It’s been a very strange December on the farm. We started the month with such optimism that the drought had broken, but sadly there has been almost no rain for weeks. Every day has been scorching hot, dry and often very windy covering everything in a thick layer of dust. The farm is usually a hive of activity at this time of year, but barring a mad rush to plant maize after the rain we had in November, there’s been very little going on since then. It’s hard to see an end to this as the weather forecast for the first two weeks of January predicts more of the same. It’s really heartbreaking to read about all the small towns around the Free State that are completely running out of water. What a contrast to my first summer on the farm five years ago. Then it was one of the wettest ever recorded, now it is the driest. Both conditions made it hard to farm, but at this rate I’d opt for the rain any day.
While there was little happening work-wise on the farm, we had a full house of family over the festive season. All three of Quentin’s sisters were here with their husbands and kids, including the whole Dixon family from Australia. It was a great distraction from reality. Long lazy lunches and dinners, plenty of time in the pool and competitive games of squash, boules, Uno and bridge made for lots of laughter. On Boxing day we walked to a Bushman painting site on our neighbour’s farm, which is really incredible. The images are still so clear and one can recognise the buck and other animals that are still found in our mountains.
As we crunched over the dry grass walking to the site, I could not help but think how lucky I am to have lived in this special place with the man I love for the past five years and to have our two beautiful children. It will rain eventually, and we will get through this difficult time, but in the meantime we can only count our blessings and say thank you for the special times we have spent with the people we love, our family.
Wishing everyone a very blessed and happy 2016! May the rain pour down soon.
Granny and grandpa with Livia and Myles.
The de Bruyn, Godley, Dixon clans.
Vastrap Farm 
Love the photos of the paintings. I try find undisturbed caves to photograph, sadly the sites where the unwashed masses can go to are vandalized. What idiot spray paints his name over these ancient drawings??!
Here is my last mission.
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