Who’s in the garden this morning?

• 12 warthogs
• 2 wildebeest
• 13 bushbucks
• 11 kudus including 1 Big Daddy
• Frank and The Misses (twice)
• 1 duiker

It would be easy for a new reader to begin reading our posts since we arrived in South Africa and make an assumption that we are the kind of people that always say, “Everything is fantastic,” implying that it is that way all the time. As I recall, I can easily think of people who always say that everything is perfect, when in fact that may not be the case.

Of course, most will not answer, “How are you?” with a negative response, revealing how much they “really” feel. At times, it can appear socially inappropriate. When close friends are alone together over a coffee, tea or adult beverage, they may be more inclined to reveal any negative aspects of their lives at the moment or in the past.

On a daily basis, we find that most people say that they are “good”, in an attempt to stay and to appear optimistic and positive, whatever their life circumstances. Let us admit that life is sometimes difficult, even when there is nothing particularly difficult at the moment. And, when there are challenges, we often try to keep them to ourselves, to avoid appearing negative, or to be whining.

In our lives of world travel, almost nine years later, with so much revealed on a daily basis, it’s difficult to hide how we “really” feel or how we’re doing at any given time. In a perfect world, I would keep my mouth closed (fingers on the keypad) and always be positive. But, I truly believe, if we operated on this basis, few readers would have stayed with us for these many years.

Not that I like the show, but what made the TV series, “The Kardashians” so popular was the strife, the fights, the fears and the insecurities of its family members and friends. The same thing goes for all the “Real Housewives of….,” another TV series that we don’t watch, with it’s altercations, angst, jealousies and the general disharmony of the group.

Well, in our case, although we aren’t as popular as either of those reality shows, we, too, go through periods when we experience negative experiences, thoughts, fears and disappointments. We share them here. Some have asked if we get along as well as we present online and, we do. What you see of us, as a couple, is who we are.

We have no drama, we seldom snip at one another, and on the few occasions when Tom gets grumpy for a few minutes, I totally ignore him. Only minutes later, he’s his usual cheerful self, as if nothing happened at all. Since I don’t like confrontation, years ago, I chose not to do “grumpy,” resulting in the fact that I don’t fight, argue and carry on when things don’t go my way. There’s usually a solution to most frustrating situations.

But, as mentioned, our lives aren’t perfect. At our age, we have to be realistic about aches and pains, lack of sleep, and  occasional gastrointestinal distress. Based on our lifestyle, we don’t run to the doctor at the first sign of discomfort, pain or general malaise. Of course, if an issue lingers or feels life-threatening, we’d immediately address it seeking appropriate medical care.

We often find, we can figure out why we’re having a problem and how we can remedy it on our own. No, we don’t bother to mention every ache, pain or sleepless night we experience. But, on those days, feeling out-of-sorts, we may feel life is far from perfect.

Then, there are those days, which are in the majority, when “everything is right with the world.” Whether we’re in Marloth Park, or any of the amazing places we’ve visited in the world, those days are treasured and remembered.

May we all have plenty of those memorable days when “everything is right with the world.”

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

The nutrient-rich hills of Madeira were being prepared for summer produce. For more photos, please click here..

Who’s in the garden this morning?

• 4 wildebeest
• 6 warthogs
• 2 bushbuck
• 6 kudus
• 19 helmeted guinea-fowls
• Frank and The Misses

This morning, we decided to start today’s post before shopping in Lebombo and Komatipoort. We decided to go to Lebombo, where we can buy carrots, cabbages, and apples for wildlife at great prices, compared to the Spar supermarket in Komati.

The bush becomes thinner every day. The vegetation the animals usually eat is sparse and brown, getting more before our eyes. It is no wonder we have so many animals in our garden because of our enthusiasm and willingness to provide pellets all day long. Adding these vegetables to their diet won’t cost more than pellets but provides them with some tasty, healthy variety.

Many of the wild animals dig for roots, including bushbucks and warthogs. Offering some root vegetables and others can only be good for them. I will gladly take the time to cut them into bite-sized pieces to ensure none of the smaller wildlife doesn’t choke on the oversized chunks the wildebeest and kudus can easily manage.

Yesterday, Rita and Gerhard drove to Nelspruit to do more comprehensive errands for items not found locally or at Komatipoort. We’ve often thought of doing that but so dislike the three-hour round trip. We have learned to live with what we can find in Komati.

They were on a mission to find folding chairs the four of us could use to sit by the Crocodile River during sundowners-time on a mission to see wildlife on the river before sunset. Fortunately, they found great chairs for all of us at the cost of only ZAR 988, US $70.23 for two chairs each. Rita had sent pictures of the different chair options, but I suggested that they move forward and choose for themselves and us.

Tomorrow, we’ll post photos of the chairs and from our time this afternoon while at the river, hoping to see some wildlife in Kruger National Park. Sometimes we have “safari luck,” and sometimes we don’t. It’s more about enjoying the outdoors, watching the sunset on the river, and enjoying idle conversation with our friends.

So now, at 1:00 pm, back after shopping, I’m hurrying to get done here in time to work on the corrections I had planned for today. Once back at our bush house, before even putting our groceries away, we saw Frank and The Misses standing at the screened door to the veranda, looking for their seeds. Lunch had long passed.

Hurriedly, I refilled the little container with seeds and the second container with fresh water so they could have their lunch and beverage to wash down the seeds. We always laugh when we see them. What a joy to behold two or three times a day when they come to call.

We need to watch them eat because we are not able to leave the seeds outside unattended. Invariably, the warthogs will come up onto the veranda and finish their seeds. We’ve worked hard to teach pigs not to eat the seeds, and most of them have, but some stubborn pigs won’t leave the seeds alone. They get plenty of pellets and don’t need seeds to supplement their diet.

While we were out this morning, we drove to Lebombo as planned and purchased a huge bag of carrots, a few bags of apples, and two massive heads of cabbage for the animals. In addition, we bought two 40 kg, 88 pounds, bags of pellets to supplement our current supply, which was down to 1½ bags.

Then, upon the recommendation of our friend and Honorary Ranger, Patty Pan, we purchased a giant roll of “baloney,” which is a meat concoction that the mongoose and late-night visitors will enjoy. The mongoose, cats, and other nocturnal visitors are carnivores, consuming only meat, and some are omnivores, consuming meat and some vegetation. The majority of the animals in Marloth Park are herbivores, only eating vegetation.

OK, folks, I’m on to my next job of the day, once I upload this post, of getting back to work on those dreaded corrections. In a week, I will be halfway through, having worked on the older posts first.

Then, in a few hours, we’re off to the river to meet Rita and Gerhard for sundowners, excellent conversation, and, no doubt, stunning views. Have a safe and healthy day!

Photos from one year ago today, May 20, 2020:

Albert, our guide in Chobe National Park and on the Chobe River, had pulled the safari vehicle close to the river to take photos of the elephants easily. For more photos, please click here.