Land n Sand Sep / Oct 2013 | Page 11

B   ristle, sickly and scruffy, was rescued from a rubbish bin on a wine farm in Somerset West, adopted by vintner, Lorna Hughes, and brought to her farm near Stellenbosch.  While sipping one of her wines, preferably Stonehill Bristle, turn the bottle to read more about this lucky dog, “Patiently nursed back to health, this pint sized wire-haired terrier mutt has become my constant companion, and fiercely loyal guard, considered  by  many to be my manager.”   Note also, the small print underneath the drawing of the scruffy canine on the label, “The vintner’s best friend,” a clear admission by Lorna, of Bristle’s importance. rs.  Join artist, made it all the o the label of by: Nicolene C. Swanepoel so the Chairperson of AWSS “Not too bad a lot for a poor little rescue mutt, hey?” And so this tiny puppy, apparently a cross between a Cairn Terrier, a roll of barbed wire and a tractor, crept her way deep into and on top of Lorna’s heart, and there she rules Stonehill Farm, in her sparky, bristly manner. She joined two other farm dogs, an old Boxer and a young Maltese, and over the years more dogs, all strays, joined the pack. There’s Bubbles, who insisted on following the vineyard workers from Kayamandi, and refused to go back.    Some nine years later, the team of dogs have grown to ten, but Bristle is still ‘baas van die plaas’.  ne, Some Wine.