SKI SEASON 2009

Phew! We've been fully booked for the last 6 weeks, so finally I have a chance to catch up with you all. It's been a tough ski season as Phil and I had the most awful flu during the first week and never got a chance to rest and recover. Trying to play happy smiley hosts with a hacking cough and streaming nose has not been easy. I usually love dealing with the guests, but general exhaustion has made it feel like very hard work indeed - particularly when we're catering until late at night and then getting up in the dark and sub zero temperatures to make breakfast and sort check-outs.

The ski season guests tend to be wealthy city folk, some of whom fall in love with the farm and some for whom this is just a stop-over on their way to the resort so it's a pretty mixed experience. Most are fine but I get exasperated with the people who want to see snow and then complain about the cold.... It doesn't snow unless it is cold......Go Figure!! Our staff were amazed by the arrival of guests in a helicopter that was so powerful the down-draught clean blew the door off the barn (missing Phil's motorbike by inches)! Tinker loves chasing birds, but even she decided that this particular winged creature was a bit too big and noisy and ducked for cover!

TV CREW & JOURNALISTS

As if we didn't have enough on our plate with guests I couldn't resist the opportunity to keep marketing and over the winter we have had journalists and a TV Crew staying with us.

The writers (Chris Marais & Julienne Du Toit) have published several books about South Africa/Namibia and are leading South African travel journalists. Funnily enough, one of their books - 'Shorelines - A Jouney Along South Africa's Coast' accompanied me through my initial overlanding travels and I have even quoted from it on this blog (under the Mozambique section) as it inspired me so much. Phil and I worked our socks off taking Chris and Jules around every mountain pass in the area. Our daily adventures were great fun and we enjoyed their witty company, but a serious test for Phil';s patience (or lack of) as whether driving or hiking he always missions from A to B as directly as possible, so frequent photo stops are not really his thing. Hopefully he will be able to appreciate the rewards in terms of extra business later in the year.They have submitted articles about us and the surrounding area to SA's Country Life, Drive Out (which is a leading 4x4/travel magazine) and Business Day. The features will all be coming out in the next few months so I'll post copies up on the web when they are published.

As usual our dog stole the show and the Country Life article is going to be based on the love affair between her and the journalist's handsome German Shepherd - it doesn't matter how much effort Phil and I put in, Tinker always gets the best comments in the visitors book and now she's getting her own media coverage!! I've gone with the flow and now introduce her now to all guests as 'Head of Customer Hospitality and Guiding Services' and she certainly lives up to her billing. How I wish I could wake up with her boundless energy and enthusiam every morning - maybe I should go the whole hog and get her business cards printed.

Last week we had SABC (equivalent of the BBC) coming to film a kid's TV programme and the entire 30 minute episode is about Wild Mountain Adventures and Rosstrevor Guest Farm. It's of dubious marketing value as not really watched by our target market, but I guess all publicity is good publicity and at least I can use it in my marketing to add credibility ("As featured on SABC3's 'Which Way'….. "). The programme has been voted Children's TV programme of the Year and involves 4 teenagers travelling around South Africa and undertaking challenges along the way, competing in teams of two.

It turned out to be an exhausting but fun day's filming. The crew started before dawn shooting scenes of the kids fascinated by the frozen bird bath and after breakfast the first challenge was for them to bottle feed the lamb and goat. At this stage both animals have been weaned off milk for about a month and their different reactions were hilarious - the goat decided all his Christmases has come and once and eargerly guzzled the bottle down. The ram turned up his nose totally and went on a hooligan mission trampling and eating the garden - should make good viewing. The kids' next challenge was to guess how many ewes were in in a particular field and then herd them through a gate so that they could be counted properly. Watching these city kids running through the flock, flapping their arms and scattering sheep in all directions was good value, but eventually they got the hang of it and the winners were judged on their herding ability and nearest count. Phil and I then guided a hiking trail to the bushman paintings which included a race wading across the icy fast-flowing river (bear in mind that at the moment the water is basically melted snow!). At the Rock Art site I had to do a piece about how the San Bushmen made their paints from crushed rocks, clays, plant sap etc and what they made their 'paintbrushes' from - porcupine quills, feathers, chewed twigs etc). The kids then had to collect similar materials on the way back to the farm where they attempted to create their own Rock Art. I've attached a photo of their finished paintings - no doubt as to who the winner was!

All throughout the day Phil and I were filmed giving information about the farm and the area. Presenting is a LOT harder than it looks! Both of us have done enough public speaking in our life that we thought we'd find it quite easy, but as soon as that camera was rolling our mouths filled with cotton wool and we were stumbling over our words. By the end of the day we had relaxed a lot and felt more natural in front of the camera. It cheered us up that the professional TV presenter always ended up needing more takes than us to get it right. Nevertheless I don't want to hear the words "Rolling… and Action……Nope, we need to take it AGAIN" for a long long time. Another test for Phil's patience. And of course, we had to laugh when the producer said …… "And I think we'd like to have the dog, Tinker, as a theme running throughout the show……"

The show will be broadcast sometime later in the year so I'll see if I can get some video clips to entertain you with. Or then again maybe I'll just destroy all the evidence if it's too embarrasing! As a relatively new ex-pat It still feels a bit weird that I've ended up on a TV programme designed to educate South Africans about their own country!


SNOWY MOUNTAINS

Once again we're in the depths of winter and have had a couple of heavy snowfalls (more due this week). I think we're through the worst (she says optimistically) and the daytimes are lovely and sunny, but we're averaging night time temperatures of minus 10 degrees. Brrrrr. At least this year we're living in a house with electricity, so Phil and I are a bit more comfortable - our cottage has its own TV so at every opportunity we hibernate under the covers with the electric blanket on full blast to watch movies. I've had enough cold in my 36 years in the UK to last me a lifetime and frankly when I moved to Africa I didn't plan on Arctic (or should that be Antarctic) temperatures. Enough already…..Roll on summer. The mountains are beautiful at this time of year though and I've updated the blog with some snowy pictures.

MORE ADDITIONS TO THE ROSSTREVOR FAMILY

Three horses have arrived in the last week – all greys. Mine is a lovely safe 15hh gelding called Thuthu (pronounced Tutu and is Zulu for 'colour of smoke'). You could put a 3 year old on him to ride, but he’s quite skittish on the ground and a naughty bugger to catch. Mind you, the grazing here is crap at the moment so he’s fast learning that people=food. It’s lovely to have him just by the house so I go and catch him up about 10 times a day so that he doesn’t know when he’s going to be ridden and when he’s getting some munchies. I’ve attached a photo of him – he’s very fluffy at the moment and needs a bit of a make-over and not the best of pictures as he’s standing a bit wonky but it will give you a general idea. His conformation is OK apart from boxy upright feet, but for climbing it’s better than too long in the pastern. He’s nice and surefooted which is important in these mountains. He cost R2,000 (about £150), so a bargain compared to UK prices!!

The other two horses are totally wild and until last week had never seen people before in their lives. They are a 6 year old mare and her 2 year old colt who had never been weaned as they were living alone in the mountains together. We split them up the day after they arrived (fun and games) and now Phil is busy training the mare. He is so amazing with horses and I love watching him work with them. In just 3 days he has managed to get this wild creature halter-trained, lunging, groomed, and wearing tack - which I guess means he'll be sitting on her (or trying to) by the end of the week. She’s incredibly dominant so I can see this will be a battle of wills. I was hoping to stay out of this process for a long while yet, but I guess he's going to need me to hold her whilst he mounts for the first time. God, I hate that responsibility!! I've attached some pics of the mare - she's as yet unnamed, so answers on a postcard please!! Alcatraz and Aragon are on the shortlist at the moment, but they're maybe a bit boyish for a girl!

The goat and lamb (Boesman and Trompie) are growing up fast and are incredibly naughty, escaping to eat the house gardens at every opportunity and driving Phil mad. They're still a hit with the kids and I've attached a piccie of them in the snow.

HORSES BACK HOME

It’s always a real highlight for me when I hear news from back home (yes, that is a hint!) and I've been having lovely emails over the last couple of months keeping me up to date with Ellie, Lion and Rainbow's progress back home (thank you sooooo much guys). Ellie is in the most fantastic loan home and is going great guns with Bella getting placed in Pony Club Events. They're not asking too much of her as she's an old lady now. She must be about 18, but they are keeping her in stunning condition and just sent me the most fantastic batch of photos where she looks as youthful as the day I bought her about 11 years ago. Time flies……!

Her son, Lion, is my pride and joy and Caron is just starting him jumping under saddle for the first time and doing baby competitions. He looks so smart and grown up I can hardly believe it's the same animal that I saw taking his first wobbly steps 4 years ago. I wish I could be there to see them progress in person - if there's one thing I miss about the UK it's travelling to competitions with Caron (and all the bantering in the lorry to and from the event). One day I'll lay my hands on the magic carpet that will transport me back and forth in seconds. They're launching space travel now, so surely it's not too much to ask!

It really has been a crazy hectic couple of months so we’re planning another trip to the coast with some friends soon. Phil wants to do some fishing and I'll be happy just to thaw out my frozen bones and try to get some colour on my pasty white legs which have been hidden away for a long time now.

Warm hugs and kisses from the cold snowy mountains

Kate xx