First Post!

Hello!
And welcome to my blog! This is the first of many contributions to let everyone know about the daily workings of Lydenrust. For those who haven't visited, I'll do a run through of all the ins and outs of the farm. We have fourteen horses (Manama, Blue, Marula, Annie, Diamond, Charlie, Maverick, Ramon, Scotty, BooBoo, Duncan, Danny, Mandla, and Mr Bones), seven dogs (Murphy the white Alsatian, Camilla, Charles and Harry the Great Danes, Bobby and Justin the sausage dogs, and Sheila the mongrel), a pot bellied pig called Pork Chop, a cow called Dougal, a crazy chicken named MJ, a grey rebuck (that's essentially a deer) named Angel, about a million goats (too many to name), four cats (Baby, Jinx, Cricket, and Casper), two peacocks, one turkey, two tortoises (Speedy and Gonzales),  and a load of pigeons! The farm is a guest lodge with three main houses for people to stay in called Brumby Cambin, Brumby House, and Palomino Cottage. The farm is worked by six farm hands called Simon, Big George, Little George, Big Marcus, Little Marcus, and Salan. The awesome cleaner is called Sophie and quite frankly she is amazing! The farm is owned by Aly and Danie Botha whom I am staying with for my six months here.

In the school we have thirteen children: Sara, Liesbeth, Charlotte, Grace, Maggie, Magdaline, Jane, Thando, Chris, Siyabonga, Percy, Patience, and Oupa. We teach in an edutainer just outside the main farm house where we now have a jungle gym, sandbox, scooters, and dining area. We do pony rides and nature walks with them every Friday and inbetween we teach all the basics such as letters, numbers, colours to them, including the vitally important play time they so need to develop social and language skills.

An average day for me begins at 6am. I wake up, put the kettle on, put MJ the chicken outside in the garden (the crazy chicken cannot roost so sleeps in a dog cage on the veranda), feed Angel (she still wont let me touch her !). Then I have breakfast. At 6:30am I make up bottles for bottle feeding and feed the cats. I head out to the farm and feed Cade the lamb (his mother died when he was only a few days old), and Chloe the baby goat (her leg was crushed by Marula the horse at only a week old and since her recovery bottle feeding has continued). Chloe is a cuddler and will only drink if you have her on your knee.

7am- Tack up Mr Bones and go for a ride, He is a pocket rocket with no brakes. On a daily basis I will say the words 'oh my god, I'm going to die' while riding him.

8am- Set off in the bus to go collect the kids.

8:30am-- School begins! The kids hand in their homework and we do exercises and games outside to warm them all up.
9am- Puzzles and colouring!
9:30am- Reading and singing time!
10am- Break
10:30am- Bottle feed Cade.
10:35am- Education time of letters and numbers!
11::30am- Play time!
12:15pm- Going over homework with the kids.
12:30pm- Take the kids back home in the bus
1pm- Lunch
1-3:30pm- PRECIOUS FREE TIME!
3:30-5pm- Bring the horses in, feed them, go on a ride.
5pm- Just tea to cook and the day is done!

This was just a quick run through, pictures and every day happenings will follow :)