Brother R and SiL G flew down on schedule, and we left straight for the farm from Johannesburg Airport. The trip was uneventful and we arrived at Cousin S about 9pm. This was to be G's first visit to the farm; she had not accompanied R on the initial visi the previous September.
As part of the sale agreement, we had agreed that we would be able to spend time with owner D on the farm and be shown the Farm operations in detail. As luck would have it our visit coincided with the annual shearing operation. This was important as it was something completely foreign to R. It certainly was an interesting couple of days, with the almost ritualistic procedures involved.
We spent most of the days thereafter treavelling around the farm, being indoctrinated on the various do's and don't of the operation. I spent a great deal of time looking at what we had bought, and making sure that we were getting what we were paying for. All, thankfully seemed in order and in pretty fair condition.
We also were initiated into one of the facts of Karoo life - fire fighting! It seems that Karoo vegetation is totally willing to burst into flames at the slightest provocation. It seems that even if it is raining, the grass will burn at a moments notice. It doesn't help that the hilly terrain attracts lightening; seemingly there is as much lightening there as there is on the Reef - an area with one of the highest incidents of lightening in the world.
We were having dinner with Cousins A&P when we got a call to say there was a fire on Cousin S's farm. We abandoned dinner and raced back. It was raining steadily, but that did not seem to stem the fire at all. It was put out with the asistance of the neighbouring farmers (by law every two farms have to have a motorised "fire engine").
The fire eventually ended up on the adjoining portion of our farm before it was finally out. but we did meet most of the neighbours.
The rest of the visit was uneventful and we left for Johannesburg much wiser regarding the lay of the land - so to speak. Brother R and Sil G flew back to Zimbabwe to to start the long emigration process and start packing up their former lives.
As part of the sale agreement, we had agreed that we would be able to spend time with owner D on the farm and be shown the Farm operations in detail. As luck would have it our visit coincided with the annual shearing operation. This was important as it was something completely foreign to R. It certainly was an interesting couple of days, with the almost ritualistic procedures involved.
We spent most of the days thereafter treavelling around the farm, being indoctrinated on the various do's and don't of the operation. I spent a great deal of time looking at what we had bought, and making sure that we were getting what we were paying for. All, thankfully seemed in order and in pretty fair condition.
We also were initiated into one of the facts of Karoo life - fire fighting! It seems that Karoo vegetation is totally willing to burst into flames at the slightest provocation. It seems that even if it is raining, the grass will burn at a moments notice. It doesn't help that the hilly terrain attracts lightening; seemingly there is as much lightening there as there is on the Reef - an area with one of the highest incidents of lightening in the world.
We were having dinner with Cousins A&P when we got a call to say there was a fire on Cousin S's farm. We abandoned dinner and raced back. It was raining steadily, but that did not seem to stem the fire at all. It was put out with the asistance of the neighbouring farmers (by law every two farms have to have a motorised "fire engine").
The fire eventually ended up on the adjoining portion of our farm before it was finally out. but we did meet most of the neighbours.
The rest of the visit was uneventful and we left for Johannesburg much wiser regarding the lay of the land - so to speak. Brother R and Sil G flew back to Zimbabwe to to start the long emigration process and start packing up their former lives.
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