I am gratified that visitors, old and new, like my new Thatchwick banner. Yes, this is dear Thatchwick Cottage, my haven, with the summer sunlight streaming over that dear old roof. At the moment Thatchwick is getting a new layer of thatch over two-thirds of the roof. Thatching is in process! And what a messy,dusty job it is! Enoch of Thatching Construction Co (a very pleasant and professional young African man who is justly proud of his own thatching company) and his happy team are dressing the roof. These men are keeping alive a dying art and they sing, joke and laugh as they do the job. I know - I work from home and hear them all day.
Oh, dear the mess!
The roof over the guest room. Four rooms in Thatchwick: the Guest Room, the Grandchildrens' Room and my bedroom are rondavels. So is the dining room. A rondavel is a round room with a conical thatched roof. Afrikaans: rondawel. Arranging furniture in a round room is a challenge which will even have Kari & Kisja scratching their heads!
A pile of thatch grass - golden like the veld from which it was harvested (veld is the high broad grassland in southern Africa), sweet smelling and so typical of Africa! I love it!Thatching is also a very English tradition. But my dear Thatchwick home is definitely out of Africa.
N'kosi Sikelele - God bless Africa, and all her children and bring her peace!
