Heritage Day 2024

" Heritage Day is a South African public holiday celebrated on 24 September. On this day, South Africans are encouraged to celebrate their culture and the diversity of their beliefs and traditions, in the wider context of a nation that belongs to all its people." Wikipedia

Good morning, dear Blogger friends. 24 September is Heritage Day in South Africa, also referred to as National Braai (BBQ) day. 

Until I came to the Central Drakensberg, I had never become involved in Heritage Day. In 2018, I'd been managing my friends' art shop in the local shopping center for a year.  I wore a Swahili shift dress which I had bought in Tanzania while living there. At work, I saw the three Zulu in the gift shop next door were all resplendent in their beautiful, beaded Zulu skirts, tops and headdresses. We posed together and had photos to mark the occasion. 

On the way home that afternoon, I stopped off at a lifestyle center where Mavis, sister of my Thandiwe, manages a menswear shop. She was dressed in full Zulu regalia, and we had a photo together. 

Apart from 2019 when I was out of action after surgery and 2020 where we were under Lockdown, I have always dressed the part and had photos with Mavis. 

This year on the public holiday, Thandi and I had to work at The Bunker, cleaning after guests and prepping for incoming guests. As I normally fetch her from the township, I always offer a lift to Mavis and Thandi's daughter, Thombi who also had to work in the lifestyle center.

My Swahili outfit

Thandi and I making the bed in our regalia!

Polishing, sweeping, mopping. All in a day's work!

Ready and welcoming for the incoming guests

There is still snow on the mountains to the guests' delight

On our way home we stopped off at the lifestyle center where Mavis works...

...and posed for photos

Mavis indicated the staff at the restaurant and said they were REALLY dressed in true Zulu fashion. Thandi and I walked over to see for ourselves.

A local musician was preforming at the center and this young woman entertained the visitors with her energetic dancing

Thandi posing with a lady who works in the restaurant

Finally, Thandi and I dragged ourselves away from the festivities. I dropped her in the township and came home... to enjoy the rest of the public holiday!

HAPPY WEDNESDAY TO YOU ALL!

Snow in September

 Good morning, dear Blogger friends Thank you for the comments on my previous post. 

Although it's spring in the Southern Hemisphere and that we experienced very high temperatures mid-week, on Friday the weather changed. Heavy grey skies were the order of the day; it began to rain. And rain.

By 9pm Friday night, the snowflakes began to cover the ground.  On the high Berg and in several towns which lie higher than the Champagne Valley.

It was also the start of a long weekend (we celebrate Heritage Day on Tuesday), and the school holidays had also begun. 

So... guests were pouring into the Valley. 

Only problem is that anyone who was still on the roads that night, were caught in traffic jams on our passes and at the toll gates along the National N3. 

Which is scary. 

We are NOT equipped for snow and extreme conditions. 

An aerial view of one of the passes on the freeway between Johannesburg and Durban. Although not distinct in the photo, the vehicles were backed up for 30km and strainded on this pass for more than 24 hours

This image was posted on our WhatsApp group at 5am on Saturday morning

Emergency services worked tirelessly to succor people stranded by supplying warm blankets and flasks of hot drinks.

I had guests who were due in by Saturday midday. They wisely waited in Johannesburg and were kept abreast of the situation when I shared the messages with them.  They eventually left home for the Drakensberg early this morning. And arrived safely via a second pass (which only JUST opened by 9am today) at The Bunker. 

The pass on the National Freeway was closed to ordinary traffic while the emergency services and heavy-duty machines cleared the road and assisted the motorists down the hill, 

This message was blazoned on our social media warming all motorists not to attempt using this pass. The SA police and traffic was out in full force and turned private vehicles back as they approached the pass. Only emergency vehicles and machines were permitted on the pass

People from the cities on the East Coast swarmed up the Freeway wanting to see and experience the snow firsthand. This exacerbated the traffic congestion, and the public was urged via all platforms and over the radio NOT TO CHASE THE SNOW. There were so many images on the socials, you could experience it here. 

The sun is out again, and it will be another 28 years before we experience such heavy snow in South Africa again. 

Meanwhile, we admire the great mountain peaks in our Valley

Champagne Castle and Cathkin Peak 20 September 2024

POST SCRIPT:

I received a message late yesterday afternoon with this image below: 

This was the traffic situation on the N3 Freeway pass which has been closed to traffic since Friday night.  Received 16h13 on Sunday 

WISHING YOU A WONDERFUL MONDAY AND WEEK AHEAD

Eight years!

 Good morning, dear Blogger friends. Despite my best intentions, I don't seem to get back to Blogger once I've posted. Thank you for your kind comments.

Feedback on the Laptop. No, my old one is gone/dead/blown up. And I am still using the farm machine. It just wasn't in my budget to purchase a new laptop at this time of the year. 

However, at the beginning of August, I wrote in for a competition on the radio (I have no TV; I only listen to the radio) and I WON a considerable amount of money in vouchers!

Takealot is a website on which I could purchase a laptop of my choice. Angus has ordered it for me, which will be shipped to his home in the Free State. He will insert SSD, from my old laptop and One Drive and ensure that all my files are retrieved and saved onto my new laptop.  He will send it to me via Postnet another great service we have in South Africa.

WHOOPEE. Soon I will have my new laptop, called an IdeaPad. 

And then...

...as you can see by the heading of this post, today 16 September 2024; we arrived here on 16 September 2016. 

 I have been in Champagne Valley, Central Drakensberg for eight years!  

HAVE A WONDERFUL MONDAY! 

A rejuvinating break

 Good morning dear Blogger friends. Well, here I am again, after ANOTHER long break. 

I'll pedal back to the second half of June After having my wing mirror repaired in Ladysmith, I headed for the Free State, I was on my way to spend time with Angus, Amanda and my three grandchildren in the great city of Bloemfontein. 

After a five-hour, uneventful road trip, I arrived at their home in the suburbs just after 5pm.  Although I had taken leave from the farm office and my Weigh-Less job, I was still working online. When I stopped for a break in a town two hours before my destination, I saw several messages on my WhatsApp with new members applying to join my online Weigh-Less group. After supper, and catching up on the news, I fetched my laptop, opened it and turned it on.

 Nothing. 

A black screen.

My worst nightmare!

Angus checked it for me and also couldn't get it started. Oh whey.  He said he would take it to their IT man the next day. He then set me up on an extra laptop and so I could continue to work. 

Angus and Amanda both gave up their jobs in the corporate world and work from home. The children, 14, 12 and nine are homeschooled. 

Every morning Angus disappears into his office (just off the master bedroom) and teaches English online to foreign students. Once Amanda has set up each child with their work for the morning, she works online doing research for companies. She is also an Avon representative and has recently joined a company selling health suplements. 

I sat in the same air space as Amanda and worked at my Avon, accommodation and the ubiquitous Weigh-Less business. At one stage I got up to stretch my legs and wandered around their house checking on the children. Including Angus' (who works behind closed doors), I counted eight laptops humming industriously. 

Joel, Abby and Liam, my three grandies in Bloemfontein

Liam doing his school work 

Amanda assisting Abby in some task

Joel at his laptop, doing his schoolwork

Amanda making choc chip cookies in their well appointed kitchen

Angus baking sweeet potato chips for dinner

Liam, the littlest Hedges 

Angus

Of course, in due course it was Saturday, and I wanted to do the local Parkrun. Angus was registered at the nearby Innibos (translated In the bush) Parkrun. 

It was Angus's second Parkrun ever. 

When we got home, Amanda asked if I would like to visit the Farmer's Market which takes place every Saturday, Oh yeah! What woman doesn't enjoy wandering between stalls and browsing.

When we arrived home, Angus had had a message from Armand, the IT guy who was checking up on my laptop. He said the base (engine?) motor was covered in hair. I insisted this is from my carpeted office. He said he could repair it at a small cost. I told Angus to have it done. 

On Sunday we all attended church where Angus does the sound from the rear of the hall, so Amanda and I sat together facing the stage. She normally is on stage as part of the music team, but she had had surgery on her jaw and was taking a break.

The following week we continued to work as a family in the house. Not one person got in the way of the other. No one raised an eyebrow, when I got into the kitchen and made a batch of scones with Amanda's gluten free flour. I also made a large dish of cauliflower/broccoli cheese for supper. 

On Thursday morning, I visited one of the Weigh-Less venue groups. I sat and chatted to Hester, the Group Leader and Ruth her Group Assistant while members arrived in between to be weighed before they went off to work.

Jo and Hester

Back home, Abby and cousin, Chloe were making chips for their brunch. Amanda's siter lives in the city too, and the two families enjoy times together

And then it was Saturday. And another Parkrun opportunity.

Angus and I drove little further this time and did the Brandkop Parkrun. 

On the way home, he stopped to refuel his car and I realized that we had not had a photo. Angus took a selfie right there at the filling station

My fifth away Parkrun, and Angus third! Brandkop (translated Burning head) 

Then disaster struck. 

Armand contacted Angus and said, although he had tried everything possible, my laptop was completely burnt out. 

ERGH!

After a lovely, restful ten-day holiday with the family I drove back home that day. 

All was not lost, back at the farm, we have an old laptop which I use for work. And with today's technology, Angus came through remotely on Anydesk and showed me where all my information was stored in One Drive.

Aaah. I continue to work in the farm office on this laptop; Ron agreed I could use it personally in the interim; then I come and work on it at home. But oh whey. It is SOOOO very, very slow.

Meanwhile two weeks ago as Skabby and I had finished Parkrun here at in Winterton, Angus sent me a photo of him and Abby. Her first Parkrun. 

 

Mmm. I like to think that I have influenced them to enjoy this great Saturday event. 

Abby's first Parkrun with Dad Angus

HAVE A GREAT SUNDAY!