Tom was tossing pellets to Broken Horn and a young male kudu we call Medium Daddy.
This morning, we awoke to our usual band of mongoose looking for meat and fat, which we’d cut up into bite-sized pieces after last night’s beef roast Tom had for dinner. I have been eating soft foods until the loose temporary crown gets replaced on Monday when we return to Dr. Singh in Malalane.
Moments later, Broken Horn arrived in his ceremonious manner, scooting every other animal in his path to leave a clear spot in the garden for “his” pellets and carrots. A mongoose grabbed a big chunk of carrot, carrying it to the cement on the side of the pool, banging it over and over again, assuming he could crack it open to see what was inside. This always makes us laugh.
There are about 24 helmeted guinea-fowls that occupy our garden most days and in the early evening until they take off to hunker down for the night.
After a while, a warthog approached him and snatched the chunk of carrot, eating it while making loud crunching noises. It’s a laugh and fun fest every hour of every day. Now, as the days dwindle to our departure, I can avoid feeling sad about leaving, knowing we’ll return 14 months later.
Now, with this peace of mind, I can allow myself to embrace our upcoming trip to Arizona while we stay put for three months in Apache Junction until we fly to Florida in February for Karen and Rich’s wedding.
There were nine kudus in the garden, certainly not the most we’ve seen at once but enjoyable to see.
While we are in Arizona, I plan to meet up with my sister Julie (who lives in LA) to spend a few days in Scottsdale. We will drive to the airport to pick her up when she arrives, head to our planned hotel where he’ll drop us off. He’ll return to Apache Junction to spend time with his sisters while I am away and then pick me up when it’s time to drop Julie at the airport to return to LA. Julie and I hadn’t had much alone time together except when she came to visit us in Kauai in 2015.
We wish we could go to Minnesota, but it will be the worst of the winter there while in the US, so we may not head there this time. However, we may be returning to the US at the end of the booked cruise from Tokyo to Seattle in the spring, a much better time to go to Minnesota. As always, we have to wait and see what happens with Covid-19.
This “forkl” of kudus consisted of eight females and one young male shown in the forefront.
While cases of Covid-19 escalate to some of the highest-ever levels, we’ll be somewhat isolated in Arizona in the retirement community. Few “snow-birds” will have arrived while we’re there, and many, with fears of Covid-19, may stay away during the upcoming winter. There are still many cases of Covid-19 in Arizona, which is in the #10 position of the most cases of all states in the USA.
Of course, while in Arizona, we’ll avoid crowds and large gatherings and wear our masks anytime we go shopping or to public places. We hope to be able to get vaccine boosters while in Arizona at some point, based on the fact we had the one-jab Johnson & Johnson on the first of July, which means six months will have passed since the original jab by the end of December while we’re still in Arizona. Such a booster for J & J has yet to be determined.
Kudus are gentle and relatively non-aggressive, but caution must be exercised. They are wild animals and rather large, with males possessing massive, dangerous horns.
Tonight, as always, we’re heading to Jabula Lodge and Restaurant for dinner. We usually arrive at 5:00 pm (1700 hours) and hang around at the bar, chatting with owners Dawn and Leon and any other guests who happen to stop in. We are careful to maintain safe distances from other guests, particularly those we don’t know who may not have been vaccinated. A few hours later, we head out to the veranda to sit at a table for our meal at dinner-time. On occasion, we may eat at the bar.
Tomorrow night, Kathy and Don will join us for yet another evening at Jabula. Again, we’ll arrive at 5:00 pm, but they usually arrive at 6:00 pm. They are less inclined to sit at the bar and prefer having drinks and food at a table on the veranda. This works fine for us, giving us a little schmoozing time at the bar ahead of their arrival.
After most of the females wandered off, this lone young male and Broken Horn hung around for a while.
Sunday will be a low-key day. We’ll stay in, make Sunday dinner while I’ll continue to spend the better part of the day working on corrections. I am on a roll right now, getting through a full page of 20 posts each day or more. At this rate, I have 48 pages of 20 posts to complete. As of today, there are 41 days until we leave for Arizona. I am hoping to be done by the time we go here on October 21st. It’s a lofty goal but doable.
Well, folks, not much excitement around here right now, but we are content. We have power, WiFi, lots of visitors, lots of friends, and the weather will be cool, up until next Tuesday, according to the 10-day forecast. I have a few itching mozzie bites at this time, and we haven’t seen any snakes or many venomous insects in the house. What more could we ask for, living in the bush?
Oops, I have to go! Frank is back looking for his seeds, and Broken Horn is barking from the garden, looking for pellets and carrots! I’d better get this show on the road!
Happy day!
Photo from one year ago today, September 10, 2020:
This photo was posted one year ago while in hotel lockdown for ten months in Mumbai, India, on day #171. As we wandered through the busy local farmer’s market, open daily, it was hard to decide which vendor to choose for our purchases. We purchased the following for FJD 22, $10.12: two red bell peppers (also called capsicum here); six medium-sized aubergines (eggplant); three heads of cabbage; and eight large carrots. For more photos, please click here.
We scurried indoors when this Big Daddy came right up to the door from the house to the veranda.
To all of our friends/readers in the US, we wish all of you a safe and pleasurable Labor Day weekend. Please drive safely, observe local Covid-19 restrictions and enjoy time with family and friends, cooking outdoors, fishing, boating, or whatever you choose to do during the long holiday weekend.
It was shocking to see how brave they were in approaching us. We stayed clearly out of range the entire time they were here.
As for the weekend here in the bush, Marloth Park is relatively quiet with some holidaymakers, mainly from South Africa, who have come to escape life in the big city and relax peacefully in the bush. Nowhere in the world have we’ve ever been offered the depth of serenity and peace than Marloth Park.
There wasn’t a lot we could do when he approached us, other than getting behind the door. If we tried to scare him off, he could have used his massive horns on us.
Although from time to time that may vary due to visit by those select few who see this magical place as a “party town” where there is minimal police presence with many opportunities to go wild, drinking, to drive fast, and to have little regard for others seeking the peacefulness of living among the wildlife.
I accidentally dropped a carrot which he couldn’t quite reach. He came around to the other side to get it.
Fortunately, where we are located, the property backing up to Lionspruit, we rarely hear any noise other than the weekday construction work on a house across the road. In Marloth Park, there are strict regulations about weekend and evening construction noises to avoid disturbing visitors and the wildlife. Most comply or face fines.
He was contemplating how to get the carrot before he came onto the veranda.
This morning, as I struggled to get out of bed after staying up until after midnight with only about 5 hours’ sleep, Tom came to the bedroom, hoping I hadn’t gone back to sleep to tell me to hurry and come outside. He didn’t want to awaken me if I dozed back off. But, I was wide awake playing a fun word game on my phone.
Such beautiful and majestic creatures! See how he was checking out the bag of carrots.
I bolted out of bed to head directly to the veranda, and there they were…four mature Big Daddy kudus, seeing what we had for breakfast. We couldn’t have been more thrilled. Sure, we get one or two Big Daddies from time to time. But, four was something we’d never seen.
There they were, the four adult male kudus munching on pellets we tossed into the garden.
Quickly, I ran to the kitchen for the remaining carrots from the considerable bag we’d purchased at the market last week, and we both started tossing thick, whole carrots in their direction. They gobble them up in minutes, leaving us grabbing for pellets to throw onto the ground. As always, we never feed wildlife by hand, especially not Big Daddies with their enormous horns that could easily eviscerate a human in seconds.
Kudus are not violent animals, but they can startle easily, push one another, or lunge unintentionally. Besides leopards, the occasional lion, or warthogs with razor-sharp tusks, they are the most dangerous wildlife in Marloth Park. Even the adorable male bushbucks who visit us all day and night are extremely dangerous with sharp and long horns. One can never be too careful around any wild animal.
Broken Horn was in the background, but he seemed to get along well with the Big Daddies.
It was quite a delightful experience to be among them. We felt very fortunate to be privy to this amazing visit. And even if they never return together again, we are grateful for the opportunity to witness such magnificence.
Last night, our friends Fiona and Alan came for dinner. Alan is a prolific writer of outstanding published books on Marloth Park. He is a wealth of stories and information about this magical place after living here for 20 years, and the time spent with the two of them is rife with fantastic wildlife and human stories.
They rarely picked up their heads for full-face photos.
We had a lovely evening on the veranda with them, with our new speaker spewing out music to highlight the evening. We kept the speaker indoors (not too loud) to avoid making too much noise in the bush. The dinner turned out well, and the evening flowed with ease. As always, I was glad I’d prepared so much of the meal in advance.
We had various visitors while they were here, primarily warthogs, bushbucks, and many mongooses, who’ve been hanging around with us for days. Once they arrived, we savored the starters. We then put the meat on the braai, cooked the rice, reheated the roast vegetables, and tossed the salad with the homemade dressing. We sent them home with a “doggy bag” of leftovers.
Hmm…another lovely weekend here in Marloth Park. Tomorrow morning, I have an appointment with Dr. Singh to have that problematic tooth pulled. If we haven’t posted before leaving here at 10:15 for the long drive, hopefully, I’ll feel well enough to wrap it up when we return.
Have a fantastic day!
Photo from one year ago today. September 5, 2020:
We posted this photo one year ago while in lockdown in Mumbai, India, on day #166. We visited Blarney Castle as a port of call on a cruise in 2015. For more, please click here.
This photo was taken from the veranda at Buckler’s Africa Restaurant with several waterbucks in the Crocodile River.
When we booked our flights to the USA a few months ago using a company called, Fareboom, we had nothing but trouble. The various flights along the way were canceled, and we ended up in a scuffle with Fareboom to get our money back. Finally, after a week of back and forth and several pricey phone calls with hours of frustration while on hold for hours, we got it resolved.
Waterbucks, like much other wildlife, huddle close to one another.
This time, a few weeks ago, we found reasonable pricing at the site, eDreams, and alas, we experienced similar frustration. We booked the three flights to Phoenix: Nelspruit to Johannesburg; Johannesburg to Atlanta; Atlanta to Phoenix, and all seemed to be okay. We received confirmation from eDreams and attempted to book our seats.
Waterbucks were lounging in the sand at sunset.
When seats weren’t offered as “available at this time,” we didn’t give it much of a thought. We kept checking back. There have been occasions when we’ve traveled internationally that we haven’t been able to book our seats in advance and had to wait until we arrived at the check-in counter.
After a week passed, we became concerned when we noticed our credit card hadn’t been charged. Last night, at bedtime, I received an email from eDreams stating our flight had been canceled. When checking during this period, we saw their site showed, Your flight is processing.”
More waterbucks on the banks of the river.
During the worst of Covid, everything to do with travel was a mess (and sometimes, still is). Tired and ready to go to sleep, we both decided to wait until morning to rebook using the link on our site for Expedia, a company we’ve trusted and used on many occasions. The only difficulty we’ve had with Expedia was getting a refund from them for a canceled flight (by the airline, not by us), requiring we go to the airline directly to get the refund.
This morning, we rebooked the same flight at the same price, and all went well. We’ve booked our seats for two of the legs of the flights, but we’re never able to book seats in advance for South Africa AirLink, which we’ll fly from Nelspruit to Joburg, a very short flight. These are only obtained at the check-in counter at the time of the flight.
Locals say, “The waterbuck’s behind looks like they just sat on a freshly painted white toilet seat.” Note the two cattle egrets who often hang out with wildlife.
Right now, when verifying our flights with Delta, it appears, the “ticket is processing. We’ll have to keep an eye on this to ensure our flights are booked. Weird, to say the least.
This morning, Tom went to the salon to see about getting in for a haircut, but they were booked, and he’ll return tomorrow morning for his appointment. Tonight, we are heading to Flo and JiJi’s home in Komatipoort for sundowners, which will surely be another fun social evening. Soon, I’ll make an appetizer to bring.
The four of us thoroughly enjoyed the scene before our eyes.
Once again, this morning, the garden was packed with bushbucks looking for “breakfast.” Tom was busy serving them while I showered and dressed for the day. The weather is mild today. Yesterday was 90F, 32C, but today’s high will only be 72F, 22C, for a pleasant balmy day. It’s slightly overcast, with a 0% chance of precipitation, a perfect spring day in the bush.
A gregarious animal, the waterbuck may form herds consisting of six to 30 individuals. The various groups are the nursery herds, bachelor herds, and territorial males.
It’s hard to believe it’s September 1st already how the time has flown since we arrived last January. By the time we leave in October, we’ll have been here for a total of nine months. Without a doubt, we’ll return at some point. For now, we watch and wait to see what happens with our five booked cruises, scheduled over the next almost 11 months. Once we know more about these cruises, we’ll be able to plan for the future.
Have a pleasant “hump day,” everyone, and be healthy.
Photo from one year ago today, September 1, 2020:
This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in Mumbai, India, on day #162. This is the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. For more photos, please click here.
Frank, eating his seeds from the veranda railing where no warthogs or bushbucks will bother him.
It took a lot of research and conversations, but we finally decided where we’ll go when we need a new visa stamp by October 23, 2021. We’d considered many options, but most countries in Africa have poor Covid control, inaccurate tracking, millions of unvaccinated people, many requiring quarantine, and are still, in one form or another, in lockdown.
When we’d planned a trip to Kenya months ago last minute, we had to cancel our plans when a new lockdown was instituted, making it impossible for us to go. We lost quite a bit of money when certain aspects of that trip were non-refundable. Over the past 18 months, after canceling the balance of our tour of India, overall, we have lost several thousand dollars due to Covid-19.
This lone mongoose was staring at us, looking for paloney or eggs. Once we go inside to get them, she signals to all her friends, and suddenly dozens are waiting for the treats along with her.
We do not want to risk losing more money, with more possible cancelations, lockdowns, quarantines, and being subject to added exposure to the virus. After all, we got the J & J vaccine which apparently provides less efficacy than the other two-shot vaccines. Neither of us wants to take the risk of becoming ill in a country with poor medical care and infrastructure.
Perhaps we are overly cautious. But, when we keep hearing about people dying, even here in Marloth Park, many of whom were vaccinated, we came to the hard realization that we must return to the US for now. Yes, the cases in the US are increasing daily. But, if we did become ill, we feel we’d have the best chance while in the US instead of seeking medical care in such countries as Zambia, Kenya, or another African country.
As of yesterday, we booked our return flight to the US for October 21st, the best day for travel at the best possible pricing. This does not mean we are stopping our world travels. It simply means we will spend a total of four months in the US in Arizona and then Florida (for our friends Karen and Rich’s wedding). We’re surprised at ourselves for making this highly logical decision, not motivated at all by our usual desire for wanderlust.
Thick Neck/Bad Leg started eating the leftovers of Frank’s seeds after he’d wandered off.
Our first stop will be Phoenix, Arizona, where we will spend more time with some of Tom’s siblings. His sister Colleen, who won’t be coming to AZ this season due to her husband Gene’s health, has offered her place to us in Apache Junction. Yep, it’s back to a park model and RV park, but this time, it’s much larger than the one we rented two years ago. Photos will follow once we arrive.
But, staying in this location allows us to spend time with some of Tom’s sisters when they arrive in Apache Junction in November for the winter season. Tom is the youngest of the now remaining eight siblings after others have passed away. Originally, there were 11.
At this point, we have five cruises pending, the first setting sail in February 2022. If this and the other cruises don’t set sail, we will make a new plan to continue our world journey. At no point are we considering stopping our lives of world travel or stopping our daily posts. We need to take a breather during these terrible times of Covid-19.
Siegfried and Roy are back in close contact with the mongooses who don’t eat pellets.
If a booster for the J & J vaccine is instituted, potentially increasing our immunity while we are in the US for added protection and the purpose of future travels, we will most likely opt to participate. These are crazy times.
Our flight back to the US is booked, our stay at the wedding venue in Florida is booked, and we will use this time to enjoy ourselves and make the very best of the situation. Thanks to Tom’s sister Colleen for offering her place in Apache Junction, AZ, and also to friends Karen and Rich for inviting us to stay with them before and after their wedding. Good times are on the horizon, for sure.
Many of our friends in Marloth Park will be gone in November and won’t return until later in 2022. It will prove to be a good time for us to depart, returning once we know more about the future, the same position many of us are in at this time. We won’t travel to Minnesota in the winter months but will see everyone again when we return to the US again in May if that particular cruise sets sail.
Several kudus stopped by for pellets.
Now, for the harsh reality of today…it is day #3 without water. No showers, no clean dishes, no laundry being done, no easy toilet flushing. We wash our hands and bodies with bottled water, taking “sponge baths” each day. Thank goodness we have plenty of hand sanitizer, which we’re often using. We’re wearing the same clothes three days in a row to save on laundry accumulating, as we did while in lockdown in India, only changing into clean underwear daily.
At the slow pace of the repairs, we expect to be without water through the weekend or longer. They just found the parts for the repairs, and they are on their way, but it could be days until the repairs are completed.
Last night, it was easy when we spent the evening with Louise and Danie. Tonight, at 5:00 pm, 1700 hrs, we’ll head to Jabula for our usual Friday night dinner. Rita and Gerhard are still gone on their road trip to the Drakensberg Mountains, while Kathy, Don, Linda, and Ken are on safari at Sabi Sands in Kruger. We always enjoy time at Jabula, whether it’s just the two of us or with our friends.
May your day be filled with wise decisions. Be well.
Photo from one year ago today, August 20, 2020:
There was no post on this date one year ago when our new site was in the process of going “live,” and as typical during such transitions, we were unable to post.
Zebras along the bank of the Vurhami Dam in Kruger National Park.
Within the inner workings, on the admin pages, I can see comments posted by our readers. Each day before I begin preparing the post, I check the “comments” section to read comments posted on any past or present posts. Comments may be posted on historic entries as far back as our first post on March 15, 2012.
Recently I noticed I hadn’t responded to some comments, and I apologize for that. In the future, I will make every effort to respond to each comment and email. Some days we receive more email messages that I can respond to in a day. So please bear with me as I attempt to get caught up.
A zebra was taking a drink at the Vurhami Dam. Note the elephant on the opposite side of the wall.
With some technical issues impacting our WiFi signal in the house, I haven’t been able to work on the corrections for the past posts for several days. After uploading this post, I will spend the remainder of the afternoon beginning this process once again. At this point, I still have 1200 or so posts to correct.
So far, I have completed about 2286, which was quite a task in itself. But, it’s the nature of the beast, and I chose to go back and do the corrections, never knowing how long it would take. Since I can comfortably correct about ten posts per day, I expect I won’t be done with this task until four months from now, hopefully by the end of the year. It will be a relief to have my afternoons to work on other things I may enjoy more.
There is an adorable youngster in this photo.
Life is filled with responsibilities, some pleasant, some not so much. This morning I made Tom homemade, from scratch, blueberry muffins. His weight remains stable, and he’s been able to enjoy some treats. Each time we grocery shop, he makes his way to the bakery section, checking out the muffins and doughnuts.
He’d added a few items to our grocery trolley on a few occasions, but after trying them with his coffee the next day, he always mentions they aren’t very good. Finally, I made homemade blueberry muffins for him, not from a box but scratch. I found a good-sounding recipe at this link, entitled “To Die For Blueberry Muffins.”
A group of zebras is called a dazzle.
By the time I finally finished making and baking the muffins, he’d already had his coffee for the day. But, he didn’t waste any time, eating two warm muffins, each topped with a dollop of butter. He loved them! I was thrilled. I’d made a double batch ending up with 18 muffins. To keep them fresh, I froze them in ziplock bags of four. The entire batch will last a total of nine days, eating two muffins a day.
I won’t be surprised if he asks for another batch at the end of the nine days, and of course, I will be delighted to make them again. In the meantime, I was tempted by his muffins which aren’t gluten-free, sugar-free and low carb. As a result, I made a batch of suitable lemon/poppyseed coconut flour muffins for me. I have been longing for such a treat for so long.
This elephant was too far for a good shot.
This morning, the wonderful smells emanating from the kitchen brought back many memories of past times. I’m reminded of all of the years I worked full-time and spent my spare time cooking and baking for us, for family, and friends. I love the life we have now. No, I don’t miss that life. But, it’s pleasant to go down “memory lane” when amazing smells fill the house, stirring up memories from the past.
Today, we’re staying here, cooking a flattie (a flattened chicken) on the braai and some side dishes, feeding our endless stream of visitors and continuing to revel in this life in the bush, seven months after arriving, with almost six more months to go. Then, we’ll be off again to other adventures in this chaotic world, as restrictions and lockdowns allow.
Be well.
Photo from one year ago today, August 17, 2020:
One year ago, this photo was posted in lockdown in Mumbai, India, on day #147. Taken from our seats on the Eurostar from Paris to London in 2014. The seats were more comprehensive than airplane seats. I had pictured a four-seat configuration with a table in front of us, which was not the case with our seats. For more photos, please click here.
This might be a serrated hinged terrapin, but it was difficult to determine from this photo.
Yesterday, friend Fiona and I had pedicure appointments at a local Marloth Park spa where I’ve gone three times in the past. Before these recent pedicures, I probably didn’t have more than three professional pedicures in my life. I am ticklish and don’t like anyone messing with my feet.
But, as we age, I believe that maintaining good foot care is as important as maintaining the health of any other part of our bodies. It isn’t as easy to do my pedicures as it was years ago as I’ve aged, especially since I had open-heart surgery here in South Africa in February 2019. I find I have a difficult time bending over. I’ve read that other heart patients have experienced the same issue.
A few elephants near the Sabie River.
When I drop something on the floor, I have to force myself to pick it up. Last night, during the night, I couldn’t sleep. On a rare occasion, I take one aspirin that, for some odd reason, makes me go back to sleep. When I got the bottle of aspirin out of the cupboard during the night, I dropped the lid, and it rolled under the bed.
This morning when I got up, I got down on my hands and knees in an attempt to grab the lid—no such luck. My wobbly sternum, which never healed quite right, prevented me from reaching for it. When Zef was cleaning this morning, I asked him to get the lid, and in seconds, he had it in his hands. He’s 30 years younger than me and had no problem. Oh well.
Another distant shot of an elephant along the Sabie River.
Back to the pedicure, after my sidetrack…Yesterday, I made another batch of gluten-free apple crisp for Tom. He’s been craving this dessert, and since he hadn’t gained any weight from eating the first batch, and his blood sugar is regular, I didn’t hesitate to make it for him. We had ample apples and ingredients left for another batch. He peeled the apples, which helped speed up the process.
He loves vanilla ice cream on his warmed apple crisp, so we headed to the local little grocery shop for the ice cream at noon. While there, I had an idea to purchase a pair of flip-flops that I’ve never owned in my life. When I tried them on long ago, it hurt so much between my toes that I swore I’d never buy flip-flops. I am very picky about not wearing shoes that hurt my feet.
While Tom was in the grocery shop, I checked out the flip-flops on display outside a gift shop next to the market. I expected they’d be very inexpensive here. I imagined a cheap pair of rubber flip-flops for a few dollars. But, these were much nicer, basically decent cushy-heeled shoes, priced at ZAR 390, US $26.24. Should I buy them since no store in the area would have the cheaper version and eventually “learn” to wear them painlessly?
The edge of the car’s window is shown in this photo. We were very close to this elephant.
Knowing mine and Fiona’s pedicure appointments were upcoming in a few hours, I purchased a pair of the flip-flops that “looked” most comfortable. I tried them on. Yep, it hurts between my toes, but I’d heard that regular wearing will toughen up the space between one’s toe. I decided to give it a try.
After our appointments, I carefully put on the flip-flops, aware that it was painful but not wanting to wreck my newly polished toes. Once back at our house, when Fiona and Alan stayed for sundowners, I kept the flip-flops on, only taking them off after they left a few hours later.
This morning, as soon as I was up, showered, and dressed, I started wearing them again. It would be much easier to slip on flip-flops every time I go outside to the veranda instead of bending over to put on other shoes. We’ll see how it goes. So far, still painful. Any suggestions or input as to how long it takes to get used to wearing flip-flops would be greatly appreciated.
It’s hard to see, but was there a crocodile in the river in the background?
The power is out right now. Oddly, the WiFi is still working. That’s Africa, for you! It’s very cool and windy today, and most animals are hunkered down. They don’t like wandering about in the wind. Right now, our only visitor is Thick Neck/Bad Leg, who is busily dining on pellets.
Tonight, we’re off to Jabula with Rita and Gerhard and Linda and Ken. No doubt, we’ll have a great time, fantastic dinner, and excellent service once again!
Happy day to all!
Photo from one year ago today, August 13, 2020:
This photo was posted on this day one year ago while in lockdown in Mumbai, India. We were at Le Louvre in Paris. Tom is in front of a statue of a hunter in the center courtyard. For more photos, please click here.
Little and his newly adopted family stop by for another visit. Pellets on the menu!!!
When we packed that duffel bag while still in Nevada, we included five new pairs of shoes for both of us. I tossed all my old shoes in our hotel room that Id replaced with the three new pairs, leaving me with only two spare worn-out pairs of shoes. Tom did the same, and now he, too, has only two pairs of shoes left.
If we don’t get that bag today as promised by United Airlines, we are up a creek when it comes to shoes. None of these brands and styles can be replaced here in South Africa. Our only option would be to buy them online in the US and have them shipped to us via DHL for more exorbitant costs.
Mom and Baby bushbuck which was born while we were gone. She is so tiny!
We also had our toiletries, including two Braun electric toothbrushes, newly ordered boxes of our business cards, new insulated mugs, and drink koozies, all valued at over US $25, ZAR 365, each, none of which are available for purchase in South Africa.
Also included were several new clothing items and underwear we both desperately needed. Do we trust that the bag will arrive? Not really. We’ll be pleasantly surprised if it does. We arranged for the bag delivered to Louise and Danie’s Info Centre, where they will be all day since the roads to our house might deter a driver from bringing it directly to us.
Baby bushbuck and an older youngster sharing pellets from the container which we use for the bushbucks, to keep the guinea-fowl from stealing all the pellets.
In the interim, we grocery shopped in Komatipoort. We had hoped to go to the liquor store for light wine for me and brandy for Tom but based on the current lockdown in South Africa, liquor sales were suspended from Friday through Sunday, in an attempt to inhibit heavy liquor use over the weekends. When people drink heavily, there are more accidents and injuries, resulting in more of a need for more emergency services and hospital visits during these times of Covid. At least the total ban ended the day after we arrived.
Today was the first time we shopped since our return from the US, although Louise shopped for us for basic supplies on Monday. But, we still needed many items and ingredients for recipes I’d like to make over the next week or two. After today’s extensive shopping we’re probably good for the next ten days, depending on how often we eat out.
Hal and Blue Gnu are coming onto the veranda.
Now, that we’re both rested and recovered from the long travel period from the US to South Africa, we can begin to socialize, starting tonight with a get-together planned for tonight at Jabula to celebrate Gerhard’s birthday. It will be a small group of seven, but tonight, finally, I get to see my dear friend Kathy, who arrived here in the bush a few weeks ago, and Rita and Gerhard, whom we also missed during our time away.
I made a mistake about Tiny. We have not seen him. Instead, I’d mistaken a Tiny look-alike, whom we called The Imposter before we left. In my enthusiasm, I wanted to believe it was him. But, when The Imposter was here with his friend Narrow for quite some time, we both realized it wasn’t Tiny.
We love wildebeest. The expressions on their faces is priceless
Good grief. Not to sound species-specific profiling, but many of the animals do look alike. Often it’s the most subtle of markings and traits that enable us to determine who is who. Although massive, I should have picked it up that The Imposter wasn’t as big as Tiny, nor were the size of warts on his temples.
Now, we wait with bated breath for the real Tiny to return to us. It could be days, weeks or months, or even never. We lost Tusker when we were at the Orange house, and he never returned after Basket scared him away, declaring his territory. A similar scenario could have transpired in the four weeks we were gone. Also, warthogs are often hit by cars on Olifant Road, the main paved road in Marloth Park.
As in the past, Broken Horn stops by each day.
We’ll be sad if Tiny doesn’t return, but we realize this is the bush, and anything can happen to these majestic animals living in the wild.
We hope all of our readers are safe from harm and still managing to cope with the throes of Covid, still facing all of us worldwide.
Photo from one year ago today, July 30, 2020:
This photo is from the year-ago post while in lockdown in Mumbai, India, on day #129. Check out the size of the fish and steak portions. Tom was craving peanuts, and we added a few packages to the stash. The brats in the bottom right of the photo are gluten, grain, and sugar-free. The total cost for this haul was US $109,38, ZAR 1595. For more photos, please click here.
Little seems to have adopted a family of three, a mom and two growing piglets with whom he happily shares pellets.
When we entered our bush home on Monday, we were happy to see how it looked and smelled after a deep cleaning was executed while we were away by Vusi and Zef, our two much-appreciated household helpers. Not only was every space neatly organized, and cleaned but the house even smelled fresh.
Living in the bush with all the wildlife, every space is subject to accumulating excessive amounts of dust, including pellet dust, dust from the dirt in the garden, soot from burning sugar cane, and the usual collection of dust from human occupants. Now, of course, once we unpacked, we cluttered the house again with papers and receipts to process in the next few days.
Tiny seemed happy to see us, although he hesitated for a moment to ensure it was us. He is timid, unlike Little. We are thrilled to see him once again!
For us, returning from such a trip is more than just unpacking, doing laundry, and putting things away. There are countless papers to deal with, especially since we have to file claims for lost luggage. Our missing bag with all of our new items did n.ot arrive yesterday as they’d stated it would.
This morning I called United Airlines lost baggage department and found it was still at the airport and yet sent out for delivery. The rep requested a quick turnaround, and hopefully, it will soon be on the move, arriving in the next few days. They insisted it wasn’t lost and will it would eventually arrive.
I swooned with delight to see Frank return. We spotted him in the garden, called for him, and he came running right to his container of seeds. Once again, his two to three daily visits will continue. No sighting of The Misses yet, but maybe soon.
Once the bag arrives, we are entitled to compensation for the inconvenience and concern. We’ll have to call back to determine exactly what that is since online, and there are conflicting references to such compensation. We’ll see how that rolls out.
As for our visitors, they’ve been returning, one after another, each eliciting an enthusiastic response from us, with pellets tossed to them with enthusiasm. Not all of our favorites have returned, but both Little and Tiny, our two favorite warthogs, arrived yesterday. It’s lovely to see them again.
Mongoose has visited four times in the past 24 hours. We always enjoy their cute antics.
If a pig can look happy, they both looked delighted to see us. No, it wasn’t a smile on their faces but instead a little kicking up of heels and quickly approaching the veranda. Tiny was always shy in coming too close but, Little neer hesitated to get up close and personal. I couldn’t have been more relieved and delighted to see them once again.
They’ve yet to return today, but it’s still early, and we fully anticipate they will return later in the day, often close to 4:00 pm. Ah, the joys of the bush.
This is Little, my boy and favorite warthog since 2018. The fact that he found us here, a few miles from the Orange house, is a miracle. But,\ pigs are smart.
Of course, I flipped out with joy when Frank came running when we called him to partake of seeds we placed in the usual location on the veranda. Even without his daily diet of seeds suddenly taken away for four weeks, he looked healthy and happy to see us as well. The Misses was nowhere to be found. Perhaps, she’s sitting on some eggs during these cold winter days.
Gosh, it’s good to be back. Our friends are giving us a few days to recover from the long journey, but we’ll see them soon. Tom’s been a little under the weather with a cough since we left the US and these few quiet days are good for him. We still have yet to get onto a good sleep schedule. Last night, I was awake for four hours during the night, feeling groggy when it was time to get up.
Although very pushy and determined to monopolize the pellet show, Bossy is also very pretty and sweet.
Vusi came this morning, cleaned the house and veranda, and delivered the chicken and mince Louise had stored for us in her freezer during the power outage. To be safe, I am baking the chicken in the oven right now, which, when cooled, I’ll shred and freeze for future use in a variety of dishes. Gosh, it’s good to be back. I know I repeated it, but it simply is a pleasure to be back here where we belong.
Thanks to all of our readers for hanging in there with us during our break away. Have a fantastic day!
Photo from one year ago today, July 28, 2020:
Our photo of the Blood Moon from July 27, 2018, was taken from our garden in Marloth Park in 2018 and was posted one year ago today, while in lockdown on day #127, in Mumbai, India. For more photos, please click here.
Little is back!!! We are excited to see him again! No Tiny yet, but maybe soon.
We are undoubtedly thrilled to be back safely after the long journey, no worse for the wear. The return trip wasn’t easy, especially the long 15-hour flight and the myriad connections. Sleep was elusive on the plane, and neither of us slept a wink while we spent in the airport hotel in Joburg. At midnight, it was daytime to us, and there was no way we could fall asleep. It was a long and fitful night.
In Joburg, our substantial new duffel bag was lost and has yet to arrive. We filed a claim but no word yet, three days later. This bag contained all of the new items we purchased in the US. We aren’t hopeful.
Tom’s yellow bag was found in Joburg and was delivered last night. At this point, we are out only one of our previous three missing bags. If it isn’t found in the next few days, we will have to file for reimbursement.
But, replacing the items will be time-consuming and require a shipment to South Africa, which is always a frustrating scenario. We will figure that out in the next few days, confident that it will be fine when all is said and done. It’s only stuff, after all.
Mom and Baby Bushbuck! She must have brought this baby out of hiding while we were in the US.
Regardless of the tiredness and inconveniences, we are thrilled to have had such a great experience in the US and are now delighted to be back in our slice of Paradise, Marloth Park. As I write this now, situated at the table on the veranda, the power has been out since last night, only hours after we arrived and shortly after we returned home from dinner at Jabula.
Louise had grocery shopped for us, but I didn’t have the energy to prepare a meal, although we’ll do so tonight. Now with no power and our perishables in Louise”s freezer, we’ve decided to eat eggs and bacon for tonight’s dinner, easily made on the separate burner on the braai. The electric oven won’t do us much good. Hopefully, the power will return by tonight, and we will begin to get back in the groove of life in the bush.
Right now. I am preparing this post on my phone using pricey data from Google Fi since, when the power goes off here, we also lose the WiFi signal.
Some of our animals have returned, but few favorites other than eight adorable bushbucks, including a few new babies we’ve seen Peter. Paul and Mary, Bossy, and one new warthog we have named. Broken Tusk or BT, not to be confused with wildebeest, Broken Horn, who’s yet to return.
Mongoose drinking from the birdbath. Later, we gave them a pan of eggs. It was a thrill to hear their funny chirping.
Little just showed up! Yeah. Maybe Tiny will be here at sundowner time as always! Plus, I called to discover our third missing bag was on its way to us. We’d already received missing bag #1 (while in Minnesota) and mission bag #2 (which was delivered to Louise’s last night), and soon bag #3, the missing duffel bag, with all the new items, will arrive. This is the first time in almost nine years of travel that we’ve lost a bag, let alone three!
And, even more, good news…the power just came back on!!! Yes, good news we surely appreciate!
Enjoy our new photos. Many more are coming tomorrow of new sightings of old friends.
Be well.
Photo from one year ago today, July 27, 2020:
From the year-ago post on day #125 while in lockdown in Mumbai, India, I wrote, “OK, folks, here’s a new one for you. This is a “bask” of crocodiles!” For more photos, please click here.
A pretty female bushbuck in the garden of our holiday home in the bush.
Today’s post will be a “rush job.” In an hour, we have to leave the Milwaukee hotel to head back to the nursing facility where Sister Beth is under meticulous care as, sadly, life is drifting away from this amazing woman who gave her life and devotion to the Catholic Church as a fine teacher.
Through her 69 years of service, at 16 years of age, beginning in 1952, she joined the order, School Sisters of St. Frances, before Tom was born. With all of her commitments, she also maintained a closeness to her own family and her parish family.
Over the years Sister Beth, stayed in close touch with her many siblings, visiting as often as she could and providing faith, love, and kindness to the many generations of the huge Lyman family.
I always had my unique relationship with Sister Beth, in awe of her sacrifice and enamored by her easy conversation and knowledge of the world. Often, people assume nuns are so sheltered from the “real world.” But, for many, their understanding of the challenges of life is profound and authentic, allowing them to offer support and counsel to those in need.
Yesterday, when we visited her at the beautiful and well-maintained care facility for retired School Sisters of St. Frances, we were saddened to see her in a weakened state, lying in a recliner chair in the pristine private room, barely whispering when she spoke, but happy to see us.
We chatted with her filling her in on family news and with tidbits on our recent experiences. She seemed fascinated by our extended stay in lockdown in the Mumbai hotel and how we managed to get through those ten months. At times, the three of us chuckled. At other times, we all had tears in our eyes.
I couldn’t help but be reminded of my dear sister Susan, who passed away in a hospice facility last August while we were in India in the lockdown. There was nothing we could do but phone her often, extending our love and concern. My sister Julie and Susan’s daughter Kely were with her at the end. She took her last breath while Julie was reading one of our posts. I cried all the more challenging hearing this but was grateful she enjoyed our journey all those years. It was a sad time we’ll never forget.
In all those years we were traveling, I spoke to Susan almost weekly as she loved hearing about our adventures. When she was well, years earlier, she too was a world traveler.
This morning at 10:00, we’re returning to the care home to say goodbye to Sister Beth. This may be the last time Tom sees his beloved sister, and it won’t be easy for him, nor will it be for me. It’s human nature to feel sorrow for the loved one we’re potentially losing now while bringing up the sorrow of those we lost in the past.
On a lighter note, tonight at 9:00 pm, we’re flying to Las Vegas on Delta (ugh!) on a packed plane. We couldn’t select our seats (very odd) and would be squeezed in tight amongst others, Tom by a window and me in the middle across the aisle from him at the back of the plane. Fortunately, the flight is only 3 hours, 20 minutes, and hopefully, they have inflight movies to kill time.
Arriving at 10:50 pm, due to a 2-hour time difference, we’ll immediately get our bags and rental car and head to our hotel in Henderson, a 20-minute drive from the airport. Of course, at the late hour, we won’t see Richard until the next day, most likely meeting for dinner after his workday. I am so looking forward to it.
Next time you hear from us, we’ll be in Henderson, Nevada, at the Green Valley Ranch Resort and Spa, where we’ll stay for the next six nights, including our late arrival tonight.
Please stay tuned. We’ll be back!!!
Photo from one year ago today, July 18, 2020:
Dinner on day #117 while in lockdown in Mumbai, India, one year ago. Tom described my chicken curry (on a bed of steamed cabbage) as looking like cat puke. I dismissed his observation and thoroughly enjoyed this spicy, delicious meal but later changed to alternating chicken and salmon each night when this meal raised my blood sugar to a high level. For more photos, please click here.
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