Christmas gifts and Cold snaps

Today is volunteer Uli's last day at the farm. She will be leaving tomorrow early on to get the Bushveld taxi in the morning after six weeks on the farm. She is such a wonderful woman and I am sad to see her leave!

Sadly, on her last day, the English weather must have migrated here because it is FREEZING. I don't know how I will survive in England ever again as it is only 15 degrees here but it has prompted me into wearing two jackets, gloves and hat.I will never survive in the cold northern area of England ever again. I may just have to stay forever because no one can live with this cold (and to think, I was once a foolish teenager who went clubbing in the snow with only a dress on.....foolish days....I have realized the error of my ways now....OK, I wasn't even a teenager, I may have done this only a few months ago...hmmmmm)

Yesterday, a couple named Dean and Claire brought all the donated future christmas presents donated from Aly's sister Pat Gold and Jacqui. A huge thanks to them as we now have a huge amount of presents for the future Christmas boxes! While it is only September, when you have 35 Christmas boxes to be made up for everyone from the kids, to their parents and spouses, you need to be organised! We offloaded and began the sorting through of adult and child xmas presents, and I am honestly ridiculously excited to go out on Christmas day to give them out!

One of the things I am most sad about in staying in South Africa is that they do not have Halloween here. I feared that I would miss out completely this year, but alas, all is not lost. In amongst the delivered Xmas gifts was plenty of dressing up gear. So, on the 31st October, I WILL be wearing a full on Elvis outfit (with guitar) to town. I may look a tad bit mental, but you can't not celebrate Halloween! (pictures to follow)

Currently we are on half term, and there is no school until the 1st October so in all honesty, it feels like a very long day! Especially considering it is so cold that all I want to do is hide in bed and eat chocolate all day. OH! and I'll tell you what is a blessing and a curse. We live MILES from anywhere, so it is the WORST thing when you want chocolate and you know you wont see a shop for another week. So, on the upside I'm coming back skinny, on the downside......I WANT CHOCOLATE!

This evening, during the feeding time I was about to start scooping the horse feed when you can imagine my surprise at seeing all these rats in the bucket. We will have to relocate them to a grassy field far away haha. The picture below, is me messing around in the feed room. Honestly, I need a Rosie Wall of Fame. I have literally no vanity whatsoever......

And finally, the Welgeomoed's stopped by and we had coffe. Lindie, Jonny, Mene, J.L, Leonard are like a second family here, I LOVE THEM. 

Anyway, that's the end of my first post. Sorry for it being so rushed. I shall have better posts tomorrow when I am not so rushed and I am not trying to launch the whole blog in one night!

Lekker Slaap (Good night)

x