Annoying noise and big concerns in the park…A little complaining on this end…Three days and counting to trip…

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From this site:  “Zebras as very social animals and live in large groups called ‘harems.’ Plains and mountain zebras live in harems that are made up of one stallion and up to six mares, and they’re young, while Grevy’s zebras come together as groups for short periods of time.” The type of zebras in the South African savanna is Burchell’s Zebra [Equus burchelli].

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Moms and babies…what a sight to see!

It’s been an unusual weekend. With few wildlife visitors stopping by due to the holidaymakers and the noisy construction next door, which occurred all day Saturday and Sunday, beginning again with hammering at 6:17 this morning, our days and nights were quite different than usual. 

The work continued each day until darkness fell that impacted our enjoyment of setting up for wildlife visits in the early evening. No one came to call.

Zebras can be pushy when it comes to getting their share of pellets and vegetables both with their harem mates and with us.

At a few points over these past days, the pounding was so annoying we went inside, shut the door, and watched a few episodes of shows on my computer. This is very unusual for us. We rarely watch anything other than the Minnesota Vikings game during daylight hours.

There are rules in Marloth Park as to which hours and days of the week construction can be in process.  Obviously, the neighbors had little regard for these rules. But, who are we to report them. We’re only renters.

This zebra started climbing up the veranda steps to let us know he was hungry.

We can only imagine the frustration tourists who’d come for a long weekend would feel if they’d come for a four or five-day stay and they had to put up with the noise and lack of wildlife visiting. People come to Marloth Park for the wildlife and a sense of peace.

Unfortunately, some homeowners and holiday renters aren’t respectful of the laws, spoiling it for everyone else.  Actually, we’re thrilled to be leaving in three days to head back to Livingstone, Zambia, and Chobe National Park in Botswana for a week.

It’s not unusual to see altercations among the zebras when they’re competing for food.

Hopefully, by the time we return on August 23rd, the construction will be completed, and the noisy and disrespectful holidaymakers will be gone. In the past several weeks, we’ve seen no less than a half dozen children driving 4×4’s and SUVs in the park, some as young as eight or nine years old, either sitting on the parent’s lap or some type of booster seat.

It’s no wonder 12 or 13 animals were killed on the roads over these past few school holiday months. Some people come here, not all, with little regard for laws and safety, many speeding on the roads with the potential to kill both animals and humans innocently walking or biking to their destinations.

The symmetry of their stripes is different on each zebra, such as in a fingerprint. From this site: “Body stripes are less numerous and broader than the Cape Mountain Zebra, whereas body stripes extend around the belly. Leg striping is less prominent. Measures 1.3 to 1.4 meters (51-55 inches) at the shoulder and weighs 300-320 kg (661-704 pounds). They have rounded ears approximately 160-170 mm (6.3-6.7 inches) long. The front portion of the mane forms a black tuft between the ears. Diet: Predominantly a grazer, feeding in areas with short grass. Zebra has a strong, sensitive upper lip with which it gathers herbage by collecting the grass between the lip and the lower incisors before plucking the harvest.”

A few weeks ago, we saw a lit cigarette being tossed from a moving vehicle.  We were aghast!  Marloth Park is all bush and this time of year extremely dry. The entire municipality could ignite in minutes from one single careless act.  

Plus, the invasive alien plants, of which there are many, brought in by homeowners desiring a “fancy” garden tend to burn higher and more intensely than the indigenous plants. This isn’t very comforting.

The type of giraffes found in South Africa from this site:  “Giraffe camelopardarlis giraffe – South African giraffe found in South Africa, southern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.”

As all of our readers know, it is not our intention to be “negative” in our posts. Still, we’re hoping both locals and visitors will stumble upon this post and realize how serious some of these infractions are to the safety and well-being of everyone in this magical place.

We apologize to our worldwide readers, far removed from this area, to be reading this bit of negativity. But, we do not doubt that there are similarly thoughtless people who upset the balance of peace and harmony in some of your neighborhoods, towns, and villages.

From this site: “Receptive cows are continuously courted by adult bulls. They have a gestation period of 457 days. Whereafter a single calf is born. At birth, a calf weighs about 100 kg (220 pounds), and they are weaned between six to eight months, but only about 52 percent of the calves ever reach maturity since the young are preyed upon by lions hyenas, and leopards. Sexual maturity is reached after four or five years. The reproductive receptiveness of cows is checked upon by adult bulls moving from group to group.” The calves are more likely to reach maturity for giraffes in Marloth Park since there are fewer predators in the park than in Kruger National Park.

I’m planning to pack today for our upcoming trip.  It always gives me peace of mind to be packed a few days earlier than necessary. We’ve found it’s harder to pack for short trips while living in a holiday home than it is for us to leave a location permanently.  In those cases, we pack everything we own.

For short trips, it’s a pick-and-choose process that takes more time and effort.  The last time we made this trip, I brought along 50% more than I needed. This time, I’ll cut back considerably, lightening the load.  

Ms. Kudu and a friend visited us a few weeks ago. Only one kudu came to call over the past many days.

Plus, we’ll be taking a “trip within a trip” when we stay overnight at the Chobe Safari Lodge midway through the week. During this one-night, two-day period, we’ll mostly be wearing our ‘bugs away” clothing, making those decisions a little easier.

Today, we’ll embark on our usual drive in Marloth Park since getting into Kruger is still almost impossible with the tourist crowds. We’ll wait to visit Kruger after we return from Zambia.

Have a spectacular day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 13, 2017:

View from the chaise lounges of the pool, the Jacuzzi to the left and beyond it, the cold plunge pool at the house in Atenas, Costa Rica. For more photos, please click here.

A Sunday drive in the neighborhood…Pinch me, am I dreaming?…

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This was one of our favorite sightings of the day, three giraffes drinking together on the Crocodile River.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

We’ve posted other photos of hornbills in our bird feeder, but we can’t ever get enough of these pretty birds.

After uploading the day’s post and busying myself making a special Sunday dinner, I suggested we go for our drive…in this case, a “Sunday drive.” I recall as a kid going for a drive on Sunday afternoons, and it was extraordinary. 

I grew up in Long Beach, California (except for two years in Boston). A Sunday drive usually consisted of visiting one of many exceptional beaches on the Pacific Coast Highway.

The above main photo is from a distance. 

When Tom was a child, typically, his family would drive from Minneapolis to Winsted, Minnesota (72 km, 45 miles) to visit family. It was often too cool to swim in the ocean in the winter months, but the drive and a stop for an ice cream cone were all it took to make the day special. He, too, had some great memories of those days.

Now, as we’ve aged and are “relatively” retired as world travelers, Sundays are just another pleasant day of the week, especially since we’ve re-instituted our old-fashioned Sunday drive.

Giraffes rarely bend over to the ground other than for drinking. They are highly vulnerable to predators in this position.

However, a Sunday drive in Marloth Park is like none other anywhere else in the world. As always, Tom washed the little car’s windows since, at times, sightings occur in front of us on the road, and we have no choice but to take photos through the windscreen (windshield in the US).

A wildlife wonderland.

We load a newly charged battery in the camera, clean the camera lens with a soft cloth and pack an extra battery in Tom’s pants pocket. We fill our mugs with iced tea, Crystal Lite for Tom, and green tea with cinnamon for me, and we’re off.

Over the past 5½ months, we’ve learned to keep our expectations in check. On occasion, we may see little more than helmeted guinea fowls (of which we have dozens in our garden), impalas, and a variety of baboons and Vervet monkeys.

Zooming in on this “obstinancy” of cape buffaloes, we see where they got this plural name. They certainly do appear obstinate and, in fact, are referred to as the “Black Death” based on the number of people they kill each year.

For first-time visitors seeing the above could be most satisfying. But, now, after a total of 8½ months in Marloth Park, including our prior three months in 2013/2014, impalas, although adorable, guinea fowls and monkeys are seldom subjects of photos unless something is exciting transpiring.

As for baboons, which are destructive and may be dangerous, we have no interest in them at all, preferring to stay away as much as possible. The exception may be if a large troupe came to the garden for a possible photo op. Of course, it’s imperative not to feed them, or they’ll never go away.

In this distant photo, it appeared the many cape buffaloes were piled atop one another.  They do stay close to one another when lounging…safety in numbers.

As for the rest of the wildlife, we’re interested in it all, from the unusual insects to tiny frogs to the massive elephants. I suppose most of the residents in Marloth Park feel the same, except we noticed the next-door neighbors feeding the Vervet monkeys over the weekend. 

They leave for their other home, and then we’re left with the monkeys pestering us. We cannot stress enough how destructive they can be. They can literally destroy every item on a veranda or the inside a house in a matter of minutes.

Elephants are always an exciting sighting.

Side note:  a few minutes ago, a hornbill was sitting on a tree limb squawking at us.  Tom checked and found the birdfeeder almost empty of bird seeds. He refilled it, and moments later, the hornbill was back inside the feeder as content as she could be, with several following her. That precipitated today’s “sighting of the day” photo above.

We began the Sunday drive around 1330 hours (1:30 pm) and never made it back “home” until almost 1600 hours (4:00 pm).  What a day we had while merely on a Sunday drive through Marloth Park, mainly focusing on activity on the river.

As we ended our drive along the river road, we spotted elephants close to the fence between Marloth Park and Kruger National Park. This was a first for us, but Kathy and Don’s friends who live on the river road told us this occurs occasionally.

The areas around the bush houses had few animals since many holidaymakers were still here spending a long weekend or more. But, once we reached the river, the sightings were over-the-top. 

We’d drive a short distance with our eyes peeled toward the river, see something, park the little car on the road to walk through the dense bush at times. I was wearing jeans and socks, but Tom was in shorts, scratching up his legs in the process. 

Wildebeests and zebras visiting holidaymakers. They had a small bag of pellets that tourists often buy when they are here for a weekend or longer stay. 

Some indigenous and invasive plants can cause a nasty rash, infection, or even serious injury, so I always make sure my legs are covered. We’d recently read of a woman who died (in another area in South Africa) by a neurotoxin in a plant that had scratched her leg while walking in the bush. 

One can’t be too careful. Next time, he’ll wear long pants. Also, it’s important to wear insect repellent since we aren’t taking malaria pills this year in Africa except for our visa trips to Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.

There were giraffes munching on trees in Marloth Park and more drinking on the river.

Anyway, the day was outstanding! We spotted more wildlife in this short period of time than we’d ever seen in Kruger during the same period. It kept coming and coming. Each time we thought we were done for the day, we encountered more sightings. 

Back at our holiday home, a few animals were waiting for us, Ms. Bushbuck and Little Wart Face. We gave them each a little pile of pellets and vegetables in separate areas so LWF wouldn’t chase her away. They happily munch on their treats, both returning in the evening for yet another round.

Yesterday, we saw no less than 100 cape buffaloes at the Crocodile River.

Today, we’ll lay low, enjoying yet another hot and sunny day at 25C (77F) while situated on the veranda, as usual, contemplating our next trip to Kruger and drive in Marloth Park. Of course, we won’t be waiting until next Sunday for either.

Have a warm and sunny day!

Photo from one year ago today, July 23, 2017:

The lights on the Strip at night are always impressive. It’s hard to believe it was a year ago we were in Las Vegas spending this fun evening, among many others, with son Richard and friends. For more photos, please click here.

How did we get so lucky?…Today is special…Everyday is special…

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Although this stance seems awkward and cumbersome, they perform it with grace and ease with careful foot placement and strength.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

“The foot of the giraffe reaches a diameter of 30 cm (12 in), and the hoof is 15 cm (5.9 in) high in males and 10 cm (3.9 in) in females. The rear of each hoof is low, and the fetlock is close to the ground, allowing the foot to provide additional support to the animal’s weight.”

I’d expected this 70th year of my life to be very different than what it is today. With a long-term chronic medical condition (since resolved), I’d expected to be living a life of pain, discomfort, and disability. 

They wandered across the road to get to the watering hole.

Always ambitious, I supposed I’d have found a way to be fulfilled within the framework of these limitations but never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine this life…this magnificent life.

There were eight giraffes in the “tower.”

Twenty-seven years ago today, I met Tom Lyman. How that transpired is shared in last year’s post on this date which may be found here, which is also indicated below in the “Photo from one year ago today.”

Giraffes can run at paces of 60 km (37 mph), but their motions appear slow and deliberate when grazing and drinking.

I highly doubt that I’d have shared this morning’s contemplative comments with my husband, partner, lover, and travel companion that quickly crossed my lips while sitting at the big table on the veranda.

“Look at us.  We have eight zebras, two bushbucks, and a warthog in our garden this morning. Yesterday, we encountered eight giraffes, as shown in today’s photos. We’re living in the bush in Africa. How did we get so lucky to have one another, to be here at this point in our lives?”

I was contemplating taking a drink from the waterhole.

We looked at each other and smiled, simultaneously saying, “Who would have to thunk it?” Neither of us ever dreamed of nor imagined this type of life in our senior years or at any time in our lives.

Perhaps, one more drink?

And today, 27 years after we first met almost serendipitously, opposites, headstrong and non-committal, that here we’d be, glued at the hip, as they say, traveling the world precisely as we choose.

They were standing in the queue at the water fountain. The other giraffes in the tower lumbered across the road to share in the drinking from the pond.

We don’t travel to lands where others “think” we should travel. We don’t necessarily visit tourist locations on most traveler’s “bucket lists,” and oddly, we don’t even have a “bucket list.” 

We plan and experience whatever falls into our hearts and minds as the “next place” (as Tom calls it, as his “favorite place” when asked). And essentially, every place we visit is our favorite at the time when we strive to “live in the moment” wherever we may be.

Each giraffe has its manner of bending to drink and is also subject to the surrounding terrain for foot placement.

But this? The memories of these endless experiences we’ve shared here in Africa and all over the world. It’s something special, not only for the “living in the moment” aspect but for the promise that we’ll carry these memories with us until our last breath.

What could this huge bump be?

In a way, the memories we capture in our minds and photos become almost half of the experience in itself. We know that soon, this Africa chapter will end, and a new chapter will begin. A year from now, we’ll be in Ireland for three months. How different could that be?

There’s nothing like a handsome face!

But for now, we celebrate this life, this time, this place with one exception. Today, we celebrate 27 years ago when we first met an unlikely couple who somehow found their way together in this unparalleled existence of pure and unmitigated joy in the world’s endless offerings.

Thank you, dear readers, for being on this journey with us and your inspiration for our unstoppable commitment to continue documenting every day.

Photo from one year ago today, June 28, 2017:

This was Tom around the time we met in 1991. For more details, please click here.

Giraffe Day!!!…All seen in Marloth Park, not Kruger…Planning our next adventure…

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This lovely girl (determined by the hair on her ossicones) posed for a face shot.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

The adorable bushbabies move so quickly. It’s difficult getting photos in the dark. In this instance, we counted seven on the pedestal at once. Now we’ll try for eight.

No words can describe how exciting it is when we take our almost daily drives in Marloth Park, usually in the afternoon. “They,” say that we’re less likely to see much at that time of day, but we rarely go out without spotting some fascinating and magnificent wildlife during the two-hour drive.

The dirt roads are very bumpy, and at times, I hang on as we maneuver our way through deep potholes, crevices, and uneven roads. The tiny rental cars don’t handle these roads that well, and we certainly don’t want to damage the vehicle. Tom, the sound driver that he is, somehow manages to lessen the bumps along the way.
“Giraffe feet are the size of a dinner plate with a diameter of 30cm (almost 12 inches).”

As for the bouncing around, we’re both used to it, as are the residents of Marloth Park. Bumpy roads and wildlife are a way of life here, a small price to pay for what we’re all gifted to see every day.

Giraffes’ necks are surprisingly too short of reaching the ground. As a result, they must awkwardly spread their front legs to drink. Based on their vegetation diet, they derive most water from the leaves they eat and only need to drink every few days.

We don’t see giraffes each time we’re on the drive. Instead, we may spot them approximately 10% of the time. And, when we do, we can barely contain our enthusiasm. 

Unlike some wildlife, they don’t run off when they see humans and vehicles on the roads. Although one surely wouldn’t want to get too close since one swift kick can be fatal to humans and destructive to cars.  We always stay back a reasonable distance to respect their space and always give them the “right of way” when walking down or across the road.

This giraffe had five oxpeckers on its hide.

There’s so much to see right here in the park. We understand why some people we’ve met don’t necessarily go into Kruger often. For us, with our limited time remaining (eight months) in Marloth Park and the fact we purchased a one-year pass to enter Kruger (referred to as a “Wild Card”) as often as we’d like, we love seeing wildlife in both locations.

Driving around and finding giraffes in Marloth Park is indescribable.

On days we don’t go into Kruger, we take advantage of the opportunity to encounter so many marvelous creatures right here in our “garden.” When we were here four years ago, it was hard to get me out the door to go anywhere. 

Those three short months in 2013/2014 flew by quickly, and when we left, we knew it would never be enough. Now, over this extended period, we can freely come and go as we please, never worrying we’re missing out.  We have more stunning photos we took late yesterday that we’d never been able to see if we had been in Kruger. We’ll share those tomorrow.

She turned her head for an alternate view.

Today, we’re busy planning our tours and safaris for our next trip to Zambia and Botswana, for which we’re leaving on August 16th for one week. Due to visa restrictions, we have no choice to travel back to Zambia, as mentioned in earlier posts. 

This way, we can fly in and out of the small international airport in Nelspruit, where visa restrictions are easier than traveling through Johannesburg. Few visitors stay in South Africa for an extended period unless they apply for residency, which we didn’t want to do due to the complicated and time-consuming process that takes many months or even years to acquire.

 We were thrilled when we spotted this “tower” of five giraffes.

Once we firm up the details of these tours, we’ll post the information here. In the interim, we’re enjoying the planning. As for the distant future, we’ve had several inquiries about when we’ll be posting a new itinerary. 

“The giraffe is the tallest mammal in the world, standing at around 4-5m high (13-16 feet), and the tallest giraffes can be recorded up to 5.9m (19 feet). That’s over a meter higher than a double-decker bus.”

The last time we posted an itinerary was on January 7, 2018 (at this link).  But, since that date, we’ve made several changes that we’ll update in the next few months as we add more bookings and re-post an up-to-date and accurate itinerary. The itinerary you’ll see at the above link doesn’t include the Zambia and Botswana trips or the upcoming photo tour in Kenya next February.

“Despite being incredibly tall, giraffes still only have seven vertebrae in their neck – the same number as humans and most other mammals.”

That’s it for today, folks. We want to thank our readers for sticking with us during the somewhat repetitive experience. How many giraffes, warthogs, and kudus can you see? For us? There’s never enough. For many of you?  Not so much. 

Have a spectacular day!

Photo from one year ago today, June 19, 2017:

Wild turkeys are everywhere in the metro area in Minneapolis. Our friend Sue had shared this photo with us that she’d taken the morning before we got together in the evening. It was beautiful seeing our dear friend Sue and this turkey too! For more photos, please click here.

Unexpected visit to Kruger National Park…Never disappoints…

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No more than 10 minutes into Kruger we spotted elephants.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Kudu sticks out her tongue in anticipation of being hand fed pellets.  We don’t feed the males by hand due to the risk of an unintended injury by their massive and dangerous antlers.

When we miraculously uploaded yesterday’s post by around 11:45 am and the sun was shining on a beautiful day, impulsively I said to Tom, “Let’s go to Kruger now!”

We assumed the dark brown color was due to rolling around in a muddy waterhole.

Although midday may not be the perfect time to find wildlife out and about in the heat of the sun, we decided “why not?”  We’d never entered the park this late in the day but it wasn’t as if we had any other pressing matters on the agenda…the wildlife “at home” could wait for our return if they happened to stop by and we weren’t around.

There were a few giraffes a distance from the road.  Unfortunately, in Kruger visitors must stay on the roads.  Returning to the Masai Mara (in February) on our Greg Harvey Wildlife Photography Tour we’ll have a guide driving the safari vehicle and they are able to drive off-road

Since we were both showered and dressed for the day it took us only a few minutes to get ready to head out the door; gather our passports, park entrance documents, camera and extra batteries, binoculars, and drinks in our mugs (water for me and iced tea for Tom).

When we’d given up hope of seeing a parade of elephants, safari luck kicked in and once again, we were gifted with these elephants crossing the road.  We couldn’t believe the baby’s determined stride!

By noon, we were out the door to head to the petrol station to put air in the little blue car’s tires.  We have to do this every few days but refuse to pay for tire repairs on the rental car, especially since we’ll only have it for another 17 days. 

If we’d been a few minutes earlier we’d have seen the entire parade but we were thrilled with what we did get an opportunity to witness.

Hopefully, the vehicle we’ve rented for the next three more months, which we’ll pick up in Nelspruit after we return from Zambia on May 18th, won’t have similar problems as the past few rentals in South Africa.

Check out the size of this newborn calf which probably was born in the past week.

Once we crossed the Crocodile Bridge and reached the entrance to the park, when we showed our Wild Card (annual pass to the park) we were told we’d have to go inside in order to be allowed to enter the park.

There were dozens more than we could capture in a single photo.

Any visitors arriving after 12:00 pm have to register inside the reception building.  Little did we know it would take 15 minutes to have a rep at the desk check us in.  Next time, we’ll make sure to arrive before noon to avoid this added wait.

We could see, at a distance, where they all were headed.

By 12:45 we were on the main paved road with a plan to drive for an hour or more and then turn around and head back the same way.  With the car’s bad tires, we weren’t about to tackle a washboard dirt road. 

Mating season.  A little hugging perhaps?

One might wonder “Why would you want to return the same way you came?”  The answer it simple.  We can see nothing on the way in and magic happening on the way out.  Wildlife is unpredictable and although they may have favorite watering holes and foraging spots they wander many kilometers on any given day.

Kruger is 19,485 square kilometers (7,523 square miles), the size of the country of Wales.  It’s odd to imagine that driving on any road, paved or dirt, we’d actually encounter any wildlife at all, considering how much space they have to wander.  But, we do.  And it can be on the main paved road or a dirt road with little predictability.

Check out the look on this zebras face!

Once we get a car with better tires, we’ll explore more of the dirt roads in the park, more for a change of scenery than in hopes of seeing more wildlife.  We already know the main road very well recognizing vegetation and watering holes along the way.

It proved to be a good day based on the photos we’re sharing today and will continue to share in the future as we accumulate more and more good shots we’ve been able to take while in the park.

We made it a challenge to see how many bushbabies we can capture in one photo. In this photo, it appears there are four when in fact there were six.  We’ll keep trying.

Today, we’re off to Komatipoort for a dentist appointment for me.  A filling I had repaired in Costa Rica has fallen out and needs to be repaired.  I don’t like going to a dentist but who does?  It’s just a fact of life we all must bear.  Our friend Gail made a recommendation for a good dentist located two doors from Wimpy’s Hamburgers near the Spar Supermarket.  Afterward, we’ll do some grocery shopping. 

So, that’s it for today, folks. We hope you have a fabulous day! Once the dentist appointment is over, my day will be just fine!
__________________________________


Photo from one year ago today, April 24, 2017:

A small uninhabited island off the coast of New Caledonia.  For more photos, please click here.

Oh, what a night!…Way too much fun!…Tom’s South Africa haircut…at last! A rare visitor…a great dinner…

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“We’re not moving! We’re waiting on the others!” We didn’t mind a bit. We’d have gladly waited for any amount of time.

There are times I say to myself, “Oh, please, this is too much fun!” Then again, I realize that both of us are easily entertained. Really. 

An interesting insect or sighting of a turtle walking across the garden has the ability to captivate us to the point of squealing with delight once we can let out our breath.

“We’re coming! We need a few more bites before we join the others!”

We were always like this. Only then, we didn’t have access to this degree of almost constant stimulation.  Whether it’s the sound of Lions roaring, the pleasant bubbly sound of hippos as we lie in bed at night, or the shuffling sound of a creature atop the roof, the pleasure only seems to stop when we’re sleeping.

“Hold onto your shorts!”

It’s ironic that this constant state of being “on the alert” and the sheer engagement when we discover yet another wonder, by 10:00 to 10:30 pm, I’m practically falling on my face. Tom is not far behind.

And still, the others had yet to join them while they anxiously looked their way. At this point, traffic was backed up and as soon as there was an opening, we were on our way, our faces hurting from smiling.

Yesterday and last night, one of many days and nights, we had a particularly delightful time. The heat was unbearable as a storm brewed, the air was thick was visible humidity. We lasted outdoors for five hours finally throwing in the towel, heading indoors to the loft with AC.

Yet to visit our yard, a mom and baby Wildebeest watched us drive by.

Due to the excessive heat, the AC wasn’t able to keep up. The lines frequently clog with insects, caused water to start dripping into the house. When this occurred, we had no option but it turn it off. With AC in both bedrooms, I decided it was a good time to go into our bedroom, turn on the AC and read my book. That didn’t last long.

Definitely not pretty animals, but, all of them are cute to us.  Although it’s been very hot here in the summer months, we’re grateful we’ve come during the birthing season, seeing many babies.

Fearful of missing something, a short time later I turned off the AC, shut the door, and looked outside for visitors. What if we missed something else? We’d had a great morning as shown in yesterday’s post.

We were so excited to get this shot of one of the two monitor lizards living in our yard.  This photo was taken at the hottest point in the day.  Louise and Danie told us that they’ll swim in the pool from time to time. We’d have loved to see that!

Having left prawn shells (shrimp) and a raw egg for the mongoose (they eat snakes), I was thrilled to see the monitor lizard eating the last of the prawn shells and then taking the raw egg with her to the hole in which we occasionally see her and her mate slither in and out.

The monitor lizard, a rare visitor, headed to the ground on the opposite side of the pool to check out the eggs that she laid a few weeks ago. As mentioned recently, it may take up to 300 days for the eggs to hatch depending upon conditions such as weather and attacks by other animals.
This occurred so quickly that I had no time to get the camera. A half-hour later we found the monitor lizard contemplating a swim in the pool, the long tongue darting in and out of the water. As a result, we captured these photos from inside the house. These Lizards are very skittish. If they’d seen us they’d be gone in a few seconds. They move quickly.
Tom, outside the salon where he got a haircut on Thursday.

At 6:30 pm, as the sun began to set, Okee Dokee picked us up to take us to Jabula Lodge, our favorite restaurant in the area. Not only is the food fantastic, but Dawn and Leon, the owners, present every time we arrive, make our dining experience comparable to a party each time. The chatting and laughing between tasty bites adds a playful element that drives us back, time, and again for more.

Tom, awaiting his turn at the salon for his haircut appointment.

On the way to Jabula Lodge, we stopped many times to take these photos. Although not as clear as I’d like since taking photos from a moving vehicle at dusk is challenging with our type of camera. However, we couldn’t resist sharing these today. 

Tom with his new haircut getting ready to eat that huge vertical stick of beef known as Espetada. I wasn’t thrilled about him eating the chips (as they call fries in Africa). But, I kept my mouth shut and didn’t comment, as usual. He said the meat was delicious. I had perfectly prepared grilled chicken, veggies, and Greek salad (sans dressing).

After the laugh-fest at Jabula Lodge, we headed home, watched a few shows on my broken-monitor laptop, and headed to bed. The worst of the storm had passed, the temperature had dropped considerably and a good night’s sleep was imminent. Another good day.

The giraffes graced us with another visit to our yard…Never imagined they would return…Videos..photos…

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Similar to the main photo in this post of December 14th, once again,we looked toward the driveway to discover giraffes coming our way. What a glorious sight!

On December 14, 2013, two weeks after arriving in Marloth Park, 12 magnificent Giraffes visited us in our yard as described in this post.  No words can express how elated we were when we discovered their long gangly legs lumbering down our narrow driveway.

First of two videos, we took yesterday in our yard. The second video is below.


Male giraffes weigh as much as 4000 pounds, 1814 kg, and be as tall as 20 feet, 6 meters. Females are much smaller at 2500 pounds, 1133 kilograms, and be as tall as 14 feet, 4.27 meters. A male can weigh as much as a pickup truck.

The four giraffes kept a watchful eye on us as they wandered in the yard munching on treetops.

Giraffes have the same number of vertebrae as humans and must exercise caution when drinking. during which they spread their front legs to reach down to the water. They are especially vulnerable to predators in this position.

Please click here for more facts about giraffes.

Oxpeckers are the giraffe’s friend, eating ticks and other insects off of the giraffe’s hide.

After an exquisite and memorable hour-long visit on December 14th, we both wondered if they’d ever return. Our ‘safari luck” had given us more than we’d ever imagined. At times, we’ve giggled over how skeptical we’ve been to leave the house in the event they return when we aren’t at home.

With many of their preferred acacia trees in our yard, the giraffes were happily munching, able to reach the tops of the trees impossible for other wildlife.

While most wildlife visits seem to last an hour or less, it would be relatively easy to miss an event, never knowing that we missed. The hope that giraffes would return was held with a somewhat sad acceptance that we’d been lucky they’d visited us once. Why would we be so lucky for a second visit?

Here is the second video we took yesterday. If you watch the beginning carefully, you can see the giraffe rocking the tree in an effort to bite off a big cluster of leaves.
We weren’t certain why this giraffe was bending down.  Unless drinking they seldom lower their long necks. Again, we see oxpeckers hanging on.

Alas, yesterday morning, while busy taking videos of 70-80 Impalas having visited us, then making their exit along a worn animal path in the yard (which we’ll share tomorrow), I turned to look back toward the driveway for any stragglers. 

There they were; leggy, colorful, and laden with oxpeckers picking at insects in their chosen habitat on the giraffe’s hide.  

Whispering to Tom I mouthed, “Check out the driveway!”  Turning his head away from the path of the impalas at the far end of the yard, an even deeper smile came across his face, as we both held our breath in anticipation.  

While the impalas were here, we’d remained seated fearful that moving would scare them off with their skittish nature. After an hour of hardly moving, the giraffes’ appearance prompted further caution, although they appear to be less nervous around people. Although, given a loud noise or sudden movement, they too will quickly wander off into the bush.

A few more nibbles close to the carport and they were on their way.  Instead of walking on the driveway, they wandered away through the dense bush.

Finally, we were able to stand as we excitedly took the two videos included here today and the accompanying photos.  With their enormous height, it’s difficult to take photos of several in one shot unless they’re tightly packed when arriving or departing, walking along the driveway or road.   

At one point we quietly ventured indoors to the second-floor veranda from which we took the shorter of the two videos.

There were only four of them. Last time there were 12. We weren’t disappointed by any means. How could one be disappointed when the tallest creature on the planet comes wandering into their yard? Not us!

After a while, they departed via the bush preventing us from getting a photo of the four of them together as we’d done in the past. 

Tomorrow, we’ll share photos and a video of the 70 to 80 Impalas that visited en mass for the first time, although we’ve seen a few in the yard and literally hundreds along the roads. 


Wonder what today will bring? Whatever it may be, they are welcomed!

Slow down, you move too fast…Customs fees on a package we received…Scroll to the end for a favorite new photo…

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Yesterday morning, on our way home after refueling the pink car at the “petrol” station this giraffe made it clear that she had the right of way.  
We’ve found that every three months or so, it’s necessary to place an order for supplies. As we’ve mentioned in the past, the shipping costs are outrageous, particularly if we need the package to arrive quickly.
After one of our surge protectors were confiscated from our carry on at the Dubai airport and an electrical converter and another power strip burned out in Kenya from the generator, we were operating our digital equipment with minimal supplies. Appropriate replacements for these were nowhere to be found in Kenya nor in South Africa.
“Yum, these taste better on this side of the road,” she says. 
After the annoyance of swapping the plugin for our laptops every few hours, we decided it was time to place an order which we did as usual through Amazon. Plus, I needed a pair of Keds leather slip-on. The pair I’d been wearing (one of only a few pairs of shoes that I own) were worn beyond one more wearing.

Most items are shipped free to our Nevada, USA mailing service. When all of the items arrive, they remove the packing materials and ship them all in one box.
The treetop munching was still pretty good on this side of the road for these two.
This time, we chose to send it through the US Postal Service sending it the slowest and least costly way, which hopefully would arrive in six weeks or less. Earlier than expected, Louise walked in the door with our box of supplies on Tom’s birthday, December 23rd, handing us a slip of paper saying we owed ZAR $279, US $26.97 to the local post office for customs fees.
Immediately, we knew the cause of the extra fees, the pair of shoes. While in Kenya, placing the order a few days before we’d left, I’d read that South Africa doesn’t allow pairs of shoes to be shipped, only one shoe per box.
A pile of Vervet Monkeys we spotted when we went to the post office to pay our outstanding bill. They were living near a dumpster situated behind the little strip mall.
Thus, when customs opened the box and saw the pair of shoes, they’d decided to let them go through but would charge the fee.  But, I have my shoes, never having been so happy with a new pair of shoes, extra fees and all.

Having hooked up our two new power strips, we no longer have to swap back and forth, making life a little easier, not that life in Marloth Park is tough.
Skittish around people, they aren’t shy around food, constantly on the lookout for scraps.
Sure, there are many insects, some scary, the heat can be unbearable at times (with comfortable days in between), most of the roads are unpaved and bumpy, but who’s complaining?

Had this been a holiday/vacation for a mere week or two this by far would have been the most glorious holiday/vacation of our lives. Knowing we have over two more months in Marloth Park, enjoying its many wonders makes our hearts leap with joy.
Flowers aren’t prolific in Marloth Park.  The few that grow are stunning.
Tonight, we’ll dine in, the second night in a row, savoring a giant piece of trimmed beef tenderloin that we cut into amply sized fillets, enough to last both nights with sauteed portobello mushrooms, two side vegetables, and a bowl of our daily staple, coleslaw.  

Today, a cooler day than yesterday’s scorcher, we’ll lounge on the veranda awaiting visitors and later take a sunset drive to search for more.
This photo was taken a few days ago with the sun in my eyes.  It wasn’t until I downloaded it to my computer that I realized that the two birds were on the impala’s back. Check out the babies sitting in the grass near their mom.


Tonight, we’ll watch the second half of the recent movie, “The Butler.” I could do this forever. Life is good.

Most extraordinary day yet…Is this really happening?…

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On Thursday morning as I stepped outside onto the veranda, camera in hand, this was the first thing I saw. Quietly alerting Tom, who was still inside the house, he rushed out to witness this same sight. And then, in minutes they were everywhere. No words can describe our elation.
At first, we thought there may only be a few when we saw only this one. Giraffes hang out in groups, often changing to a new group every few hours with no special loyalty to any grouping, other than moms and a baby of which only one is born at a time.
Walking out onto our driveway we were able to see the others arriving.

It won’t always be this exciting. After a while, we’ll have shared more and more new photos of visitors that have already visited us in the past. But for us, this is only the beginning of our adventures in South Africa. 

As they entered the yard, they scattered about, making it impossible to take photos of more than a few at a time. 
They enjoyed nibbling on our untouched tree touch, full and flavorful from recent rains.  On December 21st, summer begins in South Africa. In the winter, the leaves will be gone, and everything turns parched and brown, leaving less food for the wildlife.
Scratching an itch.

In six days, we’ll pick up a rental car to use for our remaining days in Marloth Park. With many plans on the horizon over our remaining over two months, we’ll have much to share.

They often stopped dining to look at us. We kept our distance, not wanting to disturb and as an inducement for them to return another day with little intrusion from us.
Nice pose with the right leg bent.
Tom with three giraffes behind him.

We’ve found it’s best not to get into “what we’re considering doing” as opposed  to “what we have locked in, via dates and reservations.” Doing so prevents us from feeling pressure to follow through on the possibilities as opposed to the realities. This is low-stress living, right?

Adding a frame of reference in the driveway.
Reaching for a low lying morsel.

A lone warthog wanted in on the excitement. No problem. You’re in!

Tentatively, we present these photos today knowing full well that it will be a tough act to follow. Living in the bush anything exciting can happen at any moment, as we’ve already witnessed. We sit back in watchful anticipation, welcoming magical moments our way. 

Perhaps a bit of romance brewing? Check out the eyelashes on the female on the right, definitely involved in the flirting process.
The “togetherness” continued.
“Stop with photos already.  I have to fill up the right cheek with these tasty greens.”

We call it our “safari luck” that began when we went on safari in the Masai Mara in early October and saw the “Big Five” in the first ten hours in the vehicle with Anderson. Even he commented on how lucky we were. On the little plane when upon departure, many other travelers commented that they’d only be able to see four of the Big Five and their subsequent disappointment. Yes, we were lucky. 

This male was sitting in the yard taking a break from being so tall.

That same “safari luck” has been with us since arriving in Marloth Park only two weeks ago. This is evidenced by today’s photos. From the day we arrived, we longed for the Giraffes to visit, the visit Louise and Danie assured us would definitely transpire over a period of three months. And they did come. All 12 of them on Thursday morning, a day we’ll never forget.

“Please,” says Mr. Warthog, “one more photo of me and the tall ones. I’m always camera ready”

If this was a typical two-week vacation/holiday as most travelers plan when visiting Marloth Park, we would have had a rich and memorable experience. But for us, the fact that we have the opportunity to reach out and grab more of this magic leaves us humble and grateful.

We counted 12 giraffes as they gathered for their joint exit after their hour-long visit.

This morning when once again, the family of nine Warthogs appeared, standing in the bush partially hidden by low lying brush as if waiting for us to come outside. As we stepped to the railing to our veranda, they freely marched toward us, all nine of them, two moms and seven babies ready to make us laugh, ready to entertain us, and ready to respond to my goofy high pitched voice welcoming them. 

Thanks for the visit giraffes!
But somehow, we knew they’d return.

Not for one second, did we ever feel we’d had enough of them or that we’ll ever tire of their visits. If we have “safari luck” and the giraffes to visit another time, we’ll be in as much awe as we were this first time.

Your visit meant the world to us!

There is no doubt in my mind that when these three months come to a close, it will be difficult to leave all of this behind. It will be difficult to no longer constantly scan our surroundings for a hint of movement, the sound of hooves, a snort, a growl, or a gentle call. 

For now, we let those thoughts waft away to allow ourselves to live in the moment, knowing in our hearts that this, dear readers, is “Why,I always dreamed of Africa.”