A visit to the farm...

Yesterday we went through to Buitenverwachting for a picnic lunch. Just Jake & I. The weather wasn't great on this side, but it was absolutely perfect when we arrived on the farm. Not too hot, not too cold and best of all, not a breath of wind!!

We said our hellos and settled down at our table on the lawns to laze away the afternoon. Our meal was delicious and I am still full! It included Peppadew dip, snoek pate, mushroom quiche, black forest ham, meat balls, chicken roll, Greek salad, potato salad, brie, Ricotta rolled in Pecan nuts and drizzled with honey (I'm still dreaming of this), cream cheese with sweet chili sauce, cheddar, fresh fruit kebabs, breads, biscuits, koeksisters & chocolate brandy balls (absolutely divine)... Of course, I had a glass of the best and a cup of coffee to wash it all down. Anytime anyone's keen to go, I'm in (let me know - we need to book). It was a lovely afternoon and it's always good to catch up with people we don't see often enough. I'm always a little disappointed when I visit, by how much things have changed. Even the people have changed and each time I go, I know fewer and fewer faces. Yesterday was really great though and we saw so many familiar faces, including tractor drivers and gardeners. The co-owner of the farm, Lars, came and sat with us for a while; Hermann, the other wine-maker, came to join us for a bit (his wife, Adrienne, runs the picnic site) - we felt so special. Besides anything, Jake had a ball running on the lawns and playing with Hermann & Lars. I love that he has the opportunity to spend time at Buiten and that he will grow up know the people his dad worked with. He really makes himself very much at home when we get there and, for a change, I even got him to pose for some photos. With smiles...

At our table, before the food arrived... Tucking in...

Getting into the swing of things - lazing on the lawns...

Still eating... This time it's the Brie. Jake loves stinky cheese, something he definitely didn't inherit from me...

Did you notice his hand though? Now that he definitely did inherit from me. Not the dirty finger nails - one of each dessert though, thanks...

We popped into the cellar to drop some money off for wine I collected last week. This is Jake with Hermann having a scooter ride on the cellar's new trolley... Ready to go home... There are some newish cows on the farm that we stopped to look at on our way out. Jake noticed the difference between the girl cows and the boy cows (bulls)... When he saw the bull's nether regions, his comment was "Yo, those are impressive balls!". They are, though, aren't they? The farm kids were having a mini game of rugby on the fields alongside... Our last stop was for a classic photo of Jake in the vineyards in front of the manor house. 9 times out of 10, if you ever look up Buitenverwachting, chances are you'll find a picture of this homestead... Showing off the young grapes. He's got one in his mouth, hence the silly face... Vineyards without Jake... This is probably the other picture you'll get if you look up the farm. It'll be from the other end of the road though. I'm secretly hoping that Rosanne won't find it too emotional to have her wedding photos taken here. It's so beautiful and it's really close to their reception venue. I can just see them walking up this road in their finery. Or standing up against one of those big oaks... I took this through the window in the car on the way home. I know it's nothing spectacular, but it just showed how rubbish the weather was on the other side of the mountain, after our stunning day on the farm...

I think I've suitably redeemed myself this week, after so few posts the last couple of weeks. I'm totally up-to-date on all our news and pictures, so no complaining!! I've also noticed that this is my 200th post...

Lots of love, Sue xxx