Short post today…Busy prepping for our Asian dinner…And, working on our 10-year anniversary post…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 30, 2022 with 0 Comment

If you know what type of bird this is, please let us know. Our trail cam picked up this photo early this morning.

I’d considered preparing a normal-sized post today. Once I started chopping and dicing for tomorrow’s Asian dinner with Leon and Dawn, I realized it would take me longer to do the 10th-anniversary post. I needed to do it today, so I am free tomorrow to prepare the two complex dishes and spend time paying total attention to our guests as we always do.

They plan to arrive by noon and are staying in our guest cottage overnight for a much-needed break away from the responsibility of running a very busy restaurant. David and the staff will hold down the fort while they are away and we aren’t going to allow them to lift a finger; not wash a dish, not clean up after dining, and of course, no cooking. We are handling all of that!

I went through every page in our bird book and could not find this species.

We’re preparing the Asian dinner and then breakfast the next morning. Thank goodness, we got the fried rice done yesterday. Otherwise, we’d have been too rushed today and Monday. Asian stir-fry dishes should not be prepared ahead of time in order to taste fresh and not be overcooked from reheating. The only item we’ll reheat is the fried rice which reheats quite well in the microwave.

On November 1st, we’ll post food photos and the menu. So, dear readers, I’m signing off on today’s post to continue to prep for the big meal and to start working on the anniversary post which we’ll upload tomorrow morning.

We’ll be back to you soon!!!

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

That morning we had 12 antelopes in the garden, sharing pellets. For more photos, please click here.

Finally, a photo of us!…Getting ready for special guests on Monday on our 10-year travel anniversary…

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

Yes, we know Tom needs a haircut. He’ll get one next week. This photo was taken yesterday at the phone store using Tom’s new phone.

We only post a few photos of us. If it weren’t for our readers, who often ask us to post photos of us, we’d post them even less. But, when we look back years later, we’re glad we posted a few here and there.

The only tricky part is looking back and seeing how we’ve aged in the past ten years since we began traveling the world. In our upcoming 10th anniversary post, we’ll include some of those photos from the past ten years. But, a month ago, we’d mentioned posting a new itinerary.

Norman took a rest in the garden, very unusual for him.

But, as it turned out, as much as we tried, we hadn’t booked anything yet beyond the two upcoming cruises next August 2023, less than a year out, after which we’ll spend about a month in the US visiting family, which we missed doing this past May when we both ended up with Omicron and were too sick to see our family while we were in Minnesota and Nevada.

Hopefully, in September 2023, we won’t have Covid-19 again, and we can spend the month enjoying our loved ones in the two states. We have a tentative plan of where we’ll go from there, which we’ll share in the upcoming anniversary post.

Yesterday, I managed to get Tom’s new phone set up. Since the new phone wasn’t another Google Pixel we both prefer, he was okay with purchasing the new phone for US $307, ZAR 5575. As mentioned in a prior post, he’ll use this phone until we return to the US in September and can each purchase two new Google Pixel phones, which don’t come out until October 13, 2023. We’ll have to play it by ear to see how long we are in the USA.

Norman’s son Noah, also took a rest, along with his dad.

As for our upcoming special guests coming to stay at one of the two little cottages on our property, our dear friends, owners of Jabula, Dawn, and Leon, are coming for a special Asian dinner we’re making with some of Leon’s favorite dishes. Since they are always waiting on us, Monday and Tuesday will be days we’ll be fussing over them.

Leon has been stricken with a horrific terminal illness, details we’ll share later with their permission. We are heartbroken and will do everything we can to be there for them during this sorrowful time. Life is hard. There’s no easy answer as to why these things happen. Lately, our lives have been surrounded by the illnesses and loss of friends we’ve cherished over the years.

Each day, Noah is looking more and more like his dad. Soon he will have the dark brown coat and mane which makes Norman so handsome.

All we can do as friends is provide love and support in any way that works for them. This isn’t about us. This is about the loved ones and dear friends who have been at our sides over the years and how we can support them during sorrowful times. We will share the special menu for Leon and Dawn with food photos.

Load shedding just ended and the washer restarted where it left off. Soon, I will be able to hang the second load that stopped over two hours ago when load shedding started. It appears there won’t be any more outages today but that can change in a minute. Tonight, we’re off to Jabula to be with our friends, at the friendliest and most fun bar on the planet with over-the-top fantastic food.

Be well.

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

One Tusk is becoming quite popular around here. Perhaps, a replacement for Tiny, who never returned after we visited the US in July 2021. For more photos, please click here.

Finally, off to Komatipoort after two weeks…Out to dinner last night…We are lucky to know so many locals…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 27, 2022 with 2 Comments

We were thrilled to see a dung beetle with its mate a few minutes after we spotted one without a mate!

When we realize we’ve spent 3½ of the past ten years of world travel staying in Marloth Park, it’s not surprising we’ve met so many people. We’ve met single-visit tourists, frequent tourists, and countless locals who live here part-time or full-time. Since we meet many people when we go to Jabula each week, it has been a fantastic means of meeting new people.

Never in our old lives did we make new friends when out to dinner. Unless we were part of a group and were introduced, occasionally, we may have exchanged a few words with other diners who were seated near us, never to see them again. But, here in Marloth Park, we’ve become friends with many people we’ve met.

First, we saw a dung beetle rolling his ball without a mate.

Last night when we went out to Giraffe, a local restaurant a short distance from here, we ran into several people we know, mostly locals. South Africans are very affectionate when greeting people they know and, sometimes, people they’ve just met. Absent during the pandemic, warm hugs and kisses are now tendered with warmth and enthusiasm.

We’ve invited Gerhard to join us at Giraffe if he can after he is done with his vehicle sale details. After we were seated in the outdoor dining area, Gerhard joined us, sharing the details of his exciting day working with the dealership and how they would send him the funds from the sale of his “bakkie.” Getting money in and out of South Africa is not an easy task requiring many documents.

Money laundering is a severe problem in this country, and the government has made it difficult to move money in and out. That’s why we never opened a bank account here and only use an ATM card to get cash and use credit cards to pay for products and services. We don’t want to deal with the red tape.

It was fun to have dinner with Gerhard one more time. Most likely, he’ll begin the long return flight to Bali to be with Rita at the beautiful holiday home where we stayed for four months in 2016. We missed seeing Rita too but knew it made no sense for both of them to come for the vehicle sale.

It’s sweet to watch the connection between the mom and her baby.

We’re taking off for Komati right now and will complete this post when we return in a few hours. Tom’s cell phone died, and he’ll buy a basic smartphone at the Vodacom store a few doors from the Spar Market. Once we return to the US next fall for a visit, we’ll both buy new smartphones. Since he barely uses his phone, whatever he buys will suffice for the next several months.

We just returned from Komati. We bought Tom a new Samsung A31 smartphone, the newest phone they had in the store which came out in the US in 2020. But, TIA, “This is Africa” and what is new to them may not be new to us in the US and other countries. Nonetheless, this phone will suffice for Tom’s needs when all he’ll use it for is a few online games he plays.

This mom and baby stood in that one spot for an hour, resting and perhaps sleeping standing up.

He doesn’t make calls or text on his phone and often uses it for internet searches. As Tom always says, if it weren’t for me, he’d “still have a rotary phone on the wall with a party line!” As a result, I handle all his phone needs, including setting up this new phone today as soon as I upload today’s post and helping him with any texts or phone calls.

This mom and baby also stood still for an hour, never moving.

We did all the grocery shopping after, refilling some prescriptions at the pharmacy. As I sit here now at 12:45 pm, with load shedding starting again soon, all the food is put away and I’m ready to get back to my walking and his phone setup.

Have a great day!

Photo from one year ago today, October 27, 2021:

There’s our boy, Broken Horn. He was so happy to see us. He was shaking his head and moving his feet up and down. Funny, boy! For more photos, please click here.

Last night’s surprise dinner guest!…Everyday brings something new!…

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

As soon as piglets are born, they are lively and animated, running all over. The boys have facial warts. The girls do not.

Our friends Rita and Gerhard left Marloth Park at the end of September. We were sad to see them go but excited for them that they were heading to Bali to stay in the same house we rented in 2016, and we loved every moment. They, too, have loved it there, and we’ve been excited to hear of their adventures in that special house and distant area from the capital city of Denpasar, a five-hour harrowing drive.

Sadly, an awful storm recently devastated the beach and many homes in the area, but somehow “The Beach House” is intact. Gerhard and I wrote back and forth on Whatsapp, as they’ve treasured the exquisite location with the same passion we did so many years ago.

When Louise wrote a few days ago and asked me if we knew Gerhard was back in Marloth Park without Rita, we worried something was wrong. No, he hadn’t contacted us. But, as it turned out, he had returned to sell the “bakkie” they bought here a few years ago, realizing they wouldn’t be returning here for about a year, and the expenses and upkeep of storing the vehicle in Johannesburg made no sense while they were away.

I was so excited to see the piglets that I didn’t hold the camera steady.

But why hadn’t Gerhard let us know he was coming, and eventually was here? He wanted to surprise us once again. But, when Louise told us he was here, I immediately contacted him to invite him for dinner, not realizing his arrival was meant to surprise us. The two of them love surprises!! They showed up at Flo and JJ’s annual New Year’s Eve Party, which we attended to surprise us, and a surprise it was. They are so funny how they love surprises!!!

Last night at 4:30 pm, 1630 hrs, Gerhard arrived at our house for dinner carrying a brown paper bag with Krispy Kreme donuts for Tom, as he always does! It was great to see him. Of course, we understood why Rita didn’t join him since it was easier for him to fly out on his own to set up the vehicle sale.

As of yesterday, all of the details for the vehicle’s resale have been accomplished, and in the next few days, Gerhard will fly back to Bali to the beautiful house and his dear Rita. We’ll see him again tonight at Giraffe for drinks at the bar and dinner before he heads back to Bali. Gerhard was an executive at an airline, and he travels economically more easily than most of us.

I didn’t want to get too close and scare off the piglets.

Last night, sitting outdoors on the veranda was one of the hottest nights we’ve experienced in a year, but it was great to hear Gerhard’s stories of their blissful time in Bali. They’d not only come to Marloth due to our site but also to that fabulous oceanfront holiday home with a huge infinity pool. We spent all our days in that pool overlooking the ocean, and Rita and Gerhard did the same.

While outdoors, we saw a mom and three newly born piglets for the first time this season. Louise, whose house is only a few doors from us, said they were born yesterday under her veranda. A few hours later, they were here. We couldn’t have been more thrilled, as shown in today’s photos.

Lucerne was delivered this morning, and it’s been unreal to see so many animals come by to partake in the fresh green hay bale. We had no less than 25 animals standing over the bale at one point, enjoying every bite. I kept getting up to take photos which we’ll share in tomorrow’s post.

Also, I keep jumping up to do the steps. I made it to 7500 yesterday and hope to make it to 8000 today. Today, I had a late start when I slept over nine hours last night. This increased activity level makes me sleep better, which is an excellent side benefit. Getting in so many steps inside the house and on the veranda is challenging, but I don’t care to walk on the uneven dirt roads nearby.

On another note, I don’t know how comfortable I’d feel walking on the roads by myself right now when lions have been seen during daylight hours. I’ll continue to walk at the house.

Have a great day!

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

Sunset over the Zambezi River, the longest river in Africa. Notice the spray from Victoria Falls in the left rear of the photo. For more photos, please click here.

Adults only….Duikers…the smallest of the antelopes…Mating occurs throughout the year…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 22, 2022 with 0 Comment

We’ve observed mating behavior over two male duikers pursuing one female in the past few weeks. They run fast through the property, leaping through the air; it’s a delight to see. We know one of the males, Derek, but not the other, and of course, it’s adorable Delilah, who often hangs out with us for hours.

The past few days, we spotted her hiding in the garden to avoid being chased by the two males, including this morning over a few hours. When I was showering, Tom took these included photos of one of the males attempting to mate with her, which didn’t appear successful.

Amazingly, female duikers are ready to mate at a young age, as indicated below from the Kruger National Park website.

Duikers are very shy. We’re thrilled they feel safe enough around us to go about life’s usual activities.

Diet

What does Duiker eat?
Duiker browses a wide range of broad-leaved forbs, trees, and bushes; they eat fruit, pods and seeds, roots, bark, flowers, fungi, caterpillars and even nestling birds. In arid areas wild melons are eaten for their water content. They may be a problem in crops, orchards, vineyards and plantations.

Vital Statistics

Weight (Female): 17 – 25 kg
Weight (Male): 15 – 21 kg
Length (Female): 110 cm
Length (Male): 110 cm
Gestation Period: 6 months
No of Young: 1 lamb
Sexual Maturity: 8 months
Birth Weight: 175 g
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Horns: 10 cm (record – 18 cm)

Breeding

The female will give birth to one young usually after a gestation period of around 6 months. Single lambs, very rarely twins, are born at any time of year, possibly with a peak in summer. Full grown at 7 months, females first mate as early as 8-9 months, and give birth at one year.

Mating system probably varies with locality and habitat from monogamous pairs to males with more than one female. Lambs are born at any time throughout the year. The female hides in very dense vegetation before giving birth.

Although the mother initially hides the young, they are well developed at birth and can run within twenty-four hours.

Behaviour

They are mainly active in late afternoon and into the night with other peak periods in the early morning hours. The males and females are territorial chasing away others only of the same sex Male and females tend to share territories but only come together for mating purposes They are probably the most successful bovid species in Africa.

The lifespan of a Duiker is 8-11 years. They are important prey for medium and large carnivores. They are solitary or a female with a lamb, they are rarely in male-female pairs. Scent-marks are produced by the preorbital glands and glands between the front hooves.

Where Duiker are Found

They do not occur in forests, although they will take refuge in forests when hiding from a predator. Widely distributed in Southern Africa, but absent from desert regions. The Common Duiker is usually seen at dawn and dusk in open scrub country. They avoid open grassland where there is no shelter. They are found throughout Africa south of the Sahara, except in the rain forests of Central Africa.

Predators

The Duiker avoids predators by lying quietly or freezing motionless and dashing away at the last moment if approached closely. Runs with a distinctive diving, zig-zag motion from which comes the name duiker, Afrikaans for diver. Uses its horns and sharp back hooves as defensive weapons.

The alarm call is a nasal snort, if caught bleats loudly, a sound that attracts other Duikers, and calls mothers to assist lambs. Lambs can run within a day of birth, but remain hidden in heavy cover, with the mother returning to suckle and clean them.

All the medium takes them to large predators but their main predators are Eagles, Leopard, Jackal and Python. Crocodile takes some.”

The only contradiction of duikers in Marloth Park is that we see them throughout the day and evening. But, life for wildlife is different in Marloth Park than in Kruger National Park and we often see our two most visible duikers, Delilah and Derek all day and evening. It appears they live here since we see them so often. If we are to gaze into the garden and nearby parkland for about 10 minutes, we always spot them.

From time to time, they may run across the dirt road but return a short time later, running and jumping through the air. They are shyer than other antelopes, but since they are used to being around humans in the park, it’s not unusual for us to see them only a few meters from us, looking for pellets. They don’t seem to care for the lucerne but love pellets even more than carrots, apples, and cabbage.

We’ve never been able to be so close to duikers in other holiday rentals in the park as we have been here. The house we are currently renting is Louise and Danie’s old house, and they, like us, spent lots of time outdoors, inviting wildlife to stop by. Now, we’ve enjoyed the benefits of their passion for wildlife.

Tonight, we’ll return to Jabula. Last night, I stepped “outside the box” and ordered spicy peri-peri chicken livers instead of grilled chicken or hake. It was a nice change, and I may do the same again tonight. As always, it was great to be with Dawn, Leon, and friend Sinndee whose husband (and our friend) Bruce passed away about three weeks ago.

Above all, stay well.

Photo from one year ago today, October 22, 2021:

Tom couldn’t stop smiling while eating the tiny hot buns at our table in the hotel restaurant in Zambia. He was in “bread heaven!” For more photos, please click here.

Nice evening out with readers/friends at Amazing Kruger View…Photos!…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 21, 2022 with 0 Comment

What a fine specimen of an enormous crocodile resting on the riverbank as seen yesterday during sundown from Amazing Kruger View.

Yesterday afternoon, at 4:30 pm, 1630 hrs., we met up with readers/friends from California who made a week-long stop in Marloth Park /Kruger National Park to conduct volunteer work through their church in the US, in other African countries over the next several weeks. It’s always enjoyable for us to meet readers when they stop in Marloth Park, often inspired by our overly enthusiastic posts about how amazing it is to be here in this magical place.

A crocodile was lounging on an island in the Crocodile River. Crocs don’t have sweat glands and thus breathe through their mouths to cool down.

Pam and Elden are a lovely couple, married a few years longer than us, who have extensively traveled the world, some for Elden’s work in construction, some for volunteer work, and much for the pleasure of experiencing many of the fantastic places to visit in the world. We had great stories to share of countries we’ve mutually visited over the years.

As seen from Amazing Kruger View, Egyptian geese were fishing on the Crocodile River.

We shared many similar experiences in countries rich in culture and history, and they also savor the unique and unusual over the typical tourist traps. Of course, they were enthralled with the wildlife and had some stunning Kruger game drives, including spotting a rhino. We were happy for them. After all the horrific poaching that has transpired, we haven’t seen a rhino in Kruger in a few years.

The food at Amazing Kruger View doesn’t hold a candle to Jabula, where we’ll head on out tonight and again tomorrow night. We thoroughly enjoy our new plan to dine there twice over the weekends as of a few weeks ago. We’ll leave our schedule flexible for other social events as they pop up on weekends, and if something comes up, we’ll reschedule Friday or Saturday for another day of the week.

We’ve found the cost of dining out is not much more than what we spend on groceries. Currently, with inflation and increased costs of quality meat, poultry, and fish, which we eat the most, instead of sugary, starchy foods. With the rand’s devaluation awful over the last several months, we’ve been able to eat out at Jabula for no more than US $34, ZAR 624 per night.

Three waterbucks grazing on the riverbank.

Our average daily grocery bill right now is US 27, ZAR 496.39. The bills for Jabula include food, drinks, tax, and tip for the two of us. Considering we may have sundowners at home on the veranda, the actual difference may be as little as US $4, ZAR 73.50. Do you see why it makes sense for us to dine out, especially when it’s hot with load-shedding issues?

Besides, we get a massive dose of love from Dawn, Leon, and David, the rest of their staff, and of course, all the locals who stop by to chat and hang out at the bar. It’s a very special time for us each week.

Pam and Elden, from California, found us through our site, visiting Marloth Park while heading to do volunteer work in other African countries.

I just took a break from doing today’s post so we could head to the Marlothi Centre to buy lettuce, carrots, cabbage, and bananas. We’ve decided not to grocery shop until next week since we have enough food to get us through the next several days. After the little store, we stopped to see Louise and Danie, which was a delightful hour of lively conversation.

Back at the house at 1:00 pm, 1300 hrs., load shedding just started and will last a few hours. Before we know it, we’ll be getting ready to go out tonight. I just took the last dose of the antibiotic.

Last night’s sunset, as seen from Amazing Kruger View Restaurant, where we had dinner with Pam and Elden.

The head pain is gone, but the facial pain is only when I gently touch my left cheek. Weird. It’s got to be nerve pain from the long-term sinus infection. For now, I prefer to see if time will resolve it. I am tired of being on medication and feeling out of sorts. I still have two more days of Prednisone. But the low dose I changed to a few days ago, has allowed me to sleep well once again, which is therapeutic in itself.

We hope you are having a good day and are feeling well and cheerful.

Photo from one year ago today, October 21, 2021:

Baby bushbucks tend to sit down on the ground when the dad or another male is nearby, a submissive behavior. For more photos, please click here.

We haven’t really changed…Photos from nine years ago…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 20, 2022 with 0 Comment

Moments before the rain, Tom captured the clouds rolling at precisely the right moment. Today’s photos are from this post here.

With our 10th travel anniversary fast approaching on October 31, we can help but reminisce over our adventures of the last decade. Of course, some of our best experiences centered around wildlife, nature, and scenery, which always fascinated us the most and continues to do so.

Each day brings a new sighting of one sort or another. Even today, a quiet, cool weather day in the bush leaves us reeling over the simple things. For example, at this moment, seven kudus are in the garden munching on the remnants of yesterday’s lucerne delivery. Moments later, two zebras stopped by, and our boy Norman, as well.

The King of Jungle never disappointed, continually offering an opportunity for close-ups and the opportunity to observe their playful antics and instinctual behaviors. Thank you, lions.

Noah, Norman’s son, has been hanging around the garden for hours, munching on more lucerne and fast-ripening bananas. The animals must love the day before we shop when we clean out any leftover vegetables from the refrigerator and any leftover fruit we purchase for their dining. We don’t eat fruit other than blueberries in homemade keto scones, and as mentioned, Tom likes bananas.

Typical for the bush, with the heat and humidity, produce doesn’t seem to last long, even in the refrigerator, making it a treat for the visiting wildlife before it spoils. We don’t feed them rotted or spoiled food. Who would?

This cheetah photo was taken from afar after a group of three had a successful kill. Notice the bloody face.

As I’ve continued to recover, albeit slowly, the past few days, I’ve had ample quiet time to reflect on the past decade, only to realize that we haven’t changed much since we started on October 31, 2012. Sure, we are more easy-going and adaptable, less inclined to complain about inconveniences and disturbances, but overall, we appreciate little nuances in our daily lives.

A good night’s sleep, a delicious meal, a pleasant evening together or with friends, feeling well, and an exciting sighting are all that is required to up our happiness level another notch. Even during the last six months, when I have suffered from an awful post-Covid headache and facial pain, we’ve had countless wonderful experiences. I’ve made every effort to avoid my situation from postponing joy.

“Retired Generals” hanging out together in the Maasai Mara. Male Cape buffalos are often forced out of the herd when a more robust male-dominated the herd. These males wander together for the remainder of their lives, never to mate.

As I’m getting better each day, based on the drug cocktail Doc Theo put together for me, which is working after almost a week, I am hopeful for the future. After six months of feeling awful, is it possible that we’ll be able to fly to Seychelles for the island cruise on a 40-passenger yacht , and I’ll feel great during the experience? I certainly hope so.

I have one month to work on building my strength after spending half of each day resting, often lying in bed after I’m done with the post. It was impossible to exercise with that much pain in my head and face. My legs are weak and will require lots of walking to return to a suitable level of strength.

We were approaching a dirt landing strip to pick up seven more passengers for the flight to the Maasai Mara.

As soon as I am off these meds and feel better, I will begin walking again. It’s been a Catch-22, taking antibiotics and Prednisone, which causes side effects while healing the chronic sinus infection I seemed to have had all these months since we got Covid-19 on April 20th.

Today, at 4:30 pm, 1630 hrs., we’re meeting a new couple for dinner at Amazing Kruger View, who came to Marloth Park after reading our posts. Once again, meeting more of our readers will be a pleasure. Tomorrow, with their permission, we’ll post photos of our new friends and share some details of their travel adventures.

Have a fantastic day wherever you may be!

Photo from one year ago today, October 20, 2021:

The oxpeckers went after Thick Neck. He got a glazed look on his face when they started cleaning off his hide. We haven’t seen Thick Neck since we moved to this house in May. For more photos, please click here.

Enjoying cooler weather this week…Cloud cover…Rain coming soon…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 19, 2022 with 0 Comment

A forkl of kudus is looking for breakfast this morning. Of course, we served it to them.

It’s been a quiet time for us these past few weeks as I continue to work on my recovery. Our only plans for the rest of the week are dining out for three nights, once at Amazing Kruger View, with new readers who came to stay in Marloth Park after reading our posts. They are Elden and Pam from the US.

On Friday and Saturday, we will do sundowners and dinner at Jabula to be with Dawn and Leon, our dear friends. Leon is very ill (not contagious) and is still his kind and loving self. We are spending more time with them right now. More on this later.

Soon another batch of lucerne will be delivered. Several bushbucks hang around the garden as if waiting for the delivery. They will undoubtedly be the first animals to dig into the new batch before the larger wildlife stops to check it out. The wildebeests seem to consume the biggest portion of the lucerne, as well as the kudus.

Today, we’re awaiting the delivery of a package from the Asian grocer with spices and sauces for making stir-fry dishes we’ve been enjoying recently. As mentioned, we often can’t find certain ingredients at the Spar Market, and we prefer not to drive for three hours to Nelspruit and back for grocery items. Many people in the park do that, but for us, it’s a big waste of time and petrol when shipping is free from most online sites if a purchaser spends a certain amount.

Could they be any cuter? We don’t think so!

According to a report from Eskom, the power will go out for six hours straight in a few minutes. Some repairs must be made here for all the properties on the Gate 2 side, which includes us. Soon, Tom will place the metal bowl filled with ice in the refrigerator to keep the contents cold for an extended period. It’s always something.

Soon, we must prepare some documents South Africa requires in November for all airline passengers departing and entering the country. More paperwork, but we no longer have to get PCR tests for departure and reentry. Also, yesterday, we received a message from Intrepid Travel on our upcoming cruise in Seychelles in November that a PCR test is no longer required to enter Seychelles or to board the ship. This is a relief. We’re weary of paying for PCR tests and the inconvenience of arranging the tests.

A few nights ago, we started watching a great show, “And Just Like That,” the spin-off from the 90’s show, “Sex and The City.” We both enjoyed the original series and are now enjoying the new one which apparently was so popular that a season 2 is being filmed now. I’d watched all of season 1 on a plane in the middle of the night when we flew back to the US in May. But I knew Tom would enjoy it and am happy to watch it again with him. The series can be found on Amazon Prime for a fee, but it is well worth it.

Also, we’re watching the latest and perhaps last season of Seal Team on Amazon Prime but without an extra fee. I enjoy this show more than Tom, but he watches it with me. As more and more shows in the US and other countries are introduced this time of year, there’s no shortage of entertaining series to watch. If you can suggest some shows with many episodes on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime, please don’t hesitate to share them with us. We enjoy watching a few series before heading to sleep each evening when we stay in.

This is a male bushbuck whom we’ve now named Bag Leg. He hurt his front leg and is hobbling. He parked himself in this spot this morning, and we brought food to him so he could eat in this position. We will continue to feed him regularly to ensure he gets ample nutrition while he heals.

Luckily, I prepared everything for tonight’s dinner this morning while the power was still on. We’ll be dining out Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, making my life easier. We still have plenty of meat in the freezer to get us through next week, but we will probably head to Komati for vegetables and a few odds and ends for meals beginning on Sunday.

That’s it for today, folks. Sorry, we don’t have much excitement, but we’re maintaining a low profile while I am still on the drugs for the next several days. In a little over a month, some excitement will begin again when we head to Seychelles on November 24.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, October 19, 2021:

Yesterday, four wildebeests stopped by (without Broken Horn, who is a loner), and after a long while, we finally saw Crooked Face and Hal, along with two friends, Bart and Ben. For more photos, please click here.

Tentatively optimistic…For the first time in six months…Plus, 62 years ago today…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 18, 2022 with 2 Comments

Zebras stopped by this morning to see what was on the menu. The lucerne delivered on Saturday was gone, but we’ll receive more tomorrow.

I am tempering myself from jumping for joy. This morning, for the first time in almost six months, my cheek and eye weren’t swollen on the left side. For the first time in months, it didn’t hurt to wash my face and dry it with a towel without sharp pain, making me cringe. I was able to put on some makeup without grimacing. I am hopeful the drugs are working.

Today is day four since I started the powerful antibiotics, Prednisone, nasal spray, and anti-mucosal meds. This morning I took the last 20 mg dose of Prednisone and will drop it down to 10 mg daily, starting tomorrow morning, for another five days. On Sunday, I will be off of all the meds, hoping none of these awful symptoms will return. If all goes well, I can return to living on my terms, not subject to these debilitating long-haul Covid-19 symptoms.

The zebras waited patiently today while we rousted up some pellets.

The outrageously itchy spots all over my body have almost completely stopped itching, and the redness is down by at least 75%. The Prednisone worked on the inflammation from the Covid-19 induced eczema that has kept me awake night after night over the past six months. Once entirely off the medication, I will begin sleeping better at night since it causes insomnia.

Last night, I didn’t fall asleep until 1:30 am, but I slept for almost six hours without waking up. I feel good today, especially with the improvement of the symptoms. Thanks to so many of our readers who’ve written offering love and support as I worked through these post-Omicron conditions. Now, I can stop writing about this rather than briefly mentioning my continued progress in the next few weeks.

Fortunately, they don’t jump in the garden closest to the veranda since they stir up quite a mess.

Today’s date, October 18, always is on my mind since it’s the anniversary of my father’s death in 1960 when I was 12 years old. Today, it was 62 years ago. It’s hard to believe anything was 62 years ago, and I’m still here to remember it. But memories of my dear father will always remain in my heart and mind. He was a kind and gentle man with a great sense of humor and a profound ability to show love in countless ways. Never a year passes that I don’t think of him on this date.

We’ve had a lot of visitors this morning; kudus including Broken Horn; nyalas Norman, Nina, and Noah; Lollie (our sweet little pig), duiker couple Derek and Delilah; bushbuck Marigold; starling Vega; impala Chevy; nasty warthog Trouble; and a dozen or so helmeted guinea fowls.

There are too many impalas to feed them regularly. Fortunately, Tom only needs to clap his hands, and they run off, and our favorites stay behind, knowing the clapping is not directed at them. They don’t want the impalas around either.

Don’t get me wrong, we like impalas, but we can’t justify feeding 20 or 30 impalas each day. All the animals, including the impalas, look healthy and fit, although the bush is sparse with good food sources. The bush desperately needs rain; hopefully, the rainy season will begin soon.

They ate pellets and remnants left from Saturday’s lucerne delivery.

We don’t mind the rain as long as the power stays on. Load shedding is at Stage Four this week, which means 7½ hours each day without power. Fortunately, lately, the power seems to return a half hour early, lessening the time the power is off for six hours a day, certainly enough to make us very mindful of the food in the refrigerator and freezer staying fresh.

We can no longer grocery shop for two weeks at a time since it’s too risky to keep the food safe with the frequent load shedding. On Thursday, we’ll head out to Komatipoort to the pharmacy to pick up the 1000 – 50 mg vitamin B6 tablets we ordered last week. Tom takes three tablets a day to prevent kidney stones, for which he had surgery three consecutive years before starting the B6.

After the three surgeries, we asked the doctor in the US what Tom could do to prevent the stones, and flippantly he said some people have had success with Vitamin B6. Why didn’t he tell us about that earlier? Tom’s been taking it for 17 years and has not had a recurrence. Go figure. Here’s a study with detailed information about using B6 for kidney stone prevention. Please check with your medical professionals to see if this supplement can benefit you if you suffer from frequent kidney stones.

That’s it for today, folks. Next week, once I am done with the medications, we will head back into Kruger. We hadn’t been there in almost a month when friends Jeff, Connie, and Lindsey were here, and Jeff was able to see wildlife before he passed away at our house on September 21. Connie and the adult kids are doing well and busy with the two memorial services held for Jeff in Excelsior, Minnesota, and Howard, South Dakota. We are with them in our hearts and spirit during this painful time.

Be well.

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

It appears these chicks are blue waxbills common to this area. Right now, they are no larger than a pinky finger. For more photos, please click here.

Day 3… Antibiotics and Prednisone…No side effects except lack of sleep…Many readers responded with long-haul Covid-19 symptoms…

Posted by worldwide-admin on October 17, 2022 with 0 Comment

She was most aggressive in eating the lucerne. She may be pregnant.

It wasn’t surprising to hear from many readers with long-haul Covid-19 symptoms. Some had been infected with the original Delta strain, which was most horrific before vaccines were available, and others from Omicron and other strains. The symptoms that most were suffering from varied, from brain fog to memory loss, loss of taste and smell, fatigue, breathing issues, heart problems, neurologic problems, newly diagnosed diabetes, and an endless array of peculiar symptoms.

I suppose my forehead headache and facial pain might seem as if they fit into the peculiar symptoms category. Still, after some research, I discovered my condition was not that peculiar. Whether a patient had a severe case of Covid-19 or its strains or anywhere in between, reputable medical sites state that just about any symptom resulting during and after infection may possibly be considered long-haul.

A forkl of kudus eating the lucerne. Everyone was in on the action.

Here are a few links to a few highly reputable sites with information you may find helpful if you’ve been wondering if your current state of health may be attributed to your past infection. Even mild infections may result in long-haul symptoms.

John Hopkins: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/covid-long-haulers-long-term-effects-of-covid19
Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-long-term-effects/art-20490351
Yale Medicine: https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-19-symptoms-wont-go-away
Mostly, they grab big mouthfuls fearing it will soon be gone. And it was!

Most importantly, one must be proactive in seeking care from medical professionals and conducting research on your own, which, for me, made me realize my symptoms were not that unusual after all. But, as an avid researcher of all types of information, I tend to avoid health articles published by the news media when they are seeking more readers and sensationalizing snippets of information. Those articles can easily cause stress and anxiety when seeking more reader susing their fear tactics.

Long-haul Covid-19 is now a medical specialty. It’s wise to allow your doctor to direct you to such resources if they feel it is beneficial for you. But, not surprisingly, many primary care physicians are becoming knowledgeable in handling less aggressive cases, such as mine.

Many of our readers are working with cardiologists, neurologists, pulmonary specialists, gastroenterologists, psychiatrists, and others since many symptoms seem to cause anxiety and depression, which also can be a part of long-haul symptoms. I suffer from neither.

I have been fortunate to be able to function since I had these symptoms. However, I suffered for the past six weeks from taking the medication for neurological pain, exhaustion, and extreme daytime sleepiness. I have been off that drug since my final dose last Thursday night and no longer feel sleepy during the day.

Mongooses cuddling in the garden is typical behavior for them as they wait for me to cut up their paloney.

I have the opposite problem with Prednisone, but as mentioned in yesterday’s post, I have the opposite problem. Oral corticosteroid medication typically causes insomnia during administration. But, this side effect usually dissipates a few days after stopping the drug. I am on day three, with seven more days to complete the prescription.

Thank you to our many readers who wrote to share their stories. The most severe case I received was from a dear past client who reads our posts, who has been to hell and back in the past year with horrible symptoms and what may be lifelong conditions, difficult to treat. We send our love and prayers to Lisa and all of our readers suffering from long-haul Covid to find relief in days to come.

Since they are carnivores, they don’t eat the lucerne, but they like to burrow near it.

We are sticking close to home as I go through this treatment regime. Although I don’t feel many side effects from the new medications, I don’t feel like venturing out much right now since I have doses to take at various times of the day while I continue to try to rest as much as possible, which everyone who wrote stated that rest has been helpful for them.

After eating their paloney, they often wait around for a while, hoping for more.

Everything for tonight’s dinner is already prepared, only needing to be heated later on top of the stove. Today, I will tackle the easy job of making Tom’s keto blueberry scones which he’s been enjoying lately, and occasionally cutting carrots and fresh pears for Norman’s daily lunch. He stands in the garden staring at me, asking, “Where’s my lunch?” I can’t jump up quickly enough to get it for him. I love the joys of the bush!!!

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, October 17, 2021:

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