too, during which the mountains are invisible behind clouds and mist. The water is good for the soil and plant life though, so we didn't complain. Rain is always welcome on this farm.

Our oak tree kept a few yellow leaves despite vicious winds.

 

Crystal leaves.

One early morning on our way to George, we passed 2 horses in a camp - the frost was so thick, it looked like snow! 

Interesting to observe was the pruning of the orchards; apricot-, plum- and peach-trees were all pruned on the farm, and every day groups of chatting workers could be heard amongst the trees, their pruning scissors clicking away. An orchard's lower branches are pruned first, and then they go through it again with ladders, pruning the high branches.

Bare and pruned.

 The ladders are light and easy to carry, as they are constantly being lifted up and carried to the next tree.

 All twigs that do not have enough buds on are pruned, as well as any dead branches. 

Workers judge which twigs stay and which go by eye. 

They get really good at balancing... 

Thanks for reading! 

Autumn Picnic in the Apricot Orchards

Here in the Kammanassie, we have been right in the middle of the yearly, wonder-filled time called autumn, which pass so quickly that if you're not careful you might just miss it. To celebrate Mother's Day (but also just because we have this cool opportunity to live on a farm for a while, surrounded by orchards), we decided to go on a picnic between the apricot trees. After everyone made their own sandwiches in the kitchen, we 'romped' over to the bright yellow apricot orchard and had our little lunch there.

A few days before the picnic, everything was still mostly green.

But then, from yellow and green...

To yellow and brown.

Two good things combined - family in nature.

 A little bit of sunshine.

It was fantastic, as it was not too cold but not too hot either, the sun came out a few times to light up the hordes of fluttering 'butterflies' around us, and the sandwiches were very tasty.

My always-willing (extremely handsome) young model - adventurous brother Maarten.

My other younger brother Theuns prefers to hide. He also picked the greenest tree for some reason.

I just love this picture - every tree is a battle-ship these days... 

Race!

Next week will have some more autumn photos from a newly discovered little town called Twee Riviere,  so stay tuned...