More lion warnings in Marloth Park…See the site map where they’ve been spotted!…Big storm last night!…

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We are located in Block D, as indicated on this map. Currently, the lions were spotted in Blocks C and D in Marloth Park.
This morning, this notice was posted on Facebook on the Marloth Park Sighting Page.
“‼️ URGENT CARNIVORE ALERT‼️
16th-17th December 2022
The Carnivore Team has released an URGENT WARNING that a lioness has been spotted in THE “C” SECTOR, and a male lion has been spotted in THE “D” SECTOR OF THE ATTACHED MAP. They are moving between the houses, and everyone should be extremely careful and vigilant!
The immediate alert is for BLOCK “C AND D” as per the attached map. For those unfamiliar with Marloth, BLOCK “C” IS FROM RENOSTER, OLIFANT, VOLSTRUIS, CROCODILE NORTH, AND MODDERVIS. BLOCK “D” IS FROM SWARTWITPENS/RATEL, RENOSTER, KINGFISHER/SEEKOEI AND OLIFANT! A follow-up alert will be supplied if they move out of these areas!
EVERYBODY needs to be extremely cautious and an urgent alert for joggers, hikers, and cyclists in the morning and afternoon! Be extra careful at night as the lions are a bigger threat in the dark! If you are having a braai, sit with your backs to a wall and keep the lights on!
PLEASE do not allow children to roam around or play unsupervised – period! The lions could appear anywhere in Marloth Park! 😳
This an urgent alert for joggers, hikers, and cyclists along these areas throughout the day!
Unfortunately, the warnings are not taken seriously! Don’t go looking for lions because the lions will find you! The onus is on each and every one to adhere to the alerts and warn others of the dangers.
PLEASE DO NOT POST ANY LION-SIGHTING POSITIONS ON ANY SOCIAL MEDIA GROUPS FOR SAFETY REASONS! Rather contact any one of the Carnivore Team if you spot the lions! Phone any of the following numbers at ANY TIME:
Rangers 082 802 5894
CPF/ Nadine 082 672 4545 Gerrie Camacho 082 353 9097,
Ernst Röhm /MTPA 083 626 6309,
April Lukhele: 082 807 1057. Jan Koekemoer 063 053 7601.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding – Carnivore Team, Rangers, MTPA, CPF, Security, and the Vet.”
We take these warnings seriously, almost posted daily, of the presence of both male and female lions in the park. You’d think we’d be terrified, but we aren’t. We do everything we can to stay safe including avoiding walking on the roads and wandering about at night.
When we go out to dinner at Jabula on Friday and Saturday nights, we park as close to the building as possible and proceed to the car with extreme caution in mind, watching for lions and snakes, each of which is more active at night. Living in the bush requires diligent observation at all times and during all seasons.
We can only hope and pray that the countless visitors in Marloth Park heed the warnings on Facebook and from their property owners and managers. This is serious stuff, folks. We’ve seen many visitors walking and biking on the road by our house at dusk. This is foolhardy and dangerous!
Last night, a storm rolled over the area with winds, heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. We thought we’d lose power, but it only went off and on a few times when it wasn’t due to load shedding. The WiFi went off and on while we were trying to stream the last few episodes of Yellowstone, which we’re thoroughly enjoying. Love that show!
Today is a low-key day. When load shedding ends after 11:00 am, I plan to do a few loads of laundry, which will take a few days to dry with this humidity. Tom only has one pair of shorts left, all of the others were in our missing bags, which he’s wearing now on this hot day. Soon, he’ll have to change into long pants so I can wash the pair he’s wearing.
On December 19, 25 days will have passed per the requirement of Ethiopian Air for us to file a claim for our missing bags. On Monday, we will get to work filing the claims necessary to recover part of the value of the missing items. I can’t tell you how many missing things we used before the bags were lost. It’s frustrating, to say the least.
I just received a notice from Eskom that we’re now back to Stage 6 load shedding, which results in 11½ hours a day without power. Ugh! It will be a long and hot holiday season.
Continue to enjoy your holiday preparations, whatever they may be.
Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, December 16, 2021:

Open-mouth crocodile on the bank of the Sabie River. Crocs don’t have sweat glands. Instead, they open their mouths to cool off. For more photos, please click here.

Finally, we shopped in Komati…This season’s hottest day yet!…99F, 37.2C, dew point 72, humidity 50%…Plus load-shedding…

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Norman had some branches stuck on his head. It looks as if the branch went through his ear, but it was between his ear and horn. He is fine, thank goodness.

We procrastinated about going grocery shopping due to the 11½ hours a day without power, wondering if whatever we’d bought would stay fresh. Eskom sent a message this morning stating that load shedding was dropping from Stage 5 to Stage 4 today and down to Stage 3 on Sunday with only five hours of outages. That’s a significant relief, but most likely will be short-lived, especially during the holiday season and here in Marloth Park, with almost every house filled with owners and holidaymakers.

We only wish visitors would be more mindful of not wasting power and water, which has an awful impact on those who diligently monitor their usage. Surely over the next few weeks, the situation will escalate, and we all may be out of power for days, not hours. This is when we worry about our food in the refrigerator and freezer.

When we left on November 24, Tom put a single coin on top of an ice cube in each of the two ice cube trays, one in the refrigerator freezer and another in the chest freezer. When we returned, we could see how much ice had melted in the trays, and the coins dropped down into the cubes. This way, we knew the food in the freezers hadn’t spoiled when the coins had hardly moved. A nifty little test, eh?

This side view clearly illustrates it didn’t go through his ear.

We missed our opportunity to go to Kruger since we returned five days ago. When it rained a few days, there wasn’t a good day to go, and I overslept on a few others. Tom didn’t want to wake me, figuring I needed more sleep than seeing more wildlife. In the long run, he may have been right…today is Day #4, with no headache and no facial pain. Surely, good sleep helped in improving this dreadful long-haul Covid issue.

If any of our readers suffer from long-term sinusitis, please see your medical professional for assistance. Two nasal irrigation products worked for me the most; one Pysiomer used three times a day, and the other, a nasal irrigation kit with a dispenser and added medications used both morning and night, using warm sterilized water (not hot). Again, please see your medical professional for guidance in using these or similar products.

He was finally able to shake it off.

Now, to enter Kruger, we’d have to make a reservation and be faced with crowds at sightings. We’ll wait until the holiday season ends and go again when it’s quiet, sometime in January. In the meantime, we’re content with all the wildlife visitors stopping by each day and evening.

Once back at the house, after shopping, it took every ounce of energy to get everything put away in the heat. Since I had open heart surgery, I have had trouble bending over for any time. As always, Tom pulls a dining room chair up to the refrigerator to let me easily put everything away. He stocks the fridge on the veranda and the chest freezer. Before we knew it, we were done and able to enjoy a fresh mug of iced tea while he caught up on tasks on his laptop, and I began doing the post.

Nina was eating “Norman’s Lunch” along with the deceased Hoppy’s two siblings. Note the duiker in the background, most likely Delilah.

Today, at around 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs, I will put a “gammon,” a ham, in the oven to cook for one hour as suggested by the butcher when we bought it a few days ago. He said it would dry out if we cooked on the braai. I wouldn’t say I like the idea of turning on the oven on such a hot day, but we need to cook it today since it’s been defrosted for a few days and sitting in the fridge during countless hours of load shedding.

Tom will have ham, white rice, green beans, and salad, and I will have the same minus the rice. As always, it will be a lovely dinner, but with the mozzies and the humidity, we may have to eat in the dining room with the veranda doors closed. We’ll see if it cools down by then. However, according to the weather app on my phone, that doesn’t look promising.

Nonetheless, we are fine, cheerful, feeling well, and content. What more could we ask for?

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, December 15, 2021:

Mom and baby hippo on the Sabie River. For more photos, please click here.

Thinking about the future…Facing the facts…

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Last evening, no less than 25 animals were in the garden, including kudus bushbucks, warthogs, wildebeests, and our precious nyala family.

My eyes dart toward the garden every few minutes in case any wildlife stops by. I sat indoors at the dining room table while Vusi cleaned the veranda. Another hot day prompted me to turn on the quiet portable fan to cool off while I sat and prepared today’s post.

A moment ago, I spotted a mom and four piglets dash by on a mad run. I wondered where they were headed. A few kudus wandered in and out but feeling stuck in the chair, for once, I didn’t bother to get up to offer pellets. Earlier this morning, Tom saw the nyala family on several occasions. Still, again, I slept late after not falling asleep until well after midnight, awakening during the night when the 4½ hour load shedding started and the aircon went off.

Moms and babies.

My Fitbit says I slept 8 hours and 57 minutes. It still feels like I am catching up from lack of sleep, but I feel good, rested, and refreshed over the past few days.;.

Today is Day 3, with no headache or facial pain. Could it possibly be over? I am tentatively hopeful. I feel the best I’ve felt since before I tested positive for Omicron last April. With all the meds I was on for the headache, some of which cause weight gain, I am now reducing my food intake to lose the extra 15 pounds. I will undoubtedly accomplish it in a few months, losing from one to two pounds a week, a realistic goal.

Big Daddy, Hoppy’s mom and two remaining piglets, and more.

But, my mind? It’s spinning in circles. We have so much to do in the next few months. We must renew our passports, apply for an extension for South Africa, and complete all the paperwork soon to receive compensation for our lost luggage, requiring receipts for every item in those two bags.

That process alone will be time-consuming. I’d rather that they find the bags. How will we remember every item in those bags and find receipts? Sure, most of the purchases were made online, which will help. Nonetheless, it’s quite a task. It could take a few weeks to complete.

Big Daddy and Stringy jumped the fence.

You know the saying…”You can run, but you can’t hide.”  It’s so true. Regardless of the lifestyle we choose, we can’t escape the responsibilities of daily life; taxes to file and pay, paperwork to complete for general living, expenses to log, and bills to pay. For some reason, I feel lazy and unmotivated to do all this paperwork. But, somehow, I must get myself on track.

We love the bush so much; getting wrapped up in such responsibilities is not easy. It’s almost like being on a blissful vacation/holiday while here, and I don’t care to get wrapped up in piles of paperwork. Instead, right now, I am thinking toward the future, and with a good plan in place for what we’ll do after a 90-day extension is acquired through the law firm, tackling the paperwork will be easier.

My biggest thoughts for the day are now centered around enjoying the wildlife, cooking meals, and spending time entrenched in the beauty of nature and the bush. In the evenings, our goals are simple; listening to music using our JBL speaker, enjoying a refreshment while seated at the table on the veranda, and later in the evening, hunkering down to an excellent show to stream…all relatively mindless drivel.

Then, typically on the weekends, we love socializing at Jabula and attending or hosting parties and get-togethers. Um…it’s all lovely and indeed distracts us from the inconveniences of load-shedding, heat, humidity, insects, and snakes. Then, of course, there are the daily posts I still enjoy preparing each day, even after these past ten years. The constant search for photo ops also adds an interesting element to our lives.

Bad Ear stopped by for a quick hello.

We’ll figure it all out. Right now, we are talking about our options and what makes the most sense for us to do going forward. In any case, we must leave by June 1, 2023, but in this day and age, with everything that’s changed during the pandemic, we must plan as best as we can.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, December 14, 2021:

Yellow-billed stork. No text or other photos were posted on this date.

Gee…it feels good to be back…Nina and Norman’s baby…a joy to behold…

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Duiker Delilah with Norman and Nina’s new baby, who is yet to be named based on gender, which we can’t yet determine.

What a glorious morning. Light rain sprinkled the dusty bush making everything look bright and green. Although the busy holiday season has begun in Marloth Park, there were fewer holidaymakers this weekend than there will be in the coming weeks. As a result, Monday morning brought us many visitors.

Of course, we were thrilled to see Lollie and her three piglets return and also Hoppy’s mom and two piglets (sadly, Hoppy passed away before we left due to her broken leg). Also, our four regular zebras stopped along with bushbuck Gordon Ramsey and duiker mates Delilah and Derek.

Norman is a proud new dad.

But, above all, we were beside ourselves with joy over seeing Norman, Nina, and their new baby, born a little over two weeks ago (while we were away), gender yet to be determined. Noah has wandered off since the little one was born. We can only imagine how frustrated he must be, unable to find a female nyala anywhere in the park. From what we hear, Deidre from Wild and Free is caring for a female who will be released in Marloth Park as a mate for Noah.

Norman got pretty upset with his son Noah sniffing over his mom, Nina. Finally, after the baby was born, he got the hint and moved on. We haven’t seen him since we returned two days ago.

Nina and Norman’s baby has yet to jump the little fence. But Nina and Norman jump over anyway while the baby waits for them.

How exciting it will be when the female is released, and Noah eventually finds her. We can only hope he will return here with her to our garden once they become a pair. Of course, we’ll report that here. But, for now, Noah has moved on to another area in the park to leave his parents to raise his new little sibling.

So far this morning, Nina, Norman, and their new offspring, as shown in today’s photos, have visited us four times, and it’s only 9:15 am as I write this.

We are thrilled to see the baby visiting us with her/his parents.

Last night at Jabula, in the awful heat and humidity with a dew point around 75, only a few of us were sitting at the bar. We were all dripping with sweat with load shedding and no aircon running. It was wonderful to see Leon and Dawn again, but Leon only hung around for a short time when he became tired and had to rest. His illness is catching up with him, and we’re all cherishing every moment we can spend with him.

Such an adorable baby nyala, the only one in Marloth Park.

Our friends Maroi and Peter were also there, and we all shared stories of the time we’d been away, including our awful experience with Ethiopian Air. No, we haven’t heard a word about our bags. In a few days, we’ll check again. Once we returned, it became more apparent how much we missed the items in those bags. Ugh!

We’d planned to grocery shop in Komatipoort this morning, but with five-hour load shedding on the horizon, we decided to shop at the little stores here in Marloth for the next few days rather than risk food spoiling. We now eat cabbage slaw (coleslaw) instead of lettuce salad since lettuce doesn’t keep well, but cabbage does.

We can’t get over the adorable face.

We’ll cook a flattie chicken on the braai with the coleslaw and whatever vegetable I can find at the little market. I’ll make white rice for Tom to go along with it. We took out the big pan of apple crisp I’d made before we left, and Tom will have some tonight after dinner with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. Of course, I don’t eat any of it, nor do I eat anything after dinner. Tom lost a few pounds while we were away to enjoy this delicious treat.

Lollie and her three piglets have returned.

We’re off to the little market and the Wild Butchery in the Bush Centre down the road and will be back with more tomorrow.

By the way, thank you for all the thoughtful inquiries about my headache, and facial pain and how traveling on those long flights impacted me. It wasn’t a problem and certainly was no worse while traveling. At the moment, I am pain-free. Maybe it’s getting better after all. Perhaps it’s a matter of time, as I continue to do the nasal rinses several times a day. Fingers crossed.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, December 12, 2021:

We drove past a few giraffes while out exploring. For more photos, please click here.

We’re baaack!!!….The story of the last travel day…

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Lollie and her piglets with a few kudus.

Yesterday morning, I wrote this post, in part, while on the short flight, less than 40 minutes from Joburg to Nelspruit, finishing and updating it today, on Sunday morning.

Once we landed in Nelspruit, we collected our one bag, and Tom headed to the rental car facility while I checked with Airlink to see if they knew anything about our two missing bags. I explained the loss of the bags had nothing to do with their airline but could they please help us? They were more than willing to assist. The bags are eventually supposed to arrive at their location.

The previous night, when we arrived in Joburg, we spent two hours at the missing bag area working on locating our bags. Finally, a few hours later, we received the necessary documentation we needed to attempt to find the bags. But, no bags yet.

Kudus stopped by for a drink and pellets. We were still sleeping.

From there, we made our way to the City Lodge Hotel at the airport, checking in with our one new bag and then on to the restaurant for a bite. We each had a beverage, including a glass of wine for me and a beer for Tom. I had the fantastic buffet, which had several good options for me, while Tom ordered a delicious club sandwich with chips (fries).

Our dinner was only ZAR 480, about US $27, with two drinks, food, tax, and tip. Gosh, we are happy to be back where everything is much more affordable than in the US. Over the next few months, we certainly have some “wound licking” to recover the losses from this recent fiasco.

With our time frame off, we both had a fistful night’s sleep. We only dozed for a few minutes on the 16-hour flight and assumed we’d be able to sleep at the hotel, but the time difference made it impossible to sleep. But, overall, that long flight wasn’t bad this time. We watched many movies, and the time passed faster than usual. I think I’ve finally adapted to that 16-hour flight and have no angst about it any longer.

A kudu is eating some tasty greens on a tree.

We were in a three-seat center row with an empty seat between us. We ended up in the Premium Economy section, and the seats were bigger with footrests and were better for reclining. That helped me nod off for a few minutes here and there. That also added to our comfort.

It was great to be back in South Africa. The food on the plane was awful, and we didn’t eat a thing precipitating our need for the late dinner at the hotel on Friday night. In the morning, we didn’t have time for breakfast, only coffee at the airport. Our two coffees and one sparkling water were only ZAR 120, about US $7. While in the US, we spent three times that much on the same items.

With the time difference impacting us, we both had a fitful night’s sleep, barely sleeping. But overall, that long flight wasn’t bad at all this time. We watched many movies, and the time passed faster than usual. I think I’ve finally adapted to that 16-hour flight and have no angst about it any longer. It is what it is.

A young male kudu is checking out the scene.

Our dinner at the City Lodge Hotel was only ZAR 480, about US $27, with the two drinks, food, tax, and tip. Gosh, we are happy to be back where everything is much more affordable than in the US. Over the next few months, we certainly have some “wound licking” to recover the losses from this recent fiasco.

Louise invited us to a “bush buddies” party at their house last night. Once we returned to the house in the afternoon, we unpacked our one bag and carry-on bags and attempted to take a short nap before going to the party, which started around 6:00 pm. But, no such luck. Neither of us was able to nap. By 5:00 pm, we both showered, feeling refreshed, and later made our way down the road to their house.

We had a fantastic time at the party, completely forgetting about being tired and staying until midnight, when everyone began to wander off. This morning, Tom shocked me and caused me to scream out loud when he was standing there staring at me. He was concerned that I had passed away in my sleep at 11:00 am and was still sleeping.

It rained a little before we got up this morning. It’s a very humid day!

My Fitbit indicated I’d slept for 10 hours. I can’t remember the last time I slept so long. He was relieved to hear me scream and apologized for awakening me. He only slept for about eight hours and may need a nap before we go to Jabula tonight for dinner.

Yes, there is plenty of load shedding, but we have water. We’ll toss some of the food in the refrigerator, but it wasn’t that full when we left. Everything in the freezers seemed to have survived.

Kudus, early this morning.

We left Marloth Park 17 days ago. Will our favorite animals return to see us soon, or will they wait until the holidaymakers go after New Year? Only time will tell. Yesterday, when we arrived, bushbuck Gordon Ramsey was here resting in the shad with about eight kudus. This morning Lollie and her three piglets stopped by. Tom gave them plenty of pellets.

Thanks for all the love and support over these past weeks and always. We will be back tomorrow with more.

Be well.

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

Frank, who prefers to walk and run, flew up to the bushbaby house and posed for this photo. For more photos, please click here.

Yesterday’s fantastic visit with a dear old friend…Quiet afternoon and early evening in the hotel while Tom was out…

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This photo was taken on December 6, 2013, from Marloth Park. See the link here. The bright glare of the setting sun impeded our photo-taking of these elephants across the river. But, we were thrilled to get these. Soon, we’ll see elephants up close when we enter Kruger Park.

When Tom was meeting with his son TJ at a restaurant about 15 minutes away, I decided to see if I could change my planned visit to my dear friend Chere’s home in Eden Prairie. As much as we treasure time with friends, we have prioritized time with our children and grandchildren over all else.

Based on the time he and TJ were getting together, it didn’t leave time for him to pick me up when he’d be done. Nor did I want him to have to rush his time with his son to come to get me at Chere’s home. When I called and explained the situation to Chere, her husband Gary agreed to drop her off at our hotel. Chere recently had knee replacement surgery and hasn’t been cleared to drive.

By 1:30, she walked in the door, albeit a little shaky on her new knee, and we hugged as close girlfriends do. Instead of coming to our messy room with all of our recent purchases piled up, we sat in the lovely hotel lobby at a table with comfortable chairs and sipped on hot tea, and caught up.

It wasn’t as if we had much catching up to do when we’d last got together during our US visit in 2019 (but not when we were here, sick with Omicron last May). We’ve stayed in close touch over the years via text and email and knew what was going on with one another. Plus, Chere regularly reads our posts which easily fills in the blanks of what we’ve been up to.

Chere is a highly educated nutritionist and holistic dietician who has appeared on many local and national TV news stations over the years, as well as speaking as a keynote speaker at countless conventions on health, nutrition, and wellness, often sponsored by large corporations. It was as if we’d never been apart. I wanted more details about her life over the past few years.

There’s something magical about the skies over Africa from what we’ve seen so far in Kenya and now in South Africa, also from this date, nine years ago.

This passion we share for health, fitness, diet, and food brought us together years ago and remained a favorite topic as we share more intimate details of our lives, as girlfriends often do. It was delightful catching up with her. The almost three hours we spent together passed way too quickly.

Her husband Gary arrived to pick her up a few hours later but only after sitting with us for a while for more lively conversation. By the time they walked out the door after warm hugs and goodbyes, it was 4:30, and Tom had yet to return. But my delightful afternoon wasn’t over yet.

The lovely guest services representative, Kelly, at the hotel front desk, poured me a glass of Pinot Grigio, and another great conversation ensued, only occasionally interrupted when a hotel guest needed attention. Again, the discussion was lively and entertaining, and time flew by. Suddenly, it was close to 6:00 pm, and I headed back to our room. I was getting hungry and opened the meat and cheese tray in the little refrigerator for such an occasion.

A short time later, Tom returned, smiling over his enjoyable time with his son, and we decided to forego dinner. I’d eaten enough meat, cheese, and olives to hold me, and Tom said he had two generous portions of popcorn at the bar and wasn’t hungry. Also, we knew we could head to the included breakfast at this excellent hotel at 6:30 am, and we could easily wait for that.

Speaking of this hotel, Hyatt Place in Eden Prairie, we’ve decided to stay here each time we return to Minnesota. The only inconvenience is the lack of washers and dryers at the property. But everything else is superior to the other hotels where we’ve stayed in this central location. Their breakfast is good, the coffee is excellent, and the service is over-the-top.

The hotel had recently been remodeled and is attractive and modern, whereby the other hotels where we’ve stayed in this area in the past are somewhat dated. This seems to be a popular hotel for business people, with efficiency and competitive pricing the norm, typically at $118 a night, a real bargain for this suburban area. When we return in September, we will certainly stay here again.

Today is a quiet day. No family members were available to get together, so we will head to TJ Maxx to buy a suitcase for everything we purchased. We will also stop at the local CVS pharmacy for more of the sinus treatment product I’ve been using that I’d purchased at the pharmacy in Komatipoort. I hope they have something similar here since I’ll be running out by the time we depart. I don’t want to worry about heading to Komatipoort the day we return.

Otherwise, all is well. We’ll be dining out with Greg’s family tomorrow night on our final evening in Minnesota. We’ll head out for dinner since the cost of takeaway is as costly as dining in at some restaurants we like. We begin the long trek back to South Africa and Marloth Park on Thursday.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago, December 6, 2021:

A male impala is on the lookout in Kruger National Park. For more photos, please click here.

Whew!..Time in Minnesota moving quickly…

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This morning view from the living room of our holiday home on this date in 2016 in Penguin, Tasmania. It’s a fantastic, sunny day.

Note: Today’s photos are from 2016, when we first arrived in Penguin, Tasmania. For more photos and the story, please click here.

In only four days, we’ll be on the move once again. Our flight to Newark on Thursday departs Minneapolis at 1:59 pm. We’ll be ready to go. The items we ordered from Amazon.com are arriving as planned, and the contact lenses I ordered from Vision Direct in the UK have also arrived earlier than expected.

Once everything arrives, we’ll know how big of a suitcase we need to purchase to fit all the replacement clothing. According to Ethiopian Air, we can’t consider our bags lost until 25 days after they’ve disappeared. We’ll have to deal with that claim when we return to Marloth Park.

Once we know the space we’ll need after all the packages arrive by Wednesday, we’ll head to TJ Maxx, where we’ve often purchased brand-name bags at great prices and bought a new bag for the new items. We keep everything folded in their original plastic bags for easy packing. We feel confident all of the things will fit and meet our needs.

We had to purchase items to replace some of the things that were in our missing baggage. Why not wait until we see if the bags are truly lost for good? We can’t find items like these in South Africa that we know will fit and work for us. If we ordered everything from the US and had it shipped to our mailing service in Nevada, we’d have to pay no less than US $500 in shipping fees plus customs fees, all of which is more than what we’ve spent on the items, buying them while here in the US from Amazon.

White sand beaches with rarely a human in sight.

It made more sense to assume the bags were gone and shop accordingly. So far, we’ve received about half of the items, with the remainder arriving. In any case, we have not purchased replacement items, for nearly half of which were in each of our bags. We’ll be well-equipped if we get the bags back after all. But we aren’t hopeful.

Yesterday, after a great breakfast with Greg, Maisie, and her boyfriend Nick, we returned to our hotel and hung out for the rest of the day. At dinner time, Tom went to Chipotle to pick up our dinner. I had a salad bowl, and he had tacos. It was hard to believe the cost of the takeaway meal was $48.

When we were here in May, the identical items would have been less than $30. It would have been in the $25 range a few years earlier. We recall making these same purchases when we lived in Minnesota over ten years ago, being no more than $18 to feed the two of us. Wow! Times have changed.

This morning, we had a nice breakfast included in our hotel booking, of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and a wide array of accompaniments. This breakfast holds us until dinner each evening, although Tom saved a few donut holes to enjoy in our room each day and evening. Tom has particularly enjoyed the donut holes but passed on the pancakes, toast, juice, and other breakfast side dishes. The coffee has been delicious.

From one area to the next, the scenery changed. With almost half of Tasmania’s entire population living in Hobart, most terrains were untouched areas of pure beauty.

Soon, we’ll be heading to Greg’s house to watch the Minnesota Vikings game with Greg and the family. We’ll do our two loads of laundry, washing the clothes we purchased at Target a week ago at their house. Doing so will avoid spending two hours sitting in a laundromat. (There are few laundromats in this suburban area). We’ll stay for the game and idle chatter afterward, then head back to our hotel for the evening. Most likely tonight, we’ll dine out.

As the time winds down until we depart, we’re making a point of seeing as many of our family members as we can before we leave. The time has gone quickly. We’ve made the very best of our time here and enjoyed every moment with family. But, we look forward to returning to Marloth Park to our animal and human friends. By Saturday afternoon, we’ll be back and settled into our house, hoping all of our favorites have been waiting for us!

Be well.

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

Look to the right of this tree in the center, and you’ll see our occasional visitor, a porcupine. For more photos, please click here.

In shock after a night out to dinner in Minneapolis…

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This giraffe didn’t seem to mind being included in the photo with us. This photo was taken in our neighborhood. Louise explained that the giraffes would soon come to our house, and they did then, and they do now. For the post from December 3, 2013, please click here.

Last evening, when we arrived early at restaurant Benihana in Minneapolis to celebrate our grandson Vincent’s 17th birthday, we sat at the bar and ordered two drinks. I ordered nine oz. of Pinot Grigio, a little less than two glasses in a small carafe, and Tom ordered one Michelob Golden Light.

The total bill for the two drinks was US $39.75, ZAR 697.84, not including a tip. Our mouths were agape when we paid the bill. We don’t spend that much on dinner, drinks, tax, and tips at Jabula on a typical Friday or Saturday night, ordering anything off the menu we could possibly want.

However, this was only the tip of the iceberg. The cost of the dinner was yet to come. Tammy, Tracy, Vincent, and Tracy’s mom Lena were in attendance for six of us. Of course, the concept of teppanyaki is fun and festive, and we all expected to pay a little more than in a typical mid-range restaurant.

We usually pay the bill when we go out to dinner with our kids and grandkids. But this time, Tammy and Tracy insisted on paying for their own meals while Tom and I would pay for the two of us. I’m glad we had that arrangement on this specific occasion. I don’t mean to be a “tightwad,” but the total bill for all of us, excluding our drinks (we never ordered more), was US $494.87, ZAR 8687.84. Had we paid for everything, the total bill would have been $534.62, ZAR 9384.10. Can you believe it?

Thanks, Tammy and Tracy, for paying for the four of you. Our bill, separate from the above total, was US $159.62, ZAR 2802.26. We’d already lost a ton of money with this Seychelles fiasco and surely would have flinched for this outrageous bill which included a 20% service fee, and yet the server asked us for cash for more tips. Oh, good grief! Don’t ask! Tacky.

All of us agreed we’d never return after those outrageous charges. Prices have obviously increased since the pandemic, and we appreciate the dilemma the establishments have had to face. But, goodness, consider diners’ reactions and interest in returning.

Yes, the food was good, but none of us ordered the most expensive items on the menu. Nonetheless, Vincent enjoyed his birthday dinner, and we all had a lovely time. We were out the door two hours from the time we arrived. It was windy, cold, and snowing, so we said our goodbyes and headed back to our hotel.

Tammy and Tracy are leaving for a week’s holiday in California while grandma Lena stays at the house with Vincent. We’ll be gone when they return, so our goodbye was for now, although we’ll be returning in nine months, spending time with everyone once away.

This morning, at 9:30, we’re driving to the town of Shakopee to meet up with Greg’s family for brunch at a popular restaurant. Hopefully, everyone is feeling well, and we’ll all be able to be together for the first time since we arrived one week ago today. We’ve been here for one week since we arrived last Saturday afternoon. It seems like a long time ago that we shopped at Target, exhausted and dirty after wearing the same clothes and underwear for 56 hours.

Hopefully, the return flight in five days will be easier than this most recent one. When we arrive in Johannesburg next Friday, we’ll be staying overnight. Otherwise, we’d have had to drive in the dark to Marloth Park, which is way too dangerous on the N4 at night due to “spiking,” carjackings, and murders.

If all goes well and we arrive in Marloth Park after driving during daylight hours from Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger airport to Marloth Park, we should arrive in the afternoon. If we’re well rested, we’ll head to Jabula for dinner. We’re looking forward to seeing our friends, Leon and Dawn, and any other locals who may have stopped by for sundowners and dinner.

Of course, amid all this travel, we’ll be searching for the status of our missing baggage. We’ll keep you updated on the results.

That’s it for today, folks. It’s time for us to head out for breakfast with Greg’s family. We’ll be back with more tomorrow.

Be well.

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

Hippos aren’t necessarily the cutest of animals, but it’s fun to take their photos. For more, please click here.

Change in plans, nothin’ to it…We’re flexible…Photos from nine years ago today!…

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We posted today’s photos from nine years ago when we arrived in Marloth Park for the first time. For the story, please click here.

Note: Due to the reposting of old photos, there are spacing issues in today’s post.

The more time passes, the more we’ve adapted to the recent reality of our change of plans. A kind reader wrote and called our unexpected time with loved ones as bonus time with family”. Indeed it has been. We’re enjoying every moment. But life continues for everyone and last night’s plans changed at the last minute.

Our plans to go to Champs for dinner changed. Greg and Madighan were both sick and didn’t want to infect us. Instead, we took Miles, Maisie, and her boyfriend Nick to dinner at a restaurant in their area. We had a lovely time with the kids. Tonight at 5:15, we’re meeting Tammy, Tracy, Vincent, and Tracy’s mom Lena (who’s visiting from Pennsylvania), at Benihana, a popular teppanyaki restaurant, to celebrate Vincent’s 17th birthday, which is on December 15.

We’re busy, but not so busy we don’t have time to take care of some things while we’re here and prepare a new post each day. It’s nice not to feel rushed. We’ve been getting up by 6:00 each morning, having the included breakfast in the hotel by 7:00, and back in our room by 8:00 to work on tasks at hand and the day’s post.

Love the baby! We didn’t need to see many wildebeest during the Great Migration. They are here in our neighborhood, hopefully making a personal visit soon.

Tom’s enjoying watching football on NFL GamePass requires him to use our VPN, showing we are outside the US since the app won’t work while we’re in the US.

Soon, when the housekeeper comes to clean our room (they only clean every other day at this hotel), we’ll head out for a few items we need at Walgreen and quickly stop at our bank for some cash. Then, we won’t have anything to do other than begin calling the credit card company to see if they can help with any of our losses based on the benefits offered by the cards.

We aren’t expecting to recover anything. If we do, it will be a pleasant surprise and a perk we hadn’t anticipated. I’ve spent considerable time shopping on Amazon in the event our bags are lost for good. My bag contained every warm-weather clothing item I owned that was hanging in the closet in Marloth Park. Sure I have some tee shirts, but all my nice tops and pants were in that bag, along with 80% of my underwear and pajamas.

We didn’t know that baby zebras have fluffy hair and short bodies until seeing one up close and personal. Too cute!
!

The clothing we purchased at Target when we arrived without any baggage is all cold-weather items, all of which we’ll be able to wear during the upcoming cruise to Norway and again in the cool winters in Africa. For Tom, it’s not much different. We ordered him several short-sleeve button-up shirts he wears when we go to dinner or meet with friends. Also, he desperately needed some new tee shirts.

Nothing we purchased will have been in vain. I desperately needed some new items when I’d come to the point of tossing out old and worn items. I don’t think I will ever wear the shirt I wore on the trip here for 56 hours. I can’t even look at it. I had to toss the black pants I wore during that period when they were full of holes when we arrived here. I don’t know why that happened.

Several of our readers wrote inquiring about my headache during all this commotion. My headache improved after the last round of antibiotics, which I ffinished almost a week ago, but I am left with frequent sneezing and nose-blowing. Maybe once and for all, this is clearing out. The headache and facial pain are not entirely gone, but it’s much improved. I believe all the sneezing and blowing is allergy and sinusitis based, not a cold or virus, since otherwise, I feel fine.

Nine years ago today…she was wonderful then and she’s wonderful now! Louise stocked the cupboard with nuts, seasoning, and other foodstuffs that we use. Gosh, I haven’t had the use of a plastic container with a lid in almost a year. I’ll be spoiled!

There’s still quite a bit of Covid in the US with over 39,000 new cases recorded two days ago. We still see several shoppers wearing masks. But also, several other viruses, many as serious as Covid/Omicron, are rampant in the US and other countries.

We can’t help but remember how sick we were when we were here seven months ago. Hopefully, this residual sinusitis problem I developed with Omicron will soon be resolved with time and continuing treatments which I’ve diligently followed since we arrived last Saturday. It’s hard to believe that we’ll be heading back to Marloth Park in a mere six days. We’ve enjoyed being here but look forward to our return, as always.

That’s it for today, folks. Thank you for all the support and encouragement from many of our readers/friends. We appreciate every one of you!

Be well

Photo from one year ago today, December 2, 2021:

This may be a Southern Masked Weaver, who’s about to enter her nest. For more photos, please click here.

We’re off to Seychelles…A few important points for our readers…Happy Thanksgiving to our family and friends in the USA!…

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Starting on the 26th, we’ll be cruising to these islands in Seychelles.

First, let’s start by wishing our US family and friends a Happy Thanksgiving day with fantastic food, love, and friendship. It was always a fun holiday for our family, with lots of stories to share and delicious leftovers for a few days while we began decorating for Christmas the following day and weekend.

There will be no Thanksgiving celebrations for us. Today is a travel day for us on our next visa run, hopefully allowing us another 90-day visa for South Africa. We’ll certainly report the results once we know when we try to re-enter the country on December 4, a mere ten days from now.

Our packing is just about done, with only digital equipment, power cords, converters, and adapters to be added, plus the medication I’ll still need to use as we travel. That’s a bit tricky since the nasal rinses and treatments I do every few hours will have to be postponed until we arrive in Mahe for one night in a hotel which will be about 24 hours after we leave here this afternoon.

Once boarding the first flight in Nelspruit, the travel time is 19 hours, including as many layover hours as flight times. But, we still have to drive to Nelspruit around 3:00 pm, 1500 hours, with many road delays and then wait at the airport for the 6:30 pm, 1830 hrs, flight to Joburg with an upcoming 11:30 pm, 2330 hrs, departure. This trip will consist of three long layovers.

Tom spotted a snake trying to take a drink from the splash pool. I missed the shot but got another after instead, as shown below. We’ve been so busy getting ready the past few days I’ve been too preoccupied to take photos. But surely, on our upcoming trip, we’ll be taking plenty.

See the green snake atop the post by the pool?

This morning I awoke feeling a little better and hope to continue to improve over the next several days as I continue the medications and treatments. I felt tentative about going on this cruise, not feeling up to par, but there were no other options. Once we paid the final payment for the cruise and the flights, we were committed. Plus, our visas expire on the 26th, and we had to go somewhere.

This morning, Vusi washed the little rental car, which we’ll return to the airport when we arrive. We’d rather give the money to Zef or Vusi to wash the car each time we leave instead of giving it to the carwash while Tom stands and waits for an hour or more. They do a perfect job. Once we return on December 4, another car will be ready, likely similar to what we’ve had.

The animals kick up a lot of dust and dander each day. While we’re away, Louise will arrange for the outdoor refrigerator to be repaired, and Zef and Vusi will do a deep clean of the house, which, even with their diligent daily cleaning, still gets dusty in tucked-away places. When we return, all will be fresh and clean.

An important point to share with our readers as we head to what will eventually be a remote location…we may not have WiFi for many periods during the cruise. If you do not see a post from us, please consider that as a day lost in our consecutive uploads. We won’t try to “make up” lost days while without internet access by doubling up.

Once we have a signal or, in the worst case, once we return, I will post the stories and pictures consecutively for many days to come. Please do not be alarmed if you don’t see any new posts during this period. Instead, I will document our activities offline as each day passes, taking photos.

However, we will be able to post from the hotel in Mahe tomorrow and most likely the first day/night on the boat while we’re still in port. You may check daily to see if there’s a new post. For sure, we’ll be back on December 5. We might get lucky and be able to post each day since there is WiFi on the boat, and for all we know, it may work well. We will be purchasing the best WiFi package they have available.

So, we’re signing off for the next 24 hours and hope to be back with you soon.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, November 24, 2021:

This was the total size of the foam tree frog nest before it rained. After it rained hard for hours, it was half its original size. We aren’t sure if the rain destroyed it or if the male tree frogs will fertilize it. For more photos, please click here.