Rolling back into everyday life after recent events…

We’ve been back in Marloth Park for three days now, and somehow, in that short time, we’ve already slipped right back into our familiar routine. It feels as if we never left, although those 11 days in Madagascar, Johannesburg, and Nelspruit felt much longer while we were there. There is something comforting about returning to a place we know so well, where we have our favorite shops, restaurants, friends, and, of course, all the wildlife that makes this little town so special to us.

Since returning, we’ve picked up takeaway from Giraffe, shopped for groceries at Savmore, bought meat at the Wild Butchery, and stopped at Daisy’s Den for birdseed and pellets. We also prepaid for more lucerne, which will be delivered over the next five weeks. Keeping our wildlife supplies stocked is just another part of our life here. We never know who might show up at the veranda, and I certainly don’t want to run out of food for our regular visitors.

We’ve also been busy socially. On both Friday and Saturday nights, we went to Jabula for dinner and some serious socialization. After 11 days away, we had plenty of catching up to do! Last night, Kathy and Don joined us at Jabula, and we had such a lovely evening together. We sat at a table on the veranda, enjoyed dinner, and talked about everything that had happened while we were away.

Nothing has kept Tom from enjoying life again. Yes, his eye is blood red, irritated and tender, but he is coping well and never complains.

Of course, there was plenty to talk about. Between our time in Madagascar, Tom’s eye surgery, our return to South Africa, and everything that has happened here in Marloth Park while we were gone, it was wonderful to sit back and catch up with friends. These casual evenings at Jabula are one of the things we miss most when we’re away. It’s not just the food or the drinks. It’s the people, the conversations, the laughter, and that wonderful feeling of belonging to this little community.

Gosh, it’s great to be back!

Today will be a much quieter day. I’m making baby back ribs for Tom, along with some leftover frozen fried rice. This is the fried rice we made when Di and Peter were here, and Dawn and Leon joined us for our Chinese dinner. I had frozen the leftovers, knowing they would eventually come in handy. Today is the day!

I’ll be having something completely different. Most likely, I’ll make steamed mussels and sautéed calamari rings. It’s not at all uncommon for me to make two different dinners when Tom and I are in the mood for different foods. After all these years together, we’ve learned there is no reason we have to eat the same thing just because we’re having dinner together.

Sometimes Tom wants meat and rice, while I’m craving seafood. That’s perfectly fine with us. We each get what we want, and neither of us has to compromise on dinner.

After the stressful past couple of weeks, there is something especially wonderful about being back here: settling into our familiar routine, shopping for food, seeing friends, enjoying dinners at Jabula, the upcoming Quiz Night on Tuesday, (Kathy and Don will join our team) and simply being surrounded by the bush again.

This is where we want to be. Thank you for being here with us.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, September 20, 2016: