Cheeky monkeys!

On 20 December we all left Appelsbosch and moved to a large rented house right next to the Indian Ocean at Ramsgate (yes, Margate was just along the coast - there are a lot of English place names in the area). On 23 December Jenny and I returned early from the beach to find a troupe of vervet monkeys eating bananas on the drive. "How cute" we thought, and took a few snaps before realising that the bananas were ours - the clever monkeys had got through the window bars, opened the slightly open windows a bit more and were all over our kitchen - we had to chase them out. They had eaten or damaged most of our Christmas fruit - bananas, plums, nectarines, kiwi fruit and apples, leaving only the oranges. They had eaten our bread, attacked a packet of cheese biscuits and, like naughty boys, had eaten all the inside of a fruit loaf and left the crust (see photo of dish of damaged stuff we swept up). Fortunately we were able to replenish our food supplies on Christmas Eve and after that kept the fruit and bread hidden away in cupboards when not in use. Even then the monkeys managed to steal some bananas one breakfast time and one dinner time were so active that Noah and I had to stand monkey-watch armed with brooms.

Holiday in South Africa

Today we returned from a wonderful three week holiday in South Africa spent with our elder son, Olly, his wife, Sally, and their three children, Noah, Anna and Libby. This was the first time we had spent Christmas together since 2003 and it was only possible because the hospital ship on which they normally live, work and go to school is currently having new generators fitted in dry dock in Durban. We spent the first week with them in temporary accommodation at a former teacher training college in the hills at Appelsbosch, about 30 miles from Pietermaritzburg, where they and their shipmate families are currently living. The former college was an austere sort of place and the weather cool and wet but the rain did let up long enough for us all to do some some serious walking in the glorious countryside, including descending (and ascending!) a precipitous footpath down the wooded side of a valley to the foot of a high waterfall where we all splashed about in the river. The area is predominantly used for growing sugar cane and herding the cattle which produce South Africa's rich milk and delicious tender beef.

Holiday in South Africa

When icicles hand by the wall

Thus wrote William Shakespeare over 400 years ago. Wednesday night's deep snow partially melted in the sun yesterday but froze again when the sun went down, producing thousands of lovely icicles as the photos show. But it also turned the lane outside our house into a skating rink. This afternoon we walked (or should I say "skidded") the 500 yards down the lane to the Village Shop to get some essential supplies. Fortunately we have not had to drive anywhere today - Jenny's talks yesterday and today were cancelled because of the weather.

Flowers in the Garden

Despite it being only one month away from the shortest day of the year and despite several hard frosts, strong winds and lots of rain, we still have flowers in the garden. Here you can see a white crysanthemum (is that how they spell it?) which has been flowering for weeks and an exquisite rose which I cut from a bush right by our door two days ago.

Beech Hedge

Last week 25 bare rooted beech trees (fagus sylvatica) arrived by carrier and I planted them as a hedge round the bottom corner of our garden. They are fine, healthy specimens, with roots about 12 inches long and wide (see photo) and plenty of small branches and leaves. In time they will grow into a dense hedge, bright green in spring and summer and all shades between gold and brown in autumn and winter. If you want some excellent hedging or trees why not access www.ashridgetrees.co.uk.

Stained glass work

Five weeks ago Jenny signed up for a stained glass course being run in a tiny studio in our village. On Wednesday she brought home her first piece of work and here it is. Pretty good I think, and she only cut her finger once!