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| Appetizers of grilled prawns and Boerewors, a frequently served sausage of South Africa. Notice the dinner plates are upside down…to keep the bugs off of them. I failed to take more food photos. We were too busy having fun! For the link to this post, please click here. |
“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”
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| Traffic jam on the paved road in Marloth Park. Delightful! |
Note: Please excuse the poor quality of the photos we’ve included today from five years ago. At that point, we only had one camera, and the humidity caused condensation inside the lens. There was nothing we could do until it finally dried out.
It’s been reported that it rained 60 mm (2.36 inches) in Marloth Park last night. This morning after the small amount of rain, we noticed a slight increase in the greenery in the bush.
It should have been raining during the spring season (which it didn’t), ending on December 22nd when summer begins. Had it rained during the commencement of the rainy season a few months ago, the bush would have been lush with food sources for the animals.
This late rain, should it continue, will help but won’t solve the problems related to the drought. With the hard impacted ground after the dry season, there may be many run-offs reducing the rainwater absorption into the soil. Thus, there are fewer sources of food supplies for the animals.
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The candlelit place settings were befitting an elegant dinner. No paper plates here! All prepared for our group of 17 to perfection. The camera lens was humid on the inside resulting in these blotchy photos. For the link to this post, please click here.
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With numerous notices on the various Marloth Park Facebook pages suggesting we all pitch in and feed the animals, we feel confident we’re already doing all we can. The constant stream of hungry animals fills the garden hour after hour while we’re frequently on our feet tossing food their way.
The most difficult animals to feed are the bushbucks and the duikers, who are often chased off by the more aggressive animals such as the warthogs, kudus, and wildebeest, who overpower them sending them running into the bush.
They wait patiently in the bush for their opportunity to eat while we keep a watchful eye for the perfect opportunity, which often may be an hour later when the others have departed.
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| Danie in the apron on the left and Louise on the far right put on a fantastic dinner in the bush in Kruger National Park. |
Sooner or later, the opportunity arises, and we place a few containers of pellets, lettuce, apples, and carrots at the bottom of the steps, their preferred spot to eat.
On top of it all, we’re always on the lookout for monkeys who we refuse to feed. Their ability to damage property and destroy interiors of houses when they manage to make their way indoors is not worth the risk.
Like most residents, we shoo them away when they appear looking for food. They are smart enough to forage for fruit and other food sources, often pilfered from garbage bags and other sources.
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| More new friends from the UK are at our table, Janet and Steve who joined us for dinner last night at Jabula with Rita and Gerhard. They are also seasoned world travelers with considerable experience in many countries in Africa. |
Many now are carrying around their newborns. There are more monkeys and baboons in Marloth Park than you can imagine. They seem to thrive regardless of weather conditions.
I’m rushing to get today’s post uploaded before the next power outage. This morning Rita and Gerhard stopped by for breakfast, leaving only a short time ago, and I’m definitely behind schedule. Of course, as we did last night at Jabula Lodge with them and Janet and Steve, we had another fantastic time.
Currently, I’m working with Rita to introduce her to the low carb, high fat, moderate protein way of eating, and its fun sharing information face to face. She’s undoubtedly embracing the concept with enthusiasm.
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| Unfortunately, at this point, Lynne and Mick were leaving in a few days to return to the UK. But we saw them when we returned last February and will see them again soon in January. |
Speaking of food…today’s photos were taken on a very humid night, five years ago today when Louise and Danie‘s hosted a very special bush braai in Kruger National Park, in the dark, with guards protecting the perimeter, as we dined on delicious foods they’d prepared for our group. It was a night we’ll never forget.
The significant part of that particular night is the friends we made then, that are still our friends today, a full five years later while we were traveling the world. We feel so fortunate and blessed to have made such friends in Marloth Park, contributing to our desire to return in 2020.
Tonight, there will be a power outage from 1900 to 2130 hours (7:00 to 9:30 pm). Thank goodness we’ve charged solar panel light when the sun was out a few days ago. A few days ago, we purchased this lamp to get us through the dark evenings during the power shedding.
The heat and humidity are still stifling even after the rain. Yesterday, the aircon in our bedroom died, and it won’t be repaired until tomorrow. Last night was tough, but we were grateful to have a fan. One more night of the fan, and by tomorrow, we’ll be back up and running (hopefully).
Tonight we’ll braai marinated pork tenderloins with vegetables, salad, and whatever refreshments we can muster from our still well-stocked bar.
Have a great evening!
Photo from one year ago today, December 9, 2017:
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| Christmas tree in Colon Park in Arica, Chile, with St. Mark’s Cathedral (San Marcos)l in the background. For more photos, please click here. |