Lisa made it to South Africa!…Wildlife in abundance to meet the new human…Names of groups of wildlife?…
Yesterday, when we hadn’t seen a text from Lisa telling us if she had made the flight, we waited, hoping we’d hear she’d arrived in Nelspruit so Tom could begin the drive to the airport. Finally, she texted, saying Airlink allowed her on the flight at last minute, and she didn’t have a signal to text once she boarded the plane. She was waiting for Tom at the airport.
He took off immediately and arrived 90 minutes after refilling the little white car’s petrol. It was easy for Lisa to find him at the small airport. When they arrived, I was busy feeding eight zebras while she squealed with delight, seeing her first wildlife at our house. It was very exciting for her and us.
Since then, they’ve been coming in droves, and she loves every moment while we enjoy having her with us. We sat on the veranda, had dinner, and chatted well into the evening with countless animals stopping by, including the elusive genet.
After her long trip from the US, at about 9:00 pm, she headed off to bed while we tidied the kitchen and also headed to bed.
This morning, the names of groups of wildlife were discussed, and although we’d written about this topic years ago, we thought it was a good time to write again for our new readers and those who may have missed the original post.
“If you have a knowledgeable guide on an African safari, you will likely learn all sorts of new and interesting information about the animals you see, including their collective nouns. What is a collective noun? It is a word used to describe a collection of animals, people, or things.
Most people usually know that a group of lions is called a PRIDE, that a family of elephants form a HERD, or that ants can be found in a COLONY. However, do you know the name of a group of giraffes? Or even a group of hippos? How about a group of rhinos? Learning these names will make you seem like an aficionado on safari!
An armoury of aardvarks
A shrewdness of apes
An army of ants
A troop of baboons
A cete of badgers
A cloud of bats
A herd of buffalo
A coalition of cheetahs
A bask of crocodiles
A murder of crows
A pack of wild dogs
A herd/parade of elephants
A flamboyance of flamingos
A tower/journey of giraffes
A band of gorillas
A pod (raft) of hippos
A cackle/clan of hyenas
A leap of leopards
A conspiracy of lemurs
A pride of lions
A troop of monkeys
A band of mongooses
A parliament of owls
A pandemonium of parrots
A prickle of porcupines
A crash of rhinos
A venue of vultures
An implausibility of wildebeest
A dazzle of zebras”
As we busy ourselves on our laptops, we’re constantly distracted by visiting animals. It’s a wonderful day.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, April 3, 2015:
An exciting nocturnal visitor…Soon, Tom leaves for Nelspruit to pick up Lisa at the airport…Tom’s fun night out without me…
What a delightful sighting on the trail cam last night while we slept. This genet stopped by inspiring us to leave meat out for her or him in the future. As carnivores, they’ll eat any meat, raw or cooked.
Most nights, the trail cam picks up sightings of the same wildlife we take photos of during daylight hours. As a result, we only post unusual sightings from the trail cam.
At the moment, Lisa is in a long immigration queue in Johannesburg, unsure if she’ll make the Airlink flight to Nelspruit. Tom won’t leave for the airport until we hear from her that she made the flight. If not, she’ll have to take the 4:00 pm flight, arriving at 4:50, which is cutting it close for driving on the N4 before dark. The sunset is at 5:50. Driving on the N4 in the dark is too dangerous.
We’ll wait to hear from her about whether she will make the flight. As of this writing, the flight leaves in 40 minutes.
Last night was unusual for us. Tom went out without me. I would have gone to “Trivia Night” at Giraffe, but I was suffering from a gastrointestinal issue, which resolved overnight. We had committed to Patty Pan, who coordinates the event each week, that we’d both come since there were limited seats. It made sense for Tom to go without me.
He left the house at about 5:30 and returned at 9:30. They started playing at 6:30 and continued until just before he returned. I stayed in the bedroom watching movies while he was gone. He said he had a great time during the game. Since it was April Fool’s Day, many participants wore hilarious costumes and hats, as shown in today’s photos.
We just heard from Lisa that she made it through immigration and picked up her one piece of luggage. She’s now waiting in the security queue, which is also long; Tom won’t leave until we know she made the flight. Oh, dear.
I’ll start chopping and dicing once Tom leaves for the airport and I upload this post. For dinner, I am making a chicken peanut stir-fry with rice and a salad. I’m making enough for two nights, and then on Friday, we’ll all go to Jabula for dinner.
It will be a fun month with Lisa here with us. It’s so enjoyable for us to share the wonders of the bush with friends. No word from her yet. Will update her arrival tomorrow!
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, April 2, 2015:
Exciting airline WiFi changes…Our friend Lisa is on her way, after several delays…
The following is an article from Breaking Travel News found here.
“United Receives FAA Certification on Starlink Aircraft and Schedules First Commercial Flight for May
United announced that the FAA had approved its first Starlink-equipped aircraft type and that the first commercial flight was planned for May, less than eight months after the deal was first announced.
The FAA issued a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the Embraer 175, and the airline expects the first commercial flight to be onboard a United Express Embraer 175. United’s rollout of this new technology continues to accelerate, with approximately 40 regional jet installs planned monthly and the expectation that the entire two-cabin regional fleet—more than 300 planes—will be completed by the end of the year.
In addition to securing the STC, United will also run a beta test of the new technology on select flights between now and the first customer flight in May to ensure all aspects deliver an incredible onboard experience for passengers.
“We know customers are going to love this experience, and we think it will give them yet another reason to choose United,” said Grant Milstead, United’s Vice President of Digital Technology. “We’re working closely with Starlink and the FAA to finish installs on our regional fleet this year and bring the best inflight experience in the sky to more and more people.”
United will work with Starlink to secure an FAA STC to install Starlink on every United aircraft type, getting the new equipment (e.g., Embraer 175)—more than 16 regional and mainline aircraft models in total. According to the FAA, the process to secure each STC can include design, installation, testing, and submitting the package for FAA approval.
Earlier this month, United unveiled the Starlink install process, underscoring the technical operations benefits of the equipment, including size and weight and ease of installation and maintenance. The Starlink system, when compared to non-Starlink equipment, allows for a faster and simpler install, is lighter, requires less fuel to operate, and is more reliable and weather-proofed.
Starlink access will be free for all MileagePlus® customers and include game-changing inflight entertainment experiences like streaming services, shopping, gaming, and more, thanks to Wi-Fi speeds up to 250 megabits per second (Mbps), which is 50 times faster than current regional aircraft speeds. Membership to MileagePlus is also free, and people can sign up now at united.com/starlink.”
Surely, other airlines will follow suit by upgrading their systems to offer the same benefit to their customers. This would be a big bonus since we’d love to be online during long flights without paying outrageous fees. Of course, I imagine the airlines will increase costs over time to compensate for this change. That’s what they do.
Today and tonight, we’re following Lisa’s flight path, hoping she makes her connections and arrives as planned. She had a rocky start, with a three-hour traffic delay on her way to Orlando Airport and a flight delay for her first flight from Orlando to Frankfurt. She is staying in close contact with us. It’s her first time in Africa, and we hope for a seamless experience.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, April 1, 2015:
An injured little bushbuck living in the garden…Graphic photos…Please don’t look, if disturbing to you…
It’s been raining off and on since the middle of the night. Right now, the temperature is only 76F, 24C, but the humidity is 83% with a dew point of 70°, which is considered oppressive. In other words, while sitting outdoors, we are sweating. I finished my two cups of decaf coffee and am sweating more. Soon, I’ll switch to Crystal Light Lemonade in my big mug with lots of ice. (Tom drinks the iced tea).
When the sun comes out, the humidity and dew point will drop as the temperature rises. Today’s high is expected to be only 86F, 30 C, warm but bearable compared to the 90s of the past several days. The weather is expected to begin cooling down as we enter winter in the southern hemisphere.
The above-shown little bushbuck, maybe a few months old, has been living inside the fence surrounding the garden for several days with an injured leg that appeared swollen at the joint. Her mom came by several times a day to check on her. It was sad to
But we knew we had to report it since she would most likely never be able to jump over the little fence. We fed her several times daily, and she drank water from the birdbath. There was nothing more we could do.
This morning, I contacted Louise, and she called the rangers. Within a half hour, three rangers were here with the vet, Dr. Piet. He examined her and determined the injury was so bad she couldn’t be saved. They showed me the injury to give me peace of mind, knowing there was nothing that could be done for her.
They shot her before my eyes, and I flinched with tears in my eyes. This is the reality of living in the bush. I hesitated to post the graphic photos, thinking they might be too much for some of our readers to see. But we’ve always promised to ‘tell it like it is,’ and this scenario was no exception.
If any of our readers are uncomfortable, please know that the continued suffering of the little bushbuck was more inhumane than the outcome. Although it touched our hearts, we knew it had to be done.
Her mom showed up again, and I gave her some lettuce and cabbage. She’ll likely continue to look for her for several days, but she may soon be pregnant again as the life cycle continues.
Once I upload this post, we’re heading to the local Savemor Market for a few things since we haven’t shopped in Komati since last Monday, and we need to fill in a few things for the upcoming week.
Our dear friend, Lisa, flies out of Florida tonight and will arrive by noon on Wednesday when Tom picks her up at the airport in Nelspruit. I’ll stay behind when he collects her and the next rental car and make dinner. She may be too tired to eat dinner and sit on the veranda that night, but we’ll have a meal ready for her when she feels like eating.
That’s our story from today.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, March 31, 2015:
Power outage all day Saturday…Baking challenge…A two hour drive in the park…
Yesterday morning, I made another batch of keto lemon poppyseed muffins, which we’ve been savoring with dinner over the past weeks as we continue our successful weight loss goals. The recipe is time-consuming with many ingredients and requires squeezing lemons and grating the skin for lemon zest.
Tom makes the lemons while I work on the long list of ingredients. Many would not care to make these since combining all the ingredients takes a while. The recipe requires softened cream cheese and butter and some fussing with the “melt” settings on the microwave, let alone careful blending to avoid overmixing. Then, the gooey mess is placed into parchment-lined muffin papers in the muffin tins.
The result is the best-tasting muffins we’ve tried, and we shared some with our local friends, who also love them. However, baking in the electric oven was challenging because of a power outage yesterday morning. I was working on the recipe when I received a message from Louise stating the power grid for this side of Marloth Park had a “fault,” and Escom, the electric company, was working on the repair.
The inverter can not operate the oven, but the gas stovetop is fine. There I was with a triple batch of gooey muffin dough and no way to bake them. I considered using the gas grill since baking can be done on a grill, but often, baked goods come out uneven due to the fluctuating heat.
I placed all the dough into a large pot with a lid and put it in the refrigerator, where it would have to stay until the power was back on and I could bake the muffins. I knew the dough would thicken from the almond and coconut flours, but there was no alternative.
This morning, the thickened dough was much easier to form into the parchment papers in the muffin tins, cutting the time in half for that step. Next time, I will purposefully chill the dough overnight.
Louise informed us that the power could be out for over 24 hours. Since it’s been hot, we wanted to preserve as much of the stored power in the inverter as possible. Having air conditioning in the bedroom was more important than using power during the day.
With the inverter system in the house, we still had lights, refrigeration, and the air con in the bedroom, which were the most critical aspects during outages. But the WiFi was fading fast. When there’s a power outage, the batteries in the towers run out, and the WiFi signal to the houses is lost until the power is restored.
Thus, while posting yesterday, I noticed the WiFi signal fading in and out and knew that in no time, we’d be out of a signal. As a result, I uploaded the post as quickly as possible, and we decided to take a drive in Marloth Park to the river to see if we could spot any notable sightings and find some photo ops when we were running low on photos.
We decided not to go to Kruger National Park because it was a busy weekend, and holidaymakers flooded the area with safari plans.
Kruger National Park is on the opposite side of the river, and we decided to drive through Marloth Park in search of exciting photo ops. Still, on a hot day, animal sightings are minimal since they tend to hunker down in their preferred shady spots. We didn’t see much.
As we grappled with photo ops, we ended up with only a few, some of which we shared today and over the next few days. As exciting as Marloth Park is, some days are quiet and uneventful, especially on weekends and when the park is rife with tourists due to multiple national and school holidays. April will be a busy month, Easter, when many South Africans head this way.
However, the animals will still visit us. When Lisa arrives on Wednesday, we’ll keep her busy and enthralled with plenty of sightseeing adventures.
Last night, at Jabula, we had a fantastic dinner with Kathy, Don, and Connie. We sat at our usual table on the veranda and reminisced about many wonderful experiences in the years we’ve all been coming to Marloth Park. They leave to return to Hawaii in a little over a month, and we’ll spend plenty of time together before they go, adding dear friend Lisa to the mix.
The power was restored last night, and the muffins were great this morning. It’s hot again today, and we’re staying put. With Norman and his family here this morning and many bushbucks and kudus, we are content sitting on the veranda, watching nature surrounding us, and looking forward to a lovely homemade dinner and evening in the bush.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, March 30, 2015:
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Several requests for our keto salad dressing recipe…Booking six car rentals over the next several months…
When I received several messages yesterday after the menu items we served for friends on Thursday night, we decided today, while it’s fresh in my mind, to post the recipe. We use this dressing daily on the salad that accompanies our dinner.
It is healthy, free of chemicals, preservative and has only a few ingredients. See the recipe below:
Jess’s Keto Salad Dressing
- 1 cup unsweetened Greek yogurt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 T. vinegar (with the Mother)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt
- sweetener to taste
Combine all the ingredients, stirring well, and refrigerate. It keeps for about a week. When I make the dressing, I often make a small batch daily, using about 4T on a large salad. Delicious!
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Last night, we had a fun evening at Jabula, as usual. We knew almost every patron in the bar, which made it especially enjoyable. After a tasty dinner of grilled hake, fried eggs, creamed spinach, and Greek salad for me and steak, baked potato, and creamed spinach for Tom, we relaxed and chatted with the people at the bar.
Since we arrive at Jabula at 5:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, we are usually ready to return to the house by about 8:30 and hunker down for the remainder of the evening.
We’ll return tonight, but this time, Kathy, Don, and Connie will join us for dinner. It will be the first time we’ve been to Jabula together in three years. It almost feels like yesterday. Time seems to fly by at a record pace as we’ve aged.
In the past week, we spent considerable time searching for the best prices for the upcoming six car rentals we’ll need over the next several months, including the three weeks we’ll be in Minnesota from the end of May until mid-June. We were able to do a well-priced package for Minneapolis, including hotel, car, and round-trip flights.
The power is out in our area and may be out for the remainder of the day. Who knows, maybe even tomorrow? The inverter currently provides us with power, but we’ll lose WiFI soon since the towers will go down with the electricity. Thus, I am ending this post now to ensure I can get it uploaded before this happens.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, March 29, 2015:
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A good trip to the dentist…Fantastic dinner party with friends…See our menu..
When Louise informed us that it was safe to go to Malalane on the N4 Highway, with no road closures due to protests, we left the house at 10:00 am, arriving at Dr. Singh’s office at 10:45. I was hesitant about the appointment since I tend to suffer from “dental phobia.”
We got comfortable on the plush furniture in his newly expanded and tastefully designed office waiting area, busying ourselves with our phones. I don’t mind cleaning my teeth, but I dread the prospect of Dr. Singh finding anything wrong that would require future treatment, such as having teeth pulled, root canals, or needing crowns or implants.
Tom encouraged me to go first, and minutes later, I was escorted down the long hallway to the treatment room he usually uses. Moments later, Dr. Singh entered the room, and for the first time, he wasn’t wearing PPE, which I commented on. We chatted a little, and he began the thorough cleaning, which took about 30 minutes.
After the cleaning, he informed me that everything in my mouth looked healthy and that I didn’t require X-rays or further treatment. Tom had a similar experience. It had been over two years since we had our teeth cleaned, and we were both thrilled to discover that our frequent brushing and flossing had paid off.
The bill for both of us was totaled ZAR 1928.60, US $106.07. The average cost per person in Nevada, our home state in the US, is between ZAR 31779.85, US $175, and ZAR 5084.41, US $280. Everything seems to cost less here in South Africa.
It took about 30 minutes to return on the N4 from Malalane to Marloth Park. I was looking forward to returning to the house to continue preparing for our dinner guests, including food prep, setting the table on the veranda, and reducing a little clutter in the lounge and dining rooms.
We buzzed around the house, and in a short time, everything was in order, even allowing time to rest in the bedroom after another fitful night’s sleep. I rarely can nap during the day. Since we arrived almost four weeks ago, I’d yet to sleep through the night. I am currently tapering off Prednisone for allergies, which is known to cause insomnia. I will take the last tablet on Sunday night.
Much to my delight, I slept until 5:30 am and fell back to sleep for another hour, getting up refreshed and ready to tackle another day.
As for last night with Kathy and Don and her sister Connie, we had a wonderful evening, enjoying their friendship, along with lively conversation, and a simple dinner that included the following:
- Bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin on the braai
- Baked potatoes with sour cream and chives
- Roasted vegetables
- Fresh green beans
- Greek salad with homemade Greek yogurt and sour cream dressing
- Homemade keto lemon poppyseed muffins
This menu was easy to make, with only a few more items than Tom and I would have for a usual dinner. Of course, Tom finished the dishes after everyone had left, and then I headed to the bedroom. There’s no dishwasher here, which is uncommon in the bush. We all decided to meet for dinner at Jabula on Saturday night. We’re happy to be able to spend this quality time with our dear friends since they’ll be returning to the US at the beginning of May.
Tonight, we’re going to Jabula as we do each Friday night, and we look forward to more socializing!
Oops! Gotta go. Norman’s here!
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, March 28, 2015:
Glorious rain at long last…
It’s raining in buckets! I awoke during the night as usual but was thrilled to hear the rain pounding on the roof. This is such a boost for the wildlife. The grasses, trees, and bushes will sprout again, providing the animals with much-needed nutrition. It hasn’t rained here in months.
Soon, we’ll be heading to Malelane, 30 minutes from here, to see Dr. Singh for our teeth cleanings. Hopefully, no new issues will be found, and we’ll be good to go. I despise going to the dentist. Our former dentist in Komatipoort, Luzanne, moved to Chicago, Illinois, about a year ago, and no one took over her Komati location.
As a result, we’ll be going to Dr. Singh, who’s done work on both of us in the past as the highest-rated dentist within an hour’s drive. The road to Malelane was blocked a few days ago with burning tires due to protests and was unpassable. We’re hoping everything is ok now.
Louise has an app on her phone that updates her with any issues on the N4, the treacherous road to Nelspruit, where the airport is located. We always dread that drive, primarily through the gorge. We won’t have to go that far today. Malalane is less than halfway to Nelspruit.
Based on my medical status while in the US, we haven’t had our teeth cleaned in two years. During those challenging months, I had no interest in going to the dentist. I am not interested in going now either, but it’s one of these medical “must-dos” most of us don’t look forward to.
Last night, we went to Giraffe Pub and Grill for dinner. We ran into Leon, George, Patty Pan, and Sydney. It was fun to see them all, and we had a great time. I had the Greek grilled chicken salad with extra chicken and a side order of three fried eggs. Tom had the chicken schnitzel and baked potato. Tom had two beers, and I had one glass of light white wine, which they surprisingly had on the menu. Our total bill with tip was ZAR 500.57, US $27.46. Amazing!
I have to cut this short today since I need to head into the kitchen to begin some prep for tonight’s dinner party. I will chop and dice the ingredients for the salad. When we return from the dentist, I’ll get to work on the balance of the menu. It will be fairly easy since I am not making a fancy dinner.
Have a great day!
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, March 27, 2015:
Dear friends coming for dinner tomorrow…Plus, an 11:00 am dentist appointment…
We will have our first dinner guests tomorrow night since we returned to Marloth Park three weeks ago. First, we had to recover from the long travel days, and shortly thereafter, I started having allergies, including asthma, hay fever, and itchy eyes.
The new drug has controlled the asthma, but the hay fever and itchy eyes continue. As requested, I will call Doc Theo today to determine what to do next. Yesterday, the pharmacist in Komatipoort suggested 24-hour allergy eye drops, which I used, providing some relief last night. However, I must wait until tonight to take another drop in each eye.
This morning, I left Theo a WhatsApp message with the update he requested. By the end of the day, we’ll see what he recommends for the hay fever and proceed from there.
Since we have dentist appointments for teeth cleanings tomorrow morning, we’ll be busy in the afternoon when our dear friends Kathy and Don and her sister Connie arrive around 5:00 pm for sundowners, followed by dinner shortly thereafter.
On Friday, we’ll post the menu, which is light and casual since none of them are big eaters. They like small portions and have food restrictions, so I let Kathy help with menu suggestions. As a result, the prep for this simple meal will be easy. Having them here with us again will be wonderful after they’ve been away from Marloth Park for three years to deal with medical issues.
Their friendship is way more important than serving them food. Still, as we all know, socialization often centers around food and drink, especially in South Africa, along with lively conversation. Over the past years, they’ve been gone, most of which we also spent in the US and stayed in close touch.
We even planned to return to Marloth Park at the same time to spend time together. We are fortunate to have many friends throughout the world, some Americans, some not. We love making memories with our friends and family members. (It’s hard to believe we’ll be back in the US 60 days from today. It feels as if we just got here.)
Today is an easy day, with a little prep for tomorrow. We’ve decided to go out to Giraffe Pub and Grill for dinner tonight. We haven’t been there yet. They have a few dishes I can eat, including a delicious salad, which I’ll most likely order. Tom will decide when he gets there.
A few days ago, I baked some Keto Lemon Poppyseed muffins, and tonight, when we head out, we’ll stop at Louise and Danie’s home to drop some off for them. They are keto-conscious like us.
We had a busy morning in the garden today, with at least six species visiting simultaneously. We tossed pellets, carrots, and apples to our animal friends, including Norman and his family. What a delight! Photos will follow in the next post.
That’s it for today, dear readers/friends! We’ll be back with more.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, March 26, 2015:
