Another outstanding “first!”…A difficult decision…

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This is Cupid with a heart-shaped marking on her throat.  She was particularly loving the lucerne.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Wildebeest Willie arrived in time to get in on the action. He ate quite a bit and then decided he’d sit on it only sharing with a warthog or two.

When we often heard our Marloth Park friends talk about ordering bales of lucerne (hay) for the wildlife who are unable to freely forage with the lack of rain during the normally rainy spring season, we hesitated to order it.

The animals are so hungry, many residents have ordered lucerne to be delivered. Although we don’t like the idea of them sharing a food source due to potential health hazards, starvation, in itself is a huge health hazard.
We know this can be a breeding ground for animal bacteria. But, over the past several weeks seeing dozens of skinny, hungry wildlife, we had to make a decision…do we get the lucerne and feed them a protein-rich diet of lucerne or do we continue with just the pellets, apples, and carrots which we’re going through faster than can be imagined?

It’s been hard feeding them enough with the pellets, apples, and carrots. Yes, they visit other homes in the park and are fed, often generously, but few residents are outside on their veranda each and every day and night feeding the animals, as we are.
Daisy’s Den delivers the lucerne for ZAR 145 (US $10.05)  Lucerne is: Oat, barley, and wheat plant materials occasionally cut green and made into hay for animal fodder. It’s a rich source of protein, carbohydrates and minerals ideal for wildlife during the drought.

When we drive around Marloth Park almost daily passing one bush house after another, we rarely see residents outdoors feeding the animals. A rough guess might be, that we may observe one out of 30 homes (on a busy weekend) with occupants outdoors feeding the wildlife.  

While Mark, the owner of Daisy’s Den was still in our garden, 15 kudus arrived in minutes to begin devouring the lucerne with considerable enthusiasm.

On typical non-holiday weekdays, we may not see more one or two residents outdoors feeding the wildlife during our two-plus hour drive through the park. No offense intended.  

Many homeowners only stay in their bush homes a few times a year for short periods. Many residents purchase lucerne to feed the wildlife which doesn’t require the resident to be outdoors.  

More and more kudus arrived to partake in the bale.

Some homeowners go as far as ordering lucerne to be delivered to their bush home while they are away, ensuring the animals still are fed in their absence. How generous is that?

Then, there were 15 kudus with a few off to the sides.

Many homes are rented as holiday homes but most often they’re rented over weekends during holiday and non-holiday periods. The tourists may be in Kruger National Park or otherwise sightseeing spending little time in the gardens of their rental properties.

The local markets sell small bags of pellets that visitors may purchase which is not enough to feed a handful of kudus in one day. Many animals spend the majority of their time foraging for food. A cupful or two of pellets doesn’t put a dent in their daily dietary needs.

We couldn’t believe how quickly they began breaking down the bale.

We struggled with this decision but when we’ve seen nursing moms with ribs showing, injured warthogs looking thin and malnourished and even a lizard as shown in yesterday’s post braving approaching us for food. Of course, we complied as shown in yesterday’s post. Please click here if you missed it.

It took a few hours for a Big Daddy to arrive.  He wasn’t quite as excited about the lucerne as the females and the youngsters.

If we dumped an entire 40 kg (88 pounds) bag of pellets on the ground, in a few hours, it would be gone. Their sense of smell is outstanding as indicated by our above comment as to how quickly the kudus arrived after Mark placed the bale of lucerne in the garden. It took less than 60 seconds for 15 kudus to arrive.


As you can see, we decided to give it a try by ordering one bale of lucerne which was delivered yesterday morning. The response was unreal. For hours we watched a wide array of wildlife come to partake of the bounty.  

Moments later another Big Daddy arrive and the competition began for dominance.

For once there was less “jockeying” for position. There was enough for everyone and the competition was less fierce than usual. As the hours past, the pile of hay became smaller and smaller until it was finally but a light greenish dust on the dirt.  

This Big Daddy wasn’t taking any guff from another slightly smaller male.

And yet, as I write here now, Willie is sitting in the green dust, as content as he could be. He picked over some remaining mouthsful and we added pellets to round out his visit. He seems so content. At this point, he’s been here for the past three hours.


This morning we had a second bale delivered which we’re saving to distribute later this afternoon. At the moment it’s on the veranda far enough back from the edge for anyone to reach. In the interim, the remaining lucerne will be fodder for any visitors mid-day.

They worked out an amicable arrangement and all went well.

Tonight Rita and Gerhard are coming for dinner. They too, after seeing the excitement here, have ordered their first bale which arrived this morning and surely by now are reveling in the pleasure of feeding these hungry creatures.

May your day be filled with meaning and purpose.

                                         Photo from one year ago today, December 11, 2017:

Shoreline view from high atop the city at Puerto Montt, Chile. For more photos, please click here.

Heimlich Maneuver on a lizard?…What???…

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Oh, oh, Mr. Monitor Lizard picked up the rib bone intended for the warthogs! To see what transpired, please read below.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A bit blurry in the dark, this thick-tailed bushbaby was a first-time visitor to our garden.

Anytime we aren’t on a game drive in Kruger National Park, on a drive in Marloth Park, shopping in Komatipoort, or out with friends, we’re on the veranda watching, waiting, and observing a vast array of wildlife who come to call.

Note her long pink tongue inside the cup.  She devoured the contents in seconds.

Although we’re fast approaching the busy holiday season where wildlife will be either hiding out in the bush or parklands or “dining” at many of the oft unoccupied holiday rentals where holidaymakers provide them with both “good-for-them” foods or not-so-good-for-them foods, all of which they eat with the same aplomb.

Sure, human leftovers, chips (fries), sweets, potato chips, and tortilla chips may taste, and even marshmallows may taste good to a kudu or bushbuck. Still, many of these foods can be toxic and certainly don’t add to their nutritional well-being.
When we noticed Mr. Monitor Lizard coming out from the bush, we were surprised how much he ventured out. They are timid, usually living underground in tunnels they dig. He was hungry and on the hunt.

Nonetheless, many wildlife like the taste of such foods, and we may not see them for days, if not weeks.  Some holidaymakers have already arrived but certainly not as many as we’ll see in the next few weeks, with Christmas only 15 days from today.  

We didn’t know how to get eggs to him when each time we’ve approached in the past, he rapidly slithered away.

Knowing our visitors may be sparse, we’re totally engrossed in each visitor that continues to arrive as we stay on the veranda, rain or shine, days and nights. The power outages continue but not necessarily following the schedule posted by Eskom, the power company.

This warthog is named “Basket,” shortened from Tom calling him “basketballs.”  Get it?  He and the lizard seemed fine in each other’s space.

It rained again last night, which, combined with the rain over the prior few days, is starting to “green” the bush.  Today is very cool and comfortable with a strong breeze. We’re loving every moment, knowing cool weather is short-lived in Africa.

 As we’ve sat here on the veranda, we’ve had a few new experiences we are excited to share today. One was the appearance of Mr. Monitor Lizard, who seldom makes comes out from his hovel to see us, and he offered us a special treat as shown in today’s photos.

For the first time, he approached the veranda, looking at us.  He didn’t seem to like pellets, so we tried to figure out what we could feed him.

The photos tell the story of his visit.  He was looking for food. If we approach him, he rapidly slithers away, so we had to figure out how to help him out without scaring him. 56Tom suggested we toss him some of the many eggs we always have on hand for the mongooses.

He was scanning the garden looking for possible food sources.

There was no way to get the eggs to him without breaking them. So we tossed him 10 eggs. As the shells broke, the contents remained in many shell fragments, and he devoured each morsel, including eating many of the nutrient-rich shells.

Over a period of several minutes, Tom tossed several eggs his way.  He seemed very pleased licking the eggs out of the broken shells.

With warthog Basket in the garden at the same time, earlier we’d tossed him some bones left from Tom’s rib dinner at Jabula. Here I go, saying we give them leftovers!!! Hypocritical?  No. 

 The minerals in bones are useful to warthogs, and they’ll readily eat any bones we provide. However, they have no interest in any meat. By nature, they are herbivores but maybe in desperate situations, and they may consume carrion.

Every so often, he stopped eating the eggs and shells to scope his surroundings and safety.

When we saw the monitor lizard pick up the bone, we freaked out. How do you do the Heimlich maneuver to a lizard? What if he choked? Worried, we watched intently, not knowing what would happen. Miraculously, he swallowed it right down with enthusiasm and went back to eating the bits of eggs and shells.

He paused when he noticed the rib bone left from Tom’s dinner at Jabula on Saturday night.

We read the following online, giving us peace of mind after he wandered off:
“While most monitor lizards are carnivorous, eating eggs, smaller reptiles, fish, birds and small mammals, some also eat fruit and vegetation, depending on where they live.”  Obviously, they have the ability to digest bone if they eat birds and mammals.  

Later on, during the evening after dark, when the scheduled power outage didn’t occur, for the first time, we had a thick-tailed bushbaby eat every last drop of yogurt we placed on the bushbaby stand each night. The usual smaller bushbabies had yet to eat the contents of the little cup, and the much larger thick-tailed bushbaby devoured it in seconds.

And…he swallowed it right down! 

From this site: “The thick-tailed bushbaby is a nocturnal primate with child-like cries, which gave cause for the English vernacular name. This is probably due to its diet and larger body size; this is the most social of all known bushbabies.”

For the second time in one day, we discovered these two situations, both of which added so much to our ongoing experiences in the bush.  Surely, in these next 66 days, until we depart Marloth Park, more wonders will come our way.

Be well!  Be happy!

Photo from one year ago today, December 10, 2017:

Boulevard scene in Arica, Chile, while on a port of call during the cruise. For more photos, please click here.

It rained!…Glorious rain…More expected…Without rain, the wildlife starves…Five years ago today…

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Appetizers of grilled prawns and Boerewors, a frequently served sausage of South Africa. Notice the dinner plates are upside down…to keep the bugs off of them. I failed to take more food photos.  We were too busy having fun!  For the link to this post, please click here.
“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”
Traffic jam on the paved road in Marloth Park.  Delightful!
Note:  Please excuse the poor quality of the photos we’ve included today from five years ago. At that point, we only had one camera, and the humidity caused condensation inside the lens.  There was nothing we could do until it finally dried out.
 
It’s been reported that it rained 60 mm (2.36 inches) in Marloth Park last night. This morning after the small amount of rain, we noticed a slight increase in the greenery in the bush.
It should have been raining during the spring season (which it didn’t), ending on December 22nd when summer begins. Had it rained during the commencement of the rainy season a few months ago, the bush would have been lush with food sources for the animals.
This late rain, should it continue, will help but won’t solve the problems related to the drought. With the hard impacted ground after the dry season, there may be many run-offs reducing the rainwater absorption into the soil. Thus, there are fewer sources of food supplies for the animals.
The candlelit place settings were befitting an elegant dinner. No paper plates here! All prepared for our group of 17 to perfection. The camera lens was humid on the inside resulting in these blotchy photos. For the link to this post, please click here.
With numerous notices on the various Marloth Park Facebook pages suggesting we all pitch in and feed the animals, we feel confident we’re already doing all we can. The constant stream of hungry animals fills the garden hour after hour while we’re frequently on our feet tossing food their way.
The most difficult animals to feed are the bushbucks and the duikers, who are often chased off by the more aggressive animals such as the warthogs, kudus, and wildebeest, who overpower them sending them running into the bush.
They wait patiently in the bush for their opportunity to eat while we keep a watchful eye for the perfect opportunity, which often may be an hour later when the others have departed. 
Danie in the apron on the left and Louise on the far right put on a fantastic dinner in the bush in Kruger National Park.
Sooner or later, the opportunity arises, and we place a few containers of pellets, lettuce, apples, and carrots at the bottom of the steps, their preferred spot to eat.
On top of it all, we’re always on the lookout for monkeys who we refuse to feed. Their ability to damage property and destroy interiors of houses when they manage to make their way indoors is not worth the risk.
Like most residents, we shoo them away when they appear looking for food. They are smart enough to forage for fruit and other food sources, often pilfered from garbage bags and other sources.
More new friends from the UK are at our table, Janet and Steve who joined us for dinner last night at Jabula with Rita and Gerhard. They are also seasoned world travelers with considerable experience in many countries in Africa.
Many now are carrying around their newborns. There are more monkeys and baboons in Marloth Park than you can imagine. They seem to thrive regardless of weather conditions.
I’m rushing to get today’s post uploaded before the next power outage. This morning Rita and Gerhard stopped by for breakfast, leaving only a short time ago, and I’m definitely behind schedule. Of course, as we did last night at Jabula Lodge with them and Janet and Steve, we had another fantastic time.
Currently, I’m working with Rita to introduce her to the low carb, high fat, moderate protein way of eating, and its fun sharing information face to face. She’s undoubtedly embracing the concept with enthusiasm.
Unfortunately, at this point, Lynne and Mick were leaving in a few days to return to the UK. But we saw them when we returned last February and will see them again soon in January.
Speaking of food…today’s photos were taken on a very humid night, five years ago today when Louise and Danie‘s hosted a very special bush braai in Kruger National Park, in the dark, with guards protecting the perimeter, as we dined on delicious foods they’d prepared for our group. It was a night we’ll never forget.
The significant part of that particular night is the friends we made then, that are still our friends today, a full five years later while we were traveling the world. We feel so fortunate and blessed to have made such friends in Marloth Park, contributing to our desire to return in 2020.
Tonight, there will be a power outage from 1900 to 2130 hours (7:00 to 9:30 pm). Thank goodness we’ve charged solar panel light when the sun was out a few days ago. A few days ago, we purchased this lamp to get us through the dark evenings during the power shedding.
The heat and humidity are still stifling even after the rain. Yesterday, the aircon in our bedroom died, and it won’t be repaired until tomorrow. Last night was tough, but we were grateful to have a fan. One more night of the fan, and by tomorrow, we’ll be back up and running (hopefully).
Tonight we’ll braai marinated pork tenderloins with vegetables, salad, and whatever refreshments we can muster from our still well-stocked bar. 
Have a great evening!
Photo from one year ago today, December 9, 2017:
Christmas tree in Colon Park in Arica, Chile, with St. Mark’s Cathedral (San Marcos)l in the background.  For more photos, please click here.

How to determine the heat index…Its hotter than the actual temperature indicates…

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This short video of Little and Wildebeest Willie clearly illustrates how easy it is to become attached to these animals and deeply care for their well-being.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Bushbuck family comes to visit daily. They always stand at the foot of the veranda, steps away from other wildlife that “steal” their pellets and veg.

What is the heat index?  Here is the answer from this site:

“The heat index is a measure of how hot it feels when the effects of humidity are added to high temperature. To alert the public to the dangers of exposure to extended periods of heat and the added effects of humidity, a Heat Index table is used to correlate measured temperature and humidity into an apparent temperature. This website offers graduated heat maps showing this temperature.

What is the formula for calculating heat index?

The Heat Index is a calculated value based on air temperature and humidity. To calculate a specific value for a previous date, you will need to know the air temperature and humidity.
HI (Fahrenheit) = 42.379 + 2.04901523*T + 10.14333127*RH – 0.22475541*T*RH – 6.83783×10^-3*T^2 – 5.481717×10^-2*RH^2 + 1.22874×10^-3*T^2*RH+8.5282×10^-4*T*RH^2 – 1.99×10^-6*t^2*RH^2
Where T = air temperature in degrees Fahrenheit
RH = relative humidity
 
To use the heat index table below, find the temperature on the left of the chart. Read across until you reach the desired relative humidity. The number which appears at the intersection of the temperature and relative humidity is the Heat Index. Note that the Heat Index under direct sunlight will be eight °C higher than the number shown in the chart.
 
What is the discomfort index?
This index evaluates the impact of heat stress on the individual, considering the combined effect of temperature and humidity. The formula used by the SA Weather Service to calculate the discomfort index is:
Discomfort Index = (2 x T) + (RH/100 x T) + 24
Where:”

T is the dry-bulb or air temperature in degrees Celsius
RH is the percent relative humidity
This index gives the following degrees of discomfort:
90-100 – very uncomfortable
100-110 – extremely uncomfortable
110 and more – hazardous to health
Since the relative humidity of the air can be calculated from the dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures, the formula can also be adapted to use the wet-bulb temperature instead of the relative humidity.


 Based on this morning’s temperature of 36C (97F), with humidity at 45%, the heat index so far today is 41C (105.8).  

 This afternoon we can expect temperatures to stabilize at 36C (97F) with humidity at an expected 55% with a heat index of 46C (114.5F)

 Below is a heat index guide in Fahrenheit:

Below is a heat index guide in Celsius:

Related image

Of course, if we lived in the US or many other countries, we’d have total house air conditioning or, at the least, a few window units capable of cooling the living areas and bedrooms.

But, we’re not in the US or another country where aircon availability and use are common during extreme heat and humidity. Even last night, with the bedroom’s excellent unit on, it never quite cooled down enough, mainly when the outdoor temp hovered around 32C (90F).
 
With these wall units, it’s important not to lower the temperature too much, or the department can “freeze up.” Then, we’d have no air at all for the remainder of the night, which would be a much worse scenario than sleeping without a cover.

It’s easy to tell the wildlife is also feeling it.  We had no less than eight warthogs sitting in the cement pond at varying times of the day. The most challenging period for me was when the power went out from 1300 hours (1:00 pm) to 1530 hours (3:30 pm), the hottest time of the day.

 Every so often during the day, when the heat is exhausting, I may spend 20 or 30 minutes in the bedroom with the aircon unit on (always turning it off and on while I’m in the room, never leaving it running when we’re not).  
Yesterday afternoon, when that option wasn’t possible during the power outage, those two and a half hours were by far the most uncomfortable I’ve experienced.  
 
Tom sat outdoors shirtless, which helped him. But, us girls…that’s another matter.  He says he felt much hotter when we were in Abu Dhabi in 2013, and the temperature was a dry 50C (122F).  
 
However, I’ll always remember it being extremely uncomfortable when we dressed to enter the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (the White Mosque). Here’s our photo from that date, and the link is located here.
Not my most flattering photo. Tom looks great!  We were standing in front of the architectural scale model. After we posed for this picture, a security guard rushed over, telling us we could not touch one another in the mosque. Of course, we complied.
 
Well, we could spend all day whining about the power outages, yesterday’s water outage (back on now), the heat, and humidity. Today, we’ll be a little brighter when and if the power is scheduled to go out (or even if the power doesn’t go out) at 1300 hours (1:00 pm) until 1530 hours (3:30 pm). The car’s aircon is spectacular.
 
We’ll jump in the red car and go for a drive in the park for two and a half hours.  Once we return to the house, we’ll shower (water providing) and dress for tonight’s dinner at Jabula Lodge & Restaurant (we never tire of this beautiful place) with Rita and Gerhard (we never tire of this lovely couple) who are returning from Germany today.  We’ll be thrilled to see them, as always.
 
Stay cool, or in many cases, stay warm, wherever you may be in this world.

Photo from one year ago today, December 8, 2017:

New friends Lisa and Barry invited us to dinner in the private wine room for one last night together on the ship.  They were disembarking the following day while we continued for another  15 nights. For more photos, please click here.

Water outage…Power outages…The scorching heat…Digital disposal solutions…An evening overlooking the Crocodile River…

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The waning sun from the veranda at Ngwenya.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Yesterday, no less than 10 warthogs waded in our cement pond, including mom and four piglets. The animals are feeling the heat as well as us humans.

The heat is stifling…the air is thick with mysterious moisture, coming from where? There’s no rain. I don’t recall ever feeling so hot. Yesterday, when Tom drove to Lebombo to buy carrots and apples for the wildlife, the thermometer in the red car read 43C (109).

When he returned to Komatipoort to find me grocery shopping, it had dropped back down to 41C (106F). With humidity running in the 40% to 50% range, it’s that type of heat that sucks the air out of your lungs, the energy out of your step.

The sun begins to disappear in the horizon.

It’s relentless. When we stayed with son Richard in Henderson, Nevada, in July 2017, we frequently used his beautiful pool. We’d lounge on chaises for a maximum of 20 minutes during days where the temperature was 46C (115F) but never felt as hot as we have over these past weeks.

 Rain is desperately needed for the wildlife, for the bush, and its cooling-down effect. We’ve dined out three of the past six nights and avoided cooking, especially when we’ve had no power on a few occasions.

The sky is left with brilliant explosions of color.

Now, Marloth Park is having water problems. Luckily, I managed to shower early this morning, albeit with but a dribble of water. The water pressure is now non-existent. Tom just tried to take a shower, and there’s no water at all.

 We’ll use buckets of pool water to flush the toilet. Luckily, we have plenty of bottled water for drinking, and for the moment, the power is on. We’ll see how this all goes.

Louise alerted us that two years ago, in December, there was no water for five days. That could be happening again. This is Africa. This kind of stuff happens here.

After the sun had set at Ngwenya, we wandered indoors for our reserved table for buffet dinner.  

We make every effort to go about our lives as usual as we can stay as upbeat as possible. We’re both excellent at holding it together during these uncomfortable and inconvenient times.

As summer approaches, beginning on December 22, 2018, and ending on March 20, 2019, more and more insects and snakes are coming out from their hiding places during the cooler winter months. By far, this is the most challenging period of the year, December through March. As mentioned a few days ago, we’re leaving Marloth Park on February 14, in 69 days.

To go on about our “business” yesterday, we headed to Komatipoort to shop and care for a few things. First, we stopped at the optometrist’s office, where we picked up Tom’s new glasses and prescription sunglasses, and my contact lenses.  

The final view of the sun.

As mentioned in a prior post, we decided to get eye exams and new glasses for Tom and contact lenses for me. We’d hoped it would be less expensive here as most things are, but eyeglasses and contact lenses are all imported and as pricey as anywhere else in the world.

Our total cost for exams, two pairs of designer frame glasses for Tom and contact lenses for me for a year came to a total of ZAR 17180 (the US $1220).  

This was comparable to what we paid at Costco about seven years ago.  We have no idea as to prices in today’s dollars.  With this out of the way, we can wait five or six more years until we do this again, unless we notice any further need for care, should our vision change.

Last night from the veranda at Ngwenya Lodge where we had a standing Thursday night buffet dinner reservation.

From there, we headed to the computer repair shop at the Spar Shopping Centre to recycle two old laptops and have the hard drives destroyed.  They wiped the hard drives before our eyes and kept the two old laptops for parts, not charging us a dime.  

Then we were off to the hardware store where we purchased a solar-powered LED light with the ability to last a full day to use when the power is out during the many upcoming ‘load shedding periods.”  

Not surprisingly, the scheduled power outages Eskom posted are not being followed.  With the solar light, we’re prepared for the evening hours, mainly so we can see, feed, and interact with our wildlife friends while on the veranda during outages.

Hot and hungry elephants were taking advantage of the cooling waters and green vegetation.

Recently, Tom’s phone wasn’t able to hold a charge. It made sense for him to purchase a phone to last while we remain in Africa. We went back to the trusty Vodacom store in Komatipoort, where we found him a new but older model of a Samsung. 

Tom only uses his phone for email, Facebook, and playing a few games.  Yesterday, he purchased the phone for ZAR 1600 (US $113.62), and by bedtime last night, I’d added all his apps, email, and books. He’s good to go.

From there, I headed to the pharmacy to buy a different insect repellent.  Uschi and Evan had recommended the non-toxic, non-DEET product, “Nguard,” that works better than the dangerous chemicals.   

Impalas and warthogs on the dry river bed.

I’ve been reapplying the toxic creams several times a day and was still being bitten. Last night, before heading to Ngwenya for dinner, I used NGuard and again this morning. So far, not a single new bite. I’m hopeful.  

After completing all of the above, I headed to the supermarket, and in no time at all, Tom appeared to help me with the groceries after he’d returned from Lebombo and the pellet store. We headed back to Marloth Park, content to have several tasks out of the way, and looked forward to a lovely evening out to dinner.

As always, the buffet at Ngwenya was excellent after river viewing for a few hours on their veranda. We chatted with other patrons and enjoyed a wonderful evening.

Last week’s rhino sighting in Kruger National Park during our previous self-drive.

Will the water come back on today? We don’t know. Will the power go out in 33 minutes according to the schedule? We don’t know. Will it get cooler and rain in the next 36 hours as predicted by the weather service? We don’t know.

All we do know is we’re making the best of it and will keep you updated.

May you have water, power, and the absence of venomous snakes in your life over the weekend!
                     
                      Photo from one year ago today, December 7, 2017:

Tom and I made friends with Lisa and Barry, a lovely couple with whom we spent many good times on the cruise and stayed in close touch since the cruise ended. For more details, please click here.

Yikes….Venomous snake at Jabula, as we walked up the steps!…Jaun, snake handler to the rescue…

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Twig snake, also known as vine snake, was on the railing at Jabula Lodge and Restaurant as we walked up the steps to the restaurant. See the story below.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A praying mantis stopped by for a visit this morning. After it walked on the veranda table, it landed on Tom and then landed on me. Friendly little fellow.

When Uschi and Evan suggested, the four of us got together for dinner at Jabula Lodge and Restaurant last night. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to spend another evening with this lovely couple.

They suggested we meet at 6:30, but in our usual style, we planned to arrive by 1715 hours (5:15 pm) to have an opportunity to chat with owners Dawn, Leon, and assistant Lyn at the comfortable bar.  
Jaun, snake handler, captured the snake, placing it in this container and releasing it in Lionspruit, where other caught venomous snakes are sent to live out their lives.

We parked the red car in our usual spot, reasonably close to the stairway entrance to the restaurant. Clumsy me, I’m always a little tentative on the “open” wood staircase up to the restaurant and carefully watch my step with Tom behind me.  

When approaching the steps, a guest of the resort and one staff member hollered, “Look out! There’s a snake on the railing! Neither of us panicked.  Instead, we searched the railing for the culprit and waited to see what was going to transpire.

Young zebra in the garden.

Had no one alerted us, we easily would have been in striking distance of the deadly venomous snake, a twig, also known as a vine snake. Here’s some information on these dangerous creatures from this site:

“This perfectly camouflaged tree-living snake is seldom seen because of its excellent camouflage and habit of remaining very still in low shrubs, observing the ground below for passing lizards and snakes. Birds often mob this snake, inflating its neck with its bright orange tongue flickering – this leads to the incorrect assumption that they lure birds closer with their tongue. It is exceptionally placid but, if provoked, will inflate its neck and strike viciously. Bites are rare and most inflicted on snake handlers.

Like the Boomslang, this snake’s venom is haemotoxic, affecting the blood clotting mechanism and causing uncontrolled bleeding. There is no antivenom for the poison of this snake, and although a few fatalities have been reported, none were in South Africa.”

We’re treasuring every moment with the wildlife, knowing once the holidaymakers arrive, we’ll have considerably fewer visitors until well into January.

The hotel guest grabbed the swimming pool net and tried to capture the snake…not so bright. That didn’t work and was foolhardy. A degree of commotion ensued while Dawn contacted the young Juan, who’s fast becoming the best snake handler in Marloth Park.

In the interim, we gingerly climbed partway up the steps to take the above photo of the snake as it politely posed for us sticking out her pink forked tongue. Nice.

When I didn’t see Little on the veranda, he knocked over the chair where I sit when he visits—determined Little, trying to get my attention.  It worked!

Jaun arrived within 10 minutes and in moments captured the snake and safely placed it into a plastic container.  From there, he’d take it to Lionspruit (the game reserve within Marloth Park) and release it. There are no residences in Lionspruit, making this an ideal spot to transfer captured snakes or other venomous creatures.

We had a chance to congratulate Jaun on his excellent snake handling skills. He attended snake school with us many months ago, and now he is a volunteer snake handler. Glad we didn’t go down that road!

Pellets and ice-cold carrots were on the menu on a scorching day. He’s so exhausted in the heat he lays down to dine.

After the commotion died down and Juan was on his way, we entered the bar and engaged in enthusiastic discussions with staff and guests over the excitement we all experienced in seeing this scary snake.  

One might think that locals are used to venomous snakes, but many are equally apprehensive about them as us visitors. There’s no such thing as “getting used to” the risk of encountering a snake that may be deadly.
 
The evening commenced in its usual playful manner. We’ve seldom encountered such a fun bar anywhere in the world, even in our old lives. The African atmosphere, cozy lighting, friendly staff, good friends, great food and service, and our good friends Dawn and Leon make it an exceptional time for us.
Giraffe on the side of the road on our way to Jabula.

I sipped on one extra light wine cooler while Tom had his usual brandy and Sprite Zero. In no time at all, Uschi and Evan arrived, and they too were delighted to sit at the bar as the lively conversation ensued for the remainder of the evening.

Finally, we ordered our meals, and when the food was just about ready, we wandered outside to the veranda to dine. During our dinner and after Dawn and Leon joined us at different points, the four of us for more great chatter, laughter, and good times.

We didn’t walk out the door until close to 2200 hrs (10:00 pm), late for an evening out to dinner in this sleepy community. Within an hour, I was fast asleep, the cortisone no longer in my system, and slept no longer alluding to me.  

Another giraffe on the road in the evening.

When I awoke this morning and still had 80% battery left on my phone, I knew I’d slept well.  When I can’t sleep, I read books, play games, or read the news on my phone, which I’d avoiding last night. I feel like a new person today.

Tonight, we’re off to Ngwenya for river viewing and the buffet dinner. Rita and Gerhard won’t be returning for a few more days, so we’ll be off on our own. We always enjoy time with friends but being “just the two of us” isn’t bad either.

May your Thursday be pleasant, whatever you decide to do.

Today’s expected, high temp? 37C (98F)…A refreshing break from yesterday’s  
40C (104F).  

Photo from one year ago today, December 6, 2017:

A band was playing on the beach in Arica, Chile. For more photos, please click here.

Ratcheting up the research…Holidaymakers moving in…Piglets in the pond!…

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Mom and the piglet are enjoying the cement pond on a hot day.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This is “Little” on his usual mission of getting our attention to come outside and give him some pellets. If we don’t respond, he enters the house. Very funny!

Our one year in Marloth Park is rapidly coming to a close. We’ve decided to spend one night, February 14th, Valentine’s Day, in Nelspruit to avoid early morning traffic on the 15th, the day we must exit South Africa. It’s hard to believe in 71 days, and we’ll be leaving Marloth Park to drive to Nelspruit for the flight to Nairobi, Kenya, departing early the following morning.

If you missed our story as to why we must leave on the 15th as opposed to the planned February 20th initially, please click here for yesterday’s post. It’s all clearly explained there.

As it turns out, we won’t have to travel on my birthday after all and will spend it doing something exceptional while in Kenya. Details will follow once we get everything booked.

Mom warthog gets into the cement pond to cool off.  Now, the piglets follow her.

Speaking of bookings, we need to get to work now that we have a definitive answer on our immigration status. We’d left many loose ends in the itinerary, and the time has come to get these items booked.

With the ongoing power outages, spending time online is tricky. By the time we manage photos and prepare and upload the day’s post, the power goes out again, usually for 2½ hours. During these periods, we have no internet access.

According to the Eskom load shedding schedule, the power should be out about 7½ hours every 24 hours. Fortunately, and not surprisingly, the schedule isn’t precise, and often a time slot for an outage is ignored, and we have full power and WiFi. Go figure.  

Piglets were climbing out of the cement pond.

We’re managing to work around it, as are other residents throughout this country, not just here in Marloth Park. With the continuing heat and humidity, it’s even more uncomfortable when we can’t use a fan, especially when our surroundings are still and windless, resulting in a long 2½ hours.

But this is Africa, and we’re making the best of it, planning social events, cooking our meals, dining out with friends (tonight with Uschi and Evan, tomorrow with Rita and Gerhard), and attempting to ignore the inconveniences.

The holidaymakers are beginning to filter into the park now as we see more and more vehicles on the roads each day. Soon, every holiday rental and most bush homes will be filled, the noise will ensue, underage kids will be driving vehicles in this relatively un-policed area, and maniacs will be driving fast on Olifant Street (the paved road), killing the precious wildlife.

With the heat evaporating the water in the pond, between cleanings, Tom refills it for easy access for wildlife being able to reach for a drink.  So far, the only animals we’ve seen enter the pond are the warthogs.

No pun intended…it’s the nature of the beast. Not everyone who comes to stay in Marloth Park possesses the love and respect for this magical place, its rules, and its wildlife. This is so sad and disheartening.

Among the rest of us dedicated to this paradise, we’ll continue to respect the laws and treat the wildlife with dignity and respect. We’ve heard tales of humans feeding wildlife marshmallows, potato chips, and other human junk food. If it’s not good for us, why would we assume it’s good for them?

During this Christmas season, as in the past six years, we don’t have a tree, wrap gifts, bake cookies, or plan holiday parties, although we’ll attend a few. I’ll bake some treats to share at Christmas and make a few special items for Tom’s upcoming birthday on December 23rd.

Back onto the dirt, everyone is cooler and refreshed.

I’d considered a party or get-together for his birthday, but he reminded me how busy a time it is for everyone else with their usual holiday festivities. To burden others with a party the day before Christmas Eve was unfair. I relented, and we decided to make it a party for two.

This leaves us plenty of time in December to get to work booking the following for our upcoming travels:

  • Hotel in Kenya for seven nights, arriving February 15, 2019, and departing for the booked photography tour on February 22, 2019  (tour ended on March 7, 2019
  • Flight from Nairobi to Santiago, Chile on March 8, 2019
  • Transportation from Santiago, Chile to San Antonio, Chile (the location of the cruise port) 
  • Hotel in Santiago, Chile from March 8, 2019, to March 24, 2019, when our 15-night cruise departs from San Antonio, Chile, and sails to San Diego, California
  • Flight from San Diego, California to Minneapolis, Minnesota* on April 8, 2019
  • Rental car in Minnesota from April 8, 2019, to April 25, 2019
  • Flight from Minnesota to Fort Lauderdale to board the next cruise to Copenhagen on April 25, 2019, cruise departed on April 26, 2019
  • Flight from Copenhagen to Dublin, Ireland on May 12, 2019
  • Rental car in Dublin, Ireland on May 12, 2019, and drive to Connemara, Ireland, where we’ll stay in a holiday home until August 9, 2019 (booked and deposit paid)
    Two giraffes were walking along a dirt path in the park.

*The hotel in Minnesota is already booked and partially paid, with the balance due upon arrival.

This covers our booking needs for the next eight months. Once we’ve put all of this together, we’ll update and fine-tune our spreadsheet with all the new expenses.
 
I hope you have a spectacular Wednesday!


 Photo from one year ago today, December 5, 2017:

In Pisco, Peru, this pelican was trained to entertain tourists as the man passed around a cup. For more photos, please click here.

There’s always a recipe for a solution…Cost and convenience are often the vital ingredients…

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This fluffy little one captured our hearts.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Baby zebra are sticking close to mom during nighttime activities.

I don’t know where to begin. It’s a convoluted story of inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and rampant incompetency in one manner or another. My intent is not to bash South Africa’s governmental procedures. 

Instead, I reach out to you, our valued and loyal worldwide readers, to share our story and to alert those of you who may consider a long-term stay in this country.

Don’t get me wrong…we’re grateful for the exquisite almost 10 months we’ve spent in the country in this isolated little world of paradise in the bush, Marloth Park.  

It’s not like this everywhere in the country, animals roaming free as one might expect countrywide. There are conservancies, game reserves, national parks, and designated wildlife areas for that.  

The dry bush will brighten once the rainy season takes off.

The uniqueness of Marloth Park was the motivator for us to visit and subsequently return this past February. Our future itinerary has us returning in about two years from now, but only for the allowed 90 days, no more. We never want to deal with immigration issues again.

I won’t reiterate the beginning of the story and the massive pile of documents we prepared to accommodate a request for a visa extension to February 20, 2019, the day we’d been advised to book a flight out of here to Nairobi, Kenya, for our next adventure. If you’ll click this link here, that portion of the story is told in its entirety.

But, it was the culmination of the complicated process that hovered in our minds as we wondered as to the outcome since September when we first applied, as it turned out, way too early, upon advice from others and ended up starting all over again on October 24th when we returned to Nelspruit the second time to apply.

While there in September, a rep made a handwritten notation on our document copy that we were to return on October 24th (still have this document), giving ample time for the file to be reviewed and meeting our planned departure date of February 20, 2019.

Waterbucks grazing by the river’s edge.

Part of the application process required two departing South Africa-airline tickets for ZAR 15461 (US $1132) for that date which we purchased at the time of making the first application in September.

Stay with me. We’re getting there. When we returned on October 24th, going through all the forms with the reps at the VFS Immigration office, we were told everything was in order. We were told to start checking online after three weeks to see when the response would be ready.

For those of you who read the prior posts, we indicated we’d have to appear once again once the notification indicated we were ready to see the answer in a sealed envelope, which we’d open in front of the immigration rep.  

If we didn’t like the answer, the only available process was to reapply once again. This was not an option for us. Our visas had already expired on November 21st.  We weren’t in a particularly good position for “negotiating,” which, in any case, is not a part of the process regardless of circumstances.

A lone giraffe was munching on treetops.

We took off for Nelspruit yesterday morning, typically a 75 to 90 minutes drive where many trucks and vehicles jockey for space on the highway. We were told to arrive anywhere between 10:00 am and 1500 hours (3:00 pm).  

Once we were “scanned” by the security guard, we entered the waiting area, lined up several rows of chairs. All the seats were filled, and we had to wait, standing, in the back of the chairs section. As each person was called, everyone in the chairs moved over to the next available chair, kind of like a musical chairs thing.

Much to our surprise, the line moved more quickly than during our two other visits.  Within 40 minutes, we were standing at the counter awaiting our news.  Tom was handed his sealed envelope first. Gingerly, he opened the envelope and immediately we were bost aghast. He was granted an extension but only until February 15th.

We have paid our rent here to February 20th, paid for a rental car to February 20th, and paid for the two airline tickets for February 20th. We tried to explain that it was their manager who’d told us to return on October 24th, allowing us ample time for the requested February 20th departure date.

Waterbucks live close to the river, grazing on its green lusher vegetation than in other areas of the bush, where everything is dried up during this year’s low-rain period.

We even showed her the handwritten notes she’d made on the document telling us to return on October 24th. She dismissed this written statement saying what she wrote was irrelevant. The government’s decision is all that matters, regardless of the number of days.

Then the weirdest thing happened.  I opened my envelope and was given until February 21, 2019. Our files were linked as a married couple. Why the six-day difference? All kinds of thoughts ran through our heads. No matter what we said, the only option they suggested was to start all over.  

There was no way we were going to pay the fees ZAR 3500 (US $256) again and start over the lengthy and detailed paperwork process, all the while taking the risk that nothing would change.

We walked out the door, neither of us talking, and made our way to the parking ramp, thoughts racing through our heads. On the return drive, we reviewed our options, but Tom, bordering on “overly grumpy,” was more engrossed in his driving in traffic than a lengthy discussion over our options.

On Sunday night, while situated on the veranda, speaking on Skype with my dear friend Karen in Minnesota, a dazzle of zebras appeared.

Instead of pressing him, I wrote the text for yesterday’s post on an offline app on my phone, determined to get it uploaded before the power went out due to “load shedding” again at 1500 hours (3:00 om).  

As soon as we returned, I immediately got to work on the post, albeit with less than my usual enthusiastic demeanor. Miss Overly Bubby wasn’t in. I rushed to get it done, but the power went out earlier than expected, and I couldn’t upload it until after 1730 hours (5:30 pm). Sorry for the delay.
 

At 5:30, we set up the veranda for the evening, made ourselves a “sundowner,” and sat down to discuss our options. They included the following:

  • Reapply and start the entire process all over again with no guarantees. We tossed this idea out the window.
  • Tom could leave and go to Kenya on the 15th while I stayed alone in Marloth Park, using one of the two non-refundable flights from Nelspruit to Nairobi on February 20th (my birthday). This raised many questions: hotel for Tom, transportation for me to the airport, being alone for the five nights until February 20th when I could depart, traveling apart, handing luggage…and on and on.  We tossed this idea out the window.
  • The rep told us Tom could go to Mozambique by car and see if he could end up with the extra five days. This was a very risky idea. When would he go? He could easily have ended up with no more than what he has or even less, depending on what transpired at the border.  We tossed this idea out the window.
  • We could try to get some form of credit from the airline to change our travel day to February 15th, change our end-of-rental date to February 15th, change our car rental period to February 15 and clear out of South Africa. We decided this was our only option, with both departing on February 15th, regardless of the cost or inconvenience.
There was a total of nine zebras, including the baby.

Immediately, we got to work on Expedia.com on our website to see what we could first accomplish with the tickets. In all these six years of world travel, we’ve never canceled or changed a single flight. Somehow the preplanning has always worked for us.

We knew that flights were non-refundable but never encountered an opportunity or desire to change a flight.  The website offered such an opportunity, and for a total of ZAR 2156 (US $159), we changed our tickets to February 15th.  We were relieved.

 
We want to book hotel accommodations in Kenya which we’ll do this month. Not having done so was one more minor step to handle. From here, we’ll see about our rent and early return of the rental car, both of which should save us a little more to apply to the added cost of the extra five days in Kenya.
 
Whew! What a relief! Drama averted. Immigration issues are averted, and a massive lesson learned: When we return to South Africa in years to come, we’ll only stay 90 days. Period.
Preoccupied with my phone call, I couldn’t get a photo of all nine at once.

We skated through the first three 90-day periods by leaving the country twice to travel to Zambia to get another 90-day visa each time. We just weren’t able to pull it off the third time. These two one-week trips cost us upwards of ZAR 111628 (US $8232).  Surely if we’d tried traveling out the country once again, we’d have incurred similar costs with no guaranty on the ability to return.

And so it goes. We’re good again. Cheerful, but hot in the temps above 40C (104F). And, we’re back in sync with our otherwise pleasing lifestyle and of course, with one another.

Today, we’ll lay low in the heat and humidity, but who knows what tomorrow may bring.


Happy, healthy day to all.

Photo from one year ago today, December 4, 2017:

Children were playing at the beach with views of colorful fishing vessels in Pisco, Peru. These boats remind us of the colorful fishing boats in Negara, Bali. (See that link here). For more details from the one year ago post, please click here.

Immigration day from hell…Solutions rolling around in our minds…More tomorrow…

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She was reaching for the treetops.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Three very young impalas in the bush.

It would have been easy to sit down and pen today’s post if the South Africa immigration issue had been resolved as we’d hoped. The realities of world travel dictate that sometimes, things don’t go as we’d hoped. Attitude adjustments are in constant flux.

Unfortunately, this morning’s trip to the immigration office in Nelspruit didn’t go well after we’d received the online notice to appear, and we are in a quandary as to how to proceed from here. Our options are few. Our frustrations are many.
Giraffes are fortunate during the dry season.  There’s no competition for the leaves in the treetops.

Due to a myriad of ill advice, government incompetence, bureaucracy, and inconsistency, today’s visit to the immigration office was both frustrating and disappointing.

When we returned to the house a short time ago facing another power shutdown in the next half hour, I felt rushed and out-of-sorts to write an upbeat article about life in the bush.

Instead, I apologize for a less-than-cheerful rendition of where we’re at the moment and where we’ll be in months to come based on today’s outcome.

Cheeks filled with vegetation.

Inconvenience coupled with unexpected expenses is a bitch. My usual overly bubbly self continues to nudge me into settling down and seeing the bright side.  Isn’t there always some semblance of a bright side in these kinds of situations?

Good grief, I’m not implying there’s any modicum of a bright side in lousy health, injury, and personal loss, although some special people manage to find a means to rebound regardless of strife.

But, when it comes to business-type situations and functions of daily life, generally speaking, there are lessons to be learned that may prepare us for the “next time.” We need to hold on to those lessons!
Giraffe along the road.

I need to settle down for the remainder of the day as we discuss our options to come up with a suitable plan that we can live with. By no means is this situation untenable, nor a significant crisis. It’s more annoying than anything. We’ll get over it.

But, for today, I must reserve going into the details until such time in the next 24-hours that we’ve had an opportunity to review our options and come to a logical and practical solution.

We’ll be back with a much more enlightened demeanor by tomorrow’s post. For tonight, we’ll still enjoy another warm night on the veranda, loving our wildlife friends with their playful and entertaining antics.

Have a pleasant evening!

Photo from one year ago today, December 3, 2017:

It was an evening “chic” night, and we entered the elevator with other passengers. One of the passengers grabbed my camera off my shoulder and shot these “feet photos.”  We all howled when this occurred, and here’s the funny photo! For more photos, please click here.

Pig on the porch…Pig in the parlor…Warthog “Little” comes to call…

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This is “Little” entering the parlor looking for the bags of pellets! Funny!
Little decided to check out the inside of the house. I was in the kitchen chopping vegetables when he entered and looked up to see this! We both couldn’t stop laughing.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Adorable young duiker has become more at ease approaching the veranda for pellets. As the smallest in the antelope family, they are often the last to be able to eat when the larger animals chase them off. Whenever we see them alone, we make sure they have plenty on their own.

As our long-time readers are well aware, I love pigs. They are intelligent and readily make eye contact with deep expression and, they appear to have an excellent memory:
“Pigs are actually considered the fifth-most intelligent animal in the world—even more intelligent than dogs—and are capable of playing video games with more focus and success than chimps! They also have excellent object-location memory.”

Yesterday, Little gingerly climbed the several steps up to the veranda, looking for pellets.

We can’t underestimate their ability to interact with us, not unlike a dog or other domesticated animal. No doubt, warthogs are not domesticated, and nor are we purporting they should be especially warthogs who thrive in a life in the wild foraging for food, mating, and raising piglets to adulthood.

Once he was situated, we brought him some fruit and veg.

With the recent visits of the mom and four piglets, we’ve witnessed a loving and attentive mother, concerned for the well-being of her young, to the point of putting her own life at risk. We’ve watched her chase off bigger and stronger male warthogs to ensure her piglets get in on the pellet action.

I sat quietly in the chair next to him, wanting to make him feel at ease.

But today’s story is about Little, a warthog who’s been visiting us for the past six months. His gentle soul and good nature with other animals, while sharing the pellets has astounded us, making him hold a special place in our hearts.

This was yesterday afternoon after he’d climbed the steps to the veranda.  He ate some pellets and left. But today, was an entirely new scenario as shown in our video and photos.

When we first saw him enter the cement pond a few months ago, he endeared himself to us further. He splashes around in the tiny pond cooling off on a very hot day, often putting his face underwater while taking a big gulp of the water we keep clean. Well, as clean as you can keep a pond clean that a pig swims in. Our pond is emptied and cleaned once a week. 

Little doesn’t care for lettuce, but likes pellets, carrots, apples, and pears.

Since that time, he’s visited many times on hot days to do the same. He easily knows his name and looks up at us when we call him. His expressions are of great interest and curiosity. We have no doubt he is the same when he visits other bush homes in Marloth Park.

 What originally inspired me in 2012, to convince Tom, we needed to come to Marloth Park was a photo Louise had on her website of a pig, napping in front of a fireplace in a bush home.  

Today, he was determined when he climbed the steps, feeling more at “home.” He’s come up the steps to the veranda a few times in the past weeks but now, it’s been two consecutive days. Maybe this will become a regular part of his almost daily visits.

That single photo inspired me so much, I literally had to plead with Tom to “step outside the box” in our upcoming travels and stay in this wildlife conservancy for at least three months.  

As warthogs do, he was on his knees eating.  They have long snouts so nature provided tough knee pads to allow them to scoot around on the knees gathering morsels of food.

Coincidentally, we arrived in Marloth Park on December 2, 2013, five years ago today. See that post here. Our first official visit at the Hornbill house was a warthog as shown in this photo below.

At the Hornbill house less than a half-hour after we arrived, this warthog stopped by to welcome us to the neighborhood. He was our first official visitor. For all we know, we’ve seen this warthog during these past many months since our return. They may live as long as 17 years.

Returning to Marloth Park this past February, my greatest enthusiasm surrounded the opportunity to interact with these funny creatures once again. And, have we ever. There are many warthogs, we recognize and who know us as the generous pellet providers.  

When the pellets are consumed, he waits patiently for more.  Although, a few times, he nudged me with his nose.

Sure, they visit for the food.  We have no delusions that the single biggest motivator for them, including Little, is to regularly return to our garden.  But, in our heart of hearts, we see their continuing interest in us, curious to as to what us humans are all about and possibly gleaning some form of emotional attachment similar to that we experience from dogs.

There’s always time in his busy schedule for a pellet break.

This morning, when Little wandered into the house, this behavior confirmed his curiosity which made us swoon with laughter.  And yes, his powerful sense of smell directed him to bags of pellets resting again the wall in the parlor.  

Little is not so little.  Hee may weigh up to 136 kg, (300 pounds).

Had we left him to his own resources we are certain he’d have torn open the bags and had himself the feast of a lifetime. We cut the video short and sent him back outdoors. He didn’t go easily. This doesn’t imply he was aggressive. He was not.

Little contemplating a nap after his big meal.

But, he hesitated to leave and we had to toss some pellets to the garden to encourage him to make his way back down the steps for one last bowl of pellets until we cut him off…not for good…but for a “Little” while until he returns again.

 We can’t stop smiling. Personally, I’m in “pig heaven” today reeling from the wonderful experience.

 May your day leave you reeling with wonderfulness!

                                            Photo from one year ago today, December 2, 2017:

Tom is getting to be quite the photographer. But, when I compliment him he says, “Even a stopped watch is correct twice a day!” He’s too modest! For more photos, please click here.