A huge savings after a phone call…Well worth the hour-long phone call…

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Many mongooses stopped by for the new roll of paloney we purchased yesterday.

When Tom saw a mention on CruiseCritic.com that our upcoming Azamara cruise on August 1, 2023, had a price reduction, he was determined to see if we could make use of the promotion. On September 3, 2021, we booked the cruise and wrote about it in detail in this post.

We were excited about this cruise since we’ve longed to go to Norway for the longest time, but all the cruises were so expensive we hesitated to book this 600-passenger Azamara cruise. At the time, while we were here in Marloth Park, we hoped this smaller ship would be less likely to have as many cases of Covid-19 by the time it sailed.

At the time of the booking, neither of us had tested positive for Covid-19, and we’d hoped we’d never would. As it turned out, as most of our readers know, we were infected on the Celebrity Silhouette, with 2886 passengers, hundreds of which became infected with Omicron during the cruise.

It was a tough time for both of us when we became ill for many months. Tom got Covid pneumonia, and I got long-haul Covid sinus issues that still linger today, ten months later, although it has improved considerably in the past two months. You’d think we’d be gun-shy about sailing again, but we are still traveling the world, and for us, part of that experience is sailing on cruise ships and other vessels.

Zebras come to call.

We, like many others, have decided to move on with our lives, whether we’re traveling or not. We can’t remain entrapped in fear and apprehension over getting infected, now three years after the onset of the pandemic. Gosh, it was about this time, three years ago, that our private tour of India was fast coming to a close due to sightseeing venues rapidly shutting down, and only days later, our ten-month stint in lockdown in a Mumbai hotel room began.

Well, at least the cruise to Norway didn’t get canceled, as with many previously booked cruises. We’ve been excited to embark on this itinerary which we’ll share again when we set sail on August 1, 2023, less than six months from now. Or, if interested, you can click on the above link, here again to see the full itinerary.

As mentioned in that post, the total cost for the cruise for the two of us was listed as follows:

“The total cost of this cruise for the two of us is US $16,275, ZAR 234,559 (based on today’s value of the rand). The cruise includes an upgraded balcony cabin on the Azamara Journey, tips, drinks, and WiFi for one device. Once we board, we’ll pay for WiFi for a second device. Shore excursions are extra.”

Over the past year or so since we booked this cruise, there have been several price drops. In each case, Tom has called Costco Travel, which always requires over an hour on hold, but he was able to get the price dropped each time. Through his determination and patience, the price has decreased considerably.

Stopping for a drink from the pool.

On Saturday, Tom discovered another price drop, but based on the time difference and Costco’s hours of operation, he didn’t call to request the new lower price until Monday afternoon, when he knew Costco and Azamara’s offices would both be open. In each case, the rep from Costco has to call the cruise line to provide us with a lower price.

I should mention, as I have previously, that these price reductions are not automatic. It is up to the passengers to keep checking prices and promotions and inform their cruise booking service that they’d like to take advantage of a lowered price, added perks, or upgrades. Tom is diligent in keeping track of possible changes, saving us thousands of dollars over the years.

Then, of course, we had multiple credits from cruises Azamara canceled due to the pandemic, which we rolled forward to future cruises. But, for today’s sake, I am only getting into the difference from the original price to the new reductions that occurred in the past 18 months.

So here are the totals for two passengers in a balcony cabin

Original Price: US $16,275, ZAR 234,559

New Price:      US $7,522.62, ZAR 137025.36

As it turns out, the accumulated credits leave us with a credit balance, which the cruise line is applying back to our credit card on file. We owe nothing when the final payment is due on March 20, 2023. This gives us peace of mind after losing quite a bit over the Seychelles fiasco.

Here are some of the perks we’ll receive on this cruise:

  $450 Costco Shop Card Costco Shop Card
  Azamara’s Sale $250 per person Shipboard Credit
  Azamara’s Early Booking $150 per person Shipboard Credit
 ***The amenities included above (including shipboard credit or Costco Shop Card) are assigned to this booking as of (02/13/2023). Any changes to price, cabin, category, sailing date, promo, etc., may result in a change of amenities.***
We’ll use US $800, ZAR 14382.10, and shipboard credits toward WiFI fees. A basic drink package and tips are included in the cruise fare. We’ll pay extra for any shore excursions, but often we choose to go on private, small-group tours arranged with other passengers to travel on vans, instead of the 40-passenger bus experience, which we don’t care to do.
That’s it for today, folks.
Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 15, 2022:

This is a Thick Neck. He hasn’t been coming around as much as he did before Gordy claimed his territory. We can distinguish Gordy and Thick Neck from TN’s thicker neck and Adam’s Apple on his throat. Zoom in to see this anomaly. For more photos, please click here.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of our family, readers/friends…

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Not us, but indicative of world travel. Happy Valentine’s Day to all of our family, readers/friends.

It’s that lovely, romantic, seemingly Hallmark card-generated holiday of Valentine’s Day. This special day of observing love began in the 14th century, as follows from this site:

“Valentine’s Day occurs every February 14. Across the United States and other places worldwide, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint, and where did these traditions come from? Find out about the meaning and history of Valentine’s Day, from the ancient Roman ritual of Lupercalia that welcomed spring to the card-giving customs of Victorian England.

Saint Valentine, according to some sources, is two distinct historical characters who were said to have healed a child while imprisoned and executed by decapitation.

Saint Valentine, who according to some sources is actually two distinct historical characters who were said to have healed a child while imprisoned and executed by decapitation.
Fototeca Gilardi/Getty Images

Where did Valentine’s Day originate from? The history of the holiday—and the story of its patron saint—is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman traditions. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Still, others insist that Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop, was the true namesake of the holiday. He, too, was beheaded by Claudius II outside Rome.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine sent the first “valentine” greeting after he fell in love with a young girl—possibly his jailor’s daughter—who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and—most importantly—romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.”

We thought the rain may have ended, but it rained off and on all night, and then, this morning, when Tom left for his haircut, an indescribable downpour practically shook the house. I was awake several times during the night listening to the rain and overslept this morning, awakening only after Tom had left.

I bolted out of bed, wondering if we could get to Komatipoort today to go grocery shopping. We haven’t done so in almost two weeks, and Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard is looking quite bare. We’ve decided that as soon as I was done with this post, we could head out. But, with the sun shining, it might be a good time to go. So we are off and will return in a few hours, hoping to be able to get there with the roads open.

What are we doing to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Nothing special. We’re staying home for a nice dinner and evening on the veranda. Hopefully, many animals will come to visit, but with all this rain, the vegetation is lush, and they’re happily enjoying Mother Nature’s bounty.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all who celebrate, and for those who don’t, may you have another day of love.

Photo from one year ago today, February 14, 2022:

2015: Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii

This parent and chick sit close to one another until the chick becomes more confident, and the parents feel more at ease. In time, the chick will likely be left behind on its own in June or July. Although Cathy, the docent from the Las Angeles Zoo, explained that on occasion, a fledgling won’t leave the nest until August, at which time she can go on her vacation. She won’t leave until they have all left the area, and her job of overseeing them for the years is over until next November when many will return to the sea. See the post here. For the year-ago post, please click here.
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Still raining off and on.. Evacuation warnings for bush homes along the Crocodile River…

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Please zoom in to see Aggie, an agama, which changes colors at will, on the right side of this tree when he chose to look like the tree bark instead of his usual colorful style.

The Crocodile River continues to rise. We’ve never been anywhere in the world when it rained as many days as it has here in the past ten days.  Last night, warnings were posted on Marloth Park Facebook groups that residents in bush homes along the river may have to evacuate.

All guests residing in camps and resorts in Kruger National Park were evacuated yesterday, and the park is officially closed. All entrance gates (nine in South Africa and two in Mozambique) to the vast national park are now closed due to flooding, washed-out roads, huge potholes, and mudslides.

It is one of the largest national parks in the world, with an area of 19,485 km2 (7,523 sq mi). The park is approximately 360 km (220 mi) long and has an average width of 65 km (40 mi).”
A small band of mongooses stopped by for paloney.
We feel bad for the tourists that spent fortunes to get here since airfare is so expensive, hoping to do multiple game drives and camp and resort stays in the park and now will not be able to do so. Let alone those currently staying in Marloth Park, the roads to their holiday homes are washed out, and they can’t enter or leave. Can you imagine their frustration?
We are safe here at our bush home. Water isn’t leaking into the house, and there don’t appear to be significant issues on our dirt road. As much as we’d like to see the roaring river, we avoid the area for the above reasons. Nor do we want to get stuck driving with the lightweight KWID car rental. It hardly had enough oomph to go up a hill with the aircon on, let alone maneuver out of a deep mudhole.
Some of our readers have written to us inquiring about how excessive rain and flooding impact wildlife. These animals are so resourceful and intelligent. They know what to do to stay safe as long as they aren’t caught in the rivers’ fast-moving current, which may prove deadly. But many animals are excellent swimmers, and many others are wise enough to know to maintain their position on the banks of the river.
At any given time, there are impalas in our garden. If we can help it, we don’t feed them since they may scare off many other species, and there are too many to feed regularly.
Numerous waterbucks have been stranded along the Crocodile River, unable to swim across the raging waters. They can survive on the Marloth Park side of the river since there is plenty of vegetation for them to eat. However, if nosey locals approach them, they can become stressed, panicky, and die. There have been numerous warnings for locals and guests to stay away from the river, not only for their safety but also for the safety of the wildlife.
Tom woke up early this morning to watch the US Football Super Bowl. I watched for a few minutes of the halftime show, which I usually enjoy, but this time it was just OK, not as exciting as some I’ve seen in the past. Although his favorite team, the Minnesota Vikings, wasn’t playing in the game, he enjoyed it anyway.
Last night, while on the veranda at sundowner time, we enjoyed ourselves with Norman. He is funny, animated, and so attentive to our voices. He always makes us laugh. Afterward, we had a great dinner but experienced a WiFi outage for a few hours, preventing us from streaming our favorite shows.
Impalas are good-looking animals with interesting markings and adorable faces. Only males have horns.
Instead, we watched a mediocre movie on the external hard drive that Rita and Gerhard gave me last year for my birthday. With the 1000 movies Gerhard loaded on the four terabyte devices, it has been a lifesaver when there’s no signal. Right now, we’re working on watching movies beginning with the letter “b,” thus, we have a long way to go.
We always have a good time regardless of what we do each day and evening. Tonight, Tom’s having pork chops on the braai with rice and salad, and I’m having prawn salad. As always, it will be a lovely evening.
Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 13, 2022:

A foam tree frog nest hangs over the pool, made by a female frog during the night. For more photos, please click here.

Still raining…Wildlife under cover…Mudslides on the N4…My four-year “heartaversary!”

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Big Daddy and an impala we call Chevy, sitting close to one another.

With both of us outdoors, the temperature is tolerable at 81F and 27C, but the comfort factor is minimal. It’s still raining heavily, off and of, and the humidity is outrageously high at 84%  with a dew point of 76, 11 points above “tropical,” which makes the air heavy. We’d rather have a much higher temperature with low humidity which is considerably easier to tolerate.

This morning when Norman, Nina, and their baby stopped by, it started raining so hard that they immediately searched for a good spot under a tree. Norman seemed most annoyed by the rain, which interrupted his pleasant days of meandering about the bush at a leisurely pace with few distractions.

Norman wasn’t thrilled that this kudu was sitting in “his garden. He fluffed up his hair and tail and hung his head low, making himself appear larger.

The three found shelter under a dense tree and waited it out. They were on the move again when the heavy rain evolved into a drizzle. They stayed around our garden for quite a while, eating pellets, carrots, and cabbage before they took off to continue grazing in the bush.

Most wildlife spend most of their days and nights grazing, occasionally napping from time to time, especially after dark. But they are always on the lookout for predators for potential dangers. Doing so is in their DNA. With fewer predators in Marloth Park, we still have lions, leopards, and smaller cats like genets and civets. Other dangerous predators may occasionally enter the park, including jackals, hyenas, and wild dogs.

The Big Daddy didn’t seem concerned about Norman.

This morning there was a notice on Facebook about the N4 that the road we travel to Nelspruit is closed due to mudslides. This doesn’t impact us since the closures are beyond Nelspruit, where we don’t have to travel until we go to Johannesburg to renew our passports sometime in March. But we’ve read that the road is backed up for hours.

Today is the fourth anniversary of my open heart surgery in Nelspruit on February 12, 2019. I am grateful to be feeling well and not having any heart-related symptoms at this time. But, the experience resulted in six surgeries (angiogram, heart surgery, and two surgeries on each leg), including infections in both legs from where the veins were taken for the triple coronary bypass. The recovery was slow and painful.

There’s no doubt about how traumatic this surgery may be for many patients, especially with complications like those I had. Emotionally, I am fully recovered, but I have experienced many changes in how my body works since the surgery, as do most patients after this type of surgery.

The male kudu develops swelling in his neck during the mating season. He has a few oxpeckers on his head and back.

What are the lingering effects over the past four years? They include:

  1. Weakness  in my legs
  2. Difficulty bending over
  3. Reduced small-hand skills
  4. Concerned about every pain in my chest, neck, jaw, and shoulder, wondering if something was wrong.

It’s normal for heart patients to become concerned over every twinge. How could one not be concerned when remaining arteries throughout the body have blockages. But I can go for weeks without thinking about it. Over time, those concerns have diminished considerably.

Nina, Norman, and their baby were sheltering from the rain.

I do everything I can to maintain good health by staying very active;  getting in a lot of steps each day; eating healthy, unprocessed foods; continuing on a low-carb/keto, sugar-free, grain-free, starch-free way of eating; don’t smoke; low alcohol consumption; good sleep and above all a low-stress lifestyle which includes a positive attitude combined with our joyful way of living.

Of course, having a loving and playful relationship with my fantastic husband and cultivating positive relationships with family and friends…thus, a social network that has been proven to be instrumental in healthful longevity.

As mentioned, I am very grateful to have survived the surgery and had the loving care Tom provided in the many months that followed, along with the support of many friends here in Marloth Park, our readers/friends, and people we’ve met throughout the world. Thank you, Tom. Thank you, readers, friends, and family.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 12, 2022:

A young daddy with lots of growing to do. For more photos, please click here.

Less flooding but still raining…No problem out and about…Giraffes in the garden…

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It’s always a joy to see giraffes in the garden. This one made eye contact with me when I talked to her,

Whenever giraffes make their way into our garden, our hearts are filled with pure joy, feeling honored they’ve come for a visit. Although we see giraffes while driving on the roads in Marloth and Kruger National Parks, it’s all the more of a thrill to see them in our garden, especially while sitting at the table on the veranda.

What a sight this is when we see them coming our way!

We’ve seen this “tower” of six giraffes in the past, along with many others living in Marloth Park. We were surprised when they stopped by while it was still drizzling, but they didn’t seem to mind a bit and scoured the treetops with the same enthusiasm as usual. Giraffes have no competition for food since no other animals are as tall. However, certain trees can produce toxic-tasting tannins that drive giraffes away, as described here:

“Tannins are the bitter chemical you taste when you’ve left the teabag in for too long. They’re found in many plants, including giraffes’ preferred foodstuffs, such as Acacia trees. Overbrowsing by giraffes activates the trees’ defense mechanism and prompts increased production of these tannins.”

We often wish we could feed them something, but they don’t eat pellets or offerings made by humans in the wild.

Wow! Isn’t nature unique? Trees and plants can’t run away from predators. Instead, many produce a variety of toxins to protect themselves, as described in this interesting article from this site:

“Naturally Occurring Toxins in Vegetables and Fruits

  1. Fresh vegetables and fruits contain nutrients, vitamins, and minerals essential for growth and health and are important components of a healthy diet. However, some vegetables and fruits may contain natural toxins that could harm our health. Now and then, there have been reports of food poisoning cases suspected to have been caused by the consumption of raw vegetables and fruits containing natural toxins.
  2. Natural toxins are poisonous substances present naturally in fruits and vegetables. They are produced by plants to defend themselves against fungi, insects, and predators and offer a protective mechanism for the plant.

For the balance of this article, please click here. For those on specific diets, consideration, and education on this topic may be helpful.

Giraffe heads hidden in the bush while dining on fresh green leaves.

As for the rain, it has decreased in the past 24 hours, although, according to the weather reports, some rain and frequent drizzles are expected over the upcoming week. Fortunately, the river levels have gone down, and life is returning to normal in many areas.

The rain has been significant for the animals providing lush greenery for the voracious appetites.

Last night for the first time in days, we headed out to make our way to Jabula and experienced no difficulty on the paved Olifant Road or on the dirt road to the restaurant. Once inside, load shedding started, but with their generators running, we didn’t notice a thing. We had a friendly and chatty time at the bar, where we stayed to eat our dinner. By 8:00 pm, 2000 hrs., we were out the door and were thrilled to walk into our house, knowing load shedding wouldn’t impact us as it continued off and on over the next several hours.

We streamed the fifth episode of Yellowstone’s 1923 and were disappointed when the episode ended. Yellowstone and its multiple spinoffs are each worthy of watching. We enjoyed every episode of each show and look forward to more of these excellent series in the future.

“75 pounds, 34 kg per day is what It takes to fuel these large mammals. A giraffe will spend most of its day eating. Giraffes only need to drink once every several days because they get most of their water from the luscious plants they eat. Acacia trees host their favorite leaves.”

We both had a good night’s sleep and looked forward to another pleasant day in the bush.

Be well.

Little was having a spa day in the green algae. Photo from one year ago today, February 11, 2022:

“Pig in a pond.” For more photos, please click here.

The rains continue…More flooding…We’re hunkered down until tonight…Another sad animal injury…

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Roads have been closed in sections of the Kruger National Park due to heavy rain.
Image: SANParks

The rain stops for an hour, drizzles for another hour, and then comes down with an unspeakable force. It’s expected to continue until Tuesday. There continue to be more and more warnings in the Marloth Park Facebook groups about flooding on certain roads, vehicles getting stuck, and road closings. A lot could happen in the next four days.

We were so sad to see that this Big Daddy kudu, whom we’ve named Torn Horn, suffered such a horrific injury, most likely from a fight with another male kudu.

We’re considering heading out to the little market for a few items as soon as the rain lets up. The videos and photos online are astounding, and as much as we’d like to go out and take some of our own, the little rental car,  a lightweight KWID, would surely result in our getting stuck if we attempted to travel on any of the dirt roads. Neither of us cares to get soaked.

I just touched base with David, and he said it should be OK for us to get there. By going out soon, we can determine if it will be safe and sensible to go to Jabula tonight for dinner. If Olifant Road, the paved main road in Marloth Park, is passable, we will go. It’s about a 10-minute drive from here.

We’ve been surprised that many animals have stopped by during the storm. This morning there were four bushbucks and one duiker in the garden. We tossed pellets to them, but if they don’t eat them right away, they turn into mush from the rain, and they don’t eat the mush.

We put pellets, apples, and carrots on the railing so he wouldn’t have to bend to the ground.

We hadn’t seen Norman, Nina, and the baby for a few days, but they were here for a few hours yesterday afternoon when the rain let up for a while. It was good to see them again. We had more animals in the garden than we’d seen before the Christmas holiday. It was great to see them all together.

Even the mongooses stopped by a few times in the past two days, and we couldn’t cut up paloney fast enough for them. It was fun to see all their babies, already indoctrinated into the frenzy of eating paloney, cut into bite-sized pieces. They also recognize our clicking sounds that attract them to the garden. When a few show up, we make the clicking sounds, and they all come running from everywhere within earshot. It’s quite a sight to see.

Today’s photos of the injured kudu broke our hearts. We fed him apples, carrots, and pellets. He was looking thin. An injury as severe as losing a horn can cause significant disability and even death while the animal tries to recover. Nothing can be done other than to wait and see how he does.

Hopefully, this wound will heal, and he can go about his life in the bush.

Most of the wildlife is sturdy with robust immune systems and often recovers without infections or further harm to their health and well-being. We hope this will be the case with the now-named “Torn Horn” (a mouthful to say). We hope he’ll return to see us again so we can check his progress.

The sun is peeking out right now as it continues to rain. There’s an expression in the Afrikaans language, taught to us by our old friend Okee Dokey, frequently used when describing sunshine when it’s raining. It’s stated as follows:

Jakkals trou met wolf see vrou…which translates to “The fox married the wolf’s wife.” Go figure.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, February 10, 2022:

Rita sent me this photo on Whatsapp of a tiny newborn bushbaby they found on the veranda. One of the Honorary Rangers, Nadine, picked up the baby to have the bushbaby cared for and eventually released it back into the bush. So sweet. For more photos, please click here.

Raining in buckets for over 48 hours…Crocodile Bridge flooded over…Roads closed…Hazardous driving…

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Marloth Park.
Note: None of today’s photos of flooding are ours.

With over 229 mm, 9 inches, of rain in Marloth Park in the past 48 hours, it’s safer if we don’t go out. Many roads are impassable and closed, including the roads to Komatipoort and the road into Kruger National Park at the Crocodile Bridge, which according to reports, is entirely underwater.

The Crocodile River is flooding its banks, leaving many animals in distress. There were warnings this morning for those in Marloth Park to stay away from river roads and the fence between Marloth and Kruger, where many animals are trapped. Humans are warned to stay away to avoid stressing wildlife even more than they already are in dire situations.

Following is this article about the flooding, including photos of the Crocodile Bridge as shown below:

The Crocodile bridge is flooded. This is the first time in 23 years that the bridge was entirely underwater, and the river breached its banks.> Photos: Facebook.

Hundreds of tourists in various camps in Kruger National Park won’t be able to leave, regardless of their travel plans. They won’t be able to go on game drives, use WiFi with numerous outages, and basically will be stuck in their tents or sitting around, only entertained by the companionship of others in the same situation. Unfortunately, wildlife sightings are limited in inclement weather such as this.

Most guests will start sundowners earlier in the day while commiserating over their plight. We feel lucky to be at our lovely bush house, undercover on the veranda’s roof, or safe indoors from any potential leaking. Many homes have thatched roofs, which are known to leak during storms such as this. We had a little water on the floor in the bathroom, but that’s it so far. Vusi mopped it up this morning, and it doesn’t seem to be leaking now.

The road between Lower Sabie and Skukuza. We were on this road only a few days ago.

Our WiFi is working, and of course, we have power, although load shedding continues today. It could be days before we can head to Komatipoort to shop. Instead, we’ve decided to get whatever we need from the little local shops for the next few days, but we won’t be venturing out today with the flooded potholes on the dirt roads.

According to the weather report, the rain may continue for days. Hopefully, by tomorrow evening, we’ll be able to make our way to Jabula for dinner. This is entirely predicated on how much more rain we have in the next 24 hours and how the roads are in Marloth Park.

It was in 2000 that the worst floods were recorded in Marloth Park. What an exciting time that must have been! The flooded Crocodile River was so significant that the fence between Marloth Park and Kruger National Park came down, and larger animals, such as elephants, could freely enter Marloth Park. That would be exciting! We already have plenty of lions and leopards in the park!

With rain expected to continue for days to come, we have no idea how much of an impact there will be in Marloth Park. We can only wait and see, staying in for as long as necessary to avoid getting stuck on the roads.

Here are a few comments on Facebook right now:

“Please only travel to Komatipoort if absolutely necessary. The Ngwenya Road is flooded in a couple of places, and already people are getting stuck there. Be safe!”

“Spar is closed. No staff to man tills, Shoprite has only 2 tills open, so very long queues. Most other shops closed due to lack of staff.”

*To all residents of Marloth Park:*
Please do not drive along the river in *Seekoeie or Crocodile road*, as animals are trapped between Kruger and Marloth’s fence lines. They are stressed. Your presence will stress them out even more and could cost their lives. We closely monitor these animals and will take action if necessary.
For any animal that needs help, please get in touch with the wildlife rescue team or rangers.
Rangers Jaco – 079 089 8424
Deidre – 079 988 5748
Mark – 082 498 6599
Nadine – 082 672 4545
Juan – 060 665 5000″

We’ll be back tomorrow with updates on the floods and how we’re all holding up in Marloth Park and other nearby areas.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 9, 2022:

On average, dung beetles can handle a dung ball 50 times their weight. For more photos, please click here.

Raining since last night…Final Kruger National Park photos, for now…

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Although we aren’t fans of baboons, this mom and baby in the tree caught our eye— zoom in for detail.

We’d planned to shop in Komatipoort today since it’s almost been two weeks since we last grocery shopped, but the rain and possibly flooded roads prompted us to stay home. We have plenty of food to get us through the weekend if we don’t feel like going until next week.

We always dine at Jabula on Friday and Saturday nights. This morning I prepared a new recipe that should last for two evenings, tonight and Thursday. The next time I will cook again will be on Sunday, with plenty of meat left in the chest freezer and plenty of ingredients for salad and sides. There’s no rush.

Our next pressing issue is getting our 10-year passports renewed, which it appears we’ll be able to do while we’re in South Africa. his morning, we drove to the US Embassy in Pretoria to apply for our passports. e could mail in our passports, but as mentioned in a past post, we don’t want to take the chance of being without our passports in hand while the new passports are being processed.

Two zebras with wildebeests in the background.

We will try and coordinate the trip to Pretoria when we have to drive to Nelspruit to pick up our visa extensions when those come through. That way, we’ll be a third of the way to Pretoria by the time we get to Nelspruit. Hopefully, the timing on all of this works out well. Pretoria is a five-hour drive from Marloth Park.

Once we arrive in Pretoria, we’ll have to stay overnight to avoid driving on the N4 in the dark. We’ll be able to accumulate more points for staying in a hotel for our Hotels.com account. Plus, we have thousands of reward points we can use on our other credit cards, leaving us with several options.

Over the past few days, we’ve been busy with several projects while the work on the house has been wrapping up. It appears all the electrical work is completed, and now we can sit back and relax, knowing that we are immune from load shedding. The only way we noticed load shedding is occurring is when the WiFi goes off for about five to ten minutes when the power is restored.

Two wildebeests with zebras in the background.

Most of the time, we have to wait patiently until the WiFi returns. Of course, this isn’t an issue late at night, but it certainly is noticeable during the day when we’re working online. It’s a minimal inconvenience. When the load shedding starts; we notice a little “beep” that has no impact on our power usage.

Of course, we’re mindful not to use the oven during load shedding periods. If we plan to use the oven for baking, we must check the schedule at the Eskom app on our phones to ensure it won’t drain the system since the oven requires so much power when in use, although the gas stovetop does not.

Perhaps a mom and dad wildebeest and their baby. Female wildebeests also have horns.

Also, we aren’t running the aircon at times when we’re using other appliances, which also drains the inverter system to a substantial degree. However, we only run the aircon at night when we’re in bed when no other appliances are in use. It’s working out perfectly, and we’re enjoying the sense of being relatively load-shedding-free. It’s almost as fantastic as having an elaborate solar power system.

We’ve been busy taking photos of events in the garden, and now that we’re finished with our most recent Kruger National Park photos, we’ll be posting some new and exciting photos tomorrow. We’ll be back tomorrow with more.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 8, 2022:

Little looked a little drunk after eating several fermented marula fruits that had fallen to the ground. Many animals, especially kudus,  elephants, and monkeys, enjoy the intoxication effects. For more photos, please click here.

A warm and friendly visitor this morning…Social media benefits…More photos from Kruger National Park….

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The baby elephant just discovered his trunk.

This morning while I was lounging in bed at 7:00 am (Tom was already up and outside as usual), I received a text from the lovely woman, Agnes, who’d delivered both of our lost duffle bags. Over the period when both bags were found, after being missing for two months, she and I texted back and forth on WhatsApp, building a warm and friendly relationship.

When she texted this morning that she’d be dropping off a bag in Marloth Park and wanted to meet up face to face after all of our interactions. She met Tom last week at Louise’s office when she dropped off his lost bag but had not met me at that time

I was flattered that Agnes wanted to take the time out of her busy day to stop by our house. It was lovely to meet this exceptional woman who has been through so much in her life but was a wealth of love, faith, and kindness that was a treasure to behold. How lucky we are to meet such fine people as we travel the world!

“I love this thing,” he says.

After Agnes left, I had difficulty wiping the smile off my face. Each day brings some unique experiences we will never forget. Whether it is an encounter in Kruger National Park, on the road in Marloth Park or out to dinner at Jabula, or shopping in Komatipoort, we never take for granted the people, the wildlife, and the scenery that surrounds us everywhere we go.

It would be easy to assume that special situations are a normal part of daily life, but the moment we’d start doing that, we could stop traveling the world. The little things and simple experiences make this lifestyle meaningful to us. Whether it’s a tiny, noisy frog on the edge of the splash pool, a rambunctious piglet in the garden, or a colorful flower blooming in the parkland, it is all a part of the bigger picture of nature at its finest.

We spotted this small family of elephants with a few babies.

Then, add all the warm and loving people; we couldn’t ask for more. That’s not to say our friends and experiences in our old lives were less meaningful. They were not. And it’s not unusual for us to reminisce about many treasured memories with family, friends, wildlife, and nature.

Our friends in the US remain a big part of our lives when we easily stay in touch via social media, email, texts, and phone calls. Calls on Facebook, Skype, and WhatsApp are free when both parties use the apps. Many don’t know that calls using Facebook’s Messenger are totally free of cost if both parties are talking on the app simultaneously. This also includes calls made from anywhere where Facebook is allowed. (Believe it or not, some countries don’t let their citizens use Facebook. See below:

“Many countries have banned or temporarily limited access to Facebook. The website has also been restricted in various ways in other countries. As of July 2022, the only countries to continually ban access to the social networking site are China, Iran, North Korea, Uganda, and Russia.”

A mom and her baby.

Most South Africans use WhatsApp for “free” communication, although it does require an internet connection. We feel fortunate we have access to social media, which has become an integral part of our ability to stay in touch with family and friends. Also, we frequently use social media to keep in touch with local friends here in Marloth Park.

In the US, WhatsApp is used less frequently, from what we could ascertain while there, although everyone seems to know about it. I suppose this is because most Americans have a monthly cell service that may or may not have an unlimited country-wide WiFi service, calling, and text plan.

An elephant on his own.

Here in South Africa, few use a monthly cell service plan, instead finding it less costly to use a SIM card to which data and calling are added regularly. That’s why we have the South African phone with a SIM card installed for making local calls. Our Google phones don’t have an extra slot for an additional SIM card other than the one provided with Google Fi, our pay-as-you-go WiFi, calling, and text plan. When we are at the house, with WiFi, we can use WhatsApp at no charge, eliminating the need for using data on the South African phone.

That’s it for today, folks. We’re staying in today with excellent leftovers for dinner. It’s not very hot, but the humidity is awful, with a dew point of 73, nine points above “tropical.”

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 7, 2022:

An orange-billed and a black-billed oxpecker peeking out over a kudu’s back. For more photos, please click here.

Yesterday’s fantastic party day…Slim pickins’ in Kruger National Park…

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A secretary bird with a “froggy” breakfast, or is that a tiny crocodile? Zoom in to see.

Yesterday morning we got a phone call from Leon inviting us to his last-minute birthday party starting at noon and ending around 5:00 pm, 1700 hrs. We’d already made plans to get together with Louise and Danie for sundowners at our house, their last night here before they left for a family holiday in Cape Town. Plus, we’d already prepped everything for last night’s dinner.

We decided to come but wouldn’t stay to eat the meal when most guests brought food to cook on the braai. We’d leave before the food was served to return home in time to attend to our dinner that needed to cook for a few hours and Louise and Danie’s pending arrival.

Thoughtful warthogs were using the crosswalk to cross the road as we entered the park.

It all worked out well; We had a great time at the party of about 25 people and, of course, back home when Louise and Danie arrived. We invited them to stay for dinner, but they, too, had food ready to be cooked that they needed to use before leaving. Instead, the four of us had drinks while seated at the table on the veranda for the usual lively conversations the four of us so frequently enjoy.

A solitary giraffe gingerly crosses the paved road in Kruger.

After they left, with many hugs and goodbyes for the two weeks they’ll be gone, we parted, unable to wipe the smiles off our faces, and proceeded to finish the details for our planned dinner. With the mozzies out in full force, we shut the doors and ate indoors at the dining room table, enjoying a fabulous dinner consisting of keto bacon-wrapped meatloaf stuffed with hard-boiled eggs, along with salad and rice for Tom.

Not much wildlife to photograph? Take scenery photos.

By the time we finished dinner and Tom did the dishes, it was close to 9:00 pm, 2100 hrs., and we watched a few episodes of the series, “Accused,” before we settled in for what proved to be a good night’s sleep. This morning, with the electrician returning to do more work on the inverter system, Tom bolted out of bed early while I lingered for a few more minutes of sleep.

One can only imagine the age of this rock formation.

We’d discussed heading to Kruger National Park once again, as we had last Monday, and when I got up, we confirmed it would be a good day to go. The weather wasn’t too hot, the humidity wasn’t outrageously high, and the sun was bright with blue skies, a perfect day for photos.

After last week’s photo-taking success in Kruger, our expectations were low. We didn’t expect it to be another day comparable to last Monday. And right, we were. The photo ops were few. But, we were totally entertained with breakfast planned again at the Mugg & Bean in Lower Sabie and plenty of lively conversation during breakfast and on the long drive through the park. We still had a good time despite a few good photo ops.

The first elephant we saw today. More photos will follow in tomorrow’s post.

Tonight, we have great leftovers, which we always enjoy, and have little that we “have to do.” Tom’s contemplating a short nap while I am still busy with today’s post and Kruger photos. It will be an easy remainder of the day and evening which we often enjoy as much as socializing.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, February 6, 2022:

Bossy with a different species of oxpecker without the usual orange beak. As it turns out, oxpeckers without the orange beak are youngsters whose beaks will later turn orange. For more photos, please click here.