The tours have ended…Lots of photos to share…Tomorrow, our final expenses and back to Marloth Park…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 26, 2022 with 0 Comment

We have completed the last of our land and river adventures and are now spending our last day and night at the hotel in Livingstone. Tomorrow afternoon we fly back to Marloth Park, hopefully getting a new 90-day visa stamp and be able to relax for the next three months until we fly to Seychelles for a one-week cruise of the islands.

The upper deck of the Lion king sunset cruise boat.

This has been one of the most enjoyable times we’ve spent on a “visa run,” having planned many activities that kept us busy a part of each day. Of course, all of this costs money. But not nearly as much as we’d spend living in countries other than South Africa as our current base. By early June, we’ll be leaving South Africa for quite a while to explore other countries we’re considering.

There were only a few hippo photo ops during the cruise on the Zambezi River.

Most countries only allow us to stay for 90 days, many for less, so visa issues are always a consideration when we’d like to stay for an extended period. The pandemic has changed everything for our world travel, but increased costs and lack of availability have made traveling freely more difficult.

Little plates were served on the boat, along with drinks. I ate the chicken leg, and Tom tried the rest.

Even this morning, when we entered the dining room for breakfast at this Marriott Hotel, we were told we had to wear masks while dining. We didn’t bring our masks after checking and discovering they weren’t required in the countries we were visiting on this trip. When we couldn’t eat breakfast without masks, and thus, we requested them from the front desk.

A crocodile is lounging on the Zambezi River bank.

Right now, we are sitting in our hotel room waiting for the cleaner to do our room since neither of us wants to wear a mask to sit in the lobby and work on today’s post. So we will sit here until the cleaner arrives and head out to the lobby wearing the masks.

There were many homes and resorts on the river.

We had a fantastic day yesterday. Chris picked us up at the resort by 11:30 am to make the drive back to Livingstone. There was much monkeying around to wrap up our exit visa for Botswana and entrance visa back into Zambia. But Chris was persistent, and eventually, we were on our way. He dropped us at the Protea by Marriott in Livingstone, where we promptly checked in.

This appeared to be a setup for a wedding.

We were thrilled to see how warmly we were welcomed. Most of the staff remembered us from past visits and made a point of making us feel special. This is the fourth time we’ve stayed at this hotel. When we entered our room on the ground level, we were surprised by the noise coming from the room next door that was being renovated. There was a loud, ear-splitting drill that continued for a few hours.

This is a new luxury resort that will be opening soon.

We asked to be moved to another room but didn’t have time to pack up when the tour operator for the Lion King boat ride on the Zambezi River was coming to get us at 4:00 pm. The hotel manager approached me while we waited for our ride to explain they had stopped the construction work for the time we were here. That was so nice to hear and appreciated. Otherwise, we’d have been quite annoyed by this time today. Now, it’s as quiet as a mouse.

Our outdoor dining table at the Royal Livingstone Hotel at the Old Drift restaurant. We are returning tonight for another dinner.

The Lion King sunset cruise on the Zambezi River was packed. The last time we had done this cruise, we had the entire upper deck to ourselves. But, we were entertained by the antics of the other guests, mostly young tourists from Scandinavian countries, devouring the included drinks and having the time of their lives. It was actually as fun to watch them as it was to watch the scenery.

The savory, not sweet, crackers reminded us of Christmas sugar cookies. Tom ate all of them with delicious garlic butter.

We didn’t see much in the way of wildlife, a few crocs on the river banks and a few gurgling hippos surfacing from time to time. But the live African music was a treat, and as always, Tom and I enjoyed ourselves whatever we may do. When the boat ride ended, a driver took us to the Royal Livingstone Hotel for our dinner reservation. Oh, my goodness, was that ever fun!

Tom enjoyed this pumpkin soup as a starter. Tomorrow, I will post a photo of Tom’s main dish. The image was too blurry to post.

It felt like a romantic date when we swooned over one another, as we often do, reveling in past experiences and hopes for the future. We laughed, we teased as we dined on the finest of gourmet foods in a fantastic atmosphere. It was dark dining outdoors, but the lighting was inviting, the seating comfortable, and the service over the top. While we sat at our outdoor table, we spotted three zebras and three warthogs wandering around the exquisite grounds of the luxury resort.

We’d had a long busy day and were content to be seated for a relaxing fine dinner.

My left eye is puffy from the headache and facial pain I’m still feeling. Maybe it’s an allergy.

Last night, we decided that the next time we come to Zambia, we’ll bite the bullet and spend a few nights at the expensive resort. The food was over-the-top, as shown in today’s photos. As planned, we’ll incorporate more food photos into our final post tomorrow when we add the final expenses. However, we still have many photos we’ve yet to share and will continue to post them in days to come.

This was an eggplant dish I ordered. The orange drops are mashed butternut squash. It was delicious, although it had small potato chunks, which I offered to Tom.

We’re returning to the Royal Livingstone Hotel for one more dinner tonight. We have lots of kwacha left that we need to spend, so what better way to spend it on than a repeat of last night’s outrageously wonderful dinner?

We’ll be back with more tomorrow. As much fun as we’ve had on this trip, we’re not dreading its end. It is delightful to return to Marloth Park for more unique experiences in the bush with our animal and human friends. We couldn’t ask for more.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 26, 2021:

Old Man wasn’t looking his best. For more photos, please click here.

Sunset cruise on the Chobe River…A huge hit with animals and people…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 25, 2022 with 0 Comment

Our favorite mom and baby elephant photo was taken while cruising on the Chobe River.

When a driver picked us up yesterday to take us to a resort down the road, we were a little surprised we’d be boarding a boat on the Chobe River from Chobe Marina Lodge, not Chobe Safari Lodge, where we were staying. The three-minute drive down the road and the 30-minute wait to board the boat were no big deal.

Male Cape buffalos heading to the water from an island in the Chobe River.

We were seated at a table for four on the pontoon-style boat in no time, ready to embark and begin the sunset cruise lasting three hours. As soon as we sat down, we were seated across the table with a lovely couple, younger than our adult children from Milan, Italy. Andrea and Jenny spoke good English, and we chatted endlessly, later meeting up for dinner at the restaurant up the hill from our resort.

Two fishermen on a small boat on the river.

Unfortunately, the photo I took of the two of them ended up being obstructed by a person walking by, and I could not post it, much to my disappointment. I should have checked the camera, but I caught up in the lively conversation with this adorable and intelligent Italian couple and failed to see if the photo came out. It was an oddity that this happened.

Waterbucks and a few Egyptian geese were foraging on the island.

We enjoyed the time spent on the boat with them and later for dinner up the hill. While on the boat, we met another couple, who were friends, and the man, Dwight, lives in the suburbs in Minnesota, leaving us with endless stories to share, especially with Tom, a native of Minnesota. Christie was from Denver. It was also fun talking to Americans whom we seldom meet in this part of the world.

Seeing the elephants on the island in the Chobe River was such a joy.

The three hours passed quickly, and before we knew it, we returned to our resort to meet up with Andrea and Jenny later. We shared a delightful day and evening while taking many beautiful photos, some of which we’re sharing here today. Many more will follow in days to come. We haven’t put a dent in the pictures worthy of posting but have plenty of time to do so in the days and weeks to follow.

Two young male elephants were practicing sparing.

This morning, we had a nice breakfast in the resort’s restaurant buffet. We never had dinner at the buffet since there were few foods suitable for my way of eating. In our last post for this trip, we’ll share food photos and final expenses for our one week away from Marloth Park.

As always, we’re a little tentative about getting another 90-day visa stamp when we return to South Africa in two days and go through immigration. If we are turned down, we’ll have to devise a plan which, of course, if that happens, we’ll share here. Each time we get another 90 days, we sigh with relief. The law is vague in this regard…are we required to return to our home country each time? The answer isn’t clear. We’ll see how it goes one more time.

In a little over an hour, our trusty Chris from Chris Tours will arrive at this resort, who will drive us back to the border between Botswana and Zambia, and then take us to the Protea Hotel by Marriott we’ve stayed many times in the past. It’s a pleasant hotel, with good breakfast included, lovely rooms with comfy beds, and free WiFi.

A crocodile lounged on the grass on an island in the Chobe River.

We will check into our ground floor room, unpack a little, and within a few hours, be heading out to the Zambezi River for another sunset cruise, this time on the Lion King boat with live entertainment. This will be our second time on this boat. We enjoyed the scenery, the included drinks and snacks, and the African music last time and looked forward to this repeated event.

Elephants are excellent swimmers, using their trunks as a snorkel. Cool, eh?

When the boat ride has ended, Chris or his staff will pick up up to take us to the Royal Livingstone Hotel, where we will dine tonight and again tomorrow night, overlooking the Zambezi River. We’ve embarked on quite a few adventures this time, more than in the past, and have had nothing but great experiences.

We couldn’t take our eyes off the swimming elephants.

Saturday afternoon, after a late checkout, Chris will transport us to the Harry Mwanga Nkumbula Livingstone Airport for our short flight (less than two hours) back to Nelspruit. At that point, we’ll go through immigration and see how it rolls out again. After getting a great rate at the US $15, ZAR 253 a day, we’ll collect the rental car at Budget and make the hour-plus drive back to Marloth Park.

The water was shallow in this spot, and he could stand up and walk the rest of the way.

By 5:30 pm, 1730 hrs., we should be back at our holiday home in Marloth Park to decide if we’ll dine in on frozen leftovers or head to Jabula for dinner. We’ll play that by ear, providing all goes well with our return.

Yesterday, I attempted to process the ZAR 196, US $11.64 customs fees due on our UPS package from the US. For some odd reason, UPS’s system wouldn’t accept an international credit card, like all of ours. Only South African credit cards can be used. Louise was so kind to help, using her card, which we’ll reimburse when we see her next. All went through Ok, and we should receive the package sometime next week.

We are packed and ready to leave in about 40 minutes, so I’d better wrap this up and get it uploaded so I won’t have to rush later this afternoon when we have plans.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 25, 2021:

This is my new toy, a JBL Bluetooth speaker that works with voice activation from our phones or laptops. The sound is fantastic! We use this every day! For more details, please click here.

Packing has begun…Two days and counting…Busy in our old lives…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 18, 2022 with 0 Comment

Lilac took a drink from mom Tulip after eating lots of dry pellets.

This morning, I focused on getting lots of vegetables washed and cut to make Peanut Chicken Stir Fry for tonight’s dinner. I am making a huge batch and freezing the leftovers, so when we return from Zambia/Botswana, we’ll have dinner for the first few evenings and won’t have to shop right away.

We still have a few items in the chest freezer so that we may be good for the first week back. We return on Sunday, August 27th. It’s ironic that in our old life, before we began traveling, returning home was disappointing when we went on holiday for a week or more. There were piles of mail, bills to be paid, shopping to do, unpacking with piles of laundry and house cleaning.

Here’s Norman, all fluffed up when Big Daddy was nearby.

When we return from a trip, we look forward to returning as much as we looked forward to going away. Our animals will be waiting for us, our human friends, and our delightful bush house will be clean and ready for us. While we’re away, Vusi and Zef will do a “spring clean” of the home, clearing out all of the dust in tucked away places that accumulate from animals in the garden as well as the general nature of the bush. We’ll return to a spotless dust-free environment

All we’ll have to do now when we return is unpack and laundry, with a new washing machine installed while we were away and ready to be used. How wonderful it will be not to run back and forth to the outdoor laundry area several times, resetting the washer, to get through one load. Louise did all of our laundry which is neatly folded and ready to pack.

It’s a rarity for a duiker to come close to humans. This is Delilah, on the right, the mate of Derek. He seldom jumps the fence, but she does almost daily.

Ah, the little things matter so much. I realize that we often write about the little nuances of our daily lives, and I hope it doesn’t bore our readers/friends worldwide. I’d also enjoy reading about the activities and challenges of another’s everyday life. It’s natural for you to compare your lives to ours, including the ups and downs, the illnesses, the unexpected events, and the excitement of world travel.

It’s especially interesting to hear how others living in Marloth Park spend their days and nights. We often wonder if other retirees spend their days outdoors on the veranda as we do and how they spend their free time. We’d love for any of you, our readers, to send us input on how you spend your days and nights, wherever you live.

All I recall from living in the US after retirement was that I was so busy each day with tasks, appointments, household chores, shopping, and financial responsibilities. Sure we have some of that now, but once a month, I pay the credit card online (10 minutes), which we use for all of our expenses, and since we don’t have a checkbook, we never write a check. Is that so peculiar in today’s world of technology? Probably not.

Big Daddy Broken Horn, kudu with half of his left horn, which must have been lost in a battle with another male.

Often we went to Home Depot and the local hardware store for items we needed for household repairs and maintenance. We shopped for plants and flowers for our garden a few times a year. I spent hours in Target each month with a long list of items we somehow needed. Every so often, I went to the local mall or discount store to shop for clothes, shoes, and cosmetics.

Often, we had many activities centering around the family, which we thoroughly enjoyed, and we managed to make time for every possible event. The last few years, before we left, Tom often worked 12 hours days and was often exhausted. But that didn’t impede our desire to entertain, often making elaborate gourmet-type meals or in summer barbecues in the yard by the lake.

With only dinner to make for tonight with leftovers for when we return and packing, using a comprehensive list on an app on my phone to ensure we don’t forget a thing takes little time, especially when we have so few clothes and shoes.

I have to go now and cut up the chicken, and later on, I will stir fry the Asian spiced dish. There’s no more cooking for the next ten days since tomorrow night, 11 of us are going to Jabula for dinner. The following day, Saturday, we head to Nelspruit for our quick and easy flight.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 18, 2021:

The previous night’s trail cam photo of the porcupine visiting our garden. For more photos, please click here.

Busy day on the horizon…Rushing this morning…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 11, 2022 with 0 Comment

Kudus don’t typically graze off the ground, although they will eat some grasses. But, pellets are a taste-tempting treat they’ll happily bend down to eat.

Rita will arrive to pick me up in a few minutes, and we’ll head to Stoep Cafe for brunch and girl talk. We enjoy this quiet time together when most often, we’re with the guys, and the conversation takes on an entirely different theme than idle girl chatter. Don’t get me wrong, Rita and I don’t discuss trivialities. We tend to talk about important life issues, dreams, and hope for the future.

I’ve always been blessed with having wonderful close female friends. We’ve been through thick and thin over decades of life challenges and joys. Living in Marloth Park, off and on over the past nine years, I’ve been able to make fantastic relationships that I treasure and, too, will last forever.

Nyala Norman, on the left, Noah in the middle, and Nina on the right, all stopped by for pellets.

On top of that, Tom and I have been fortunate to make many “couple” friendships with the partners of those female friends, providing us with a busy and rewarding social life. Sure, some of those friends aren’t here all the time, and we miss them. But we all stay in close touch until we’re all back together again, whenever possible.

We left many friends in Minnesota, many of whom we’ve also kept in touch with. When we visit the US and time allows, we try to see as many of our old friends as possible. Of course, on this last visit, we had Covid-19 and didn’t see family or friends during the 24 days we spent in Minnesota and Nevada.

Before too long, Noah will separate from his mother and begin to live on his own. He may choose to stay with his dad, Norman, but that’s yet to be seen.

Reviewing our upcoming travels, it looks like we won’t get back to the US until the second half of 2023, which isn’t that far away. Hopefully, this time we’ll be able to see our family members first and then some of our friends.

Nowadays, it’s a rarity for me to be able to sit down over coffee or tea with a friend like Rita and mull over the finite details of our lives. It couldn’t be more enjoyable and meaningful. No doubt, Tom and I talk about everything, including topics one might enjoy with friends. After all, we are the best of friends and companions, and lovers.

Noah’s coat will change in time to be a darker brown, like his dad.

There were times in my old life before I met Tom that were particularly challenging and emotionally impactful. But, since Tom and I have been together, everything changed, and my life took off an entirely different meaning and purpose, filled with love and companionship like none other in my past. I never spent a single day not thinking about how grateful I am for this life with this man.

We often giggle and say such things as, “Hey, Sweetie, look around, can you believe it,” as we point to the bush and our magnificent surroundings. Tom often says, “Who would have thunk it?” We never imagine spending so much time in Africa in our old lives or in any of the fantastic countries we’ve visited along the way.

Norman and I have a special relationship. He likes me to talk to him. (yea, I know this sounds crazy, but how about talking to your dog or cat?). He won’t touch pellets we’ve tossed until I stop talking to him. His ears flip back and forth as he listens to me.

Although we didn’t love every country we visited, we certainly found ourselves in awe of our surroundings, wherever they may have been. When we opened the door of our “riad” in Morocco in 2014, finding ourselves in the world-renowned “souks,” we shook our heads in sheer wonder.

If you have never seen our posts from that period living in the Big Square in Marrakesh, you can check out posts beginning at this link, where we stayed for 2½ months. What an experience! Most often, tourists visit Marrakesh for a week or two, but we had the opportunity to learn a lot about this magical place living there for so long.

He has started sniffing Nina again. Is a new mating on the horizon?

Well, I need to go. Rita will be here in a few minutes. May each of you enjoy close friendships that last a lifetime.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 11, 2021:

Although a little blurry, we shot this photo of a dining leopard in Kruger National Park on this date last year. For more photos, please click here.

Thank you for all the kind comments and inquiries!…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 10, 2022 with 0 Comment

This kudu has huge, wide horns. Such a majestic and wonderful animal!

Gosh, we’ve had many comments and inquiries about our non-starchy roasted vegetables, as shown on Monday’s post here. Most of the questions were regarding which vegetables were included and the spices used. Here are the vegetables I used, but you can use any you prefer.

Zucchini
Onions
Mushrooms
Red, green, and red bell peppers
Carrots (a small amount, if low carb)
Eggplant
Garlic

Seasonings

Himalayan coarse salt
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Bottled Cajun spices or any other spicy mix
Fresh ground pepper

I spray the pan with olive oil or coconut oil spray and then place a piece of parchment (baking paper) to cover the bottom of the pan to get the paper to stay in place. Then I lightly spray the vegetables before adding the spices, so they stick nicely. Bake for 90 minutes at 375F, 190C, tossing with a spatula every 30 minutes. These will keep refrigerated for four days. Reheat or eat cold; delicious either way.

Also, a few readers have written that they are not receiving automatic emails again. Please email me if you aren’t receiving the emails; we will report it to our web people again. In the interim, if you do not see a post, check for a new one each day at the same time, and the latest one will appear. Type: www.worldwidewaftage.com in your browser’s address bar. Thank you for being so patient. It’s some fluke the web people can’t figure out but keep trying.

Last night, for the first time in days, we could relax and enjoy our sundowners on the veranda. The issues have bogged us down. We had to resolve and for me to get the taxes ready for the accountant. We must wait for the duplicate tax documents to arrive at our mailing service and forward them overnight to the accountant.

This morning, these two male kudus rested in the garden for a few hours.

The cruise credit has been processed for the next upcoming cruise, our paperwork is in order, and I feel like I can relax for the first time in a while.

In 10 days, we’ll be leaving for our next visa stamp trip, returning to Zambia and Botswana for more safari adventures. We’ll only be gone for a week and plan to post each day as always, providing the WiFi is working OK at the resort and hotel. Hopefully, we’ll have some stunning photos and stories to share.

Today is another perfect weather day, and the wildlife has begun to return since the holiday weekend is over as of last night. The majority of the holidaymakers have left. The roads are quiet once again. Construction sounds waft through the air from time to time since sound travels in the bush, but we aren’t bothered by it.

My tooth to be pulled when we return isn’t hurting right now. The dentist gave me extra antibiotics (which I hate taking) if it flares up while we’re away. If it becomes a problem, I’m bringing along plenty of Tylenol (Paracetamol). I don’t particularly appreciate packing for these short trips and most likely won’t start packing until the day before we leave.

Then again, I wouldn’t say I like packing anytime we leave for anywhere when we aren’t taking everything with us. In those cases, I have to decide what to bring and what to leave behind; when we go for an extended time, taking everything with us is much more straightforward.

Yesterday, I made Tom some “regular” (not low carb) blueberry muffins which he loves. Here’s a photo:

Two dozen blueberry muffins I made for Tom yesterday afternoon. He takes one out of the freezer each day. To have with his coffee.

Instead, I’d make these for him rather than have him eat those awful chemical-laden muffins sold at the Spar Market. He invariably buys the junk at the market if we don’t have homemade muffins or banana bread in the freezer. At least when I make them, I know the ingredients I am using are good quality.

Tom reminded me today that he was getting low on coconut banana bread. When checking his frozen inventory, he only had a few pieces left in the freezer. He takes one piece out of the freezer daily to savor after dinner. A new double batch is in the oven, taking 60 minutes to cook. I put the ingredients together, while he mashes the bananas. When it’s done, we let it cool, cut it into individual portions and place them in a freezer bag.

With him enjoying one of these days, the entire two batches last 24 days. There will be a little left when we return from our trip. But, the day after we return, I have my tooth pulled and may not feel like baking for a few days. I may make these all again next week. Fortunately, Tom has a propensity to enjoy the same thing repeatedly. That’s why he likes me!!!

After the baking, we’ll head to the butcher store here in Marloth Park to purchase some prawns for our sundowner event with readers/friends on Sunday. I’m making a list of starter-type items to serve, all of which will be as filling as a meal but served as appetizers. None of our guests will need to return to their houses to make dinner. Serving this way is easier, leaving me time to spend with our guests.

That’s it for today, folks. Enjoy the day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 10, 2021:

Spikey and his mom came to visit. For more photos, please click here.

Before our eyes…A heartbreaking event in the bush…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 4, 2022 with 2 Comments

This baby bushbuck, about two weeks old, could not stand and was flailing in the bush. We were worried she was seriously injured. Please read the story below.

Yes, we know. Nature is nature, and sometimes it’s harsh and unrelenting. This morning was that case when Tom saw an animal lying on the ground with dust flying. At first, he thought it was an animal giving itself a dust bath, which we see, now and then. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a baby bushbuck flailing in the dirt trying to get up, and we immediately thought of mom Tulip and her young girl, Lilac. We were heartsick.

Immediately, we called Louise, and she called Ranger Jaco. Within 10 minutes, Jaco was here assessing the situation. Twenty minutes later, Ranger Mark (also the owner of Daisy’s Den, a feed and farm store here in Marloth Park) approached her gingerly and picked her up to take her to Doc Piet.

Tom took this blurry photo from afar as soon as he spotted the little one suffering.

When getting close and picking her up, Mark said she was no more than two weeks old. It wasn’t Lilac, who was a few months old. We were relieved but still sad over the injury this precious being had experienced. We’ll never know what happened and can only hope after being treated by Dr. Piet; she can be rehabilitated at Deidre’s Wild and Free Rehabilitation Centre.

When she’s treated and healed, she’ll be returned to the bush in our garden, where her mother will continue to look for her. During this event, two adult female bushbucks watched over her, including her mother and Tulip, whose baby Lilac only jumped the fence a few minutes ago to see us. She is still peacefully there, munching on pellets with male bushbuck Spikey.

The precious little creature was suffering. She attempted to stand but always landed on her face. It was heartbreaking.

The injured baby’s mom stayed close by, occasionally touching her to see if she could get up. She could not. Tom expected one of her front legs might be broken. I gave Jaco my card and asked him to let us know what happened with the precious little being. He remembered us from past visits to our holiday homes when similar situations had occurred before our eyes.

The number of animals that approached the baby while we waited was frightening during this period. A band of mongoose whom we’d fed paloney minutes before this transpired was hoping she’d die so they could eat the meat. Even Lollie, whom we also had to chase away, seemed annoyed by the baby’s presence in what she considers “her territory.”

Crooked Face walked over to her to see what was going on.

Tom stood to watch over the baby shooing off the other animals that seemed hell-bent on approaching her. Were they curious, or were they looking to attack her? It was hard to tell, but we were certain warthogs or mongooses would attack her. That’s their nature. They can’t help themselves. It’s nature.

It was such a relief when Mark walked off with the precious baby leaving us hoping she’d be able to survive her injuries.

When Ranger Mark arrived, he approached her gingerly and was able to pick her up to take her to see Doc Piet, the vet for Marloth Park.

Soon, Rita will be coming to pick me up. We are heading to Stoep Cafe in Komatipoort for some much-desired “girl talk,” which we both have missed for the past five months since they’ve been gone. After breakfast, Rita will drop me off at the pharmacy, after which I’ll walk to Spar Market and do the grocery shopping. I’ll call Tom about 30 minutes before I’m done so he can come and pick me up with the groceries. This way, Rita won’t have to wait for me while I shop.

Mark carried the little bushbuck to his vehicle, where he’d rush her to Dr. Piet. In a few days, we can check with the rehab center to see if she has been treated and is being prepared to return to the wild. They will bring her back to our garden where the mom will be waiting for her.

So that’s it for today, folks. We’ll keep you updated on what we find out about the baby bushbuck and be back with more tomorrow.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 4, 2021:

Oh, oh…roadblock! For more photos, please click here.

Tough night…More wonders in the bush…Dental update…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 3, 2022 with 2 Comments

It was time for the family to take a drink.

Last night I awoke every hour itching like crazy. They weren’t mosquito bites but chiggers, sand fleas, or midges, whatever one may call them. The bites last for weeks. One bite can keep me awake all night when the crazy itching won’t stop, no matter what cream or method I use to control it.

They took turns moving in and out from the edge of the pool.

A few years ago, Rita gave me a battery-operated zapper that produced heat that seemed to help if I used it within an hour of getting the new bite. Recently, from overuse, it stopped working. Within a week, a package from Takealot will arrive with a new zapper in the shipment. I am looking forward to using it.

It’s not even summer yet when the mozzies arrive. I will continue to use repellent regularly, but it doesn’t seem to work for the bites as mentioned above and irritating allergic responses. I wear long sleeves, long pants daily, and full coverage pajamas at night always doubled up with Tabard roll-on repellent. TIA…This is Africa….it goes with the territory for those of us who are sensitive to insect bites and response to dust mites.

I am not the only person that experiences these bite-related annoyances. I have talked to many locals who share the same situation with no new means of combating the issue.

Lollie is on the right, and her boyfriend (she has two) is Busybody. Her other boyfriend is Rueben.

As for our dental updates…Tom’s two new tooth implants are not causing him any problems. It felt tender the first day they were seated, but he was fine a few hours later. I am hoping when I get the implant for my painful tooth in months to come, my result will be similar to his.

As mentioned earlier, the tooth caused me discomfort in the fourth to the upper right. Once the tooth is pulled, the hole will be shown when I talk or smile. I told Dr. Singh I want a temporary tooth (or bridge) while we wait for the bone to heal over the foundation for the implant, which will be put in place the day the tooth is pulled. It may be three to six months until I can get the permanent implant.

Yesterday, once again, the nyala family came to call, including Norman, Nina, and their son Noah.

In the interim, Dr. Singh will have a bridge made to fill the hole so the hole won’t be visible when I talk or smile. I’d considered having this three-day process done before we leave for our visa-stamp trip to Zambia/Botswana on August 20 for a week. But, the last time I had a tooth pulled, I had a horrible time with an unbelievably painful dry socket, resulting in me being on pain meds for three weeks. I don’t want to go through that again.

But, certain people are prone to dry sockets. If I had the tooth pulled now, I run the risk of the recovery time running into our travel time and being miserable while we’re gone. There was no way I wanted to take the risk. Instead, Dr. Singh prescribed antibiotics, a three-day Z-Pack dose that didn’t work. He sent me another prescription for a different antibiotic which I’ll get filled and use only if I need to.

The appointment for the extraction is the day after we return from the trip. It was the best decision we could make considering the circumstances. Right now, the discomfort is minimal, and I’ll wait and see what transpires with the abscess in the interim.

Today, we are working on getting our certified vaccine certificate from this site for only those vaccinated in the US. The fee is US $2.00 each, paid by credit card. We may not need this but are doing so just in case we need it for traveling to any country. Today, we checked to discover we won’t need any Covid-19 tests before traveling or returning to South Africa. This is good news.

Have a pleasant day and evening!

Photo from one year ago today, August 3, 2021:

It was delightful to see Torn Ear return to our garden. For more photos, please click here.

Our friends, Rita and Gerhard have arrived with a treat for Tom…Videos from the garden…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 31, 2022 with 0 Comment

Yesterday, I spent part of the day prepping chicken and vegetables for a stir fry dish I concocted that meets my criteria for low carb and yet would be pleasing to Tom. I cleaned and chopped portabella mushrooms, zucchini, onions, celery, yellow/green/red bell peppers, and fresh garlic and ginger.

Tom likes onions, celery, garlic, ginger, and mushrooms but refuses to eat bell peppers which many don’t like. So, before dinner, I stir-fried the items he wants, added the chicken, seasoned everything with sauces, and set it aside. I quickly stir-fried the other vegetables with sauces in the same pan, placing half of them on my dinner plate and then adding the chicken ingredients. Tom added rice to his meal and ate only the cooked chicken with the veggies he liked.

Two male kudus in the garden with horns locked.

It worked perfectly. He didn’t have to pick out the vegetables to put them on my plate while I had plenty of veggies with the chicken. We each topped our dish with peanuts for a special added touch. It couldn’t have been more delicious.

Just when we were about to sit down at about 5:30 pm, 1730 hrs., we heard a light tap on the door. (Lately, we’ve been eating early since we have only a light breakfast around 8:00 am and don’t eat anything all day). By 5:30, we are hungry and ready for a nice meal. We usually eat later when we dine out or have company for dinner.

We both jumped up to see who was at the door, to find Rita, Gerhard, and their male friend Lee who traveled with them and was joining them during their short stay here in Marloth Park, most likely less than a month.

There stood our wonderful friends. The hugs and the hellos were intense. Gerhard was holding two three-packs of Krispy Kreme donuts for Tom. It wasn’t the first time Gerhard had brought these donuts for Tom. By this morning, all six donuts were eaten. Piglet. Ironically, when Tom went to Spar yesterday to pick up my light wine, he purchased two big bags of Lay’s potato chips, Gerhard’s favorite.

Rita and my friendship is only four years old, but we’ve grown to be like sisters in that time with lots of hugs and love bestowed upon one another. I am blessed to share this same type of lifelong friendship with other incredible women in the years we’ve spent in Marloth Park. It’s hard for us to believe that it was almost nine years ago when we first came to Marloth Park in 2013.

They didn’t stay. I had invited them for dinner earlier in the day but knew there would be shopping in Woolie’s in Nelspruit and plenty of unpacking. Rita is one of the most organized people I know, so we know we won’t see them again for several days until she feels like everything is in order.

She keeps her drawers, cupboards, and closets so pristine I drool when I see them. But, I gave up my attempts at perfectionism when we left the US in 2012. My cupboards are only moderately organized, although my clothes (and Tom’s) are neatly folded in the cupboards since there are no drawers in the bedroom here.

As for the non-perishable food in the kitchen…well, it could be tidier, but it works for me. There are no above-counter cabinets in the kitchen (typical in Africa), so space is at a premium. The low hard-to-reach space for plastic containers (Tupperware type) is difficult for me to organize since I have trouble bending down that far, a common dilemma facing most who’ve had cardiac surgery. I have resigned myself that it’s not the tidiest spot in the house. There are no doors on the storage spaces in the kitchen.

When we visit Rita and Gerhard at their house in the bush, I will enjoy seeing Rita’s organization but feel comfortable with the system I have in place that works for me.

Surely sometime in the next few days we’ll all get together and catch up and will do so many more times while they are here. We’ve already informed David at Jabula to save a table for four of us; now, we’ll change it to five for the addition of their friend Lee or more if others join us.

We have great leftovers for tonight, so this morning I busied myself with laundry, making a fresh salad for dinner, working on today’s videos and photos, and now, wrapping up the post. For the afternoon, we’ll enjoy more time on the veranda as animals stop by to say “hello.”

Enjoy our three new videos!

Have a fantastic Sunday!

Photo from one year ago today, July 31, 2021:

Don (Don and Kathy), who are in Hawaii now, and Rita (Rita and Gerhard), who arrived here last night, were toasting the occasion. I don’t recall what occasion it was, but there was always cause to celebrate. For more photos, please click here.

Weird coincidence!…Back from the dentist once again…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 29, 2022 with 0 Comment

What a weird coincidence it was this morning when I started to do the post, to be completed when we return from the dentist, Dr. Singh, in Malalane. I went to the year-ago bar to grab the photo to place at the bottom of today’s post. The heading read,

“Busy morning in the bush!… Trip to Malalane to the dentist and more…”

That’s what’s happening today, exactly one year later, as shown here. But another irony is that the first thing I saw this morning when coming out of the bedroom after getting ready for the day was as many, if not more, mongooses waiting for us in the garden (at the old house) as shown in that post.

The only difference was that at that time, we gave them eggs. Now, we provide them with paloney, cut into little pieces, which ensures every one of them gets something. There were always a few mongooses with the eggs that didn’t get a taste. The paloney I’d cut into pieces, the size of their little heads was enough to ensure each one gets at least one bite. No one is left out.

We find our lives are filled with weird coincidences, most often revolving around events, dates, and places. How peculiar it is! Does it have something to do with the fact that our lives consist of various experiences that we’re bound to encounter similar situations? Who knows? I guess we’ll never figure it out.

Each day when I make our dinner salad, I give the vegetable scraps to the bushbucks, duikers and kudus. Zoom in to see how cute Spikey is when eating his lettuce leaf.

History is filled with amazing coincidences outlined on this website, such as:

Mark Twain’s birth and death coincide with Halley’s Comet.
Stephen Hawking shares his birth and death dates with Galileo and Einstein, respectively.
Political adversaries Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died within hours of each other—on July 4th.
Anthony Hopkins happened upon a signed copy of the book he was searching for in a train station.
John Wilkes Booth’s brother saved Abraham Lincoln’s son from death.
And that same son of Lincoln’s witnessed three presidential assassinations.
An engaged couple discovered their parents almost married one another.
One woman survived the Titanic, Britannic, and Olympic shipwrecks.
The first and last battles of the Civil War were fought next to the same man’s property—in different towns.
The first and last soldiers killed in WWI are buried next to each other.

For details on the above coincidences, and more, please click here. The stories surrounding the above are pretty interesting.

Nyala Norman, fluffs up his fur when he’s in the presence of a more dominant male antelope such a Big Daddy. He pays no attention to the warthogs.

Today we drove to Dr. Singh’s office in Malalane (also spelled Malelane). Wouldn’t you know that an accident on the N4 backed up traffic for 25 minutes from Marloth Park to Malalane? Thank goodness, Tom suggested we leave at 9:00 am for our 10:00 am appointment. We walked in the door to Dr. Singh’s office exactly at 10:00 am. (Even that was somewhat of a coincidence).

Tom had his two implants seated, which looked like his normal teeth. He’s relieved to have the big gap where two teeth were pulled many months ago, finally no longer visible when he smiles, laughs or talks. He doesn’t feel any pain or discomfort.

Alas, I have to have the same thing done. My painful tooth, easily visible when I open my mouth since it’s the fourth tooth from my front tooth, has to be pulled. Dr. Singh explained it had already had a root canal (many years ago in the US), and repeating root canals have a poor success rate. I now have an abscess which is why it’s hurting so much, which I’d expected.

Known to be very shy, impalas are coming closer and closer to the other animals eating pellets.

The only alternative is to pull the tooth and have an implant after the bone heals. I cringed when I heard this. The last time I had a tooth pulled was last September, resulting in an excruciating dry socket. Dr. Singh had gone on holiday, and I suffered dearly for three weeks when I finally visited another dentist to work on the dry socket.

Statistics show that certain people are prone to dry sockets. That’s me. Oh, I don’t want to go through that again! I started antibiotics today but couldn’t make the appointment for the extraction until after returning from Zambia/Botswana on August 27th. It was too risky to do it before we left if I had complications like I’d had last time. We don’t want to be away while I am in pain.

By taking antibiotics now, a must, the pain may return by the time we leave South Africa on August 20. If that’s the case, I’ll have to go on another round of antibiotics that only help an abscess for a short time. I would have refused antibiotics if I could have the tooth pulled in the next week, but it will take three days to make the temporary bridge to see me through the three months necessary to wait for the final implant.

I assure you, during those three days while waiting for the temporary to be made, I won’t be going out and about for anything. I have no desire to look like a “toothless wonder” while waiting for the temporary tooth. Tom said, “You could wear a face mask if a social thing comes up!” Hahaha. I won’t be going anywhere that week!

Nina and Noah in the garden after jumping the fence.

This morning while we were gone, Louise and Danie dropped off a better-working refrigerator for the kitchen, and we’re thrilled! Louise unloaded and reloaded all of our food, and the new refrigerator section is roomier and easier to use. I couldn’t be more delighted and thanked them profusely. Soon, the washer part will come in, and the repair guy will install that. Then, all of our appliances will be working.

Tonight, we’re meeting Louise, Danie, and her parents, Estelle and Johan, for dinner at Jabula. David reserved a spot for us at the bar and our favorite table for six on the veranda. It’s a gorgeous day and shouldn’t be too cold outdoors for dining. We’ll undoubtedly have another fantastic evening at our favorite spot in Marloth Park.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, July 29, 2021:

When we returned from Malalane one year ago, these mongooses and more awaited us in the garden. Quickly, Tom began beating some eggs for them. For more photos, please click here.

Stunning visitors to the garden…Rioting in the streets in Komatipoort…

Posted by worldwide-admin on July 28, 2022 with 0 Comment

A mom and a young giraffe stayed close to one another.

This morning, while lingering in bed, knowing there was no rush to get up, I played Scrabble on my phone. I am trying to break my previous winning streak but have some tough competition. I can tell some players use letter-unscrambling apps, but I wing it alone. What’s the point of playing if I don’t exercise my brain?

About 7:30, Tom came into the bedroom to tell me to hurry and come outside. There were four giraffes in the garden, close enough for some photos. I had yet to insert my contacts and couldn’t focus the camera very well, so I rushed back inside to take care of it.

We were thrilled we had some tasty trees in the garden.

In less than a minute, I was back outside and ready to take some photos to share here today. We were both thrilled to finally see these massive animals in the garden during the day. We’d see them on the road but not in the garden, except a few times when they appeared on the trail cam at night, too far for good images.

Giraffes don’t eat pellets, but wildebeests do!

The four massive beasts stayed for about 30 minutes, and finally, I could go back inside to shower and dress for the day. Once in the kitchen, I made my coffee, warmed up a homemade blueberry egg muffin, and ventured out to the veranda to enjoy the views of myriad wildlife visiting us on yet another gorgeous day.

We’d planned to go to Kruger today, but now, with riots in Komatipoort, only a few kilometers from where we turn off to go to the Crocodile Bridge entrance, we decided to stay put. A tweet came in this morning with a video of rioting on Rissik Street, where we were yesterday for Tom’s eye doctor appointment, which is the main road in town that takes us to the Spar Market.

Are you perhaps contemplating a drink from the pool?

Not only was there vandalism and carjackings in the town of a population of under 5000, but rocks were being thrown at people and vehicles. No thanks. We will stay as far away as possible, which is right here where we are in Marloth Park. There’s been a lot of rioting in South Africa lately with no results from these activities regarding changes people want to be made.

In this case, supposedly, the residents were rioting over the lack of a high school, the clinic’s hours, and other reasons, none of which will change from this demonstration. Businesses and governments do not respond to rioting, which is prevalent in this country and others, including our own USA.

They wandered about the garden for about 30 minutes and were on their way.

But, for our safety, we’ve chosen to stay in Marloth Park today. We won’t be able to go to the Kruger tomorrow since Tom has a 10:00 am appointment to have his two teeth implants placed on the foundations by Dr. Singh. In the interim, I’ve had a toothache for the past several days and have been trying to reach the dental office for the past three hours to no avail.

Now that we have a local phone number, it is a little more convenient to leave a message than in the past, when most people don’t return a call to a long-distance number like ours on our Google phones. As mentioned in an earlier post, we figured out a solution for Google Fi’s issue with us regularly using data outside the US.

We purchased a local Vodacom SIM card for my old phone with voice and data to use as needed. Sure, I must carry two phones when heading out, but it was the only practical solution for now. Google phones don’t have an extra slot for another SIM card other than the one installed for Google Fi purposes. Thus, the necessity for another phone.

Overall, this phone solution was less expensive than any other we investigated. Although it’s slightly inconvenient having two phones, there are times it comes in handy when I’m using my old phone to stream music in the early evenings while still able to use the newer phone.

As for Tom’s eye doctor appointment yesterday (where the riots are today), he was relieved to know the strings he saw from his eye were “floaters.” I also have the same problem with one of my eyes. In a study, it was reported that 76% of seniors have floaters. So I guess neither of us has to be concerned about this common condition.

That’s it for today, folks. Be well and enjoy your day and evening.

Photo from one year ago today, July 28, 2021:

Tag: Animals We Love

“Busy morning in the bush!… Trip to Malalane to the dentist and more…”