Part 2…The earth is vast and fascinating…A view from space…Exciting adventures in Kruger Park coming in tomorrow’s post…

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I realize this article is very long and may be hard for many to read. But, it is interesting and can give us a great perspective of our earth, its majesty, and its risks.  No doubt, I hesitated to copy and paste the length of this article as it continues from where we left off at the bottom of today’s post.  But, many may find it interesting. I did not edit the spelling and grammar and copied it exactly as I found it.

Today, we headed to Kruger National Park when the WiFi was out this morning. It was cloudy with the possibility of rain, but we decided to go regardless. We had to enter the office at the entrance at Crocodile Bridge since our former WildCard had expired in April, and it was time to renew the annual pass. The cost for the new one-year WildCard was ZAR 5345, US$311.

The enjoyment we get freely going in and out of the national park is well worth the cost. Once the pass was issued, we entered the park and had one of the most fantastic and rewarding self-drive safaris we’ve had to date. We can’t wait to share our photos in tomorrow’s and future day’s posts. Please check back tomorrow!!

Here is the continuation of this story about the Earth from this site.

“They owe it all to the Raikoke volcano.

Luckily, the volcano causing this beautiful sight was the Raikoke volcano. This specific beast is located on the Kuri Islands off the coast of Japan and is an entirely uninhabited area. There were no people that could be hurt by this eruption.

This volcano is part of the infamous Ring of Fire and has erupted twice in the past – the first time in 1778 and once again in 1924. This relatively small volcano was making a lot of commotion.

Their photos can lend a hand to NASA’s projects unlike anyone else

The astronauts aboard the International Space Station took the photos of the event and made quick work of sending them down to Earth in order to report it and also share the stunning views that they were seeing.

The photos were shared by space fanatics all around the globe. The images that the team captures over the years are also a possible helping hand in some of NASA’s future projects. They have viewing capabilities unlike anyone in the world, so they are able to monitor unlike anyone as well.

NASA is studying a post-apocalyptic scenario

NASA is best known for its abilities to send satellites and astronauts into space. So, would it be surprising to learn that they have a team of scientists working on a model of a post-apocalyptic New York City?

They are studying this model seriously, not in the least bit jokingly or as a side project. NASA is not known for being forthcoming when it comes to information and reasoning for projects, so this one is that much more ominous.

Air Force veteran and NASA recruit is convinced about the end of the world

Lindley Johnson is the man behind the study of this peculiar model. He was with the Air Force for 23 years and joined NASA in 2003. He has always been a practical man, but the fascination and belief of the end of the world has been a significant driver for him to study the possibilities.

He has been fixated on the end of the world for as long as he could remember. What he has to say is pretty convincing.

He is NASA’s Planetary Defense Officer

However, he is no crazy man. He is not talking about some dramatic apocalypse like you would see in a movie or television show. He is discussing it from an analytical standpoint. Lindley hold the position of Planetary Defense Officer at NASA (yes, that is an actual position).

He is therefore given all of the information that us civilians are not privy to, and knows what he speaks of when he talks and warns about the end of the world.

Lindley protects the Earth from space rocks

Lindley’s job is not to concern himself with how good of a job we humans are doing to ruin our own planet and endangering ourselves, he is rather more focused towards space and the amount of debris that can come in Earth’s direction and become a real threat.

The majority of the meteorites that head towards Earth are microscopic or small enough not to matter, but there are those that can be a real issue. It’s Lindley’s job to protect Earth from space rocks.

The likelihood of an asteroid hitting Earth

If an asteroid was speeding its way towards Earth and was the size of several football fields in diameter, it would most likely hit some form of ocean since the Earth is 71 percent of that makeup.

However, Lindley is not working on probability – he wants exact numbers and is not relying on luck here. The amount of threats from space are many fold, the amount of credible end of the world threats are not as common. Still, it takes just one to make it all disappear.

This is why they do their hypothetical studies

This is exactly why NASA and Lindley’s team do the hypothetical studies in regards to possible large asteroids hitting urban areas, such as New York City. Historically, thousands of years separate each massive catastrophe such as an asteroid from the other.

However, Lindley is not taking any chances and wants to be prepared in the event that they are wrong about timing, or that time finally does come. There is no scenario that a whole city is removed from the map that is okay by him.

Earth is littered with past collisions

There are many places on Earth that showcase the kind of destruction a collision with a large space rock can do. Earth is littered with craters and canyons that happened as a result of such events.

NASA is not going to allow Midtown Manhattan to become a crater like this one. However, they are looking into true scenarios where this could happen, and if so, how far the damage from such a collision would spread. It is not an easy model to analyze.

Congress finally understood just how important Lindley’s work is

Lindley and his colleagues have been working on this vital model for many years, and have been doing so on a very small budget. In 2015, however, everything changed when they were able to convince Congress about how important their work really is.

A convinced Congress beefed up Lindley’s budget and yearly spending power from their measly $5 million per year, to $50 million. That is the kind of budgetary lift that they needed to make even more projections.

Lindley and his team work on threats we never hear about

Now that he had more financial resources, Lindley was able to expand his team and research and get a better handle on what he is sure to be a galactic threat.

He and his team at NASA put together an arsenal of collected data and created high-end technology to make sure any astroid on its way to Earth that could possibly be a threat, be dealt with and kept away. That kind of work is not spoken of often; we never hear about the threats we almost face.

He knew what to do to keep an asteroid from hitting Earth

NASA keeps the information to the public at a minimum in order to prevent any sort of chaos. They have, however, documented more than 2,000 asteroids around our solar system who would have had the capacity – if came into Earth atmosphere – to decimate a whole continent.

When such a threat is imminent, Lindley knows that blowing up the space rock would cause a lot of fallout, so he and his team had other ways to deal with such a nuisance.

Using unmanned spacecrafts to push the asteroid in a different direction

The most efficient and promising way of redirecting asteroids seems to be by the use of kinetic impactors. These are unmanned spacecrafts that would purposely collide with the asteroid at an incredibly high speed, forcing it to change its trajectory and change course away from Earth.

For lack of a better analogy, it is pretty much like playing space billiards, just with all of our lives at stake. The destruction of the kinetic impactors is unquestionable, but that is the whole point of it.

Lindley doesn’t believe that landing on an asteroid would work

If this sounds familiar, it probably has to do with the fact that Hollywood loves to make films about possible end of world scenarios at the hand of giant asteroids.

Lindley takes offense with the Hollywood blockbuster film Armageddon, as he does not agree with the course of action of landing on an asteroid and drilling a bomb into it. While that is not the best course of action, NASA has not removed it as an option altogether should the need arise.

They simulate complicated asteroid landings anyway

Astronauts have to go through a lot of mental and physical training before they are sent into space. Among their many training courses, they are taught how to handle complex landings on asteroids.

No one in history has ever attempted such a thing, but they simulate it as best they can. NASA sees such a scenario more for the collection of samples than for the explosion of an asteroid. However, having these skills may prove to come in very handy.

NASA has more eyes in the sky now

NASA has kept their simulated scenarios sharp as they train for future possibilities, but they have also added more resources, financial and time, to their more experience-based handling of asteroid prevention.

For example, they have installed additional orbital telescopes so that they can have a better view to monitor space activity in case some form of large space rock decides to make its way too close to Earth. Everything is about being prepared and knowing what is coming their way.

First the asteroids need to be detected

The most important part of all of this is the ability to see far enough into space to spot these asteroids before they even get somewhat close to Earth. The majority of the deflection techniques that were Lindley’s specialty, take several months to years to be put into proper place. 4

Therefore, the first step is the kind of technology that will detect an asteroid years from its possible collision with Earth. NASA is not working on this mission alone, thankfully.

Lindley is working with FEMA to prepare

Lindley and his team worked closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to prepare for such possible damage from a collision with a space rock. Lindley said, “They are a great way for us to learn how to work together and meet each other’s needs.”

The two need to work together to detect and then react should there be a need to get people out of harms way, come to their aid when their area is hit, or the many other possible scenarios they are working with.

Lindley got several world organizations to work together

Lindley organized a conference in 2019 that included the International Asteroid Warning Network, and the European Space Agency. He knew that they needed to work together to make his plan a reality as they each had something the other needed.

Each of these organizations, Lindley representing NASA, have eyes in space and together, they are able to have a broader and deeper look at the sky. He was thinking outside of the box, just like a wise scientist and engineer would.

Lindley is ruining every doomsday preppers plans

The likelihood of such a drastic event such as an asteroid hitting Earth is so minimal, but there are those who are making sure that if it does happen, they are ready to go with provisions for years.

These individuals are called doomsday preppers, and they are impressive rooms and technology (low-tech for that matter) to ensure their survival. We don’t mean to ruin these people’s plans, but if Lindley has anything to do with it, they will never need to use any of that.

He is on his own form of space race

Lindley’s job is a serious one, with a heavy toll if the work is done right or wrong. While his job may be a life or death kind of situation, he says that he doesn’t have a problem sleeping at night. For Lindley, it is another day at work making sure that they are one step ahead of any sort of space rock that has the other idea. He and his team go in day after day to be on their own kind of space race.

Lindley’s colleague took his teacher all too literally

Lindley works with a man named George Aldrich. When Aldrich’s teach in elementary school told him that he could “shoot for the stars” when he was young, he took it literally. He worked hard and did whatever he had to do to make it to NASA.”

For the remainder of this article, please click here and scroll very far down the page.

We hope you’ll return tomorrow to see our exciting adventures on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Kruger National Park.

Be well.

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

Green Valley Ranch Resort and Spa is a fabulous property. When we return to Las Vegas in years to come, we’d love to stay here again. For more photos, please click here.

Part 1…The earth is vast and fascinating…A view from space…

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Note: Not our photos (obviously).

We write about beautiful and exciting countries we’ve visited, stunning scenery, and exquisite wildlife. We’ve yet to write about the Earth itself for its vast expanse and perspective as seen from space. I’ve always dreamed of going into space, but realistically the cost and my age are hugely limiting factors.

When we’re flying, I am mesmerized by the scenery below, but I can’t even imagine seeing earth from space and how mesmerizing it must be. I always envy astronauts’ opportunities to see this earth from their viewpoints. Now, with technology at an all-time pinnacle, records from space stations have sent the space community into a frenzy.

There’s no point in using my own words to describe these events when I am certainly no expert and only a casual observer of what I see and read from reports along with photos from ultra-high-powered telescopes.

Thus, today, I am sharing an article I read that offers some new insight, some of which you may be aware of and others that you may not. Bear with me as I relay the words of the writer of this article that piqued my attention and interest. Perhaps, you may find it interesting as well.

Here it is from this article:

“Space Station Records Remarkable Phenomenon That Left Astronauts and Experts Bewildered

Outer space is something many of us have a fascination with, as well as a hard time completely grasping. Endless space is something most of us have only seen through television and film. With our curiosity and desire for discovery, we must also remember to look homeward and all the amazing things that take place on Earth.

As humankind has explored more and more of space, it has also grown a little bored with the findings, as many of them repeat themselves. However, these recent images taken from a space station have captured a phenomenon that reminds us that Earth is still filled with mysteries that need to be answered.

The astronauts saw something. 

Space, as we know so far, is filled with planets, stars, and endless discoveries. With the advancement of technology, we have made tremendous strides in exploring space. We view it with admiration and never-ending study to try and find out more about all of the uncharted territory that surrounds our planet.

Recently, a group of astronauts who has been living at the space station, spotted an event on Earth that left them totally baffled. They had never seen anything like it.

Overlooking our own planet

While a possible extraterrestrial sighting would be top headline news, there is another truly mystifying place that we keep overlooking – our own planet.

Earth has been occupied by us for as long as humans have been around, naturally, and we have therefore lost some of our appreciation for the fact that there is a lot about Earth that we don’t know, and the fact that it, too, is taking up a place in space. Maybe thins change of perspective will help convince you…

Only astronauts can take these photos

From their spot on the International Space Station, astronauts are able to take photos of Earth with their high-powered camera and lenses that are retrofitted to the space station itself. Over the years that they have been on the vessel, the men and women on board have snapped some absolutely incredible sights.

Getting a view like that only happens with you are hundreds of miles away from the Earth’s surface, floating right outside its atmosphere. These are breathtaking images.

The Milky Way as a backdrop to Earth

In this image, you can see the far away edge of the Milky Way as a spectacular background to Earth. What you are seeing below, on Earth, is the Sahara Desert in Africa, which tends to tint the atmosphere with an orange hue as the sun begins to arrive on that side of the planet.

The sun makes the Earth seem orange as the light bounces off the sand. The stark contrast between Earth and space is a bold one in this photo.

They see the moon 16 times a day

The International Space Station orbits Earth every 90 minutes. As it goes through these motions, the astronauts aboard the vessel see the moon 16 times a day. This is one of the photos that their camera caught during one of their rotations.

It is part of their daily life, seeing the moon so many times. Sounds disorienting to us, but these men and women were trained for all of this prior to entering the Space Station. This is nothing compared to the other phenomenon they encountered.

 They get a front row seat to see the auroras 

Another event these astronauts got to see on a regular basis is the auroras. These take place in the north and south poles on Earth. The International Space Station gets front row seats to one of Earth’s most magical phenomenon.

Seeing these auroras is possible from Earth, but seeing them from above, with no light pollution diminishing the view, is something else. They snapped this photo, which they said barely did the magnificent event justice. This is just the tip of the iceberg, though.

Breathtaking lights of Spain as it almost touches Morocco 

The astronauts up there are also able to see just how active we are down on the ground. The lights that beam from our respective homes and businesses collect together to show where the population is.

From space, these are the kinds of views that the men and women see. Cloudless nights look like this – whole cities and countries lit up in spectacular fashion. You are looking at Spain, where it almost meets Morocco. You have to be as far as the space station to get a view like this.

They don’t always want a front row seat to see human impact on the environment

The astronauts on the International Space Station also have a front row view to human impact on planet Earth. It is not always good to have such a view. The impact we humans have had on the environment and the manipulation through technology has truly taken its toll.

 They see the world from a wholly different point of view

They do, however, get to see some of the world’s most incredible wonders from a point of view that only a select few – those in space – can. They are able to zoom in with their camera, like in this instance, to take this photo of the Himalayas.

To those on the ground, the Himalayas are a series of mountain peaks, but from space, you see the rivers that cut through the snow and make the natural terrain the formation that it is.

The Earth can sometimes be confused for an oil painting 

Unbelievably, what you are looking at is the desert in Iran that looks more like a painting than a massive sunny wasteland. There are no trees or any sort of coverage for the land in that area, all there is for miles and miles is sun-soaked sand and stone.

The astronauts were not sure what they were looking at the first time they got to see this. However, this is just a small part of what they see from their incredible vantage point.

Not every photo they took had a clear explanation 

They are also able to view famous spots like the Great Barrier Reef in an unprecedented way. It is already incredibly impressive when you see it from Earth, but from Earth’s orbit – it is a whole new level of wonder.

While these photos are undeniably breathtaking, there have been other photos that the crew aboard the International Space Station captured that have been much more baffling and distressing to them. Not everything had an explanation, and this was one of those times.

Terrifying views of natural disasters

From their position outside of Earth’s atmosphere, the astronauts also have a terrifying view of natural disasters. While they are out of harms way, being up there and all, they cannot help but fear as though they were on the ground.

This photo was taken in 2003 during Hurricane Isabel as it was taking shape over the Atlantic prior to hitting the eastern coast of the United States. They could see the storm collecting power as it moved across the ocean.

They helped with disaster relief efforts

Following monsoon rains that took place in Thailand, the Mekong River was flooded over badly, so much so that the Space Station was able to see just how overflowing it was.

The International Space Station, from their unique vantage point, were able to be of help in this instance, as they were able to help with relief efforts by outlining just how bad the flooding was so that the rescuers could get to the most hard-hit locations in the most timely manner.

They spotted a phenomenon that they couldn’t ignore

However, in 2019, another distressing natural disaster loomed that sent the men and women on the Space Station grabbing for the camera. Despite the fact that this phenomenon is not a new one, the scene that was unfolding before their eyes was one that they could not stop watching, let alone ignore.

The powerful camera located on the International Space Station captured incredible footage, some of which did not make much sense. They were bewildered, and so were the experts who were getting their documentation.

One day, they came across this…

Initially, the astronauts could not really make out what they were looking at. There was heavy cloud coverage that day that had made viewing very difficult. However, a small plume of smoke was entering the higher levels of the atmosphere.

The team waited until they were more in orbit, and until the clouds cleared the way a bit. When everything did come into focus, the crew was absolutely in awe of what they were seeing. This was unlike anything they have ever seen before.

They were seeing a rare volcanic eruption

Incredibly, what they were seeing was a volcano erupting! The massive explosion caused a huge cloud of gas and fire, scattering debris and ash in every direction for thousands upon thousands of miles.

The crew then wondered, what volcano could be responsible for such an amazing sight? They were also concerned if there was anyone around that this could pose as a danger to. They continued to take photos of the breathtaking event as it was happening. What a sight!”

We’ll finish with Part 2 in tomorrow’s post.

Be well.

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

A small section of the Las Vegas Strip from the highway. For more photos, please click here.

The quietude of the bush has returned….Lovely human visitors…

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This is Marigold. She visits daily.

I’ve been sitting outside for the past 20 minutes, and not a single car has passed on the dirt road adjoining our holiday rental. We are situated on a stand (lot) that borders a dirt road, often used by tourists when going to and from their various holiday homes. Today, there are none.

Yes, many homeowners in Marloth Park live here year-round. The last I heard, it was about 800. The remainder of the houses and resorts are rented during the busy holiday times. But, many holidaymakers rent homes over the weekends and the week during regular times.

This is Spikey. He always jumps over the fence for his pellets since he doesn’t like sharing with Lollie, our resident pig.

We are happy for our friends that own and manage houses, such as Louise and Danie, when they are busy now, especially after the horrible slowdown during the pandemic. Currently, petrol prices keep many holidaymakers away, and international travelers are still uncertain about flying with many restrictions and protocols.

We were delighted this morning at 10:00 am when Louise’s parents, Estelle and Johan, stopped by to see us. We love this lovely couple and have seen them each time they visit Louise and Danie from their home in Cape Town, South Africa. Louise is younger than most of our children, so they are only a little older than us.

Spikey, eating a piece of lettuce.

It’s always wonderful to see them once again. Their primary language is Afrikaans, but they speak English quite well. The conversation flowed with ease, and we had an excellent chat. Indeed, we’ll see them again during their month-long stay here, which we’re both looking forward to.

I can’t believe Rita and Gerhard will be here on July 30th. They’ll need a day or two to recover from their long journey, and then we’ll all be together again. We’re invited to Alan and Fiona’s bush house this Saturday for sundowners. It will be fun to see the two of them again.

Tom was feeding a few Big Daddies.

The last time we saw Alan and Fiona, about a month ago, they came here for sundowners at 4:30 pm, 1600 hrs. and stayed until after midnight. There’s never a shortage of conversation with this fun couple. We love our social life here, and over the next few months, it will pick up as more and more friends come to the park.

Due to the excessive load shedding, we’re trying to use the frozen items we have on hand as much as possible. We are tired of worrying about food in the refrigerator and freezer spoiling during extended power outages. The 2½ hour load shedding periods usually don’t cause food to spoil, but on many occasions, the outages last longer when power poles are knocked down, or the equipment is vandalized or stolen.

Big Daddy, Norman, Lollie, Rueben, and Busybody were sharing pellets.

It was only a few days ago; the power was out for almost 12 hours. Also, due to load shedding, major appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines can stop working or have issues working properly, which are both problems at our house. We’ve found that unplugging the appliances for a while or even 24 hours seems to reset them to start working correctly again.

But, this requires completely emptying the refrigerator, which is bothersome and time-consuming. Hopefully, we don’t have to do that too many more times.  News popping up that load shedding may come to a halt soon, but nothing is being done to warrant these news reports. We shall see.

Four Big Daddies were in the garden.

Soon, we’ll head out to the little market for a few items we need to round out some dishes we’ll be preparing in the next several days while using up some of the meat in the freezer. Otherwise, it will be a quiet day in the bush, as we’re only distracted by the endless stream of wildlife visitors who come to call.

Be well.

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

My breakfast at the Lucky Penny Restaurant at the Green Valley Ranch Resort and Sa in Henderson, Nevada, consisted of flourless egg-white wraps containing chicken, avocado, and cheese, topped with pickled onions. Delicious! For more photos, please click here.

Loving winter in the bush…Holidaymakers are leaving!!!…

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Norman is up-close-and-personal with Nina, who may be his lifelong mate since there are no other nyala females in Marloth Park.

There is nowhere in the world that we’ve appreciated winter more than here in South Africa. We love winter for so many reasons, first and foremost, the cool weather. Next, we love the lack of insects and mosquitoes, although there are still some biting insects and flies.

Notice the even white markings on nyala Norman’s face. Only the males of the species possess this marking.

We can be outdoors with the doors without screens wide open and not be concerned about insects entering the house—each evening. Tom sprays the bedroom for dust mites, chiggers, and no-see-ums to ensure I get fewer bites. But, come summer, it will be all the more critical that he sprays.

Sadly, during the winter, there is less vegetation for the wildlife. The trees and brush are sparse in the leaves they like to consume. But, that spareness allows us to see further into the parklands beyond the property line, enabling us to see when animals are approaching.

Norman, Nina and their son Noah jumped the fence to check out the garden.

Today, the holidaymakers are leaving the park. The school holiday ends today, and school begins again tomorrow. We’ve already seen an influx of wildlife visitors. This morning we have no less than eight species stop by; impalas, bushbucks, nyalas, warthogs, kudus, zebras, wildebeests and duikers. Most likely, by the end of the day, we’ll see more. The mongooses have become quite the regulars around here and we expect to see them before the day’s end.

Norman, Noah and Nina. Eventually, Noah will look like his dad.

Speaking of nyalas, Norman, Nina and Noah are the only nyalas in Marloth Park. They visit us no less than three times each day. We notice cars stopping on the road to take photos of them when they are here. It’s still morning here, and they’ve already been here twice. We love seeing them, along with all the others.

Normal fluffs up when there are other animals nearby.

It’s been delightful that we’ve only had a few load-shedding sessions in the past 48 hours. Yesterday, I was able to bake a big pan of egg casserole with 18 eggs, cheesy sausages, mushrooms, onions, freshly grated mozzarella, topped with parmesan cheese, and seasoned with fresh garlic, salt, and pepper. My recipe results in 12 good-sized squares, which I place in sandwich Ziplock bags to freeze.

Tom takes one square out each night and places it in the refrigerator overnight to defrost, heating it on a plate in the microwave in the morning for an ideal breakfast. Lately, I’ve been having a light breakfast of unsweetened full-fat Greek yogurt with a few frozen blueberries tossed in and two Keto seed crackers on the side. They’ve begun selling these crackers at Spar market in their health food section.

Nyalas are shy by nature and prefer not to be near other animals or people.

I’m always thrilled to see low carb and keto options at the market here. The Banting (keto) diet is very popular in South Africa and the stores have begun carrying many good products, including many without chemicals, bad oils and added sugars.

Tom took the big bucket to the store room to load it with more pellets. We’re certainly going through them this morning, along with veggie scraps I added to the offerings. We are so happy to see so much wildlife gracing our garden. It seemed as if there was one holiday after another since we arrived almost two months ago. Now, we’ll have more photo ops along with those from Kruger National Park which we plan to visit this week now that the holidays are over.

We named this mature male kudu Unicorn due to the tiny third horn growing between his eyes.

As for the rest of today, we’re hanging out enjoying this perfect winter day. No sweatshirts are needed to stay warm today. The sun is shining, and the bush is filled with the activities of our furry friends.

Be well.

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

A pretty female bushbuck in the garden of our holiday home in the bush. For more, please click here.

Ten things we don’t like about cruising…Funny warthog behavior…

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A warthog named Busybody noticed the pellets we’d set on the railing for the kudus.

Each morning when I am getting ready for the day, I take my phone into the bathroom and listen to podcasts. Lately, with our interest in cruising, I have been listening to two podcasts; one is La Lido Loca, and two is Cruise News. The podcasters of both of these shows are highly knowledgeable, albeit a little goofy, and stay up to date on what’s going on in the cruise industry, including realistic and straightforward observations on the good and the bad of cruising.

Busybody made himself comfortable in the awkward position and devoured the pellets.

This morning, on La Lido Loca, the podcaster discussed ten things he hates about cruising which prompted today’s topic from our perspective, which may be different from his in some ways. Right now, we must admit, we’re a little apprehensive about cruising with constant changes in policies, pricing, and itineraries.

Untypical for warthogs, Busybody got up on his hind legs to reach the pellets.

Also, recently contracting Covid-19 on a cruise may have impacted our view of cruising, at least for the time being. Our recent cancellation of the 42-night triple back-to-back cruise left a bad taste in our mouths when we’d have had to snail mail our passports to a US company to get visas for various countries’ ports of call. This impossible situation gave us no alternative but to cancel the entire booking, losing more money in the process. We’re tired of losing money on cruises with policy changes, leading us to point #1.

TEN THINGS WE DON’T LIKE ABOUT CRUISING

  1. Cruise lines making changes regarding an itinerary, which may be beyond their control, such as the war in Ukraine but failing to provide full refunds for deposits and final payments.
  2. Cruise lines do not provide clear and concise visa requirements at the time of the booking.
  3. Inconsistent Covid-19 requirements and protocol. Poor treatment of infected passengers during their quarantine period in the cabin.
  4. Failure to compensate passengers for travel expenses when a cruise is canceled last minute. Travel insurance prices have increased since the pandemic, preventing many travelers from making a purchase.
  5. Mandatory tips added each day of the cruise. Why can’t passengers tip for good service at their discretion? How do we know how the mandatory tips are distributed? We have no problem tipping but employees should be paid sufficiently. We never remove the mandatory tips (which can be done). Some cruise lines include tips in the fare pricing as a perk, which is preferred.
  6. Constant promotion to passengers during the cruise to pay for additional services that aren’t included in the basic cruise fare.
  7. Outrageous WiFi fees for their poor quality connection. We need WiFi during cruises. We understand service may be slow at certain points. But, failure to upgrade their often antiquated systems and expect passengers to pay is frustrating.
  8. Pre-cruise long hold times on the phone when calling with questions. Slow response time from cruise lines when making email inquiries.
  9. Long waiting periods for refunds, when they are allowed
  10. Errors on bills. If we don’t check our TV bill daily, we miss incorrect charges. Customer service is good about reversing such charges when they are found. Passengers must take the responsibility for frequently checking their account charges.

When listening to the podcast today, he’d comment about things other passengers do that annoy him such as “cutting in line” and taking more food than they can eat in the buffet. We don’t pay much attention to what other cruisers are doing, finding most passengers to be friendly and likable and the staff who strive to provide excellent service.

Big Daddy said, “Where are those pellets waiting for me on this railing?” We gave him more, carefully staying back to avoid those massive horns.

We are more interested in how the cruise experience impacts our expectations of quality, seamless situations, safety, and financial equity.

Be well.

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

Tom was not named after this grand uncle. This headstone is located at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Waukesha, Wisconsin. For more photos, please click here.

Anxious to travel again?…Many of our plans are dashed…

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Sometimes Nina and her son Noah come to visit without dad Norman.

When I searched for the year-ago photo below in this post, I was sorely reminded of all the plans we’d begun to make a year ago with excitement and hope for the future. Here we are a year later, with most plans canceled due to visa issues, the war in Ukraine, and the after-effects of Covid-19.

We see many of our traveling friends on cruises and spending time in Europe and islands worldwide. After almost ten years of world travel, we’ve visited all the islands we wanted to see and the European countries that appealed to us. With Schengen visa restrictions (click here for details) in Europe for travelers like us, who’d prefer to stay in a country for months, not a two-week holiday/vacation, the conditions of Schengen leave little to be desired for us.

Dad nyala, Norman is becoming more and more at ease around us. We notice cars stop when they see the nyala family in our garden, often taking photos.

This may sound weird to those who’ve never been to Europe, but we’ve seen all the historic buildings and churches we care to see in this lifetime. Yes, we loved the countries we visited in Europe at the time, but our tastes have changed. Plus, it’s costly for us to stay for two or three months in Switzerland, Sweden, or the Netherlands (we’ve been there), all of which would be exciting to visit but unable to fulfill our expectations of comfortable living.

Bushbuck girls; Marigold, Mom and Baby, Tulip and Lilac.

At this point, our interests lie in affordable locations with reasonably priced holiday homes and rental cars. But, above all, our current interests are wrapped around further wildlife exploration. We long to return to South America to visit the Pantanal, as described on this site:

“Wetlands—where the land is covered by water, either salt, fresh, or somewhere in between—cover just over 6% of the Earth’s land surface. Sprinkled throughout every continent except Antarctica, they provide food, clean drinking water, and refuge for countless people and animals worldwide. Despite their global significance, an estimated one-half of all wetlands on the planet have disappeared.

Amid the loss, one specific wetland stands out: the Pantanal. At more than 42 million acres, the Pantanal is the largest tropical wetland and one of the most pristine in the world. It sprawls across three South American countries—Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay—and supports millions of people there and communities in the lower Rio de la Plata Basin.

WWF is working on the ground to conserve the region through the creation of protected areas and promoting sustainable use of natural resources.”

Two female kudus were lying in our garden with a few impalas nearby.

Yes, this area is offering tours and cruises but when we check into it further, the after-effects of Covid-19 have left many of such expeditions short of staff. We need to wait another year, as is the case for the Amazon and other such ecologically rich areas in the world. They just aren’t ready yet for tourists. We don’t care to spend a lot of money on a disappointing experience or canceled flights, cruises and tours, plenty of which we’ve already experienced.

We’ve lost thousands of dollars due to the pandemic, and we’re not interested in losing more. Are we being too cautious? Perhaps. But, if we listed all we’ve lost including the recent two months we spent in the US and on a cruise, getting Covid-19 and becoming very ill, it’s to be expected that we are cautious in what we decide to do going forward.

Nina, the female nyala, has completely different markings than dad Norman and son Noah.

No, we don’t plan to stay in South Africa longer than a year. While here, we’ll have an opportunity for more adventures on the continent. In a little over a month, we’ll be on the move for a short but exciting trip to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Before departing that trip, we will be planning another trip for the following 90 days, again, outside South Africa. We’ll keep you updated.

In the interim, we are enjoying our time in the bush, surrounded by wildlife and friends, grateful for each day as it comes. What more could we ask for?

Enjoy your Saturday, wherever you may be.

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

Azamara Onward, with a capacity of 692 passengers. We booked several Azamara cruises, with most of them canceled due to post-Covid-19 issues and the war in Ukraine. For more, please click here.

I am alone…What an oddity!…

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Lots of kudu moms and a few babies plus, of course, Lollie.

This morning, after staying in bed too long playing online Scrabble, I suddenly bolted out of bed, realizing that load shedding would be starting shortly. There are two windows in the bathroom, but they face the street, and I prefer not to have the blinds open when showering. Subsequently, it’s dark in the bathroom during load shedding preventing me from putting my makeup on straight.

Yes, I wear some makeup daily, always have, and always will. Nothing elaborate, but enough for me to feel good about the start of my day. I am not the person who throws on sweatpants and a sweatshirt upon waking in the morning. I always put on clean clothes that I could go out in if need be, fix my hair and face and go about my day. It doesn’t usually take me more than 30 minutes for the entire routine.

As soon as the pellets are consumed, they start looking at us for more.

Well, as much as I tried to hurry, I ended up in the dark, doing my best to be presentable. While I was getting ready, I had a light-bulb moment. As much as the chigger bites have improved, I still have new bites on my neck. Why was this happening? A simple thought entered my mind, and I muttered, “dumb me” to myself as I lathered DEET mosquito repellent on my neck. It was the pillow I’ve been sleeping on!… not the room, not flying insects, not off-season mosquitoes—the pillow.

We have a hypoallergenic mattress cover on the bed I purchased for the last house. Before we arrived back in Marloth Park almost two months ago, Vusi and Zef washed and dried it and placed it on the mattress here. That’s worked out fine with no new dust mite reactions on my body. But, my neck has been a series of new itchy spots night after night, regardless of how many repellents I use. Dumb me! Why didn’t I consider the pillow?

Even the little ones have learned to love pellets.

Dust mite “bites” are an allergic reaction to the fecal matter of dust mites, not an actual bite. Repellent won’t prevent this. Why hadn’t I figured this out?

This morning I looked on Takealot and found a Tempurpedic hypoallergenic neck pillow, which I had in years past. I couldn’t order it quickly enough. It will arrive in five business days. I can’t wait to be free of this annoying situation. I can put a regular pillowcase over it to keep it clean. It will take a few nights to get used to the shape of the pillow, but in no time at all, my neck will be free of the constant itching.

Then, as the morning progressed, while discussing the pillow situation with Tom, it dawned on him that his dentist appointment was in 30 minutes. It takes about 40 minutes to drive to Malalane to Dr. Singh’s office. Tom bolted out the door in a flurry while I called the dentist’s office to say he was a few minutes late, which proved not to be a problem.

As soon as the females and babies left, the Big Daddies appeared.

I locked the door after him, realizing that this would be one of the few times I am alone in the house. I boiled water on the gas stove for my coffee (the power is still out) and sat outside with my laptop to prepare today’s post. In the meantime, for the second day this week, a security alarm for a house down the dirt road has been blaring for hours.

How is it that someone doesn’t know their alarm is going off? Do they have an alarm system without a contract with a company, so no one takes responsibility for turning it off? Eventually, the batteries will go dead and stop, as they did a few days ago after about 10 hours. How annoying, in our otherwise quiet area of the bush. When the holidaymakers are gone, with fewer vehicles in the park, it’s blissfully quiet in Marloth Park.

Noah and his mom Nina stopped by for pellets. without dad in attendance.

Sure, there’s an occasional bark from an impala, the squeals of a pair of warthogs in a scuffle, or birds and insects making their species-specific sounds, all music to our ears. Other than the occasional blissful sounds of African music and drums being played by locals, all human-generated sounds are an annoyance.

After all, this is the animal’s territory, and we’re invading their space. We must maintain a comfortable and stress-free environment for them, with us humans ultimately benefit from those efforts.

There’s not much on the horizon for the daytime hours today. Tom should be returning within an hour, and my alone time will have ended. We’ll head to Jabula for our usual fun and festive Friday night. In a few weeks, Rita and Gerhard will be here. We are all so excited to see each other. Plus, our two readers/couples will be arriving soon. How fun is that!

Be well.

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

Azamara Onward, with a capacity of 692 passengers. We’ve had to cancel this 42-night cruise we booked a year ago due to visa requirements we mentioned in a post a few days ago. For more photos, please click here.

Yesterday, over 12 hours without power…The security alarm woke us this morning, set up by ugly animals!…Scary looking visitor in the garden with photos…

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Juan, the snake handler, informed us this is a spotted bush snake which, until we knew what it was, concerned us that it is venomous. Luckily, it is not!

A truck hit a power pole in Marloth Park, resulting in several hours without power. Then, load shedding kicked in, and we spent almost 12 hours without power. We put the metal bowl filled with ice in the fridge, so I believe all those perishables survived. But, numerous packages of meat defrosted in the freezer, and we’re wondering if we should toss them. They stayed cold but not frozen. I’m always uncertain under those conditions.

Then, there was a load of dark clothes in the washer that stopped working when the pole was hit, and we were never able to restart it. It was not worth going outside to the laundry area in the dark, so we waited until this morning. Load shedding was supposed to start again at 9:00 am, so I am busy trying to get the two loads done before we lose power again.

We ate dinner at the dining room table in the dark with the rechargeable lanterns on the table. Tom did the dishes by lantern light, after which we headed to the bedroom with the one lamp connected to the inverter outlet, allowing us to charge equipment and use the one lamp on my bedside table.

We streamed a few shows and finally headed off to sleep only to be awakened, hearts pounding, when the security alarm went off. We both jumped up and led to the glass doors to the veranda. Baboon invasion!!! They tried to get into the house by jiggling the door handles and triggering the alarm.

Tom noticed this snake climbing up this tree and chasing a rodent.

They got into everything we had on the veranda, mainly repellent products. After finding no food in any container, they were about to give up when Tom opened the doors and scared them off. I had to call the alarm company to let them know we were safe, or they’d send out a security vehicle to check on us. There’s a fee for false alarms. We reached them in time. They’d be here in five minutes if we hadn’t called.

Yesterday afternoon while I was inside the house recharging my laptop, Tom asked me to come outside to show me something. He had just taken a few photos, which he showed me on the camera. First, he heard a “plop” on the ground after the snake had fallen from one tree, trying to get to another tree to chase the rodent. Quickly the snake slithered up the tree, barely giving Tom enough time to get the camera and take the two shots he got.

How exciting! I was sorry I missed it but happy he got the photos. There are several bright green snakes here in the bush: a green mamba (highly venomous), the green tree snake (mildly venomous),  the boomslang (highly venomous), and more, as listed below from this site:

This is the third snake that visited us at a holiday home in Marloth Park. A venomous Mozambique spitting cobra at the Hornbill house in 2014, the boomslang at the Lovebird’s nest house in 2021, and now at the Ratel house, a yet-to-be-identified green snake. I sent the two photos to a local expert snake handler, Juan de Beer, and I’m waiting to hear back from him on which snake this is.

We didn’t see any point in contacting Juan to remove the snake. We weren’t in danger since the tree was less than four meters from the veranda. However, we must keep a watchful eye out in the event the snake decides to come onto the veranda or get into the house, which is a common scenario.

The veranda and the entrance to the house is at ground level with only a small step to enter the house, a step a snake could easily maneuver. Snakes commonly climb full flights of stairs. “Snakes are flexible movers with between 200 and 400 vertebrae with just as many ribs connected.”

We are watching for the snake, easy to spot with its bright green color, but we will feel better once we know what type it is…or will we feel better?

I just heard back from Juan. Yeah! It’s a spotted bush snake…. nonvenomous!

Be well.

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

Our waiter took the family photo at Maynard’s in Excelsior, Minnesota, last year on this date. For more, please click here.

A warm and sultry day in the bush….Before we know it, winter will end…Baby zebra…

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What an adorable visitor, a baby zebra!

Winter is short in South Africa. It begins on June 21 and ends on September 21. Then, the heat, humidity, and the insects return with fervor.  The mozzies come with warmer weather, rain, and moisture, while every puddle becomes a breeding ground for more.

Zebras and Lollie share pellets peacefully.

Lately, I have still been using insect repellent to keep the chiggers, sand fleas, and other minuscule winter insects from biting me. Finally, I have got it under control. I have fewer bites right now than I’ve had since we arrived almost two months ago. Every evening, while we are on the veranda, Tom sprays the bedroom and bathroom, alternating three different products daily; Doom, Peaceful Sleep, and a dust mite spray. We don’t enter the room for several hours after he sprays.

An adult zebra was walking around to the veranda edge for pellets.

We have an automatic Doom sprayer that shoots a burst every 35 minutes. This alone won’t work. It takes all the products, plus wearing Tabard roll-on repellent before bed to keep me from getting bit.  Also, I am wearing a long-sleeved cotton hoodie and long pajama bottoms to have as much skin covered as possible.

The baby hovers close to his mom.

During the day, I use Tabard on all exposed skin and repeat the application every six to eight hours, more often on my hands which I wash frequently. Itchy bites on my knuckles can keep me awake at night.  The past four or five nights, I’ve slept through the night now that we have this under control. Hopefully, these same precautions will work when the mosquitoes appear soon.

It’s always delightful to see the little ones. They are often shy and skittish.

Yes, we are exposed to several chemicals, but for now, the concern over malaria and other insect-borne diseases is the bigger concern. Our friend Jim (married to Carrie, US citizens who came here from reading our posts) ended up getting Tick Bite Fever which can become a severe illness without proper treatment. But even with appropriate treatment, he suffered dearly for a few weeks. Even during the winter months, there are risks from insects and snakes.

Today, the high will be 81F, 27C. The humidity is 61%, and there’s a cloud cover. The holidaymakers are still in the park, but the school holidays are ending this coming Sunday. The number of animals we’re seeing is considerably less than we’ll see next week. We’re looking forward to that! With as many animals as we’ve seen during the holiday, we can only anticipate many more will be coming.

Notice the little one close to his mom at the end of the splash pool.

Load shedding continues an average of three times per day for 7½ hours without power. As I write here, it has been out for two hours and should be returning soon. Sometimes, it goes back on in slightly less than two hours. I plan on doing laundry today, but I must wait until the power is restored. It’s such an inconvenience with no end in sight.

But, for us, the inconvenience of load shedding is considerably less than it is for others. We have WiFi during those periods and pay little attention to it while outside on the veranda, where we spend most of our days and evenings. Once it’s hot again, it will be tough without aircon for those 2½ hours in the bedroom at night. We have a fan we can use via the inverter during those periods, but the heat can be unbearable at night.

Zebras stop by and eat and then head out. They aren’t like many other species who will hang around to beg for more pellets.

We’ll be staying put today. This evening we’ll cook on the braai and enjoy more quality time on the veranda. Oh, the power just returned a few minutes earlier than expected. I can do the laundry and prep some of the food for tonight’s dinner. All is good. We try not to open the refrigerator when the power is out.

Be well.

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

We couldn’t believe our eyes on this date in 2018 in Kruger National Park when we spotted this elephant digging a hole to access water in the ground below.  For more photos, please click here.

Help us, help you!…

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One year of Grubhub+ for free

Yum! Amazon Prime members can unlock unlimited $0 food delivery fees with one year of Grubhub+ for free (normally $9.99/month) by visiting amazon.com/grubhub. Terms apply.

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PLEASE  CLICK OUR AMAZON PRIME DAY LINK HERE FOR SPECIALS FOR JULY 12TH AND 13TH.

As all of our readers know, we have advertisers on our website. For many years, we avoided promoting our advertisers to convey the message that we do these daily posts for the “love” of sharing our story, not making money. Over the past few years, the costs for maintaining our site have catapulted.

When this transpired, after updating our site from Blogger to WordPress we realized there would be additional costs of making the changes. We added several advertisers to help offset some of these costs. In part, this has been accomplished, but we have a long way to go to ramp up our revenue.

Three-month free trial of Audible

Starting June 21st, our readers (trial-eligible Prime members) can sign up for an extended three-month free trial of Audible, including three free titles.

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The post we share today is NOT the wave of things to come. However, promoting Amazon’s Prime Day may become an annual undertaking. The reason we chose to do this today was twofold:
  1. We could generate a little more revenue to offset some of the added costs of maintaining our site and some of the losses we’ve incurred as a result of the pandemic
  2. Our readers, YOU, can save money in the process.

Thus, these promotions we’re posting today were sent directly to us from Amazon, permitting us to promote their annual Prime Da sale on July 12 and 13th. If you were considering becoming a Prime Member, which we have been for many years, we could enjoy many benefits. We particularly like the free shipping to our US mailing service address, streaming many fantastic TV series and movies we can watch on Prime Video at no additional charge, free music, many monthly free Kindle books, and great prices on endless products and services.

Today and tomorrow are their annual Prime Day sale which includes excellent prices on many products, some we may have been considering purchasing. Soon, we’ll be ordering a box of supplies sent to us from our mailing service, most of which we purchased on Amazon including whatever additional purchases we make today and tomorrow.

Endless benefits for our readers

Additional benefits include free Prime Gaming games, Rx savings, Prime Try Before You Buy, Prime Reading, Amazon Photos, exclusive deals and more.

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PLEASE  CLICK OUR AMAZON PRIME DAY LINK HERE FOR SPECIALS FOR JULY 12TH AND 13TH.

As it turns out, Amazon will be opening a warehouse here in South Africa in 2023. We are excited to hear this news. We’ve been using local Takealot, a good company that will remain influential in the country. But, the opening of Amazon to South Africa brings thousands of jobs and tax revenue to this country which is desperately needed, and huge savings for us when purchasing products.

Some steaming shows require additional fees, but they are lower at Amazon than we’ve found anywhere. For example, we wanted to watch a series on PBS, Sanditon, which our friend Dawn suggested and also The Gilded Age, recommended  by my sister Julie. Amazon offered a two-month subscription to PBS Masterpiece for both series for US $.99 and ZAR 16.99 per month. We can watch both of these two series with multiple seasons by the time the two months end. I made a note on our (free) Cozi Family Organizer calendar to cancel the subscription a few days before the end of the two months.

Prime Day deals are live now.

Check out the amazing Prime Day deals – live now! Pick out your favorite items in advance and start letting your followers know how they can take advantage of their Prime memberships!

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PLEASE  CLICK OUR AMAZON PRIME DAY LINK HERE FOR SPECIALS FOR JULY 12TH AND 13TH.

Right now, many other streaming services are offered on this two-month basis for this great price. It may not be a massive saving from the usual monthly fee of US $5.99, ZAR 102.81, but all these small savings add up. We take advantage of as many savings as we can.

If you aren’t interested in any of this, please know this will not become a regular feature of our site. After today, we’ll go back to our daily stories and photos with little to no mention of our advertisers. We only ask our readers, if you are considering becoming a Prime member or purchasing products and services, please click these links on our site or the Amazon link on the right side of our page.

Thank you to all of our readers who use our links. You do not pay any extra costs for using our travel links and Amazon. You enjoy the same benefits we glean from using them ourselves. And, thanks to all of our readers, whether you use our links or not. We are grateful for every one of YOU!!!

Have a fabulous day!

PLEASE  CLICK OUR AMAZON PRIME DAY LINK HERE FOR SPECIALS FOR JULY 12TH AND 13TH.

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

It was wonderful to spend time with my son Greg and daughter-in-law Camille on the dinner cruise on Lake Minnetonka. For more, please click here.