Critters of South Africa return!

 Good afternoon dearest Blogger friends. Thank you everyone, for your kind words after the loss of our dearest Ambrose. I still look around for him and I know I will for a long time to come.

Meanwhile, life has been very busy. April and May have been holiday months in South Africa with several public holidays scattered over the past six weeks. This, of course, means business for holiday accommodation and that's me! 

The large family holiday home I managed until Lockdown in April last year, was sold. The new owner contacted me in November. All the red tape was finally final in February. I met with Mark and Sue at the house and by end of March I had my first booking. This is all news for a future post.

Back on the farm, the calves are being born at a rapid rate and the woodpeckers are back making their nests in the garden. 

Cardinal Woodpecker in a tree over my garden fence

A black cow and her brown calf with a white-tipped
 tail

I'm linking to Saturday Critters with Eileen, here

HAPPY WEEK AHEAD TO YOU ALL 

Kitty journalist no more...

 My dear Blogger friends, it has taken me a week to come to terms with a terrible loss. Last Tuesday night, dear Ambrose, my neutered cat was killed by feral cats. I am shattered. 

Ever since moving to the farm almost four years ago, Ambrose has been a free spirit. He had the run of the farm yard, visiting the dairy regularly and, as many of you will remember, spending  the sunny days on the lawn watching the cows while lying nestled in between Skabby's paws. 

Then he'd revert to being a house cat and stay indoors for a while, annexing my bed and curling up with Missy. 

Ambrose asleep on my bed with Missy the night before I lost him

Last Tuesday evening, he came in for a snack and a few minutes later asked to be let out. As he always did. He would sleep on the cushioned patio chair under the tablecloth. Next morning he would be on the doormat, watching the sun rise. This particular night he went out and unbeknown to me, he left the garden and obviously met up with the feral cats. 

Next morning he hadn't come in. Eryn, my oldest granddaughter, who is staying with me, asked the dairy staff if they had seen Ambrose. They pointed to the paddock beyond the milking shed where she found our precious boy.

My dear Ambrose, whom I rescued as a kitten in 2010 when we lived in Kenya. 

He was mischievous. He had character. He was a great kitty journalist. 

REST IN PEACE, SWEET AMBIE

Once again...

 ... I have been absent from Blogger, but here I am again!

Life has been rather busy with our holiday season which meant many guest bookings for me. In addition I have taken over the "big" family holiday home which is under new ownership and which,  this time, is a lot easier to manage. 

Skabby and I have had a few early morning walks, catching the glint of the sun on the birds.

Cattle egret warming itself in the early morning sun

Sacred Ibis glowing in the early morning rays 

Back home in the farm office, I have a resident spider in my tea station 

An Amethyst Sunbird male drinking from a canna bloom in my garden

The Central Drakensberg has been spectacularly beautiful this autumn 

N

Nyati Valley Guest House - my ten sleeper holiday accommodation

Sundowner patio with a view (of the mountains pictured above this) . The new owner, Mark and his fiancé, Sue have already made great improvements to the house. The accommodation is pet friendly too 

I've had back-to-back bookings for my beautiful two sleeper unit, The Bunker 

I'm linking to Saturday Critters with Eileen here

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL!