Another “day in the life”…

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Usually, there are dozens of helmeted guinea-fowl in the garden, also searching for pellets. They swallow them whole!

As I sit here on the veranda on Monday morning, coffee in hand, the day is sunny, cool, slightly windy, and Frank is on the floor next to me pecking at his seeds and drinking from his little container of water. He makes cute little chirping sounds when eating, illustrating how happy he is.

I can see four bushbucks in the bush who gingerly approach, looking for another handout of pellets. We comply. There’s Thick Neck, Mom and Baby, Stingy and Spikey. Earlier this morning, Tom had seen four or five more bushbucks, Lonely Girl (warthog), Broken Horn (wildebeest), and more.

I stumbled across this old photo of Tiny, with his hair fluffed up when other warthogs were in the vicinity, stealing his pellets.

Today, the last of the holidaymakers will leave Marloth Park now that the school holidays have ended. The vehicles on the road have thinned to barely any activity. The parking lots at the Marlothi Centre and the Bush Centre will no longer be nearly impossible to enter. The stores in Komatipoort will have their usual local Monday shoppers.

Soon, Tom will drop me at Louise‘s Info Centre, where Kathy will be waiting for Rita and me for the three of us to head to Stoep’s Cafe in Komati for “girl talk” and breakfast. Tom has a dentist appointment at 11:00 with Dr. Luzaan to have his teeth cleaned. I’ll do the same in a month or more after my extraction heals a little more (it’s on the mend).

Two hornbills were banging on the kitchen window, an almost daily occurrence.

Rita and Gerhard leave on Friday to return to Washington for the holiday season. Kathy will be leaving Marloth Park in November for Hawaii, and Don will also go for Hawaii in early December. We’ll miss them all and hope they will be able to be here when we return in December 2022, only 14 months from now. My 75th birthday party will be three months later, and we’re hoping, if it works out for them, that they will be able to attend. It’s a long way from the US, and we’d understand if they can’t make it.

In the meantime, we’ll cultivate relationships with other locals we’ve come to know and enjoy and spend the holiday season right here in Marloth Park. It will be hot, humid and the bush will be rife with snakes and insects. But we’ve experienced these issues in the past, and we’ve come to expect them.

Load shedding will continue twice a day for a total of 5 hours each day without power. It is expected to stop by Thursday, but we’ll experience the upcoming awful heat during the night when it occurs between 3:00 am and 5:30 am. Hopefully, it does stop as described, since on Thursday,  Friday, and Saturday, the temperatures will range from 99F to 104F, 37C to 40C. It certainly gets hot during the night without aircon for almost three hours.

Zebras on the road while on our way to the market.

Kathy, Rita, and I had a great time during girl talk at Stoep Cafe this morning. Suddenly, I realized it was 11, 00 and I needed to walk over to Dr. Luzaan’s office while Tom was getting his teeth cleaned. Once he was done, after a great chat with the dentist, we headed to the pharmacy and Spar Market, down the road in Komatipoort.

By the time we returned to the house, load shedding had an hour to go. We put away the groceries, and soon the power returned, as expected. I did a little chopping and dicing for tonight’s dinner of homemade taco salads with seasoned ground meat for Tom and seasoned chicken and prawns for me.

I had made the taco seasoning spices myself since those at the market in the little packets are loaded with sugar, flour, and chemicals, making them high in carbs and undesirable for either of us.

All is well. We are as content as we could be. Yesterday, they finally won a game! Go Vikings!

Have a fabulous Monday!

Photo from one year ago today, October 11, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in Mumbai, India, on day #202. The cubs took a break to relax. For more photos, please click here.

Hot today…High 97F (36C)…Not a breeze to be found…

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A female kudu with an oxpecker on her head.

It was 9:00 when I began today’s post, and we were both situated on the veranda. The animals have gradually returned to our garden, but it’s not as busy as it had been a week ago before the holidaymakers arrived. The heat might be a factor after the cool winter, and they are hunkered down in any shade they can find when the sparse bush is devoid of leaves to provide cover.

According to the weather report, today will be the hottest day of the week. A breeze would help, but the air is still and the humidity high. If it gets too uncomfortable, we can always turn on the outdoor fan, although it makes a lot of noise and defeats the purpose of being outdoors in this exquisite solitude.

The oxpecker must have been at the back of her head, causing her ears to be in this odd position.

Tonight’s dinner is primarily already prepared, so not much time will be required to spend in the kitchen. Soon, Vusi and Zef will arrive to clean the house and veranda, although everything is pretty clean and tidy. I thought about packing, but it’s still too soon.

Bushbuck Thick Neck/Bad Leg is within a meter of me, staring in expectation of some pellets or carrots. We’ve been out of carrots for a few days. We have begun chipping away at the last of the food on hand, including everything in the freezer. We plan to head to Komaipoort the following Monday for what could be our final grocery shopping trip when we purchase our last big bag of carrots.

I have accepted the fact that we are leaving Marloth Park and leaving Africa for a while. Many of our friends will be gone, even Dawn and Leon will be on holiday from tomorrow until after we’ve left. Rita and Gerhard leave in a little over two weeks. Surely we’ll have fun with them and Kathy and Don before we go. We plan to see Alan and Fiona next Tuesday to celebrate her birthday.

She was in a somewhat dazed state with two oxpeckers working on her ticks, fleas, other insects, and hide-related conditions.

Last night, when we played songs using our speaker while sitting outdoors, the Spotify playlist included the song “Africa” by Toto, popular in 1982. We both always loved that song but never knew in 1982 that the song would have such meaning to us now.

Yesterday, I concentrated on doing as many corrections as possible, and now I have only 39 pages with 20 posts to go.  Today, I will do the same, hoping to get down to 37 pages in the next 24 hours. Yesterday, while doing them, I streamed two sci-fi movies on a separate screen on my laptop, easily paying attention to both.  Doing so helps the process seem less boring.

We plan to go to Kruger National Park this week on a cooler day since school holidays are coming this weekend, from October 1st until October 11th. Both Marloth Park and Kruger National Park will be packed with holidaymakers during this period, and it’s unlikely we’d be able to get into Kruger with the crowds having to book appointments to enter. We have no desire to deal with bumper-to-bumper traffic in the park.

Suddenly, we noticed a male kudu in a similar hypnotic state with oxpeckers working on him.

Currently, I am sitting on the bed, propped up with pillows with the fan blowing. We don’t use the aircon to save on electricity during the day, although electricity is included in our rent. During the hot summer months, we insisted on paying Louise an extra ZAR 1000, US $66.25 each month since we were using it every night, even on the slightly cooler nights.

She didn’t want to accept this, but we felt it was essential and persisted. We ceased those payments once we no longer needed aircon during the cooler winter when we didn’t use much electricity. We’ve only recently been required to use the aircon at night, on the hottest days.

Today, we paid our final rent payment until October 21st, the day we leave. The rent is always higher during peak holiday periods, and thus the ten days are at the higher rate, included in our final total. We are OK with this since Louise has been so fair with us based on our long-term rental.

That’s all, folks! Have an unforgettable day wherever you may be in this world!

Photo from one year ago today, September 28, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #189. While on a cruise in 2014, I was served this fantastic dish, Pistachio Duck Terrine. I ordered a second serving which I rarely do. For more, please click here.

Four weeks from today…Savoring the moment…Food obsessions…

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A new bushbuck to our garden, Short Horn. Notice the size difference between his right and left horns.

It’s hard to grasp the concept of us leaving Africa in a mere four weeks from today. Tom asks me why I keep track of how many days we go, especially when leaving is not my preference. Well, the answer for me is simple. As detail-oriented, I am a “numbers” person. I keep track of all kinds of numbers in my brain, some important, some useless.

But doing so doesn’t mean I am not savoring every last moment, capturing pictures in my mind and on the camera. Only moments ago, I was cutting up carrots, cabbage, and lettuce for the bushbucks and kudus. They love the cool crispness and moisture in the vegetables. It’s one of those daily tasks I do with love.

Warthogs don’t care for cabbage and lettuce. They prefer the sweetness of the carrots. Already this week, we’ve gone through 10 kg, 22 pounds of carrots. The most recently purchased huge bag contained many small and large carrots with many pieces that I didn’t have to cut for the smaller bushbucks, like Holy Moley, Big Spikey, Little Spikey, and Baby. They savor every morsel.

We’re always thrilled to see Torn Ear.

The wildebeests, kudus, and warthogs can easily chew an entire carrot, but a few in the bag were so large I cut them to avoid a possible choking hazard.

Yesterday, when I tossed carrots to Little and his new girlfriend, Mom and Babies, one carrot landed in the cement pond, now filled with sand, dirt, and rocks. The carrot landed in a tight spot. Last night, Little knocked off almost every large boulder surrounding the cement pond, intended as a border, but could not get to it.

This morning, he remembered that the carrot was there and again tried to get to it. Success! He managed to get the hard-to-reach carrot. I can imagine Little thinking about that carrot all night long. That’s Little for you! He’s quite the “pig.” I suppose at times in my old life, and I may have thought about a remaining piece of a pie in the fridge and finally got up in the morning to eat it with my cup of coffee. Did that make me a pig? I suppose. We all have our various food obsessions.

Helmeted guinea-fowl and four of her chicks.

Tom is on a salty, roasted peanut kick right now. We purchased good-sized bags of peanuts on Monday, and two are left. Indeed, by the end of the weekend, they will be gone. Since I began a low-carb way of eating in August 2011, improving my health so much that we decided to travel the world. I’ve only had a few occasions where I have “cheated.”

Please don’t give me credit for a tremendous amount of self-control and discipline. I have been highly motivated. If I went back to the typical  American low-fat, high-carb diet, undoubtedly in no time at all, I would be in pain and unable to continue on our journey. That’s how this significant change worked for me. It may not work for everyone. (However, I am not exempt from experiencing painful conditions, such as my current painful dry socket from a tooth extraction ten days ago. Nope, it’s not better yet).

With this degree of motivation, it’s been relatively easy for me to give up my old food addictions, such as; eating a big bowl of high-carb, fat-free, sugar-free ice cream at night after dinner or eating high carb, high sugar winter squash with dinner almost every night, which was an excellent way to get full, while eating piles of green vegetables with small amounts of lean protein. It kept my weight down but made me have high blood sugar and be pre-diabetic.

Benny, Henny, and Lenny stop by less frequently than many other warthog families. Where’s Penny?

If I ate like that now, I’d surely be diabetic based on a solid propensity from family genetics. My blood pressure and blood sugar spike if I eat too many vegetables, unsweetened Greek yogurt (which I love but don’t eat), and fruit.  I suppose I am one of few who checks these readings every week to ensure I am doing ok. After all, I have coronary artery disease, which is exacerbated by high blood pressure and high blood sugar.  I am trying to stay alive. No food is worth increasing my risk of a heart attack or stroke.

On the other hand, Tom naturally has shallow blood pressure and blood sugar. He can eat anything he wants with little impact on his blood sugar or blood pressure. His family history is primarily longevity and good health. Of course, that doesn’t mean he won’t gain weight when eating high carb and sugary foods. Like everyone else, he can easily suffer from the effects of excess weight and body fat, and other conditions commensurate with being overweight.

At 4:00 pm (1600 hrs), we’re heading over to Rita and Gerhard’s for sundowners. Their holiday home is located on Hornbill, a house we rented while here in 2013/2014. I won’t be drinking any wine today and haven’t for days since I am on pain medication for the dry socket. Hopefully, it will heal soon, and I can enjoy being pain-free and back to my  “old self” once again.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, September 23, 2020:

The Golden Temple Amritsar, India
We posted this photo one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #184. The Golden Temple Amritsar, India, is seen through a decorative archway on the religious grounds of the historic Sikh location. Please click here to see more photos from Amritsar. Please click here for more on the year-ago post.

Day #4, no water…No power?…We knew what to expect in Africa…

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A young giraffe and a few zebras blocking the road on our way to Jabula.

Note: All of today’s photos were taken last evening while going to Jabula Lodge and Restaurant for our usual Friday night dinner out. It was such fun to see these fantastic animals blocking the road while all drivers waited patiently for them to pass. Tom and I both said simultaneously, “Where in the world do you see such a sight?” Nowhere that we know of. What a delight!

We had no delusions about what to expect coming to Africa. Our expectations were low, with poverty, crime, and corruption raging through many African countries, including South Africa. Most tourists come to South Africa to experience its wildlife and beauty and don’t stay long enough to get caught up in its downside.

Power, water, and WiFi outages are to be expected rather than viewed as an anomaly. The time spent by various providers to repair such issues can be far beyond what we may be used to in other countries. It’s unlike anything most of us have experienced in the past.

Everyone waited patiently for the animals to clear the road.

This morning as I first began preparing this post, the power went out. No water. No power. Of course, when the power goes out, so does the WiFi. I suggested to Tom that it would be an excellent time to drive to the pharmacy in Komatipoort. I needed a prescription for antibiotics filled when the tooth for which I’d had a root canal was still hurting from six weeks ago.

Yesterday, I contacted Dr. Singh, and he wrote me a prescription. I had initially refused antibiotics hoping it would heal on its own. I’d had enough antibiotics for my teeth in the past year or more. But, after six weeks, he said it was imperative. If the drugs don’t work after the five-day cycle, I’ll have to have the tooth pulled. It’s the last molar on the bottom right, and I suppose I won’t bother to get an implant when the missing tooth isn’t noticeable when I smile or talk.

We drove to Komati, got the prescription filled, and headed back home. All the while, we were wondering what we’d do for dinner tonight. The dishwasher is filled with dirty dishes, and with a single sink in the kitchen, even if we boiled water, it would be cumbersome trying to rinse everything.  I told Tom to forget it. It’s not worth the hassle. We’ll use paper plates or eat out until the water comes back on.

Several giraffes were waiting to make their next move while on the side of the road.

Speaking of dining out, last night we went to Jabula for dinner. The receptionist, Danienne, for Dr. Singh in Malalane, brought the prescription to me since she lives in Marloth Park and, like us, she loves going to Jabula on Friday nights. We thanked her profusely and bought her and her friend a drink.

We ended up dining at the bar we’ve done before when it’s just the two of us. Dawn and Leon were both there, and we had lots of fun with them and other guests while we sat at the bar. Arriving at 1700 hrs, 5:00 pm, by 2030 hrs, 8:30 pm, we were out the door and headed back home for a pleasant remainder of the evening, streaming a few episodes of Netflix series.

Neither of us was in the mood for a day and night without power, water and WiFi. So, this morning when we returned from Komati, around 11:00 am, the power was restored, which made us both very relieved. Now, at almost noon, we are so grateful to have power and WiFi that we aren’t fussing so much over the water.

If it were a nice day, we would have gone to Kruger. But it’s drizzling off and on, and we’ll stay put.  Gosh, it’s hard to believe we’ll be leaving South Africa two months from today to head back to the US once again. If you missed our story yesterday about why we are returning to the US for a short stint, please click here.

Every zebra has its unique markings, not unlike a fingerprint. Note the unique patterns around this zebra’s eyes.

A special thanks to many of our readers who have written to us in support of this tough decision, all of which was precipitated by the difficultly of travel throughout the world right now. Sure, it may be easier to travel for a one or two-week vacation, but with us frequently being on the move or even staying in one location for a few months, Covid-19 has undoubtedly put a damper on our desire to visit many countries.

Plus, news about restrictions and quarantine requirements seems to change daily. We are not interested in losing more money due to this pandemic than we already have, which is well into the thousands of dollars.  We’re still hoping our five scheduled cruises beginning at the end of February 2022 will set sail and allow us to continue on our world travel path and objectives. Only time will tell.

May your travel goals and objectives also be realized over the next year, when we all hope and pray for a better outcome than being experienced now.

Photo from one year ago today, August 21, 2020:

From the year-ago post while in lockdown in Mumbai, India, on day #151. One of many towers at Peterhof Fountain Park and Gardens in St. Petersburg, Russia. For more photos, please click here.

More social time in the bush…Will we be able to get the “jab?”…

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Giraffes are such beautiful animals, especially in how they relate to one another. On occasion, there may be fighting by necking among males. But, overall, they get along well, sharing the bounty of the bush.

What a wonderful anniversary we had! Not only did we receive countless warm wishes, but we spent the evening again with dear friends Linda and Ken, who are leaving Marloth Park tomorrow to return to their home in Johannesburg. They are planning to return for other visits during the next several months.

Both parents are diligent in looking after their youngsters.

After almost a year of being unable to socialize, as has been the case for many throughout the world, it is fantastic to be able to spend time with Louise and Danie, Linda and Ken, and all of our other friends who are currently in Marloth Park with many more to arrive in the next several months after they can get their Covid-19 vaccinations.

They are often curious about humans but make a point of not getting too close. Of course, we don’t feed them when their diet mainly consists of trees and plants.

When we may be able to get vaccinated is up in the air. As non-residents of South Africa and with a limited supply of the vaccine, we may not be able to get vaccinated for a long time to come. However, we found this encouraging article online that gives us hope that we may be allowed to get the jab at some point.

What an adorable face!

We’re hoping this country can provide some certificate stating we’ve been vaccinated when the time comes. It certainly wouldn’t make sense to be immunized without such a document to use going forward, especially when and if the time comes, that we can go on any of the cruises we currently have booked, well into the future. We are confident that in the future, cruise lines will require proof of vaccination for all passengers.

They manage to sustain themselves in areas with room for them to navigate. When the bush is too dense for freedom of movement, they’ll often forage from the roads.

This morning before posting for the day, we headed to Komatipoort for a few items. With Easter upcoming on April 4th, President Ramaphosa may impose a new alcohol ban around that time. Thus, we decided to stock up on my wine and brandy for Tom.

Another adorable face!

My wine is ZAR 49, US $3.23 a bottle. Tom’s brandy, the popular liter of Klipdrift, is ZAR 229.99, US $14.85. With prices like these, it doesn’t take much forethought to stay well-stocked, especially during lockdown periods when bans are possible. It’s no wonder South Africans enjoy “sundowners.”

They can be playful with one another.

While I visited the pharmacy, wearing a mask, a face shield, and rubber gloves, I was able to purchase a bottle of 1000 vitamin B6 tablets for Tom at the cost of ZAR 97.41, US $6.29 plus, an allergy medication for me along with a variety of odds and ends. A woman is stationed outside the shop, spraying hand sanitizers onto the hands of entering customers, and takes everyone’s temperature.

We took these photos a few days ago against the backdrop of a blue sky with white fluffy clouds.

As often is the case, my temperature was 36C, 96.8F, instead of 37C, with an average temperature of 98.6F. I have always had a low temperature which is no big deal, one way or another. From the pharmacy, I walked to Spar Market, where Tom met up with me. He had gone ahead on his own after dropping me off to get petrol for the rental car, a bag of pellets from Obaro Hardware Store, and the wine and brandy from TOPS liquor store.

Their sense of hearing is acute, and when another animal or human enters the scene, they are quick to investigate.

In no time at all, we’d purchased the few items we needed from Spar to round out our groceries for the week. With social plans for five nights in a row, we still have plenty of food on hand, quickly enough to last for another week.

One of the most delightful scenes in Marloth Park is when giraffes wander down the road.

Tonight, as mentioned, we’re meeting Linda and Ken for dinner at Amazing Kruger View restaurant that overlooks the Crocodile River. Hopefully, we’ll be able to take many good photos of wildlife while outdoors on their wide-open veranda. Of course, I’ll load up on plenty of insect repellent, hoping to keep the mozzies at bay while dining outdoors.

It’s scorching and humid again today. By 4:00 pm, 1600 hours, we’ll head indoors to shower for the second time today and get ready to go out once again for more social fun. We certainly love life in Marloth Park.

We hope that a reduction in Covid cases in your area allows opportunities for more visits with family and friends while always taking necessary precautions to social distance, wearing face masks, and washing your hands. Regardless of vaccines, these precautions must be adhered to diligently with no margin for error.

Please have a great Monday, and thanks for all the well wishes for our anniversary. We appreciate every one of YOU!

Photo from one year ago today, March 8, 2020:

There are numerous temples in this one location. Many come to pray here every day. We weren’t allowed inside the temples since we weren’t Hindu. For more photos, please click here.

Stars in our eyes…Stripes in our garden…It’s our 26th wedding anniversary today…What does it cost us for food in South Africa?…

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As of today, we’ve been married for 26 years. Last year in India, we celebrated our 25th, but now, that seems so long ago. We are blessed to have this great union, two people of opposites that somehow meet in the middle to find love, companionship, friendship, and harmony. Who knew we’d be able to travel the world together for over eight years and see so much joy in our everyday lives, regardless of where we may be at any given time?

We waited quite a while to pick up their heads for a photo, but they were preoccupied.

If anyone had asked if we could spend ten months in lockdown in a hotel room in Mumbai, India, we may have laughed, uncertain if our usual state of harmony and love would survive. And, it did. Not only did we survive, emotionally intact, but all the stronger for it. Happy anniversary, Tom Lyman! May our lives together continue to be enriched in years to come.

They often head-butt one another when the pellets get low.

Last night, we headed to Jabula Lodge & Restaurant for our anniversary dinner, dining outside on the veranda and enjoying, as usual, a fine meal. It’s often surprising to us how affordable it is to dine out in Marloth Park. We dined at Jabula twice this week, on Thursday with Linda and Ken, and again last night.

The cost for each evening was approximately US $40, ZAR $615, which included taxes, tips, cocktails for Tom, and a bottle of my favorite Four Cousins Skinny Red Wine which I drank from on both occasions, with another glass or two left in the bottle that we brought home last night. There is nowhere in the world we’ve been able to enjoy such good food at such reasonable prices.

Zebras with their heads down only interested in the pellets.

Our total grocery bill since we arrived here on January 13th with enough food to last us for another week was US $1081, ZAR 16609. This averaged US $136, ZAR 2074 per week. Our entire dining out bill for these eight weeks was US $251, ZAR 3856. The total for food thus far was US 1332, ZAR 20465, averaged US $167, ZAR 2566 per week.

This was the first of the zebras to take a drink from the pool, and the others followed suit.

When we lived in Minnesota, shopping for groceries in 2012, we spent an average of US $225, ZAR 3457 per week. Dining out typically was US $100, ZAR 1536, and thus we didn’t go out to eat in the US as readily as we do here. As we’ve always said, it’s good for our budget to be living in South Africa, let alone all the other beautiful reasons.

As you can see from today’s photos, we were thrilled to see zebras in the garden finally. It was funny how it happened. One of the four zebras snuck up from the side of the house and peered out at us on the veranda, checking out the situation. Moments later, the four of them were busy munching on pellets, rarely taking a second to look up.

They seem to copy one another’s activities.

Zebras aren’t like kudus, wildebeest, warthogs, and bushbucks, who make eye contact and respond to our voices. They never look us in the eye. Although it’s pretty enjoyable to watch them interact with one another, pushing and shoving one moment and cuddling the next, they have little interest in us humans. Nonetheless, a visit from them is always welcomed.

Tonight, we are getting together with Linda and Ken to celebrate our anniversary. And, tomorrow night, their last night in MP, we’re meeting for dinner at the Amazing Kruger View Restaurant, formerly known as AAmazing River View. The restaurant overlooks the Crocodile River for some often exciting views. Bubbly is on the menu for sure.

Although there is chlorine in the pool, here, they use so little. It’s not harmful to the animals to drink from the pool.

Today, it is sweltering and humid. It’s so much so that I decided to stay inside in the bedroom to cool off for a bit while I finish today’s post.

We hope you’ve been having a good weekend. We certainly have enjoyed this four-day run of social activities with our special friends in Marloth Park. We never tire of the people or the wildlife and can’t imagine, we ever will.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, March 7, 2020:

In an old vehicle located at the Best Exotic Marigold  Hotel, Us is referred to as a Willy/Jeep. For that post, please click here.

Day #264 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Will we take the COVID-19 vaccine?…

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We knew we had to be very cautious not only for our safety but also for his when this adorable zebra climbed the slippery steps to see what we had for him. If we startled him or told him to get down, he could have broken a leg on the slick tiles of the stairs to the veranda. Instead, we tossed pellets on the ground near the bottom of the steps.

Today’s photos are from this date in 2018 while living in Marloth Park, South Africa. We realize these photos may be redundant, but we couldn’t resist sharing these fun photos. For more, please click here.

Yesterday and again this morning, I had some work to do with one of our website’s advertisers and ran into a glitch on their site which kept me in a tizzy for two hours. I’ve contacted our web people to help, but they aren’t available this weekend. It will have to wait until Monday. It’s the nature of the beast.

We were busy working on our laptops and didn’t realize what was happening until we saw this zebra climbing up the veranda steps.

Speaking of beasts, I was definitely in the mood for some more “feel good” hormones, as mentioned in yesterday’s post here, smiling and laughing over old photos from Marloth Park in 2018. Yes, I’ve thought quite a bit about the possible redundancy of all the upcoming future photos when, again, we’ll be living in the bush among the wildlife.

Lately, while walking the corridors, I’ve been thinking of ways to add more exciting photos of that which we encounter living in the bush. The unusual shots, such as today’s repeated photos, add to the uniqueness and innovation. Regardless of how hot and “buggie” it is outdoors on the veranda at our new location, we plan to spend our days and nights outdoors, searching for photo ops such as those included today.

Just like that, he was on the veranda. The only reason we think this happened is that many residents feed the zebras on their ground-level verandas. 

It’s those special occasions that add so much to our experiences. Then again, for us, the simple, less interesting visits by wildlife add to our experiences daily. Of course, we’ll be venturing into Kruger National Park at least once a week when again, we’ll purchase an annual entrance pass, taking many photos of the “Big Five” and more.

Also, from time to time, we’ll head to the village of Komatipoort to shop but will avoid going more often than is necessary, due to COVID-19, which is more prevalent in the town than where we’ll live, which is 25 minutes away in the bush.

We gave him time to fulfill his curiosity, whispering, and with confidence.

As of now, we’ve booked our required COVID-19 PCR test with a local lab that will come to our hotel on January 10, 2021, between 8:00, am and 4:00 pm. We’ll have the results in our email within eight hours, which we’ll have the hotel print, and we’ll bring to the airport as required by Emirates Airlines and South Africa for entry without quarantine.

Several of our readers have written asking if we will be taking the COVID-19 vaccine. We are considering it, especially if it’s required for us to continue to travel. It won’t be available in India by the time we leave in January but, we expect we’ll be able to get it at some point in South Africa, either Dr. Theo’s office or the pharmacy in Komatipoort. We’ll see how that rolls out.

It was a shock to see him on the veranda, but we appreciated the photo op!

This plan will give us time to see if the vaccine is safe for our ages and my health conditions that include allergies, which, based on some news (accurate or not) that stated that those with allergies might not be good candidates. At least we’ll have time to figure it out when we observe what’s happening to recipients of the vaccines in the US and worldwide.

Yes, if it proves safe and effective, I’d enjoy the peace of mind after having the vaccine. After all, we’ve had numerous vaccines protecting us in our travels. One more won’t be much different if it is safe. However, it’s not an easy decision for any of us when many have opinions about the efficacy and safety of vaccines in general. Each of us can only choose a decision based on our own opinions and health, along with the views of our medical professionals.

He let out a loud whinny and took off for the pellets we tendered at the bottom of the steps. It was quite a pleasant visit, one we’ll never forget.

Tom awoke this morning and said, “Good morning, Sweetie. Guess what? It’s the weekend!” Duh?

Thirty-two days and counting.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, December 12, 2019:

It was fun to sit by the firepit with Tom’s sisters, spouses, and other residents in the RV park in Apache Junction, Arizona. For more, please click here.

Day #258 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…Yikes!…Snakes, scary insects, heat, power outages and thefts…!…

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Twig snake, also known as a vine snake, was on the railing at Jabula Lodge and Restaurant as we walked up the steps to the restaurant. “Twig snakes are among the few rear-fanged colubrids whose bite is highly venomous and potentially fatal. The venom is hemotoxic, and although its effects are prolonged, and bites are rare, no antivenom has been developed, and several fatalities have occurred.”

Today’s photos were from the post on this date in 2018 when we were walking up the steps to dinner at Jabula Lodge & Restaurant in Marloth Park when a guest yelled out, “Look out! There’s a snake on the railing!” For that post, please click here.

Hopefully, by the time we arrive (hopefully) in Marloth Park, it will have been 20 months since we departed South Africa in May 2019, when I was finally able to fly after heart surgery. It will have been long enough for us to put aside thoughts of encountering venomous snakes, insects, and the high temperatures in January, which is summer in Africa. It can be as hot as 104F/40C or considerably higher from time to time.

Juan, a young yet highly accomplished snake handler, captured the snake, placing it in this container and releasing it in Lionspruit, where other venomous snakes are sent to live out their lives.

With air-con generally only available in the bedrooms in most bush houses and with our desire to be outdoors on the veranda all day long, waiting for wildlife to visit, it will be quite an adjustment from sitting in this cool, dark, temperature-controlled room for the prior ten months (by the time we depart). I’m not complaining, just observing.

As mentioned in prior posts, we keep the darkening drapes in this hotel room closed all day with the lamps on to keep the room cool throughout the day and night. Even the bright sunlight will require an adjustment after all this time, one we look forward to. In our prior two lengthy stays in Marloth Park, in 2013/2014 and 2018/2019, on each occasion, we were there over the summer months, and we fared well in the heat.

Young zebra in the garden.

I imagine we’ll do equally well once again. When we lived in the “Orange” house, I did ok after returning from the hospital after open-heart surgery at the tail end of February, lying on the sofa in the lounge room without any air-con. If it became unbearable for a short period, Tom helped me maneuver to the bedroom for a break with the air-con on.

A day after I returned from the hospital, the power was out for a day. Danie brought over a generator for us to use. Bless their hearts, he and Louise were always thinking of us.

The frequent power outages were challenging at times. Eskom’s “load shedding,” when the power was turned off to reduce the grid load, was incredibly annoying. That’s another story I won’t get into today, but it is a fact we must accept in returning to our otherwise favorite place in the world.

We wrote in 2018: “We’re treasuring every moment with the wildlife, knowing once the holiday-makers arrive, we’d have considerably fewer visitors until well into January.”

Also, at times, there’s no water. And, of course, when the power is out, there is no WiFi. Now that we have our Google phones with built-in data hotspots, if necessary, we can use them during those periods. We won’t know if it will work in our location until we arrive.

Another precaution we must consider is the number of burglaries in the bush houses. Although the two entrance gates to Marloth Park are guarded 24-hours a day, many burglaries transpire with losses of computers, phones, digital equipment, TVs, and other items. At no point can we leave our laptops on the outdoor table if we run indoors to do something if one of us isn’t around to keep out a watchful eye.

When Little didn’t get my attention when he walked up the steps to the veranda, he knocked over this chair—determined Little, trying to get my attention. It worked!

Last night, 12 hours ago, I saw this post on Facebook, “A lion has recently been seen on Butterfly Street towards Olifant.” From time to time, lions crawl under the fence between Marloth Park and Kruger National Park to enter Marloth and may be heard and seen for days, if not weeks.

There’s plenty of food for lions in the park. When such a sighting is observed, everyone is notified through the various Facebook groups or emails. During these times, warnings are issued to prevent locals and guests from freely walking in the streets. Night-time curfews are instituted. Lions tend to hunt at night but are often observed during daylight hours.

Of course, I made his antics worthwhile. I gave him pellets and ice-cold carrots on a scorching day.  He was so exhausted in the heat that he lay down to dine.

In those cases, I will have to consider where I’ll continue my regular walking routine each day. If necessary, I’ll walk indoors on the days when lions are spotted and outdoors for the remainder. The house we’ve booked appears to have a long driveway which I can walk many times each day to achieve my goal. Somehow, it will all work out.

With all these potential issues, you may ask why in the world would we want to return? As our long-time readers know, the answer is easy, “Amid all of that, we love it there…the wildlife, the people, the access to Kruger National Park, the scenery and the simple pleasures of life in the bush,”

A praying mantis stopped by for a visit that morning. After he walked on the veranda table, he landed on Tom and then landed on me. Friendly little fellow.

Now, we wait, albeit as patiently as possible, for the days to pass so we can once again return in 38 days. Fingers crossed.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, December 6, 2019:

In 2015, we were at the Arts Village in Pacific Harbour, Viti Levu, Fiji. For the year-ago story, please click here.

Day #229 in lockdown in Mumbai, India hotel…A commenter writes a criticism of me…Elephant close-ups…

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It was a rarity for us to see impalas in the garden, but several stopped by to partake of pellets. No doubt, they are hungry at that time of year, put aside their apprehension of humans, and came to call. This adorable girl was chewing pellets when I shot this photo. Too cute for words!

Today’s photos are from this date while living in the bush in South Africa in 2018 and visiting Kruger National Park. For the story from this date, please click here.

No words can express our joy when our readers write to us via our comment section at the end of each post or by email. Many hesitate to post a comment, but please keep in mind you can do so anonymously if you prefer or even leave your first name.

We were saddened to see who we named “Wounded.” He was stabbed in his near eye by another animal’s horn or tusk.

This morning, I noticed there were hundreds of comments I’d yet to reply to after discovering that our new site wasn’t set up to send me a notification email informing me that a new comment was posted. This will be fixed by Monday. If you posted a comment and I haven’t replied, please be aware I am working on responding to all of these over the next few days and will soon be caught up.

As for the comments, we were thrilled to see the amount of kindness and support from so many of our readers. Although I recognized the names of a few long-term readers, most were from readers we’d never communicated with in the past, many of whom may have been new readers over the past many months in India.

We got as close as was safe while we waited for 40 minutes for him to move out of the road in Kruger National Park. He wasn’t about to move for us, nor did we honk or bother him while we waited. After all, this is their territory, not ours.

Many commenters were from India, Indonesia, China, Germany, The Netherlands, South Africa, and more. Of course, like most blog sites, we receive our fair share of spam, which includes advertisers for various products and services, and most annoyingly, pornographic spam to which I quickly report as “spam” and immediately remove from the system.

Oddly, one reader wrote on this post here, “You overthink.”  We both laughed out loud, no offense intended to the commenter. Nor am I offended. Yes, I admit, I do overthink. However, excessive thinking allows me to develop a new post 365 days a year and today writing post #3009.

We got as close as was safe to take some close-up photos of him.

It takes some serious thinking to be able to prepare, edit, and upload a new story with photos every day of my life over the past more than eight years, only missing some days due to travel days, WiFi, and power outages, and 2019s open-heart surgery and subsequent other surgeries due to complications, when I skipped over two weeks.

When I’m not preparing posts, am I “overthinking?” I try not to. While walking for over 90 minutes a day, I listen to podcasts and don’t think much other than absorbing what I’m learning from the information on hand. Once I’ve finished the daily post, I spend the rest of my afternoon working on the edits for the 3000 posts, leaving little time for thinking other than what’s in front of me.

We noticed as we waited that he had a hole in his ear which could have been a result of a fight or damage from a tree or bush while grazing.

From 3:00 pm to 3:30 pm each day, we start streaming our favorite shows, which doesn’t leave much time for excessive thinking, other than enjoying the shows on the screen and stopping in between shows to finish my walking for the day. My daily goal is to walk one mile, 1.6 km, five times a day.

Yesterday, we signed up for Hulu, which has tons of shows we haven’t seen, such as “Dancing with the Stars,” The Bachelorette,” America’s Got Talent,” and “Shark Tank,” all of which are mindless drivel we can escape into during this challenging period. Not much thinking is going on then.

The diameter of his foot was astounding. An elephant’s foot can range from 40 to 50 cm (1.31 to 1.6 feet in length).  

In the evenings, we’re working our way through one of the most entertaining shows we’ve seen since, Amazon’s “Man in the High Castle,” which is “The Walking Dead.” We steered away from zombie shows for years, never able to grasp the concept. But now, this 10 season show with 115 episodes has been exceedingly engrossing, oddly enough. Not much thinking there.

As for the middle of the night, years ago, I trained myself to not overthink and worry during the night when it has such a significant impact on quality sleep. If I awaken during the night and can’t return to sleep right away, I’ll read a few things on my phone with the screen dimmed or play Scrabble with others who may be online at the time until I’m sleepy again. This works well for me but may not for others.

The end of the elephant’s tail has hairs that act as a small brush, suitable for swatting flies, bees, and other insects.

So, yes, dear reader, I sometimes do “overthink,” but that too works for me, especially when striving to keep those thoughts positive and worthwhile to share here the following day. Please keep those comments coming and know that as we advance, we’ll make every effort to reply to each one.

Have a safe, healthy, and fulfilling day!

Photo from one year ago today, November 7, 2019:

The world-famous Atlantis Hotel in Nassau, The Bahamas. For more photos, please click here.

Day #226 in lockdown in Mumbai, India…Election results day…Bubonic plague in Africa, two years ago…

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More than 1,300 cases have now been reported in Madagascar, health chiefs have revealed, as nearby nations have been placed on high alert
This map of Africa in 2017 illustrates that there was a high risk for bubonic plague. At that time, we were planning to be in South Africa beginning in February 2018 and other countries to renew our visa status. We, ultimately, stayed in Africa for 15 months at that time.

Today’s photos are from the post on this date in 2017, during the news on the bubonic plague impacting the east coast of Africa. See the link here.

After a solid 5½ hours of uninterrupted sleep, I bolted out of bed at 5:00 am, anxious to shower, dress, and get ready to start the day, watching US news on the elections. While getting dressed, I had the news on my phone in the bathroom, but the results were only dribbling in at that time.

Tom’s early morning view of the moon setting on the horizon, taken from the veranda.

Not wanting to awaken Tom, I decided against turning on the news on the TV to one of the few English-speaking channels in India. My phone is a perfect resource for information and at the moment, at 6:00 am, I’m dressed for the day, sitting in my comfy chair, earbuds in my ears, listening to the news on my phone while I’m preparing today’s post.

My goal is to complete today’s post by the time Tom awakens and be able to plug in my laptop to the TV with live broadcasts of US news available to stream. I don’t mind not working on my laptop today. Instead, use it to see what’s transpiring with the election.

We’ve often been asked if we pay attention to what is transpiring in the US as we’ve traveled the world, and without a doubt, regardless of our fears and frustration over recent events, of course, we care deeply about our home country. We always stay in close touch via the news and read a variety of publications online.

A boy covers his mouth as a council worker sprays disinfectant during the clean-up of the market in the Anosibe district, one of the most unsalubrious districts of Antananarivo.
Street scene in Madagascar during the plague. (Not our photo).

Over these many months in lockdown, we are paying particular attention when we’ve had news on, in the background,  most days, switching between the few English speaking stations, most of which are international news which also has a significant impact on our lives. There are one or two English-speaking Indian news channels which we also watch for updates on COVID-19 and the possibilities of the opening of international flights.

As for today’s photos, on this date in 2017, news broke about the bubonic plague (ironic, eh?) hitting the eastern coast of Africa. It caused us concern with our plans to head to South Africa in February, three months later. Fortunately, the virus was contained by the time we arrived in Africa. We headed to Marloth Park to celebrate my 70th birthday at Jabula with friends and hopefully stay for an extended period.

By traveling in and out of South Africa by visiting other countries in Africa, we were able to stay for 12 months with only applying for one visa extension by traveling to other African countries and returning to South Africa for another 90-day visa stamp.

People queue at a pharmacy in downtown Antananarivo, Madagascar to buy protection masks against infections and medicines against plague on Monday, October 2.
Locals outside a pharmacy in Madagascar. (Not our photo).

When I had open-heart surgery in South Africa and couldn’t travel for three months, we overstayed our last visa by 90 days. Tom was too busy taking care of me to spend days working on another visa extension. We were told we couldn’t return for five years when we left the country, described as “undesirables.” We had letters from doctors and proof of payment for medical bills to prove the reason why we’d overstayed. Still, we were banned.

While in Ireland after leaving SA, we hired a South Africa law firm to help us acquire a waiver to allow us to return sooner than in five years. After considerable legal fees, it was granted months later, and now, ironically, we can’t get there. So much has changed for us and people all over the world in 2020. I don’t believe this will be over with the new year.

Regardless of today’s US election results, we pray for the safety and well-being of our fellow US citizens and citizens of the world.

Be well. Be safe.

Photo from one year ago today, November 4, 2019:

The travel anniversary cake was hosted by Murano, a specialty restaurant on the ship. Tom didn’t eat any of it. We handed it over to the neighbors from Minnesota in the next cabin for them to enjoy. For more photos, please click here.