Soleil Femme: A Visit to the Farm for a Celebration (or Two)

On the 15th of June, my grandparents celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary (massive applause and congratulations to them). A union spanning fifty five years is no small feat in today's world, and wanting to share in this special occasion with them, my mom, William and myself traveled to their farm on the outskirts of Nelspruit to spend a few days with them. Not only was it their wedding anniversary, but also Father's Day.

The farm is situated in the Schoemanskloof valley, which is approximately forty five minutes drive to Nelspruit, and two and a half hours from Benoni. My grandparents spend about two weeks out of every month on the sprawling expanse of land, and have become good friends with those that reside in the valley permanently.

Grandpa showed us his well tended gardens, and took us onto their neighbor's property to view some of the game they keep. Unfortunately we went at the hottest time of day so the animals kept low profiles, although we were able to see Tsongi, the neighbor's tame female kudu. Hand raised from a baby, Tsongi has become used to people and we fed her apples.We had a lovely roast lunch on Sunday to celebrate the two special occasions, prepared by my mom.

It was a beautiful weekend of good weather (the temperatures are much warmer than those of Johannesburg), delicious food and excellent company. Better yet was the fact that the cell phone reception was almost non existent, and we were able to fully enjoy our time together.

The farm has been an institution in our lives for many years, and I know some friends can share a memory or two from the good old days. Swimming in the Crocodile River, picnicking in the Sappi forests, visiting one of the many stunning waterfalls in the area, the kids collecting firewood each evening, and roughly twenty adults and children sharing ONE bathroom. Somehow we managed, and we had tons of fun in the process. In 2000, the grandparents knocked down the original farmhouse and rebuilt a more modern structure. It now sports DSTV too! Things may have changed, but the essence of the farm hasn't and it was wonderful to escape for a few days.

Thank you to my mom and William for a lovely weekend, and congratulations once again to Mr & Mrs Littleton, circa 1959. We are so proud of you, and lucky to have you as our family matriarchs. We love you beyond measure.