Three days and counting…Getting it all together…Favorite photos and videos…

Big Daddy seems happy as he watches his girlfriend eat pellets.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Mating time for kudus and other antelopes. From this site: “Male kudus may form small bachelor groups, but they are more commonly found as solitary and widely dispersed individuals. Solitary males will join the group of females and calves (usually 6-10 individuals per group) only during the mating season (April–May in South Africa).”

After spending 15 months in Marloth Park, except for a few weeks away when we visited Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, we’ve accumulated more “stuff” than we ever have at any other holiday home in the past over 6½ years we’ve been traveling the world.

Elephants at the Vurhami Dam helping a newborn stand for the first time.

As I gingerly began packing (favoring my painful leg in the process), I’ve found it challenging to sort through the various products and items we’ve acquired, many of which are medically related due to the four surgeries of the past three months; three pairs of compression stocking in various strengths; a variety of bandages; a sheepskin to prevent bedsores; special slippers; and protein powders (which I am still using daily).

This video has had more hits than any other of our videos, with, as of today, there have been 1,441,145 views. Go figure. For more of our videos, please click here or type my name, Jessica Lyman Videos, in google search or YouTube.

Add the six months of eight different medications I have to take for my heart, and the formerly lightly packed pill bag is brimming to the top. As always, I’ll place the pill bag in the yellow Costco bag as one of my two carry-on bags. I particularly don’t want to let this out of my sight this time.

There were few clothing items I purchased while here; two pairs of warm pajamas, a sweater, and a sweatshirt-type jacket for the cool winter nights, all of which I’ll be able to use in Ireland.

This elephant dug a hole in the soil at Vurhami Dam, searching for water during the dry season. He succeeded and was soon drinking. What a joy to see this!

In the summer months, the temperatures range between 18C (64F) and 20C (68F). There are 18 hours of daylight. It doesn’t get dark until 2300 hours, 11:00 pm. The evenings will be relaxed, and no doubt, we’ll need to bundle up after the hot temps we’ve become accustomed to over these past 15 months.

With our recent package on-the-move from the US, arriving at the house within a few days according to DHL tracking (it’s going through customs in Shannon at this time), I’ll have a few more sweaters, long-sleeved tee shirts, and two pairs of jeans I’d ordered from Old Navy in the US.

And then there were more…

Tom, who doesn’t get as cold as me, has a few sweatshirts, a flannel shirt, and a few long-sleeved shirts, which will serve him well. We’ll be set for the upcoming cooler climate.

I am looking forward to the cooler weather. Wearing the heavy compression stockings for the past three months has left me sweating during the hot and humid days. I’ll only have to wear the compression stockings for a few more weeks after we arrive in Ireland or when we go on long car rides and future flights.

Lots of mongooses in the garden.

Tom has yet to pack but will do so soon. I no longer remind him to get packing. He knows we’re leaving, and as far as I’m concerned, he can do it whenever he likes. I fold his dressier shirts for him since he doesn’t do it quite as neatly.

Throughout the day, I’ve continued the walking, which seems to be having a somewhat beneficial effect on my legs, although not as profoundly as I’d like. By Friday morning’s doctor appointment, we’ll know if I’ll need further treatment at a wound clinic in Ireland. If we don’t have to make a three-hour drive every other day, we’ll be thrilled beyond words.

The dark coloration on Big Daddy’s neck is a result of sex hormones. It changes to the color of the remainder of his body when the mating season ends.

Today, we’re sharing a few videos along with a few favorite photos, some of which we’ve taken in the past few days. Our wildlife friends continue to visit hour after hour, especially in the early morning and early evening. Tom opened our last bag of pellets, which should last until we leave on Saturday.

Tonight, we’ll cook our last flattie on the braai and enjoy a quiet evening.

May your day and evening be rich and fulfilling.

Photo from one year ago today, May 8, 2018:

We were so close to this giraffe it was easy to get this photo. For more photos, please click here.

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