1995 has been busy, but enjoyable. It's hard to believe that the first year in our new home has almost passed. Sarah (4) has finished her first year of nursery school, and has grown into a gentle, loveable, and affectionate child. David (7) has finished his first year of primary school, doing well particularly at reading and maths. We are enjoying the lifestyle of our new home (although we do miss seeing our Germiston friends quite as often as before). I walk David to school in the mornings, before riding to Mintek on my bicycle, and Bardy (our border collie) enjoys going running with me over weekends.
Deb completed a course in Christian Counselling (through RAU), and also studied Psychology II through the University of South Africa (UNISA). She also started a small part-time business (from home) making children's dress-up clothes.
During July, we spent about three weeks travelling around Zimbabwe. I had a few days' work to be done at Bindura Nickel Corporation (about an hour's drive north of Harare), so we took our Landrover and visited a few mines and plants on the way, also stopping off at the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. We returned via the Eastern Highlands (Nyanga and Chimanimani Mountains), Gonarezhou National Park, the Matopos National Park, and Victoria Falls (including a brief walk across to Zambia to see the falls from the other side). Eventually we returned home, taking a shortcut through Botswana.
Next year, there is quite a good chance that I (along with Debbie, David, and Sarah) will be visiting the USA. I have been invited to spend about six weeks at the University of Missouri-Rolla as a Visiting Professor. I will be expected to give a couple of lectures (on pyrometallurgy), but will spend most of my time on the joint development of software for performing free-energy minimization (equilibrium) calculations for systems containing highly non-ideal slag and metal solutions. I will be working with Professors Art Morris and David Robertson (Director of the USBM Center for Pyrometallurgy). At this stage, we are expecting to be in America from about mid-June to early August. Most of the time will be spent in Rolla, but we do have a few short visits planned. We hope to fly via England, and intend to spend a few days seeing family and friends en route.
Love,
Rodney, Debbie, David, and Sarah
Jones family newsletters from other years