Menu for today’s party for readers/friends…

Posted by worldwide-admin on August 14, 2022 with 0 Comment

It’s Sunday morning, and I have a good handle on the food for this evening’s sundowner party for 11 guests, including Rita, Gerhard, and Lee, Marilyn and Gary, Carrie and Jim, Louise and Danie, and the two of us. Louise and Danie had committed to another event but will stop by for drinks.

Yesterday, I cleaned and prepared all the vegetables, and this morning I worked on the other items. It will take about 30 more minutes to prep the balance of the food. I’m glad I made an easy menu that wouldn’t require me to be in the kitchen for hours. Today, there are lots of flies now that it’s getting warmer, and I had to work while swatting them away. We can’t spray in the kitchen since all the dishes, pots, and pans are in open, doorless cabinets. TIA,” This is Africa,” as I always say.

It’s a perfect weather day, no breeze, partly cloudy with an expected high of 90F, 32C. By the time everyone arrives, the temperature will drop to a cool and comfortable level. Surprisingly, I am not sweating while busy since the humidity is low at 32%. The 90F is quite tolerable at this level.

As for the menu, I am happy to share it here:

Sliced, Seasoned Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Spicy Buttered Prawns with Homemade Horseradish Dipping Sauce

Cheesy Russian Sausages with Homemade Mustard Sauce

Ham and Turkey Cheese Rollups

Baked Brie Cheese Wrapped in Phyllo Dough filled with Apricot Jam

Medley of Fresh Vegetables with Three Dips

Fresh Vegetable Platter with Dipping Sauce

Cheese and Crackers

Potato Chips, Peanuts, and Various Crunchy Snacks

We only need to cook the pork, which is ready to go, and the sausages on the braai, before our guests arrive at 4:00, 1600 hrs. The prawns are cooked, seasoned, and plated in a pretty white serving dish with the dipping sauce, chilling in the outdoor refrigerator.

They often walk along the fence, deciding where to stop to beg for pellets.

Once the food is set up for serving, I will take a photo to share in tomorrow’s post. I am thrilled I planned this easy menu since I still have an awful sinus infection. No improvement yet from the two antibiotics, but it’s only been 24 hours since I started them. I don’t expect to start feeling better for at least three days considering I’ve had this since April when we got Covid-19 Omicron.

I stopped working on this post for a few hours, and now, I am done short of cooking a few items before everyone arrives! Done! Done! The plates and glasses are washed and set up outside for our buffet-style meal. There’s enough food that no one will need to eat dinner when they return to their respective homes at the end of the evening.

He was thinking of putting his head between the railing.

Tom has been an enormous help, cleaning, sweeping, doing dishes, washing all the glasses, and cooking, including an endless array of tasks that made this day so much easier for me. I killed most of the flies in the kitchen with a towel snap. There aren’t any flies on the veranda, but they will arrive once we put out the food. Once everyone serves themselves, I’ll cover the remaining food with kitchen towels.

We’re putting a metal bowl of ice under the prawns to stay cold on this warm day. We’ll watch them and the other meats to ensure they remain iced cold. The sundowner tradition is that all guests bring their beverages in an ice-cold chill box since we won’t have room in the refrigerators for drinks other than the wine and beer in the outdoor refrigerator.

As it turned out, this weekend was another holiday, and the park was packed with holidaymakers. As a result, we’re only seeing a few wildlife visitors today. By tomorrow, they’ll all return and fill our garden with myriad species checking out the pellet situation and responding to our enthusiastic welcoming.

Hopefully, Norman and his family will stop by tonight while everyone is here. He’s already been here a few times today. When they are here, curious tourists driving on our road often stop when they see them, taking photos and enticing them with pellets. It’s not a good idea to feed the animals from a vehicle. It gives them a sense that it’s safe to be around vehicles after so many animals have been killed on the roads. This is a ridiculous practice.

So there it is folks…our busy day. We’re so looking forward to this afternoon when everyone arrives. What a magical thing that three of four couples are here due to them reading our site over the years and coming to Marloth Park for the adventures.

Happy day!

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

We spotted this crocodile with its mouth open at Sunset Dam, beyond the Lower Sabie area. Crocs rest with their mouths open to cool off since they don’t sweat. For more photos, please click here.

“Oh, What A Night!”

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

We thought of the above song released in 1975 by the Four Seasons this morning after discussing our fun evening last night at Jabula with Louise and Danie, her parents Estelle and Johan, and readers/new friends Marilyn and Gary. We sat at the same table on the veranda where we usually sat with friends Kathy and Don, Linda and Ken and Rita and Gerhard, and others from time to time.

Mom bushbuck Tulip is feeding her young female, Lilac. They often visit several times a day.

Speaking of Rita and Gerhard, we just heard from them, and they will arrive in Marloth Park tonight. We look forward to seeing them as soon as they are settled into the house on Hornbill, where they usually stay. They are stopping to shop in Nelspruit after the long drive from Johannesburg, with another hour’s drive to Marloth Park. We are looking forward to seeing them soon.

Last night, the food was delicious, and the conversation was as lively as ever. There were times we were all talking at once and enjoying every moment. I know I kept interrupting Tom (sorry, Honey) to add to the stories he was telling, but he never seemed to mind. We often do this with one another, which makes us laugh.

Big Daddies are wondering what’s on the menu. Pellets, perhaps?

It’s funny, but Marilyn and Gary know us so well from reading our posts since 2012. There’s hardly a story we can tell that they haven’t read about. We love that aspect of our readers coming here to Marloth Park or anywhere else in the world we may be at any given time. It’s like we’ve been friends forever. Now, all we have to do is spend more time getting to know them, which hopefully we’ll be able to do over the next month they’ll be here.

Today, we’re staying in on yet another perfect-weather day. Tom just took off for Komatipoort to Spar to pick up a case of my low-alcohol (5.5%) wine we ordered. It is the best-tasting low-alcohol wine I’ve had. It’s lower in alcohol than my usual Skinny Red, but I prefer it that way. It’s probably more psychological than anything – I get the taste of wine without the resulting woozy feeling and never a hangover if I drink one or two glasses too many.

Norman fluffed up with Big Daddy nearby while an oxpecker works on his ticks and fleas.

We could have waited to pick up the wine next when we shop, but Tom so thoughtfully offered to drive alone to Komati to pick it up so I’d have it for upcoming social events over the next week. I’ve been busy this morning, setting up bills to pay using online banking, tracking spending, and chopping and dicing tons of vegetables for tonight’s planned dinner.

I am making a chicken stir fry tonight now that I’ve found all the spices and seasonings to make this dish. On the side, we’ll have a big salad and Tom will have white rice. If I even get a bit more ambitious, I’ll make a low-carb dessert to go along with it based on the ingredients we have on hand.

Few animals were visiting us this morning when again, the bush is busy with holidaymakers. Early, we spoke on WhatsApp to dear friends Kathy and Don in Hawaii. There’s a 12-hour time difference, so the only good time for us to call them is early morning. It was wonderful to hear their voices.

While we were chatting, Nyala dad, Norman, showed up. We tried to get the video to work on WhatsApp, but the signal was weak, and we couldn’t show them Norman. After living in the bush for many years, they are missing it here and hopefully will return one day soon. We are so looking forward to that time.

Tom just returned from the store with the wine. I thought a case would be 12 bottles, but I guess, here in South Africa, a case is six bottles. Oh, well, hopefully, we’ll be able to get more next time we shop.

We’ll be working on getting more photos when the holidaymakers leave on Monday. In the interim, we’re sharing what we’ve taken over the past week.

Have a lovely weekend!

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

Little and his newly adopted family stopped by for another visit. Pellets are on the menu!!! For more photos, please click here.

Reconnecting with old friends…Lois and Tom who visited us in Marloth Park in 2018…

Posted by worldwide-admin on April 3, 2022 with 0 Comment

Tom and Lois and the two of us at the biker bar, Nav-A-Gator Bar and Grill in Arcadia, Florida.

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, our original plan was to come to Florida in February and travel through the state to visit many friends and some of Tom’s family members who are here over the winter months. When Omicron hit South Africa, and the world freaked out about South Africans showing up at their doorstep, we changed our plans.

We didn’t want to risk infecting our friends, the bride, and the groom, nor did we want to spend two weeks in quarantine in a hotel room before attending the wedding. Thus, we changed our plans and are spending two weeks here now after Omicron has mostly passed and cases are at a minimum here in Florida.

As it turned out, we didn’t have the time to drive to the various cities in Florida where our friends live with the shopping and tasks we had to accomplish before embarking on our upcoming two transatlantic cruises beginning on April 8.

However, our friends Lois and Tom, whom we met on a 33-night cruise circumnavigation of the Australian continent, with whom we spent almost every evening together during the cruise. Two years later, they flew to South Africa from New Jersey to spend three weeks with us in Marloth Park, during which we had a fantastic time. It was non-stop safari luck while they were with us, and we all had an amazing experience day after day.

Lois and I both had the Cobb Salad topped with sliced Ahi tuna. It was delicious.

Lois and Tom were with us when we experienced the “Ridiculous Nine,” an odd phenomenon of seeing the Big Five plus four more elusive animals while on a safari. For details on that experience, see our post here, which is followed by many posts with photos of this outstanding event. Please visit the archives for additional photos of this special time.

When we touched base with Lois and Tom, we decided we could each drive halfway from our current locations and meet in the middle. As ardent motorcyclists and owners of one of those big fancy Harley Davidsons, they suggested we meet at a “bikers’ restaurant. What a fun and unique idea for us!

Tom hadn’t had a Rueben sandwich in years, most likely since we began traveling the world. He was thrilled to finally have his favorite sandwich.

Shortly before noon, we all arrived at Nav-A-Gator Bar & Grill in Arcadia, Florida, hugging with enthusiasm, love, and warmth over finally seeing each other again. Lois said, “I never thought we’d ever see each other again!” It was so sweet, but somehow I knew we would, and there we were.

Tom had the fried shrimp sandwich with onion rings.

We hardly noticed our food and drinks as we chatted endlessly, reminiscing our past experiences together and hoping to get together again sometime in the future.

It was hard to say goodbye. We texted after we left, saying how fun it was to see each other as we drove back to Karen and Rich’s house in time for the fantastic chicken and ribs dinner Rich had been preparing on their second grill, which is charcoal fired. The dinner was fabulous, and once again, we had a lovely evening with the two of them.

The place was packed with bikers and non-bikers.

While here and when we are alone, Tom does the dishes. I make the salad and Tom’s usual breakfast of meat and cheese roll-ups using the delicious natural gluten-free, chemical-free sliced deli meats and delicious cheddar cheese, aged three years, that we’d purchased at Costco.

There was live music and a lively ambiance at the restaurant.

Today, Karen is making pot roast while we’re doing laundry and having a relatively low-key day. In a mere five days, we’ll be driving to Fort Lauderdale to board Celebrity Silhouette to begin the first of our two cruises across the Atlantic Ocean.

Life is good.

Be well.

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

Most of the animals like to eat Frank’s seed. In this case, a zebra is awaiting his turn. For more photos, please click here.

Easy life by the sea…Time flies when you’re having fun!…

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

It couldn’t be easier or more pleasing…life at Karen and Rich’s lovely home on a gorgeous bay in Apollo Beach, a sleepy seaside community, is exactly what we needed right now. The WiFi is high-speed, the temperature is a perfect 80F, 27C. There are no insects that we’ve seen and no load shedding. Life is easy here.

Yesterday was fantastic. Rich kept saying how time flies so quickly each day in Florida. At first, I didn’t think it was going any faster than usual, but before we knew it, the day whizzed by. We didn’t have dinner until almost 9:00 pm, 2100 hrs. By 10:30 pm 2230 hrs, I was ready to head for bed while Karen, Rich, and Tom stayed up for a few more hours.

Not smiling for a change, Tom was very content sitting on the sandy beach at Karen and Rich’s home while we had sundowners.

We’ve bypassed any possibility of jet lag after sleeping well the past two nights. But I usually start fading by 10:30 anyway, so last night wasn’t all that unusual. Once again this morning, we awoke feeling fantastic after another good night’s sleep.

As for yesterday, Karen and I went grocery shopping after making a quick trip to a CVS pharmacy for a few cosmetic items I could not purchase in South Africa. I was like a kid in a candy store while browsing through the countless brands and things in the store. I spent over US $80 on only a few things which would have been half as much as in South Africa.

Again, walking through the Publix grocery store, my eyes were darting in every direction, almost overwhelmed by the unbelievable number of options from which to choose. I could have spent hours grocery shopping, but I didn’t want to keep Karen waiting for me. Of course, prices were much higher than I was used to in South Africa.

Back at the house, we unloaded everything, spending the balance of the afternoon relaxing. I took a break from the easy conversation and headed upstairs to our room to empty the box we received here from our mailing service, sent here a few days ago. Also, I had to try on the four dresses I purchased from Amazon for the upcoming Queen Mary 2 cruise at the end of April.

It took me a few hours to go through everything. The dresses all fit me, much to my surprise. All I need to buy while here is a pair of dressy sandals to go with all dresses. I thought about buying a small handbag to go to dinner on the cruises at night, but Tom has agreed to carry my lipstick in his pocket. I’d prefer not to add anything more to my luggage that would add to the weight of the bags.

The sun was setting over the water as we enjoyed our drinks and companionship.

On Monday, Tom and I will head to the town of Brandon, where there is a big shopping mall and a Men’s Wearhouse where we’ll buy him the suit, shirts, and ties for the upcoming dressy cruise. After that, we’ll head to a few shoe stores to find what we’ll need for the cruises and a pair of walking shoes for me. We’ll be relieved to have that done and out of the way.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with updates of our Google Fi phone service after our data plan had been suspended due to overuse outside the USA.

Wow! Time is flying by so fast this morning as we’re all sitting here chatting. Karen and I need to get out and do our walk before the day is gone!

Have a fantastic weekend and be well.

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

The mongooses quickly gathered around the pan of whole eggs. Tom placed it on the ground. Also, we give them scraps of meat and fat since they are omnivores. For more photos, please click here.

We made it!!!…A longer than expected flight from Joburg…Now rested and feeling great!…

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

The view of Karen and Rich’s pool and bay from our bedroom’s veranda! Amazing!

Wow! What a long day and night. Our connecting flights worked out, but the most challenging flight was from Joburg to Newark. The plane was having mechanical issues, and we sat in our seats for two hours until it finally took off. It took us over 30 hours from door to door.

The remaining 16-hour flight was painstaking. My Fitbit showed I never slept since it only registers one hour or more. Once I laid down on the two seats between Tom and me, I couldn’t fall asleep when my legs hung into the aisle, and people walked by, bumping into them. A few times, I dozed off but woke myself up when my head dropped down to my chest.

We have two comfy chairs on our veranda at their lovely oceanfront home.

Instead, I watched parts of or the entirety of eight movies, none of which were any good. Most of the movies were old, and we’d watched them at some point, and many were genres I didn’t like. Tom watched a few as well but didn’t care for any of them either. The battery on my phone was dying, and the USB plug-in on the seat didn’t work, so I couldn’t play games on my phone. It was a long 16 hours.

We both wore compression stockings and got up to walk around every few hours. They served food three times, but I ate very little when there was no option for low-carb meals. Most of the food was awful, sugary, and carb-laden. It didn’t matter to me since I knew Karen and Rich would have some fantastic foods awaiting us, and they did.

By the time we were in the air, we were concerned about making our connecting flight in Newark with only a 2 ½ hour layover ahead of us. We had to rush through immigration, collect our bags to go through customs and security, recheck our bags and make it to the gate a few minutes before boarding. Miraculously, it all worked out well.

On the last flight from Newark to Tampa, a lovely man in his 30s sat between Tom and me, and we chatted during the entire three-hour flight, which was also late taking off. We didn’t arrive in Tampa until almost 3:00 pm, 1500 hrs, picked up our bags and rental car, and made our way through rush-hour traffic to Karen’s and Rich’s beautiful home in Apollo Beach, Florida.

It was such a joy to see them both. It had been over two years since we stayed with them in November 2019. It was exciting to see our dear newlywed friends, their gorgeous home, and finally eat some fantastic food, including smoked salmon, deviled eggs, artichoke dip, baby tomatoes, and roasted chicken wings and legs. They’d planned a filet mignon dinner, but after eating the great starters, we were all full and will have the steaks on the braai tonight.

We decided to stay awake as late as possible, but I was done by 9:00 pm, 2100 hrs. Tom stayed up a little longer chatting with Karen and Rich and joined me an hour later. Much to our amazement, we slept like logs, only each getting up once to hit the bathroom but each going right back to sleep.

This morning we awoke alert and energized, feeling as good as ever. We have no remnants of jet lag whatsoever, but following the new time zone we’d entered yesterday afternoon, we bypassed any chance of jet lag.

Another gorgeous view. It couldn’t be more perfect than to be here with them both.

Once we upload today’s post and a few photos (more will follow in days to come), Karen and I will head to her favorite grocery store soon, and we’ll get a few things to last for a few days. When we return and put everything away, Karen and I will take a walk in the neighborhood.

While we’re here, our posts will continue daily, and we’ll add photos of our surroundings, our friends, and anything we decide to do. A lot of sightseeing isn’t our intent while here in Florida, but we have plenty of sightseeing ahead of us over the next few nights.

Thank you, dear readers, for all the well wishes and encouragement. Well back with more tomorrow.

Be well.

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

Tiny, who’s quite the loner, has a new friend, we called Narrow, due to his narrow face. Narrow used to hang out with The Imposter (who imitates Tiny), but now Narrow has gravitated to Tiny. We’ll see how this works out when The Imposter returns tonight when these two are most likely cuddled up. For more photos, please click here.

Photos from dinner out with friends…Food photos, too!…Happy St.Patrick’s Day to those who celebrate!…Six days and counting…

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

The six of us at Giraffe bar for dinner on Tuesday evening. From left to right: Lynne, Jan, me, Tom Mick and Steve.

Most likely, Tuesday evenings dinner out with friends, Lynne and Mick and Janet and Steve was the last time we gathered with local friends in Marloth Park, except for dinner on Friday night at Jabula with Dawn and Leon, owners of the beautiful establishment, with whom we’ve become good friends over the years.

Dawn and I had our pedicures done at our favorite local spa here in the park while Tom and Leon got together at Jabula to do “guy talk.” I rode back to Jabula with Dawn to find Tom and Leon enjoying uninterrupted guy time when we were done. I joined in on the conversation while Dawn went about some work for the restaurant. It was a pleasant start to the day.

It’s hard to say goodbye to everyone we’ve come to know and love since we first began coming to Marloth Park in 2013, the only place in the world to which we continually return. If someone had asked us years ago if we’d be willing to live without power and water at least several times a month and the occasional failure of WiFi, we would have emphatically stated a resounding “NO!!!”

Lynne and Jan had the chicken schnitzel with creamed spinach and topped with cheese.

But, here we are after over a year of load shedding, most months, with several days without water, and still, we’re coming back for more, a mere nine months from now.

If someone asked if we could spend our days in 100 F, 36C heat with no air-con except in the bedroom, spending daylight hours in the sweltering heat and humidity, we would have again said a resounding, “NO WAY!!! But, here we are in the hot, sticky, tropical climate of summer in Africa, spending our days dripping in sweat, rarely whining over the annoyances and discomforts typical of living in the rugged bush. Who knew that would appeal to us to this degree?

If some asked if we could live with insects, mozzies, and the constant prospect of a snake popping up out of nowhere, we would have flatly refused to visit such a place. But, here we are, 14 months later with all of this, and we’ve been quite content as we were on all of the other occasions we’ve lived in Marloth Park over the past nine years.

My grilled chicken salad with feta cheese and lots of vegetables.

Whether its spending time with the fantastic friends we’ve made or reveling in the exquisite nature of the bush, we’ve genuinely become bush people, not so much in the cruder sense, but in the mind of those who come to Africa and become entrenched in its magic.

It’s not easy to leave, even now, when we are excited about the prospects of the next few months, visiting friends in Florida, family in Minnesota and Nevada, and of course, embarking on two very different types of cruises; one, the first transatlantic on a Celebrity ship, familiar to us in its ambiance, style, food, entertainment, and people and two; sailing back across the Atlantic Ocean on a more formal British cruise line, Cunard on the famous Queen Mary 2. What an adventure after these past few years of relative confinement!

Surely, we’ll miss the animals. And there’s undoubted, a slight hesitation knowing when we return it will be to a different house, a few kilometers from here, where those animals we’ve come to know and love may never find us again such as Little, Broken Horn, Hal, Gordy, Thick Neck, Bossy, The Imposter, Holey Moley, Frank, and The Misses, Chevy, Mom and Babies, Lori and Barbara, One Tusk, Bad Eye, One Wart, Wounded, and the list goes on and on.

Tom, Mick, and Steve had this steak topped with an egg, chips, onion rings, and a small salad.

We may never see them again. But, new relationships with these fantastic beasts will develop in our new location, and we’ll have names for all of them in no time at all.

Many of our human friends won’t be here when we return in December. Some prefer to stay away during the heat and humidity of the summer months with all the above challenges as mentioned above. We can only play it by ear and see who can return.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to those who celebrate and special birthday wishes to RL!

Be well.

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

Tiny often lay down while I talked to him and listened attentively, his ears flipping back and forth. When we returned from the US visit n July, he never returned. He could have died of old age or injury, could have been culled, or moved on to another territory when he discovered we were no longer here. For more photos, please click here.

Lovely evening with friends at their home in the bush…

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

Helmeted guinea-fowl chicks have yet to develop the blue and red facial features shown on the adult in the far left.

There were only six of us at Janet and Steve’s bush home for dinner on their upper-level veranda overlooking their exquisite garden. Lynne and Mick also were in attendance, and the conversation flowed with ease and considerable passion when we touched on so many topics of the day.

Most inconvenient for our hosts was load shedding when dinner was served, but Jan and Steve orchestrated all the food for a seamless event. Other than all the candlelight and lanterns on the veranda, we were entirely in the dark, but the warm and inviting ambiance only added to the magic of the evening.

Zoom in to see a few of these tiny mongoose babies! They are so adorable!

Much to our surprise, we didn’t return home until 11:15 pm, 2315 hrs which is late for a night out in the bush. Fortunately, when we returned, load shedding was over for a while and wouldn’t restart until 3:00 am and end at 5:30 am. Our bedroom turns into a hot box when there’s no air-con on the night when there’s load shedding.

Thank goodness we have a floor fan operated by the inverter when the power is out. I always hear a little “ding” when it goes off and then back on. We left that on when we went to bed, hoping it would help in the middle of the night. Wide awake after the fun evening, I had an awful time falling asleep, and I suppose I was anticipating waking up when the power went out.

We placed a dozen eggs on the ground for the mongooses. It was fun to see the babies getting in on the action.

Last night, our friends from the UK explained that they don’t use air-con to sleep. We always left the air-con on, knowing once the power was restored, it would automatically kick back on. We Americans are spoiled used to air-con in hot weather. It’s hard to break that habit. However, we always ensure that wherever we book for a stay has air-con which we both prefer a good night’s sleep, even in cooler weather.

It’s easy to recall the many sleepless nights we endured in the heat and humidity. That’s not to say we haven’t had times without air-con. In Kenya, where the heat is unbearable at times, we spent three months in a thatched roof house with only a slow-moving overhead fan in the bedroom. Again in Trinity Beach, Australia, we also didn’t have air-con, and we remember many sleepless nights in the hot climate.

It’s delightful to watch how the mongooses crack an egg. The “hike” it between their legs like a football.. Very funny!!

After a few years, we wised up. We no longer book holiday homes without air-con in the bedroom. We can manage fine during hot days, but sleeping is vital to our health and well-being. After sleeping only about four hours last night, I feel out of sorts and exhausted today. I am struggling to get my walking done. I awoke the moment the power went out and barely got back to sleep by the time it was restored.

For the last time before we leave South Africa in 13 days, this morning, we’re returning to Malalane to Dr. Singh’s office to have him check on a painful tooth, which I’ve needed to address for the past few months. My appointment got moved several times due to load shedding (they don’t have a generator), but today it’s a “go” at 11:20 am.

Bossy’s baby has a long way to go to become more sure-footed.

I hope to complete half of my daily walking before we leave soon. Tom will drop me off at the dentist’s office. Then he’ll go to the local Spar Market to buy his favorite donuts. I don’t tell him what to eat when he craves something like donuts. I can only control what I choose to eat.

Believe me, if I weren’t committed to this low-carb way of eating, I’d succumb to a donut now and then. I haven’t eaten a donut in at least 15 years. My blood sugar goes up just from looking at them!

Bossy is a good mom. Here she is, keeping an eye out for the baby of a friend as well.

Tonight, we’ll stay in for the evening, cooking bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin on the braai with veggies, salad, and rice for Tom. We always enjoy our evenings outdoors when the temperature cools a little, and many of our wildlife friends stop by to say “hello.”

Have a pleasant day!

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

An adorable young male bushbuck, we later named Stringy, checks out the grassy area in our garden, waiting for Tom, in the red shirt, to toss him a few pellets. Later, we named him Stringy since, on several occasions, he appeared with vines hanging from his head. For more photos, please click here.

Feedback about the UK …

Posted by worldwide-admin on March 5, 2022 with 0 Comment

Bossy doesn’t bring her baby to see us every time she visits. In time, she will bring her more often.

In yesterday’s post, found here, we mentioned that we aren’t staying in England after our ship arrives on April 21. We’ll spend one night in Southampton, drive a rental car for over an hour to London Heathrow Airport, and then fly away. We will share details once we book that flight and our chosen location.

We were looking forward to spending more time in the UK and carefully considered the change in plans. I suppose, in part, we may have been dealing with somewhat of a shock comparing prices in South Africa to England, but we considered that fact.

The youngsters are always very skittish around humans, as they should be.

We did receive several comments from readers living in the UK, espousing how reasonable the cost of living is in some areas, especially for food. But, food isn’t our primary expense, although it may be higher for us than some; we only eat high-quality meats, dairy, and vegetables. Most likely, our weekly grocery bill and 25% to 40% higher than most.

In reviewing meat prices in England, we checked the beef prices considering that we can consume a kilo (2.2 pounds) of meat in a day between us. After all, our day-to-day way of eating is called “ketovore,” where we consume meat and meat products, a small amount of high-quality dairy, and non-starchy vegetables.

In searching at an online grocery store in England, the link is here; it was easy to see how we can easily spend the amounts we listed in yesterday’s post.

She spends most of her time close to her mom.

But, as mentioned, groceries aren’t our most significant expense, nor is dining out. We don’t eat fried foods, nor do we eat fast food. Thus, when dining out, we visit mid-range restaurants that can easily cost US $100, ZAR 1531, with a few drinks, the main course, taxes, and tips. We factored in those costs to our totals, knowing we generally dine out once or twice a week.

Our most significant per day expenses are auto and holiday home rental, which account for most of the listed totals. You may say, “Well, don’t rent such lovely places. Stay in apartments or hostels to reduce the cost.

But, this is our travel journey, and we decided long ago we’d never sacrifice the quality of a rental nor “stay anywhere
to save money. We don’t want to haul our bags up two, three, or four flights of stairs. We don’t want to hear noise from connecting walls if we can avoid it. We seek pleasant surroundings, views, and safe areas when possible.

Bossy always makes herself known. If we aren’t on the veranda, she comes right up to the bedroom window looking for me.

In every case, we strive to maintain the criteria we established when we first began to travel in 2012. That hasn’t changed much over the years, although we have factored in inflation in this world we live in, allowing us to pay more for our expenses, and although our fixed income has increased very little.

All of these decisions we make are predicated on our desires and needs, not only based on cost but also on convenience and our desire to expand our horizons in learning new areas, cultures, and ways of life. We’ve spent considerable time in the UK in the past. Perhaps this change is an excellent opportunity to go after a bit of the unknown, overall, adding to our worldwide experiences and adventures.

Bossy and her recently born calf. Lots of kudus visited the garden looking for marula fruit.

Thanks to all of our readers who wrote to us for your much-appreciated comments and suggestions.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, March 5, 2021:

Due to a day-long WiFi outage, we could not post on this date.

Dinner on the veranda with friends during a sizzling hot night…Escalated lion warnings…

Posted by worldwide-admin on January 2, 2022 with 0 Comment

Thirsty after eating pellets, piglets needed a drink from mom.

Last night’s dinner was easy to make when Rita and Gerhard came for dinner, which was decided on New Year’s eve when they surprised us at Flo and JiJi’s party as described in yesterday’s post, which is found here, in case you missed it. We had already planned a lovely New Year’s day dinner for the two of us, and in our usual manner, we had plenty for two more. We had enough for six more, so we’ll be eating leftovers for the next few days.

I’m thrilled I won’t have to cook for a few days with this awful heat and humidity. Last evening when we were situated at the veranda table with Rita and Gerhard, starting at 3:00 pm, while the meat cooked on the braai, it was so hot and humid, the sweat was pouring off each of us.

Moms and piglets stop by several times each day.

I had a few last-minute items to prepare that required the use of the oven. Rita sat on the barstool in the kitchen while I worked on the food, giving us a chance to catch up on some “girl talk” while Tom and Gerhard chatted outdoors. We often talked about how much we miss Kathy and Don, who are back in Hawaii, and how we wish they could be with us.

We made a plan to meet at Two Trees on Tuesday for sundowners and river viewing. Afterward, we may go out to dinner or each return to our respective bush houses for the remainder of the evening.

But, the four of us will stay busy together this summer in Africa, frequently sharing our wildlife sightings and stories that come our way. Every Friday night, the four of us will go to Jabula, sit at the bar for drinks and later move to a table on the veranda for dinner. All of this is reminiscent of old times we shared beginning in 2018 when they first came to Marloth Park, again a couple who came here to this wildlife paradise after reading our posts for years. Little did we know, the four of us would become fast friends.

We introduced them to our friends living here before the onset of Covid-19, and again, typical for Marloth Park, magic happens, and social circles grow. Neither of us has ever lived anywhere where it is easy to make new friends. In our old lives, we socialized with the same wonderful long-term friends year after year, rarely including someone new in the “inner circle.”

This is the mom who lost her tail. She is the mom of Barbara and Lori and the set of two piglets. Poor girl, she also lost one of her latest piglets in the past few weeks. Check out her perfect tusks.

But, as I often say, there is something special about the commonality visitors and residents of Marloth Park possess, a passion for nature and wildlife that has a way of bringing people together. It may be true that those who love nature and wildlife have a different perspective of life, a passion that is unlike any other we’ve encountered along the way. We are very grateful to have met so many amazing people, many of whom have become dear friends.

This is our boy, One Tusk. His singular tusk is larger than any tusks we’ve seen on any other warthog.

As for the most recent comments about the lions possibly having returned to Kruger, it’s not the case. Here’s the latest post from Facebook that popped up last night:

“

CARNIVORE ALERT

1st and 2nd January 2022

The Carnivore Team has released a warning that the three young lions have been spotted at 16h30, and they are highly mobile and hunting!

A very urgent alert for tonight in the following area: The whole block of Swartwitpens to Seekoei and tomorrow morning from Hardekool to Soenie an urgent alert for joggers and cyclists to be cautious along the fence!

Please do not allow children in these areas period as the lions could be anywhere!

Unfortunately, the warnings are not taken seriously! The onus is on everyone to adhere to the alerts and warn others of the dangers.

Should you spot the lions, phone any one of the following numbers:

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.”

Broken Horn has been digging in the mud based on his dirty face.

No doubt, this means the lions are still here in Marloth Park, although this time the warning was issued they are closer to us, now under 2 kilometers, 1.2 miles from us. Of course, for our concerned family and friends, we want to assure you we are safe. We don’t go out onto the roads on foot, and we proceed with extreme caution when going to and from the car to the house.

That’s it for today, folks. We hope you have a safe and enjoyable start to the New Year.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, January 2, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #283. This kind man, Mr. Ganapthay of Cholan Art Village, made the experience of visiting his nine-generation family’s bronzing business all the more special to both of us. For more, please click here.

Unexpected New Year’s Eve surprise that sent us reeling!…

Posted by worldwide-admin on January 1, 2022 with 0 Comment

Last night, we had a New Year’s Eve we’ll never forget. Our dear friends, Rita and Gerhard, unexpectedly arrived from the US and showed up at the party to surprise us! Everyone knew but us! In this photo from left to right, Tom and I, Danie, Louise, Rita, and Gerhard.

Last night we headed to Royal Kruger Lodge in Marloth Park for owners Flo and JiJis, annual New Year’s Eve Party. We brought along another cooked medium rare sliced prime rib and placed it on the table with all the other yummy delights the 35 guests had prepared for the event.

Our friend Danie. We couldn’t love him more! He did a good job keeping the secret and yet tantalizing us with the mystery. Tom couldn’t get enough of the homemade bread he baked for the party.

It just so happened that Flo’s birthday is on January 1st, so her celebration is included in the event. We knew most of the people at the party that we’d met at one time or another at various events in Marloth Park. Jiji was behind the bar, busy as the deejay, playing fantastic dance songs that only added to the excitement of the evening in the beautiful covered outdoor area.

It was a good thing their veranda and outdoor party room had roofs since it had been pouring rain all afternoon, which finally tapered off later into the evening.

Jiji sat behind the bar as the deejay and did a great job keeping the party in full swing the entire evening.

Shortly after us, Louise and Danie arrived. After welcoming hugs all around, Danie blurted out, “We have a surprise for you tonight!”

Lovely Flo is at the far right in this photo. It was her birthday at the stroke of midnight.

I added, “I hope that doesn’t include throwing me into the pool at midnight.” Danie insisted, “No, I wouldn’t do that to you!” I was grateful for that and trusted he’d stick to his word. Neither Tom nor I could imagine what the surprise was awaiting us at some point during the evening.

There’s my guy. He sure knows how to ring in the New Year!

We mingled with the guests, somehow always gravitating back toward Louise and Danie, such dear friends. Danie had this big grin on his face, and I kept wondering what was up. At one point, when Tom asked JiJi if many guests were staying at the resort, in error, he said, “We have a few guests, one a couple from Germany, named Gerhard.” I didn’t flinch but looked at Tom, never for a moment thinking it was our dear friends Rita and Gerhard, who are from Germany but have lived in the US for 30 years.

I then stated, “Gerhard is a common name in Germany.” I never thought that he was talking about Rita and Gerhard for a moment. I had texted with them earlier in the day, wishing them Happy New Year, and they quickly responded. They must have been at the Flo and Jiji’s resort in their hotel room when they got my message on Whatsapp. (Soon, they’ll move to one to Louise’s holiday homes and later to their favorite house on Hornbill).

And there’s my Rita after the hugs and kisses settled down.

Well, of course, you know what’s coming. At around 8:00 pm, 2000 hrs, while Tom and I were seated near one another talking to other guests, suddenly I looked up, and there stood Rita and Gerhard, grinning from ear to ear. We couldn’t have been more surprised and delighted at the same time.

The hugs continued through the evening. We were so happy to see them and totally surprised. Now, during our remaining almost three months in the bush, we’ll have such fun with them as we did earlier this year and in 2018. A few hours later, the dancing ramped up, and we were all on the dance floor. Midnight included lots more hugs and kisses. We didn’t get home until after 1:00 am and didn’t get to sleep until 2:30, awakening early this morning.

Gerhardt and Tom got deep into conversation within moments of their arrival, as they always do.

Today at 3:00 pm, 1500 hrs, they’ll be arriving for sundowners and dinner. I’ve been busy in the kitchen prepping the food, the same meal we’d planned for ourselves for today, which will work out well. This afternoon, we’ll prepare another prime rib on the braai, rice, garlic butter sauteed mushrooms cooked in red wine, rice, salad, and coconut flour biscuits.

We’re grateful for a fantastic start to the new year and wish all of our family, friends, and readers a Happy New Year.

Photo from one year ago today, January 1, 2021:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #282. There she was, our first Bengal Tiger sighting in Bandhavgarh National Park. We couldn’t have asked for a better vantage point. Safari luck prevailed one more time! See the link here. For the year-ago, “year in review,” please click here.

Tag: friends