Hot, hot, hot…And, the beat goes on…WiFi out all afternoon…

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Even the minuscule amount of rain brings greenery to life.

“Sighting of the day in the Bush.”

Baby impalas, sheltered from the heat of the midday sun, guarded by one of the attentive moms.

What can I say to avoid sounding as if we’re complaining? We’re not. Instead,
we consider today’s comments as an observation. It’s hot, hot, hot. Today’s high temperature was 42C (108F) which it has reached now at 1700 hours (5:00 pm).

Most often, the peak temperature for the day occurs around 1500 hours (3:00 pm) and begins to taper off an hour or two later. The evenings aren’t nearly as
bad but it’s impossible to stay indoors in the living area of this house. The
massively high ceilings contribute to a level of heat indoors that is hard to
take.
An awkward sitting position for a female ostrich. Could she be on her nest?
It’s like an oven with no way to cool it off, even late into the evening. We run a
fan in the living room, but all it does is blow hot air around. Thank
goodness we have an aircon in the bedroom, but even that chugs along in this intense heat.
How much hotter can it get? We heard from locals that in 2016, December highs were in the 50C range (122F). Over the next few days, even higher temperatures are predicted. 
Cape buffalos on a hill on the Crocodile River in Kruger National Park.
We recall it being hot here five years ago but not quite this hot day after day. It
has a tendency to make one feel exhausted and listless although we both make
every effort to go about our days as we would during cooler periods.
Now, we’re having wi-fi issues due to all the “extra” people in Marloth Park
during the holiday season. The system can only handle so much. Fortunately, the load shedding power outages are on hold at the moment. 

We’ll see how that goes over the next few weeks during the holiday season. As I write on an offline app, I realize I may never have an opportunity to upload this post before the day’s end.
Two male cape buffalos, who most likely were ostracized from the remainder of their “obstinacy” when a more significant or stronger other male won the favor of the females. These males form groups for life since they’ll never be allowed to return to the herd.
In South Africa, the school holiday ends on January 9th, when most holidaymakers will leave Marloth Park, their holiday having ended when their kids return to
school. That’s almost three weeks from today.
We understand and respect the importance of tourists coming to the park to
generate revenue for shops and homeowners of holiday properties but even they,
fully grasp how everything changes when the tourists are here.
Baboons and monkeys are our least favorite animals. Due to their intellect, they are crafty and dangerous and can destroy a house or garden in minutes, searching for food or merely being destructive for entertainment.
We won’t be able to go to Kruger for the next three weeks either. We’ve already
heard about the delays at the Crocodile Bridge, and soon, guests will have to
pay a fee to enter at a specific time of day on top of the regular entrance
fees.  

Our annual “Wild Card” doesn’t afford us any extra privileges. We’d
also have to pay additional for a “reservation.” Only 600 cars are allowed into the park at a time at any of the many entrance gates.

An elephant family drinking from the river.  The drought continues relentlessly.
Over the past few days, to cool off, we’ve driven through Marloth Park looking for wildlife photo ops but more so to stay cool for a few hours during the day.  

This morning at 7:30 am, we headed to Komatipoort for my dentist appointment at 8:00 am. After the appointment, we walked the short distance to Stoep Cafe for breakfast, grabbing our favorite table on the veranda. 
Eating a hot breakfast in the heat proved to have been a bad idea. We were both
“sweating up a storm” while we ate, and foolish me had ordered hot tea. By the time we finished our meal and headed back to the air-conditioned comfort of the car, we were drenched in sweat. I don’t usually sweat much, but the humidity, coupled with the high temps, has changed everything.
Two males impalas stop by for food and a rare visit.
We remind ourselves, over and over again. This is Africa, and we chose to be here. Most of the time, it’s been a glorious experience. And we face the reality, that along with amazing adventures of our lives, there is a price to pay, beyond money, beyond mere inconvenience. It’s all part of the experience.

So today, as we wait for the temperature to drop and the WiFi to come back on, we look forward to our evening on the veranda tonight, as always, hoping a few, if only a few of our wildlife friends will stop by.  

Last night we had 10 warthogs come to call. Let’s see if they return tonight. We have pellets, a fresh batch of lucerne, ice-cold carrots, apples, celery tops, and lettuce, and we’ll be waiting for them.


Have a great holiday season evening.

Photo from one year ago today, December 18, 2018:

Stunning view of Ushuaia from the veranda while on the cruise in South America. For more photos, please click here.

Fun photos of “small things” from five years ago…

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This was our first photo, five years ago, of a dung beetle in action. The female often sits atop the ball of dung while the male moves it along using his back feet while his front feet grasp the ground for stability. The female lays eggs in the ball, so she tags along as he rolls, and they search for an adequate hole to bury the ball. The ball is used as sustenance for both of them as well as the larvae. See this post here.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This pretty female bushbuck effortlessly balances on three legs to attend to an itch. Many animals are adept at contorting their bodies to scratch an itch.

If you’ve been reading our posts for the past five years or more, you’ll have seen all of these photos we’ve posted today. At that time, we did a recurring series entitled “Small Things.”

 Over the past 10 plus months, we’ve done a daily “Sighting of the Day in the Bush” feature, which may consist of small or more significant sightings. In reviewing these old posts, we thought it might be interesting for some of our newer readers to see some of the photos from the posts five years ago when we were in Marloth Park, especially those “small things” we haven’t seen again since arriving last February.

Five years ago, Zef, one of our two housemen yet today, took this beetle out of the pool to show us.  See this post here.

Looking back at the photos, we easily recall the sightings of each of these little treasures and how much we enjoyed them at that time and still do now. How fortunate we are to review old posts so easily and continue to enjoy all that we’ve seen and done.

 Today’s post is #2333. Yep, that’s correct. We’ve done two thousand three hundred thirty-three posts, including today’s post on December 17, 2018. It’s hard for us to believe how many there have been and how, day after day, we’ve mustered up the fodder and the desire to continue.

Five years ago, I’d taken this shot of the underside of a gecko as it crawled on the outside of the sliding glass door in one of the living rooms. See this post here.

On Saturday night, our friend Don (of Kathy and Don) asked me how I managed to keep doing this. The answer is easy…it’s become as integral a part of our lives as traveling the world has become.  

We can’t imagine life without it, and we’re ultimately grateful to all of our worldwide readers who motivate us and spur us on by continuing to read it and share it with others who may enjoy reading it. Thank you for this. YOU mean the world to us.

 Subsequently, having the ability to reflect on past stories and their photos, such as we’re doing today, and may well do in the future, extends the story of our experiences in Africa.  
Another dung beetle couple was aiming for the hole where they’ll keep their fertilized ball of dung.  See this post here.

No, we won’t be reposting past stories themselves unless it is on a special occasion and provides a relevant and distinct purpose in doing so. If so, we’ll describe that purpose. 

Photos are timeless, and sharing what this magical place has to offer has no time constraints or restrictions. And we’re assuming many of our current readers started reading our posts long after we started in March 2012. Who in this busy world has time to read from the beginning?
After Zef gently placed this monstrous insect on a limb of a tree, it grabbed hold of the branch, hanging on for nearly a full day.  See this post here.

Surprisingly, we’ve received countless email messages over the years where new readers coming in partway, have told us they started reading from “Day 1” on March 14, 2012, by use of the archives on the right side of our page, found by clicking on the little arrow, like this ► which when clicked next to a month, opens up all the stories and days of the month in chronological order.

If you haven’t had time to read from the beginning and if you’re interested in doing so, some have mentioned they read the current post and add two or three old posts in chronological order to eventually “catch up.”
These mushrooms are growing in our yard. Of course, we didn’t pick them without knowing if they were safe for consumption. See this post here.

This is a continuing story. Hmmm…kind of like a soap opera without the “soap” and definitely without the drama of an “opera.” But, it’s our story told in a vulnerable and revealing manner, sharing the finite details of our lives while entirely excluding our views on these topics:  politics, religion, and sex.  Good. Who cares to hear about those topics anyway?  

And so, dear readers, from the past, of late, and in the middle, we’re a little redundant with photos here today and perhaps will be so in a few upcoming posts. Feel free to post your opinion or comments on this fact at the bottom of any post or write to us via email.  

 We hope all of our readers enjoy whatever holiday preparations they may be making (or not) at this time or in the future. Have a fantastic day!

      Photo from one year ago today, December 17, 2017:

We were bundled up in Ushuaia in the cold air, knowing we’d be back in a few weeks to sail away on the Antarctica cruise. What a beautiful city! for more photos, please click here.
The sign reads, “fin del mundo,” the end of the world. For more photos, please click here.

The holiday season has begun in Marloth Park….Warnings for holidaymakers with children…

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Island life for this cape buffalo with a friend on the river’s edge.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Our resident frog, which we mistakenly assumed was a male is a female. The frog male is much smaller than the female. The male took up residence with her overnight last night. We’ll continue to observe to see what transpires for this mating pair. She’s been sitting there for months, although she took off during the rain last week, returning three nights later. When we turn on this light fixture at night, the insects are prolific, and she sits there darting out her tongue for tasty treats. We’ll see how it goes tonight, with two of them sharing the nighttime opportunities.

We were both up at the crack of dawn, hoping to reach grandson Vincent to wish him a happy birthday. The time difference is 12 hours. He and his family are in Maui, Hawaii, for the holiday season, snorkeling, boogie boarding, and scuba diving.

As holidaymakers and activities have ramped up this weekend in Marloth Park, we are seeing a distinct reduction in the number of wildlife visitors and more and more vehicles on the roads.  
The only elephant we spotted on the river this morning with a cattle egret in flight near its trunk.

So far today, we’ve fed a few bushbuck moms and babies. Perhaps by early evening, when the garden is usually filled with a wide array of wildlife, we’ll have more visitors. But, for now, we’re on our own.

We took off in the red car around 8:00 am to drive around the park. We encountered many vehicles but few animals other than those we’ve shown here today, with fewer sightings on the Crocodile River than usual.

A pair of male ostriches wandering through the bush this morning.

On Facebook this morning and we noticed this warning about children in the park written by a conscientious and dedicated ranger:

Good morning everyone.
Please warn all your guests not to leave small children to explore the bush without an adult. We do have a lot of snakes out and about at the moment. 

There was also an incident this morning with 2 small children going right up to Kudu bulls to feed them without an adult nearby, we luckily had an owner stop them. (Kudu bulls have massive horns and, although not necessarily aggressive animals, could easily and unintentionally impale a child or adult).

All animals are wild; before we have serious injuries, please educate those who think we are a petting zoo. Thank you.
CPF/SECTORS/RANGERS AND SECURITY.” 

For the first time, we noticed ostrich’s ears which may usually be hidden under layers of plumage. Unlike humans, birds’ ears are holes on either side of their heads, with no cartilage. Contrary to what most humans believe, ostriches do not stick their heads in the sand.

We see this type of behavior all the time, especially during holidays when the park is filled with tourists. Once again, we’re driving past cars with children, young children, sitting on the parent’s lap driving the vehicle, often a large SUV or truck.

Recently, we encounter two girls alone in the front seat of an SUV, with one driving, neither of whom could have been over 12 years old. Who are these parents that allow this dangerous activity?  

During the mating season (June- November), the male ostrich’s beak and legs turn red/pink to attract the female for mating.

Sure, there are many periods of time where there are no police in Marloth Park for long stretches although, in the past few days, we have seen a few police vehicles. We hope they stay through the holiday season.

Does this fact give people the right to ignore laws, endangering not only their own children’s lives but the lives of others including the wildlife? Last holiday season, spring break, 12 animals were killed from speeding and careless driving in the park. This was devastating news to all of us who love this place and its wildlife occupants.

A peculiar-looking bird, isn’t it?  Ostriches are remnants of the prehistoric era.

Besides the risk to humans, wildlife and property there is also a lack of consideration by some holidaymakers over noise (and trash) restrictions as part of the regulations in Marloth Park.  

This is supposed to be a peaceful and quiet place where wildlife and humans can co-exist in a stress-free environment. Sadly, that’s not always the case during holiday periods and, at other times as well.

From this angle, it’s difficult to determine the species other than due to the long neck.

We’re hoping after posting this on several Marloth Park pages in Facebook some holidaymakers may have an opportunity to realize the value of a chance to experience this magical place.

The rules and regulations for Marloth Park may be found here at this link.  Although many of these rules apply to construction and building, in reading through the list, toward the end, each regulation has a deep and genuine purpose of maintaining the integrity and value of this particular community and safety for all blessed to be here.

A saddle-billed stork on the Crocodile River this morning.

Sure, we are only visitors ourselves here (for almost one year, leaving in February and who are we to tell others how to behave?  But, our motives are not entirely altruistic.  

We plan to return to Marloth Park 21 months after we leave and we can only hope we’ll find it to be as meaningful and magical as it’s been for us for this entire year we’ve spent living here.  

Perhaps this is selfish but if everyone shared a similar selfishness to keep Marloth Park as wonderful as it is, we’d each commit to a personal role in appreciating our time here and dedicating our efforts for the benefits of the wildlife and the surroundings.  

Ultimately in doing so, humans will continue to relish in the beauty and wonder of one of the most unique places on earth.

Be well.  Be happy during this holiday season and always.
                       Photo from one year ago today, December 16, 2017:

Views of Cape Horn, known as the bottom of the world, from the ship’s bow.  For more photos, please click here.

Filling in the gaps…It was about time to start booking for the future…

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Louise and her adventurous son Jandre (who recently returned from an exciting two months in Thailand) stopped by for a visit and sundowners last night.  There was a bowl of nuts for the humans and a bigger bowl of carrots and apples for the wildlife.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

After Louise had seen our photos of Little coming up the steps to the veranda, we all laughed out loud when he did it again while they were here.  

In years past, six to be exact, we always stayed on top of filling in gaps in our itinerary. As a matter of fact, during the first few years, we were always completely booked for two years in advance.

As time has marched on we’ve found it isn’t necessary to have every gap, every hotel, every vacation rental, every car rental, and every flight booked so far in advance. 

However, we’ve found it necessary to know where we’d prefer to be in the upcoming two years, enabling us to research. Also, we never show up in a country without reservations for a hotel or holiday home. We have no interest in “winging it.”
We’re always thrilled to see giraffes in Marloth Park.

Traveling the world has been a learning process. When we started in 2012, there wasn’t a training manual on how to do this. Over the years many travelers have asked us for advice and we’ve been delighted to share our best tips for those considering embarking on this lifestyle.

 Recently, we read that over 1,000,000 Americans are traveling full-time. There were so few when we started six years ago. At this point, we often wonder how many have been traveling, without a home or apartment or, motorhome without storage, or without a car, who’ve been traveling for six years or more.

 If you’ve been “out there” for longer than five or six years, we’d love to hear from you and compare notes.  We’ve met many who’ve traveled in a motorhome for decades. To us, that’s a home of sorts and generally, those who’ve made this choice, generally stay on one continent, most often their home country to avoid immigration issues.

They often stop eating to check us out.  Once realizing we’re aren’t a threat, they return to eating the leaves on the tree tops.

Many years ago, long before we ever decided to travel the world, we discussed the idea of owning a motorhome and traveling the US, but dismissed it entirely when the discussion came up in January 2012, of traveling the world.  

 We didn’t want the responsibility of owning “stuff” packed into a “moving home” nor did we care for the idea of the upkeep, maintenance, and daily management a motorhome requires. For many, they do this with ease and enthusiasm.  t just wasn’t right for us.

Oddly, as world travelers, we aren’t that big on long road trips.  We never have been. This fact has inspired us to find countries, towns, villages we’d like to visit and stay put for a month or more as we make every effort to learn the culture, adapt and blend in.

At quite a distance, a hippo we spotted yesterday on our usual drive.

From this perspective, we’ve gleaned the best experiences we could ever expect and we look forward to the future as much now as we did in the beginning. Plus, in the process, we’ve learned to “live in the moment” wherever that may be.

 This one year stint in Marloth Park will be our last long-term stay (beyond three months). It was only this magical place that inspired us to stay for such an extended period. When we return in December 2020, we’ll only stay in South Africa for 90 days, avoiding any potential immigration hassles.

 It wasn’t that we haven’t loved every moment in Marloth Park. We’ve had a fantastic experience that ends in a mere 61 days.  It will be hard to leave our human and animal friends.  

But, it will be time to move on and resume our continuing travels throughout the world, not staying too long in any one location. There’s still so much world left to experience. Health provided, we’ll continue for as long as we can.

 Recently, we’d considered going to Rwanda to see the gorillas. But after careful review of our budget and upcoming expenses (many flights, two cruises and the balance on the amazing Kenya tour in February), we decided we needed to hold off on that adventure until we return to Africa in 2020.

A pair of cape buffalos grazing at the river’s edge.

These decisions aren’t always easy but practicality must prevail in our lifestyle if we intend to be able to continue on indefinitely at this point. We are not wealthy people, as some world travelers, we’ve encountered along the way.  We must remain frugal and sensible at all times.

But, in the process, we’ve learned how to find great holiday rentals, at prices affordable for our budget. Of course, pricing is often subject to how long one stays and of course, the good exposure the landlords acquire from our online promotion of their rental properties. These two facts alone have played a big role in making this work for us without sacrificing living in nice properties.

 With the Kenya tour beginning on February 22, 2019, and the South Africa visa requirement that we depart on February 15, 2019, suddenly we were looking at a week we had to fill between these two dates.

 The question became, how expensive could we make this week and still stay within the budget. Hotels and resorts in Kenya are expensive considering the quality we prefer.  

A four elephant family spending time together at the river.

Since we’ll be embarking on the extensive and expensive Greg Harvey safari photographic tour (click here for details) for 15 nights beginning on February 22nd and after all the safari and wildlife experiences we’ve had in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana over the past year, we decided to keep costs down and spend a quiet week in Nairobi, Kenya.

We won’t be sitting around the hotel day and night. There are several sightseeing venues we’ll explore while there which we’ll share with photos along the way.

 Last night, we booked the hotel, close to the airport where we’ll leave the bulk of our luggage when we take off on the 22nd and return on the last day, according to the itinerary of the tour. This way, we won’t have to move all of our stuff leaving us more time to do what we’d like during the one-week stay.

 We booked the Four Points by Sheraton near the airport at a cost for seven nights of ZAR 22764 (US $1582) which includes breakfast, wi-fi, and a king deluxe room. Our additional expenses will be tours, transportation, tips, and the evening meal. (Neither of us eats lunch or snacks during the day based on our way of eating that totally eliminates daytime hunger).

A mom and youngster at the Crocodile River.

We also booked a hotel in Nelspruit, fairly close to the airport, for one night on February 14th since our flight to Kenya departs early in the morning. With the over an hour drive from Marloth Park to the airport with potential road delays we’ve experienced in the past, we decided to take no risks and stay overnight in Nelspruit.  

 Next, we’ll be getting to work on booking our flight from Nairobi, Kenya to Santiago, Chile on March 7th or 8th.  The Kenya tour ends on March 7th, (which is the date of our wedding anniversary) and we haven’t decided if we’ll stay one more night in Kenya or head directly to South America the same day. We’ll know once we check out flights in the next few days.

 So there it is folks. The beginnings of filling in the gaps in our itinerary over the two years, all of which we’ll continue to post here as we go along.

 Tonight, we’re dining at Jabula Lodge and Restaurant with Rita and Gerhard and Kathy and Don, who are returning to Marloth Park for the holidays. We have lots of exciting plans with our friends over the holiday season and for Tom’s birthday as well on December 23rd.

 Have a fabulous day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 15, 2017:

Note the snow-covered pointed peaks in the Chilean Fiords. For more photos, please click here.

Yet another shocking first!…What’s going on?…

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We knew we had to be very cautious not only for our safety but for his as well. If we startled him or told him to get down, he could have broken a leg on the slippery tiles.  Instead, we tossed pellets on the ground near the bottom of the steps.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Zebras are full of expression and seem to pose for the camera.

So far, we’ve had two bales of lucerne delivered, and today we arranged for more over the next month. Each was gone in a matter of hours. At a cost of ZAR 145 ($10.13), it’s not as if we plan to order one each day. The cost would be prohibitive because we’re already buying many bags of pellets each week and giant bags of carrots and apples.

We were busy working on our laptops and didn’t realize what was happening until we saw this zebra climbing up the veranda steps.

I must admit I have developed calluses on my right hand from the way I hold the big kitchen knife when I cut many carrots and apples into small bite-sized pieces each day.

 When I started cutting the produce, and we were visited by many small bushbucks and duikers, and now many youngsters, I realized the pieces had to be small enough for the smaller animals to avoid choking. They are so hungry, and they devour what’s in front of them, not considering if a piece of fruit or veg is too big to handle.  

We didn’t have any food, pellets, or lucerne on the veranda.  What inspired him to climb up the slippery tile steps baffles us. We did nothing to encourage this.

Everyone can enjoy small pieces, although animals such as zebras are known to eat an entire whole carrot.  However, we don’t offer them that way. We try to spread what we have among all visitors considering their safety, health, and well-being.

We didn’t think it was a familiarity situation since we don’t see zebras more than a few times a week.

As mentioned in yesterday’s post (please check it out to see some cute photos) regarding our decision to provide some lucerne along with the pellets and produce, we can’t possibly give enough food for any one of the animal’s daily needs during this dry season as they struggle to find nourishment.

Just like that, he was on the veranda.  The only reason we think this happened is that many residents feed the zebras on their verandas.  This one doing so may have been a normal course of action.

Today, when I stopped at Daisy’s Den while Tom was getting a haircut, owner Mark explained the lucerne was selling like crazy. Many other residents, like us, are very concerned about the welfare of Marloth Park’s wildlife.

 And although it’s rained a few times in the past week, it’s nowhere near enough to make a difference at this point. So much more is needed and the prospects over the next week don’t look too good based on the weather report.

We gave him time to fulfill his curiosity, talking softly and with confidence.

Keeping in mind these stressful and trying times for the wildlife, it’s not surprising that both “Little” (warthog) and the zebra have climbed the steps to the veranda. They see us tossing food out to them, and when we took a break, they came looking. Smart animals.

 Fortunately, we know better than to overreact during these situations. Staying back, giving them space, and talking in soft, gentle tones, appears to keep them feeling calm and unthreatened. A single nudge from a warthog or kick from a zebra could be life-threatening, and we don’t take that risk lightly.

It was a shock to see him on the veranda, but we appreciated the photo op!

And regardless of how familiar we may have become with many of the magnificent animals, we always remember these are wild animals, not pets. Never once have either of us attempted to “pet” or touch them, nor will we.

He looked around for food.  When he didn’t find any and heard the pellets being tossed to the ground beyond the steps, he gingerly lumbered down the steps.

Even Frank and The Mrs., our resident francolin (bird) couple, can be feisty when we’ve seen them go after warthogs and kudus when they feel the birdseed we toss is threatened. We take nothing for granted.

He let out a loud whinny and took off for the pellets we tendered at the bottom of the steps.  It was quite a pleasant visit, one we’ll never forget.

We’re cautious around the horned antelopes, including Big Daddies (kudus with massive horns) and Willie, our resident wildebeest. We’ve never fed them by hand! We quickly see how they use those horns to make their presence known. The male kudus often tap the ground with their massive horns to let whoever is in their way know they are fierce and dangerous.

The baby wasn’t interested in eating solid food quite yet, avoiding the lucerne and the pellets.

The only animals we feel safe getting real close to are the female bushbucks (no horns), who get scared away each time they try to eat when other animals are around. The girls and the duikers (who are very skittish) are often left behind.

She stood off to the side while the adults devoured the lucerne.

As a result, we often stand next to the female bushbucks protecting them while they eat. Many are nursing moms, and they too need lots of nourishment along with all the others.

Mark, the owner of Daisy’s Den, explained, “Once the zebras show up, they’ll eat until the lucerne is gone.”  That’s exactly what they did.

Last night we had an enjoyable evening when Rita and Gerhard came for dinner. We made entirely low carb, high fat, moderate protein meal which they both seemed to enjoy. We all cleaned our plates, leaving nothing behind, while the conversation, as always, was lively and entertaining.

Mom stopped eating so the baby could suckle.

We’re staying in tonight. The weather is warming up again after a few days of reprieve. Our aircon in the bedroom has been repaired, and we’re set to take it on. Summer in Africa is hot, hot, hot!

 Be safe. Be happy.

Photo from one year ago today, December 12, 2017:

The giant Sentados Frente del Mar statue in Puerto Montt, Chile, is often criticized for its unattractiveness. We found it to be humorous and charming. Note the size of the figure by comparing me standing at her feet. For more photos, please click here.

Another outstanding “first!”…A difficult decision…

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This is Cupid with a heart-shaped marking on her throat.  She was particularly loving the lucerne.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Wildebeest Willie arrived in time to get in on the action. He ate quite a bit and then decided he’d sit on it only sharing with a warthog or two.

When we often heard our Marloth Park friends talk about ordering bales of lucerne (hay) for the wildlife who are unable to freely forage with the lack of rain during the normally rainy spring season, we hesitated to order it.

The animals are so hungry, many residents have ordered lucerne to be delivered. Although we don’t like the idea of them sharing a food source due to potential health hazards, starvation, in itself is a huge health hazard.
We know this can be a breeding ground for animal bacteria. But, over the past several weeks seeing dozens of skinny, hungry wildlife, we had to make a decision…do we get the lucerne and feed them a protein-rich diet of lucerne or do we continue with just the pellets, apples, and carrots which we’re going through faster than can be imagined?

It’s been hard feeding them enough with the pellets, apples, and carrots. Yes, they visit other homes in the park and are fed, often generously, but few residents are outside on their veranda each and every day and night feeding the animals, as we are.
Daisy’s Den delivers the lucerne for ZAR 145 (US $10.05)  Lucerne is: Oat, barley, and wheat plant materials occasionally cut green and made into hay for animal fodder. It’s a rich source of protein, carbohydrates and minerals ideal for wildlife during the drought.

When we drive around Marloth Park almost daily passing one bush house after another, we rarely see residents outdoors feeding the animals. A rough guess might be, that we may observe one out of 30 homes (on a busy weekend) with occupants outdoors feeding the wildlife.  

While Mark, the owner of Daisy’s Den was still in our garden, 15 kudus arrived in minutes to begin devouring the lucerne with considerable enthusiasm.

On typical non-holiday weekdays, we may not see more one or two residents outdoors feeding the wildlife during our two-plus hour drive through the park. No offense intended.  

Many homeowners only stay in their bush homes a few times a year for short periods. Many residents purchase lucerne to feed the wildlife which doesn’t require the resident to be outdoors.  

More and more kudus arrived to partake in the bale.

Some homeowners go as far as ordering lucerne to be delivered to their bush home while they are away, ensuring the animals still are fed in their absence. How generous is that?

Then, there were 15 kudus with a few off to the sides.

Many homes are rented as holiday homes but most often they’re rented over weekends during holiday and non-holiday periods. The tourists may be in Kruger National Park or otherwise sightseeing spending little time in the gardens of their rental properties.

The local markets sell small bags of pellets that visitors may purchase which is not enough to feed a handful of kudus in one day. Many animals spend the majority of their time foraging for food. A cupful or two of pellets doesn’t put a dent in their daily dietary needs.

We couldn’t believe how quickly they began breaking down the bale.

We struggled with this decision but when we’ve seen nursing moms with ribs showing, injured warthogs looking thin and malnourished and even a lizard as shown in yesterday’s post braving approaching us for food. Of course, we complied as shown in yesterday’s post. Please click here if you missed it.

It took a few hours for a Big Daddy to arrive.  He wasn’t quite as excited about the lucerne as the females and the youngsters.

If we dumped an entire 40 kg (88 pounds) bag of pellets on the ground, in a few hours, it would be gone. Their sense of smell is outstanding as indicated by our above comment as to how quickly the kudus arrived after Mark placed the bale of lucerne in the garden. It took less than 60 seconds for 15 kudus to arrive.


As you can see, we decided to give it a try by ordering one bale of lucerne which was delivered yesterday morning. The response was unreal. For hours we watched a wide array of wildlife come to partake of the bounty.  

Moments later another Big Daddy arrive and the competition began for dominance.

For once there was less “jockeying” for position. There was enough for everyone and the competition was less fierce than usual. As the hours past, the pile of hay became smaller and smaller until it was finally but a light greenish dust on the dirt.  

This Big Daddy wasn’t taking any guff from another slightly smaller male.

And yet, as I write here now, Willie is sitting in the green dust, as content as he could be. He picked over some remaining mouthsful and we added pellets to round out his visit. He seems so content. At this point, he’s been here for the past three hours.


This morning we had a second bale delivered which we’re saving to distribute later this afternoon. At the moment it’s on the veranda far enough back from the edge for anyone to reach. In the interim, the remaining lucerne will be fodder for any visitors mid-day.

They worked out an amicable arrangement and all went well.

Tonight Rita and Gerhard are coming for dinner. They too, after seeing the excitement here, have ordered their first bale which arrived this morning and surely by now are reveling in the pleasure of feeding these hungry creatures.

May your day be filled with meaning and purpose.

                                         Photo from one year ago today, December 11, 2017:

Shoreline view from high atop the city at Puerto Montt, Chile. For more photos, please click here.

Heimlich Maneuver on a lizard?…What???…

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Oh, oh, Mr. Monitor Lizard picked up the rib bone intended for the warthogs! To see what transpired, please read below.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A bit blurry in the dark, this thick-tailed bushbaby was a first-time visitor to our garden.

Anytime we aren’t on a game drive in Kruger National Park, on a drive in Marloth Park, shopping in Komatipoort, or out with friends, we’re on the veranda watching, waiting, and observing a vast array of wildlife who come to call.

Note her long pink tongue inside the cup.  She devoured the contents in seconds.

Although we’re fast approaching the busy holiday season where wildlife will be either hiding out in the bush or parklands or “dining” at many of the oft unoccupied holiday rentals where holidaymakers provide them with both “good-for-them” foods or not-so-good-for-them foods, all of which they eat with the same aplomb.

Sure, human leftovers, chips (fries), sweets, potato chips, and tortilla chips may taste, and even marshmallows may taste good to a kudu or bushbuck. Still, many of these foods can be toxic and certainly don’t add to their nutritional well-being.
When we noticed Mr. Monitor Lizard coming out from the bush, we were surprised how much he ventured out. They are timid, usually living underground in tunnels they dig. He was hungry and on the hunt.

Nonetheless, many wildlife like the taste of such foods, and we may not see them for days, if not weeks.  Some holidaymakers have already arrived but certainly not as many as we’ll see in the next few weeks, with Christmas only 15 days from today.  

We didn’t know how to get eggs to him when each time we’ve approached in the past, he rapidly slithered away.

Knowing our visitors may be sparse, we’re totally engrossed in each visitor that continues to arrive as we stay on the veranda, rain or shine, days and nights. The power outages continue but not necessarily following the schedule posted by Eskom, the power company.

This warthog is named “Basket,” shortened from Tom calling him “basketballs.”  Get it?  He and the lizard seemed fine in each other’s space.

It rained again last night, which, combined with the rain over the prior few days, is starting to “green” the bush.  Today is very cool and comfortable with a strong breeze. We’re loving every moment, knowing cool weather is short-lived in Africa.

 As we’ve sat here on the veranda, we’ve had a few new experiences we are excited to share today. One was the appearance of Mr. Monitor Lizard, who seldom makes comes out from his hovel to see us, and he offered us a special treat as shown in today’s photos.

For the first time, he approached the veranda, looking at us.  He didn’t seem to like pellets, so we tried to figure out what we could feed him.

The photos tell the story of his visit.  He was looking for food. If we approach him, he rapidly slithers away, so we had to figure out how to help him out without scaring him. 56Tom suggested we toss him some of the many eggs we always have on hand for the mongooses.

He was scanning the garden looking for possible food sources.

There was no way to get the eggs to him without breaking them. So we tossed him 10 eggs. As the shells broke, the contents remained in many shell fragments, and he devoured each morsel, including eating many of the nutrient-rich shells.

Over a period of several minutes, Tom tossed several eggs his way.  He seemed very pleased licking the eggs out of the broken shells.

With warthog Basket in the garden at the same time, earlier we’d tossed him some bones left from Tom’s rib dinner at Jabula. Here I go, saying we give them leftovers!!! Hypocritical?  No. 

 The minerals in bones are useful to warthogs, and they’ll readily eat any bones we provide. However, they have no interest in any meat. By nature, they are herbivores but maybe in desperate situations, and they may consume carrion.

Every so often, he stopped eating the eggs and shells to scope his surroundings and safety.

When we saw the monitor lizard pick up the bone, we freaked out. How do you do the Heimlich maneuver to a lizard? What if he choked? Worried, we watched intently, not knowing what would happen. Miraculously, he swallowed it right down with enthusiasm and went back to eating the bits of eggs and shells.

He paused when he noticed the rib bone left from Tom’s dinner at Jabula on Saturday night.

We read the following online, giving us peace of mind after he wandered off:
“While most monitor lizards are carnivorous, eating eggs, smaller reptiles, fish, birds and small mammals, some also eat fruit and vegetation, depending on where they live.”  Obviously, they have the ability to digest bone if they eat birds and mammals.  

Later on, during the evening after dark, when the scheduled power outage didn’t occur, for the first time, we had a thick-tailed bushbaby eat every last drop of yogurt we placed on the bushbaby stand each night. The usual smaller bushbabies had yet to eat the contents of the little cup, and the much larger thick-tailed bushbaby devoured it in seconds.

And…he swallowed it right down! 

From this site: “The thick-tailed bushbaby is a nocturnal primate with child-like cries, which gave cause for the English vernacular name. This is probably due to its diet and larger body size; this is the most social of all known bushbabies.”

For the second time in one day, we discovered these two situations, both of which added so much to our ongoing experiences in the bush.  Surely, in these next 66 days, until we depart Marloth Park, more wonders will come our way.

Be well!  Be happy!

Photo from one year ago today, December 10, 2017:

Boulevard scene in Arica, Chile, while on a port of call during the cruise. For more photos, please click here.

It rained!…Glorious rain…More expected…Without rain, the wildlife starves…Five years ago today…

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Appetizers of grilled prawns and Boerewors, a frequently served sausage of South Africa. Notice the dinner plates are upside down…to keep the bugs off of them. I failed to take more food photos.  We were too busy having fun!  For the link to this post, please click here.
“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”
Traffic jam on the paved road in Marloth Park.  Delightful!
Note:  Please excuse the poor quality of the photos we’ve included today from five years ago. At that point, we only had one camera, and the humidity caused condensation inside the lens.  There was nothing we could do until it finally dried out.
 
It’s been reported that it rained 60 mm (2.36 inches) in Marloth Park last night. This morning after the small amount of rain, we noticed a slight increase in the greenery in the bush.
It should have been raining during the spring season (which it didn’t), ending on December 22nd when summer begins. Had it rained during the commencement of the rainy season a few months ago, the bush would have been lush with food sources for the animals.
This late rain, should it continue, will help but won’t solve the problems related to the drought. With the hard impacted ground after the dry season, there may be many run-offs reducing the rainwater absorption into the soil. Thus, there are fewer sources of food supplies for the animals.
The candlelit place settings were befitting an elegant dinner. No paper plates here! All prepared for our group of 17 to perfection. The camera lens was humid on the inside resulting in these blotchy photos. For the link to this post, please click here.
With numerous notices on the various Marloth Park Facebook pages suggesting we all pitch in and feed the animals, we feel confident we’re already doing all we can. The constant stream of hungry animals fills the garden hour after hour while we’re frequently on our feet tossing food their way.
The most difficult animals to feed are the bushbucks and the duikers, who are often chased off by the more aggressive animals such as the warthogs, kudus, and wildebeest, who overpower them sending them running into the bush.
They wait patiently in the bush for their opportunity to eat while we keep a watchful eye for the perfect opportunity, which often may be an hour later when the others have departed. 
Danie in the apron on the left and Louise on the far right put on a fantastic dinner in the bush in Kruger National Park.
Sooner or later, the opportunity arises, and we place a few containers of pellets, lettuce, apples, and carrots at the bottom of the steps, their preferred spot to eat.
On top of it all, we’re always on the lookout for monkeys who we refuse to feed. Their ability to damage property and destroy interiors of houses when they manage to make their way indoors is not worth the risk.
Like most residents, we shoo them away when they appear looking for food. They are smart enough to forage for fruit and other food sources, often pilfered from garbage bags and other sources.
More new friends from the UK are at our table, Janet and Steve who joined us for dinner last night at Jabula with Rita and Gerhard. They are also seasoned world travelers with considerable experience in many countries in Africa.
Many now are carrying around their newborns. There are more monkeys and baboons in Marloth Park than you can imagine. They seem to thrive regardless of weather conditions.
I’m rushing to get today’s post uploaded before the next power outage. This morning Rita and Gerhard stopped by for breakfast, leaving only a short time ago, and I’m definitely behind schedule. Of course, as we did last night at Jabula Lodge with them and Janet and Steve, we had another fantastic time.
Currently, I’m working with Rita to introduce her to the low carb, high fat, moderate protein way of eating, and its fun sharing information face to face. She’s undoubtedly embracing the concept with enthusiasm.
Unfortunately, at this point, Lynne and Mick were leaving in a few days to return to the UK. But we saw them when we returned last February and will see them again soon in January.
Speaking of food…today’s photos were taken on a very humid night, five years ago today when Louise and Danie‘s hosted a very special bush braai in Kruger National Park, in the dark, with guards protecting the perimeter, as we dined on delicious foods they’d prepared for our group. It was a night we’ll never forget.
The significant part of that particular night is the friends we made then, that are still our friends today, a full five years later while we were traveling the world. We feel so fortunate and blessed to have made such friends in Marloth Park, contributing to our desire to return in 2020.
Tonight, there will be a power outage from 1900 to 2130 hours (7:00 to 9:30 pm). Thank goodness we’ve charged solar panel light when the sun was out a few days ago. A few days ago, we purchased this lamp to get us through the dark evenings during the power shedding.
The heat and humidity are still stifling even after the rain. Yesterday, the aircon in our bedroom died, and it won’t be repaired until tomorrow. Last night was tough, but we were grateful to have a fan. One more night of the fan, and by tomorrow, we’ll be back up and running (hopefully).
Tonight we’ll braai marinated pork tenderloins with vegetables, salad, and whatever refreshments we can muster from our still well-stocked bar. 
Have a great evening!
Photo from one year ago today, December 9, 2017:
Christmas tree in Colon Park in Arica, Chile, with St. Mark’s Cathedral (San Marcos)l in the background.  For more photos, please click here.

How to determine the heat index…Its hotter than the actual temperature indicates…

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This short video of Little and Wildebeest Willie clearly illustrates how easy it is to become attached to these animals and deeply care for their well-being.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Bushbuck family comes to visit daily. They always stand at the foot of the veranda, steps away from other wildlife that “steal” their pellets and veg.

What is the heat index?  Here is the answer from this site:

“The heat index is a measure of how hot it feels when the effects of humidity are added to high temperature. To alert the public to the dangers of exposure to extended periods of heat and the added effects of humidity, a Heat Index table is used to correlate measured temperature and humidity into an apparent temperature. This website offers graduated heat maps showing this temperature.

What is the formula for calculating heat index?

The Heat Index is a calculated value based on air temperature and humidity. To calculate a specific value for a previous date, you will need to know the air temperature and humidity.
HI (Fahrenheit) = 42.379 + 2.04901523*T + 10.14333127*RH – 0.22475541*T*RH – 6.83783×10^-3*T^2 – 5.481717×10^-2*RH^2 + 1.22874×10^-3*T^2*RH+8.5282×10^-4*T*RH^2 – 1.99×10^-6*t^2*RH^2
Where T = air temperature in degrees Fahrenheit
RH = relative humidity
 
To use the heat index table below, find the temperature on the left of the chart. Read across until you reach the desired relative humidity. The number which appears at the intersection of the temperature and relative humidity is the Heat Index. Note that the Heat Index under direct sunlight will be eight °C higher than the number shown in the chart.
 
What is the discomfort index?
This index evaluates the impact of heat stress on the individual, considering the combined effect of temperature and humidity. The formula used by the SA Weather Service to calculate the discomfort index is:
Discomfort Index = (2 x T) + (RH/100 x T) + 24
Where:”

T is the dry-bulb or air temperature in degrees Celsius
RH is the percent relative humidity
This index gives the following degrees of discomfort:
90-100 – very uncomfortable
100-110 – extremely uncomfortable
110 and more – hazardous to health
Since the relative humidity of the air can be calculated from the dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures, the formula can also be adapted to use the wet-bulb temperature instead of the relative humidity.


 Based on this morning’s temperature of 36C (97F), with humidity at 45%, the heat index so far today is 41C (105.8).  

 This afternoon we can expect temperatures to stabilize at 36C (97F) with humidity at an expected 55% with a heat index of 46C (114.5F)

 Below is a heat index guide in Fahrenheit:

Below is a heat index guide in Celsius:

Related image

Of course, if we lived in the US or many other countries, we’d have total house air conditioning or, at the least, a few window units capable of cooling the living areas and bedrooms.

But, we’re not in the US or another country where aircon availability and use are common during extreme heat and humidity. Even last night, with the bedroom’s excellent unit on, it never quite cooled down enough, mainly when the outdoor temp hovered around 32C (90F).
 
With these wall units, it’s important not to lower the temperature too much, or the department can “freeze up.” Then, we’d have no air at all for the remainder of the night, which would be a much worse scenario than sleeping without a cover.

It’s easy to tell the wildlife is also feeling it.  We had no less than eight warthogs sitting in the cement pond at varying times of the day. The most challenging period for me was when the power went out from 1300 hours (1:00 pm) to 1530 hours (3:30 pm), the hottest time of the day.

 Every so often during the day, when the heat is exhausting, I may spend 20 or 30 minutes in the bedroom with the aircon unit on (always turning it off and on while I’m in the room, never leaving it running when we’re not).  
Yesterday afternoon, when that option wasn’t possible during the power outage, those two and a half hours were by far the most uncomfortable I’ve experienced.  
 
Tom sat outdoors shirtless, which helped him. But, us girls…that’s another matter.  He says he felt much hotter when we were in Abu Dhabi in 2013, and the temperature was a dry 50C (122F).  
 
However, I’ll always remember it being extremely uncomfortable when we dressed to enter the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (the White Mosque). Here’s our photo from that date, and the link is located here.
Not my most flattering photo. Tom looks great!  We were standing in front of the architectural scale model. After we posed for this picture, a security guard rushed over, telling us we could not touch one another in the mosque. Of course, we complied.
 
Well, we could spend all day whining about the power outages, yesterday’s water outage (back on now), the heat, and humidity. Today, we’ll be a little brighter when and if the power is scheduled to go out (or even if the power doesn’t go out) at 1300 hours (1:00 pm) until 1530 hours (3:30 pm). The car’s aircon is spectacular.
 
We’ll jump in the red car and go for a drive in the park for two and a half hours.  Once we return to the house, we’ll shower (water providing) and dress for tonight’s dinner at Jabula Lodge & Restaurant (we never tire of this beautiful place) with Rita and Gerhard (we never tire of this lovely couple) who are returning from Germany today.  We’ll be thrilled to see them, as always.
 
Stay cool, or in many cases, stay warm, wherever you may be in this world.

Photo from one year ago today, December 8, 2017:

New friends Lisa and Barry invited us to dinner in the private wine room for one last night together on the ship.  They were disembarking the following day while we continued for another  15 nights. For more photos, please click here.

Water outage…Power outages…The scorching heat…Digital disposal solutions…An evening overlooking the Crocodile River…

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The waning sun from the veranda at Ngwenya.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Yesterday, no less than 10 warthogs waded in our cement pond, including mom and four piglets. The animals are feeling the heat as well as us humans.

The heat is stifling…the air is thick with mysterious moisture, coming from where? There’s no rain. I don’t recall ever feeling so hot. Yesterday, when Tom drove to Lebombo to buy carrots and apples for the wildlife, the thermometer in the red car read 43C (109).

When he returned to Komatipoort to find me grocery shopping, it had dropped back down to 41C (106F). With humidity running in the 40% to 50% range, it’s that type of heat that sucks the air out of your lungs, the energy out of your step.

The sun begins to disappear in the horizon.

It’s relentless. When we stayed with son Richard in Henderson, Nevada, in July 2017, we frequently used his beautiful pool. We’d lounge on chaises for a maximum of 20 minutes during days where the temperature was 46C (115F) but never felt as hot as we have over these past weeks.

 Rain is desperately needed for the wildlife, for the bush, and its cooling-down effect. We’ve dined out three of the past six nights and avoided cooking, especially when we’ve had no power on a few occasions.

The sky is left with brilliant explosions of color.

Now, Marloth Park is having water problems. Luckily, I managed to shower early this morning, albeit with but a dribble of water. The water pressure is now non-existent. Tom just tried to take a shower, and there’s no water at all.

 We’ll use buckets of pool water to flush the toilet. Luckily, we have plenty of bottled water for drinking, and for the moment, the power is on. We’ll see how this all goes.

Louise alerted us that two years ago, in December, there was no water for five days. That could be happening again. This is Africa. This kind of stuff happens here.

After the sun had set at Ngwenya, we wandered indoors for our reserved table for buffet dinner.  

We make every effort to go about our lives as usual as we can stay as upbeat as possible. We’re both excellent at holding it together during these uncomfortable and inconvenient times.

As summer approaches, beginning on December 22, 2018, and ending on March 20, 2019, more and more insects and snakes are coming out from their hiding places during the cooler winter months. By far, this is the most challenging period of the year, December through March. As mentioned a few days ago, we’re leaving Marloth Park on February 14, in 69 days.

To go on about our “business” yesterday, we headed to Komatipoort to shop and care for a few things. First, we stopped at the optometrist’s office, where we picked up Tom’s new glasses and prescription sunglasses, and my contact lenses.  

The final view of the sun.

As mentioned in a prior post, we decided to get eye exams and new glasses for Tom and contact lenses for me. We’d hoped it would be less expensive here as most things are, but eyeglasses and contact lenses are all imported and as pricey as anywhere else in the world.

Our total cost for exams, two pairs of designer frame glasses for Tom and contact lenses for me for a year came to a total of ZAR 17180 (the US $1220).  

This was comparable to what we paid at Costco about seven years ago.  We have no idea as to prices in today’s dollars.  With this out of the way, we can wait five or six more years until we do this again, unless we notice any further need for care, should our vision change.

Last night from the veranda at Ngwenya Lodge where we had a standing Thursday night buffet dinner reservation.

From there, we headed to the computer repair shop at the Spar Shopping Centre to recycle two old laptops and have the hard drives destroyed.  They wiped the hard drives before our eyes and kept the two old laptops for parts, not charging us a dime.  

Then we were off to the hardware store where we purchased a solar-powered LED light with the ability to last a full day to use when the power is out during the many upcoming ‘load shedding periods.”  

Not surprisingly, the scheduled power outages Eskom posted are not being followed.  With the solar light, we’re prepared for the evening hours, mainly so we can see, feed, and interact with our wildlife friends while on the veranda during outages.

Hot and hungry elephants were taking advantage of the cooling waters and green vegetation.

Recently, Tom’s phone wasn’t able to hold a charge. It made sense for him to purchase a phone to last while we remain in Africa. We went back to the trusty Vodacom store in Komatipoort, where we found him a new but older model of a Samsung. 

Tom only uses his phone for email, Facebook, and playing a few games.  Yesterday, he purchased the phone for ZAR 1600 (US $113.62), and by bedtime last night, I’d added all his apps, email, and books. He’s good to go.

From there, I headed to the pharmacy to buy a different insect repellent.  Uschi and Evan had recommended the non-toxic, non-DEET product, “Nguard,” that works better than the dangerous chemicals.   

Impalas and warthogs on the dry river bed.

I’ve been reapplying the toxic creams several times a day and was still being bitten. Last night, before heading to Ngwenya for dinner, I used NGuard and again this morning. So far, not a single new bite. I’m hopeful.  

After completing all of the above, I headed to the supermarket, and in no time at all, Tom appeared to help me with the groceries after he’d returned from Lebombo and the pellet store. We headed back to Marloth Park, content to have several tasks out of the way, and looked forward to a lovely evening out to dinner.

As always, the buffet at Ngwenya was excellent after river viewing for a few hours on their veranda. We chatted with other patrons and enjoyed a wonderful evening.

Last week’s rhino sighting in Kruger National Park during our previous self-drive.

Will the water come back on today? We don’t know. Will the power go out in 33 minutes according to the schedule? We don’t know. Will it get cooler and rain in the next 36 hours as predicted by the weather service? We don’t know.

All we do know is we’re making the best of it and will keep you updated.

May you have water, power, and the absence of venomous snakes in your life over the weekend!
                     
                      Photo from one year ago today, December 7, 2017:

Tom and I made friends with Lisa and Barry, a lovely couple with whom we spent many good times on the cruise and stayed in close touch since the cruise ended. For more details, please click here.