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| This morning Tom took photos of this injured or malformed warthog. Empathizing with him, Tom gave him an abundance of pellets which he happily gobbled up. Whatever may have caused this anomaly retained the wart in its usual position, although it’s smaller. Hence his new name, “Scar Face.” |
“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”
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| Waterbucks are found near the river. Each has “target-like” markings on its hind ends. |
Over these past few days, we’ve been busier with visitors coming by more than any other time since we arrived on February 11th or when we were here four years ago.
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| Side view of Scar Face. |
Whether we’re chopping carrots or apples, restocking the small yellow pellet container from the huge trash can container we keep in the living room, or filling the red plastic measuring cup with bird seeds we keep in the freezer, now that the tourists have wafted away, we’re practically busy all day long.
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| Scar Face visited with his friend whom we aptly named “Mutton Chops” for those of us who recall the expression From this site: “Sideburns, sideboards, or side whiskers are patches of facial hair grown on the sides of the face, extending from the hairline to run parallel to or beyond the ears. The term sideburns is a 19th-century corruption of the original burnsides, named after American Civil War general Ambrose Burnside, a man known for his unusual facial hairstyle that connected thick sideburns by way of a mustache, but left the chin clean-shaven.” |
Then, of course, there is the process of taking photos we feel may be worthy of sharing here. Not all we take fit into that category. But as all you amateur photographers like us so well know, one can take dozens of shots to get the one worthy of sharing. (Tom took many of today’s photos).
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| Ms. Kudu munching on some tasty leaves on a tree closest to the veranda. |
Add the daily meal prep, a little bit of cleaning (Marta does the bulk of it), and our almost daily drives in the park. Our days are packed with activity. One might assume our days sitting on the veranda are uneventful other than the occasional visit by animals or people.
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| After Tom gave them many pellets, they both needed some moisture; one drank from the pond while the other munched on vegetation. |
But, that’s not the case. The days fly by so quickly with the flurry of activity coupled with our intense enjoyment of our environment. It is almost as if we didn’t have enough time to embrace them thoroughly.
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| This uneven dirt road with ruts and bumps is typically found in Marloth Park. When we explore, most roads create a very bumpy ride. |
In our own way, we take a breath and stop to capture the moment, not just with the camera but in our minds, hoping to recall every day to memory as the days march on in rapid succession,
Luckily, we have our past posts to fill us in when we can’t recall a date or specific event. Uploading our daily posts is not only well-worth sharing our stories and photos with all of you, but it provides us with easy and handy references to every single day of our lives.
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| Two male zebras didn’t seem to mind Marta walking out to the clothesline. |
That, in itself, would be enough inspiration to keep us posting indefinitely. Do you recall each day of a holiday/vacation if it weren’t for your photos and observations posted on various social media sites?
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| During the mating season, in full bloom now, the kudu’s necks and glans near his neck swell to enormous proportions. Kudus are also very muscular, year-round. |
Most of us would not recall each day. Those memories would meld into a single instance of “taking a trip” while spending the time to relax and rejuvenate. One may recall specific activities, but idle time is what’s most difficult to remember and, it’s often during those times that we rejuvenate and refresh the most.
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| Big Daddy always appreciates early morning pick-me-up pellets. |
Does our busy life allow us time to unwind? We’ve made certain of that, especially now that we’ve incorporated a hectic social life into our routine. Quiet time is sacred to us and always has been.
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| Frank (our resident francolin) always stops by to see “what’s cooking.” |
After completing the day’s post, it’s often 1:00 pm, occasionally later, such as yesterday’s late posting when we’d gone to Komatipoort to shop for a few items. Monday morning, we’ll do the same.
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| Early this morning, two male impalas checked out Tom, seated at the big table on the veranda around 6:15 am. A blue garbage bag flew into the yard overnight, which we tossed. |
Today will be a quiet day. I’m dragging from a poor night’s sleep for whatever reason, hoping to get in a short nap later in the day. Sometimes it’s hard to shut off my brain. Do you know the feeling?
May your day be pleasant and quiet if you so chose.
Photo from one year ago today, April 12, 2017:
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| Sailing is popular in the Sydney area when conditions are right. For more photos, please click here. |