Vera Ann first saw Kestell from the highway, while travelling between Harrismith and Bethlehem. As you come around the bend that overlooks Kestell, the scenery -- specially right after some snow, rare as that may be -- is a lot like the views of Swiss villages one sees on postcards.

I am convinced I was with her at the time and I can describe the scene from my rather vivid recollection even though I am actually not sure that it's not a product of my imagination. But the impression is there: Kestell's imposing church building and the hillside as a backdrop, everything candy-coated in immaculate white, are still very real in my memory.

It snowed in Kestell last from early morning on August 2nd, 2006. By full light there was a thin layer of snow covering the entire town, but it soon started melting. It continued to snow all day, but it never managed to regain ground. Still, it was a rare treat and we cherished it. This is the picture from my office window. The full sized picture, taken from my mobile phone and hardly a photographic masterpiece, is available here. It has snowed twice so far this year (2007), I missed the first instance which was unseasonably early. The second time there was only some snow left on the ground by the time we all got out of bed and it was followed by one of the most glorious winter days I have ever known. The snow lasted a while in the shady spots, but in the sun it was warm enough to wear shorts and a tee-shirt.

It was a bit of a battle locating an estate agent, although in retrospect that is more due to the town atmosphere than to an actual lack of ready and willing, but hardly able and definitely not qualified, amateurs.

We like to claim that we got the last real estate bargain in town, which isn't true, really, because there are slightly later comers who have paid a good price for their property, but we would not have wanted the farm they bought, so that doesn't really count.

Certainly we got a very reasonable deal: nice location, biggish property, a bit of historical value, a nice, but not breath-taking view of both Maluti and Drakensberg, and a feeling of having settled for good.

Another piece of the jig-saw puzzle fell into place when Vera Ann and I stayed at Sani Lodge prior to running the Sani Stagger. It dawned on her then that Russel was onto a good thing and that there was room for others to join the rush. It would never have occurred to me and, if Vera Ann did suggest it at the time, I'm sure I gave no more than a humouring nod, rather than encourage her. Let's be frank, I'm not a people's person, catering to an endless stream of strangers was never my idea of retirement or near-retirement. Now I'm very pleased to admit that I was totally mistaken.