Family days continue…There’s no easy answer…

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The mongoose went on a frenzy, taking the whole eggs out of the pan, cracking them on rocks, and eating the contents. This is so fun to watch!

Today is another busy day. Soon, we’ll be off to see our granddaughters, Maisie and Madighan, at their home about 20 minutes from here. This afternoon, we’ll again meet up with Tom’s sisters and family at Billy’s Bar in Anoka, a 40-minute drive.

The time in Minnesota is moving quickly. We can hardly believe we’ll be leaving for Milwaukee a week from today to see Tom’s sister, Beth. Next Thursday, the 14-day waiting period will have passed, and we’ll be free to visit the nursing home. At least by then, we’ll meet the criteria of having had our vaccine two weeks earlier.

As mentioned earlier, Tom intends to visit a few cemeteries to do further research for his Ancestry.com files, for family members who passed in various cities near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I will take photos on my phone of the specific findings to enable him to upload them to his files on the app.

Yesterday afternoon, we headed back to Andover for a 4:00 pm barbecue at Tom’s sister Mary’s (and husband Eugene’s) home. We had an opportunity to see a few other family members we hadn’t seen since we arrived on July 1st. His niece Kari, a big fan of our site and wildlife, was there as well.

Kari often writes to us, and it was delightful to interact with her in person. She loves animals, and we giggled over many of our sightings and photos posted on our website, videos on YouTube, and Facebook. We could easily call Kari a “superfan,” which makes us blush in the sheer wonder of having a family member, or anyone for that matter, so enthralled with our site and photos.

Along with us, Kari is particularly concerned that our favorite warthogs, Little and Tiny, will still be there when we return, along with all of our other wildlife favorites. Almost a month is a long time to be away, and it may take a while for them to realize we have returned and to come to visit us again.

Returning, of course, hinges on our ability to return to South Africa in 16 days based on the increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases escalating by the hour. It appears that the new lockdown measures are having little impact on the reduction of cases, including the pointless alcohol ban. People will still find ways to consume alcohol and gather in groups which is obviously still happening.

I can’t say how relieved we are to be vaccinated (Tom, less so than me). In Minnesota, with low numbers of cases right now, few, if any, are wearing face masks and social distancing. It’s easy for a population to become lax when their cases are low, but it only takes a handful of infected individuals to set the pace for more cases and subsequent deaths. It’s not time to lighten up in the US as yet.

As for Marloth Park, we keep reading of increasing cases in the park, and this is concerning for sure. Of course, we’ll exercise caution when we return, that is, if we can return. Only time will tell.

Everyone talks about their struggles during the lockdowns over the past 18 months. Each individual has their own special story to tell, often interspersed with interesting anecdotes and challenges. Many are left traumatized by the experience and, in some cases, losing loved ones and possibly having had the virus themselves. Some are even left with Covid “long-haul” symptoms making a full recovery far down the road.

There’s still a long way to go until life returns to that which we knew two years ago if it ever does. Will our new world include ongoing precautions, including less hugging, less touching, fewer gatherings, and fewer public interactions? Here again, it’s a “wait and see” scenario over which few of us have little control.

With all the negative scuttlebutt about getting the vaccine, it appears, at this time, to be our best option. Sure, many have had serious consequences from receiving the vaccines, and there’s no easy answer as to how to avoid those risks. But, we have little choice but to prevail.

May you and your loved one be safe and healthy.

Photo from one year ago today, July 9, 2020:

Horses and a peacock in the front garden of a home in Trinity Beach, Australia, in 2016. For more photos, please click here.

The helicopter noise has ended…The result, unknown as yet…5 days and counting…

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A red-backed shrike was sitting atop Rita’s hat while we were at Two Trees.

Who’s in the garden this morning?

  • 12 warthogs – inc. Little, Tiny, Lonely Girl, Fred, and Ethel, Peter, Paul, Mary, One Tusk, and more
  • 10 bushbucks – inc. Chewy, Thick Neck, Bad Leg, Spikey, Big Spikey, and others
  • 1 kudus – none-did we lose Bossy and family?
  • 1 wildebeest – inc. Broken Horn
  • 27  helmeted guinea-fowl
  • 24 mongoose
  • 2 Frank and The Misses

We are so relieved the helicopter herding of kudus and impalas has ended. Unfortunately, at this point, we have no idea how many animals were moved and culled in the process. The only place to find the stats is on various groups on Facebook. There have been many posts that both espouse the approach and criticize it.

I had posted some frustration and mistrust of the process but got such negative feedback. I removed the post. I have no interest in getting into online altercations. And yet, a day later, dozens of comments were made stating my same concerns, often vehemently expressed back and forth between Facebook users.

Two giraffes, at a distance on a hill, at the Crocodile River.

At some point soon, warthogs will be culled, perhaps while we’re in the US. We’ll keep watching the various Facebook groups for more information. However, my biggest question will remain prevalent in my mind – will Little and Tiny still be here when we return, four weeks later.

On another note, last night, there were seven of us situated on our veranda for sundowners and appetizers. What a fabulous evening we had! It started at 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs, and ended after 10:00 pm, 2200 hrs. We are so blessed to have such good friends here in Marloth Park and look forward to seeing them all again when we return at the end of July.

A turtle on the opposite side of the Crocodile River.

And now, as we plan activities in the US, we are arranging some get-togethers with some of our friends in Minnesota between family visits. On the 4th of July, my son Greg and family will meet us for dinner at Maynard’s Restaurant on Lake Minnetonka, followed by an evening of fireworks at our former next-door neighbor’s house.

Greg will bring chairs for all seven of us, sit on Nelleke and Dave’s lawn, and watch three or four sets of fireworks over Lake Minnewashta. It will be a fun experience for three of our six grandchildren and reminiscent of years past when we watched the fireworks from our dock on the lake.

A distant hippo and a few cattle egret, who often hang around with hippos, on an island in the Crocodile River.

But, we won’t be too sad. We appreciate and love this nomadic life we live. Memories bring a smile to our faces, reminding us how grateful we are for all of the experiences of our lives. Some of our friends/neighbors have moved away from the neighborhood but live nearby, and hopefully, we’ll see them as well.

Of course, we’re looking forward to seeing both sides of our families. Tom is from a huge family, and he’ll visit them on his own when I am with Greg’s family and, at other times, with me tagging along. I have always enjoyed his family and look forward to seeing them, too.

A hornbill and a red-backed shrike were wondering if we had some snacks. We did not.

With the number of cases of Covid-19 rapidly escalating in South Africa, we’re hoping there won’t be an issue when we attempt to return on the new flight we booked with United Airlines on July 24 from Las Vegas to Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger, arriving on July 26th. Unfortunately, it’s a long haul both ways, consisting of over two days of travel time each way.

The hardest part of such long travel periods is the lack of sleep. We can easily handle jet lag, time differences, and waiting at various points along the way. But, the lack of sleep in two days is tough to take especially, when neither of us sleeps well sitting up.

Soon, there will be a full moon.

We’ll arrive in Minneapolis at our hotel around dinnertime on July 1st and will undoubtedly look forward to a good meal and a restful night’s sleep. The following day, the first thing we’ll do after breakfast is head to a location where we can get the J & J vaccine. It’s imperative we can get the one-dose to head to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to see Tom’s sister Betty, who is in a nursing home.

As is the case at most nursing/assisted living facilities, visitors must have had their vaccines at least two weeks before visiting friends and family. If we can’t get the J & J vaccine, we won’t see Sister Beth (a retired nun), which would be a big disappointment for her and us.

Today, we’re staying put, gearing up to start sorting and packing for the upcoming journey. We’ll be spending one night in Joburg and need to carry on overnight items accordingly, checking the remainder of our luggage. In addition, we’ll each check one suitcase with clothes and things we’ll need.

Have a great day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 24, 2020:

This buffalo was not happy to see Tom when he went for a walk in the neighborhood in Sumbersari, Bali. He didn’t use any zoom to capture this photo when this monstrous, agitated buffalo suddenly started to approach him. Tom ran like a “bat out of hell” to get away, telling me the story while still breathless from running. For more photos, please click here.

Day 3 of culling…An early morning live alarm clock!…Young kudus visiting without their moms?…Could it be?…

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This may look like a bird when, in fact, it was the helicopter we spotted this morning, flying overhead herding animals for the bomas, where they will then be transferred to Lionspruit. Their fate is yet to be confirmed.

Who’s in the garden this morning?

  • 15 warthogs – inc. Little, Tiny, Lonely Girl, Fred, and Ethel, Peter, Paul, Mary, 2 Moms and Babies, and more
  • 10 bushbucks – inc. Chewy, Thick Neck, Bad Leg, Spikey, Big Spikey, and others
  • 1 kudus – inc. Bossy
  • 3 wildebeest – inc. Broken Horn, Old Man, and Hal
  • 19  helmeted guinea-fowl
  • 38 mongoose
  • 2 Frank and The Misses
Excuse this blurry photo, taken from quite a distance. This is a red-billed hornbill described here: The red-billed hornbills are a group of hornbills found in the savannas and woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa. They are now usually split into five species, the northern red-billed hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus), western red-billed hornbill (T. kempi), Tanzanian red-billed hornbill (T. ruahae), southern red-billed hornbill (T. rufirostris), and Damara red-billed hornbill (T. damarensis). Still, some authorities consider the latter four all subspecies of Tockus erythrorhynchus. The female lays three to six white eggs in a tree hole during incubation, blocked off with a plaster of mud, droppings, and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, just big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks. When the chicks and the female are too big for the nest, the mother breaks out and rebuilds the wall. Then both parents feed the chicks.

The helicopter is flying overhead right now and has been doing so for the past 3 hours. The sound of the whirring blades makes me cringe. Bossy, my favorite kudu, who’s pregnant, ran off terrified when the helicopter swooped in over her head.  Did she follow the stampede of scared animals to the bomas, where they are being held until they are moved into Lionspruit?

Is Bossy now gone? Only time will tell. She was a daily visitor, often stopping by as many as four or five times a day. She’d look into my eyes, with what almost appeared to be a smile on her “got milk” white mustache, typical for all kudus. I will feel lost without her daily presence.

We spotted this giraffe on our way to Two Trees to meet up with friends.

There are many opinions and rumors about what’s happening with animals once they are gathered. Some say they will be shot. Others say they will live peacefully in Lionspruit with their only threat, the two lions, Dezi and Fluffy, who permanently live in Lionspruit and have for years. Here again, only time will tell what’s happened to the hundreds of kudus being moved over these past three days.

The more I speak to locals, which we’ve done quite a bit over the past several days, the more I accept the reality of this seemingly humane thing to do. Is it a quick and painless death or a slow, painful death of starving with no readily available vegetation during the long winter months?

Three ostriches along the side of the road on our way to Two Trees.

Humans who feed them can’t possibly provide enough food to keep them going throughout the winter. Imagine how much food it takes to feed a 250 to 500 pound, 113 kg to 227 kg animal in a day? It would be impossible to provide them with adequate portions to sustain life.

If they were in Kruger, they’d have larger foraging areas to wander for food. But here in Marloth Park at 6.76 square miles, there isn’t enough vegetation to feed them, the hundreds of impala, the bushbucks, wildebeest, and other foraging animals.

The three ostriches with their heads up.

Even the giraffes, who mainly eat from the treetops, are running out of suitable vegetation. Soon dozens of them will be culled. What will happen to them? It’s a painful reality for all of the wildlife in Marloth Park.

This morning at 6:00 am, while we were still asleep, we were both awakened by repeated loud barks coming from the garden. I jumped out of bed and looked outside to find Broken Horn staring at the veranda door, wondering when we were coming outside to feed him. In one way, we found it humorous, but moments later, I stopped my giggling in the sad realization he, among others, is hungry.

The Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) is a duck, goose, and swan family, Anatidae. It is native to Africa south of the Sahara and the Nile Valley. Egyptian geese are commonly seen at the river. Egyptian geese were considered sacred by the Ancient Egyptians and appeared in much of their artwork. However, because of their popularity chiefly as ornamental birds, escapees are common and feral populations have become established in Western Europe, the United States, and New Zealand.

The trees, plants, and bushes they all consume are sparse. But, of course, they’d come to see us and others living/staying in Marloth Park for whatever morsels we can provide. I get it. Over the past few days, I’m off my “high horse” and surrendered to reality, albeit sadly and painfully so.

Yesterday afternoon Tom witnessed five young kudus alone in the garden with no moms present, which is a rarity. I was indoors finishing the post (I had to get away from the distractions in the garden) to focus and finish up for the day. Tom waited and watched, and none of the usual moms appeared. Undoubtedly, the moms have been captured, and now the youngsters must fend for themselves—another harsh reality.

This distant elephant was making her way to the river.

We met up with Rita, Gerhard, and Don at Two Trees overlooking the Crocodile River yesterday afternoon. I was able to take some interesting photos, which we’ll share over the next few days. After the river, Tom, Don, and I headed to Jabula Lodge and Restaurant for another outstanding dinner while Rita and Gerhard had a quiet evening at home.

By 9:00 pm, 2100 hrs, we were back home relaxing while watching another great episode of the streamed Africa series on Amazon Prime, Wild at Heart. In no time at all, I drifted off for a good night’s sleep. Tom often stays awake until midnight reading on his laptop.

Impalas on the hill in Kruger above the Crocodile River.

This afternoon we’re having sundowner guests. There will be seven of us for snacks, drinks, and undoubtedly more great conversation. We’ve been quite busy socially these past weeks, which we have thoroughly enjoyed. Now, with only six days until we depart Marloth Park to begin the long journey to the US, we’re winding down the socializing to get ready to leave for almost a month.

With our return flight booked through United Airlines, all we have to do now is figure out a way to get a refund from the former canceled flight. Unfortunately, it’s time-consuming and tricky.

Have a pleasant day!

 Photo from one year ago today, June 23, 2020:

Houses we encountered on a walk through the village of Bennabio in Tuscany, Italy, in 2013. For more photos, please click here.

We can hear the helicopters rounding up our animal friends…The close proximity of sightings…

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Who’s in the garden this morning?

  • 12 warthogs – inc. Little, Tiny, Lonely Girl, Fred, and Ethel, Peter, Paul, Mary, and more
  • 10 bushbucks – inc. Chewy, Thick Neck/Bad Leg, Spikey, Big Spikey, and others
  • 7 kudus – inc. Bossy, Notches, Little Daddy, and others
  • 1 wildebeest – inc. Broken Horn
  • 19 helmeted guinea-fowl
  • 2 Frank and The Misses

The sound of the helicopters overhead is making me cringe. But, with seven kudus in the garden right now along with Little, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Fred, and Ethel, and seven bushbucks, we’re hoping they’ll hang around with us today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. If they stay nearby, they may be safe, according to Louise’s input.

The male bushbuck we call Bad Leg stood close to us on the veranda.

Animals are amazing. If they stay in this general area, they are less likely to be herded to their demise. Nevertheless, it will be a tense three days on this end. Now, here comes Broken Horn, with lucerne hanging from his mouth. As he approached, he stepped on the long grass in his mouth and pulled hard to get it out.

We underestimate their intelligence. But, then again, do we? As we sit here day after day, totally enthralled, watching them and their behaviors, we’re continually in awe of their innate ability to communicate with one another, let alone with us from time to time.

For the first time, gray louries pecked at Frank’s seeds.

Yesterday, while observing dozens of birds who’ve become regulars, we commented to one another how each day is different from the next. So it’s no wonder it’s difficult for us to feel a need or desire to go away for the day. Even visiting Kruger National Park, which we’ve promised ourselves to visit more frequently when we return from the US, doesn’t consistently deliver the thrills we encounter right here in the garden.

No doubt Kruger has its array of thrills; seeing the Big Five is only a tiny part of it. The endless videos we’ve made and photos we’ve taken over the years of extreme sightings in the national park have left us reeling with wonder. We often refer back to them, astounded by what we’d seen.

The gray louries are typically shy around humans. So it was fun to see them up close.

But, the garden is another matter, requiring no hours-long rides in the car without seeing anything and often managing to maneuver for a good spot when other vehicles are crowded near a special sighting. So, for us, it’s usually about the “little things” we see along the way.

That’s not to say we are tired of game drives. Suppose we could add all of our safaris and self-drives in our visits to national parks. In that case, we could easily say we’ve had hundreds of experiences in several countries, including South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Morocco, and most recently, India.

A gray lourie landed on the table on the veranda while we were seated, a first for us.

In India alone, we visited three national parks during our private tour before the Covid-19 lockdown. We counted 24 game drives in those locations, always on a search for the majestic Bengal Tiger. Mission accomplished. The Big Five performed in many of the above-listed countries, beginning in Kenya in 2013.

That’s not to say more thrills aren’t awaiting us on more game drives. Most certainly, they are, and we look forward to those opportunities, in many ways inspired by our commitment to sharing them here with all of our worldwide readers. But, of course, doing so makes the sightings all the more exciting and rewarding.

Unusual. Three gray louries (go-away birds) descended on the grill for the first time.

Yesterday, we focused on the dozens of birds visiting the garden, drinking from the birdbath, eating seeds, and even getting up close and personal with us by landing on the veranda table while we were seated here, as we are now. Whether it is the sighting of a dung beetle rolling his ball, a bird splashing in the birdbath, or a band of mongoose munching on leftover meat and fat from a prior meal, we love it all. The proximity certainly is a factor in our degree of enthusiasm.

Yes, we love it all. And soon, in a mere eight days, we’ll be leaving all of this behind us for four weeks and heading to a world so far removed from what we’ve experienced here on a day-to-day basis. Oddly, once again, it will be a culture shock. I can only imagine the day we walk into a Costco store to buy a few of their popular five-dollar roasted chickens to eat in our hotel with a microwave and full kitchen, and our eyes will open wide in shock over all the “abundance.”

Little, on the left, and Tiny were sitting closer together than we’d seen in the past. They are our favorite pigs, and yet their personalities are so different. Little is pushy and bossy, and Tiny is gentle and accommodating.

Life in the bush is abundant in other ways.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, June 21, 2020:

The ocean is behind this old vine-covered garage in Campanario, Madeira, Portugal, in 2014. For more photos, please click here.

Culling in Marloth Park begins tomorrow…Will some of our favorite’s lives come to an end?…A birdie morning…

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We had set Frank’s seeds on the table to keep the warthogs and bushbucks from coming onto the veranda to eat them. Suddenly four hornbills decided to dig in.

Who’s in the garden this morning?

  • 10 warthogs – inc. Little, Tiny, Lonely Girl, Fred, and Ethel, Peter, Paul, Mary, and more
  • 11 bushbucks – inc. Chewy, Thick Neck/Bad Leg, Spikey, Big Spikey, and others
  • 4 kudus – inc. Bossy, Notches, and others
  • 5 hornbills – currently banging on the kitchen window
  • 2 wildebeest – inc. Broken Horn, Hal
  • 25 helmeted guinea-fowl
  • 2 Frank and The Misses
  • 4 gray lourie (“go-away” bird) – currently making their unique sounds

    First, there was one, then two, and it grew from there.

On a day-to-day basis, there’s a good amount of information about what’s transpiring in Marloth Park on Facebook. We both belong to several MP groups. Yesterday, in the group entitled Marloth Park Sighting Page, the following post was listed:

“CULL TO START THIS MONDAY:
Dear Property Owners, MPRA received an email from the Wildlifevets that they will be doing MASS CAPTURE of Impala and Kudu in Marloth Park from the 20th to the 25th of June (as they believe that these animals will be easiest to capture in high numbers) and that all other species can be caught in passive capture bomas after that (excluding Giraffe as they want to make a large scale reduction of Giraffe as well, but don’t have an abattoir that can handle a Giraffe carcass at this time). I phoned Cobus Raath this afternoon to make sure I read the email correctly, and he confirmed that they would be installing bomas in Marloth Park this Sunday (MPRA is not aware where these bomas will be erected in Marloth Park). They will then chase the animals into these bomas by helicopter on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The animals will then be moved from these bomas to Lionspruit and will be culled there. MPRA did send an email as to the risks of helicopter chase and capture, due to the alarming rate of development in Marloth Park, employees, tourists, and visitors and suggested that we instead use passive bomas to capture as from 1 Mayor soonest as we would have enough weeks to capture enough animals passively. Passive capture worked last year even though it was only implemented between Sept and Oct the previous year. Unfortunately, we received no feedback from the Wildlifevets or the “forum,” which includes MPPOA, HR, WILDLIFE FUND, MARLOTHI CONSERVANCY, and recently THE WILD & FREE REHABILITATION. MPRA, however, is shocked that neither the municipality nor any of the other organizations have given property owners, visitors, tourists, and employees enough warning as to the helicopter capture; and therefore IMPLORE you to warn fellow property owners, employees, rentals, tourists and your visitors on an URGENT basis, please.”
Then, there were three.
Of course, I was shocked and disappointed, but Tom was less so. He accepts the reality there are too many animals in Marloth Park at this time. The overabundance presents a feeding issue during the sparse winter months and the more lush rainy season in the spring, summer, and fall.
My logical mind understands this harsh reality. But, my heart aches at the prospect of losing some of my favorites to this upcoming cull. Plus, I can’t grasp why they must be killed. Why not gather them up and take them into Lionspruit, where nature may or may not “take its course” or send them to other less abundant conservancy areas?
I wasn’t able to adjust the camera when, if I did, they’d fly off.
The answer to these questions can easily be argued by advocates of culling. They even may make a strong case. But, the prospect of killing many of these precious animals tears at my heartstrings, leaving me sad and bereft. What if Little and Tiny are in the culled group, along with the many kudus we’ve come to know and love. They will even be culling giraffes! That makes no sense to me.
Over the next three days, we’ll be hearing the helicopters overhead, gathering them up into the bomas. This will be tough to hear, knowing the fate of so many of the precious animals.
Little was in the photo.
Of course, I can’t help but worry about my two favorites, warthogs, Little and Tiny, who just spent the entire morning here. What if suddenly they are gone, caught up in the culling effort? We can only wait and see what transpires over the next three days and who will be back in our garden on Thursday morning. Then, of course, we will report back here.
We are still working on rebooking the canceled flight from Las Vegas to Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger on July 24th. We should have it resolved in the next day or so. We aren’t apprehensive about this since there appear to be several other options that will work for us.
Bushbucks in the photo.
We’ll be back tomorrow with more. Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, June 20, 2020

I found this rose in a neighbor’s garden in Campanario, Madeira, Portugal. Not wanting to disturb the neighbor’s garden, I shot this without moving the stem in front of what appears to be an almost perfect rose. For more photos, please click here.

Our return flight from the US back to South Africa was canceled…Now what???…

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Lots of helmeted guinea-fowls in the garden. They kept coming and coming!

Who’s in the garden this morning?

  • 11 warthogs – inc. Little, Lonely Girl, Lonely Boy, Fred, and Ethel, Peter, Paul and Mary, Benny, Henny and Lenny
  • 9 bushbucks – inc. Chewy, Thick Neck/Bad Leg, Spikey, and others
  • 8 kudus – inc. Bossy, Notches, Little Daddy, Mom and Baby, and others
  • 21 helmeted guinea-fowl
  • 1 wildebeest – inc. Broken Horn
  • 2 hornbills
  • 1 grey lourie (go-away bird)
  • 2 Frank and The Misses

When we received an email two days ago stating that our return flight from Las Vegas to Johannesburg on July 24th had canceled the leg of the flight with British Airways, we didn’t panic. Instead, we decided to wait a few days to book anything in hopes of some additional flights opening up. Also, we didn’t want to be on hold for two hours, as many have experienced when trying to rebook canceled flights.

Tiny and Bossy are waiting for treats.

But, today, for peace of mind more than anything, we’ll rebook the return flight but may have to sacrifice price and convenience. We don’t want to change our departure date when our hotel in Las Vegas is already booked at exceptional pricing.  Also, we got an excellent price on the rental car we’ll be picking up upon arrival.

In this case, the car rental was a great price, a fluke with Dollar Rental at the Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger Airport when lately fees have been almost twice as much as we paid last January when we first arrived in South Africa. Rental car prices have been increasing this year, all over the world.

Bossy and a youngster were waiting for pellets.

We weren’t surprised to see the cancelation come through when our friend Kathy experienced several cancellations for her return flight to Marloth Park in mid-July. Therefore, when we rebook the flight today, we will not select British Airways for any legs of our flights, fearing this would transpire again.

It’s scary enough traveling such a long distance in light of Covid-19, but at least by the time we return, we’ll be vaccinated, easing a little of the concern of flying and waiting in airports. Several airlines are hesitant to schedule flights to and from Johannesburg when cases of Covid have been rising daily, especially in this hub.

New lockdown restrictions have returned in South Africa, as listed below from this site:

The new restrictions include:

  • The hours of the curfew are from 22h00 – 04h00
  • Non-essential establishments such as bars and fitness centers must close at 21h00
  • All gatherings will be limited to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. Where the venue is too small to accommodate appropriate social distancing, 50% of the floor space may be used.
  • Attendance at funerals and cremation may not exceed 50 people.
  • Night vigils and after-funeral gatherings remain prohibited.
  • The sale of alcohol for off-site consumption is permitted between 10h00 – 18h00 from Monday to Thursday.
  • On-site alcohol consumption may continue until 21h00, subject to liquor licenses.
  • Alcohol in public is strictly prohibited.
Big Daddy was looking forward to pellets.

None of these restrictions impact us at this time, but the fact that there is more infection certainly affects everyone, and added caution must be exercised during this spike in cases. Of course, when we depart in 11 days, we will use every available resource we have to protect ourselves; masks, gloves, face shields, and hand sanitizer, as well as social distancing when possible.

Bossy is pregnant. We’re looking forward to seeing her youngster when we return or shortly after that.

No, we’re not excited about traveling right now without having had the vaccine, but we feel we don’t have many choices when our visas expire on June 30th. Once we arrive in Minnesota and get the jab, we’ll be very relieved, especially after the waiting period has ended.

That’s it for today, folks. I will head to the kitchen as soon as the floors dry (Zef and Vusi are cleaning) and make cheesy scrambled eggs for breakfast. We’ll dine on the veranda, as usual, enjoying every visitor that wanders into the garden. At the moment, the two hornbills are banging on the kitchen window, an almost daily occurrence.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 18, 2020:

The back of the 300-year-old stone property we rented in 2013 in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy. For more photos, please click here.

An excellent afternoon with friends, at the Crocodile River and an evening in the bush…

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It had been a while since we’d spotted a waterbuck. But, this female was on the move and was out of sight in seconds.

Who’s in the garden this morning?

  • 5 warthogs – inc. Lonely Girl, Fred and Ethel, and others
  • 10 bushbucks – inc. Chewy, Thick Neck, Bad Leg, Spikey, and others
  • 5 kudus – inc. Bossy and others
  • 48 helmeted guinea-fowl
  • 1 duiker
  • 2 Frank and The Misses

Yesterday, Rita and Gerhard picked us up at 3:00 pm, excited to show us their new vehicle, an upscale 4-door Toyota pickup known as a bakkie in South Africa. They couldn’t have been more thrilled with their purchase, and we shared the excitement with them.

Rita and Gerhard with their new “bakkie.” It was a very smooth ride!

The ride to the Crocodile River in this four-wheel-drive vehicle was comfortable on the bumpy dirt roads in Marloth Park, compared to the cheap small car rentals we hire when more smooth riding vehicles are three times the cost of what we’re willing to pay. Unfortunately, the cost of car rentals throughout the world has increased outrageously over the past year of the pandemic, as have many travel-related expenses.

You’d think that the prices of travel-related venues and services would be a little lower to encourage hesitant travelers to begin booking again after this long haul. But, no, the prices continue to climb, which ultimately will impact the future of the travel industry.

Once we arrived at the river, we pulled out our camping chairs, arranging them in a tight row to leave room for others who’d come to the river hoping for exciting sightings. It was busier at Two Trees than we’d seen in a long time. Louise told us that bookings were up, mainly with South Africans, who longed to get out to the bush from the bigger cities in South Africa.

Please increase the size of the photos to see everything in the shot. There were two ostriches and two warthogs eating out of a trough made from a tire. The warthog was attempting to tip it over when he couldn’t reach the food. Very funny!

Few guests were international. For most travelers, flying into South Africa is not appealing at this time, with the Covid variants, increased cases lately, and the lack of available vaccines. We’ve yet to hear back on an opportunity for booking the vaccine in South Africa. However, our friends Linda and Ken, living in Johannesburg, did manage to get called for the first jab.

But, we’ve yet to hear of anyone getting vaccinated in this more remote area, other than healthcare professionals. We doubt we’ll listen to anything before we leave in 16 days to head to the US, where we feel confident we’ll be able to get the jab, now that walk-ins are available at some locations in Minnesota.

A mating pair of warthogs cuddling during a nap in our garden.

After the river, around 4:45, we left, and Rita and Gerhard dropped us off at our house, where we picked up our car and followed them to Jabula for dinner. Tom suggested we drive ourselves to avoid them having to backtrack to take us home at the end of the night. It all worked out fine, and we reached Jabula at 5:30, with plenty of time for fun at the bar and dinner shortly after that.

For a Saturday night, it wasn’t as busy as it had been pre-Covid. The four of us sat at the bar, chatting among ourselves and others, and by 6:30, our meals were ready, and we headed to our usual table on the veranda. It wasn’t as cold as it had been a week earlier, and we all thoroughly enjoyed our delicious meals and the lively conversation.

A mom and baby bushbuck have been stopping by each day.

We’ll be busy getting ready for guests coming for dinner tomorrow, including Don (of Kathy and Don), Rita, and Gerhard. Kathy will arrive in Marloth Park a few weeks before returning from the US at the end of July. Even more, fun social times are on the horizon!

Have a fantastic Sunday! We plan to!

Photo from one year ago today, June 13, 2020:

Us in front of one of the most exciting ruins of Ephesus Jordan on this date in 2013. For more year-ago photos, please click here.

Load shedding is annoying…New friends in the garden…

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Here is our new friend, One Tusk. We’ve seen another warthog with only one tusk, but this one has a substantial remaining tusk.

Who’s in the garden this morning?

  • 5 warthogs – inc. Little, Tiny, Lonely Boy, Lonely Girl, and others
  • 11 bushbucks – inc. Thick Neck, Bad Leg, Spikey, and others
  • 12 kudus – inc. Bossy, Baby Daddy, Medium Daddy, two youngsters, and others
  • 1 wildebeest – inc Broken Horn,
  • 2 Frank and The Misses
This is another new friend, Old Man, who had lost both of his horns. He is very old based on visible signs of aging on his face and body. However, he seems to have a friendly disposition. We hope to see him again.

Load shedding during the evening is the most annoying time for us, especially from dark to 10:00 pm, 2200 hrs. Now, as the cold winter weather rolls in, staying outdoors is uncomfortable. Also, we noticed very few animals stopping by after dark, based on photos on our trail cam during this cold spell. They, too, are chilled and prefer to hunker down together for warmth or find a warm spot for the night in the case of solitary animals.

If the power is out for 2 ½ hours from 7:00 pm, 1900 hrs, there’s not much to do in the dark other than play mindless games on our phones. Unfortunately, when the power is out, so is the WiFi, and we cannot stream any of our favorite shows. I tried downloading some movies from various sites, but this is not easily accomplished with a Chromebook. Doing so would get us through these dull and boring periods.

Old Man and Broken Horn arrived in the garden within minutes of one another. Of course, they could be related, but many of the animals in Marloth Park are related in one way or another.

We can add a few apps to aid in this process, but at this point, I don’t feel comfortable downloading these obscure apps with few, if any, reviews, which could easily create some issues. We don’t want to take any chances right now. Tom’s new laptop should arrive today and my keyboard, although improved, is still acting up.

Before having Chromebooks, we used the fantastic downloading site Graboid for US $19.95, ZAR 271 a month. When we tried to download the app after buying the Chromebooks, we were disappointed to find out that it wouldn’t work on them. Downloading a different browser wouldn’t help. It was due to Chrome’s operating system. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do about that.

Old Man’s small horns could have been from fighting over the years.

Tonight from 7:00 pm, 1900 hours, load shedding will commence for 2 ½ hours. When Rita and Gerhard suggested we all get together, as usual, it dawned on me that if they came here for sundowners at 4:00 pm, 1600 hours and the four of us entertain ourselves in idle chatter, we can head to a restaurant (most have generators) for dinner by about 6:30 pm, 1830 hrs, and take our time ordering diner and dining.

It’s not too difficult to spend three hours in a restaurant with fun friends. At least, we’ll get through another night this week during load shedding. As for restaurants, meals and drinks must be paid in cash since WiFi is out during load shedding, and they aren’t able to use their credit card processing machines. Makes sense.

Another thing we noticed about Old Man was the length of his tail which almost reached the ground. Broken Horn’s tail is half a meter shorter.

Load shedding requires residents to do a little planning, especially in the evenings. Daytime is less bothersome when most have tasks and projects they can do around the house during the day. Heading to Kruger National Park is a great way to spend time during power outages.

Walking in the park is also an excellent way to pass load shedding time. Unfortunately, with my legs less steady from the surgeries two-plus years ago, we don’t take a risk and walk on the uneven dirt roads in Marloth Park. Reading books, either paper or on devices, is an excellent way to spend time during outages.

He appeared rather content in our garden, staying for over an hour, spending most of the time looking at us.

For us, we had both read so many books in the first few years of our world travels that we have since lost interest in reading any fiction, preferring to read non-fiction on topics we enjoy online, at any given time which may not work during load shedding.

Some locals may stay busy with puzzles during load shedding if they have some suitable source of light. I like this idea, but we don’t have a proper table where I’d be willing to leave an unfinished puzzle. Moreover, Tom has no interest in puzzles. And, after years of playing Gin and me beating Tom, he lost interest in that. Ha!

Today, Tom will set up his new Chromebook that just arrived from Takealot, South Africa’s version of Amazon. Tonight, we’ll have a delightful evening with Rita and Gerhard.

Have a fantastic day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 9, 2020:

An appropriately named Fish Eagle stood watch over the “catch of the day.” For more photos, please click here.

Lovely early evening at the Crocodile River…Now, I’m having computer issues…

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An elephant is drinking and playing in the river.

Who’s in the garden this morning?

  • 13 warthogs – inc. Little, Tiny, Lonely Girl, Fred and Ethel, The Imposter, Peter, Paul and Mary, and others
  • 15 bushbucks – inc. Thick Neck, Bad Leg, Spikey, and others
  • 2 kudu- inc. Little Daddy, Bossy
  • 10 helmeted guinea-fowl
  • 1 wildebeest – inc Broken Horn
  • 1 Frank and The Misses – inc. Frank, by himself
  • 1 go-away bird
  • 1 – Miss Dove

This morning, Tom called out to me to hurry and come outside. There were ten bushbucks in the garden, the most we’ve ever seen at one time. Immediately,  we started cutting up carrots, breaking up a head of cabbage into bite-sized pieces, and tossing pellets their way.

I took a few photos and made a video which we’ll share tomorrow since today we have photos from yesterday’s trip to the river with Rita and Gerhard that we’re posting today.

Such wonderful beasts…

On another note, I am having trouble with the keys on my keyboard, making it very difficult to type. This has worsened over the past few weeks. I researched some fixes, removed the problematic keys, and cleaned them as recommended by the manufacturer.

I am not in the mood for this right now. However, we have other fish to fry with our travel date coming up in 22 days. I followed the online instructions carefully, which resolved some of the bad keys, but the space bar remains the biggest problem. It’s challenging to type without easily pressing the spacebar.

He walked further and further into the Crocodile River.

It may require that I purchase a new device when we get to the US, but for now, I can do a few workarounds until we get there. I have set up to use voice activation on a google document and then copy and paste it into the WordPress editor. I am doing it the hard way right now and will decide which will be the best way to go by tomorrow.

Right now, Broken Horn (wildebeest) is resting in the garden, leaning his head against his body for support, as shown in the photo below. We love to see our regular visitors be so at ease when visiting us that they can relax and sleep without constantly being in defense mode in anticipation of apex predators.

Broken Horn, peaceful and content sleeping in our garden using his side as a place to rest his head. Wildebeests can weigh as much as 600 pounds, 272 kg.

Although there is little risk of being killed and eaten by other animals in Marloth Park, their instinct is always alert. Of course, there are lions inside Marloth Park from time to time and always a few leopards at any given time, who mostly hunt at night, when most of the wildlife is hunkered down in spots they feel are safest.

Many animals in herds and groups may have a few group members on the lookout during the night. We see this with impalas and other animals who tend to habitat in numbers, instead of loners like warthogs, (some) wildebeest, and bushbucks, all of whom may wander the park on their own, except for those families with young.

An elephant was coming down the hill in a hurry.

I often think about the loners, wondering why they don’t assemble for safety and companionship. But, like humans, they don’t always gather in groups to make their way through each day. If not close to tight family members and friends, humans can easily be loners if shy, reclusive, and withdrawn.

It’s not surprising to us to see how much alike we are, humans and animals. We learn so much about them and ourselves by watching their behavior, day after day, month after month. We all find great comfort in lingering in a safe space, with or without others at our side.

This elephant’s left tusk looks broken, but it’s not. Enlarge to see the complete tusk.

That’s it for today, folks. We’ll keep coming back for more as our three-week countdown begins tomorrow, with us leaving Marloth Park On June 29th since we must go South Africa on June 30th, and we have a long travel experience ahead of us.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, June 7, 2020:

It looked like smoke, but it was fog in Madeira, Portugal, in 2014. I took most of this photo from the freeway through the car’s windshield. For more historic travel photos, please click here.

Rainy Sunday morning…Will our plans for the river be dashed?…A decision is made…

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Wildebeests in the driveway near the rental car.

Who’s in the garden this morning?

  • 9 warthogs – inc. Little, Lonely Girl, and others
  • 12 bushbucks – inc. Thick Neck, Bad Leg,
  • 6 helmeted guinea-fowl
  • 1 kudu- inc. Medium Daddy
  • 3 hornbills – banging on the kitchen window for hours
  • 2 Frank and The Misses

With plans for river sightings with Rita and Gerhard today at 3:00 pm, a rainy morning may indicate that we won’t be heading out today. Anxious for new photos to share here, after a steady stream of regulars in the garden, day after day (which we love but our readers may not), we have been looking forward to seeing our friends again with an opportunity to take big game photos.

The wildlife tends to hunker down on rainy and windy days, so if we go, regardless of the weather, we may not see much action on the river today. However, right now and last night, we could hear lions Fluffy and Desi roaring in Lionspruit, which abuts the end of our back garden. We’ve listened to that roar over and over again, and it always makes us smile. What an exquisite sound!

Hornbills next to the veranda enjoying Frank’s seeds.

It’s not only the photos and videos we take that make this experience so delightful. The sounds, day and night, are thrilling and, at the same time, heartwarming; whether it’s birds or animals, it all sends a chill down our spines. So many of these sounds may be heard when viewing any of our videos, over and above my endless chatter describing the current scene in view.

Of course, our big concern is that our readers will become bored with photos of warthogs, bushbucks, and kudus and lose interest in our site. So we always strive to “shake it up,” but with the limitations for travel due to Covid-19, we’re fast running out of new and exciting photos.

Then again, I have been under the weather for almost three weeks, continuing to cough, and haven’t felt like doing much of anything other than sitting on the veranda watching our furry friends stop by for a warm “hello” and, of course, pellets, carrots, apples, and cabbage.

A dark-capped bulbul. Sorry for the blurry photo. They don’t stay still for a good shot.

Well, folks, maybe it will get more interesting coming up here in 23 days when we are finally leaving South Africa for about a little over three weeks to return to the US for several reasons; 1. to see our family members in Minnesota, Nevada ad Wisconsin; 2. to get the Covid-19 J & J  vaccine, which is readily available at many locations in the Twin Cities; and 3. to get that darned visa stamp we so much need, when our visas expire on June 30th.

It doesn’t seem realistic that SA President Cyril Ramaphosa will be extending visas for foreign nationals again in the next 24 days. He opened visas last time at the beginning of a month to June 30th, not at the end, as we need at this point. So it’s doubtful the dates will coincide with our needs.

Thus, yesterday afternoon, we began booking rental cars and hotels for our already-in-place flight from Johannesburg to Minneapolis on June 30th with Lufthansa Airlines. So all we have left to book is:

  1. A round trip flight from Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger to Joburg
  2. A one-way flight from Minneapolis to Las Vegas to visit son Richard
  3. A return flight from Las Vegas to Joburg

    Warthogs and mongoose get along well, paying little attention to one another.

We have yet to book the Las Vegas/Henderson hotel, which we’ll do today, planning on staying at the Green Valley Ranch Spa and Casino in Henderson, which is close to Richard‘s home. Unfortunately, we will be in Las Vegas during the hottest month of the year, so we won’t spend much time outdoors if we can help it.

As for visiting Tom’s dear sister, Sister Beth, a nun in a nursing home in Milwaukee, we will drive from Minneapolis, returning a few days later to fly to Las Vegas from there. We’ll see Sister Beth, and then Tom wants to visit a few cemeteries for his Ancestry stuff.

It will be a busy time, and we hope to take many photos along the way. But, of course, we’ll continue to post each day, even during the long travel days while on long layovers.

At this point, regardless of the visa scenario changing again for foreign nationals in South Africa, we’re committed to leaving Marloth Park on June 29th to begin the long journey to the US. We hope to get our J & J vaccine on July 2, which we plan to book before leaving here.

Also, the rain stopped, and the sun came out. It looks like we’ll be able to go to the river today, after all! We’ll be back with more tomorrow, including what we’ll be doing with our vacation home during our absence.

Have a fantastic Sunday!

Photo from one year ago today, June 6, 2020:

While in Campanaria, Madeira, Portugal, we heard the music coming from the fish guy’s truck and raced up the hill to meet him. He held up a tuna for us to inspect. It was smaller than some of the others, but this size was perfect. It weighed 7.7 kg, 17 pounds, and the cost was INR 2569, US $34. He cut them into portion-sized pieces, wrapping each piece individually. For more photos, please click here.