African Sunset

Look what we found this morning

We have been keeping a close eye on Sonja, the European Bushpig.

She arrived on the farm in December 2010 when she was very young. A friend brought her to us, saying she needed a home. In March we arranged for a boyfriend for her and this is the result.

She had five little piglets on Saturday.

All are healthy and strong.

 Don't they look beautiful with their stripes?

I like to do my bit for the environment, so I shred all the unused newspapers as well as old invoices and office paper. This gets mixed with hay and put into the pigsty and the chicken house. Once it has done its job there it gets transferred to the compost heap where it rots away and the compost is then used in the garden again.

Works really well!

This is the only girl out of the five piglets.

 I hope her brothers will not bully her around too much.

And this is one Happy Mama!!!

Citrus Time

It is harvesting time in the citrus orchad.

 Our trees are laden with sweet juicy Oranges, Mineolas, Kumquats and Lemons.

Its a busy time of the year as I make lemonade concentrate and all sorts of jams and chutneys/relishes.  

Lots of fruit is  squeezed out for orange juice, to be  frozen and savoured later in the year.

It is also a time where new citrus dessert recipes are tried and tested to spoil our overnight guests with.

The souvenir cupboard in the guest dining room is stocked up and what doesn't get used on the farm is sold at a friends little country shop.

It is the perfect time of  year to stand in front of a stove, bottling and preserving, as it is quite cool outside.

Even though we have 90% sunshine in South Africa it can get quite cold in winter.

Soon all the fruit will be harvested and the trees will start to bloom in full force for next seasons bounty. The scent of their flowers is amazing. I wish I could bottle it somehow to use as perfume or linen spray.

Got to go and sterilise some bottles...... speak to you soon...........