That night after I had made some tomato chutney, the tamatoes  just not wanting to stop producing, and also some nice strawberry jam, I watched some television with Hendrix lying at my feet, before taking some teabags and milk down to the bottom room, and also a kettle and some rusks. I found the previous night, after all the to-do with Hendrix, that I was feeling like a nice cuppa, but was too scared to go up to the main house to make one.
In South Africa we make lovely buttermilk rusks, my favourite, that we dip in our first coffee of the morning, and in many instances, that would be our breakfast, with maybe a little bacon and eggs or porridge later after we had our ablutions done. It is however also nice dipped in tea, or hot milk before going to bed. I was adamant not to sleep with a dry throat again if Hendrix and myself had another sqabble over his sleeping preferences.
I was deep in dreamland, Hendrix, after some conflict about where he wanted to sleep, and where I wanted him to sleep, cosily on his bedding next to my bed, when I was rudely awakened by the most unearthly cry just above me on the roof! Who jumped out from under his bedding the fastest I would never know, but Hendrix was like lightning, and  me not quite off the bed, tried to sit on my lap! I could hear things move, and from the noise they made, they were BIG! Then came another of that terrifying screams, and I ran to the shower to hide, Hendrix, my supposed to be guard and safe-keeper, a good meter in front of me! I stood behind the shower curtain, shivering from fear, and wondering how long before the monsters on the roof would find the window, and come inside.
Then, accompanied by some more screaming, there was the clapping of huge wings as the monsters left the roof and flew away to some unknown place! We stood behind the curtain for ages in case the big birds, as that was what it supposedly was, came back and eat us up. I could not think straight, but made up my mind that some outer space creatures had decided to have a look at us, and not finding us interesting enough, flew off to find some more interesting specimens!
I knew that I would never fall asleep again, so I thanked the Lord for making me take the tea and goodies down, and made an extra strong cup and almost finished my rusks.
The old nerves was not what it should be on waking from a fitful sleep, but as usual I took our breakfasts to Irma's veranda, and there, tail splayed like a jeweled fan, was the biggest peacock I had ever seen, and this bally thing was aggresive, hissing and storming us in a very menacing way, but Hendrix, thinking that he had found a new and pretty playmate just started barking playfully, and the bird got so upset it gave a bloodcurdling scream before it pulled in its tail, and wings flapping furiously, made for Sheila's place. I could have thought so!
Paging through my favourite magazine called 'Tuis' (Home)I came upon a wonderful idea for a strawberry desert, and thought I would put it on my blog. It is called strawberries in balsamic.  Just clean 1kg strawberries and pack in a nice deepish serving dish. Sprinkle about 60ml of balsamic over, then 150ml castor sugar, and mix.  Leave for 2-3 hrs. In the meantime, mix 400g of mascarponi cheese with some vanilla seeds, and sweeten to your own taste. Serve with strawberris on top of the mascarponi, and some mint leaves, then some of the syrup drizzled over the lot!
A glass of sweet Rosè with this sounds wonderful!