It’s Sunday Morning!…Beginning of another wonderful day…Why are we still here?…

We were at a New Zealand car show, and Tom was incredibly excited to spot this Minnesota State Trooper vehicle so far from his birthplace.

The clock is ticking. We leave here in a little over a month. For now, every day we spend in Lake Las Vegas is unique in one way or another.

Each Sunday, we wait until the video is uploaded at CBS for their interesting weekly news-type series, “Sunday Morning.” I can’t start it until I finish the post since we have to use my laptop to plug in the HDMI cord. Tom’s soon-to-be-replaced laptop will also have an HDMI outlet so that we can watch it on his new laptop. I enjoy having something interesting to listen to while preparing a post, but it’s impossible when I need my laptop to do the post.

Occasionally, I’ve written the text on my phone while we’ve watched the show, but it takes me twice as long to type on the little keyboard. I am not as adept as many who can quickly write texts and send messages with such ease and efficacy. Neither of us is good at that. Did we miss something while we’ve been away, or are we simply getting too old to have such dexterity?

Once we leave the US in a little over 3½ months, we won’t be watching Sunday Morning unless I can convince Tom to watch it on one of our computer monitors. After all this time in the US, we’ve had access to a TV monitor with HDMI capability, but that’s not always the case.

In South Africa, our next foray outside the US, the TV is located up a very steep set of stairs we never used. We didn’t stream much from there, with often poor WiFi or our lack of interest in climbing those stairs each evening to watch something on a relatively small screen.

Instead, on occasion, we’d stream something on my laptop after we went to bed, but as mentioned., Tom doesn’t care to watch the small screens on the laptop. But, while there, the entertainment outdoors was enough to entertain us any evening, and of course, we had a busy social life at least two to three times each week.

Many have written asking why we haven’t left for other countries after being in the US for over two months. Remember that many readers don’t read our daily posts; instead, they “stop by” every few weeks or months. For those readers who are here today, I will explain that.

First, I needed to sign up for Part B Medicare and a supplement to be fully insured. This wasn’t easy in other countries when I had to snail mail my application and ancillary documents. In many countries, snail mail can take months to arrive, if it arrives at all. Snail mail in South Africa is impossible when letters and packages can sit in a warehouse for years.

Secondly, once the insurance was in place, which will be on March 1, 2024, I wanted to get a new heart ultrasound in the US and an opinion on going forward. I have already found a highly-rated heart clinic only five miles from here, which I’ll visit for the ultrasound in the next few weeks.

Third, we wanted to visit more family members in one fell swoop over a few months. In only a few months, we’ll travel by car to Arizona, California, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to see everyone on both sides of our family. Our grandson Vincent graduates from high school this spring, and we promised to be in Minnesota for his graduation party in early June, as we will for all of our grandchildren. It’s been wonderful seeing Richard here in Nevada, our home state, but soon we’ll move on.

When will we return to the US? At this point, we have no idea. What new countries will we visit once we leave the US? The outcome of my test will determine the answers to those questions. If all is well, we will begin planning. If not? That may require a quicker return to the US for treatment. We are “playing it by ear” right now.

We will have accomplished everything we wanted to do while in the US on the trip. We’ll soon discover what happens from here and keep all of our readers updated.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 25, 2014:

“Hey, you guys, come on! They’re serving pellets for breakfast!” For more, please click here.

Medicare Part B card finally arrived…Plans change…Thinking about the future…

Our friends Ken (left of Tom) and Don at a dinner party at our bush home in 2018. Many great memories!

This morning, I received a notice from our mailing service that a letter had arrived from Railroad Retirement. I am assuming it is my Medicare Part B membership card, which, as a spouse of a railroad worker, comes from them as opposed to Medicare itself. Once I have the card in hand, I will make an appointment for a cardiac ultrasound to determine how good or bad my valves are.

Hoping for a good outcome, I am anxious to find out if I can avoid another open heart surgery. The report I had in Manta, Ecuador, a few months ago and in Nelspruit, South Africa, indicated I have issues with both my mitral and tricuspid valves. If I can avoid surgery, I will be extremely excited.

Many patients with these issues never opt for surgery, but not doing so may shorten their life expectancy. It’s a tough decision, but once I have this test done in the US for the first time and receive a diagnosis and recommendation, I’ll go from there. I am trying not to worry about it until I know more. Meanwhile, we’re continuing to enjoy our daily lives while looking forward to plans for the future.

This morning, Tom’s sister Colleen called Tom to tell him there would be a special party for their sister Betty in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to celebrate Betty’s 70 years as a nun. This impacts our plans for the date we’re leaving for South Africa, which we’d planned for June 14. Apparently, the date of the party is yet undetermined but should be around June 15.

We’d planned to visit Betty on our way to Minnesota to see the family in May. Fortunately, we hadn’t arranged our flight from Minneapolis to Nelspruit yet. We’ve been watching the airfares with plenty of time to book flights for June. But, instead of flying out of Minneapolis, we can make the one-plus hour drive from Milwaukee, after the party, to Chicago, Illinois.

By flying out of Chicago, instead of Minneapolis, we can save about $1000 on our combined flights. The layovers and overall flight times are long, but we’ve dealt with that more times than we can count. We’ll figure it out once we know the official date of the celebration.

Also, once we know the date, we’ll let Louise know our new arrival date, which will most likely be three or four days later than initially planned. We’d already signed a rental agreement, paid a deposit, and may lose those few days of rent. But, this celebration is worth it to us to support Sister Beth (her name as a nun) on this special occasion.

Sometimes, things change that are beyond our control. In each case, we attempt to make the best of the situation and accommodate schedule changes accordingly. It usually works out well.

Not much is on the agenda over the weekend. Since we were out to dinner twice this past week, celebrating my birthday, we’re not dining out as we have most weekends. Next weekend, we’ll get our usual schedule and dine out on Friday or Saturday night.

Tonight, we’re having homemade taco salads, minus the carb-laden shells, seasoned ground turkey for me, ground beef for Tom, diced onions, tomatoes, green olives, cheese, and shredded romaine lettuce. My salad will be topped with hot Pace Picante sauce and spicy guacamole. We serve the salads with heated meat and topped with cheese and other items. Delicious!

Have a lovely weekend, and be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 24, 2014:

A male kudu visited on Saturday, lounging in the shade. It was the first time we’d seen a kudu lying down. For more photos, please click here.

Part 2…An experience unlike any other!…What a night!…What is “haptic seating”?…

Not our photos. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 04: Sphere lights up for the first time in celebration of Independence Day on July 04, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 366-foot-tall, 516-foot-wide venue, the largest spherical structure on Earth, features an Exosphere with a 580,000-square-foot display, the largest LED screen in the world, and is expected to open later in 2023. on July 04, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images)

We are still reeling over the experience of visiting the Sphere in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, hosted by Richard, along with dinner at Aria Resort and Spa. What a fun night it was! I took a few photos, but when the scenes passed so quickly before our eyes, I had little time to adjust my phone’s camera to capture them. No regular cameras are allowed in the theatre.

Today, we’re sharing some photos we took during the presentation, Postcards from Earth, which was an astounding experience. An exciting aspect of the presentation was the “haptic seating,” which, of course, Richard ensured we had with our excellent seats:

“The Sphere at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas has 18,600 seats and a standing capacity of 20,000. The Sphere is a 516-foot-wide, 366-foot-tall, circular theater that opened to the public in September 2023.”

When we first saw this scene on the big screen, we all wondered, “Is this it?” But only a second later, the visuals appeared on the massive ceiling and dome of the entire theatre. It was breathtaking!  

“Haptic seating” is described as follows:

“The Sphere at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas has 10,000 haptic seats. The seats are integrated with Powersoft’s infrasound system, which uses a compact transducer called Mover to provide haptic feedback. Mover’s moving-magnet technology uses an audio signal with ultra-low-frequency reproduction to make the chairs vibrate and shake as desired for each performance.”

While we had the sensation of being in a spaceship, the effects were outstanding. It couldn’t have been more fun. We felt like kids on an innovative, technologically advanced ride at Disneyland or Disney World, except it was more profound than anything found at those venues.

It felt as if we were in an aquarium with these sting rays.

The cost to build the Sphere is astounding as follows:

“$2.3 billion
After accounting for design changes, supply chain crisis, and inflation, it is understood that The Sphere ultimately cost $2.3 billion.”
There are conflicting reports on whether the Sphere has been making money since its completion, included in the following:
“Las Vegas Sphere reports $98.4 million loss, the CFO quit as well,” said a post from Daily Loud, the “#1 Source For Hip-Hop/Viral News Across The Planet,” according to its X profile. Photography website PetaPixel went with a similar headline, saying, “Las Vegas Sphere’s CFO Quits as Company Posts $98.4 Million Loss.”
We all gasped as the beauty of this scene played out in 360 degrees.
In another report:
“As of February 5, 2024, Sphere Entertainment reported a $51 million profit in its second quarter. This includes $314 million in ticket sales and $159 million in expenses.”
Describe the technology of the Sphere:
“The Sphere in Las Vegas has many technologies, including:
  • LED screen
    The Sphere has a 16K resolution wraparound LED screen that wraps over and behind the audience. The screen uses Lens Projection Formulas and spherical trigonometry to map images onto the curved display. The screen is also designed to be permeable so that reverb doesn’t tarnish the sound.
  • Audio
    The Sphere has speakers with beamforming and wave field synthesis technologies. The 10,000 haptic seats have actuators that tune frequencies and act as low-frequency bass. The Sphere also uses a new camera system called Big Sky to create a new cinematic experience.
  • 4D experience
    The Sphere uses 4D technologies, including infrasonics and haptics, to create a 4D experience.
  • Energy
    The Sphere is powered by about 70% solar power, most coming from Nevada’s leading electricity utility, NV Energy.”
    We felt as if we were underwater with a school of fish.

Based on the above information, this venue has been quite an undertaking. Is it worth attending, even with family members, when tickets for good seats are over $200 each and parking is $70? That can only be determined by one’s willingness to bear this expense for a relatively short but astounding once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Would children enjoy this? I’d say it wouldn’t be suitable for kids under eight years old and might be frightening even for children of that age. Preteen and teenagers would undoubtedly enjoy it.

The haptic seats vibrated with the sounds of the elephant hooves hitting the ground. Guess what this reminded us of?

As for seniors? If mobility is a serious problem, we wouldn’t recommend it. Although the facility has options for wheelchair assistance, it would be essential to book this before booking the seats to ensure the senior or disabled person can maneuver the way to their seat, which is very difficult if mobility is an issue. It appeared they had particular seating areas for those in wheelchairs, which wouldn’t require climbing over people on the narrow, steep ledges.

Aside from today’s main photo, I took all the other images we’ve posted today from my seat, but the seating was too tight to turn around for better shots.

There were hundreds of scenes, many of which we’d seen in our travels. But, I needed to sit back, relax, and be immersed in the experience.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 23, 2014:

Marabou Storks will eat anything they can swallow, including shoes, clothing, and tin cans. They can become aggressive if fed by humans when they are refused food. Although not vultures, their behavior exceeds the traits of vultures whose diet consists of animal remains. For more, please click here.

An exciting birthday surprise!…Wow!…What a thrill!…

The four of us at our table last night. What a fantastic time we had with the two of them.

I know why Tom pushed me so hard about dining out last night. No more than five minutes after we sat down at our favorite window table at Luna Rossa and ordered our drinks, I heard a familiar voice. Gingerly, I turned around to find our dear friends, Rita and Gerhard, standing there with wide grins on their faces and moments later embraced in hugs between. Tom was aware of the surprise and did great keeping it from me.

They flew all the way from the state of Washington, a two-hour flight to arrive on time for our 5:00 pm reservation at Luna Rossa restaurant, down the one flight of stairs for my birthday dinner at our favorite restaurant. Amid giggles and enthusiasm, we all sat down, thrilled to be together one more time. The last time we’d seen them was in September when, again, they came to visit us for dinner and then turned around and flew back to Washington only a few hours later.

Gerhard ordered the delicious lamb shank.

Last night, they had exactly two hours until they had to head out to catch their flight back to Washington to their home. They travel extensively but occasionally spend time with their adult kids and their house near Portland. They recently returned from a cruise to Antarctica, and it was fun to share our mutual experience, although we’d recently chatted at length on the phone.

I’m not one to spend much time talking on the phone, although occasionally, I do so with friends and family. After all, staying in touch and hearing their voices is terrific. We often text back and forth on the phone or via WhatsApp.

Yesterday, I couldn’t have been more delighted to hear from many friends, family members and readers. There wasn’t a single person I didn’t hear from to wish me happy birthday.

Rita had the red snapper with scallops and prawns with veggies on the side.

But, the surprise of seeing Rita and Gerhard was over the top again. They have surprised us on several occasions. A few years ago, while we were at a New Year’s Eve party in 2021 hosted by friends Flo and Jj at their bush resort in Marloth Park, Rita and Gerhard suddenly appeared to surprise us. We couldn’t stop squealing with delight for the rest of the evening. They’d come halfway around the world to be with us and enjoy the bush together for several weeks.

Then, in September 2023, they called to tell us they would join us for dinner only 24 hours before they arrived. They couldn’t surprise us that time since we had to ensure we had a good table at the Green Valley Ranch Spa and Casino and were available that night. They stayed for about eight hours that time, and we cherished each moment.

Last night, Rita and I sat next to each other with Tom and Gerhard at the opposite side of the table. The ambiance, the food, and the service were impeccable. Of course, Tom picked up the tab, and we ate and drank to our heart’s content. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

I ordered the sea bass. Rita and I tasted each other’s fish, and they tasted similar. Both dishes were delectable.

When it was time for them to go, and Gerhard needed to contact Uber for their ride back to the airport, we had time for them to come up the one flight of stairs and see our place. It was fun to show them this lovely condo and all it has to offer.

On top of it all, they gave me a fantastic birthday gift. It’s a new version of a digital insect repellent that they used in Marloth Park, and it works better than any others. I couldn’t have been more thrilled with this gift. They both know how much I love anything electronic and, in the past, have given me several devices of one sort or another. They are so thoughtful.

When they left, we walked down to the lobby with them and waited for their Uber, which arrived in time for them to make their flight back on time.

We walked back to our condo and settled in for the evening, streaming a fun series and enjoying the remainder of my birthday together. How fortunate I am! I am grateful and humbled by the wonderful people in our lives.

I must get ready to go down that same flight of stairs to the nail salon for my first pedicure since we arrived on December 15. Tonight will be another exciting evening; we’ll share photos and details tomorrow.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 21, 2014:

Nomsa and Zeff sing Happy Birthday to me in Zulu. The sign behind Zeff’s head says, “Take risks. If you win, you will be happy. If you lose, you will be wise.” So true. For more photos, please click here.

In awe of all of the love and birthday wishes…

Here we were with Doc Theo, who saved my life, and his lovely wife, Myrtah. We were so happy they came to my party along with the other two doctors in the practice, Doc Mel and Doc Philip, and their lovely wives.

Today’s photos (except the post from ten years ago) were from last year’s birthday party held on February 25, posted on the 26. More photos will be posted tomorrow.

What a day it has been so far, and it’s only close to noon! Family, friends, and readers have been flooding my inbox and on Facebook with heartwarming messages that mean the world to me! How did I get so lucky? Based on the number of wishes I receive, I doubt I will have time to walk today.

It’s okay to take a day off while responding to all of the warm wishes that surely will keep me busy. Exercise for the heart, in another way.

Delicious welcome drinks, including Bloody Marys, topped with a slice of crispy bacon and non-alcoholic vegetable juice. We caught a kudu eating off the wooden board.

Tom is off getting a haircut, and soon, I’ll head to the kitchen to make my favorite keto pancake, which I will thoroughly enjoy with sugar-free syrup. Then tonight, as mentioned, we’ll be off to dinner at Luna Rossa, which we’ve come to love, especially with it’s inviting ambiance and overall excellent food. Sure, there was one miss on one meal last week, but we are loyal fans and will continue to enjoy it during our remaining five-plus weeks in Lake Las Vegas.

Many people say they prefer to ignore their birthdays as they’ve gotten older, but I have always been a die-hard fan of celebrating mine and the people that I love on their special day. Just because one is older, it doesn’t mean that a birthday is less significant. One should celebrate each year of one’s life when they are young, for the growth and joys the new year can bring, and when old, for the opportunity to live yet another year, cherishing every morsel life has to offer.

A beautiful gin and vodka bar was set up in the dining room, where everyone could make their welcome drinks.

As I’ve gotten older, I find myself reveling in gratefulness for every gift bestowed upon me. These past years, physical gifts have not been a part of my birthdays, but the words and kindness of others have been cherished more than any gift-wrapped package.

Last year, when we had my 75th birthday in the bush, catered by Louise and Danie, and celebrated at their beautiful holiday home, Khaya Umdani, I was very specific that no one brings me gifts. A few couldn’t resist the temptation, and of course, I appreciated their thoughtfulness.

In the back row from left to right, Lorne and Sydney. and Tom. Sinndee, Leon, and Dawn are in the front row from left to right.

But the presence of those 25 guests celebrating the milestone year with me meant everything. And, although today will be a quiet day and evening, I feel equally blessed for the memories that fill my head, with more to come, celebrating tomorrow at an extraordinary event, details of which we’ll share in Thursday’s post.

Yesterday, I promised to re-post some of the photos from last year’s party, which some of you may have missed. or those that easily recall those photos, please excuse the redundancy.

Amid all the rain, Louise and Danie beautifully set up the house and the garden. It rained briefly but never caused issues with the guest’s enjoyment at the party.

Memories are the gifts that life bestows upon us to reflect upon as time passes that fill us with warm feelings of joy and gratefulness. My heart breaks for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease who are unable to recall events of their lives. All they have to reflect upon is the moment, however short and fleeting in their minds. That’s why it is so important to love, cherish, and visit those seniors (or younger) who are unable to recall the past. May we all take the time to make those precious moments for every person in our lives who cannot recall the precious moments of their lives.

Thank you, everyone, and be well.

Photos from ten years ago today, February 20, 2014:

We had a get-together at our bush house for my birthday in 2014. We were all thrilled when many zebras came to call in the dark. Our friend Kathy got up close and personal with him, hand-feeding him pellets. As a hostess gift for our dinner gathering, Kathy and Linda brought us a big bag of pellets instead of the usual wine, flowers, or candy. Nothing could have been more appropriate when we were running low. How did they know we needed pellets? For more photos, please click here.

Great memories from years past…

When we “babysat” the pregnant alpacas while the owners were away on the farm in New Plymouth, New Zealand, in 2016, this precious little girl was born. For my birthday, along with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, the owners named this little girl “Miss Jessica” after me. It was the best birthday gift ever! For the post, please click here.

As another birthday approaches, I can’t help but reminisce and appreciate past birthdays, especially since we began traveling the world. The birthdays before that time seem to blur in my mind., except perhaps my 50th birthday in 1998 when we had a big party at our house.

At that time, I spent days cooking and preparing for my own party. Now, 26 years later, I have no interest in cooking and decorating for my own party. Then, of course, since we began traveling, my most exciting birthday was last year, celebrating my 75th birthday, which Louise and Danie hosted at the fabulous Khaya Umdani house and prepared all the food and drinks to perfection.

I will repost the photos from last year’s birthday in tomorrow’s post. This year, on the actual day of my birthday, we don’t have any big plans other than going out to dinner, at Tom’s insistence since he doesn’t want me to cook. Tom rarely cooks, so we would unlikely go that route.

But I am content with tomorrow’s easy plan to go out to dinner. Then, the next day, February 21, we have special plans hosted by Richard, which we’ll share with photos and the story the following day, February 22. I suppose at this point in life, birthdays are as important as when we’re young, but in a way, I see them as an opportunity to be grateful for one more year of our lives. That, in itself, is worth celebrating, isn’t it?

In any case, I don’t have a lot of expectations about my birthday. Texts or phone calls from family are meaningful. And, of course, the many well wishes and messages from family and friends mean the world to us.

Today is laundry day. Amid my walking schedule this morning, the sheets and dark clothes are in the dryer in the laundry room down the hall, and the whites and towels are spinning in the washer, which we’ll hang on the drying rack soon. Tonight’s dinner will be coconut sauteed cod, the one time Tom will eat fish.

To make the fish, I put about ½ cup of coconut flour in a bowl and then two raw scrambled eggs in another bowl. I well-season the flour with garlic and onion powder, Himalayan salt, and coarse ground pepper. First, I dip the patted dry fish in the coconut flour, then into the eggs, and then back into the coconut flour while three tablespoons of coconut oil are heated in the non-stick skillet.

The fish cooks very fast at medium heat, so I keep an eye on it, never leaving the stove for a moment. In the meantime, we will have cooked Tom’s rice, steamed the broccoli, and tossed the salad with homemade Keto dressing. Everything gets done at once to ensure it is all hot.

It only takes about ten minutes to prepare the fish, making this an easy dinner, although it gets the stove top messy, requiring cleaning the glass top as soon as it’s cool enough. Earlier in the day, I’d prepped the salad and the broccoli while Tom put water, salt, and butter in his small pot for the rice. We have an excellent system that works well for us. We have great meals with little prep time for most of our meals.

I am heading back to the corridor for my next round of walking now. It’s a good day.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 19, 2014:

The “girl’s lunch” to celebrate my birthday. No one was handy to take a photo of the three of us, so Linda and I were in the first photo. The Buhari Lodge was located on the Crocodile River.
My wonderful friends Linda and Kathy (left to right) lived part-time in Marloth Park. The three of us stay in close touch regularly. For more photos, please click here.

Tom talked me into going out to dinner on my birthday…Sunday Morning…

A precious little albatross chick hatched only a few days earlier while we were in Kauai, Hawaii 2015.

The only reason I didn’t want to go out to dinner on Tuesday, the actual day of my birthday, was because we were going out to celebrate with Richard and his girlfriend the following night. We’ll share the details later. Thus, I didn’t care if we dined in on my birthday.

But, after some prodding yesterday, I agreed since he was adamant that I don’t cook on my birthday. Thus, I relented, and we’ll head out for dinner on Tuesday night. Although we didn’t have a perfect experience on Valentine’s Day at Luna Rossa, since Tom’s pasta wasn’t to his liking, we didn’t hold it against the waiter since the place was packed with couples celebrating. We decided to give it another try.

We loved it the previous three times we dined there, and the service was always excellent. The fact I couldn’t get a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon for my seafood broth after asking twice didn’t deter us either. The restaurant was so busy; we understand how that slipped away.

We aren’t too critical when dining out. Tom’s picky taste buds and my food restrictions often impact our experience. But good service, a pleasing ambiance, and good food and service are all we need to give a restaurant another try. We love the ambiance at Luna Rossa, the upscale decor, and the friendly servers. Also, the short walk from our condo is appealing on the cool nights in Nevada this time of year.

I’m rushing through today’s post since we’re anxious to use my laptop to watch CBS Sunday Morning. In our old lives, we watched the show every week, often recording it on the cable service DVR. Recording shows isn’t so popular anymore since streaming has become the most frequently used medium.

Sunday Morning Show isn’t available to stream early in the day since it doesn’t appear on Paramount Plus or CBS’s website until a few hours after the show ends, which is typical for many streaming series. Once I am done with today’s post and working out, we’ll load the episode and watch it.

It feels funny that there’s no football today now that the Super Bowl has ended. However, now that we’ve signed up for the Las Vegas Golden Knights streaming service, we’ll watch last night’s game later today. We were careful not to discover the game’s score so we could enjoy the anticipation of watching sports.

Today is an otherwise easy day. All I have to do is make a salad to go with dinner. Today, instead of walking the corridor, I am heading to the fitness center to lift weights and do the treadmill all in one fell swoop, rather than walking every 15 minutes, which seems to take up most of the day to accomplish the three miles.

Since I am about five pounds away from my goal weight, I am still working on eating a little less to continue on my path. I’ve reduced my carb consumption a little, which seems to work, especially when weight loss has hit a stall. It’s tricky to figure out what I can do differently, but I keep tweaking it, hoping for more results. We’ll see how it goes.

That’s it for today, folks. We hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 18, 2014:

The zebra on the right is a youngster, born earlier this season. The one on the left was most likely born in the last four weeks. Seeing these in Marloth Park while going to Komatipoort for grocery shopping is a joy. For more photos, please click here.

Another great day in Nevada…

Sunset in Kauai Hawaii, across the street from our condo in 2015.

It’s another busy morning. We cleaned the condo yesterday, but I still had a few more tasks to do, including cleaning the bottom of the oven. I sprayed it with oven cleaner last night. However, this morning, I still couldn’t scrape everything off it from a prior spill. I’ll keep working on it until it’s sparkling.

I’ve already started walking for the day with lots more to reach my daily three miles. As of a few days ago, I head out the door every 15 minutes to do a complete walk of the long corridor, up and back. But it’s only about 800 steps each time, requiring me to go out to the corridor many times each hour.

One of our readers reminded me of the five miles (8 km) I walked daily while we were in the hotel in lockdown for ten months in Mumbai, India, during the pandemic. Now, my legs aren’t strong enough to do more than my three miles daily. It’s enough. At least here, I have other things to do as opposed to trying to kill time in Mumbai.

Right now, I’m not wishing time to fly by quickly since we’re enjoying each day in Lake Las Vegas. Soon, we’ll head down the one flight of steps to head to Season’s Market for a few things and to stop at the salon to see if Tom can get a haircut, either today or another day. I left a few messages for the hair salon but haven’t heard back after two days. Stopping in is the next step to get him an appointment.

As we do each day, we’re currently listening to the Garage Logic podcast while I prepare the post and head back and forth to the corridor. Tom stops the podcast while I am walking and turns it back on when I return. It’s always interesting to hear what’s going on in Minnesota, especially for Tom, who lived there all of his life until we began traveling. I lived there from 1969, and it also became home for me.

People often ask if we’d ever live in Minnesota again, and we don’t plan to do so. Most seniors go South in the wintertime. We have no interest in dealing with the frigid winter months and short summers. The amount of snow and ice is dangerous for seniors, often resulting in broken hips and other serious injuries. As clumsy as I am, walking on ice isn’t a good idea.

It’s easy to recall how difficult it was pushing a grocery cart out to the car in the icy parking lot. It was expected to see shoppers slip on the ice. Most days, even going to the health club and work was hazardous with glare ice. Then, in the spring, although less dangerous, walking in slush as the ice and snow melted was annoying and uncomfortable.

The summers in Minnesota resulted in hot, humid weather, and nasty mosquitos often prevented us from spending time outdoors at dawn or dusk and evening when, after the long winter, being outdoors, cooking on the grill was much desired. That’s a life we don’t care to experience again.

It’s hot and humid, with many mosquitos in South Africa in summer. But, while there, we live an entirely different lifestyle, spending most of our time outdoors on the veranda, totally distracted by the visiting wildlife.

The timer on my phone just went off. It’s time to walk again. I’ll wrap this up when I return, and we look forward to ‘seeing” all of you again.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 17, 2014:

Louise and Danie hosted a fantastic dinner in the bush, in Kruger National Park, at night, surrounded by wildlife. This was my plate of delectable morsels of food I could eat. For more photos, please click here.

Making plans for the next few months…Time in Nevada ending before we know it…

In February 2016, we stayed in a beautiful house on an 85-acre alpaca farm. with over 100 alpacas. We love these gentle animals and their adorable faces, as shown in this photo.

We’ve started checking out rental cars for our four upcoming road trips, the first from Las Vegas to Apache Junction. Once we leave Arizona, we’ll drive to Los Angeles, then to Milwaukee, and then on to Minneapolis. The cost is higher to pick up and return a rental car to two different cities.

Of course, we’ll try to rent cars for more extended periods to accommodate all of these trips, but it doesn’t always work out financially and with the most convenience. It is no big deal to pick up and drop off vehicles at various airports.

When we head to Apache Junction on April 1, we plan to pick up the car at Las Vegas airport and drop it off at the Mesa, Arizona airport closest to Apache Junction, where we’ll stay for about six weeks. It will all work out.

Today, when I checked the Date to Date Calculator, it indicated we have 44 days until we leave Nevada. This short period will fly by in a blur. In the meantime, we’ll continue to enjoy each day we spend in this lovely condo and location. In a way, I will be disappointed to leave, although we have so much to look forward to as time marches on.

Plus, going on these relatively short road trips will be fun. The only drive requiring us to stay overnight in a hotel will be the trip from Los Angeles, where we’ll visit my sister Julie, and then on to Milwaukee, where we’ll visit Tom’s sister Betty. Once we leave Milwaukee, it’s only a six-hour drive to Minnesota to see our kids, grandkids, Tom’s family, and friends.

It will be the first time in our 11 years of world travel that we’ll embark on so many road trips, especially the long three to four-day drive to Milwaukee. We don’t like driving for more than eight hours in a day. It’s approximately 2057 miles and listed as a 30-hour drive on Maps. If we drive seven or eight hours a day, it’s easy to see how it will take us four days with three nights in hotels.

In any case, we’ll make the trip fun. I plan to download a few audiobooks we can listen to during the long trip. The plan will be to figure out a book we’ll both enjoy since our tastes are very different in reading material. Most likely, it will be a fiction thriller, one that we can find to be most entertaining. Any suggestions would be appreciated, considering for me, the technology must be current to hold my interest.

Soon, our grocery order will be delivered. We have good leftovers, and thus, tonight’s dinner will be easy. All I have to do is make a salad and reheat our food when it’s dinnertime.

I’ve done the laundry this morning and almost half my daily walking. I have picked up the pace to head to the corridor every fifteen minutes, hoping to get done a little earlier today than on other days, walking every 30 minutes.

I wish I could do all the walking at one time, but my legs can’t continue straight through for three miles, which is how much I am accomplishing per day at this time. I don’t see any benefit to walking further than three miles, but I am trying to shorten the time.

That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back tomorrow for more. Thanks to our many readers who write with such kind and supportive comments.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 16, 2014:

Annoyed by our presence, this Cape buffalo and a few other “Retired Generals” moseyed on down the road in Kruger National Park, during our last game drive before leaving South Africa. For more photos, please click here.

Lovely Valentine’s dinner at Luna Rossa…

Tom’s rigatoni bolognese, which he said was mediocre and dry without enough sauce.

It was a lovely evening at Luna Rossa. It was a good thing we had a reservation since the Italian restaurant was fully booked. We didn’t have a window seat, which we’d have preferred (I forgot to ask when booking the reservation), but we had a lovely little table for two away from the service areas. I am a real stickler for avoiding tables near a service station or kitchen door for the staff. The commotion detracts from the experience.

Tom had one beer, and I had one glass of Malbec wine, which I liked while we were in Argentina in 2018, where Malbec is produced. For our entrees, Tom ordered a rigatoni beef Bolognese, which he said was mediocre, stating their red sauce was nowhere as tasty as mine, which I make from time to time…a nice compliment on Valentine’s Day.

With only a few dishes on the menu that were suitable for my way of eating, again, I ordered the mussels and clams in a delicious soup-like sauce. It would have been great to soak chunks of delightful Italian bread in that sauce. Instead, I ate it with a spoon, like a soup. I had asked twice for a small spoon but was ignored twice and given a tablespoon.

Neither of us prefers to eat soups, sauces, or desserts with a tablespoon. A teaspoon seems much more appropriate and contributes to savoring the item more slowly than gulping down a tablespoon at a time. After all, there are three teaspoons in one tablespoon. Getting a server to bring a teaspoon to the table always seems challenging.

In any case, we had a good evening. When we returned to our condo, we streamed another episode of The Chosen on Amazon Prime and cntinually enjoy this profound series. We’ll finish the three currently available seasons tonight and look forward to when more seasons are released in the next several months.

My mussels and clams in a tasty broth.

We always prefer to stream series with every season available, but many streaming services dole out their seasons periodically. When the new season returns, we’ll often watch the last episode again in order to catch up. A perfect example of this has been Yellowstone. Many of us loved the first seasons and have waited for them to return. With the recent writer’s strike, future episodes of many series were postponed for as much as a year or two.

Yesterday was my best day of walking since I began again three days ago. I’ve picked up the pace even further and look forward to increasing the pace and distance as time passes. Right now, I am focused on being able to walk further for the upcoming event for my birthday, hosted by Richard on February 21, the day after my birthday. On the actual day of my birthday, with his season tickets for the Las Vegas Golden Knights hockey games, there is a game on the 20th, so we are happy to go the following day.

Today, I booked a pedicure appointment for the 21st at a nail salon down the one flight of stairs. Today, Tom will book a haircut appointment for himself, also down the one flight of stairs. He hasn’t had a haircut in two months.

Tonight, I am cooking baby back ribs for Tom with rice and salad while I have my favorite coconut flour pancake, which I love. Often, when I mention recipes we’ve made, I will receive countless email messages from our readers requesting the recipe. We are always happy to share those recipes we find worthwhile.

Otherwise, today will be another low-key day with only some food prep on the horizon and lots of walking in the corridor. I do better walking in the long corridors than using the treadmill. For now, this is working for me.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 15, 2014:

This is a Golden Tail Woodpecker, which we were thrilled to spot yesterday afternoon. For more photos, please click here.