It’s the first day of winter…The winter solstice…

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My favorite kudu, Bossy, from the old house.

Here are a few tidbits of information about the winter solstice in South Africa:

“When it is the winter solstice on 21 June in South Africa over what line of latitude is the sun directly overhead?
The Tropic of Capricorn
The sun’s rays are directly overhead along the Tropic of Capricorn (the latitude line at 23.5° south, passing through Brazil, South Africa, and Australia) on December 21.
Kudu family.
Which Month Has The Shortest Days In South Africa? On Tuesday, June 21, 2022, Cape Town will witness the solstice (the winter solstice). In comparison to the December solstice, here is a 4-hour and 32-minute shorter day of the year. The shortest day is on this date in locations south of the equator.”

It’s odd for us Northern Hemisphere people to wrap our brains around the fact that the winter solstice begins today, June 21st. Of the past ten years of world travel, we’ve spent five of the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, experiencing this peculiar sensation of winter beginning in June.

When Bad Ear walks along the dirt road, as soon as I call him, he makes a sharp turn and comes to visit. It only took him a few days to learn the sound of my voice and his name.

I suppose it’s all about what one is used to for most of their life. But, after all these years, it’s not unusual for us to experience the beginning of winter in June. But, the fact that winter begins in June in South Africa doesn’t mean that we are free for an extended period of the hot summer months when winter is short. In a matter of only three or four months, the temperatures will climb, and it will become hot again, and the insects, including mosquitoes, will be back among us.

However, we will savor each day of comfortable weather over the next three or four months. I will still need to wear repellent as I am right now, to deter the stings from chiggers, sand fleas, and pepper ticks. It’s not unheard of to see a few mosquitos this time of year.

Impalas and Lollie.

When we lived in Minnesota, the summer was short. It didn’t warm up much until May or June; by August and September, we could feel the temperatures dropping as we’d rolled into fall. Often, by November, we had snow.

This morning is a little warmer than the past few mornings. We kicked off the extra covers when the bedroom warmed up at night. This morning, for the first time in weeks, we’re outdoors on the veranda without additional layers. Both of us are wearing shirts without long sleeves. It’s a beautiful day in the bush.

Big Daddies and impalas.

Soon, we head to Komatipoort to get our teeth cleaned at Komati Dental, next door to Dr. Theo’s office. While here, we’ll often have a cleaning every three months. The cost of the cleaning is 75% less than in the US, typical for most medical services. No dental insurance is needed here.

In a few days, we’ll book the appointment for Tom for the final step in his dental implants after having two teeth pulled about six months ago. He’ll be relieved to have this done since the gaping hole is obvious whenever he smiles. He’ll return to Dr. Singh, the dental surgeon in Malalane, about a 35-minute drive from here, who initially pulled the teeth and placed the foundation for the implants.

This is a good-sized hadada bird that’s been hanging around the garden.

After our teeth cleanings, we’ll stop at the pharmacy and Spar to pick up a few items. This way, we won’t have to shop again until next week. We have taco meat left over from last night, so tonight, we’ll have one of our favorite dinners, homemade taco salad. We don’t use the carb-laden shell. We load up diced tomatoes, sliced green olives, chopped purple onion, hand-grated cheddar cheese, seasoned meat, and lettuce into big bowls. I add sour cream and sliced avocados to my salad.

I make the spice mix for the meat from scratch, which doesn’t have added chemicals, starch, and wheat found in store-bought taco seasoning mix, which, surprisingly, they sell here. Spar Market has a small supply of ingredients for various ethnic recipes. The spices are plentiful, so I have no problem making the seasonings. If you’d like the recipe for the spice mix, please comment, and I will post it.

Time to walk again before we head out. We’ll be back with more tomorrow.

Have a pleasant day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 21, 2021:

For the first time, gray louries pecked at Frank’s seeds. For more photos, please click here.

It was a lovely Father’s Day in the bush…The animals are already back!!!…Check out today’s new video, taken moments ago!…

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This morning, they returned from the busy holiday weekend.  The animals, I mean. As I type this, there is a forkl of kudus, two Medium Daddies whose horns are halfway to full-grown, three moms, and three babies, one of which can’t be more than a few weeks old.

Also, a herd of impalas joined in on the excitement, and in moments, we had 20 or more animals in the garden, inspiring me to make the above video. It’s such fun for us to see so many wildlife in the garden. We never tire of greeting the latest to arrive.

Lollie is munching on pellets with them. The animals have become used to her being a permanent fixture in our garden, allowing her to “dine” with them. She’s a little bossy also, never failing to let the other visitors know, “this is my house!” It’s hilarious that she is here almost all day and night.

Last evening, during sundowner time, the mongooses arrived, cackling, running like crazy, ensuring we knew they were here. The band of about 50 crazy little critters piled atop one another in the side garden, waiting patiently while I cut the paloney (a large baloney type roll we buy at Spar) into bite-sized pieces, ensuring enough for all of them.

We had a pleasant Father’s Day!. No, we didn’t do much since the park was packed with tourists, and we didn’t want to deal with the Crocodile River crowds. or the groups on the bumpy dirt roads, but today, it’s quiet again since most of them had left. The school holidays will begin in a few weeks, and it will be busy, maybe for the entire three weeks.

Something has been on my mind about our posts the past few days. We’ve mentioned this in the past and will repeat it here today. Sometimes, nothing is going on to write about. After almost ten years of living in other people’s houses, visiting all seven continents, countless countries, cities, towns and villages, and hotels, we sometimes like doing nothing.

That’s not to say we don’t have many exciting plans. But, without a doubt, the pandemic has significantly impacted us. Thousands of flights were canceled worldwide last week. Cruises are being canceled right and left. Prices for transportation, including airfare, rental cars, taxis, and Uber, have skyrocketed. Even the cost of living in Africa has

Some world travelers are on the move right now, certainly more frequently than we have been in the past few months. But considering how much we did in the two months we were away from Marloth Park, we feel a break is in order.  Also, we consider  the time spent in booking the following, which also contributes to our desire to stay put for a while:

  • Flights: 4 trips, 9 flights
  • Cruise: 1 (plus canceled 1 cruise due to contracting Covid-19 on the first cruise)
  • Transatlantic crossings: 4
  • Hotels (plus one period staying with friends): 6
  • Long distance driver, taxi, Ube, limo: 5
  • Rental cars: 4

In two months from today, we’ll be on the move again as we make our way to Zambia and then on to Botswana where we’ll stay for a week with many bookings required for that trip.

But, in between times, especially considering all the problems still encountered due to the pandemic, and the difficulty we encountered in those two months, we don’t hesitate to take advantage of this quieter time. As a result, sometimes, we have little to share.

We think about how dull it would be if we lived in a country without the constant stream of wildlife at our door, after we’d done a fair share of sightseeing and taking photos, as we’ve done in many countries worldwide. Right now, we are happiest here.

Also, we don’t forget that in five months, we’ll be off on another six-plus week adventure while we cruise for 42 nights from Athens to Cape Town. We won’t be short of any photos to share and stories to tell. So, in the interim, please bear with us with our mundane stories and lack of exciting new photos. Yesterday, we posted a recipe. Who knows what we’ll post tomorrow other than photos of wildlife and the nuances of our daily lives?

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, June 20, 2021:

We had set Frank’s seeds on the table to keep the warthogs and bushbucks from coming onto the veranda to eat them. Suddenly four hornbills decided to dig in. For more photos, please click here.

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads and grandpas!!!What did you do on your special day?….

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Is this the Crooked Face we knew from the old house? We looked up a past post and found that this is him! If he’s found his way here, surely Little can do the same. 

It’s a perfect day. The sun is shining. The temperature is currently at 73F, 23C. There’s a slight breeze, and the air quality is “excellent,” per the AccuWeather app on my phone. With many tourists in the park this weekend, we will stay put and enjoy the day and evening on the veranda watching nature at its finest.

There aren’t as many animals visiting with all the attention and food they’re getting from the tourists, but our loyal visitors waste no time stopping by to see us. So far, this morning, we’ve had the shy duiker couple, warthogs Mom and Babies, Lollie (a permanent fixture), and a few bushbucks. Kudus love to show off for the tourists, so I doubt we’ll see any today.

We’ve yet to come up with a name for this bushbuck.

This morning I baked a new batch of low-carb blueberry scones, which are cooling now, and I’ll place in twos in re-used Ziplock bags to keep in the freezer, taking out two each day to have with my coffee, topped with a bit of butter. We individually wrap portion sizes of my scones and Tom’s blueberry muffin.

We save the sandwich-size Ziplock bags by storing them on a shelf on the refrigerator door to prevent any remaining crumbs from getting moldy. Then, we re-use them for the next baked batch, saving on plastic waste. We may reuse them three or four times. We keep Tom’s muffins on one shelf in the freezer and mine on another, making it easy to find to take out for the next day.

Kudus with their heads down eating pellets, except one youngster.

Earlier in the week, I made Tom a coconut banana bread for those times after dinner when he’s craving something sweet. Here again, we store individual portions in the freezer. If I don’t bake something for him, he’ll often buy whatever they have at the market, which is made with chemicals and preservatives. If he’s going to eat sweet treats, at least homemade with fresh ingredients is ultimately better for him.

Of course, my little blueberry scones are made to be very low carb, and I only allow myself two per day since they are calorie-dense and made with almond flour. When Spar Market was out of almond flour, I purchased macadamia nut flour which is even lower carb than almond flour.

This is Rueben. He is in love with Lollie.

Today, I made low-carb scones using a half-and-half mixture of almond and macadamia nut flours. I am confident the taste will be just as good, if not better. Since I’ve received several requests for the recipe, here it is for our low-carb/keto readers.

Mom and Baby bushbucks were eating the grass inside the fenced area. We couldn’t believe how gracefully the baby jumped over the fence.

Raspberry/Blueberry Drop Scones
Makes 24 cookies/scones 

8 large eggs, beaten until frothy
4 cups almond flour
46 drops liquid sucralose or 1 1/3 cup sugar substitute or other equivalent sugar
2 T aluminum-free baking powder
2 T vanilla extract
2 cups fresh raspberries, blueberries (unsweetened), or any berry and nuts

 Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a sheet pan with parchment (a must) paper. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except for the raspberries or blueberries (or both), and mix well to create a batter that will be lumpy. Gently fold the raspberries/blueberries into the batter and use a tablespoon to drop evenly spaced scones on the lined pan (about 2 heaping tablespoons for each scone). 

Bake for about 18 minutes until scones begin to brown lightly.  Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the parchment paper, or they will fall apart and serve warm or room temp.  These freeze very well and defrost in about 10 minutes or use the microwave for 30 seconds to defrost 2 or 3.

Nutrition Facts
125 calories
9.5 g fat
5.5 g protein
2.5 g fiber 
1 g net carbs

This is Bossy, from the old house. She was looking inside the house for me while Tom took the photo.

 This recipe takes very little time to prepare. I had them made and in the oven within about 15 minutes. Those who don’t eat low-carb will also enjoy these delicious treats. They aren’t hard like a typical scone but soft like an oatmeal cookie.

After making the above, I’ve kept at my usual walking pace to ensure I am fast approaching my daily goal of 8,000 to 10,000 steps. It’s much easier to accomplish while living in this property as opposed to the last, which was much smaller. We’re undoubtedly enjoying the extra space, especially outdoors.

The zebras returned yesterday for another visit.

We’re missing the animals today, but I feel confident they’ll be back in the next few days. Even the birds aren’t as active in the garden today as they were a few days ago. But, we’re content nonetheless.

For all the dads, grandpas, step-dads and step-grandpas out there in the world, we wish you the very best on this special day. We hope your loved ones will make this day all about YOU!

Photo from one year ago today, June 19, 2021:

Lots of pigs!!! We aren’t getting as many warthogs at the new house, but soon they will come. For more photos, please click here.

Quiet in the bush…Longevity…how do we attain it?…

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Beautiful female bushbuck jumped the fence to enter the garden close to the house.

It’s cool. It’s quiet. Every half hour I get up from my seat on the veranda and walk, walk, walk. It’s boring and tedious but I know I must do it, for my heart, to extend my life, to stay fit and agile to enable us to continue traveling the world.

Fast approaching 75 years old, I wonder how much control I actually have over extending my life considering the precarious cardiovascular disease I possess, acquired from heredity, certainly not my lifestyle. From the time I was 16 years old, having seen family members die from heart disease and diabetes, I went on a rampage of exercising and eating a healthy diet. And yet, it didn’t save me from developing cardiovascular disease. But it may have kept me alive.

This is our favorite new warthog, Lollie, since her tusks are lopsided. She spends most of her days and nights in our garden. She already knows her name and comes when we call her.

However, like all of us,  we have stress in our day-to-day lives, and as a single mom, breadwinner, and business owner, I had my share. There was no escaping it. Now, I have little stress, living this blissful life, barring a few obstacles along the way.

If happiness results in a long life of good health, we should live until well into our 100s. I have this cardiovascular situation, but I know many who’ve had the surgery and have gone on to live long and full lives. I hang onto that hope, trying not to spend any  time thinking about having a heart attack, stroke or even another surgery. The worry alone could result in enough stress to impact the outcome. I choose not to go down that road.

Yet to be named baby bushbuck.

But, even with perfect health at 75, one’s days might be numbered. For me, it’s not about fear. It’s about passion for continuing to live this beautiful life with my loving partner, husband, and friend. I couldn’t ask for more. Nor could I ask for more meaning and purpose in our day-to-day lives.

Unabashedly, I admit that writing here daily is highly instrumental in enhancing the quality of our lives. Why is this the case? For many reasons, some are hard to explain. In part, it’s the magical process of seeing our lives in print each day. Who does that? We whine, cajole, praise, and critique everything we encounter along the way. This is therapeutic in a manner that is difficult to explain. It reduces stress once we have an opportunity to write it down.

Mom and baby bushbuck and perhaps an auntie or older sibling.

Often psychologists and therapists suggest patients write down their feelings and experiences. Could the benefit of this often prescribed undertaking have an impact on our lives as well? Being vulnerable and documenting our flaws and foibles provides a sense of reality that makes us look hard at ourselves and how we can improve as individuals and as a couple.

The profound sense of inclusion and support is a natural by-product of our daily postings. When I wrote about the chigger bites, countless readers wrote with suggestions. In one’s life, do they have such a pool of opinions from which to glean information? For us, it’s only a click away.

Kudus eating pellets in the garden.

We have a lot to learn. That will never change. But, learning in the senior years has been proven to add to longevity, mental acuity, and good health. Our lives are abundant in learning. Every single day we research information about our surroundings wherever we may be in the world.

You’d think after so much time in Africa; we’d fulfilled our desires for knowledge about this continent, its people, its cultures, and its wildlife. We haven’t experienced or learned more than a grain of sand on 100 miles of beach compared to what we could know after spending decades on the continent.

A young female kudu checks us out.

The secrets to longevity from the medical community are fraught with conflicting opinions, studies, confusion, and uncertainty. Eat this, eat that. Drink this, drink that. Red wine is good; red wine is bad. Oh, good grief. We are left to our knowledge and perceptions on what will benefit us in the long haul. And once we’re gone…well, we’ll have no perception then.

So, what do we do? For us, we consider our genetics and proceed from there. We implement that which makes us “feel well” and healthy. But, in reality, it may be as simple as “when your number is up, your number is up.” Perhaps it boils down to the quality of life. What does it take to make us feel good, living one day at a time? What does it take to feel content, fulfilled, and ultimately happy? Do that, not something else.

Be well. Be happy.

Photo from one year ago today, June 18, 2021:

Tiny and Bossy were waiting for treats. For more photos, please click here.

Last night’s change in plans…What’s a confusion?…

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It’s a joy to see the nyala family stop by for pellets. Here’s dad on the right, son on the left.

Yesterday, we decided to go out to dinner, even though we’d be out on Friday night, as always, at Jabula Lodge and Restaurant. Since we returned almost a month ago, we hadn’t been to any other restaurants and thought a meal at Giraffe would hit the spot.

Their food isn’t as good as Jabula’s delicious dishes. Also, they only have one option on the menu that works for me, a salad with chicken and vegetables, which is tasty but not very filling. For an occasional bite to eat, it’s an excellent place to eat and drink for most locals and visitors.

They are muscular and appear to be in good physical condition.

We left the house at 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs., thinking we’d better get there early due to the holiday weekend. We didn’t plan to eat until 6:00 om, 1800 hrs., but it can be fun to sit at the long bar at that restaurant, too, especially when we run into people we know. Immediately upon entry, we found seats at the bar.

I ordered a glass of low-alcohol white wine, and Tom ordered a Castle beer. He prefers Lion beer, but it hasn’t been available locally in the past several months, most likely due to the after-effects of the pandemic. There were several TVs, and they all were tuned to a cricket game. It was a little loud. The environment didn’t fit our socializing goals, and an hour later, we were on our way to Jabula, where we knew we’d have a good time.

They tend to “eat and run.”

Well, of course, we did!  We were warmly welcomed by Dawn and David and felt as comfortable as we could be. The bar quickly became packed with every seat taken, and as always, we were included in multiple lively conversations. The evening flew by in a flurry of delightful interactions.

Around 6:30, 1830 hrs., we ordered our meals but gladly ate at the bar. It was too cool for our liking to eat on the veranda, and we often enjoyed continuing the banter while we ate our dinner at the bar, which many customers do. After dinner and more chatter, we decided to head back to our house to stream a few more episodes of Outlanders. We’re well into season five with only one more season to go. The final season seven is in the works to be released in six to eight months.

Nyala’s mom, Nina, wanders into the bush rather than partake of the pellets with dad and son.

By 10:15, 2215 hrs., we turned off our JBL speaker and the laptop and hunkered down for the night. We both slept well. Thank goodness, the nighttime coughing from having had Omicron has ended, and we’re both able to sleep much better. Overall, we’re both feeling great, a massive relief after being sick for over a month. In a few days, it will be two months since we first tested positive. It’s hard to believe so much time has passed.

Inside Giraffe Bar with hundreds of donated hats on display.

With the holiday weekend, we’re seeing fewer animals in the garden today. But, we did get a lovely visit from the nyala family, with mom, Nina, Dad Norman, and baby Noah. It’s so sweet the way the three of them are always together. This is not the case with bushbucks, duikers, and other species when we seldom see a dad with the mom and baby. But the nyala family is a unit. It’s fun to see.

Often kudu moms and babies visit on their own, but occasionally we may see a group of kudus, known as a forkl, with moms, dads, and babies. We never see zebras or wildebeests with moms, dads, and babies, who group into a “dazzle.” Warthog dads don’t stay with the mom and babies. But, it’s fun to see impalas, known as a herd, with moms, dads, babies, and more family members in large herds. This morning a large family stopped by. They bark. It’s funny to hear.

Herd of impalas stopped by this morning.

Oddly, a group of wildebeest is called a ‘confusion” which may include both parents for some time. Then, the young males wander off into male bachelor groups, not unlike male Cape buffalos.

Ah, nature, it’s a wonderful thing. We feel blessed to be among it and all the wonderful people we meet along the way. And yes, although we went to Jabula last night, we’ll be going again tonight per our usual schedule. More fun to be had.

Have a fantastic weekend.

Photo from one year ago today, June 17, 2021:

The sun began disappearing on the horizon while we were at Amazing River View for dinner. For more photos, please click here.

Nighttime treasures…Daytime wonders…

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Note: Whenever we do not post captions under photos, it is due to the fact they are self-explanatory.

Early this morning, we headed to Komatipoort to shop for groceries, fill the car with petrol, and make a quick trip to the liquor store to re-tock Tom’s brandy. I’d planned for a short trip to the pharmacy, but they were closed due to the holiday weekend, which officially started today.

Shortly after, on July 9, the school holidays begin, ending on July 24, during which many tourists will visit Marloth Park. The influx of visitors is vital to the support of this conservancy for the revenue generated for the shops, restaurants, and resorts, especially after the severe loss of income incurred during the lockdown due to the pandemic.

Many tourists who fall in love with the bush buy homes in Marloth Park to turn them into holiday rentals when they aren’t here to offset their operating costs. For some, this works out well; for others, not so much. This is where Louise and Danie come in…they own some houses and manage others, offering the most extraordinary customer service.

We enjoy the benefits of their exceptional customer service, but over the nine years since we’ve been here, we’ve been blessed to form a lifelong friendship with this special couple. We stopped by a few nights ago to visit them for sundowners during a power outage. But that didn’t stop us from having a great time.

We stayed a lot longer than we’d expected. Danie had put together some delicious low-carb snacks, and by the time we returned to the house with everything prepped for dinner, neither of us was hungry enough to make the dinner we had planned. Instead, we had it the following night.

While outside on their veranda, candles lit our surroundings while the power remained out; we had an extraordinary time. The animals were in abundance while we particularly enjoyed their two-tiered bushbaby stand, on which Louise placed little yogurt cups. Bushbabies love fruity yogurt. We’d recently had the same experience at our place, but I hadn’t taken photos.

The photos we’re posting today are those we took at their house of the bushbabies. What a pleasant evening was had by the four of us. We always enjoy the special evenings we spend with the two of them, as we do with all of our beautiful friends in Marloth Park.

Many dear friends are not here now, such as Kathy and Don, Janet and Steve, and Lynne and Mick. Hopefully, we look forward to their return sometime in the next year. Only a few of our close friends rent their homes when they are away. People watch their houses in their absence, and all have comprehensive security systems.

On another note, I am getting fewer bites from sand fleas. Tom sprays the bedroom every evening when we’re out of the room, I wear repellent around the clock, and lately I’ve been eating lots of garlic as recommended at several sites. I told Tom to tell me if I smelled like garlic since eating an abundance of garlic causes it to seep through the skin and breath. It is this very process that may repel mosquitos and other biting insects.

It’s not so much that the biting flies, fleas, and mosquitos don’t like garlic or even DEET. It is just that these substances mask the smell of carbon dioxide, as stated in this article from this site:

“Eating garlic offers mild protection from mosquitoes, both from the odor on your breath and sulfur compounds that you emit through your skin. The smell of garlic is known to repel mosquitoes. For example, you can buy garlic sprays in your garden if you don’t mind the yard smelling like an Italian restaurant. Smearing your body with garlic-scented lotion is apparent, although it will probably repel more than just mosquitoes. Eating garlic may also give you some mild protection from the odor on your breath and sulfur compounds emitting through your skin when you eat garlic.”
Lately, unaware of this fact until now, I have been craving brussels sprouts. Knowing this new information explains why I have been craving this less-than-popular cruciferous vegetable. They are high in sulfur. Gee…our bodies are amazing at telling us what we need. I hope my roasted brussels sprouts, made with tons of fresh garlic, are keeping the biting insects away. I hope I don’t leave the toxic smell of garlic around Tom and other humans. We’ll see how it continues to go.
That’s t for today, folks. We hope you have a great day.

Photo from one year ago today, June 16, 2021:

Our friend Frank, of Frank and The Misses, francolins, had a self-tour of our house, including the kitchen. For more photos, please click here.

In the past almost 10 years of world travel which National Parks have we visited in Africa?…

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Map of national parks on the African continent.

Best  National Parks in Africa’s Top Safari Countries from this site:

  1. Masai Mara National Reserve – Kenya

  2. Serengeti National Park – Tanzania

  3. Chobe National Park – Botswana

  4. Kruger National Park – South Africa

  5. Etosha National Park – Namibia

  6. South Luangwa National Park – Zambia

  7. Hwange National Park – Zimbabwe

  8. Queen Elizabeth National Park – Uganda

  9. Liwonde National Park – Malawi

When we review the above list of African national parks, we cannot help but smile. Of course, we’d love to have visited each of these national park, and perhaps we will at some point. But, at this time, we’ve been to six of these nine top locations, which are highlighted in bold type.

Besides Africa, we’ve been to three national parks in India from this site, including:

1. Kanha National Park

2. Bandhavgarh National Park

3. Kaziranga National Park

4. Nagarhole National Park

5. Ranthambhore National Park

6. Periyar National Park

7. Gir National Park

8. Sunderbans National Park

9. Nanda Devi Biosphere & Valley of Flowers National Parks

10. Jim Corbett National Park

Again, those we visited in India are highlighted in bold type. As shown, in the case of India, we’ve been to three out of ten, and we doubt we will return to see the others.

When we say “visited” national parks, we mean having been on safari in each of these national parks. While on the last cruise, another passenger asked how many safaris we’d been on. We haven’t kept an exact count, which I wish we had at this point.

But, based on a reasonable estimate, we’d say it’s no less than 200 or 300. And yet still, we revel in the excitement of “one more time.”  Many of these safaris were with a guide. In India, our private tour of the country included our private safaris with a driver and our guide, which occurred in Kanha National Park and Bandhavgarh National Park where on both occasions we saw the elusive tigers.

We were on safari in Ranthambhore, hoping to see the Bengal tiger but that was in a group tour while we were on the Maharajas Express Train with about 20 passengers. It was, by far, our least favorite of all guided safaris when we saw very little, certainly not a tiger, and the driver drove too fast. One of the passengers was injured, falling out of her seat. This story is detailed in our post from that date here. This post also includes our final expenses from the luxury train adventure.

But, besides that less than stellar experience, we’ve enjoyed ourselves every time. Probably, we’ve done self-drive safaris considerably more than guided safaris. We’ve been on many guided safaris in Kruger National Park, which in some cases had resulted in the most sightings, particularly one of our favorites when we experienced the Ridiculous Nine as opposed to the Big Five. See our link here.

The Big Five is often a goal for first-time visitors to Africa and many safaris later for some. The Big Five sightings consist of the following: rhino, lion, elephant, leopard, and Cape buffalo. Sure, we love seeing all these majestic animals, but we’re long past that goal. We are grateful to see whatever treasures Mother Nature bestows upon us on any safari in a national park.

And “safari luck?” We coined that phrase years ago when we found ourselves lucky on safari and at other times in our world travels. Yes, we’ve had some ups and downs, most recently with our unpleasant experiences getting Covid -19 on the first cruise, having to cancel the second cruise, and later becoming ill with salmonella when we first arrived in Marloth Park.

But now, we feel our safari luck is returning with the plethora of animals visiting us at this house, and surely when we soon head to Kruger National Park for more adventures.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, June 15, 2021:

It was a busy morning in the bush. For more photos, please click here.

Power outages all day today and tomorrow….Eskom repairs…No-see-ums solutions!…

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This handsome Big Daddy is missing a huge section of his left horn, most likely due to a hostile encounter.

We changed our minds about going to Kruger National Park. Last night, I was awake for several hours, itching from sand fleas (midges, no-see-ums) bites, and I was up several times using various creams and lotions, including Calamine, some of which may work for a few hours. I’m a little too tired to ride in the park for hours.

Invariably, I fall back to sleep, waking up a few hours later with the itching worse than the last time. Last night, a bite on the bottom of my foot was the worst culprit, along with the nagging dozens of bites around my neck. However, with our ramped-up preventive measures, I am only getting one or two new bites each day, far less than a few weeks ago.

This was a first for us. We’d never seen a Big Daddy missing part of his massive horn. That must have been one aggressive encounter!

The itching lasts from one to three weeks, which can be just as awful the second or third week as when the bites were new. At night, warming up under the covers in the cold weather exacerbates the itching, particularly on my feet. I have implemented the following measures to reduce the likelihood of being bit and the itching:

  1. Wear repellent with DEET, not only on all exposed skin but under my clothes, reapplying every six hours
  2. Wear thick socks, leaving no gap between the sock and the bottom of my long pants
  3. Wear a “bugs-away” long sleeve shirt over a long-sleeve tee-shirt
  4. Spray the area where we’re sitting outdoors, day and night
  5. Spray the bedroom with Doom in the late afternoon
  6. Keep the bedroom door shut at all times.
  7. At bedtime, reapply repellent, wear long leggings and a long-sleeved hooded shirt to bed, pulling up the hoodie when going to sleep to keep my neck and part of my face covered
  8. Use anti-itch creams as needed, including cortisone, antihistamine, and calamine lotion
  9. Shower using exfoliant cream and sponge to remove any remaining insect larvae on my skin.

    This is our boy, Dot, who has a few polka dots on his back and above his left leg, as shown in this photo.

I can’t think of anything else I can do. Please let me know if you’ve had experience with these types of insects and their terrible bites. Tom hasn’t had a single bite. Go figure!

The power just went out a few minutes ago. It is supposed to return by 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs. Yesterday, Danie came over and re-did the inverter system in the house. There were two inverters, one upstairs on the second level and the other on the main floor. The unit on the main floor died, so he had to hook up the upstairs unit via a long power cord hanging along the wall by the stairway. He is so on-the-ball about getting things to work well for us, just like his lovely wife, Louise.

Seeing the zebras return so soon after their first visit was excellent.

Also, yesterday Danie added a handrail leading to the second level. We were so grateful he did this, making it easier for us to go up the stairs. There’s another living room/lounge up there, as well as another huge veranda. It will be fun to entertain up there if it’s raining. Now, with the handrail in place, we’ve added another floor of usability to this house.

Tom tossed quite a few pellets at the pool’s edge. Afterward, they all took a drink.

Plus, there’s an air-con unit in the lounge upstairs, and on sweltering days and nights in the summer months, we can always go up there to hide away for a few hours. Also, there’s a big TV monitor up there with Netflix; if we’d like, we can watch a movie up there.

The power will supposedly be back up by 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs. Today, with more of the same tomorrow. Tom placed the large metal bowl filled with ice in the refrigerator. Everything in the freezer will be fine for this short period.

Have a great day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 14, 2021:

We haven’t seen Thick Neck at the new house since we arrived three weeks ago. Hopefully, someday soon. For more photos, please click here.

Bird watching in the morning!…Delightful first time sighting…

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When we spotted the white marks on this bird’s feathers, we wondered about these rectangle-shaped markings on his feathers.

A band of about 40 mongooses arrived as we began today’s post. Last night, we had rib-eye steaks on the braai that proved too fatty for our taste. We ate some of the meat but left lots of meat and fat on the bones. Guess who loves fat and meat besides, South Africans? Mongooses. As carnivores, they love when we offer them meat of any kind. We always make sure the meat is fresh and safe for them to eat. We don’t keep leftover meat for more than a few days.

Zoom in to see detail on this fascinating bird, a green wood hoopoe. It’s called green based on the luminosity when the sun hits it. Due to its red/orange bill and feet, it’s also a red-billed wood hoopoe.

Now at almost noon, we’ve had a busy morning. Lots of animals stopped by, including six zebras. We’d hoped to go to Kruger National Park this morning but decided to go tomorrow instead. We had some tasks we wanted to accomplish today. Also, I prepped dinner for tonight and tomorrow night, so we’ll be good to go first thing in the morning.

Like a woodpecker, he pecked at the tree to find worms and insects. He was successful and found a worm sharing it with his mate.

It’s been a gorgeous day since I started walking today, and I am also doing steps, one flight at a time. It will take about three weeks to get back to my former goal of 8,000 – 10,000 steps a day. Plus, I plan to do ten flights of stairs daily, which will further enhance my stamina.

He was determined to get a snack out of this tree.

Since this property is much larger than the last holiday home, it will be easier to get in the number of steps by walking around the grounds and into the house. Still, I don’t feel comfortable walking on dirt roads with countless potholes and uneven terrain, which could easily result in a fall.

Taking photos was tricky since the movement of any type would send him and his mate on their way.

Sunday morning, while we sat at the table on the veranda, we noticed many birds flying around the garden.. There were the usual oxpeckers, hornbills, and white crested-helmet shrike. Still, we stopped dead in our tracts when we spotted a bird neither of us had ever seen in South Africa or any other African country.

He was intent on finding something in that hole.

Immediately, we started researching online to find the name of the bird which is shown in today’s photos, a green wood hoopoe, also known as the red-billed wood hoopoe, described as follows from this site:

“An elongated, metallic-green-black bird with red feet and a long, decurved, red-orange bill. Juveniles have dark bills but are often in the company of adults. It flies heavily, with the long, floppy, white-tipped tail dangling behind. Pairs and groups of up to 14 birds are highly social, occupying savanna, woodland, riverine forest, and gardens, where they nest and roost in natural cavities. Clambers in trees, probing bark and crevices for insects and small vertebrates. They communicate using a strong cackling chatter that sounds maniacal. The almost identical Grant’s and Violet woodhoopoes (with which it sometimes hybridizes) differ from Green Woodhoopoe only by having a coppery-purple (not glossy greenish) metallic sheen.”

The mating pair, who mate for life, were together on the tree. He fed her a worm.

This bird is not endangered, but after all of the time we’ve been in Africa, we were surprised we hadn’t seen it in the past. It was exciting to watch it pecking at the inside of the tree, as shown in the photos, and finding a worm he fed to his mate, who joined him on the tree. We couldn’t get the camera since we knew if we did so, they would fly away, so we missed that special photo op.

However, once we grabbed the camera off the dining room table and sat back down at the veranda table, we were thrilled to get the shots we were sharing today. What a fantastic sighting this was for us both. Immediately, we put out bird seeds which the woophoe and the hornbills seemed content to share.

This is a hanging bird feeder on a pulley line used to prevent monkeys from getting the seed. But it’s not foolproof, as we observed last week when a monkey made its way across the line and ate all the seeds.

No, we don’t have a Frank here, which is disappointing. But, perhaps we’ll “build relationships” with other birds visiting. Every creature, big and small, has a special meaning to us, whether it’s an insect, a rodent, or a massive beast. They all are unique and exciting.

We’ve always enjoyed watching hornbills, widespread birds in Africa, but they are somewhat entertaining.

We’re cooking lamb for me and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin for Tom, with rice for him, avocado slices for me, and salad for us both. Since Tom’s weight is holding and he’s feeling well, I used up the remainder of the bananas to make him coconut banana bread, a recipe from our old lives. It’s slowly baking in the oven now in a springform pan I found in the back of the cupboard.

All is well here. Gradually, we’re regaining our strength and stamina and are grateful to be feeling better.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today,  June 13, 2021:

Our friends, Rita and Gerhard, with their new “bakkie.” It was a very smooth ride! We look forward to their return to Marloth Park in months. Last New Year’s Eve, they surprised us and showed up at a party we attended. For more photos, please click here.

Fun and very late night in the bush…Zebras!!!…

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Note the cute marking on this zebra’s left upper leg, a perfectly formed polka dot.

Today, I had planned to write about wildlife being killed on the road by speeding visitors and residents. But, when I saw the photos of the kudu that had to be shot when its legs were broken from being hit by a speeding car on Olifant Road, I decided not to post them. It’s heartbreaking.

As the season moves into school holiday time with more and more tourists visiting Marloth Park, this issue becomes more and more worrisome. Every weekend several animals are killed. This is terrifying for those who treasure every being in the park that we are blessed to enjoy. These poor animals deserve to live out their lives free from harm by humans.

This is the same zebra, as shown above, that has the polka dot marking on its upper left leg. How cute is that!

We know many of our readers are visiting our site who live in South Africa and many other countries whose citizens come here to experience the joys of living in the bush, even if it’s for only a few days. Please, tourists, consider the lives of these fantastic creatures and come here with the intent of sharing in their beauty and majesty by driving slowly on all of the roads, including Olifant Road, the paved road, and all the dirt roads.

Last night, friends Alan and Fiona came for sundowners at 4:30 pm, 1630 hrs., and stayed until after 1:30 am. By the time we cleaned up and got to bed, we didn’t drift off until after 2:30 am. Fortunately, we both slept until 8:30 am and feel pretty good today. Six hours of sleep isn’t enough, so that a short nap might be on the agenda this afternoon. Twenty minutes is all it takes to make us feel refreshed.

This zebra was being pushy with me about tossing more pellets. I complied. I can’t help myself!

In any case, we had a great time catching up with our dear friends. We hadn’t seen them in seven months since they left here to go to the Durban area and several timeshare properties in other regions of South Africa. It was great to see them again. They will be leaving again in September, but surely we’ll see them many more times over the winter.

The food, the wine, and the lively conversation flowed easily, as it always does with our bush friends, some from here and others from different parts of the world. The commonality we share of our love and fascination with wildlife and the unique lifestyle of living in the bush brings us all together in a magical way, unlike anything we’ve observed anywhere else in the world.

Undoubtedly, that fact is highly instrumental in our desire to return here, over and over again. As we always say, over and over again, life in the bush is magical based on its people and wildlife, a perfect combination for joy and adventure. It’s never dull. No, it’s not always an adventure, but invariably something comes up that grabs our attention and interest.

The zebras walked around the garden to drink from the pool.

Louise and Danie stopped by this morning. We’ve been having some trouble with the inverter, which provides us with an opportunity to use a lamp and fan in the bedroom during power outages. But, more importantly, during outages and load shedding, we can use WiFi since the inverter provides power to the router.

This way, when the power is out, we can still stream shows on our streaming services, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Otherwise, it can be dull at night in the dark without power. We can’t see any animals stopping by; the only distraction would be dumb offline games on our phones. Plus, after a while, the phones go dead.

With the inverter, we can charge our devices, stream shows and be in the bedroom with one lamp working. Running a fan at night is the difference between sleeping and staying awake in the heat when it’s hot in the summer.

Tomorrow, Danie will return and resolve the inverter issue, and we can continue to have peace of mind. For the past two weeks, there hasn’t been any load shedding, but surely, it will start up again soon, which is always the case.

Today, we’ll dine in, cooking two rib-eye steaks on the braai, rice for Tom, steamed green beans, and salad. It’s an effortless dinner on a lazy day.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Photo from one year ago today, June 12, 2021:

Little and some friends. For more photos, please click here.