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| From left to right, at the reception desk are Dr. Luzaan, assistants Daleen, and Melanie. They can be reached at 061 608 9323 for appointments. |
“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”
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| Male impalas who rarely visit our yard stopped by last night for a few pellets. They’re timid, and any sudden movement will make them dash off in a hurry. During the mating season, they bark when claiming their territory among other males. It’s a sound like no different sound we’ve heard in the bush. |
As we drove through Kruger National Park two days ago, I felt a sharp pain in my right bottom molar several times over three or fours hours. It was over three months ago, while we were on the Antarctica cruise, that a temporary filling I’d had in Costa Rica finally fell out.
When we’d gone to the dentist in Costa Rica (click here for details), for some reason, I didn’t feel right having the dentist entirely replace the chipped filling. Instead, I asked for a temporary filling, knowing that something else would have to be done in time.
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| The spotless waiting room in Dr. Luzaan Du Preez’s dental office is located two doors from Wimpy’s in the Spar Shopping Centre in Komatipoort. |
Once the temporary filling was in place, I didn’t give it another thought until it fell out during dinner while on the cruise. Since there was no pain or discomfort, just a gaping hole in the tooth, I’d figured that in time I’d get it repaired.
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| The well-equipped modern treatment room was the most sophisticated we’d seen in years with the latest and most professional equipment. |
Oh, good grief. I don’t like medical stuff. But, if we still lived in the US, from time to time, we’d go to a dentist, a doctor, an ophthalmologist, or others for a wide variety of aches, pains, and illnesses that occur to us at any age. No one is exempt from these issues.
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| Many zebras were hanging around the yard when we returned from the dentist appointment and grocery shopping in Komatipoort. Of course, we gave them pellets, apples, and carrots. |
Unfortunately, living outside our home country and unsure of the quality of medical care in many countries, taking care of medical issues is fraught with a certain degree of fear and apprehension.
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| Warthogs are always lurking in the bush, waiting for other animals to stop by so they can partake in the pellet offerings. No wonder they are called wart “hogs.” Five zebras were munching. |
Are things sterile? Will we “catch” something in the doctor’s office? Is the doctor educated sufficiently to handle our concerns, or do they do “cookie-cutter” treatment for all their patients? One never knows.
As we’ve worked with Dr. Theo Stronkhorst in Komatipoort for our vaccination boosters and my gastro issues, we’ve felt confident in his care. His knowledge and attention to detail are impeccable.
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| Then, there were seven zebras. |
Yesterday’s appointment with Dr. Luzaan made us both feel the same way, resulting in our booking appointments to have our teeth cleaned on May 3rd. What an exceptional dentist! Plus, the entire bill, including x-rays, was only ZAR 625 (US $50.28)!
She took x-rays of my tooth to discover it has a crack, most likely from grinding my teeth at night, which I’ve done all of my life. She explained that the filling she replaced might not last forever, mainly if I eat anything hard to chew on that side. In essence, the tooth may eventually need a root canal and crown. I was in no mood for that right now or at any time soon.
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| Zebras tend to stay close to one another due to their distinctive stripes acting as a point of confusion to predators. However, in Marloth Park, generally, there are no predators. Although, recently, lions have been sighted. |
She gently repaired the filling without anesthetic (to which I jumped only a few times), and we were off to the grocery store, meat market, and biltong store for the foodstuffs we need over the next week.
Another holiday is on the horizon, and once again, Marloth Park will be packed with tourists. We won’t be returning to Kruger until the holiday is over after the weekend. We hear it’s the “May Day” holiday which wasn’t mainly celebrated in the US in our old lives. Instead, we celebrated “Labor Day” on the first Monday in September.
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| They stayed around for quite a while, occasionally tossing a kick toward a warthog who honed in on their treats. |
By 3:00 pm, we were back home, put away all the groceries, and settled in on the veranda to a busy night in the bush. We used the gas grill to make pork chops for Tom and lamb for me, along with bacony green beans and homemade low-carb almond flour muffins, a real treat when warmed and topped with butter.
Several times during dinner, we had to jump up to accommodate visitors. But, we don’t mind. A cold plate of food is just fine as long as we can spend time with the animals who stop by day and night, always making us smile.
Enjoy your day and evening!
Photo from one year ago today, April 25, 2017:
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| One year ago today, we posted a story and this photo (not ours) about our friend and loyal reader Glenn, who passed away a few days earlier. It’s with love, respect, and reverence that we recall his memory and post this photo once again as we think of Glenn and his lovely wife Staci, with whom we’ve stayed in close touch. For the full story, please click here. |