Tigger Turns Fourteen

Our seven cats enjoy their evening treat of cookies
Felix, (the lad facing the camera) always gobbles his food then he tries to bully the others into giving up theirs. He doesn't often succeed

Tigger, my very first cat and the oldest in the Hedges menagerie, turned fourteen on 1 April. He is still very sprightly, healthy and full of energy. I unabashedly declare that Tigger adores me more than anything else in the world...

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The Majestic Cathkin Peak

The mighty Cathkin Peak (the square, highest point in the photo) taken from our cottage in the Natal Drakensberg last week

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Birthdays, Land prospects and Mountain scenery

If you enlarge the above photo, you can see how the children are enjoying "camping" Our littlest granddaughter is just visible under granddad's left leg! What bliss, whether you're one-, three- or seven years old, to be able to play in the sand under the glorious African sun on the wide open space of your parent's land in the 'Berg

Two years ago our older son, John left his lucrative job in the merchant navy and came home to be with his wife and family. You can read more about this here. and here. Last year they moved into my home for nine months while Debbie completed granddaughter number one's first year of home schooling.

Last month they moved onto their land in the Drakensberg to set in place the dream both John and Debbie have had for many years. They wanted to live in the Drakensberg and view the mountains from their front door.

Above and below are photos of their new life on their own piece of paradise in the mountains. As they are still in the process of erecting the first building, they are living in a caravan. The children are loving it, as you can see from the photos, (I mean, which child doesn't like camping?) while the majestic Cathkin Peak rises up like a beautiful painting their "living room wall".

While building their own dwelling, Debbie continues to homeschool the children and in between John takes groups of people hiking in the Drakensberg.

Above is John, with my husband, Grant's back to the photo and my brother, who is helping John with the building.

While visiting the family over the weekend, we celebrated two birthdays. Oldest granddaughter's, who turned seven and youngest granddaughter's who was one on the same day. In the photo above granddaughter and grandson open their gifts (we believe in giving all the siblings gifts on the other's birthdays). The littlest Hedges girl was in her dad's arms and not in the photo. Debbie arranged a braai (barbeque) and snacks for family and friends at a popular resort in the mountain valley.

Debbie looking beautiful in her seventh month of pregancy, tries (unsuccessfully) to light the birthday cake in the wind. The children watch intently. Debbie's dad, Mike is in the background
Back at the beautiful cottage, on a farm adjacent to John and Debbie's land, where Grant and I stayed for the weekend, the children had a great time "riding" granddad's motorbike

Granddaughter and granddad off to the dam for a spot of fishing

As this post is aired, we will be 200km/125miles down the road in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park. We want to do one more bike trip before the end of our holiday and will be camping and hiking in this beautiful area for the next two nights.

Here's wishing ay you all a blessed Easter.