Hot and humid the rest of the week…Water is back…Thanks, Lindsey for Kruger photos…

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This buffalo looks sleepy, not angry.

Today’s photos are mainly Lindsey’s from a visit to Kruger National Park with her mom Connie, shortly before they left here after the passing of her dad Jeff. We didn’t join them that day, feeling that time of their own in a place Jeff loved might be good for them.

Plus, they wanted to spend plenty of time shopping for gifts for friends and loved ones at the fantastic shop at the Mugg & Bean in Lower Sabie. Without us, they could take all the time they wanted and not be concerned we were waiting for them. Before Jeff passed away and on our first trip to Kruger together, Connie and Lindsey helped him pick out several golf-type shirts and tee shirts with various Kruger National Park logos.

Several Cape buffalos crossing the road in Kruger National Park.

Fortunately, they were able to return everything after Jeff passed away and use the credit to purchase the gifts as a pleasant reminder of how important this trip to Africa was for him. What a thoughtful gesture!

We’ve heard from Connie several times, and they are busy planning the two memorial events for Jeff, one in South Dakota and the other in Minnesota. As a professional chef, Connie will have her staff prepare the food for the two events while she keeps a watchful eye on the quality of the food and ingredients, leaving her free to mingle with the guests.

They took their time, sensing no urgency to hurry.

Although we won’t be there with her, Jeff will remain in our hearts and minds for the magical four days we were able to spend with him. We wish it could have been longer, but as it turned out, the timing worked for Connie to acquire most of the necessary documents required from South Africa and the USA. A few documents remain, which may require the assistance of an attorney.

On another note, today is another scorcher with slightly lower temperatures but higher humidity. The dew point is slightly under tropical, making it very uncomfortable and causing us to sweat. This morning, I made a favorite low-carb hamburger (mince) casserole to get us through three dinners with leftovers to freeze for another time.

We always chuckle over the faces of the Cape buffalos. They look angry.

Tom helped, doing all the dishes, pots, pans, and hand-grating cheese, which made it much easier for me. But, I was running around the kitchen, sweating up a storm, for almost two hours getting all the ingredients put together and into the baking pans to be cooked an hour before dinner.  I prepped Tom’s rice for later cooking, and all I have left to do is make the salad, which I will do once I upload today’s post.

I awoke this morning without a headache, making this lofty cooking task much easier. Also, today, I don’t feel the pain in my face. I’ve been trying to figure out why I had the headache yesterday but haven’t had it for the last seven days. Both nights I’d slept well, and there wasn’t anything I ate or drank that varied from the previous pain-free days and nights.

Quite the hunter, the fish eagle is often seen in Kruger.

This morning, when I logged on to our site, there was a comment from one of our readers…they will be in Marloth Park next week for about a week. We hope to meet them while they are here if the timing works for all of us. It’s always such fun to meet people who’ve come here from reading our site.

So far this morning, we haven’t seen many animals in our garden, although yesterday was a busy day. It was cooler and less humid yesterday. The animals stay undercover in their favorite shady spots when the weather is uncomfortable. Norman has stopped by a few times, along with Gordy, Lollie, and a few kudus.

A vulture scoping out its next meal.

Birds have been plentiful, drinking and swimming in the birdbath, which keeps many of the animals well hydrated with its two levels. Even the mongooses drink from it. Tom refills it with fresh water, especially easy now that the water has been restored to Marloth Park after six days. We keep thanking Danie and Louise for providing us with the JoJo tank allowing us to have water, except during load shedding.

That’s it for today, folks. May you have a comfortable and yet purposeful day!

Photo from one year ago today, October 11, 2021:

Two hornbills were banging on the kitchen window, an almost daily occurrence. For more photos, please click here.

Update on the headache…Thank you all for your concern…15 kudus in the garden…

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This is the most kudus we’ve seen together in quite a while. Most of the holidaymakers are gone now that the school holiday has ended.

Gosh, our readers are wonderful. You write to us whenever something is wrong or problematic, offering thoughtful concern, suggestions, and support. It means so much to us. YOU mean so much to us. When we read about other bloggers who often read painful criticism along with toxic vitriol from ‘haters,” we feel fortunate that we don’t get any of that garbage. If someone doesn’t like what an online presence writes, they shouldn’t bother to read it.

We’re not immune to harsh words. Over the past almost ten years (in three weeks from today), we’ve had a few readers who posted hateful messages in our “comments” section at the bottom of each post. We’ve shared a few of those with you, our readers.

But some were laden with such negativism and hate, we decided to toss the messages rather than respond to them online (or offline) for all of you to see. I certainly understand the curiosity to see those toxic messages. It is natural to be curious about “good and bad.” But, I didn’t want our fine readers to feel compelled to take the time to “defend us,” which many would have done. Why waste time on naysayers?

Busy morning in the garden.

Let’s face it, we make mistakes, not only in grammar and spelling but in our lives, and we strive to learn from those mistakes that always seem to appear at some point, slapping us right in the face. But we’re living a life that takes lots of learning by trial and error. We’re not unlike children in some ways, learning from painful experiences and hopefully utilizing that new knowledge to make our lives easier and more fulfilling.

In posting on our site, I can delete any comments I feel would create a negative spin on our site. Over the past ten years, there’s only been a handful of such comments that we chose to delete rather than respond to. Tom and I always discuss the content before deciding to delete it.

This doesn’t mean we are above criticism. But if a comment or series of comments would turn our dialogue into a “back and forth” unpleasant exchange, we aren’t interested. In part, I blame myself for this. I abhor conflict and will go to any lengths to avoid it. I learned long ago that saying a genuine “I’m sorry” has a much more powerful effect than being defensive or getting caught up in a hurtful exchange.

Lots of Moms and Babies.

I suppose, in part, this is why Tom and I get along so well. I won’t fight. I prefer an honest, forthright sharing of opinions over getting engaged in words that can’t be taken back later. Tom always teases me when reminding me that it’s no fun to argue with someone who won’t participate in a furious battle….a discussion? Yes!…A battle?… No! We laugh about this.

That’s how we made it through ten months stuck in lockdown in a hotel room in Mumbai, India, in 2020. I ignored him if he got grumpy which he can do on rare occasions. Ten minutes later, he’s cheerful again. I credit him for his ability to snap out of it so quickly, which can be a daunting task for  some “hotheads.”

Also, he has an outrageous ability to be compassionate if anything is wrong with me medically. I don’t complain much, so that helps, but he is so kind and caring of me; I do not need to continually vocalize my imminent suffering, including my most recent Covid-19 headache and face pain that has lasted almost six months.

The little ones are so cute and trusting.

Well, folks, here’s the most recent scoop on that. For the past eight days, the headache has been almost completely gone since I increased the dose of amitriptyline to 35 mg., taken at night only. This drug is used in high doses for convulsions and depression., of which I have neither. But in low doses, it’s been found to help with neurological pain.

I wasn’t optimistic, when 25 mg. a night didn’t touch it. But, when doc Theo increased the dose to 35 mg. three days later, I awoke tentatively enthused that the drug worked. I still have facial pain, but since it is only in one spot, I wonder if I’m having a sinus problem from Omicron and not trigeminal neuralgia. The pain has been in the vicinity of my sinuses. I will return to Doc Theo on Friday to discuss this further. I will keep you updated.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, October 10, 2021:

This heartbreaking photo of a precious little duiker who encountered a porcupine, who responded by releasing quills, makes us cringe in horror. How can she possibly survive these massive injuries? (Not our photo). From this site: “Porcupines are solitary, slow-moving animals that largely keep to themselves unless threatened. The quills usually lie flat against the porcupine’s body until they encounter a threat, at which point they “puff up” and erect their quills, swinging their spiny tails until the threat either leave them alone or gets a sharp whack and a face hand, or paw full of quills.  Quills are stiff, hollow hairs with microscopic, backward-facing barbs at the tip (kind of like tiny fish hooks), so when they come into contact with flesh—human or animal—they get stuck and pull free from the porcupine’s skin.” For more photos, please click here.

It’s a scorcher today!…108F, 42C…Still no water in most of Marloth Park…Wildlife loving lucerne…

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The three warthogs, Mom and fast growing Babies made a comfy nest for themselves. They slept there for hours.

Ironically, the temperature was also outrageously high a year ago on this date. I was making two pies to bring to Kathy and Don’s house in the bush; one pumpkin and another cherry, specifically for Don as his favorite. But any baker knows rolling dough for pies on a hot and humid day will end up being a fiasco, and it certainly was, as shown in our year-ago photo below.

I wrote in that year-ago post here:

“Kathy and Don are hosting an early Thanksgiving dinner for their American friends, Rita and Gerhard, and the two of us. Kathy managed to find a small turkey in Nelspruit. Turkey isn’t often consumed in South Africa and is usually purchased only for visitors from the USA.

The last time we all had Thanksgiving dinner together was in 2018, when we lived in the Orange house. The day before the event, I made eight pumpkin pies, which I described in this post. It was a hot day, with temperatures running at 102F, 40C, and pie crust dough. See that post here.”

Mom stood up when she saw me with the camera while her two youngsters were comfortable lounging in the lucerne.

We’ve had such memorable times with our friends in Marloth Park. There’s one occasion after another that we celebrated, for whatever reason, with great food, drinks, and lively animated conversation. Rita and Gerhard are now staying in Bali at the same fantastic oceanfront property we stayed at in 2016. See the photo below and our link to one of our first days there.

We stayed at this villa in Bali in 2016. Now, Rita and Gerhard are staying at this same house and loving it as we did then. See our post from that date here.

Kathy and Don are still in Hawaii at their beautiful oceanfront property. Hopefully, sometime they will be able to return to Marloth Park when Don fully recovers from an illness. We miss them too. Tonight, we are calling them at 9:00 pm, 2100 hrs., since there is a 12-hour time difference between here and Hawaii. It will be wonderful to hear their voices once again.

It’s serendipitous how all of our lives are intertwined after living in Marloth Park for a while. We are so grateful for all of our friends. Last night, once again, we were reminded of that fact when we went to Jabula for the second night in a row. We are always so grateful for the close relationship we’ve built with owners Dawn and Leon over the past nine years. We can’t seem to get enough of that place and the two of them.

On days like this, when it is so hot and uncomfortable that I may spend part of the day in the bedroom with the curtains drawn and the fan on. I don’t use the aircon during the day if I can help it, to do our part in the overuse of electricity in Marloth Park. If everyone uses their bedroom aircon all day and night, surely, there will be an outage. Then, we’ll have no power when trying to sleep, which is considerably less tolerable than during the day.

Check out the mouthful this Big Daddy took for himself.

With the fan on, which uses much less power, it is tolerable now with the temperature outside at 101F. 39C. The temp will rise to 108F, 42C, in the afternoon. I can’t imagine sitting outside for sundowners starting at 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs., but I imagine we will. Tom is outdoors right now and is fine with the heat.

Our JoJo tank still provides sufficient water, while Marloth Park is still without water, but today, I had to do some laundry. I’d hope to wait until the water is restored from the dam and the pipes fill up once again, but we have so few clothes doing laundry was a must.

Spikey loved the lucerne we had delivered yesterday. We leave the huge bale outside the fence and a small batch for the smaller animals inside the fence. This was, they all get some of the fresh green hay.

As I was hanging the clothes on the portable outdoor rack, they were practically drying in my hands. There are very few wildlife visitors today since they usually stay undercover on hot days like this. Today is the last day of the school holidays, and with lower temps expected tomorrow, we should see many of our animal friends in the morning.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, October 9, 2021:

The cherry pie crust was thick due to the awful heat and humidity today. Hopefully, it will taste good. For more photos, please click here.

Bittersweet birthday party last evening at Jabula…Day 3 without water in Marloth Park…Headache update…

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An oxpecker working on insects on this giraffe’s hide.

Last night we attended a birthday dinner gathering for our friend Sinndee who recently lost her dear husband, and our friend, Bruce. It’s difficult to extend birthday wishes to a grieving spouse, but the small group of us made the best of it with lots of hugs, compassion, and support.

While at Jabula last night, we were delighted to see our friends Janet and Steve, who’d only arrived back in Marloth Park a few days ago. They bought a lovely couple from the UK with them. We are looking forward to seeing them soon, once they are settled. Then, Lynne and Mick, their close friends from Jersey, will arrive in November.

New friends we made, Les and Jerry, when at the Mugg & Bean in Lower Sabie, a few weeks ago. It was fun to have them visit us before their departure. They live in Alaska.

They’ll all leave before Christmas, and we’ll be gone for about ten days in November, but surely we’ll all have great social times together.

Off and on throughout the evening, we were warmly greeted by people we’ve come to know in Marloth Park, and it filled us with a strong sense of belonging. It was outrageously busy and the love and care highlighted the atmosphere to all by owners Dawn and Leon. We have built a strong friendship with the two of them and always feel so included.

A waterbuck on the shore of the Crocodile River while we were dining at Amazing Kruger View.

Many say that Jabula epitomizes the magic of the “Cheers” bar on the TV series from the 1980s…the place where everyone knows your name. There is nowhere we’ve ever been in the world with the atmosphere of this fine restaurant, bar, and lodge with exceptional food, service, and ambiance.

More lucerne was delivered this morning, and we’ve already had countless animals stop by for a nibble. Some are gluttonous and will stand there and eat for an hour or more, and others will take a few bites and wander away in no time. We love the fresh smell of the lucerne, a large bale of hay, green and moist, and a great source of nutrients for the animals, especially needed right now in this dry period with little rain.

Egyptian geese looking for food on the bank of the Crocodile River.

In months to come, we should see plenty of rain and the greening of the bush, which provides vital food for the animals. When that happens, they will still stop by for pellets since they love the ease with which they can eat, and many enjoy the interaction with humans. Humans often underestimate how adapted certain species can become when interacting with us.

Giraffes in our garden. They return often.

For us, who spend all day observing their behavior, it’s easy to see how much they enjoy being near us. It’s not entirely about food, which many claim is the case. We’ve spent the better part of our days and nights watching them, and it’s evident that they associate being in our midst with a positive emotional and physical experience. How ridiculous for us humans to think all animals only care about is food.

We are always excited to see giraffes stop by.

We never grocery shopped in Komatipoort this week, fearful of food spoiling due to load shedding. However, it appears Eskom has suspended load shedding for the next several days. The only reason we can think of why they stopped load shedding is the upcoming scorching weather tomorrow, predicted to be 107F, 42C, and the potential backlash from the public when there could be 7½ to 8 hours a day without power to run the aircon. This type of heat is dangerous for many without the aircon working due to power outagges.

Norman and his son Noah enjoying this morning’s lucerne delivery.

South Africans are fed up with power outages. And, can you imagine tourists coming to South Africa to see wildlife only to discover there is no power and, like the past three days, no water here in Marloth Park? People spend hard-earned money to afford to get here, only to live without power and water. For four of the next six days, the temps will be over 100F, 38C, the projected hottest tomorrow.

We’re staying in today but decided to return to Jabula again tonight. Eating out a few extra days is ideal with only a little meat on hand. It’s hard to get excited about spending time in the kitchen on such hot weather days.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, October 8, 2021:

Yesterday afternoon, when this warthog stopped by, we were hopeful that it was Tiny. After carefully examining the photo of Tiny shown below, we were sure he was not Tiny. For more photos, please click here.
This is a photo of Tiny we posted on February 21, 2021. The differences between him and the pig we saw yesterday are distinct.  Note the eye bags, the size, and shape of the facial and temple warts, and of course, the size and shape of the tusks. For more photos, please click here.

Off and on water and electricity…Hot and humid…Forecast for Sunday,106F, 41C…Lions…Keeping humans and wildlife safe….

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This puffy red flower blooms in the spring is a fireball lily. Quite beautiful. Danie told us he’s chased off a man who tried to dig up this flower from their property, the house we live in now. We will keep an eye out to ensure no one can steal the three of these in our garden.

These two notices were posted on Wild and Free Wildlife Rehabilitation’s web page on Facebook as shown at the end of today’s post. We take these circumstances seriously and hope all of our local readers, of which there are many, would kindly heed these warnings.

Fortunately, we have the birdbath in the garden from which countless wildlife drink throughout the day. We’ve seen many species drinking from the lower and upper areas, which we keep filled with fresh water daily. However, with no running water over the past 24 hours, there was little we could do to top it off.

Instead, mny of the larger species have been drinking from the pool, but we worried about the little creatures. Danie had installed a JoJo tank for us, but then there was a problem with the electricity running the power to the JoJo. Danie was all over this with an electrician here both yesterday and today.

Stingy got into a little scuffle with a young male bushbuck, or…they could have been playing.

Finally, a few minutes ago, we have water after the repairs were made on the JoJo and the power came back on. The recent outage wasn’t load-shedding. It was a fault at an electric supply station. In another hour, load shedding again in a little over an hour.

On Sunday, when the temperature rises to 106F, 41C, we won’t have power and possibly no water during the following hours:

  • 11:00 am to 1330 hrs. (11:00 am to 1:30 pm)
  • 1900 hrs. to 2130 hrs. (7:00 pm to 9:30 pm)

Without power, we will all be subject to this awful heat during these hours. But, the Catch 22…when the power returns, many people hide away in their bedrooms where they have aircon and crack it to the lowest possible temperature. This behavior precipitates more faults and subsequent outages.

Norman likes eating pellets off the railing to avoid warthogs and helmeted guinea fowls from eating them.

We have to keep in mind that we are still experiencing spring, fast heading our way to summer, which starts on December 21. If it feels hot right now, we’d all better brace ourselves.

So, dear readers, how do we deal with all of this? We’re certainly not exempt from becoming frustrated. Nor are we foolhardy to say it doesn’t impact us. It does. Last night, the power was out twice during the night, and I awoke each time, sweating when the fan wasn’t doing it to cool the room.

Last evening, we sat outdoors at the table on the veranda, sipping on our sundowners while the temperature was 38C, 100F. We were in the shade under the veranda roof. When our chicken dinner was done on the braai at 6:00 pm, 1800 hrs., we moved indoors to eat at the dining room table…there’s no aircon in the main living area.

We added some cut-up carrots for Norman to enjoy as well.

We turned on the little portable, rechargeable fan Louise bought for us, and we were okay. The bacon-wrapped, mozzarella, garlic-stuffed chicken breasts, and salad were delicious. I’d accidentally overcooked Tom’s white rice, but he ate it anyway without a complaint.

This morning I asked Tom, do you want to leave and go somewhere else?  Without hesitation, he replied, “No, I’m good here.
I agreed. In a little over a month, we’ll be heading to Seychelles for a glorious cruise in the country’s islands.

Tonight, as always, we’re headed to Jabula, but this time for a birthday party for our friend Sinndee who lost her dear husband, Bruce, only a week ago. It will undoubtedly be a tough evening for Sinndee, but we and others who love her will provide compassion, love, and support.

Kudus finishing the last of lucerne in the nearby garden. Tomorrow, we’ll receive another bale while it’s still busy in the park with holidaymakers.
The Lowveld is currently going through a massive heatwave of 42C (108F) degrees and more, and the animals are struggling. Could we please ask you a favor? – please put out a shallow bowl of water for our small reptiles, birds, and mammals. We have been called out for many smaller animals that are suffering due to dehydration with the last heatwave. This is the least we can do for our little neighbors until the heat subsides.
If you find an animal that looks lethargic please do not try and hand feed water. It is very easy to drown them. If they can drink on their own, put fresh water down and keep a close eye on them. If their condition doesn’t improve move the animal to a cool dark place and phone your closest Wildlife Rehab Centre immediately!
From Wild and Free Team
Deidre – 079 988 5748
Juan – 060 665 5000
Mark – 082 498 6599
Anneke – 079 931 8744″
‼️MARLOTH GENERAL CARNIVORE ALERT‼️
7th October 2022
The Carnivore Team has released another GENERAL WARNING that at least four lions were spotted and could be busy hunting. The Carnivore Team is monitoring the situation.
A very urgent alert for the following block: Maroela, Olifant, Volstruis, Renoster and Crocodile.
Everybody in these areas need to be extremely cautious and an urgent alert for joggers, hikers and cyclists along the fence and also in these areas!
Please do not allow children in these areas, as the lions could be hiding anywhere! 😳
Unfortunately the warnings are not taken seriously! The onus is on each and everyone to adhere to the alerts and warn others of the dangers.
❗️NOTE❗️
If you happen to come across a carcass, do not leave your vehicle to go searching and if you are walking or cycling don’t be brave and search for the lions! They will find you! They are extremely dangerous in the vicinity of a kill.
Should you spot the lions, please contact any one of the following persons:
Rangers 082 802 5894
CPF/ Nadine 082 672 4545 Gerrie Camacho 082 353 9097,
Ernst Röhm /MTPA 083 626 6309,B
April Lukhele: 082 807 1057. Jan Koekemoer 063 053 7601.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding – Carnivore Team, Rangers, MTPA, CPF, Security and the Vet.”
And so it goes, the challenges of life in the bush, always interesting, often unusual from our former way of life but always softened by the glorious enjoyment of the wildlife and the people, all of whom we love dearly.
Be well.
Photo from one year ago today, October 7, 2021:
This morning, nine bushbucks stopped by. We gave them carrots, cabbage, and pellets. For more photos, please click here.

Tom and a wildlife rescue…Load shedding and…water outage…

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Yesterday, our local monitor lizard had quite an ordeal when he couldn’t get out of the pool.

Yesterday afternoon, when we were both sitting at the table on the veranda on a scorching day, I looked toward the splash pool and noticed activity in the water. We both jumped up to investigate to discover a monitor lizard trying to lift herself out of the water. We could see she was panicky when she flailed about at the four edges of the pool, unable to lift herself out.

The water was off in Marloth Park due to load shedding, which prevented the reservoir from pumping sufficient water for the homes in the area. Due to this situation, Marloth Park has no water until the problem is resolved by pumping. The backup generators don’t have adequate power to keep the reservoir full, supplying the lines in Marloth Park.

As a result of no water, we couldn’t add water to the pool, and the level was low, just from evaporation in the hot weather. Nor could we fill the birdbath as a water source for many animals who stop by. Many couldn’t reach the low level in the pool.

If a lizard could look panicky, this one did after countless attempts to get out of the pool.

After watching the lizard for a few minutes, fearful she would eventually drown, Tom went into action and got a bucket and a broom, wondering which way would be least traumatic for the monitor lizard. In only a minute, Tom scooped her up into the bucket and gingerly placed her on the ground.

We both moved back to avoid frightening her further, but she lay completely still on the ground for some time. We placed a raw egg nearby, hoping she’d see it and come back to life. But she didn’t move. She must have been stunned by the close encounter with humans. We gave her space, and several minutes later, she scurried off at a fast pace.

She tried all four sides of the pool to no avail.

From this site:

“Monitor Lizards in Africa

Did you know that all species of monitor lizards can swim? It is speculated that monitor lizards swam and island-hopped from Asia and Australia over to Africa. In Southern Africa, there are 2 species of these large lizards that some herpetologists say are more closely related to a snake than a lizard. Like the rest of their genus Varanus, the Nile monitor lizard and the Rock Monitor lizard stand on their hind legs to monitor their surroundings, hence their name. These fast and fierce creatures are sometimes spotted at our lodges in Hwange National Park and we recently captured one of these monitor lizards on video in the Zimbabwe bush.

At one point, she was close to the step but didn’t realize it was a means of escape. The frustrated flailing continued while we watched with concern.

Monitor lizards can grow to be incredibly large, in fact, the famous Komodo dragon is a species of monitor lizard. Of the 2 species found in Southern Africa, the largest size they can grow to is 2 metres long, although this is rather rare. Nile monitor lizards are actually Africa’s largest lizard. The Rock monitor lizard is a bit shorter and stockier but has a longer tail. The monitor lizards use these long tails as oars when swimming and whips when defending themselves.

She was struggling to pull herself up and out of the pool.

Monitor lizards are interesting in that they are very similar to snakes, with their distinctive forked tongues that they use to detect scent molecules from the air. They also hiss when they feel threatened. They are also considered the most intelligent of all lizards, when kept in captivity they can be trained to count to 6 and in the wild, they are able to remember where their hiding places are, specifically the various routes to get there. They are also the only lizard species that don’t regrow their tail after losing them.

They are also excellent hunters and will work together to raid a crocodile’s nest, with one lizard distracting the mother and the other stealing the eggs. Monitor lizards have incredibly strong jaws and will grip tightly without letting go, they also secrete poisonous toxins in their saliva that harms their prey. Being carnivores they’ll eat anything from eggs to small mammals, fish, other small reptiles and birds.”

Tom to the rescue. He scooped up the monitor lizard into a bucket and gently placed it on the ground.

“Monitor lizards are oviparous, laying from seven to 38 eggs, which they often cover with soil or protect in a hollow tree stump. Some monitor lizards, including the Komodo dragon, are capable of parthenogenesis.”

“Parthenogenesis is a form of reproduction in which an egg can develop into an embryo without being fertilized by a sperm. Parthenogenesis is derived from the Greek words for “virgin birth,” and several insect species including aphids, bees, and ants are known to reproduce by parthenogenesis.”

Someone ate the egg. It might have been her, a genet, a porcupine, or a mongoose. We never know since it disappears during the later part of the day when the trail cam wouldn’t pick it up.

Once on the ground, she froze in sheer terror and didn’t move for a while.

Last night and this morning we were without water. A few weeks ago, Danie installed a JoJo (a water storage tank run by an electric pump) to ensure we’ll have water during an outage, but apparently, the pump wasn’t working. He and the electrician were here last night trying to figure out what was wrong. This morning they replaced the pump with a new one and as of a short time ago, we have water!

Last night, we ate our salad and pork tenderloin on paper plates since we didn’t want to leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight when surely insects would appear overnight. We cooked the pork on the braai, well seasoned using disposable tin foil pans. We ate dinner in the dark at the dining room table since, it’s impossible right now to eat outdoors with all the bugs. Tomorrow, we’ll shop in Komatipoort and buy some yellow bulbs which don’t attract the bugs, like white bulbs do.

Her left front leg was tucked under her body, but she didn’t move to adjust it. She looked like she might be full of eggs with her belly enlarged.

We’re thrilled to have water and soon, I’ll take the shower I missed this morning. Tom will do the few dishes we had to leave last night. We’ll no longer have to haul a bucket of pool water into the bathroom when the water isn’t running in Marloth Park. If the water is off for many more days, we could easily exhaust the water in the JoJo. Fortunately, yesterday, only an hour before the water supply ceased, I’d finished a few loads of laundry.

The load shedding continues and based on reports from Eskom, it will continue indefinitely, especially as the weather heats up and more and more people use aircon. It will be a hot summer ahead, especially at night when the power is often off for 4.5 to 5 hours during a 10 hour period and we can’t use the aircon.

TIA…This is Africa…all of the above, “goes with the territory.” We aren’t complaining. We are reporting to our readers that this blissful life in the bush has some downfalls, but it never drives us away.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, October 6, 2021:

A small band of our mongoose friends. For more photos, please click here.

Yesterday’s memorial service…

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This is Derek, the duiker who is a mate to Delilah. He is timid and won’t jump the fence to the nearby garden, although Delilah doesn’t hesitate to come over.

Yesterday morning, we left the house at 10:50 to arrive on time for the memorial service for our friend Bruce Barnes who passed away last week, only six days after our friend and houseguest Jeff passed away at our holiday home on his “dream visit to Africa to see the wildlife. We were shaken by losing two friends in such a short period.

Bruce and his dear wife Sinndee were long-time residents and homeowners in Marloth Park. Bruce owned a thriving electrical business serving the needs of Marloth Park and surrounding area residents. He was only 58 years old and sadly passed from the horrible COPD, which had taken the lives of other dear friends in the past 11 or 12 years.

We met Sinndee and Bruce at Jabula many moons ago and started an easy and delightful friendship with them. We spent last Christmas Day at their home with their family, Dawn, Leon, and a few other friends. It was a day we’ll never forget. We were grateful for the opportunity to spend Christmas at their home and to feel so included.

Zebra visitors this morning.

The Sunday before our friends Connie, Jeff, and Lindsey arrived, we visited Bruce at their home, and it was apparent he was struggling to breathe. It was heartbreaking to see him struggling, but he and Sinndee had a good attitude and continued to make plans incorporating the oxygen equipment they’d have to take with them whenever they’d leave the house.

But, when we left their home a few hours after we arrived, we didn’t feel optimistic about Bruce being able to travel. And then, only a few weeks later, Sinndee found him at home when she returned from work. He had given up the flight and succumbed to this dreadful disease while she was at work. We are heartbroken for her and her family.

A local pastor conducted the memorial service. It was beautifully presented with about 40 family members and friends in attendance at the outdoor braai at Jabula, which easily had ample room for everyone. Dawn, Leon, David, and their staff provided excellent service for beverages and casual lunch-type delicious food. I didn’t eat anything since most of it was sandwiches and fried foods, but I had breakfast before we left the house, so it didn’t phase me not to eat.

A mom and a growing youngster eating pellets.

When the memorial ended and guests started wandering off, we headed to Daisy’s Den to purchase two more bales of lucerne to be delivered next week on Saturday and Wednesday. Tom had to use the squirt gun to chase off the four zebras who were about to wipe it out if we didn’t intervene. They left enough lucerne for other animals who will stop to eat the next few days.

After Daisy’s Den, we dropped off the keys to Louise and Danie’s place for the two guest houses on our property, where our guests stayed for two weeks. Before we knew it, after lively conversation ensued, we were sitting at the table on their veranda, having sundowners (it was 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs., by then), enjoying every moment with the two of them and the same visitors coming into their garden as do ours, which is only five houses away.

I must admit I was a little envious to see their francolin family who visited us last week but always returns to their home. It was a Frank and The Misses and one adorable fast-growing chick. Their other five chicks had been eaten by the genet that often visits at night, perhaps the same genet we get here. The parents were keeping a watchful eye on their remaining chick. It was interesting to watch their behavior. We do miss having Franks at our house.

Zebras often drink from the pool: Lollie, photobombing.

By 5:00 pm, 1700 hrs., we were back at our house with plenty of time to make dinner and enjoy a restful evening at our holiday home.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, October 5, 2021:

Stringy, who arrived months ago with vines hanging from his horns, has become quite a regular, even responding to his name. Now he visits this house, almost two kilometers away from the last. For more photos, please click here.

Memorial service this morning…Why so many passports in the past ten years?…

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Nina and Norman often visit together. Such a handsome couple.

It’s hard to get myself ready for the day when there is load shedding every morning from 7:00 to 9:30. The bathroom is dark unless I open the blinds, and I wouldn’t say I like opening them and showering with the window facing the street. Humans walk on the street in the mornings on their way to work, but if it isn’t humans, a kudu or wildebeest could easily stand at the window and look at me. This can startle me and yet be funny at the same time.

I tried to nap a few days ago (no luck), and first, a kudu stood at the window with her nose touching the glass, looking for me. Minutes later, a wildebeest did the same. They had a look on their faces that asked. “When are  you comin’ out?”  Pellets were on their minds.

The poor animals are hungry, and some have begun to look very lean. Hopefully, the rains will soon fill the bush with tasty green vegetation for them to eat. Last week, we had glorious rain for two days, but we need much more in the days to come.

They posed for the camera!

We have fed lucerne, carrots, apples, veggie scraps, pellets, meat for the mongoose, yogurt for the bushbabies, and bird seeds. Yesterday, we tossed out a few ripe bananas for the bushbucks, but before they got to them, a starling came by, pecked open the peel, and pecked at the tender contents. Even the birds are hungry.

The bales of lucerne have been especially nourishing for them, which we’ll continue until the rains come.  October is the very beginning of the rainy season, as shown in the graph below:

Photo from one year ago today, October 4, 2021:

Frank’s and The Misses’ chicks came to call! For more photos, please click here.

Where are we going in 2023?…Planning for the future…More of Tom’s great photos…

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“The Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops) is the most widespread species of the genus Upupa. It is a distinctive cinnamon-colored bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill. Its call is a soft “oop-oop-oop.” It is native to Europe, Asia, and the northern half of Africa. It is migratory in the northern part of its range. It spends most of the time on the ground probing for grubs and insects. The clutch of seven to eight eggs is laid in an existing cavity. The eggs are incubated by the female and hatch asynchronously. Some ornithologists treat the African and Madagascar hoopoes as subspecies of the Eurasian hoopoe.”

We will leave Marloth Park in approximately eight months and may be gone for a year. We’ve decided we need to pick up the pace and visit those locations we’ve had on our minds for a long time. It’s been easy to settle into an easy routine in this blissful environment, this land of wonder, wildlife, and ever-expanding friendships.

Plus, the low cost of living for us in this country can’t be matched anywhere we’ve visited in the past ten years of world travel. (Yes, this is our tenth anniversary month which we’ll celebrate. We left Minnesota to travel the world on October 31, 2012).

Once again, Tom took some fantastic photos of this Eurasian hoopoe.

Of course, we’re considering what we’ll write about on that special day, four weeks from today. Instead of repeating places we’ve been in the past years, which we’ve mentioned repeatedly, we’ve decided to post a new itinerary and the most significant highlight of each of the ten years with photos, if available.

We are building the itinerary, something we haven’t done in a long time. So much has changed due to the pandemic, which has prevented us from booking venues beyond a few months in front of us, except for a few cruises, some of which have been canceled over the past two years.

Tom was excited to take photos of the woophoe.

At this point, engaged in research, we’ll avoid mentioning where we’ll be going until we are able to pin down some venues, pricing, and dates. By the end of this month, we’ll have an idea of what will work for us. As always, the cost of these preferred locations is a significant factor.

We lost a lot of money on bookings during the pandemic, and we don’t want to risk that happening again. Also, after paying entirely out-of-pocket for my heart surgery and subsequent surgeries in 2019, we’ve had to tighten our belts and be very selective about what we choose to book.

Several Big Daddies have been eating the leaves from this bright green tree in our garden.

Plus, we must renew our passports since most countries require a passport with at least six months left until it expires. We’ll have to start this process soon to be able to go on a few of our upcoming cruises in 2023. We’ll start that process soon. Since we began traveling in 2012, we’ve used up our ten-year passport, a two-year passport, and a four-year passport. We’ll explain why we had so many US passports in tomorrow’s post. Please check back for that information tomorrow.

It’s been a long time since we allowed ourselves to become engrossed in travel planning, other than going on those trips to obtain a new visa stamp for South Africa. As much as we’re enjoying our time in this country, we realize it’s time we can think about the future and fulfill some of our objectives to visit unique locations that have always been on our minds.

A female kudu was eating a potato we’d tossed into the garden. We had potatoes left from our recent friend’s visit. Many antelopes dig for roots and thus enjoy eating most root vegetables.

With the school holiday in full force right now with many holidaymakers in Marloth Park, we plan to stay put most of the week, except for a memorial service for our friend Bruce tomorrow at 11:00 am at Jabula, whom we visited a few weeks ago, before Connie, Jeff and Lindsey arrived, when sadly, Jeff passed away at our home. Bruce was suffering from COPD, a life-ending pulmonary disease.

It’s hard to digest that yet another dear friend has passed away in a mere ten days. We offer our love and prayers for the loved ones left behind in their time of great sorrow and sadness.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, October 3, 2021:

Multiple species in the garden. For more photos, please click here.

Was lucerne a hit on a holiday weekend?…Funny photo of appreciative animal…

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Last night’s photo, taken in the dark from a distance, of Bad Ear resting in the remaining pile of lucerne. Later, his eyes were closed, and he was asleep.

Yesterday morning, after the bale of lucerne was delivered, we didn’t see any wildlife for quite a while. Finally, they started drifting in, one by one; wildebeests, Earl and Bad Ear (who ate the most); warthogs, Busybody, Lollie, Rueben, and pesky Trouble; bushbuck Marigold, Tulip, and Lilac, and a variety of impala, all of whom we call Chevy (there’s too many of them to name).

Last night, some activity was around the bale, but wildebeest Bad Ear laid right on top of it, as shown in today’s main photo. We couldn’t stop laughing after he claimed the entire balance of the lucerne. We took the main photo, and the trail cam picked up the other.

Two young kudus were nursing by one mom. It’s rare for kudus to have twins.

Today is a cooler day, and it feels especially good to be outdoors on a cloudy day. Load shedding ended this morning at 9:00 am, so I took my time getting up. With the increased dose of the medication for my headache starting two days ago, which makes me sleepy day and night, I somehow managed to sleep through the night and was still groggy when I started moving around.

The pain from the Covid-19 headache I’ve had since April tends to come and go right now instead of being constant. Doc Theo ordered a new prescription for me for 35 mg as opposed to the 25 mg I had been taking for two weeks when I reported the headache was still there. But, every few days, I experience relief for several hours, during which I hope it won’t return.

A giraffe visited our garden this morning.

Alas, several hours later, it returns. I can’t pinpoint what causes it to return. It’s not as if I am doing anything to precipitate it. This morning, after that long sleep, I awoke with it, but now a few hours later, I am pain-free for who-know-how-long? When it’s gone, I find myself having a little more energy and using the time to complete tasks around the house. I can’t wait for it to be gone.

Four Big Daddy kudus just arrived and are enjoying the remnants of the lucerne. Also, we had some potatoes left from our friend’s visit, and they are finishing those off. Vegetables are a safe food for the wildlife since many frequently dig up roots for sustenance when the trees are bare during these dry months.

Bad Ear was still sleeping on the lucerne this morning.

We’re staying in today, enjoying quiet time in the bush when fewer vehicles are driving on our dirt road. Many holidaymakers go to Kruger National Park on the weekends. During busy times, they must make an appointment to enter the park. We don’t care to go when an appointment is required.

If that many visitors are in the park, too many vehicles are gathered near a sighting, often too many for us to even take a single photo. We will return when this current holiday period ends in a week. Nor do we care to drive to Two Trees to search for wildlife on the river. We couldn’t find a place to park the last time we headed that way.

When Bad Ear left, Norman stopped by the lucerne this morning.

Sometimes, we worry that the magic of this special place will fade away as more and more houses are built. As more ground surface is covered by homes, driveways, and fenced gardens, there is less and less natural habitat for the wildlife to eat. We see this fact when we drive around and see so many houses being built. In time, the animals could be gone, mainly from dying of starvation. It’s an awful thought.

Many say that regular culling is a solution. But doesn’t that defeat this magical place’s entire value and purpose? There’s no easy answer. There are many sides to this perplexing situation, all valid to one degree or another.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, October 2, 2021:

No photo was posted one year ago today.