When the bale of lucerne arrived early this morning, we were thrilled. In a matter of minutes, two wildebeests, Bad Ear and Earl came and dug into it with such enthusiasm that we feared there wouldn’t be enough left for other animals. After their fill, they took off, leaving plenty for the other animals.

Tom grabbed a big chunk of the bale and put it in the garden close to the house where all the bushbucks and duikers stop by several times a day. The warthogs can’t access that area, and since they can get very destructive, it makes sense to put some of the lucerne in the side garden next to the veranda.

Speaking of destructive warthogs, which Lollie is not, there is a warthog our friend Lindsey named “Trouble” that somehow manages, with her bulky weight, to climb up onto the wood deck adjacent to the pool. This happened before we left for Jabula for our usual Friday night dinner.

The only way Tom could get her to leave was back the way she had entered, of the wood area of the veranda by the pool. She was obviously panicky when she couldn’t quite figure out how to retrace her steps. The only option Tom had was to shoo her in the right direction using a harmless squirt gun our friends Marylin and Gary left for us.

The process worked. After a five-minute scuffle between the water and Trouble, she managed to escape. I doubt she’ll try to do that again. It’s funny how each of the animals possesses its unique personality. Some are gentle and unobtrusive, and others are persistent and annoying.

Last night, we had a pleasant evening at Jabula with our dear friends Dawn and Leon and other patrons who also enjoy sitting at the bar as we do.  There’s rarely a lull in the conversation at that bar, but if there is, we only need to wait for a few minutes while chatting amongst ourselves, and moments later, others will arrive to liven up the scene.

We consistently arrive by 5:00 pm, 1700 hrs., and usually head home by 8:00 pm, 2000 hrs. We’ll be full from the delicious meal and have had all the drinks we care to have. Even though I drink wine with 5.5% alcohol content, compared to 13.5% to 14.5%, after a few glasses and a can of Sprite Zero, I’ve had my fill.

When we’re with other guests, we’ll stay later when involved in a fascinating conversation. This has happened on many occasions over the years. But, we always prefer to get back to our house before 9:00 pm, 2100 hrs., to be able to stream an episode of a series we may be binge-watching.

This morning, we headed to the shops in Marloth to buy a jar of a cream that I’d used in the past. Bulbinella helps with itching from bites or rashes. Often, at night I awaken to something itching. It could be as simple as one chigger bite. I’ve tried many products, and this cream seems to help the most. Tom rarely has any itching during the night or even during the day.

We’re staying in for dinner after being out the past four evenings and will eat leftovers we froze earlier and defrosted overnight in the refrigerator. We aren’t buying much meat lately due to the load shedding, often for as much as ten hours a day. There will be load shedding tonight when we’d be reheating our dinner. We can always reheat our dinner on the gas stove using a lighter to light a burner if necessary. The oven is electric.

The holidaymakers have arrived. The excess vehicles on the roads make this evident. The WiFi is another way we can tell they are here when the signal comes and goes. This time, it’s for about ten days, so they should be gone by a week from Monday, and our usual animals will return. So far, today, we’ve had luck with several visitors due to the lucerne. Maybe this is a recurring solution for us during holiday periods to ensure we see our animal friends.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, October 1, 2021:

Losing a loved one while in a foreign country on holiday is terrifying. Over the past few weeks, we witnessed first-hand the sorrow, the legal process, and the angst over the complicated documents and procedures necessary to complete the mountain of paperwork required.

Connie faces complicated legal issues in transferring all that accounts in the US require. But she’s highly competent and organized, and we have no doubt she’ll get through this process with grace and determination. With her children, Lindsey and David, providing love and support and the many other family members and friends they have in the US, we feel sure she’ll see her way through it all.

This morning, they packed their rental van and went to Johannesburg for their flight tomorrow. They’ll spend one night in the airport hotel, and a day later, they’ll arrive back in Minnesota. We look forward to hearing they’ve arrived safely.

We can only imagine how sad it will be for them to walk in the door of their family home without Jeff. The full blow of this loss will surely be felt much more significantly when they are back home.

Shortly after they left this morning, Tom and I headed to Louise and Danie’s office to drop off a few low-carb items and share some details about this sorrowful situation. In the short few weeks, Connie and Lindsey were here; they easily became close to our dear friends, which provided all the more support they needed.

Lindsay was so thoughtful when she left us a heartfelt letter thanking us for our love and support and the considerate girl that she is; she also left letters for Louise and Danie and Dawn and Leon at Jabula, all of whom wrapped their arms around them on several occasions during this period.

The friends we have made here reached out to them during this painful time and Connie and Lindsey often mentioned that they see why we love it here so much…not just the animals, but the humans, too. The outpouring of kindness was felt by them and by us.

Tom and I headed to Komati this morning to pick up my new prescription from Doc Theo. He was headed out for the school holiday for a week off, and I was lucky to catch him in time before he left. We picked up the prescription, stopped at dentist Luzaan’s office to book teeth cleaning appointments for both of us in a few weeks, and then drove to the pharmacy where I had the new prescription filled.

From there, we went to Spar for a few items since we didn’t need a full grocery shop until next week. Once back in Marloth Park, we drove to Daisy’s Den to purchase two bales of lucerne delivered tomorrow and Wednesday. We figured the wildlife would visit us during this upcoming holiday if we had lucerne. We’d report back if this plan was successful.

By 1:30 PM, 1330 hrs., we were back home, putting everything away, leaving me plenty of time to finish today’s post. Thankfully, Lindsey had taken today’s fantastic photos on her phone since I was distracted and failed to take many photos the past ten days.

It will take a few days for us to return to our routine. To begin the process, we’ll return to Jabula for dinner, even after being there last night with Connie and Lindsey. Amid all the grief and sorrow, the four of us had good times together since losing Jeff. The conversation was easy, and we often found ourselves laughing amid the tears. It was a special time for all of us.

Tomorrow, our posts will return to our usual theme of life in the bush with our wildlife and human friends. Thank you for sharing this challenging time with us and for all the heartfelt and beautiful messages we received.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, September 30, 2021:

Spending the better part of each day on the veranda, it’s not surprising that we have an opportunity to see various species interact. Many tolerate one another with minimal interaction, and others are aggressive. Most fights we’ve seen over the years are within a species, such as wildebeests, warthogs, kudu, and impala, primarily during the mating season and over territorial issues.

In Kruger National Park, we’ve seen hippos, wildebeests, and Cape buffalos engage in aggressive behavior among their species, and some may fight to the death. However, we’ve never witnessed such an event. Occasionally, animals in the garden will get in a scuffle over pellets, most often zebras, kudus, warthogs, and, most recently, bushbucks.

The animals are hungry—the bush is dry and parched. Few leaves remain on trees and bushes. Sitting here, I see a Big Daddy kudu pulling down branches on a tree with his massive horns to get to the few remaining leaves he can’t reach.

Norman and Noah have been here twice already this morning. Tom was outdoors the first time they stopped by, but I was there the second time. When they stopped by the first time, he and his son Noah jumped the little fence, and Tom tossed them some pellets.

When I got up a short time later, they were gone, but within minutes they arrived. I assumed they must have heard my voice echoing through the bush and wandered back for more treats. I cut several carrots from the big bag into bite-sized pieces suitable for them to chew. For the duikers and bushbucks, I cut them into much smaller pieces. The warthogs can manage an entire large carrot, but for safety’s sake, I cut those up into three or four chunks.

A Big Daddy kudu approached the fence as Norman and Noah enjoyed their carrots. He was no more than three meters from Norman, who saw him from the corner of his eye. He never turned to look at the kudu. Instead, he fluffed up his mane and tail to make himself appear larger and scooted sideways toward the fence to the kudu. We both watched in amazement.

A full-grown male nyala weighs 275 pounds, 125 kg. Male kudus with much larger horns can weigh about the same but appear much larger due to their massive horns. When Norman fluffed up, he appeared much larger to the kudu. As Norman inched his way toward the fence, in the sideways motion we’d never seen, the kudu retreated and moved away.

Gingerly, Norman returned to the carrots and again began munching to his heart’s content. During this interaction, Noah never stopped eating and paid no attention to what his dad and the kudu were up to…the blissful ignorance of youth.

It was a busy weekend in the bush, with many tourists visiting and staying in the myriad holiday homes throughout the park.  Sometimes, we wonder if the day will come when there are too many holiday homes in Marloth Park, stripping the animals of their much-needed vegetation.

If that day ever came, I’d doubt we’d return. As much as we love the wonderful friends we’ve made here, our interest would wane substantially without the animals. We can always visit our friends throughout the world, but nothing can compare to the experiences we’ve had with wildlife.

In five days, our friends Connie and Jeff arrive. We’re looking forward to their arrival and will soon be getting things ready with a grocery store and liquor store shopping and stocking the little house with supplies they may need, such as toilet paper, extra towels, repellent, etc.

Over the weekend, load shedding escalated to stage four, resulting in  a total of 10 hours, in 2½ hour increments. without power in a 24 hour period Our only worry was the food in the refrigerator. We managed to be without power during our dinner party on Saturday night. We used lanterns and candles for light at the table on the veranda. As planned, dinner was served before the load shedding started at 7:00 pm, 1900 hrs, ending at 9:30 pm, 2130 hrs., at which point, everyone had gone home.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of our food. I was still under the weather and preoccupied with getting the meal served before the power went out. It all worked out, and we had a lovely time. Everyone seemed to enjoy the cashew chicken stir fry, with some returning to the kitchen for seconds.

Now, with no social events planned until Rita and I go to Stoep Café on Thursday and Jabula on Friday night, I can spend the rest of the week taking it easy and preparing for our friend’s arrival on Saturday.

Be well.

Photos from one year ago today, September 12, 2021: