Tom had a clever idea about my Skinny Rosé wine…Our latest bird sighting in the bush…

With summer fast approaching, we look forward to evenings on the veranda, enjoying an adult beverage while watching wildlife and taking in the beautiful views from our garden. Here in South Africa, we call these evening drinks “sundowners,” and they have become a favorite part of our days in Marloth Park.

However, with the rising temperatures, I’ve been having a bit of a problem with my favorite evening drink. I enjoy a low-alcohol, low-calorie, dry pink rosé wine called Four Cousins Skinny Rosé. It’s delicious, and I look forward to sipping it before and during dinner. But when the temperatures rise, keeping my wine cold becomes a challenge.

I like my wine in an average-sized stemmed wine glass. I don’t care for stemless glasses, and I’ve always preferred a traditional wine glass. To keep my wine cold, I add plenty of ice cubes. Unfortunately, the glass sweats in the heat, and the ice melts so quickly that within minutes, my delicious wine becomes so watered down that it loses much of its flavor. By the time I’m halfway through my glass, it isn’t nearly as enjoyable.

A few days ago, Tom came up with what I thought was a rather amusing idea. Why not freeze some of my wine in an ice cube tray and use those cubes instead of regular ice? I chuckled at his suggestion, but I should have known by now that Tom often comes up with pretty clever solutions to everyday problems.

When I got up this morning, he proudly showed me a plastic bag filled with frozen wine cubes he had prepared. I squealed with delight! What a wonderful idea! Instead of adding plain ice that dilutes the wine, I can now add frozen wine cubes that will keep my drink cold without sacrificing its delicious flavor.

Tom makes ice cubes daily with our traveling ice cube trays, so preparing these wine cubes was easy. Now I need to melt a glassful of the frozen cubes to figure out how much wine they represent. Since I typically enjoy two glasses of Skinny wine on a warm evening, I want to stay within my preferred limit of two glasses. I savor every sip before and during dinner, but once dinner is finished, I never drink any more wine, even when we dine out at our favorite restaurants.

Thanks, Tom! You are always thinking of me, and I appreciate the little things you do to make our daily lives more enjoyable.

Most restaurants in Marloth Park carry what is called “extra light” wine, a white extra-dry option that is low in alcohol and calories. I order it whenever Skinny isn’t available. At Jabula, our favorite place for a night out, Dawn orders Skinny wine especially for me, which is such a thoughtful gesture. I’m always grateful she goes to the trouble to make sure I have the wine I enjoy.

Of course, they won’t have my new frozen Skinny wine cubes at Jabula, but that’s perfectly fine. We usually sit at the inside bar when we dine there, where the ice doesn’t melt quite as quickly as it does outside on our veranda. Besides, I can enjoy my special wine cubes at home several evenings a week.

We typically dine at home four nights a week, so Tom’s clever idea will come in handy quite often. It’s a small change, but these simple solutions can make a big difference in our everyday enjoyment.

As we move into another hot South African summer, I’m looking forward to many more evenings on the veranda with a chilled glass of my favorite pink wine, delicious dinners, and the wonderful wildlife that makes our life here so special. And now, thanks to Tom, I can enjoy my sundowners without worrying about my wine becoming watered down before I’ve had a chance to savor it!

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The Retz’s Helmetshrike (Prionops retzii) is one of the most distinctive and entertaining birds we may encounter in Marloth Park. With its unusual facial markings, bright red bill, and sociable behavior, it is a wonderful bird to watch in the bush.

What does the Retz’s Helmetshrike look like?

• Size: Approximately 8 to 9 inches (19 to 24 cm) long.

• Body: Mostly black, with a dark brown back and wings.

• Eyes: Bright yellow eyes surrounded by a striking, fleshy red wattle that looks almost like a ruffled ring.

• Bill and legs: Both are bright red, making a vivid contrast against its dark plumage.

• Crest: Short, stiff feathers on its forehead give its head a distinctive, helmet-like appearance.

Its unusual face almost looks as though someone has carefully painted bright colors around its eyes. Once we recognize those red eye wattles and yellow eyes, it becomes much easier to distinguish from other birds in the area.

Retz’s Helmetshrikes favor wooded areas, including riverine forest and mature woodland. In Marloth Park, they are fairly common residents and may be spotted in trees throughout the park, including along Seekoei Road and in suitable wooded sections.

They can be a little tricky to photograph because they often move through leafy branches and tangled vegetation. You might hear them before you see them, which happened in our case, and we’ll listen for them in the future with their somewhat harsh whistles and clicking calls.

One of the most fascinating things about these birds is that they rarely travel alone. They commonly travel in groups of 2 to 15 birds, moving together through the trees as they search for food. They may also join mixed-species flocks with other birds, including White-crested Helmetshrikes.

They feed mainly on insects and other small invertebrates, gleaning them from leaves, branches, and tree trunks. As they forage, they move actively from one spot to another, making them entertaining to watch as they investigate the vegetation. Four of them only stayed in our garden for a few minutes, but they were delightful to see and hear.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, October 12, 2016: