CHICKEN COOP WEEKEND

One of the first things I did when I moved to BBos was to invest in some chickens. I had no idea how attached one becomes to your chooks.

They have been roaming around the village, crossing the street to visit the café across the road and generally treat the village as their own personal back yard.  Recently they started making unsolicited forays into a neighbour’s property. This would not have been a problem, had he been a friendly kind of neighbour as most people here have wandering chickens ….but he is not the type of person who you want knocking on your door to complain. Think ‘Deliverance’. Duelling banjo’s play as he strolls across the road! So; this has been the epic chicken coop building weekend and I’m happy to report that I my chickens are happily ensconced in their new home. 

First you need a plan

Add man power and fuel with coffee

The finishing touches

Add chickens

...... and VOILA!!

 

BBOS SPRING ART ROUTE

It's been a long winter of fireside chats and delicious slow cooked Dover oven meals with good friends. Thursday fish and chips at Marietjies Pub and Grill has become the norm. Everybody is there and who wouldn't be..... R25 for a mountain of food and nobody does snoek like Marietjie. Some people just bring their own plates and get take aways... but nobody misses out. It's a school night so we get there early and still get kids to bed at a reasonable hour, but it's a super social evening, a real family night out in BBos. Rugby at Marietjies every Saturday has also become an institution. It's a day where all the village kids get to connect. They charge around outside, big kids keep an eye on the younger ones and we hardly see them except when they come in for something cold to drink or are called in to eat.

The bus arrives to collect kids for school in the pitch dark under a starry sky. Good filter coffee keeps me going until the dawn breaks and a cold morning walk wakes up the senses. There was a stretch over the school holidays where wild horses couldn't drag me out into the cold for a walk. Especially after a very muddy, slip sliding walk up a farm road ended with me up to my waist in a very cold farm dam. (Tip: Don't let your dog swim in a clay dam while you hold onto the leach!!) Angela had to rescue me once she had gained control of her hysterical laughter. It took me a while to put on my walking shoes again.

Illustrations are almost done for the kid’s fun fact book, First Fact Finder that I've been working on for months for Metz Press. It's going to be one awesome book. Then it's time to throw all my energy into the next art route, which is around the corner, September 22nd and 23rd. Diarise the date! The country side is going to be gorgeous after the wet winter. I can already see signs of spring in my garden. I've been keeping an eye on the creative goings on in the studios of the BBos artists...... there is some fantastic work to be seen. We sent our posters off to the printers today so here's a sneak peek. Roll on Spring Art Route!

REDUCTION WOODBLOCK PRINT BY JOSHUA MILES

 http://www.baardskeerdersbosartroute.com
Follow this link to the Baardskeerdersbos Art Route website
Route map available to download


OFF THE GRID ACCOMMODATION

http://www.baardskeerdersbos.co.za/
Dezzie's House. Beautiful self catering cottage on Tierfontein farm, sleeps 6. Off the grid, awesome value and so, so special! Only 5 min from BBos village.

http://www.platbos.co.za/the_forest_camp.html
Platbos Forest Camp. Offering private, tented accommodation, this forest venue sleeps up to 6 guests.