A little life almost lost!…Yesterday afternoon’s bird experience… Closet space…

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When we arrived on Tuesday night, this fruit and wine platter were awaiting us. Tom is working on the bananas, and tonight I’ll have half of the avocado stuffed with the chicken salad I’m making today. I cut up the pineapple for Tom, who’s off low carb until the fruit is gone.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

This is the parrot after she/he was knocked unconscientious after hitting the glass wall of the veranda. There is a bird deterrent on the glass, but this poor bird slammed so hard into the glass we assumed it was dead.  It was so sad to see this happen.

We never knew that the first colorful bird we’d see up close in Costa Rica would be a parrot after it flew into the glass wall of the veranda and fell unconscientious on the veranda’s walkway toward the lower level staircase.

As a result of yesterday afternoon’s scary bird experience, we again decided to incorporate a feature comparable to the “Sightings on the Beach in Bali,” now aptly named “Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica.”

We’d been searching for colorful birds and didn’t expect the first one we saw on our first day to be knocked out and possibly dying. Instead, after about 20 minutes, the bird sat in this position for about 10 minutes, not moving.  Would it recover?  We continued to hope it would.
While comfortably situated on the veranda, we expect to spend most of our days and night (perhaps in part, in preparation for spending all of our days outdoors in Africa, upcoming in six months). So we don’t want to miss a thing.

The house is exceptional, with several inviting areas to work on our laptops and/or lounge. But, we can’t resist spending all of our “at home” days outside, fearful we’d miss something, whether it’s a soaring bird, cattle or sheep grazing in a pasture, or even a wildly unusual insect.

The “sightings” and subsequent photos may not always be exciting.  After all, we’ll be here until November 24, 2017, a total of 114 days. So we can’t expect a stunning photo every day, although we’ll do our best to present interesting or unusual subjects of our photo ops as they present themselves. 

We wondered if her/his little left leg was broken. If so, surely it would die.
There will be days we’ll have to search for a suitable photo for the next day, and there will be other days they’ll magically appear almost as in a “safari luck” manner that allowed us to see the “Big 5” in the first 10 hours on safari in the Masai Mara in 2013. Thanks to our equally fantastic guide, Anderson, please click here for the story and photos about that impressive feat.

Today’s first “Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica” will be slightly different from those that will follow over the remaining months.  In this particular case, the situation, as shown above, resulted in a series of photos, all of which were important to share. Thus, the series continues in the main body of the post and under the “Sightings…” heading below the main photo.

After 30 minutes had passed suddenly, the precious Parrot stood up and moments later flew through the bars in the railing, hopefully back to her/his life in the tropics—a happy ending to what could have been very sad to witness.

Please bear with us, if some days, the photo is only a pretty flower or a passing butterfly (we’ve never seen so many butterflies in a location in the past). But, as our long-term readers know, we’ll always do our best.

Yes, we do plan to get out sightseeing sometime in the next few weeks. On Monday, we’ll begin doing our 2016 taxes (we got an extension when our package with the necessary documents was lost in the snail mail in Australia and later found) and booking the month we’ll spend in Buenos Aires, which we’ve yet to accomplish.

In the master suite, there are two spacious walk-in closets with plenty of hanging space and drawers.

Last night after dinner  (we shopped yesterday), we lounged in the plush “screening room.” After a hectic day with almost 10,000 steps on my FitBit without trying, I had trouble staying awake during the few shows we watched. Tom kept waking me up, knowing if I slept through a show, I wouldn’t sleep well during the night. He was so right. I ended up with a good night’s rest.

Today, we’re hoping to try the pool if it doesn’t rain. Yesterday afternoon, we put on swimsuits only to change our minds when thunder and lightning radiated through the skies. 

We ended up sharing one closet for our clothing and the other for shoes and odds and ends.

Yep, there are many insects (no mosquitos, yeah!), some heat and humidity with no AC, except in the TV room, which we doubt we’ll ever use. But, it’s beautiful, there are screens on the doors and windows, and the property is divine. It’s the rainy season now in Costa Rica, but we don’t mind at all. We’re comfortable, content, and loving the sights and sounds of Costa Rica.

May your day find you comfortable and content as well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 3, 2016:

Overall, the neighborhood in which we were living in Phuket, Thailand, has newer single-family homes. However, the area contains several modest living and working environments, such as this property, which we passed on the way to our villa. For more photos, please click here.

Interesting and appreciated comment from a reader…Worries of risks when traveling…

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Hillside scenery.

Over these past several years, we’ve received many excellent comments on various of our past posts. As a result, some readers may read our posts out of chronological order or start from the beginning on March 15, 2012, when we first began to write about our lives of world travel.

Now, 1674 daily posts later, we’re often amazed by how readers from all over the world continue to read our old posts, often commenting on any given post or sending us a thoughtful email.

Many of our readers write into the easy-to-use “comments” section at the bottom of each post and may stay anonymous if chosen.  However, we find many readers don’t hesitate to leave a first name (and occasionally their full name) when they post a comment.

If you’ve never commented, please feel free to do so. We reply within 24 hours (at the latest). And, your comment remains on that post for all of our readers to see for years to come.

Caravans parking in Franklin for Australia Day festivities which we attended last month.

For many, with more personal comments in mind, they prefer to email us at the links provided on our home page, on the right, above the photo of us in Petra, Jordan. Clicking either of these links takes you directly to the email app on your device, and you can write as you would in writing any email message. But, of course, we won’t post your email message without your specific approval.

Most often, your email will reach us promptly, providing we have a good Internet connection. We check our email throughout each day, but a response may be delayed, if it arrives while we’re sleeping.

Before posting each day, I take a peek at my email but seldom respond until after completing the day’s post. I awake on a mission to get the “ball rolling” as soon as I’m showered and dressed for the day.

During this past almost three months since we arrived in Penguin, Tasmania, on December 3, 2016, I’ve maintained my usual posting schedule regardless of how I may have been feeling during this period. 

Houses are scattered throughout the countryside in the Huon Valley.

Of course, as mentioned in a post a few days ago, the exception to our posting and/or replying to comments and email may occur on specific travel days, especially when we don’t have access to Wi-Fi while awaiting a particular means of transportation.

Yesterday, we received this lovely comment from one of our readers who’s apparently begun reading our posts from the beginning. 

Laura wrote:

“Ah, Jess…I know I am reading them years after the fact, but your posts and photos are breathtaking!! I love them! I’ve been trying for years to convince Ernie to agree to an African safari – he’s too concerned with our safety to try it, but I’m still working on him!!”

Upon reading this short comment at the end of this post, I could hardly wait to write back to Laura to thank her for her kindness in complimenting our posts and photos. 
But, the comment Laura expressed over her husband’s hesitation to go on an African safari reminded us of five years ago when Tom was equally concerned over the safety of a safari and, even more so, living in Africa for almost nine months.
Our family was even more worried that we were getting in over our heads when they’d read and heard of countless stories about horrific events occurring in many parts of Africa, some as a result of animal encounters and other incidents. But, they were more concerned as to our vulnerability of becoming victims of crime.
A neighborhood in the Huon Valley.

We’ve never taken these facts lightly, but, as has been the case for most travelers, there are always precautions and concerns over traveling beyond the comfort zone of their home environment. 

Nowadays, there is no place in the entirely safe world;  from the elements, terrorism, crime, accidents, illness, and wildlife. Back then, before we began traveling, we’d discussed these concerns in depth. 

Mainly, I was trying to assure Tom that although the risks were higher in some parts of the world, such as Africa and the Middle East, we’d exercise the utmost caution. For example, in Kenya, where carjackings are common, we used a local driver to take us wherever we desired, thus reducing the risks.
Kayaker on Huon River near a moored sailboat.

As we look back at our old posts, we can’t help but experience the most profound emotions over the fact that we took those risks to see parts of the world previously only in our dreams.

When a year from now when we’ll return to South Africa (with more other African countries on the horizon during our extended stay), our hearts thump with enthusiasm.
This will be the first time we’ve returned to a country for an extended stay hiatus to explore Southeast Asia. As it turned out, we really enjoyed the second two months in Bali at the fabulous villa on the ocean.
Franks, a small cider restaurant and shop.

We had returned to Bali due to its proximity and easy flights to Sydney, Australia, where we’d booked several cruises. However, our return to Africa next February is for an entirely different reason…we wanted to return while we’re still able, young enough, and hopefully healthy enough to embrace the many exciting opportunities awaiting us. 

So, today, I thank Laura for writing and inspiring today’s post, which included our own past concerns, which ultimately ending with the gift of great memories that we gleaned from the extraordinary experiences.

Have a memorable day and be safe.

Photo from one year ago today, February 24, 2016:

Tom standing outside the shopping mall in New Plymouth, New Zealand, last year. For more photos, please click here.

Update on stranded pilot whales in New Zealand…A bit of “this and that”…Balance of Home Hill Winery photos…

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The work and effort to create these perfect rows of grapes are astounding.

The mass stranding of over 600 whales is the largest in New Zealand’s history, as shown from this source:

“More than 600 pilot whales have washed ashore New Zealand’s South Island over the past two days. Officials and volunteers are working to return the ones still alive back to sea, but many have already died or were euthanized because of their injuries.

On the morning of February 10th, more than 400 pilot whales were discovered on a crescent of land on New Zealand’s South Island called Farewell Spit, according to a Department of Conservation news release. Unfortunately, close to 300 of them had already died.

Volunteers with whale rescue organization Project Jonah and DoC officials managed to send 100 or so whales back to sea on February 11th, only to have 20 wash ashore again. The remaining 80 joined another nearby pod and appeared to be safe. However, that second pod then stranded itself on Farewell Spit that evening. The New Zealand Department of Conservation sent out a call for more volunteers, warning that it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to rescue all of the beached whales.”
The beauty of the neat rows of grapes in the vineyard is a breathtaking sight.

Hopefully, over the next few days, more whales will be saved as volunteers continue to work around the clock to assist in helping more back out to sea. 

Over the past almost month since we arrived in the Huon Valley, the weather hasn’t been ideal. In total, there have been about five sunny and warm days, all of which got us out to explore. Unfortunately, the remainder has been rainy, cool, windy, and cloudy, none of which is ideal for photo taking.

Here’s today’s forecast, similar to over these past several days:

“Forecast issued at 5:40 am EDT on Monday 13 February 2017.

Forecast for the rest of Monday
Summary

Max 16C

Shower or two. Wind easing.

Chance of any rain: 50%
South East area

Cloudy. High (80%) chance of showers in the far south, medium (60%) chance elsewhere. Winds west to southwesterly 35 to 55 km/h decreasing to 20 to 30 km/h in the late evening. Daytime maximum temperatures between 11 and 17.

Fire Danger – High

Sun protection recommended from 9:50 am to 5:20 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 9 [Very High].”

Alpacas grazing at the Home Hill Winery in the Huon Valley, Tasmania.

For those only familiar with Fahrenheit, this 16C translates to 60F, which at the highest for the day made for a considerably cool morning with the winds and overcast sky. 

This may sound warm to our family and friends in ultracold Minnesota and other parts of the country, but for us, having experienced mostly above 80F, 27C for the past four years, it’s very cool to us.

Those chubby cheeks must be filled with grazed grass.

Yesterday, staying in on a rainy day, we couldn’t seem to warm up. So both of us bundled up in socks, long pants, and flannel shirts layered over tee shirts. Unfortunately, my feet never warmed up, and I ended up wrapping them in a blanket.

There is a space heater kept in the bedroom, but we try to acclimate to the temperatures and possible without the use of heat or air-con. Also, we both make every effort to save on power when possible. 

This adorable alpaca approached the fence to check us out.

In most cases, landlords have provided us with discounted rental prices for our long-term stays and the added promotion of their listing through our site. As a result, we pay special attention to keeping the costs of owner-paid utilities under control. 

We’ve yet agreed to pay for utilities for any vacation homes. We feel these costs should be included in the rental. On the few occasions we were asked to pay the costs for utilities at the time of booking, we’ve always “negotiated” the cost of electricity/water/cable TV/Wi-Fi be included in the rent. 

Beautiful rows of grapes.

Last night, when we began watching season four of Game of Thrones, we wrapped ourselves in extra blankets to stay warm. We’d signed up for a one-month free trial of HBO (through Amazon), during which we’ll have watched the entire six seasons of Game of Thrones and season one of The Young Pope. 

By the time the trial ends, we’ll have seen all the episodes, and we’ll cancel the subscription, rejoining sometime in the future after we visit the US during which we won’t have time to watch shows while visiting with family and friends during the combined nine-week stay in both Minnesota and Nevada.

Bottles of wine ready for customers to take home.

Tomorrow, regardless of the weather, we’re heading out for more photos and grocery shopping. With over two weeks remaining until we fly to Sydney for the upcoming cruise, we’re beginning to wind down using the foods we have on hand.

Have a lovely day, stay warm, stay happy.

Photo from one year ago today, February 13, 2016:

On a drive in the New Zealand countryside, we stumbled upon this Billy Goat tied to a tree. He seems interested when we stopped for the photo. For more photos, please click here.

Trip to Hobart on a perfect day in Tasmania…Noctunal awakening…Clarification on our “one year ago posts”…

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A perfect yellow rose from the flower garden in the yard.

During the night I awoke at 2:00 am, wide eyed and bushy tailed. Finally, by 4:00 am I drifted off, awakening at 6:30. As a whole, I slept about five hours. As a result, I lounged in bed this morning unable to fall back to sleep, instead reading the news on my phone. 

The main street in Huonville as we drove along our way to Hobart, approximately 45 minutes from our holiday home.

In the past year I’d read several articles stating that it’s in our human DNA to awaken during the night such as explained at this website as follows:

In the past year I have read several articles stating that it is in our human DNA to wake up during the night as explained on this website as follows: “Humans slept in two four-hour blocks, which were separated by a period of wakefulness in the middle of the night lasting an hour or more. During this time some might stay in bed, pray, think about their dreams, or talk with their spouses. Others might get up and do tasks or even visit neighbors before going back to sleep.”

While we were driving down the road to Hunonville, the scenery was exquisite.

It is heartening to know that waking up at night is neither unusual nor harmful at the end of the day. The trick is to get enough sleep to function well in the daytime. 

There is no shoulder on the road from our vacation home to Huonville. As a result, we’ve had to take photos while moving, always a tricky proposition.

Last night I didn’t get enough sleep, leaving me to lounge in bed this morning longer than I’d prefer. Subsequently, I didn’t sit down to begin today’s post until two hours after my usual starting time. 

Huon River.

Preferring to upload the day’s post prior to noon (our time) I’ve decided to postpone the time consuming story I prepared and upload tomorrow regarding yesterday’s visit to a worthwhile historical visit in Hobart where we spent most the afternoon.

Huon River through the trees.

After the enjoyable trip to Hobart we’re determined to return once a week, weather providing, to explore more of its wonders. It’s quite a city, unlike any other we’ve visited in the past. 

Cloudy and overcast views of a few boats moored on the Huon River.

As a matter of fact, Tasmania is unlike any location, we’ve visited in our 51 months of travel. It will be hard to leave in five weeks, but then, we have so much to look forward to in the future.

More sailboats moored on the river.

A point we wanted to discuss today, is the “year ago post” at the bottom of the page of each day’s post. Most of our posts reference a particular activity on which we’ve embarked as a result of an experience of a prior day. Thus, when we display the “year ago photo,” it was actually taken the prior day.

The Huon River is very wide in certain areas.

As an example, today’s “year ago photo” as shown below was taken on January 19, 2016, not on January 20th which it is today on this side of the International Dateline. This further adds to the confusion for our readers in the North America, Europe and South America where today’s date is January 19th, not the 20th as it is here.

Calla Lily grows in Anne and Rob’s flower garden.

To sum this up, the “year ago photos” are generally taken the prior day or during the prior few days. We attempt to stay as current as possible in all of our posts. If you have any questions regarding the time frame (or any other topic) for any of our posts, please feel free to contact us.

This flock of pelicans and other birds appear to be standing atop of the water when they’re actually standing in shallow water.

Today, it’s raining again and we’ll stay indoors simply enjoying this lovely property, our gorgeous surroundings and each other’s companionship. It’s a good day!

May you have a good day as well.

Photo from one year ago today, January 20, 2016:

Although far and few between, we stopped at a few scenic overlooks in the rain on the drive from Auckland to New Plymouth, New Zealand, where we stayed for three months on an alpaca farm. For more details of our arrive and a few kinks we had to adjust to, please click here.

A visit to a pig farm and seasonal gourmet restaurant in the Penguin countryside…Pigs in the mud video…Mount Gnomon Farm…

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Pigs doing their thing at Mount Gnomon Farm…in the mud!
I’ve often used the expression, “Happy as a pig in the mud.” Now I grasp the full significance of this expression!

We’d contacted Guy Robinson, owner of Mount Gnomon Farm, in December, hoping to have an opportunity to visit his farm during our six weeks in Penguin. We’d yet to visit a pig farm, and with our curiosity about pigs, this seemed like a perfect day’s outing.

Mount Gnomon Farm is located less than a 15-minute drive from the center of Penguin.

Communicating back and forth on Facebook chat over the holidays, Guy suggested we come by after the first year when things settled down during their busy holiday season.

During certain periods of the year, Mount Gnomon Restaurant serves gourmet meals. Check their website here for dates and special events. In addition, a highly skilled chef will often stay at the farm to cook for special events and during the holiday season.

Not only is the farm’s restaurant opened on weekends and for special events over the holiday season, but often, throughout the year, it’s opened for special events, music festivals, and the opportunity for the public to purchase bacon, pork, lamb, beef, and produce. Please check their Facebook page for events by searching: Mount Gnomon Farm.

Volunteers, often animal studies students, come from all over the world to assist at the farm through various international work/visa programs. The temporary caravans are available in a pinch when there is an overflow volunteer on site. The owner, Guy Robertson, works hard to ensure the flow of volunteers and the overall management of the farm.

The magic of this special agricultural environment was evident in the time we spent speaking to Guy and later on during a lengthy tour with his volunteers. His goal is to create a sustainable, environmentally friendly, and thought-provoking farm for the public’s enjoyment, including children who can learn so much from the nuances of farm life.

This sow was in labor in a small shed of which there are many for the birthing process. Seeing these piglets only minutes after birth was quite an experience.

With many plans and dreams for the future, Guy’s compassion and interest for his animals, volunteers, paid workers, and visitors is evident in everything he does. 

Born only minutes earlier, it was interesting to see this piglet looking at us. We were among the first humans he/she may have seen.

Coming off a hectic holiday season and a recent trip out of town, it was obvious Guy needed some quiet time to relax and unwind. So his considerate and fast learning volunteers took over after we chatted with Guy when Sam and Danielle, both students, took us on the tour of the farm.

He/she still had remnants of afterbirth on his/her little face.

With plenty of flies, bees, and dust surrounding us, added to the pungent smells one encounters at a farm, we felt right at home. In our almost 51 months of world travel, we’ve had plenty of opportunities to interact with animals in their habitat when in the wild, in our own backyard, or such facilities as a farm.

More piglet born in the past few hours.

We managed just fine, feeling more at ease in this type of environment than we do in a shopping mall. I often joke that both of us must have “agricultural genes” in our respective DNA, inspiring our interest in barnyard animals and farming.

This huge male was watching over the activities in the mud hole.

Tom’s mother and father grew up on farms that perhaps have influenced him. And for me and the rest of us, surely many of our ancestors lived on and worked on farms for their own sustenance if not with the intent of earning a living.

Not only are there pigs at Mount Gnomon but also sheep and cattle.

Mount Gnomon Farm sells a portion of their products to some restaurants, with the remainder being sold to customers who either call to place orders or visit the farm during their “open” dates throughout the year. 

To place an order or inquire:

Phone:  0448 067 779

Email – info@mountgnomonfarm.com.au (please note sometimes it takes us a few days to respond to emails)

Snail mail – PO Box 320, Penguin, Tasmania, 7316

Farm address – 886 Ironcliffe Rd, Penguin, Tasmania, 7316

A mom and her growing young lounging in the shade on a warm sunny day.

As we wandered through the often muddy clay soil through the farm, we had the opportunity to see the birthing sheds with laboring sows under cover from the heat of the sun. 

Even a small mud hole gathers a crowd.

Under their own volition, the sows enter the sheds when delivery is imminent. The hay bed and enclosed space provide the perfect environment for giving birth. 

These cattle are friendly, allowing us to enter the paddock.

To be able to witness this firsthand gave us the same sense of joy and wonder we’d experienced only a year ago while living on the alpaca farm in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Please click here for details. (If you scroll through our archives for February 2016, numerous posts on alpacas give birth).

These scenes made us “squeal” with delight, especially when we heard the pigs squealing over their individual right to occupy the mud hole. Check our video above to see and hear!

As we walked through the farm, we observed sheep, pigs, and cattle in any of the 15 paddocks with various chickens and ducks wandering about near the houses, barns, and sheds at various points on the almost 100-acre farm.

More cattle checking us out.

From Guy’s website:
“I am a passionate Tasmanian farmer who wants to share a love of farming, food, music, and our region with you. We want to reconnect families with their food and local producers.

In 2009, I bought 35 hectares of beautiful red dirt behind the seaside village of Penguin in northwest Tasmania.  (Continued below).

A lot of pigs.  There can be as many as 400 pigs at any given time at Mount Gnomon Farm.

It was just going to be a hobby farm, but somehow, it became a pretty serious free-range pig farm over a couple of years. Finally, the cows and sheep arrived, and now a restaurant and butchery are sitting in our front paddock overlooking 1,000 cider trees.

We’re on the menu of some of Australia’s and Tassie’s best restaurants. We visit farmers’ markets across Tasmania, selling our fresh pork, beef, lamb, and hand-crafted small. If you go to a food, art, or music festival, you’ll see us there serving flavorsome, meaty dishes. (Continued below).

Sam, a student volunteer, working at the farm, and another student Danielle, provided us with quite a tour. Thanks to both of them for their assistance!

We run the farm with the help of a fabulous team of locals and international volunteers. We hope you really enjoy your Mount Gnomon Farm experience – whether it’s eating our food at a festival or spending time at the farm.”

Raspberries growing in the extensive garden. Many other crops. are grown in fields.

When the tour ended, we began the dusty long walk back to the car. Our shoes were covered in dust, manure, and mud. When we returned to our vacation home, we shook and cleaned them off with paper towels and threw both pairs in the washer, leaving them to dry outdoors.

The farm has an enormous garden with produce and flowers in abundance.

Visiting Mount Gnomon Farm will surely remain in our repertoire of worthwhile and memorable experiences for many years to come.  Over the next few days, we’ll be posting additional scenery photos from the farm we wouldn’t want our readers to miss.

Thanks to Guy Robinson and his staff for the fabulous tour!

May you have a day filled with wonderful adventures!

Photo from one year ago today, January 11, 2016:

This is my entrée for four nights aboard the ship, seafood on a bed of cooked cabbage and vegetables. The chef is always willing to accommodate my way of eating. For more details, please click here.

Birds of Tasmania…Seal on the beach …Adorable seal story from Devonport, Tasmania…

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Yesterday, friend and landlord Terry took this photo of a seal lounging on Sisters Beach.
Great shot of the seal checking you out Terry!

Yesterday afternoon, Terry emailed these two seal photos he’d taken on a visit to Sister’s Beach, a distance from Penguin. I misunderstood him and thought he’d seen the seal at Three Sisters Reserve, a short distance from our vacation home.

A baby emu.
Adult emus.

Later in the day, we jumped in the car to drive to the area I thought he’d seen the seal, hardly expecting to see it. We assumed that most likely as the tide had gone out, so had the seal. By the time we arrived, it was high tide and our hopes were dashed. No seal.  Today, I discovered that it was Sisters Beach, not Three Sisters.  We’d gone to the wrong beach.

The cockatoo, commonly seen in the wild.  In Trinity Beach in 2015, we saw them everywhere in large flocks.

Instead, we still revel in Terry’s photos presenting them for our animal lovers out there in cyberspace. Speaking of our readers, two things transpired on our site yesterday; one, for the first time ever, Australia topped the list of countries over the usual number one spot being held by the US over other worldwide readers; two, we almost topped our highest 24 hour readership.

This colorful pheasant refused to turn its head for the photo.  Finally, I gave up trying.

Thanks to all of our Australian readers for visiting us here! We so appreciate your participation! We aren’t able to determine where in Australia they’re reading, only that they enter through somewhere in the continent, including Tasmania and other islands. Your enthusiasm means the world to us!

Black swan.

As for today’s bird photos, we apologize for the less-than-perfect shots. It was a sunny day and I had trouble focusing in the bright sun with our limited equipment. Also, the majority of the birds were enclosed in fine mesh fencing making it extremely difficult to get the kind of shots we’d have preferred.

These birds appeared similar to the Helmeted Guinea Fowls were similar to those in our yard in South Africa.

While researching seals on the beach in Tasmania, I stumbled across this adorable seal story in a Tasmanian media source published this past July. For the full story, please click here.

For the story:

‘Sammy’ the seal found in Devonport cemetery toilet block relocated closer to the ocean

By Laura Beavis
Updated
Sammy the seal in a cage Photo: Sammy was locked in the toilet block before relocation. (Supplied: Devonport Council)  (Not our photo).
“A 120-kilogram seal has been released close to the ocean after being caught napping in a cemetery toilet on Tasmania’s northwest coast.

The male Australian fur seal was found asleep in a cubicle in the female toilets at the Mersey Vale Lawn Cemetery in Devonport on Tuesday.

The council’s Karina Moore said she initially thought it was a joke when a council works crew emailed her about the seal they dubbed “Sammy”.

She said the unusual animal encounter had attracted a lot of attention on the council’s Facebook page.

“It’s been one of those positive stories that we’ve had a lot of fun with, but we know that that animal’s been really safe and looked after by everybody,” she said.

Wildlife biologist Rachel Alderman said Parks and Wildlife officers sedated the seal in the toilet block while they prepared to move it.

“The officers were able to shut the door to the cubicle and keep it contained, which reduced potential issues for the seal and people, so you couldn’t have asked for a better result, really,” she said, “We try to intervene as little as possible, but obviously, in this case, the seal posed a potential risk to itself to get back to the water. It was possibly going to have to cross a road or encounter all sorts of other objects, and also human safety is a concern as well.”

She said the seal probably swam up nearby Horsehead Creek, and it was not unusual for seals to make their way into cities and towns in Tasmania.
“They’re a really abundant species all around Tasmania, particularly in the Bass Strait, and we’ve had them turn up in Cataract Gorge, paddocks, people’s backyards, and now we can add a toilet block in a cemetery to the list.”

The seal was released at a nearby beach.”

Australian Magpie
Today, in order to be out of the way, we’re heading to Ulverstone to purchase a few items while the house is being cleaned. This morning, Tom began watching two more US NFL playoff football games which started at 5:05 am.
Wish we could have taken a better photo of this colorful bird.
One week from today, we’ll be on our way to the Huon Valley for the second half of our three-month stay on the beautiful island of Tasmania. This first half has been glorious and we expect the second half to be equally enjoyable.
Have a beautiful day! It’s sunny and gorgeous here once again today!

Photo from one year ago today, January 9, 2016:

We attended the nightly show with Jane and Rob, our new Aussie friends, whom we’d met aboard Celebrity Solstice. The prior day the ship had docked in Tasmania. For more details, please click here.

More amazing Tasmanian wildlife…US football on Tasmanian TV today!…Meerkats and more…

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Meerkat are marsupials of the mongoose family. For more information on meerkat, see the quote below.

Although the Vikings lost too many games to participate in the NFL Playoffs, Tom is still interested in watching the games to see how the teams will be determined for the upcoming Super Bowl on February 5th, February 6th, in this part of the world.

This was the best shot we could get of the koala who was sound asleep, as usual. These laid back marsupials move slowly and sleep most of the day.

Based on the fact that the playoffs are on TV here at Penguin, we’re anticipating the Super Bowl will be shown in Hobart and its surrounding areas where we’ll soon be moving. In fact, we leave Penguin a week from now.

Koala’s nose pressed against the tree as he slept.

As we begin to wind down for our next location in the Huon Valley, we’ve started using all of our perishable foods and gathering items throughout the house. This particular move will be easy since we don’t have to concern ourselves with baggage weight. 

This photo taken in July, 2015 took our breathe away.  This is a mother Koala with her joey in the pouch (which is the name for all marsupial offspring). A koala joey is the size of a jelly bean with no hair, no ears and is blind at birth. Joeys crawl into the mother’s pocket immediately after birth, staying there until about six months.  To see the post from this date, please click here.

Next Sunday, we can pack. I will prepare the final expenses for the six weeks we will have spent at Penguin to be downloaded next Monday before we depart. In looking at the preliminary expenditures, it seems we spent a little more on Penguin than we did on other islands.  

Meerkats stand on their hind legs to be on the lookout for predators and a possible meal.

Meerkats (from this site)

“These gregarious animals are often seen in groups, and several families may live together in a large community. Squirrel-sized meerkats are mongooses famed for their upright posture. They often stand on their rear legs and gaze alertly over the southern African plains where they live. Mothers can even nurse their young while standing.

Meerkats (also called suricates) work together in numbers. A few will typically serve as lookouts, watching the skies for birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles, that can snatch them from the ground. A sharp, shrill call is the signal for all to take cover.

While a few individuals guard the group, the rest busy themselves foraging for the foods that make up their varied diet. Meerkats will eat insects, lizards, birds, and fruit. When hunting small game, they work together and communicate with purring sounds. Meerkats are good hunters and are sometimes tamed for use as rodent-catchers.”
Few perceive living in Australia as “cheap” especially compared to the low cost we incurred living in both Fiji and Bali for a total of eight months over these past twelve months.

Aside from an upcoming three and a half months we’ll be living in Costa Rica beginning on August 1st,  at this point we don’t have specific plans to stay in the same property for longer than two to three months. 

I missed the shot of this goat atop this fence. Moments after she jumped off, she let us take a photo.

Although we’ve loved Penguin, we’ve particularly found six weeks to be a good period of time to stay in most places, as in Phuket, Thailand in 2016. That’s not to say we’d have been disappointed to stay in Penguin a full three months. We’ve loved every single day and will be sad to leave.

When we noticed this Billy goat, we waited a few moments for a better pose.

But, a world journey is just that, a world journey, and our goal is to stay on the move. Of course, there’s the financial considerations.  Staying put three months or more ultimately reduces the overall costs. 

Baby goat posing for a photo.

With all the cruises we’ve embarked upon with much higher “daily rates,” from time to time, it makes sense to stay put long enough to average out the costs. In a mere 12 months, we’ll be taking the cruise to Antarctica, the most expensive of all of our cruises in the past and booked into the future.

Today, with football games on TV, it appears we’ll be staying put.  Its a beautiful sunny day. Maybe when the games end, I’ll be able to talk Tom into a walk to the gorgeous park down the beach.

At last the above Billy goat complied, moving closer to us for a better photo. 

Lately, on sunny days, I’ve been sitting outside on the front veranda for 20 minutes of Vitamin D which I’ve missed since we left Bali on October 30th. The sun and warmth feels fabulous after a number of cloudy, cool and rainy days since we arrived in Tasmania on December 3rd.

For those of you in the “frozen tundra” we wish you safety and well being. For those in blissfully warm climates, we wish you sunshine!

Photo from one year ago today, January 8, 2016:

The ship docked at the Port of Melbourne, one year ago today. For more details, please click here.

Tasmanian wildlife…Amazing surprises! Kangaroos and wombats!

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Joey head and legs hanging out of the pouch.

When we arrived in Australia 19 months ago (after a cruise from Hawaii to Sydney), we flew in Trinity Beach which is located 20 minutes from Cairns in the northern territory/state of Queensland. 

He was an enormous male.    If he’d been standing, he’d be as tall as Tom. His musculature was impressive.

We lived in a nice property with stunning views of the ocean, mountains and hills anticipating that we would see a lot of wildlife. Not surprisingly, there was little wildlife in the residential area in which we lived.    We were more than interested in exploring. After those first days, we were looking forward to seeing our first kangaroo. 

This made us laugh. Only the joey’s legs were sticking out of the pouch.

Our landlord directed us to a nearby field close to the highway where both kangaroos and wallabies resided, relatively easy to spot. We couldn’t have driven there quickly enough.

Mom and joey enjoying the sunny day anticipating treats from visitors.

Once we arrived, we realized we were too far from the kangaroos and wallabies to be able to take good photos. Over those three months in Trinity Beach we returned to that field many times hoping for a better photo, a few of which may be found in this post.

This mom didn’t hesitate to put her joey in a downward position for a handout.

From this site:

“Unlike the young of most other mammals, baby kangaroos are highly underdeveloped and embryo-like at birth. After a gestation of up to 34 days, the jellybean-sized youngster makes the journey from birth canal to pouch by clambering up through its mother’s fur. Once safely in the pouch, the joey suckles solidly for just over two months. 

At around six months, once the youngster is sufficiently well developed, it will leave the pouch for short periods, returning when it needs to feed. Red kangaroos leave the pouch for good at around eight months and continue to suckle for another three to four months; gray kangaroos leave at about 11 months, continuing to suckle until they are as old as 18 months.

Interestingly, female kangaroos are able to suckle two youngsters simultaneously – one in the pouch and one outside, offering two different types of milk, as well as having an egg ready for implantation.”

We made a lot of noise in an attempt to get this wombat to look up for a photo.  It was chow time. Note how he’s  more interested in eating the starchy pellets instead of the slice of pumpkin and the apple, somewhat like humans.

Eventually, after driving through more remote areas and not spotting any wildlife, we decided we couldn’t live in Australia for these extended periods and fail to see its wildlife, unique to the continent. As a result, we contacted the Cairns Tropical Zoo (a rescue facility) to ask if they’d host our visit, give us a tour and share details we could publish for our readers. They were delighted to assist.

Finally, he picked up his head for a side view, immediately returning to his food.

Here’s the link to one of the zoo posts we published at that time. This particular visit in the Cairns area was a little more expansive than our recent visit to Wings Wildlife Park which had a few less species.

Too big for the pouch, but still nursing. As stated above in quotes, joeys can nurse up to 18 months after leaving the pouch.

Regardless, we thoroughly enjoyed visiting Wings Wildlife Park, which provides for a few more hands-on experiences than in Cairns. Each facility of this type, including many others, we’ve visited in various parts of the world, have their own unique offerings, providing the visitor an opportunity to appreciate the wildlife more commonly found in each country.

This young kangaroo was relaxed, hoping for a handout.

The kangaroos, seen up close and personal, were a particular highlight of our recent visit, especially seeing the not-so-shy guys firmly enclosed in the safety and comfort of their mom’s pouches.

Scratching.

As we wandered the facility up and down a number of steep inclines and hills, we took dozens of photos many which we’ll continue to share over these next several days, even with new topics we’ll post unrelated to the zoo.

The kangaroos have a huge natural habitat in Wild’s Wildlife Park, which is obviously conducive to procreating successfully in captivity. These two moms both have joeys in their pouches.

The only disappointment in visiting these types of facilities is the difficulty in taking photos of some amazing birds and small creatures enclosed in tightly woven mesh/fences. We’ll include the few good shots we managed along the way.

This joey looked somewhat large to still live in her mom’s pouch.

We hope you all have a lovely weekend engaged in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment as we’ve found in this wonderful place, this Tasmania.

Photo from one year ago today, January 7, 2016:

Tom, for the first time ever, ordered a Caramel Macchiato on the Celebrity Solstice one year ago today. It became his “go to” coffee drink at the Café el Bacio, where each morning we prepared the post. For more details, please click here.

Boxing Day situation with a seal…What?…Plus, what is Boxing Day, for those who may not know?

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Members of the public should not approach the seal. Pictures: Tasmania Police
Photo taken by the Tasmanian Police of a seal sitting atop a car.  The area has been secured to prevent the public from getting too close. For details on the story, please click here.

After yesterday’s perfectly sunny Christmas Day, today is Boxing Day and its overcast and cloudy.  We’re staying in other than a possible walk if it doesn’t rain.


Our Christmas Day meal.  The filet mignon was tender as it could be, the prawns sweet and delicious and the plate of bacon and sautéed mushrooms, salad and green beans were added treats.

We’ve always assumed Boxing Day had something to do with the sport of boxing.  This is the first country in which we’ve lived that was celebrating this special day prompting us to research what Boxing Day really is about.


Pedal kayaking on Christmas Day.

In Australia and other British Commonwealth nations, Boxing Day is a day for many shoppers to line up during the night, to take advantage of the continent wide sales on new and leftover holiday merchandise.  They take this very seriously and many stores had long queues since the middle of the night.


These are the same purple flowers that bloom this time of year in New Zealand.

What is Boxing Day?  From this site, here’s some speculation as to its origins:

“Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated on the day following Christmas Day  in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth nations. Boxing Day occurs on 26 December, although the attached bank holiday or public holiday may take place either on that day or a day later.

In the liturgical calendar of Western Christianity, Boxing Day is the second day of Christmastide,[ and also St. Stephen’s Day.  In some European countries, notably Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries, 26 December is celebrated as a Second Christmas Day.

There are competing theories for the origins of the term, none of which are definitive. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the earliest attestations from England in the 1830s, defining it as “the first week-day after Christmas-day, observed as a holiday on which post-men, errand-boys, and servants of various kinds expect to receive a Christmas-box”. (Continued below).


Sunny day view of a portion of Penguin.

The term “Christmas-box” dates back to the 17th century, and among other things meant:

A present or gratuity given at Christmas: in Great Britain, usually confined to gratuities given to those who are supposed to have a vague claim upon the donor for services rendered to him as one of the general public by whom they are employed and paid, or as a customer of their legal employer; the undefined theory being that as they have done offices for this person, for which he has not directly paid them, some direct acknowledgement is becoming at Christmas.

In Britain, it was a custom for tradespeople to collect “Christmas boxes” of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year.  This is mentioned in Samuel Pepys‘ diary entry for 19 December 1663.  This custom is linked to an older English tradition: since they would have to wait on their masters on Christmas Day, the servants of the wealthy were allowed the next day to visit their families. The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts, bonuses and sometimes leftover food.

The European tradition, which has long included giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions, has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown. It is believed to be in reference to the Alms Box placed in areas of worship to collect donations to the poor. Also, it may come from a custom in the late Roman/early Christian era, wherein metal boxes placed outside churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen,which in the Western Church falls on the same day as Boxing Day.”


During our walk on Christmas Day, we noticed many mailboxes say, “No junk mail.  Thank you.”

As we sit here now with TV on in the background with coffee  mugs in hand, the conversations on the various news shows are all discussing the exciting sales throughout Australia.  This is a favorite day for many Aussies.

For us, with no interest in shopping we won’t even notice the shopping frenzy in quiet, laidback Penguin.  With only a handful of shops not related to dining and food shopping, we don’t expect the Penguin shops to be open.  We’ll know more later when we go for a walk.


B&B in the neighborhood.

We had a pleasant, albeit quiet Christmas Day, with a great midday meal with a light snack later in the evening followed by a lovely walk in the neighborhood.  Later, we lounged on the front veranda exchanging “Merry Christmas” to one passerby after another.


With summer starting on December 21st and temperatures warming flowers are blooming.

Talking to some family members  on Skype and sharing wishes in Facebook via chat and posting kept us busy for part of the day.  Tom spent hours on Ancestry.com piecing together more of his family connections while I busied myself reading and writing to family and friends.


With most islands formed from volcanos an amount of lava rock remains on the beaches in Tasmania, along with a tremendous amount of white sand beaches.

For those on the opposite side of the International Dateline who celebrate ,we wish you a very Merry Christmas and for those on this side,  located in British Commonwealth nations, we wish you a Happy Boxing Day, and shopping experience as well!

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 Photo from one year ago today, December 26, 2015:
 

What a great meal we had dining out on Christmas Day last year in Fiji.  I ate four of these octopus!  For more food photo, please click here.  See Tom’s meal below.
Check out the size of those slabs of prime rib and prawns on Tom’s plate last year.  It was the most tender beef we’d had in months

Happy Birthday, Tom!…Today, we celebrate YOU and…what???…Photos of Tom over the past year…

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While crossing the countryside several days ago, Tom spotted this highly venomous Tiger snake crossing the road. Quickly turning around, as it raced off into the vegetation, we were able to get this photo. For information on these scary snakes, please click here where it’s stated, “Most Australians know of tiger snakes and are aware of their fearsome reputation, though few people will ever encounter one.” Leave it to us to encounter one after only 20 days in Tasmania!

On a beautiful warm and sunny day, today we celebrate Tom’s 64th birthday. Without a lot of hoopla, no presents, cards or birthday cake, we celebrate it with as much enthusiasm as ever. 

While in a resort in Kenya in October 2013, celebrating our first worldwide travel anniversary, Tom agreed to take part in the reptile exhibition. Click here for the full post.

Today, we thought it would be fun to share our snake stories when only two days ago we encountered the feared highly venomous Tiger Snake, which most Australians never see in their lifetime.  This precipitated our sharing other snake encounters in our world travels in the past 50 months.

Just so you know, Tom doesn’t like snakes. But, encountering wildlife of many types is a highlight of our world travels and we treat each encounter with respect, curiosity and interest, although in this recent encounter and others shown here, with the utmost of caution.

Only slightly venomous, he held this snake in his hand without incident.

Grateful for another healthy and meaningful year in our world travel, it is easy to look back and revel in the experiences we’ve had over the past year. The joy of seeing him embrace each and every location with childlike wonder adds so much to my own experience, let alone us as a couple.

Tom let this green snake slither up his arm.

In these past 12 months since his last birthday, we’ve traveled to Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Bali (Indonesia), Viet Nam, Cambodia and Thailand.

We’ve sailed on four ocean cruises and one river cruise (Mekong), finally circumventing the Australian continent on a 33-night back to back cruise (two separate cruises, one after another with us staying in the same cabin) ending up here in Tasmania, Australia after a short flight from Sydney. Wow!

This semi venomous snake paralyses its prey. If they bite a human, the area of the bite will feel numb for a few hours but poses no systemic risk. We were told to keep the head away from us while handling it.  This is me holding it as Tom took the photo.

It’s even difficult for us to fathom the fact that we’ve visited and lived in so many countries in one year. We were in Malaysia for only a day, but spent from one week to four months in the remaining locations. It was a very good year.

This venomous snake, a Mozambique Splitting Cobra, dropped from the ceiling of the veranda in Marloth Park, South Africa, less than one meter from Tom’s bare feet as we sat outdoors awaiting the day’s “visitors.” For more details, please click here.

Now, as we look to Tom’s 64th year, we anticipate the future with even more excitement, as we look forward to the following, until his next birthday:
1.  March 1, 2017 to March 13, 2017, depart Tasmania, head to Sydney, boarding a 12 night cruise to New Caledonia; Vanuatu; Fiji and then back to Sydney.
2.  March 13, 2017 to April 22, 2017, stay in Manly (Sydney) for 40 nights in a vacation home.
3.  April 22, 2017 to May 15, 2017, a 24 night cruise from Sydney to Seattle, Washington, visiting Hawaii along the way.  Make our way by land from Seattle, Washington to Vancouver, British Columbia, where we’ll spend two nights awaiting another cruise. (Continued below).

A python on Tom’s shoulder in Kenya.

4.  May 17, 2017 to May 26, 2017, board an Alaskan cruise from Vancouver to Seattle with four ports in Alaska, including; Ketchikan; Juneau; Skagway and Hubbard Glacier; Sitka; and Victoria, BC; then back to Seattle.
5.  May 26, 2017, fly from Seattle, Washington to Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Stay six weeks visiting family and friends.
6.  July 7, 2017, flies from Minnesota to Nevada where we’ll stay for three weeks visiting family.  (Continued below).

I took this photo of Tom while we shopped for toiletries Sydney, Australia before boarding that day’s cruise on January 5, 2016. It was pouring rain. We were soaked but happy, as shown by the huge smile on his face!

7.  August 1, 2017 to November 22, 2017, fly from Nevada to Costa Rica where we’ll stay in a vacation home.
8.  November 22, 2017, fly to Miami to spend one night in a hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
9. November 23, 2017 to December 8, 2017, board the cruise in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, including visits to Grand Cayman Islands; full transit on the new Panama Canal; Manta, Equador; Lima, Peru; Pisco, Peru; Arica, Chile; and on to Santiago, Chili.  (Continued below).

In early 2016, we visited Everybody’s Theatre in Opunake, New Zealand when I shot this photo of Tom. Click here for details.

10.

  December 8, 2017 to December 23, 2017, stay on the same above cruise to continue on to Santiago, Chili to Buenos Aires, Argentina including visits to Puerto Montt, Chili; Chilean Fjords (cruising); Straits of Magellan;  Punta Arenas, Chili; Ushuaia, Argentina; Cape Horn (cruising); Puerto Madryn, Argentina; Punta del Este, Uruguay; Montevideo, Uruguay;  Buenos Aires.

This itinerary is expansive and exciting, each leg of the journey filling us with a sense of adventure and grateful for the opportunities to continue on this path, hopefully for many more birthdays to come.

While in Bali, this year, Tom dressed in traditional Hindu garb with the help of our household staff.  Love that hat on him (and the beard!) which he’s since shaved off. Click here for details.

So, on this day, I wish my dear husband, travel companion, best friend and lover, a very happy birthday and new year of his life.  Thank you for celebrating this life with me, for making each day a holiday and a memorable experience and above all, for the opportunity in spending each day with YOU!

Photo from one year ago today, December 23, 2015:

One year ago when I post a birthday letter to Tom, I posted this single photo of Tom which was taken in March, 2015, when we were in Princeville, Kauai playing bingo at the senior center. For Tom’s birthday letter from last year, please click here.