Day 3, Kruger National Park…Guided game drive…Leopard day…excellent night game drive and dinner…

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Of course, the leopard was seen at quite a distance in a tree, which hampered the photos’ quality.

As mentioned earlier, seeing the Big Five is unlikely in this area since the rhinos have been moved further north to more protected areas. Poaching has caused the obliteration of tens of thousands of rhinos in South Africa for many years.

Leopard loungin in the tree.

Here’s a chart with rhino poaching statistics from this site:

South Africa: A rhino poaching hotspot

Chart showing rhinos poached in South Africa 2006 - 2024

As a result of moving the rhinos, the likelihood of seeing The Big Five in this area is slim to none. The Big Five are described as follows:

“The Big Five refers to African lions, leopards, rhinoceros, elephants, and Cape buffalo. Today, the phrase is usually used to market safaris, but it was first coined by big-game hunters more than 100 years ago.”

When sharing a vehicle with other passengers, we can’t sit as long as I’d like to get good shots, as the leopard frequently moves on the tree.

Thus, spotting four of The Big Five, except the rhino, on our morning drive on Monday was quite a thrill to share with Lisa and a joy for Tom and me. But, it isn’t so much about The Big Five as the experience of being in the park and the sightings of many other species, which we’ll continue to share over the next several days, including photos from last night’s night drive and dinner in the bush.

The heaviest wild leopard in Southern Africa weighed around 96 kg (212 lb) and measured 262 cm (103 in).

Today, we only have to run to the ATM at the Bush Centre, and tonight, we’re taking Louise and Danie out to dinner with us in Ngwenya for the Thursday evening buffet. It’s hard to believe the cost of their “all-you-can buffet” is only ZAR 200, US $10.30! Amazing!

The heaviest wild leopard in Southern Africa weighed around 96 kg (212 lb) and measured 262 cm (103 in).

We’ll be at Jabula tomorrow and Saturday evenings, so I won’t cook again until Sunday and Monday. It’s fun being so busy with so many activities.

That’s it for today, folks! We’ll be back tomorrow with more photos of our adventures.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, April 10, 2015:

These Angel Trumpets at the Princeville Botanical Gardens are known to be hallucinogenic and abused by some who partake in its effects. We’d seen these flowers in Madeira, Portugal, and had no idea their drug-like properties. For more photos, please click here.

Day 1, Kruger National Park…Guided game drive…Very cloudy day…

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This scene at sunrise prompted us to take photos.

Being ready to head out the door to the safari vehicle at 5:00 am was a bit challenging. Still, the three of us managed to be prepared to go when Martin, our Kruger guide, arrived in the 10-person safari vehicle with two other guests already in tow.

We were concerned that in a 10-person vehicle, one or two of us may be stuck in the middle of three seats across and unable to take photos easily. As it turned out, there were only five of us. Lisa and I sat in one seat with Tom alone in front of us. We’d have no problem taking photos from our prime positions in the tiered seating game drive vehicle.

What’s the difference between a black-headed vulture and a red-headed vulture? But once again, they found that hemoglobin — and not carotenoids — is the main pigment responsible for the red coloration of the turkey vulture’s head skin, whilst eumelanin is the source for the coloration of the black vulture’s black head skin.

Since it was so early in the morning, the 20-minute drive to the Crocodile Bridge Gate was windy and cool. We’d all bundled up in layers and wore hats, and the time passed quickly while we were cool in the early morning temperatures.

Once we arrived at the gate, the guided safari vehicles were first in line, while tourists self-driving were in another row. By 6:30, we were processed and heading into the park. We used our Wild Card annual pass, and Lisa purchased a single-entry pass. Louise had arranged the guided tour at Marloth Park Info Centre for the six-hour morning game drive at the cost of ZAR 980, US $50.33.

Vultures only eat dead meat. They do not hunt for live wildlife.

Although we saw four of The Big Five with no rhinos in the areas we traveled since they’ve all been moved for safety reasons (to avoid poaching), we didn’t see a tremendous number of animals, not as many as we often see when we do a self-drive.

However, the sightings that Martin pursued after communicating with other drivers were worth the long distances we drove to specific locations. There, we saw the elusive leopard and, later, further away, male and female lions with a Cape buffalo kill.

Vultures are often seen in dead trees because the sturdy, leafless branches provide stable perches, unobstructed views, and a safe place to roost, especially for scavenging birds with flat, chicken-like feet.

We spent most of the six hours racing in the bouncing vehicle. My Fitbit registers the bouncing as if it were steps. At the end of the six hours, my watch registered almost 6000 steps when we only walked from the parking lot where Martin parked the vehicle to the Mugg & Bean restaurant in Lower Sabie, where Lisa and I had an early lunch. Tom wasn’t hungry and didn’t order.

An hour later, we were back on the road, with multiple elephant sightings in the process, as we returned to the Crocodile Bridge, where our six-hour tour was ending.

Spotting elephants in the wild is always an extraordinary experience.

We generously tipped Martin for a good day and were anxious to get in the house to review our photos. Later, we had a lovely dinner, and we all headed to bed early to make up for lost sleep. For the first time since we arrived, I slept well for over eight hours, woke up refreshed, and was ready for a new day.

The three of us are seated at the table on the veranda using our laptops. Tom is listening to podcasts using his earbuds, and Lisa and I are working on our respective websites, posting photos and information about our safari day. Here’s the link to Lisa’s site.

This is a younger elephant whose tusks are continuing to grow.

Tonight, the three of us are going to Girafe Bar & Grill for dinner and then “quiz night,” a three-hour group trivia game with many other locals and tourists in attendance. The locals take this game very seriously, so it should be fun.

We’ll add the remainder of our many photos over the next several days. Please check back.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, April 8, 2015

A juice bar on wheels in Hanalei, Kauai. For more photos, please click here.

Important travel news about Venice this June…A visit to Two Trees for river sightings…

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Several waterbucks across the Crocodile River.

Note: Today’s photos were taken quite far from where we were seated at Two Trees river-viewing area.

From Travel & Leisure, we encountered the following article, which may be significant to many of our readers traveling to Venice in June. We are not interested in celebrity news; we are sharing this important article for any of our readers considering a visit to Venice.

Venice is a fantastic tourist experience, which we thoroughly enjoyed in June 2013, and it is a once-in-a-lifetime travel treasure. However, if you have plans to travel to Venice

“Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s Wedding Has Travelers Worried About Visiting Venice This Summer—Here’s What You Should Know

Venice has hosted bigger events, but you may have some trouble in one area of planning.

By Stacey Leasca

Published on April 2, 2025:
  • Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are tying the knot in Venice.
  • Amid reports and fears of travel disruptions in the popular Italian destination, the city claims it “will be easy for Venice to accommodate such an event.”
  • For anyone overlapping with the wedding, there’s one booking you should make ASAP.

When one of the wealthiest men in the world gets married, you know it will be a scene. And that’s exactly why travelers are already bracing for the impact of Jeff Bezos marrying Lauren Sanchez in Venice this June.

I caught this bird in flight, but what a strange photo!

“It seems that Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have decided to get married in Venice on June 24-26. Reports say that they have reserved all water taxis in the city and will be taking over many of the high-end hotels,” one Redditor recently lamented on the Italy Travel subreddit. “I would not want to be anywhere near Venice during that time. Make alternate plans to go somewhere else if you value your sanity and your health.”

However, it appears this was all by design. Morris Ceron, the director general of the Venice council, told the London Times he actually campaigned for the couple to have their wedding here. “Seven months ago, Domenico Dolce told me Bezos was getting married,” Ceron said. “I got to work to bring this marriage of the century to Venice—that’s how it started.

But these upcoming nuptials have drawn almost too much attention—so much so that the local government felt compelled to share a statement about the wedding to dispel any fears.

“The many speculations and fake news circulating about Jeff Bezos’ wedding are completely unfounded. Only two hundred guests will have been invited, and therefore it will be easy for Venice to accommodate such an event, without any disruption whatsoever to the city, its residents and visitors,” Luigi Brugnaro, the mayor of Venice, wrote.

Waterbucks are beautiful animals, much larger than they appear in these blurry photos.

As Brugnaro noted, the city has hosted “international events much larger than this.” He also squashed the rumor that the Bezos wedding party has already rented out all the gondolas in the city. “The organization has categorically not booked large amounts of gondolas or excessive numbers of water taxis, and it is their utmost priority to make sure the city functions as normal, for all, with no abnormal disruption to anyone.”

In fact, people may not even realize the wedding is taking place. A spokesperson for the mayor of Venice told CNN that the wedding is likely taking place on Bezos’ superyacht, which will be anchored in the lagoon.

That said, people may have trouble finding a luxury hotel room. According to CNN, the city’s best hotels—including the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, the St. Regis Venice, and the Gritti Palace—are almost all completely booked for the end of June.

Which celebrities fellow travelers may spot over the wedding weekend is really anyone’s guess, but TMZ is speculating that Eva Longoria, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Kris Jenner, and Kim Kardashian have all made the list.

So yes, it will be busy. But if you’ve already got plans to visit, you don’t necessarily have to re-book if you don’t want to.

“As Municipality of Venice, from the beginning, we are mutually working and supporting the organizers to ensure that the event will be respectful of the fragility and uniqueness of the city,” Brugnaro added. “For this reason, we will work together for best result. Whoever loves Venice will always be welcome.”

Thousands of celebrity-hungry tourists will most likely be in Venice at that time, hoping to glimpse the bride and groom and his stunning yacht, which will be moored in the lagoon, along with the countless celebrities attending the festivities.
If you plan to be in Venice during this hectic period, which will extend to the end of the month, and “celebrity” doesn’t appeal to you, there are countless amazing places in Italy to choose from as an alternative. Perhaps you can save a trip to Venice for the end of your Italian vacation when this massive event is over.
On another note, we headed to the Two Trees viewing area a few days ago but only spotted the above-shown waterbucks. But Lisa was thrilled to see a species she had yet to see. We are having such fun with her. We booked some activities for next week with the help of Louise when we stopped at the Marloth Park Info Centre, owned and operated by Louise and Danie.
We will be sharing photos here after each event. We are all looking forward to these activities.
Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, April 5, 2015:

It is not an Easter lily but an orchid. It was spotted in Princeville, Kauai. For more photos, please click here.

Lisa made it to South Africa!…Wildlife in abundance to meet the new human…Names of groups of wildlife?…

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Look how many mongooses stopped by to see Lisa today. 

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.

A flock of helmeted guinea fowl in the garden.

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.

The Big Daddy jumped the fence looking for pellets. We put the pellets on the ground outside this area of the garden.

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:

Based on appearance, we speculate that there’s some permanent pouch beneath this shedding skin of this Green Anole. We had difficulty finding details on the shedding process of these lizards. For more photos, please click here.

An exciting nocturnal visitor…Soon, Tom leaves for Nelspruit to pick up Lisa at the airport…Tom’s fun night out without me…

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Last night, our trail cam picked up this photo of a genet. We’ll start putting meat out for him. “A genet is a member of the genus Genetta, which consists of 17 species of small African carnivorans. The common genet is the only one in Europe, and it occurs on the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, and France. Genet fossils from the Late Miocene have later been found at sites in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Morocco.”

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.

With no luck finding meat, he ended his search and jumped off the railing. Genets are carnivores, like other feline species.

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.

At this table, from left to right, is Sidney, his wife Patty Pan, Lorraine, Michael, friend Don’s cousins, all of whom we know. Tom played trivia with this group.

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 don’t recognize anyone at this table since the men are dressed like women due to April Fool’s Day!

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.

Tom recognized some of these participants but not necessarily by name.

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:

On a walk in Princeville, Kauai, I was enthralled by the view as I approached our condo (not shown in this photo). For more photos, please click here.

An injured little bushbuck living in the garden…Graphic photos…Please don’t look, if disturbing to you…

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This precious little bushbuck had a seriously injured leg and has been living in our garden for several days, during which time we have fed her. Help is on its way.

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.

As shown, her little knee was severely injured and nothing could be done.

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.

Honorary Ranger Mark, owner of Daisy’s Den, whom we’ve known for years, carried her lifeless body out to his truck.

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.

Her mom stopped by shortly after they took her baby away, looking for her.

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:

There’s always a chicken on the beach in Kauai. For more photos, please click here.

Several requests for our keto salad dressing recipe…Booking six car rentals over the next several months…

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This cute little female bushbuck often jumps the fence and stands quietly near this tree.

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.

Zebras visit daily, often kicking one another while fighting over pellets.

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!

________________________________________________________________________________________

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.

Nina, Nola, and Nathan visit the garden.

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.

Notice the wildebeest calf in the center, hanging out with the boys.

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 wildebeests huddle around a toss of pellets.

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:

Hanalei Bay Beauty is by Princeville Artisan Fair photographer Alia DeVille, a talented and passionate young woman born in Kauai who has adopted the fine art of photography. For more photos, please click here.

Glorious rain at long last…

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The band of mongoose was the only wildlife to visit this morning in the rain. We gave them leftover chicken, which they loved.

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:

The albatross, which may or may not be related in Kauai, often hangs out together. This could be the parents of the smaller bird from a previous season or the bird of another family. For more photos, please click here.

Dear friends coming for dinner tomorrow…Plus, an 11:00 am dentist appointment…

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When we last visited in 2023, we called a starling Vega. They are commonly seen but iridescent and pretty.

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.

I think this is a bush shrike, but I could be wrong.

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.

This young female bushbuck visits daily.

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.

Norman stops by almost every day. We are always thrilled to see him.

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.

The fine white hairs on his back stood up, and a large male animal was nearby. At this point, Big Daddy was standing outside the fence watching Norman.

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:

In Kauai, the colors in this scene took our breath away. For more photos, please click here.

Grocery prices in South Africa…

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This was our meat haul from The Butchery in Marloth Park at the Bush Centre. See below for details and cost.

We purchase most animal protein from The Butchery in the Bush Centre in Marloth Park instead of the SaveMor here or Spar Market in Komatipoort. We find their meats to be fresher and superior in quality and pricing, although the selection may be limited since they don’t handle large roasts, which we enjoy from time to time.

We’ve been shopping at The Butchery since 2013, when we first visited Marloth Park during the three months we were here. We didn’t return to South Africa for four years, and when we did, we continued to shop there, never disappointed in our purchases.

Alternate view of the protein sources.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t recall the individual prices on each item and hadn’t taken a receipt. These days, to save on clutter and needless paper use, we don’t ask for a receipt since we carefully watch the checkout process. We will provide a total for the meat purchases.

  • 4 packages of ground beef (referred to as mince in Africa)
  • 3 New York steaks
  • 1 1.26 kg, 2.78 lb, beef tenderloin (filet mignonon) at ZAR 199,99 per kg, US $10.36 per pound!
  • 2 packages of wild-caught hake (fish) with four large filets
  • 3 packages Texas spiced seasoned pork skewers (sugar-free)
  • 4 packages of chicken livers and chicken hearts
  • 1 800-gram, 1.7-pound bag of peeled, cleaned, deveined prawns at ZAR 249.95, US $13.74

Enough meat for meals for the three of us for nine dinners (when Lisa arrives next week)

Total ZAR 1415.07, US $77.79, at a daily cost of ZAR 157.20, US $8.64,  ZAR 50.79 US $2.79 per person per meal

Also included in the meat haul was this whole beef tenderloin. See details above.

Also, for the shown two large heads of cabbage and two heads of lettuce:

Total ZAR 104.61 US $5.75

There is no comparison to what we paid for similar items in the US over the past year in Minnesota, Ohio, and Nevada. Overall, I’d say the cost is 60% less than what we paid then.

Next, we headed to the Ingwe Market in the Marlothi Centre to buy cabbage and lettuce.

Undoubtedly, living costs are considerably lower in many African countries, including South Africa. What a nice perk, along with the joys of life in the bush with the fantastic animals and the people.

Hmm…Life is good.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 24, 2015:

Many of our photos were taken on Kauai at varying times of day with varying cloud cover. For more photos, please click here.