For hundreds of years, cows have roamed this valley. The hillsides are full of their paths as they have grazed their graceful way, heads down through the lush grasses.
There are three local herds, belonging to Zulu families, that have frequented our land.
It is a bit like a Medieval Common around here with cows, goats, porcupine, wild pigs, duikers, snakes, birds and frog visitors over the last 33 years that we have lived here.
About a decade ago, we stopped putting chlorine in the pool as it is highly toxic for the cows and they used to come regularly to drink from it. When it got low, my late husband, John, would fill the buckets and put them on the grass for the cattle to drink from. Our son, Sid, does it now and, occasionally, I will if he’s not here.
As you can imagine, 33 years has seen a few generations of these bovine pass through here.
They are at ease now, as they have grown up around us. We can walk amongst and stroke some of them – although we are still very wary of those horns !!
John had named quite a few of them. You can see why : “Handlebars”, “Scrotum” “Guard Bull, or GB”, “Nursery Cow” was a big tan cow whose job was to look after the calves when their mothers were grazing.
One of these calves grew up to be the favourite – “Speckles”.
Here is John giving her the Spa treatment in 2020
and Sid carrying on the tradition 5 years later.
Last weekend, on Saturday 8th March 2025, they all came to visit us.
It was a sheer joy to see them all again and walk amongst them as they just mingled gently together. Little ones suckling from their Mothers, teenagers playing lockhorns, and others just standing chewing cud. It always adds a greater calmness and trust when they lie down.
In this case it was a case of ‘curiosity got the calf”, and the cat ran away !!
They were with us a while, then Michael arrived to take them home, and insisted I take a photo so that he could wave to ‘the people in England.”
I say to him “Hamba kahle.’ which means “Go well.”
He replies “Sala kahle” which means “Stay well.”
