ATM card hell…The consequences of not leaving South Africa as previously planned…

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This is our Basket, the Bully, who was thrilled to see we’d returned to the bush. Many weeks ago, he appeared with a bloody right ear which now is but a stubble of an ear that seems to have healed nicely.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Wildebeest Willie was so happy to see us he didn’t bother to eat a single pellet for several minutes after Tom tossed them his way.

It wasn’t as easy as canceling a few planned flights and tours and losing the money associated with doing so.  We had carefully planned every step in our upcoming itinerary to ensure a seamless transition from South Africa to Kenya to South America to a cruise to the US and a flight to Minnesota from San Diego.

Now, all of these plans are dashed, and we reach to the future to make new plans with affordability as a critical issue after losing tens of thousands of dollars in non-refundable fares and fees. One might say we should have had travel insurance.

But in the real world of non-stop travel, this type of “trip insurance” doesn’t work. We don’t have a home, and any journey we do is not considered a “trip.” To acquire such insurance, we’d have to lie about our lifestyle, and that’s not our way of doing things.

Besides, it’s difficult to be reimbursed for any claims for a good trip, let alone trying to file a claim for an untruthful application. Even now, we struggle to get our medical policy to pay for my heart surgery, as they claim I had an undisclosed pre-existing heart condition (not the case).Of course, we are grateful I’m am alive and imply no complaint or sense of unfairness. The fairest thing in the world that ever happened to me was this condition being discovered in time.  For this, we are eternally grateful.

Nonetheless, there are consequences we must bear for these last-minute changes in plans. Fairness is not an issue. Reality is the issue, and as much as we’d like to bury our heads in the sand, we have no such option. Life continues with or without our approval for such consequences.

In tomorrow’s post, we’ll share some of those consequences and the economic effects and burden they have placed upon us, not as a warning to potential world travelers but as a revelation of what worst-case scenarios may transpire while choosing a lifestyle such as ours.  

We always knew this day would come, but life seldom provides enough warning to make us better prepared. No doubt, we were thrown for a loop and work diligently now to muddle our way through many of these.

One seemingly minor issue that never crossed our minds during these past two weeks since the surgery was our debit/ATM cards. With mine expiring on February 28th and Tom’s on March 31st, we faced quite a dilemma on how we’d easily access cash. 

Basket has the most prominent side warts of any warthog we’ve seen in the garden in over a year.

When we made our original world travel plans, we chose five credit cards that best serve our purpose. We each had ATM/debit cards we could use at a relatively low cost to access all the cash we’d ever need. Since we’d never used PINs on credit cards since we didn’t want to access some money from the cards, we didn’t give it another thought. Thus, we never requested PINs.

Perhaps this was an error on our part. We should have ordered the PINs. But, once we left the US and began using a mailing service, we didn’t want PINs coming to the postal service, although the company is bonded and highly reputable.  

One short-term dishonest employee could wreak havoc on our cards if they perused our mail. We felt safe and in control using our bank ATM cards for all of our cash needs. Little did we know that we’d be unable to collect the renewals cards, arriving in our snail mailbox in Nevada, USA.

With the former upcoming original plans, we’d be in the US on April 8, 2019, and could collect our renewed cards at that time, leaving only a short gap in time without access to the cards.  Tom’s card was sound until March 31st, during which time we’d have been on a cruise with no need for an ATM card.  This only left us with an eight-day gap.  We never gave it much of a thought.

But then, life happens, and the blur of the past two weeks brought us to these past few days realizing we wouldn’t have a working ATM card until we received them in the mail from the mailing service.  Mail service is not ideal in South Africa. It’s possible they’d never arrive. Plus, Tom’s card had yet to arrive in Nevada with its 3/31 expiration date.

In the interim, when Tom tried to get cash from his card yesterday, it wouldn’t work. Some convoluting security block had made use of his card impossible. This morning we spent 90 minutes on the phone with Wells Fargo, attempting to get the situation resolved.

Much to our relief, after the call dropped several times, they sent us two new cards via FED EX International. They removed the block on Tom’s card, which we can continue to use until 3/31, while the new cards arrive within two weeks. Situation resolved. Fiasco averted.

This is only one of many issues we’ll have had to maneuver during this challenging period. Then, of course, there are immigration issues, more flights to be canceled, more cruises to be canceled, the hospital insurance claim, and my many months of recovery to tackle, and… it goes on and on. But, we’ll continue to chip away at each obstacle as we face them head-on.

But, above all, I am alive, if not blissfully so, temporarily fuzzy-headed from the somewhat mild pain relievers and a plethora of heart-related medications slowing me down, but…I am alive.

Photo from one year ago today, February 26, 2018:

A foam tree frog nest, made overnight by the female frog awaiting up to one dozen males to fertilize it. We’ve been watching for the males but have yet to see them. In this post, four years ago, we had the opportunity to see the males fertilizing the nest. After an incubation period of a few weeks, the tadpoles will drop into the pool of water to complete their growth cycle. For more details, please click here.

First post since February 11, 2019…Life after heart surgery…A heartwarming stroke of appreciation…

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This was the scene that rolled out before our eyes this morning.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A baby is wondering what this crunchy green stuff could be.

Our last full post was uploaded two weeks ago today. I can’t tell you how many times I longed to be able to write, but after the triple coronary bypass surgery of February 12th, it was impossible.  With all the medications, the pain, and the associated brain fog, I could barely sign my name, let alone write a post.

I spent eight days in ICU and a few more days in the regular hospital. With the diminished nursing care in the hospital ward, after the excellence of the ICU nurses, I felt Tom could take better care of me, and thus, on Saturday, February 23rd, I asked the doctor to release me to return to Marloth Park.

This decision proved to be right. Tom’s exemplary care and attention to detail with nary a moment of frustration for being assigned caregiver, we both knew this was the best thing we could do to aid in my recovery.

No, it hasn’t been easy by any means. Tom, bless his heart, painted a picture on Facebook of me being “a trooper” and handling this so well. This has hardly been the case. I have suffered as much as any recipient of this life-saving surgery and hardly consider myself brave in the process.
There were three little ones in this dazzle of zebras.

Being unable to move about freely for fear of dislodging metal parts in my chest, the pain when trying to perform the simplest of personal tasks, and the knowledge that long-term recovery is undoubtedly in the distant future make day-to-day living somewhat challenging.

The long drive back to Marloth Park in the little red car was easier than expected. Tom avoided any herky-jerky maneuvers. The pain medication made me sleepy enough for the time to pass quickly, and before we knew it, we were back in Marloth Park.

Louise had two massive bouquets, the fridge filled with enough food to last for days, the bedroom cooled down with aircon (before the power went out that night), and the house is spic and span condition.

 In no time at all, Tom unpacked our bags, made piles of sorted laundry for the Zef and Vusi to hang outdoors today, and began to prepare a perfect dinner of chicken “flattie” and salad, all that either of us cared to eat.  

Tom had cut several stalks of celery, saving the scraps for the kudus, bushbucks, and zebras, all of which love celery. 

Now, the real recovery would begin. But, on Saturday night, when the power went out, thrashing in bed, unable to get comfortable in the hot still air, I attempted to remove the hot compression stockings when my feet and legs felt as if they were on fire. 

In doing so, I tore something in my chest near my right arm that has left me in even more pain than today has finally begun to subside. I couldn’t conceive of driving back to Nelspruit to see what I’d inadvertently done to myself when we’re already scheduled to return to see the surgeon this Friday.

 Then, on Saturday night, before the power outage, I showered only to have one of the major incisions in my thigh start bleeding profusely. With all the blood thinners I’d been taking, the blood wouldn’t stop running. Again, last night it happened after the shower. But, we can deal with this.

 In essence, the warm, kind is Dr. Theo Stronkhorst, located at Rissik Medical Centre, 71 Rissik Street, Komatipoort, 1340, (phone 013 793 7306), and knowledgeable general practitioner in the small town of Komatipoort, saved my life. Plain and simple.

The little ones showed little interest in pellets or vegetables.

When I had an appointment with him on Thursday, January 31, to get my three prescriptions refilled in preparation for heading to Kenya for the amazing upcoming multi-faceted safari, beginning on February 22, I casually mentioned a recurring pain in my lower jaw on both sides, mainly occurring in the mornings upon awakening and then again in the evenings at bedtime.

 Typically, when we hear about women having jaw pain as an indication of angina, it’s on the left side of the face, closer to the heart. Somehow, this sharp and conscientious doctor knew that he needed to check this out further to give me peace of mind for our upcoming travels to Kenya.

 He told me to be at his office on Saturday morning, February 2nd, for an exercise stress test. I was a little stymied when he had me lay down on an exam table after the test to give me a dose of nitroglycerin. I thought I sailed through the test without incidence.  

 By Tuesday, February 12th, I was prepped for open-heart surgery at Mediclinic in Nelspruit, South Africa, for coronary bypass surgery with three of four coronary arteries 100% blocked.  I shouldn’t have been alive.  

Two youngsters hanging out as their parents savored the breakfast,

First, we saw cardiologist Fanie Fourie for tests, including an angiogram, CAT scan, and ultrasound. But it was the angiogram that painted the full picture. I was a walking time bomb. While I was wide awake during the angiogram, my arteries were impossible to “stent.” Open heart bypass surgery was my only option.

 Tom and I were both in a state of shock with this news. How was it possible that health-nut me was in such a dangerous state of being? But, the bigger question for me will always remain, “Why was I spared?”

 Yesterday, in a thank you letter to my immediate family for their love and support. During this ordeal, I mentioned that I might spend the rest of my life trying to figure out why I was spared.  Surely, there’s a bigger purpose here that I will continue to explore for my remaining years. 

 But one thing I know for sure is that Dr. Theo Stronkhorst saved my life, and this I will never forget and never fail to appreciate day after day. I will always recall a vague recollection that I spent my 71st birthday in ICU surrounded by some of the most loving and diligent nurses on the planet. (They are called “sisters” in South Africa).

The youngsters are indescribably adorable.

They sang the birthday song that night, presenting me with a gift, and through my medication fueled blur, I had tears in my eyes. Grateful. I will always be thankful for every day of the rest of my life to those nurses, to those three doctors and anesthesiologists who participated in my care, for Dr. Hannes Naude, who performed the surgery, and most of all, Dr. Theo Stronkhorst, who gave me another shot at life.  

 Sure, it’s painful. Sure, it takes months of recovery, much of which will be my responsibility to enact, and sure, it has required the attention and loving efforts of my dear husband, Tom. He has given me this extraordinary life of love, healing, renewal, and exploration, which, for this final chapter of my years, in many ways, will have just begun.

 A special thank you to our readers/friends worldwide for their continuing love, encouraging messages, and endless prayers.  

 We’ll continue to post daily as we gradually work our way back to a life of world travel and the blissful lifestyle it provides.

Photo from one year ago today, February 25, 2018:

An apparently happy oxpecker on the hide of a kudu we spotted on yesterday afternoon’s drive in Marloth.  From this site: “Oxpeckers graze exclusively on the bodies of large mammals. Certain species are preferred, whereas others, like the Lichtenstein’s hartebeest or Topi, are generally avoided. Smaller antelope such as lechwe, duikers, and reedbuck are also avoided; the smallest regularly used species is the Impala, probably because of that species’ heavy tick load and social nature. They now feed on cattle in many parts of their range but avoid camels. They feed on ectoparasites, particularly ticks, as well as insects infecting wounds and flesh and blood.”  For more photos, including “Movie Night in the Bush,” please click here.

Finally a diagnosis and..we don’t like it…Oh, my!..

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Ms. Bushbuck always appears to have a smile on her face.  I love her and her offspring!

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

The four piglets certainly have grown over the past six months.  They are so fun to watch.

Sorry I didn’t post yesterday. With the news from the doctor on Thursday after the angiogram, I didn’t have it in me to sit down and write on my phone’s small screen. My laptop was in a repair shop in Nelspruit while I stayed overnight in the hospital. There was an issue with the electrical plug-in. Thankfully, they got it working again.

I’ll get to the bad news first to avoid drama and anticipation. I have three 100% blocked coronary arteries, including the “Widow Maker” (in this case, the ‘Widower Maker). Basically, I am a walking time bomb. I need coronary bypass surgery, and I need it fast.

It’s scheduled at the hospital with a thoracic surgeon that works with the cardiologist I’ve been seeing. They both will perform with the surgery. I feel as if I’m in good hands based on the number of positive comments from locals who know them well. I have no choice. At this point, I cannot fly on an airplane or even be active, for that matter…too risky.

We are both shocked. How did this happen? The doctors say there was nothing I could have done to prevent this situation. Heredity is the driving force, and as hard as I’ve tried to stay healthy my entire life, there was no way I could have prevented this outcome.

Of course, we are very grateful a diligent doctor, Dr. Theo Stonkquist, a GP in the tiny town of Komatipoort, had the insight and expertise to insist I have an exercise stress test at his office last Saturday when I complained of intermittent jaw pain, which was later described as angina. 

Although I breezed through the stress test with relative ease, barely out of breath, the printout didn’t look good. Dr. Theo immediately contacted Dr. Fanie in Nelspruit on “Whatsapp” and sent him the report. He was adamant we get to Nelspruit to the Mediclinic first thing Monday morning for more tests.

For the early morning appointment, we booked a hotel near the hospital and stayed two nights. On Tuesday, I had a CAT scan of my arteries and failed that test and others miserably. An angiogram was scheduled for Thursday. 

We returned to Marloth Park, spent one night, and called Dr. Fanie the following morning at 9:00 am. He was short and to the point. I needed an angiogram promptly when the CAT scan showed one artery had a 100% blockage.

In the cath lab the next afternoon, after a many-hour wait for my turn, I was told I’d be awake for the angiogram with only a mild sedative placed under my tongue. It was pretty interesting watching all the monitors showing my heart and its arteries. The doctor, anesthesiologist, and about seven support staff were informative and supportive.

Ms. Bushbuck’s baby has sure grown over the past many months as well.

We’d hope he’d insert a stent, and I’d be done. But, not the case. Before my own eyes, the angiogram revealed that three of my coronary arteries are 100% blocked. If I’d had a heart attack, he explained, I wouldn’t survive it. I’m so grateful this was discovered before we left for Kenya, known for not-so-good medical care.

Toward the end of the hour-long angiogram, the doctor explained (and showed me) why stents were impossible to place. The only alternative was a triple coronary bypass scheduled for Tuesday next week, a mere three days from now.

I’m on medication in the interim and was told to avoid anything strenuous or stressful. The strenuous part is a breeze. The stressful? Well, I can’t imagine anyone on the planet not feeling a bit stressed over such a thing as open-heart surgery, including striping arteries from their legs to replace those blocked in the heart. 

However, we are both so grateful this was discovered in time and pray for a safe and good outcome and speedy recovery.  As they say, “we may be down, but we’re not out.”  Hopefully, six weeks from the time of the surgery, we’ll be boarding our ship from San Antonio, Chile.  No pressure, just wishful thinking. 

No doubt, I will be a good patient and do everything I can to recover as prescribed, and we’ll continue with our world travels.

As for the posts??? We will continue tomorrow, Sunday, and again on Monday while staying overnight in the hospital for Tuesday’s surgery. I can’t wait for that day! As of Tuesday, February 12th, the posts will cease for five to seven days until I’m well enough to report.

Tom will be regularly posting updates on my Facebook page, which is open to the public. Please start checking back here by next Sunday.

Tomorrow, we’ll be sharing the news on how this situation has been handled by our annual international health insurance company, which information may be helpful for those traveling the world, ex-pats, and those contemplating traveling.

No words can describe how grateful we are for the outpouring of love and prayers from family, friends, and readers from all over the world. We can’t keep up with the email messages, comments, and texts. We’d love to respond to every one of you, but there aren’t enough hours in the day. We can only be humbled by your love, prayers, and kindness.

A special thanks to friends Kathy, Don, Linda, and Ken for inviting us for dinner last night (which was the initially planned night of our going away party – since canceled) and making the evening so filled with caring conversation, love and laughter. Tonight, we all meet up again at Jabula, our usual Saturday night out.

Thank you…from the bottom of my “heart.”

Photo from one year ago today, February 9, 2018:

A sea of penguins. For more details and final photos, please click here.

Social whirlwind during our remaining two weeks in the bush…A great evening with friends…

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A barren tree in the middle of the S130 in Kruger created an exciting scene.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Two yellow-billed storks and one cattle egret at the far end of Sunset Dam in Kruger.

This morning, we calculated exactly how many meals we’ll have to cook during our remaining two weeks in Marloth Park. Considering the contents of the chest freezer, we’ll only be cooking dinner eight more nights. We won’t need to purchase more protein sources.

As mentioned in an earlier post, Kathy and Don are giving us a going-away party next Friday, February 8th at their riverfront home in Marloth Park. It will be a sit-down dinner party for 12, the maximum number they can fit at their big table on their third-floor veranda overlooking the Crocodile River.

Wildebeest and her calf in Kruger.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t invite everyone we’ve come to know and love in the park, so we chose those friends with whom we’ve become closest. Sadly, Rita and Gerhard won’t be attending the party.  

They had to leave to return to the US in a hurry due to the sudden passing of a dear friend.  They don’t intend to return anytime soon. We miss them already. But, Rita and I have stayed in close touch, and we have no doubt we’ll be together again, perhaps as early as in the next six months.

Zebras were grazing on new growth from recent rains.

Also, next week on Tuesday, Kathy is hosting my pedicure at a local spa/resort. Linda will join us, after which we’ll all have lunch at the resort. It’s been so long since I’ve had a girls-only event. This will surely be quite an enjoyable event.  

I haven’t had a professional pedicure in at least 10 years. I rarely afford myself such a luxury when generally it just isn’t that important to me. But doing this with the girls will make it very special and memorable.

Four male cape buffalo were lounging at the river’s edge.

Next Wednesday is Leon’s birthday which we’ll attend at Jabula as we had for Dawn’s birthday on Tuesday evening, adding one more event to the social calendar.

On top of that, we’ll dine at Jabula the next two Saturdays, this upcoming on our own and the following with Kathy, Don, Linda, and Ken for our final time together.

Family crossing the paved road.

We plan to dine out one more time in the next few weeks, plus spend our last night, Wednesday, February 13th, in the bush at Jabula, avoiding the cooking and clean-up at the house.  

The following morning we’ll drive to Nelspruit, where we’ll spend one night at the Protea Hotel near the airport for our early morning flight on the 15th to Nairobi, Kenya.

A bull elephant we stopped to observe, hoping for a better photo.

Yesterday, we made a reservation at a highly rated restaurant, Orange (coincidentally, like the name of this holiday home), where we’ll dine that evening on Valentine’s Day.  

We informed the restaurant we’ll be writing a review and look forward to an excellent experience. Currently, this restaurant is listed as #1 out of 89 restaurants in Nelspruit on Tripadvisor.  We’ll write our review here shortly after that and also at TripAdvisor.

He moved into a clearing, and we noticed he was standing with his back legs crossed.

As for last night, we joined Uschi and Evan at their home for sundowners. As it turned out, Uschi had put together a few trays of fabulous appetizers, all of which I could eat.  

We’d intended to stay for only an hour or two but ended up not leaving until 2130 hours (9:30)! The friendship and conversation were utterly delightful, and most assuredly, they’ll be at the party and staying in touch down the road.  

Our dear friends Evan and Uschi, on their veranda last night.

The meal we’d left to be cooked went uneaten, but tonight we’ll have the easy dinner. I’ve made a salad and prepared vegetables after we just returned from shopping in Komatipoort.

Enjoy some of our remaining photos from Monday’s foray into Kruger. Tomorrow, we’ll be back with all new photos and more.

Uschi with us at the veranda table.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, January 31, 2018:

View of the sea from Grytviken, South Georgia, Antarctica.  Please click here for more photos.

Part 3…Outstanding day in Kruger National Park…Elephants are amazing!…People are too!…A fabulous night at Jabula…

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Video #1 – A surprise participant in the background.
 Video #2 – Playful elephants.
 Video #3 – More elephant antics.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A very young impala.

It’s Wednesday morning, a typical day in the bush. Vusi and Zef are cleaning the house. The Mom and Babies (four piglets) are busily munching on pellets at the edge of the veranda. Ms. Kudu left a few minutes ago after she’d had her fill.  

The sky is partly cloudy, and we’re in for another cool day. There are thousands of dead insects on the veranda floor overnight (a daily occurrence). Soon, when the interior of the house is clean, Vusi and Zef will come outside to clean the veranda while we’ll go inside to get out of their way.
The matriarch was watching the youngsters play in the Sabie River.

Once they’re done, we’ll come back outside to spend the balance of the day outdoors, as we always do, busy working on the post and plans for the future. Tom spends some time on Facebook and Ancestry while I work on projects around the house.

Once I’ve uploaded today’s post, I’ll finish doing laundry, preparing tonight’s dinner, and perhaps work on some items to be packed for our departure in 15 days. Today’s project is neatly folding all of our “bugs-away” and safari clothing I’d washed yesterday and have since dried. Safari in Kenya isn’t too far away. 

It was irresistible…she joined them.

Last night we had a fantastic time at Jabula Lodge & Restaurant, celebrating Dawn’s (friend and owner) birthday. It was delightful to see how many loyal fans came to extend our best wishes and gratitude for the beautiful job (along with partner Leon) in making this a memorable establishment with great food, ambiance, and service.

Many brought gifts, hugs, kisses, and warm wishes for Dawn. A table filled with scrumptious-looking appetizers and drinks hosted by Leon added to the festivities. 

They wanted to play with her.

If there ever was a “Cheers” type bar, Jabula fills the bill. The new and the familiar faces, the lively conversation, loud laughter, and the ease with which everyone in attendance feels welcomed and included are unreproachable. 

We met a new couple originally from Germany, living in Marloth Park part-time and soon moving their business to live in Florida, USA. We saw old friends with health challenges possessing upbeat attitudes off to work on the next phase of hopeful recovery.  

Finally, it was time to get out of the river and continue their day.

We chatted with new friends we’ve made this time around, along with old friends from five years ago. Tom and I arrived early to sit at our favorite spots at the bar and eventually ordered delicious dinners, never giving up our barstools.  

It wasn’t the first time we dined at the bar when we were having too much fun to go to a table on the veranda. I can’t recall ever enjoying dining at the bar until Jabula.

The littlest one followed close to the adults as they were on their way.

Leon played the role of DJ, and the music had most of us either dancing in our seats or on our feet to kick up our heels. Women danced with women and men, well, they danced with all of us. It was grand. It was memorable, as were so many nights we’ve spent in this unique establishment over this past year.

When Tom and I danced to a slow song, holding close in each other’s arms, I felt an immense sense of happiness wash over me, coupled with a bit of melancholy. But, the melancholy quickly wafted away when I reminded myself that those arms will still be around me long after we depart Marloth Park, and the memories will always remain in my heart.

Thank you for sharing this special time with us…

Photo from one year ago today, January 30, 2018:

This elephant seal was so relaxed, a bit of drool dripped from her mouth. A bath would be nice. For more stunning scenes from Antarctica, please click here.

Part 2…Outstanding day in Kruger National Park…A heartbreaking sighting…Part of life in the wild?…

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 A short video of this gaunt-looking lioness.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A herd of impalas at the side of a dirt road we traveled in Kruger.

We often hear others say, “This is life in the wild.” Hearing this doesn’t lessen the emotions we feel when we see an animal suffering. It’s sad to see a human or an animal in pain, ill, or emotionally distraught for any reason. But, the realities of life don’t diminish the emotions we feel when we observe such a scenario when often there is nothing we can do to help.

A few evenings ago, a little male duiker, a timid member of the antelope family, was trapped inside the chicken wire-fenced garden area within our garden. Somehow he’d managed to find his way inside this lush area of greenery and became trapped when he couldn’t navigate an exit.

It was sad to see the lioness suffering.

We were seated at the big table on the veranda and noticed him ramming his head into the chicken wire, trying to escape. Helping an animal, however small, in a panicked situation such as this could be dangerous.

We’d seen a photo where a bushbuck died trying to extricate its head from being stuck in a fence in Marloth Park. But we weren’t going to let him die before our eyes. If residents feel they need fences they definitely should be a type that prevents wildlife from potential injury or even death.  

One can only guess why this particular lioness hadn’t been hunting and eating.

We often wonder why there are hazardous fences in the park. Don’t people come here to be “one” with nature, not hiding behind fences? None of the Big Five permanently reside in Marloth Park and rarely does a lion, leopard, or cheetah rarely find its way into the park. Surely, a fence of any type wouldn’t necessarily protect a human from such a dangerous encounter.

Tom grabbed the long, extendable pole he used to chase off baboons and monkeys and attempted to raise the bottom of the fence to allow the duiker an exit. The poor little creature bellowed in total fear while Tom tried to help.

There is a gate to this area, and we immediately opened it hoping the duiker would see the open exit. While Tom tried to help him, I stood at a distance from the door, hoping to see him escape.

We assumed she was ill or injured.

Finally, after several minutes of him running into the impenetrable wire fence in different enclosure locations, he spotted the open gate and escaped. We both sighed in relief. 

He’s a duiker we’ve often fed and wondered what he was after in that area. Perhaps it was a type of vegetation he particularly liked. Once he ran off, leaping through the air, we wondered if we’d ever see him again.  

A few hours later, Alas returned, and we tossed him some pellets, tiny bits of carrots, and apples. (We always cut the veggies into small bite-sized pieces for the duikers and bushbucks. Kudus and warthogs can handle big chunks but not the tiny antelope or babies of most species).

Every step she took appeared to be an effort.

We were relieved to see he was uninjured and back to his shy little self, often appearing with a female he seemed attached to.  But, the lion we spotted in Kruger didn’t have the potential of a good outcome after we’d seen her looking so unwell.

Sure, we can say, “This is life in the wild,” but that harsh reality doesn’t insulate us from feeling sad for a suffering animal in the wild. Nor, in essence, do we ever want to feel less compassionate. It’s that compassion and love for wildlife that brought us to Africa in the first place. We don’t want to become “tougher” and more accepting of the often gruesome realities.

In today’s world, horrifying videos portray atrocities lodged upon wildlife, many too horrific to mention. Is it possible to see these repeatedly can cause us to become immune to appalling scenes that diminish our ability to feel compassion?

She appeared to have made her way under the bridge where we’d no longer be able to see her.

Seeing the lion in such sorrowful condition left us feeling in tune and touch with nature, that even after many such sightings in this past year of living in the bush, we still care, we still feel, and we still treasure the beauty of life in the wild.  We remain untarnished by the harsh realities.

In 16 days, we’ll leave Marloth Park. We’re grateful for this life-enhancing year in the bush while looking forward to what lies ahead of us.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, January 29, 2018:

At lunch that day in Antarctica, one of the chefs prepared a beef and vegetable stir-fry outdoors. We all partook of the delicious offering but decided to dine indoors. It was a little too cold to eat outside for our liking. For more photos, please click here.

Part 1…Outstanding day in Kruger National Park…A few first time sightings…So exciting!…

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This was an exciting sighting for us, the elusive nyala which we’d never seen during this past year in South Africa.  From this site:  The handsome slate-brown shaggy coat is marked with white vertical stripes and spots on the flanks. Rams appear more charcoal-grey in colour. The rams have long inward curved horns 650 mm (26 inches) and a white chevroned face. They have a ridge of long hairs along the underparts, from behind the chin to between the hind legs, they also have a mane of thick, black hair from the head along the spine to the rump. Rams weigh 115 kg (254 pounds) and measures 1.05 m (41 inches) at shoulders. Ewes are much smaller and do not have horns, and weigh 59 kg (130 pounds) and stand 900 mm (35 inches) at shoulders. Ewes are chestnut-coated with even more prominent white stripes on the flanks.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This is a black-shouldered kite.  From this site: The black-shouldered Kite is a small, graceful raptor and the most voracious eater in the raptor family. It needs to consume up to 25% of its body mass every day – that is the equivalent of about two mice. This means each bird probably kills around 700 mouse-sized animals a year.
Its late in the day, almost 1600 hours (4:30 pm) and I’m anxious to get today’s post uploaded to ensure we can begin wildlife watching on the veranda by our usual 1700 hours (5:00 pm).
At first, when we glimpsed at these three well-hidden animals we thought they were kudus based on the stripes on their bodies.  But, after further inspection, we realized these three antelopes were not kudus but, the elusive nyala.  

Thus, I’m rushing a little and only sharing a few of the highlights of today’s outing in Kruger National Park, leaving the balance of the exciting sightings for tomorrow.

It was a perfect day to enter the park. The weather was a moderate 26C, (79F), the sky was overcast and cloudy but there was no rain in sight.  These were ideal conditions for wildlife to be in plain view. We weren’t disappointed.
Known to be rather shy it was tricky taking a few photos.
On the hottest of days, the animals often stay undercover from the scorching sun or gravitate toward water holes we’re unable to see from the paved or dirt roads.  With the recent rains many formerly dry waterbeds now have some water to attract the animals.  Considerably more rain is desperately needed to have an impact on the river.  
The Crocodile River we cross upon entry into the park is practically bone dry.  Five years ago during this same time period, the river was practically overflowing as opposed to its current sparse sections of water leaving many animals seeking smaller bodies of water for sustenance.  

It was difficult to take a photo of the three of them together but we waited patiently for this shot.

We took off at 9:00 am, leaving the preparation of today’s post for our recent return. Subsequently, we’re breezing through as quickly as possible and will provide a more comprehensive post tomorrow.

I tried sitting outdoors on the veranda while preparing this but the biting black flies were so bad, I had no choice but to come indoors to finish here.  The sofas and chairs in the living room, although comfy for lounging, are not suitable for working on a laptop.
While we waited we were able to finally able to take a few photos of the individual nyalas.
So i apologize for this quick post but promise more for tomorrow especially since we have some stunning sightings to share that we’ve saving exactly for that purpose.
It was a shame they wouldn’t come out from the dense bush but we did the best we could.
Our plan today was to drive on the paved road all the way to Lower Sabie and to stop for breakfast at the popular Mugg & Bean, one of few restaurants in Kruger National Park. The food was hot, fresh and served quickly based on the fact that we were two of only about eight diners in the entire restaurant.  
After breakfast we were back on the road, taking a dirt road off the beaten path.  It was during this diversion that we saw the two bird photos were sharing today.  We’d previously posted photos of the European roller but never of the black-shouldered kite.
A wildebeest mom and her offspring.
As many of our readers are well aware, we aren’t necessarily “birders” in the truest sense of the word.  However, from time to time when we spot something unique we’re excited to share it with our readers.  Of course, we have a special affinity toward our resident francolins, Frank and The Mrs., and the mating hornbills.
The mom kept a watchful eye on us to ensure we were no risk to her young calf.
There were few tourists in Kruger although at a few sightings, four or five vehicles were stacked up making it difficult to get into a good position for easily taking photos.  

In these circumstances, our mutual patience and persistence pays off.  We picked a good spot and waited for a better position to open up.  Eventually, other observers lost interest and moved on, enabling us to move into a better location.  
This was the first photo we’d taken of a tree squirrel in Kruger National Park.
That’s what self-driving in a national park is all about, having the flexibility to do what’s necessary to take good photos while maintaining a degree of courteousness and kindness – a winning combination.
This evening we’ll stay in, cook dinner and look forward to darkness when the flies seem to disappear but then, the pesky mozzies appear.  Oh well, TIA (this is Africa) after all, isn’t it?
This a a European roller.  From this site:  The European roller is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe. Its overall range extends into the Middle East and Central Asia and Morocco. They are migratory, wintering in Africa, mainly in the east and south.           

We hope you have a pleasant evening and that all is well in your world!

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Photo from one year ago today, January 28, 2018:

This elephant seal on Steeple Jason Island didn’t care for our photo taking.  For more photos from Antarctica, please click here.

Hot tub by candlelight…The difference between a frog and a toad…

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‘”Hot tub by candlelight” with Little lounging in the cement pond on a hot evening in the bush.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Öne of the four piglets of the Mom and Babies family, gaining some independence, napping alone in the lucerne in our garden.

Today’s heading may have fooled a few of our readers, thinking we may have some suggestive hot tub by candlelight experience to share with photos. Sorry, but it wasn’t us! Our boy “Little” stopped by at dusk for a soak in the warm water in the cement pond after a scorching day.

Our regular Mr. Bushbuck, who visits daily, is sharing pellets with our regular visiting female duiker, who are very shy and skittish around other wildlife.

We have a soaking-type tub in the en suite master bath and have yet to use it. My days of taking baths are long over since I don’t care to use so much water while living in the bush or anywhere else in the world, for that matter. Such a tub requires the use of 302 liters (80 gallons of water).  

We tossed out some lettuce leaves, which they also shared.

What a waste of resources that would be, taking a soak once a day! Doing so would use 110,230 liters (29,200 gallons) per year. Those things should be outlawed unless absolutely proven necessary for certain medical conditions.  Water shortages are evident here in Africa, all over the world, and even in the USA.

Suddenly, they stopped eating when they heard a sound.

Anyway, regarding today’s main photo, we had the table candlelights lit to repel mosquitos and flies that ultimately precipitated the above photo. Each night we make a feeble attempt to keep the flies at bay as we attempt to have dinner before dark.

Ken’s photo of who we call Loud Mouth must be the loudest frog on the planet. When he’s making his noise, we have actually to yell to speak to one another.

If we’d be patient and wait to eat dinner until it’s fully dark, the flies would be gone.  But it’s a toss-up. We’re hungry before dark since we don’t eat much during the day. Why change our dining habits due to some pesky flies?

He’s no exotic frog, only a common tree frog often found near water in Africa.  See the diagram below for the difference between a frog and a toad. (Ken’s photo).

As I sit here on the veranda this morning at 11:00 am, the flies are bombarding me. Also, they are biting flies, leaving a nasty sting that can itch for hours. We assume the flies and the mozzies are a result of the recent rains, so we’ll put up with it.  

We’re grateful for the rain for our wildlife friends, greening the vegetation vitally necessary for their survival. Last night there was a perfect soaking rain that continued through most of the night.

Warthogs enjoy hanging out with other “diners” such as kudus to ensure they get the maximum number of pellets.

This morning, we awoke to many visitors to our garden, waiting for a tasty morning treat. It’s comforting to know that when we depart in 19 days, the vegetation will easily sustain the wildlife that’s been visiting us over the past year.  

Handsome young male kudu requesting more pellets with the proverbial stare.

However, that fact doesn’t diminish the sadness we feel when thinking about them showing up day after day, night after night, and we won’t be here. We knew this time would come, and we’re grateful they will have plenty to eat without our steady stream of pellets, apples, carrots, and other good-for-them vegetables we share each day.

This was the smallest/youngest kudu we’ve seen in the garden.

And so it goes, the days and nights sail by faster than I ever imagined, a giant clock ticking in my head. Yes, I’m treasuring every moment. Yes, I’m looking forward to the next adventure. And, above all, this has been a year we’ll never forget, never to be duplicated, never to be lost among the excitement of other magnificent places we’ll visit in this fantastic world.

Female duikers have one little tuft of a horn while the males have two.

Enjoy your day, your night, and each moment in between.

Photo from one year ago, January 26, 2018:

A small group of Gentoo Penguins heading out to sea for a morning swim and hopefully a bite to eat. For more adorable penguins, please click here.

Five years ago “Sighting of the Day in the Bush”….Social graces…All new Kruger photos…Check out the one year ago photo!!..

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A giraffe with two male impalas.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A photo from five years ago today at this link. On either side of the face are two hanging red-tipped hanging pieces of skin. When the Helmeted Guineafowl moves about, these swing around as would a pair of dangling earrings.

It’s uncanny how we can’t stop comparing our three-month stay in Marloth Park five years ago to our current one-year stay. We’d assumed when we returned this time in February 2018 there would be many changes but surprisingly there have been few.

The most significant change has been the enhancement to our social life, in part due to our beautiful friends including us in their social events, and…we’ll take a little credit for being assertive in cultivating the many relationships we acquired in 2013/2014 while building new relationships.
A “confusion” of wildebeest in Kruger National Park.

One of the social perks in Marloth Park and perhaps in South Africa, in general, is the commonality of the reciprocation of following up after being invited to a friend’s home for dinner or a party by asking them or hosting them to a dinner out. Not everyone enjoys hosting dinner parties.  

In other words, those with whom we’ve developed relationships have been exceptionally gracious in good manners and social etiquette. Come to the bush to find an unbeatable social life that compares to none. Who would have thought?

A “confusion” of wildebeest and a “dazzle” of zebras.

Another common practice is bringing one’s own beverages to friend’s home when invited for “sundowners,” dinner parties and gatherings. This takes considerable pressure off posts to accommodate guests’ drink preferences, including types of wines, beers, liquors, and non-alcoholic beverages.

In our old lives, I don’t ever recall asking guests to “BYOB” (bring your own booze) when attending one of our social events, nor do I remember us doing so when attending parties in Minnesota. It wasn’t customary. But, here in South Africa, it is.

Zebras were grazing in the lush greenery.

On several occasions, after we’ve hosted a dinner party in our bush home, we’ve been invited out to dinner by friends who either aren’t here long enough to host a reciprocal dinner party, don’t have suitable space for dinner parties in their bush homes, or simply don’t incline to go through the time-consuming process of preparing a special meal for guests.

Plus, over these past few hot summer months, the weather has been outrageous with extreme heat and humidity. It’s unbearable to spend the better part of a day or two standing in the kitchen in the heat. Homes here do not have central aircon and few have a wall unit in the kitchen. Turn on the oven to bake a dish and the house becomes a veritable hotbox.

Certain animals do well grazing together as is the case with giraffes and impalas.

Never once over the past year have we felt or even thought about not being invited for a meal when we’ve asked others. We’ve loved every evening we’ve hosted, relishing in the quality time we’ve spent with guests over good food and often, their own favorite wine and beer.

Five years ago at the Hornbill house, in which we stayed under two months, we didn’t have the space for entertaining. Once we moved to the Khaya Umdani house (see our link here of this fabulous house), we finally reciprocated guests. 

Wildlife at a distance.

Eventually, we moved again to the African Reunion house (see our link here for this lovely home) and again could invite guests. It was a very special time for us thanks to Louise and Danie’s kindness and generosity in allowing us to experience two more properties in that three month period.

But here at the “Orange” house, once we started seeing the wildlife regularly there was no way, during this entire one year period, that we had any interest in moving to a different house, should it become available.  

Two closely-knit giraffes may be a parent and offspring or mating pair.

This house has been ideal for hosting and reciprocating for dinner parties, house guests and of course, the exquisite day to day interaction with our wildlife friends. It couldn’t have suited our needs or desires more.  

 This house may or may not be available when we return but surely Louise will ensure we’ll have a perfect house for our three-month return in March 2021.  (Next time we won’t be staying in South Africa longer than the allowed 90 days due to immigration issues).

Grazing in the treetops.

Today and tonight, we’re hanging out at the house. I’m working on projects to prepare for our departure in 20 days, including scanning one year’s worth of actual receipts with our portable scanner, cleaning out cupboards and closets and going through our travel supplies to determine what we’ll really need going forward.

 Have a fantastic day hopefully filled with meaningful social encounters!

Photo from one year ago today, January 25, 2018:

On our way to Antarctica, at long last, this was our first penguin sighting:  A one or two-year-old Rock Hopper Penguin on New Island in the Falkland Islands yet to grow his full plumage. Click here for more outstanding wildlife we discovered during this once-in-a-lifetime cruise.

Winding down…Three weeks and counting…

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Check out this mongoose mom and a tiny baby.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Long-tailed Paradise Whydah.  (Photo by friend Ken).

Tom always says counting down the days until we depart the time goes by too quickly. For me, it’s the opposite. I savor each day, knowing there are so few remaining.

Three weeks from today, the next phase of our world journey begins when we drive to Nelspruit on February 14th, Valentine’s Day, to spend one night in a hotel to board an early morning flight to Johannesburg, change planes to then we’ll be off to Nairobi, Kenya.

As I meander through this good-sized house, I see things we need to pack in almost every corner. In essence, the process has started. I’ve already gone through all of my clothing and removed everything I will no longer wear.  
Dad is proud of his fast-growing chicks.

Many items no longer fit with my weight loss of 10 kilos this year (22 pounds). I’ll donate what I haven’t already given away to the sellers on the street to see if they can make a little money on my good-condition clothing.

 Doing so leaves me with very little to wear on the upcoming cruise from San Antonio, Chile, to San Diego, California. But at this point, I’m not worrying about what I’ll wear on a cruise ship on dress-up nights. 

 For the rest of the days and nights, I’ll wear jeans, shorts and lovely tee-shirts, of which I have plenty of. I still have four somewhat dressier tops, when paired with black pants, can work fine for more formal occasions.

It’s hard to believe these chicks have increased from the tiny little things they were six months ago.

Of my five pairs of shoes, one pair may be construed as a little dressy. Tom has several button shirts to wear to dinner and one white dress shirt for dress-up nights. We’I can add a scarf or costume jewelry for dinners in the main dining room to dress up an otherwise dull outfit. We’ll make it work, as we always do.

 When Louise stopped by yesterday, she offered to store anything we may want to keep for our next visit. We may be willing to store a few roasting pans and outdoor lights to watch the wildlife at night.  

 Other than that, she suggested we leave any food, spices, canned or bottled items we don’t want in the cupboards, and she can distribute them to their many rental houses for future guests to use or give them to the locals. 

It wasn’t easy to differentiate the chicks from the parents.

As it turns out, many of the food products we use aren’t used by the locals in their cooking method. But tourists from other countries may use the spices and condiments, of which we have many after cooking here for the past year. 

 On Tuesday, we went through the chest freezer to inventory precisely what we had left to consume. After doing so, we realized we might not have to purchase much in the way of groceries, especially protein sources, of which we have plenty on hand.

Ostriches seem to love hanging out at this same house we’d observed five years ago.

I’d forgotten we had the frozen filling, already made, for one more pumpkin pie, left from our Thanksgiving dinner party. With it defrosted later in the day, I created and rolled the dough for one more pumpkin pie for Tom (his favorite).  

 With the cooler weather, the pie crust came out better than on “pumpkin pie hell day” (click here for details) when we prepared the special meal for 12 of us. There wasn’t enough filling to fill the pie, but Tom loves the homemade crust. See the photo below of the pie I made on Tuesday.

Newly baked pumpkin pie made with a shortage of filling, but it suited Tom just fine!

We also found three large tenderloin steaks, enough for two nights each, so tonight, we’re starting with that, spacing out the balance over the next three weeks. With many upcoming social events and dinners out in the remaining three weeks, we’ll only need to replenish salad fixings, other fresh produce, and a few miscellaneous items such as coffee, cream, butter, eggs, paper products etc.

 This morning in Komatipoort, we stopped at the dentist’s office to purchase an at-home teeth whitening product. Next door, I ran into the doctor’s office to make an appointment with the doctor to have my three (non-narcotic) prescriptions refilled for six months (it’s required in SA to see the doctor for refills).  

We can’t help but admire these stunning animals, which have never been domesticated due to their unsuitable demeanor.

The prices for refills are low enough here. It’s worth the office visit cost at ZAR 662 (US $48) rather than ordering them online from my usual supplier (ProgressiveRX).

We each have one more dentist appointment remaining to have our teeth cleaned, at which time I’ll have two remaining amalgam fillings removed and replaced with the safer white material. 

Female zebra grazing in the bush now that there’s so new growth of vegetation due to rain.

At that point, I won’t have any remaining amalgam fillings or teeth requiring any work, which will be a huge relief. I’ve meant to have this done for years. Ironically, we had to come to South Africa to work on our teeth, but the dentist is fantastic, and prices are considerably lower than in the US or other countries.

 Back at the house, after shopping at Spar, buying three bags of pellets at Obaro, and Tom heading to Lebombo for carrots, apples, and eggs (for the mongoose), we’re suitable for the next week.

Zebra were looking healthy and well-fed.

We’re staying in for the remainder of today, beginning to work on some other organizing and packing projects. For me, doing a little each day feels more productive than waiting until the last day or two. Tom, on the other hand, prefers to wait until the day before we depart.

 It’s all these slight differences between us that make traveling the world together more exciting and entertaining. It would be mighty dull if he was just like me!

 Be well. Be happy wherever you may be.


 Photo from one day year ago, January 24, 2018:
There were no photos on this date one year ago as we were heading to Ushuaia, Argentina, to board the ship sailing to Antarctica.