Down Memory Lane

Long long ago, Peter and I (Sonia) and our two daughters Natasha (then 5 years old) and Nicole (then 2 years old),  moved from Welkom in the Free State to Noordhoek in Cape Town.  We saw a piece of land tucked away between the hills and the mountains.  We were spellbound by this land that rolled down to the wetlands, spreading to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Every evening we watched as the burning red sun dropped slowly and disappeared into the sea.  We decided to call this place the Enchanted Garden.

After months of hard work, we built the studio, the chalet, the cottage, the entertainment area and the pools. On Christmas day in 2000 we welcomed our first guests to our Enchanted Garden.

Eleven years have gone by since we arrived here and this year, Peter celebrated his 50th birthday in August.  Natasha will be turning 16 this year and Nicole had her 13th birthday party in July.  Time waits for no one and even though we are getting older, we are still young at heart so we decided to introduce  some music into our Enchanted Garden.  Nicole has been a wonderful teacher and she has had a tough time trying to teach her two super slow students how to play the Marimba.  Natasha refuses to go near the Marimba’s.  
We have been practicing for a few months now and can play a few songs without making mistakes.  For all our guests who have supported us over the years, we hope to entertain you with a few of our songs, or maybe you would like to join in and have fun on the Marimba’s with us.  Or even better, you may be eager to teach us some new songs.

The Jackal Buzzard and the Guinea Fowl
Before I end off, I must share with you what I saw from our bedroom window the other day.  I was alerted by the distress call of the Guinea Fowl.  I ran for my camera and managed to take some pictures of what was happening.  The Jackal Buzzard appeared from nowhere and grabbed hold of one of the Guinea Fowls.  Because he knew exactly what he was doing, I am quite sure the attack was planned with extreme precision.  I did feel sorry for the Guinea Fowl, but I also felt sorry for the Jackal Buzzard.  He was trying to eat his prey while the crows were observing his every move, and every now and then, they would pluck up some courage and try and grab a bit of his breakfast.  Eventually the Jackal Buzzard got fed up with the crows and, with his prey securely in his talons, he flew away. 

Watch this space for the next episode, and please feel free to send me your comments.

Archive 1 - May 2003 - A visit from the Black Eagle
Archive 2 - May 2003 - Puff adder visits
Archive 3 - June 2003 - Black Eagle visits again
Archive 4 - July 2003 - The story of Victoria
Archive 5 - August 2003 - Jackal Buzzard in the stable; Victoria causing chaos
Archive 6 - October 2003 - The Goslings arrive; Victoria again
Archive 7 - December 2003 - Tuscan's arrival; the Owls
Archive 8 - March 2004 - Victoria's obituary
Archive 9 - June 2005 - The Rooster and the Chicken
Archive 10 - November 2005 - Panache and Tinkles
Archive 11 - December2005 - Samantha produces 3 goslings
Archive 12 - July 2006 - The arrival of Spirit
Archive 13 - January 2007 - The Red Hens
Archive 14 - February 2007 - Coco arrives
Archive 15 - December 2007 - Christmas and Wedding Bells
Archive 16 - January 2008 - Trojan, the new Great Dane

What do our guests say!

It is here at our Enchanted Garden where people soak up the sun, relax at the pool, hike up the mountain, celebrate special occasions, new friendships are made and affection between human and animal develop.
Peter and I have been very fortunate to meet and get to know wonderful people here at our Enchanted Garden. It was an honour to have been included and to share those special memories with our guests. Not only did we make new friends, the animals also added a few new names to their fan club. They thoroughly enjoy the cuddles the guests so generously give them.
I always enjoy reading the guest comments in our guest book. Here are a few I would like to share with you.