Volksrust

Well hello there, after a very long time (^^,)

I have had a busy few weeks. This year has certainly started off at full blast! I cannot believe that we are in February already! Where does the time go?!

Well on Thursday this week I had a day out of the ordinary. I accompanied Dawn to a farm in Volksrust, which is on the border of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal...

Why on earth would I be going there? Well I am so glad you asked {big grin on my face}

Dawn is in the process of starting to study for her Master' s Degree and in order to do your Master's you have to research something. So Dawn is going to research the confirmation of the Boerperd. This is a South African breed of horse. The Boerperd Society is run by a close knit group of very traditional Afrikaans men. And Dawn had been invited to pitch her idea of her research at their first meeting of the year. Which happened to be on this farm just outside of Volksrust.

I can hear you thinking, so sweet Niqui where do you come into the picture? Well I am to be Dawn's research assistant, more importantly the photographer, 'coz what I know about horses is dangerous LOL

So we hit the road at 4 am in the morning,

When we travel, I am usually the driver. I really love to drive and explore new places. Being Dawn's assistant will take me to places that I would not ordinarily have the opportunity to go to.

It was about a 4 hour drive, the last 30 kilometers were rough going...

Even the road less travelled needs maintenance (I guess there is a Spiritual principle in there somewhere...)

I am very grateful for my little car!! Ashies calls it the tractor, because of it's diesel engine, and boy did it live up to it's name :)

We arrived, yeehaww!!

This is a very old and established farm. It has been in this particular family for 150 years! They are the decendants of the original family who came over with the German missionaries. Shew talk about a bit of history!

It is a breathtakingly beautiful farm nestled in the mountains.

So while Dawn and the men got down to business, I was free to roam... and the best part of all I was able to 'play' with my Dad's (Bill) new camera...

He's lovely, and the most unusual colour, a blue roan, with softest, most velvety nose.

I have been an avid bird watched since I was a young lady, early teens I think. Bill and I share this love, so this next pic is so special. It was my shot of the day! In fact I was so excited when I down loaded it for the first time that I phoned my Dad, and asked him to come over and have a look at it too...

He is an Amethyst Sunbird. And what's so cool is, that the amethyst gem stone is the stone for February!

And this is his mate. (^^,)

Well after a long meeting it was time for Dawn to show the men what she is proposing to do...

So with everyone seated, she gave them a dem, on how she is going to capture the data of the horse's skeletal structure,

They were fascinated with the sticky dots! (too funny)

This was my proudest moment, there is Dawn right in the thick of it. These men have been evaluating these horses, the way that their forefathers did. And for then to open up their doors to an English woman is astounding. This just shows me what the favor of Jesus does. They have invited Dawn to their own farms, to collect data there. Awesome!

After all that excitement, it was time to head on home... but first...

The sweetest little Cattle Jack puppies

Daddy

Mommy

'Brother' from the first litter

Sigh... time to go.

What a wonderful day!

I live in a beautiful country!

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a merry traveller!

We left before the sun rose, and we got home long after the sun had set.

It was a beautiful sunset!

Thank you Daddy, for painting the sky so beautifully for me!

I love you!

Lotsa love, sweet friends

Niqui xx