Safari luck at it’s finest!…A most outstanding Sunday after all….

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Such a handsome male lion. These lions shown today are not necessarily the lions recently spotted inside Marloth Park.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

What a charmer!

Sundays have always been my least favorite day of the week. I suppose it goes back to being a kid, and Sunday night meant early to bed and back to school the following day.

As an adult, Sunday’s meant somewhat of the same thing…early to bed and back to work on Monday morning, except being in real estate for most of my adult life and the company’s owner, I never really had a day off.

Snoozing female and male lions on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Once done working on Saturdays or Sundays, I often “pushed things off” to be handled on Monday morning, particularly those running-the-business type of tasks of which there were many.

Even after I chose early retirement at 62 (shortly after the housing market crashed in the US), dreading Sundays was deeply ingrained in my psyche. I couldn’t seem to shake the lifelong perception that Sundays represented the upcoming litany of responsibilities that were often mired in worry and concern.

From time to time, he’d pick up his head.  Mostly, the female maintained “watch,” only occasionally putting her head down to sleep.

Now, after traveling for almost six years (three months until our sixth anniversary), I still possess a certain dread of Sundays and the resulting Mondays that I try to shake off, often to no avail.

Yesterday, Sunday, was no exception. Awakening early to a cloudy day, knowing we couldn’t go into Kruger due to the holidaymakers and, with little to no visitors stopping by,  I felt a little of my usual Sunday apprehension.

Although we seniors sometimes forget what day of the week it is, which is entirely ‘normal” when one doesn’t have a strict routine to follow, Sunday is always at the forefront of my mind. 

We were so far away. It was hard not to have blurry photos without a tripod with us.

I never have to ask Tom on a Sunday flippantly, What day is this?” as I may on a Tuesday or Wednesday, while lost in our blissful routine.

I’d decided to make a typical Sunday dinner of slow-cooked braised short ribs with garlic, carrots, onions, leftover mashed potatoes, sweet corn (fresh uncooked from Friday night’s dinner party), garlic bread, and salad. Although definitely not his usual diet, I decided to give him one more day of a fattening, high-carb meal with these items on hand.

The female and male rested near the large rocks on the opposite side of the river.

Today, Monday, he’s back to our usual low-carb routine, leftover short ribs, salad, and vegetables. He ate the remainder of the apple crisp from Friday night’s dinner party, so sweets are off the menu. I had salmon on the grill (I found some frozen that is quite good) and grilled vegetables. Tonight, I’ll have prawns and grilled vegetables.

At the moment, I’m cooked two meals; keto for me and low carb for him. So far, I’ve been losing weight steadily, but I won’t announce how much until I’ve reached my goal. It’s a slow process.

Anyway, after finishing the day’s post, doing laundry, hanging it on the line, and preparing the vegetables for dinner, we decided to head out around 2:00 pm to see if we could spot any wildlife to offset any potential boredom on an otherwise somewhat dull Sunday.

After observing wildebeest in our garden this past week, we’ve developed a special interest in them.  Surprisingly, they are good at making eye contact.

Once we began our usual course through Marloth Park, mainly focusing on driving along the river road, after about an hour into it, we were convinced this would not be a day of many sightings, which we hadn’t expected anyway due to the abundant amount of tourists in the park. We could head back to our holiday home to wind down an otherwise quiet day.

As we neared the last 15 minutes of our usual course, we noticed several people standing at the fence between Marloth and Kruger Parks and decided to stop to see what all the commotion was about. There was many pointing going on, phones raised into the air, and binoculars being passed around. 

It was lions lounging on rocks on the opposite side of the river! We couldn’t have been more excited. We parked the car, walked through the scratchy bush on somewhat of a path, and made our way to the fence.

This “Implausibility” of wildebeest was resting in the garden of a home along the river.

Regardless of how hard I tried, I couldn’t bring them up on the camera’s view screen. Tom, with his trusty binoculars, looked for several minutes, and then, he saw them, a female and a male lounging in the warmth of the sun on the massive rocks across the Crocodile River.  

Tom took today’s lion photos, and I’m so proud of him for being able to capture these images. We were no less than .8 km (.5 miles) from their location and, we don’t have those massive lenses used to capture distance scenes. They’re are too big and bulky for us to carry in our travels. We were thrilled with the photos he managed to get.

These were the first lions we’ve seen since we arrived in South Africa almost five months ago. After many trips into the Kruger, we’d yet to see any lions.  This was exciting, to say the least.

This baby wildebeest tried to nurse off dad.  He gave her quick a shove.

After quite a while at the sighting, we were on our way for the remainder of the drive, sighting the following: kudu, wildebeest, elephants, impala, waterbuck, and several birds. 

By the time we returned to our holiday home, it was time to set up the veranda for the evening, but the short ribs in the oven, and finish a few tasks for dinner. Once settled at our usual spots at the big table, we downloaded our photos, thrilled with what we’d captured.

It was a good Sunday after all, and last night there was no sense of Sunday night angst especially knowing we could share these photos with all of our readers today.

It’s a good Monday morning. Sleep came easily for both of us for a change. When dawn broke, we were feeding a forkl of lovely female kudus pellets, carrots, and apples on the veranda.

May your Monday be good as well.

Photo from one year ago today, July 9, 2017:

The white lattice pergola in son Richard’s lovely yard provided shelter from the scorching sun in Henderson, Nevada, which reached  47C (116F) that day.  We stayed at his home for three weeks.  For more details, please click here.

Where are all the animals?…Holiday time in Marloth Park changes everything…What’s the difference between a tourist and a traveler?…

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A calf is born weighing 100 to 150 pounds and measuring in at 6 feet tall. A calf will begin to forage at about four months old.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A dove was standing on the edge of our birdfeeder.

It’s a quiet day in the bush. As of this moment, at 10:00 am, we’ve had no visitors except the bothersome Vervet monkeys who attempt to knock down our birdfeeder to eat the seeds and a few birds.

Ostriches in the bush.

Although appearing cute and inquisitive, these smaller-than-baboons monkeys can wreak havoc in a house or garden, as we’ve mentioned in prior posts. It’s been an issue only over the past few weeks, and we’re wondering why they’re hanging around our garden now instead of a month earlier.

We’ve discovered a few areas in the park where we’ll often find flocks of ostriches.

We’re patiently waiting for visitors to stop by, but our expectations are in check when there are so many tourists in the park right now, continuing through August.

We can’t wait until it makes sense to go back to Kruger sometime shortly. We’ve seen photos of cars, bumper to bumper on the tar road in Kruger, including some of our own similar experiences lately, and we prefer not to deal with the traffic.

These parents have one chick as opposed to the seven we spotted a few days ago seen here.

A car drives down our street every few minutes when weeks ago, an hour could pass before a car would. It’s an entirely different world right now, and we’ll be glad when it’s over for a while. 

We’re amazed by how often we see elephants from Marloth Park, actually more than we usually see while in Kruger National Park. Tourists driving through Kruger cannot see this area of the Crocodile River and are not allowed out of their vehicles.

Last night, while cozy and comfortable on the veranda with the gas heater on, we could hear loud voices, loud music, and yelling. The noises were so loud we couldn’t hear when visitors walked through the bush as they approached the garden. 

There’s nothing quite as exciting as close encounters with giraffes.

Even with Tom’s less-than-ideal hearing after years of working on the railroad, he could hear the loud sounds in every direction. The “school holiday” ends on July 17th, but more tourists will arrive during their summer holidays throughout the northern hemisphere. Hopefully, by mid-August, all of this will taper off.

No other wildlife eats the leaves at the treetops than the giraffes making their food sources more readily available during the dry winter months.

Yes, some may say, ‘Who are you to complain about tourists?  Aren’t you tourists as well?”

The difference between us is clear. We are travelers, not tourists

The definition of a tourist is:

A person who is traveling or visiting a place for pleasure. Example: “the pyramids have drawn tourists to Egypt” 

synonyms:  holidaymaker, traveler, sightseer, visitor, excursionist, backpacker, 
globetrotter, day tripper, tripper; explorer, pilgrim, voyager, journeyer. vacationist, out-of-towner

 

The definition of a traveler is:

A gypsy or other nomadic person. A person who holds New Age values and leads an itinerant and unconventional lifestyle.

synonyms: gypsy, Romany, tzigane, didicoi, nomad, migrant, wanderer, wayfarer, itinerant, drifter, tramp, vagrant, transient, vagabond,
I won’t say that gypsy, tramp, vagrant, didico, or transient necessarily apply to us, but surely we fall into the category of the other synonyms to one degree or another. Nor do I imply there’s anything wrong with being a tourist.
Scratch that itch!

Tourism is the lifeblood of countries throughout the world, and we feel blessed and honored to visit these countries, their points of interest, and mingle with their people.

Wildebeest Willie and his friends returned late on Friday night after our dinner guests had departed.
But, as we all know, some have little regard for the culture they are visiting, who continue in their loud and boisterous ways, upsetting the delicate balance of peace and purpose wherever they travel, whether they are tourists or travelers.
Blue wildebeests, regardless of gender, have horns. 
No doubt, when peace, quiet, and safety for the wildlife (and the people) return to Marloth and Kruger Parks, we’ll comfortably settle back into the routine we’ve come to know and love in this magical place.
 
May your day bring you peace, quiet, and time to revel in your surroundings.

Photo from one year ago today, July 8, 2017:

Tom’s taco salad at Lindo Michoacan in Henderson, Nevada, where we all dined the day we arrived. For more details, please click here.

Fabulous goodbye-for-awhile birthday party in the bush…An appreciated addition to the veranda…

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This space heater will keep up warm as we spend each night outdoors during the cool winter nights. See the details in the story. 

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A hornbill sitting in the top section of the bird feeder. From this site: “Most are arboreal birds, but the large ground hornbills (Bucorvus), as their name implies, are terrestrial birds of open savanna. Of the 24 species found in Africa, 13 are birds of the more open woodlands and savanna, and some occur even in highly arid environments; the remaining species are found in dense forests.”

I had promised food photos from last night, but I fail to live up to my promise. Sorry about that! We just had too much fun and, other than the few we’ve included here today, I was just too busy and engaged in the festivities to think about taking many photos.

Aloe Vera is known to be one of the most healing plants on the planet. They grow wild here in the bush. We took this photo yesterday at the brick overlook in Marloth Park on the Crocodile River when we drove around the park looking for the lions.

Nonetheless, here’s the menu from the birthday dinner, overall, an all-American feast:

  • Cheese sticks
  • Moist less-fat biltong (amazing jerky found in South Africa)
  • Marinated grilled pork chops on the braai
  • Marinated grilled pork tenderloin on the braai
  • Roasted vegetables
  • Sweet corn cooked on the braai
  • Garlic mashed potatoes
  • “Par 30 Salad” (a recipe from our old lives given to me by a chef at a golf club)
  • Ciabatta garlic bread, dusted with Parmesan cheese and broiled to a light brown
  • Homemade gluten-free apple crisp served warm and topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.
Our guests, Kathy and Don and Linda and Ken, arrived with heavy coats, not knowing we had the heater.  It kept all of us comfortable all evening.

Actually, this was an easy dinner to make. The only time-consuming items were peeling the apples for the apple crisp and then peeling the potatoes. I hadn’t made either of these items in seven years since I began my way of eating. 

Instead of birthday cake for Kathy’s birthday, I made gluten-free apple crisp, served warm and topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. I didn’t eat it due to the sugar content, but everyone said it was delicious. 

My potato peeler that travels with us finally bit the dust, and the one in the kitchen was equally dull. Thus, I had to use a paring knife which was slow and cumbersome. In my old life, I had an electric peeler that worked fabulously.  But, this isn’t my old life, and the trade-offs are worth it. 

On the 4th of July, this past week was Ken’s birthday, yesterday was Kathy’s, and on the 16th was Linda’s. We celebrated all the birthdays with champagne, gifts, and merriment.

Last night, Ken walked out to the pond and took this photo of the noisy frog we’ve heard each night.  It’s actually tiny, as shown while it’s leaning on a leaf, next to a Helmeted Guinea Fowl feather.

It was a fantastic evening for all. All the food came out as we’d hoped, and the drinks flowed, starting with Pina Colada’s, then to champagne (sparking brut), and then to each of our own preferred wine and cocktails. I drank my usual low-alcohol red wine, and Tom had his usual brandy and Sprite Zero.

Tom backing away from the band of mongoose after he sets down the bowl of eggs.

In Marloth Park, it’s a tradition that dinner guests bring their own preferred beverages such as wine, beer, or liquor. It’s a great tradition since it keeps the cost and convenience of entertaining within reach for everyone. In some cases, hosts will start the evening with a special celebratory beverage, such as the Long Island Ice Teas, at Kathy and Don’s home on the 4th of July.

At times, we have dozens in the yard.  Yesterday, only about 25 mongooses were clamoring around the bowl of raw eggs.

I don’t consume any mixed beverages of any type (due to sugar), nor was I able to eat anything on the above menu except for the pork and roasted vegetables. The remainder had too many carbs or included dairy, not befitting my diet. I didn’t mind a bit. As the proverbial hostess, I always love seeing our guests enjoy our offerings.

Let’s backtrack a bit. Earlier in the day, while on our daily drive searching for the lions currently in the park, I had an idea about the cold nights we’ve been experiencing on the veranda. There’s no way we want to have to be indoors in the evenings.  What if we could find some space heater or outdoor heater? After all, winter has only just begun, and it’s very cool at night.

Even after the bowl is empty, they lick the bowl, trying to get the very last drop of the eggs.

We stopped at a few places while we were out yesterday but couldn’t find a thing that would work for us last night and, in the future, certainly not in Marloth Park shops. There wasn’t enough time to drive to Komatipoort or Malelane with the busy day to see what we could find.

We resigned ourselves that our dinner party would require warm jackets once the sun was set around 17:30 (5:30 pm). As we often do when we have questions, I sent Louise a message asking where she’d recommend we go on Monday to purchase some outdoor heater.

We were busy inside the house preparing for last night’s dinner party.  But, we knew the mongooses had arrived by the high-pitched cackling and squeals.  Tom always drops a few uncracked raw eggs on the ground to keep them around while we make up the bowl of six to eight eggs (depending on the size of the “band”).

Within seconds, she replied, “Hahaha, I’ve got one for you.  Just wait and see.” “What???” I asked in a state of total shock.

Zef and Vusi showed up in the “bakkie” (truck) within ten minutes, with one of those fabulous gas heaters seen in some outdoor restaurants on a chilly night, as shown in today’s main photo. We had a bottle of gas on hand, and in a manner of minutes, it was all set up and ready to use. 

How did we get so lucky to have Louise and Danie as our friends and our “landlords?” Their kindness, attention-to-detail, and generosity are like none we’ve seen anywhere in the world. 

Oh, don’t get me wrong, we’ve had nothing but wonderful landlords over these past years of world travel, many of whom we still stay in touch with. But, these two? Over-the-top, all the way around. If you’re looking for a property to rent or build in Marloth Park, these are the people to see. The friendship and socializing with them is such a bonus. We’ll always treasure it.

The heater kept us all warm and comfortable, and tonight while we dine on leftovers, we’ll be right here on the veranda as we are now, lapping up every moment of life in the bush.

Have a spectacular weekend wherever you may be!

Photo from one year ago today, July 7, 2017:
There was no post on July 7th, the date we flew from Minnesota to Nevada, where we spent three weeks with son Richard at his home in Henderson.  More will follow.

Another busy day in the neighborhood…Chicks, chicks and more chicks!…Fun video in Sighting of the Day”…

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This cute little chick was one of seven we found in the neighborhood in Marloth Park. Thanks for the tip, Louise!

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush” 

 What a hysterical night when we heard this noise that lasted for hours! 
A friendly visitor stopped by amid the noise and didn’t seem to mind a bit.

With Louise and Danie frequently moving in Marloth Park with their property management and building businesses, they’re often the first to discover interesting sightings.

We were thrilled to find the ostrich parents with seven chicks exactly where Louise had said she’d seen them 10 minutes earlier.

Knowing and appreciating how enthusiastic and passionate we are in great photo ops to share here on our site, they never hesitate to let us know about unique and special sightings. Obviously, if they spot a kudu, bushbuck, or warthog, they don’t notify us. Plenty of them visits us each day.

Mom and Dad were obviously very proud of their family.  Ostriches mate for life.

Over the past few days, when they’d spotted ostrich parents with seven or eight chicks, they didn’t hesitate to let us know. Yesterday, when Louise sent me a Messenger note stating that she’d spotted the ostrich family near the corner of Volstruis (oddly, Volstruis means “ostrich” in Afrikaans) and Hornbill, we were in the car and on our way within two or three minutes.

The chicks weren’t concerned about wandering a short distance from their parents, making it impossible to get one photo with all seven of them.

We didn’t expect to find them when we were deciding which way to go as we reached the intersection of the two streets with four options in front of us.  Tom, with his watchful eye, noticed a stopped car on Volstruis a short distance down the road and said, “Let’s go see what they’re looking at!”

Alas, safari luck prevailed, and there they were, in the garden of a house that didn’t appear to be occupied. Brazenly, Tom pulled into the driveway so we could have a “bird’s eye view” (no pun intended), and we were as close as we could be without intruding on their “pecking” as a family.

Peck, peck, peck.  They seemed to fit edibles in the dirt.

We observed them for quite some time, not only to take photos but also to enjoy this magical sighting. Tom turned off the engine as we sat and watched. There was no point in getting out of the car, although our photos may have been better.

If they stopped by our garden, which they may eventually do, we’d have some ostrich-appropriate treats for them.

Ostriches can be dangerous. From this site: “Ostriches can be found in the wild, on safaris, or ostrich farms. But regardless of where you find them, treat them with the utmost caution. Although they do not prey on humans, they have been known to injure and kill when provoked. Extremely fast on foot, they can deliver mortal blows by the sheer force of their legs, never mind the lethally sharp talons at their toes. The best thing you can do is steer clear of them. Failing that, ducking for cover and hiding works best. As a last resort, you may even have to fight them.”

These three chicks of the seven seemed to stay close to one another.

That’s exactly why we didn’t exit the car. However, we’ve seen visitors in Marloth Park getting dangerously close to ostriches with little regard for their own safety of the magnificent birds, the largest on earth.

From this site:  “Ostriches are large, flightless birds with long legs and a long neck protruding from a round body. Males have a bold black-and-white coloring that they use to attract females. Females, on the other hand, are light brown. (Continued below).

Their young feathers and markings are adorable.

Ostriches are bigger than any other bird in the world. They can grow up to 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall and can weigh up to 320 lbs. (145 kilograms), according to the African Wildlife Foundation, and an ostrich’s eyes are 2 inches (5 centimeters) in diameter — the largest of any land animal. The ostrich is the only bird that has two toes on each foot. All other birds have three or four toes, according to the American Ostrich Association.”

At one point, Dad didn’t seem to be happy with us being so close.  Ostriches can be dangerous if they feel threatened, especially with their chicks nearby. We rolled up our windows and moved back. 

After we returned with the above photos, I attempted to get back to work on yesterday’s post. As we’d planned, Ken stopped by (with Don) to provide me with some useful camera tips. He’s quite the expert, and I had many questions. He adeptly answered all of them, providing me with several important bits of information.

Here we were able to get six of the seven in one photo.

Tom and Don chatted while Ken and I, both with similar cameras, spent about an hour reviewing many aspects of photography that will surely help me in the future. I’m not promising my photos will substantially improve, although they may gradually become more professional-looking.

I’d never taken much interest in photography in our old lives. It just didn’t interest me. Now that we’re traveling over the years, I’ve wanted to improve my less-than-ideal skills. We’ll see how it goes.

Mom frequently stood up from pecking to check her surroundings for any threats.

Many photos we’re sharing over the next several days were taken before “camera school.” I’ll attempt to use what I’ve learned to up the quality of my photos in the future.

Saying this put just enough pressure on me to use what I’ve learned and not fall back into my old patterns of often using the wrong settings for the scene.  Please be patient with me.

“Ostriches normally mate for life, and they share the task of incubating the eggs. Ostriches form bisexual groups with a complex structure. Territorial males compete for flocks of three to five hens. Mating includes elaborate displays of hisses and dancing.”

Last night, even in the chilly weather, we managed to stay on the veranda until bedtime. Bundled up in warm clothing, we enjoyed several visitors, including four wildebeest who must have been friends of Wildebeest Willie since I recognized him in the “implausibility of wildebeest.” (Yep, that’s what a group of wildebeest is called, an “implausibility”). Go figure.

Today, we’re busy getting ready for tonight’s dinner party. We’re having a traditional American-type pork braai (barbecue). We’ll share photos, the menu, and details in tomorrow’s post.

I was up very early this morning chopping and dicing, so to say, so there would be time to get today’s post uploaded by noon our time. Hopefully, it will be a little warmer than last night for our outdoor dinner party.

Have a fabulous weekend wherever you may be.

Photo from one year ago today, July 6, 2017:

Tom, Tammy, and Vincent on our last night in Minnesota when we all said goodbye. For more photos, please click here.

Fantastic 4th of July in the bush…Are we wildlife spotters?…

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The 4th of July invitation we received weeks ago. These two sure know how to put on a party!
Thanks, Kathy and Don, with lots of help from Linda and Ken, staying with them this week until Sunday when they all depart. Sadly, we won’t see them again for many months.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Last night’s sunset from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda overlooking the Crocodile River.

Leave it to Kathy and Don to once again host a unique evening in their lovely home in Marloth Park located on the Crocodile River. With 12 of us in attendance, it was the perfect number for their huge table on their veranda on the third floor.

Fern and Tony, otherwise dressed as Dolly Parton and Uncle Sam.

Arriving by 17:00 hrs., (5:00 pm) we had little time to take sunset photos until soon it became dark while the evening cooled during these chilly winter nights in the bush. We all bundled up in jackets we’d brought along, giving little thought to the chill as the drinks flowed and festive began to the point of pure delight.

Tom and Andrew.

Once again, Don and Ken displayed their singing and dancing talents performing as the Blue Brothers from the 1980s. We howled with laughter cheering them on as they danced many popular dances over the past five decades. 

Long-time friends Linda and Ken, originally from the UK, live in South Africa while they also travel the world.

The dinner was great as always, with plenty of items I could eat.  For dessert, Kathy and Linda presented Ken (his birthday was actually yesterday) with a lit birthday cake with those hysterical candles that won’t blow out resulting in yet another laugh fest.

Leslie won the 4th of July quiz, although she isn’t American.

Before we knew it the evening came to an end and we made our way home, mindful of the possibility that the lions could be nearby. We gingerly got out of the car, closely monitoring our surroundings until we were safely indoors.

Don had made Long Island Ice Teas for the hot dog and other starters.

Regardless of how practical we attempt to be, there’s no way there isn’t an emotional impact when we watch or hear of a predator killing and eating another animal. It’s exciting to many of us here in Marloth Park that lions are on the loose, only adding to the mystique and wonder of this unusual place.

Kathy, as always, had set a beautiful red, white and blue, theme-appropriate table for 12.

But most people here in the park also have become very attached to these beautiful creatures and it’s never easy to see one taken by a predator. In any case, we spent several hours driving through the park yesterday when notices came out (via Messenger) that someone had spotted the lions.

We didn’t have any costumes, so we wore red, white and blue.

Who knows how long they will stay in the park? There’s no competition here for food sources, and they could easily decide to wait for the long haul. 

Kathy, priming the audience for the upcoming “Blue Brothers” show.

We’d love to spot the lions to take photos. We’ll continue to head out each day on a mission to see if we’ll get lucky. In the interim, we’ve had several incredible sightings in the past 24 hours, which we look forward to sharing in a few posts over the next few days.

Don and Ken had practiced well for their performances, including lines to memorize and a wide array of dance steps. 

Tomorrow will be a busy day, posting and preparing a birthday dinner for Kathy, whose actual birthday is tomorrow. Our friend, Linda’s birthday is in less than two weeks. It’s cold outside. Since we really don’t have room at a table indoors for six of us we’ll make it work staying bundled up.

As always, we were pretty impressed with their performance.

That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back with more fun photos tomorrow. Please check back.

Photo from one year ago today, July 5, 2017:

 Miles, Madighan (front), with me, Maisie, Camille, and Greg. We were winding down to leave Minnesota to head to Nevada for more family visits. For more details, please click here.

Two lions sighted on our street last night!…Zebras and kudus stampeding in the driveway!..Video…

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We always attempt to zoom in efficiently enough to leave out the fence.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This happened so quickly that we only got the last few seconds of what appeared to be a stampede by zebras and kudus in our driveway.  Stunning, today on the 4th of July!

This morning our dear friend and property manager Louise sent out this message warning of two lions sighted late last night. Thanks, Louise, for always being on the ball on these important updates.

PREDATOR WARNING:
Good morning. 2 Lions were spotted late last night in the area of Swartwitpens, Hartbees, Pappegaai, Woodpecker, and Butterfly. Please take caution as they still might be in the area. Thank you.

Sent from Messenger



We hadn’t heard any more details about the lioness that had entered Marloth Park a few weeks ago, prompting everyone to believe she may have returned to Kruger National Park.

We spotted these elephants from Marloth Park across the Crocodile River a few days ago.

There’s no word yet on the gender of these two lions, but surely in the next few days, something will be posted on the Marloth Park Sightings on Facebook. We’ll keep an eye out for updates.

Last night, we didn’t take any photos when I was busy on Skype speaking to son Greg, daughter-in-law Camille and our three grandchildren, Maisie, Miles, and Madighan. 

This parade of elephants consisted of more than 30.

They were camping about an hour outside of Minneapolis, and it was fun when Miles carried the phone around to show us photos of their new fifth-wheel camper. In return, I showed Madighan the bushbabies by turning around my computer while she squealed with delight over how cute they are. Maisie had an opportunity to see a few warthogs in the yard, including Little Wart Face. 

It’s not easy taking photos through the narrow electrified fence between Marloth Park and Kruger National Park.

Having face-time with family is especially fun, although we don’t always have the opportunity to do so due to the big time difference. It’s hard to believe that in a mere nine months, in April, we’ll be back in Minnesota to see everyone. 

We got out of the car and moved as close to the fence as possible to get these shots.  In Kruger, exiting a vehicle is strictly forbidden.

This visit won’t be as long as last summer’s six-week stay with only 17 days in Minnesota, but we’ll focus on spending quality time with both sides of the family as we did last year. However, we plan to return in September 2020, which is 16 months later.

In between all of these dates, we have so much planned all the way into 2021, along with gaps we’ll fill during the next year. The itinerary is perpetually evolving as we acquire interest and enthusiasm for new and different locations. To see our most recent itinerary, please click here.

Such mysterious and fascinating animals.

Once we’ve uploaded today’s post, we’ll be heading out for our usual drive in the park, but this time with eyes focused on spotting two lions and the eight ostrich chicks seen with mom and dad on a nearby dirt road. Of course, that doesn’t mean we won’t stop to take photos of other wildlife we discover along the way.

As for today, the US holiday, Independence Day, the 4th of July, as mentioned in a prior post, we’re attending a holiday celebration here in the bush at friends Kathy and Don’s home beginning at 1700 hours (5:00 pm). 

The caring these animals feel for one another is always obvious when viewing them in the wild.

Tom’s busy reading up on Independence Day facts since Don will always have a relevant quiz.  Tom won last time (at their Easter party). We’ll see how it goes tonight.

May our American family and friends in the US and living in other countries have a safe and meaningful Independence Day.  Our patriotism and devotion to our country and each other are vital to our freedom, prosperity, and everlasting peace.

Photo from one year ago today, July 4, 2017:

With the bright sun behind us, this photo didn’t come out too well, plus our plates of food look twice as big as they actually were. For more details, please click here.

Late post due to distractions…The proverbial observers…A bulb supersedes…

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Notice the pellet crumbs on her nose. Often, there are lots of crumbs in the huge bags of pellets. Most wildlife is happy to lap up the crumbs if we place them on the tile steps.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Big Daddy showed up, and then he and Wildebeest Willie let us know pellets were expected.

We love these animals. It’s hard to describe to anyone who hasn’t experienced the beauty and magnificence of wild animals in their presence daily.  Not only do we relish the opportunity to see them each day, as we patiently wait for the sounds of the rustling of leaves in the bush as they approach, but we’re literally entranced by their behavior.

Although they’re used to being around humans while we all share the rustic terrain in Marloth Park, they are still wild animals. They aren’t domesticated beings, like dogs and cats. They don’t want to be touched, nor should we attempt to touch them.

In the forefront is the baby bushbuck we’ve seen grow over these past months. To her left is her mom, as shown in today’s main photo. Behind her is “auntie,” who’s helped raise the baby.  The three of them visit together at least once a day. They prefer to eat pellets and vegetables from the stone steps as opposed to in the dirt.

They fend for themselves in this wild place; mating, giving birth, raising their young, and interacting with one another in ways we often find astounding as we, the proverbial observers, glean this unstoppable sense of somehow belonging to their world, if only in a minuscule way when they visit us.

They don’t belong to us. This isn’t a zoo. This isn’t a rehab center for wildlife, although at times, for the more endangered species, medical intervention may occur in specific cases. But, most of the animals here are subject to illness, injury, and recovery on their own, as they best know-how.

We’ve named him Wildebeest Willie, now that he’s quickly becoming a regular visitor.

A huge benefit for them is the lack of natural predators here in the park, save for an occasional lion, leopard, or wild dogs entering the park through a break in the dividing fence between Marloth and Kruger Parks.

Recently, with the influx of tourists and, unfortunately, some residents, 13 animals have been killed on the roads by speeding and careless humans, not driving their vehicles with “them” in mind. 

Wildebeest are notoriously shy. The more he sees us, the more at ease he is hanging out in the garden. He stayed for several hours last night, unusual for a wildebeest.

Sure, occasionally, an unsuspecting driver may be unable to stop when an animal dashes into the road, day or night. But, then, we all should be driving at a snail’s pace to avert even those situations. 

Since the holiday season began, we’ve seen three cases where young children ranging from five to 12 years old have been driving SUVs, the youngest on the parent’s lap and the older on their own. 

When the pellets ran low, Wildebeest Willie didn’t waste any time approaching the veranda.

Who could think it is wise to let a child drive a vehicle in this place or anyplace, for that matter? They aren’t experienced or equipped to handle a massive vehicle if a wild animal suddenly jumped onto the road. 

And even if the parent had the child on their lap, the adult’s response time would be greatly hindered by the situation, unable to react quickly enough to avoid hitting an animal, let alone a person walking or riding a bike. What are these people thinking?

When we didn’t jump up right away, he held his ground at the edge of the veranda, waiting for us to respond.  We did.

We especially question this when day after day and night after night, we’re blissfully blessed to see these amazing creatures grace us with their presence, accepting our intrusion into their space, their terrain, their world.

Last night, we were in awe of them when we experienced one of the best wildlife watching experiences since we arrived in Marloth Park on February 11th. Not only did we have no less than eight playful and funny warthogs, but we had Frank and the Mrs. (francolins) in attendance, a loud chirping bullfrog for background noise, Wildebeest Willie, and Big Daddy adding to the entertainment factor.

He seems to get along well with the warthogs, which are nightly visitors. At this point, he and Little Wart Face shared pellets without incident.

And during the evening hours, bushbucks stopped by; mongoose visited, duikers delicately danced through the garden, along with a continuing stream of hippo and bullfrog sounds wafting through the air. 

We hardly had time to eat our dinner when every few moments we jumped up to toss another slew of pellets, a fistful of apples or handfuls of cut carrots to our “guests.” They couldn’t have been more pleased. We couldn’t have been more pleased.

And when later in the evening, as the “crowd” thinned out, the bulb in our garden light burned out. Subsequently, when we usually shop for groceries on Thursdays, we were off this morning to the Obaro Hardware store in Komatipoort for another bulb (we actually purchased two) when we couldn’t dare miss one evening of festivities. 

They seemed to get along well.  Only once did Big Daddy tap the ends of his giant antlers on the ground to let Willie know to back off?

We purchased groceries for our upcoming dinner party on Friday night and for us for the next week. After we put everything away, I asked Tom to please make sure the bulb worked so I could have peace of mind while preparing today’s post that nothing would hinder the joy of yet another evening on the veranda.  It worked, and we now have a backup.

Today, folks, it was a bulb. That’s why today’s post is late by no less than four hours due to going to Komatipoort to purchase the bulb and grocery shop while there.  For us to miss posting by our usual time, it must be a very critical situation; a drive into Kruger, a road trip, a special event, or a travel day.

Thanks for your patience, and enjoy your evening listening to the sounds of nature wherever you may be.

Photo from one year ago today, July 3, 2017:

One year ago today, we dined with our old neighbors/friends. From left to right, Doug, Jamie Tom, me, Sue, Nelleke and Dave.  For more details and photos, please click here.

Contemplating continuing a life of world travel….

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In the past almost five months, we’ve only seen one wildebeest run through the garden. Last night two visitors were quite a thrill.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

What a pose!  What was she thinking?  Females’ feathers are brown, and males are black.

In the past several days, after celebrating our 27 years together, we’ve found ourselves reviewing the time we’ve spent together. Like most couples, some of it was easy, and other times were challenging. But, the one constant has been our love for one another.

Elephant viewing from the fence between Marloth Park and Kruger National Park.

Yesterday, while driving through Marloth Park, we raised several questions regarding “what ifs” and how we handled them at this point in our lives. Most likely, this is a conversation some couples dare to discuss from time to time, especially as we age.

While in Kruger, it would be impossible to see these elephants by the Crocodile River based on the terrain. But, from Marloth Park, we often spot these magnificent beasts.
One may ask, “What if I became ill and couldn’t take care of the day-to-day tasks I’ve so easily handled in the past? Would we expect that I’d go to a nursing home or assisted living facility? Would you go with me if that was possible?”
Almost every time we’re out driving through Marloth Park, we spot elephants beyond the fence.

These are tough questions none of us likes to contemplate. The answers don’t come easily if one is honest with their partner. And sure, it’s essential to have a plan in mind as we age, as to what our best options may be in these difficult situations.

There may be one elephant or 40. However many there may be, we’re always thrilled to see them.

Since we have no home, answers to these questions become all the more difficult to answer. Of course, we’ve discussed many possible scenarios and, like you, have ideas in mind what we may do in such a situation or the case of an unforeseen emergency; injury, surgery, or debilitating illness.

An ostrich on a leisurely walk in the park.
But, yesterday Tom brought up a point we’ve never discussed to the degree we did in the car, which we continued once back at the house: What would we “really” do if one of us wanted to stop traveling, not as a result of a medical situation but instead, simply due to being tired of living this peculiar life on the move?
When we initially decided to travel the world in January 2012, we made a pact: That if one of us grew tired or bored with this life, the other would agree to stop. Plain and simple.
This flock of ostriches is often found in a particular area near the river we often visit when on daily drives.  Note the chick on the far left.

Tom’s question, posed with the utmost of love and concern, was, “What if one of us wanted to stop and the other did not want to?” Wow! That would be a challenge, wouldn’t it? We recalled our pact. 

Tom is feeding kudu girls and boys from the veranda. 

However, a lot has transpired in the past number of years, and we both are so committed and dedicated to this blissful life, we can’t imagine ever changing our lifestyle unless we physically could carry on no more (which in the realm of things, most likely will eventually happen).

So let’s assume for clarity, what if I wanted to stop, get a permanent home, stock it with stuff, to live out our remaining years in a warm climate somewhere in the US or elsewhere?

A group of kudus is a “forkl” and often females and males are together in a family unit referred to as a “harem.”

At this point, we were situated on the veranda setting up for the evening’s wildlife watching, a glass of wine or cocktail, and eventually the fabulous dinner I’d spent the better part of the day preparing before we embarked on the late afternoon drive.

We were both perplexed about how we’d answer this difficult question, now with so much experience behind us and our acquired passion for world travel. We never dreamed this would be us, now or ever, for that matter.

He ate a few pellets, looked at us, and was on his way, the other following close behind.

We agreed that the next possible question would be, “Could we talk the “disenchanted” into changing their mind?” At that point, we both decided that we’d be open to discussion as the next logical step.

Tom always says, “It’s a good thing we found each other. Otherwise, we’d be screwing up two other innocent people.” 

In other words, neither of us can imagine, now or at any time in the future, ever become bored or disenchanted with our lives together as it is now. We even laughed at the incredible nature of this concept.

And so…we carry on, fulfilled, content, and hopeful for the future, together as a determined team to see the world, on our terms, in our own time for however long we’ll be blessed to do so.

May your dreams be fulfilled as well. 

Photo from one year ago today, July 2, 2017:

Tom and I dined here in our old lives. Dining here while we were in Minnesota last year didn’t fit into the budget in this life. For more details, please click here.

An afternoon at the fair…Marloth Park Honorary Rangers Winter Fair, that is!….

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At the entrance to the Marloth Park Honorary Rangers Winter Fair.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This was a first…three warthogs sleeping in the yard, from left to right, Tusker, Little Wart Face, and Ms. Warthog, who the two boys were both interested in courting.

Yesterday, Saturday afternoon, we drove the short distance to Henk Van Rooyen Park located on the Crocodile River to attend the annual Marloth Park Honorary Rangers Winter Fair. We had no idea what to expect.
Each year the Honorary Rangers work hard to present this festive fundraiser and social event for the residents and visitors of Marloth Park. The entrance fee was a paltry ZAR 20 (US $1.46) per person, paid at the entrance gate.

Marloth Park Conservancy display with educational information about wildlife.

Once inside the gate, we didn’t have trouble finding a parking spot that had Tom concerned a few days before the event. He always worries about traffic and parking. It must be a “guy thing.” I never give either a thought. With attendees coming and going to the day-long event, it was easy to slide into a convenient spot without concern.

A display of a variety of plant and animals items.

Within moments of entering the fair, we started running into people we knew, which surprised and pleased us both. We knew we’d met many beautiful people in the past almost five months in Marloth Park, but until many were assembled at the public venue, we had no idea how many we’d come to know.

Many locally made handicrafts were offered for sale.

We purchased raffle tickets, played a game, and Tom enjoyed a big glass of beer for only ZAR 25 ($1.82).  Wandering by and stopping at many of the kiosks, we engaged in lively conversations with people we knew and many new people we met. We’re always amazed by how friendly the locals are here in the park. We’ve been made to feel so welcomed.

This lovely Honorary Ranger was equally friendly as all of the others we encountered at the fair.

It’s not always easy for local people to readily welcome strangers to their special place. Often, new people are left feeling like “outsiders,” but this has never been the case here.

Of course, there’s always jewelry for sale at fairs.

We realized that as of late, we’d posted a few “controversial” stories that could make particular residents uncomfortable. Never for a moment did we feel any strain or judgment from any participants at the event or otherwise.

A band played during the festivities.

Let’s face it, and this is a tiny town. There are currently 4355 properties in the park, including yet-to-be-built “stands” (lots or plots of land). These stats may be found at this demographics site here.

Picnic tables were available for those eating, drinking, or chatting.

In speaking with locals since we arrived on February 11th, we’ve heard that there may be less than 1000 property owners in the park at any given time. Of course, there are always several hundred tourists staying in holiday homes, such as us, although not necessarily for as long as we do.

Three of our friends were operating the beer kiosk from left to right in the center, Paul, John, and Sandra.

Many homeowners have homes in other locations, many right here in South Africa in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, and many other cities. Then, many homeowners from the Netherlands, the UK, and many other parts of the world.

Our friend Evan was selling soda and water.

Overall, most of the people we’ve met are native South Africans or have become residents/citizens of South Africa from other parts of the world. Oddly, as we’ve mentioned in prior posts, other than friends Kathy and Don, we’ve yet to meet any residents, property owners, or tourists from the US. 

There were several old telephones on the top shelf in this display, along with other antique-type items.

We assume few Americans here due to the long distance and the high cost to fly back and forth between any US state and Marloth Park. There aren’t many. As of today, the round trip fare to fly from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Nelspruit/Mpumalanga, South Africa, is (as of today’s best rate) is ZAR 38,441 (US $2800) per person, and the flight is over 34 hours. 

Handmade beaded wildlife characters.

Can you imagine how costly and time-consuming it would be for US citizens to fly back and forth to their “vacation/holiday” in Marloth Park three or four times a year? Few people choose this type of location for a second or third home due to these facts.

More jewelry…

We’ve yet to go to Kruger with all the holidaymakers here right now. I’ve seen a few videos from sightings in Kruger, and the cars were backed up on the tar road. As mentioned above, we prefer to go to Kruger when the traffic dies down a little. Perhaps, we’ll attempt sometime this week between planned social events or the following week.

Artist’s renditions of wildlife along with an array of skulls, horns, and tusks.

The “school holiday” for South Africans ends on July 17th. Then, there will be many more Europeans and others coming to Marloth for their summer holiday.  All of this should taper off by mid-August. By the time we return from Zambia on August 23rd, it should be quiet again in the park, at least until Christmas, when it is packed with tourists once again.

This was my favorite.  For ZAR 20 (US $1.46), a participant could pull one of the tangled strings to see which bottles they pulled as their prize.  We took two tries for ZAR 40 ($2.92).  See what I “won” in the photo below.

A special thank you to all Marlothians who’ve made us feel so welcomed in your magical place and, thanks to all of our readers for sharing it all with us!

Here’s what I won, a large bottle of tomato sauce and bottled water, both of which we’ll certainly use.

May your day be as bright and sunny as we expect ours to be.

 Photo from one year ago today, July 1, 2017:

Wayzata Bay is only a tiny portion of huge Lake Minnetonka with over 14,000 acres and 140 miles of shoreline where we boated for many years. For more details, please click here.

Stars and Stripes…And, more stripes….Finding ingredients…Off to the Marloth Park Honorary Rangers Winter Fair…

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This particular “dazzle” of zebras was all female except for a youngster.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A zebra attempting to climb the steps to the veranda.

We’ll be attending a US holiday 4th of July party at Kathy and Don’s home, overlooking the Crocodile River, in four days.  Twelve guests will be in attendance, with only four actual US citizens; us and Kathy, and Don.

Zebras love pellets, carrots, and apples.

The rest are native South Africans from the UK, all of whom love a reason for a party. Kathy and Don will do their usual “over the top” celebration, often including games, prizes, and unique entertainment and festivities.

As soon as Kathy mentioned this upcoming event, I chimed in, offering to make my former 4th of July US flag cake which I’d make each year in our old lives. I made the offer, which Kathy accepted, starting to “make it small” since most in this group aren’t into desserts as Americans may be. 
In our old lives, I made this US flag cake every year on the 4th of July.

 Plus, with a few of us avoiding sugar or gluten, there’d be lots of cake left even if I made the small version.  Then, Tom would end up eating the leftovers. Not necessarily a good idea.

Of course, there’s often a warthog on the scene, in this case, one of our favorites, Little Wart Face.

The offer of the cake was more for the festivities than the eating, but I was bound and determined to make it, never giving it much thought after my offer. We planned to shop the day before the party to ensure the berries as shown on the cake were fresh. I’d planned to bake the cake the morning of the party.

Three weeks ago, I saw fresh strawberries and blueberries in the market, thinking, “no problem.” But over the next few weeks, there were no strawberries. One week later and there were no blueberries. The markets in Komatipoort receive stock on Thursdays and Fridays for the weekend. They don’t keep. By Tuesday, there’d be no chance of buying fresh berries. 

Zebras don’t stay around too long unless there’s a constant stream of pellets, fruits, and vegetables.

It’s not like the US or many other countries here when there’s usually exactly what one needs regardless of the day of the week. We always shop on Thursday afternoons, but even then, many items haven’t been put on the shelves, and the more popular items are already gone, purchased by the morning shoppers. We’ve learned the drill.

Often, zebras come to visit at night, making us thrilled for a daytime visit.

This may sound disgusting to health enthusiasts out there. Still, to taste exceptional, this particular cake requires Cool Whip, a non-dairy topping heavily sweetened with real sugar that tastes exceptionally good. We’ve seen videos from the US of people eating bowls of the chemical-laden stuff as a treat.

This zebra was licking pellet dust off the veranda tiles.

I must admit that in our old lives, either of us may have at one point or another taken a taste or two with a spoon directly from a plastic container of Cool Whip in the fridge. It was perfect, then. I used to put it on my ice cream with caramel syrup. Oh, good grief! Stop! My mouth is watering!

Well, anyway, this cake requires Cool Whip, which is not available in South Africa, certainly not anywhere we checked in Komatipoort. It made no sense to drive far away, hoping to find it.

This zebra started climbing up the steps to the veranda, but they’re slippery, and she backed off.

A few days ago, I let Kathy know I wasn’t making the cake. There were no berries, no Cool Whip at the market. Since no one in the group was particularly gung-ho for sweets, Kathy said, “No worries, don’t make a cake.” I felt bad since it’s not my nature to offer to do something and then “backpedal.” In this case, I had to let it go.

These two were scrounging for any stray pellets.

Two days after the 4th of July, we’re hosting a dinner party/birthday celebration for Kathy who’s birthday is on the 6th, and Ken’s (of Ken and Linda) will have been on the 4th. Lots of fun reasons to celebrate life in the bush!

As I’m sitting here now, on yet another perfect-weather-day, nine kudus stopped by, all girls, all looking for pellets, apples, and carrots. My favorite kudu, who I can identify by a “u-shaped” notch in her right ear, walked right up to the edge of the veranda and licked my bare toes, as usual. She makes me laugh! 

A third joined them in the search.

As soon as we upload this post, we’ll be heading to Henk Van Rooyen Park for the annual Honorary Rangers Winter Fair. This is the same location where Aamazing River View restaurant is located, which we wrote about in yesterday’s post.

Tomorrow, we’ll return with our experiences and photos from the fair. No doubt we’ll run into some of the many wonderful people we’ve met in Marloth Park over this past almost five months. What a ride it’s been so far!
May your day be bright and sunny!

Photo from one year ago today, June 30, 2017:

Look at all that luggage we had back in January 2013 as we prepared to board our second cruise in Fort Lauderdale. We posted this old photo one year ago today when we had purchased two new bags. We no longer have any of the pieces shown here when we’d seriously unloaded “stuff” during our first year or two. For more, please click here.