First time sighting since arriving last January!!!…Too cute for words!!!…

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Three little pigs are less than two days old. The Mom was here with her big belly 48 hours earlier by herself. Then she appeared yesterday with the three little pigs in tow. She is the mom of Barbara and Lori, whom she “kicked to the curb” a few weeks ago.

Although we’ve been here since last January, we’d yet to see newly born piglets. Now that our favorite mom, the mother of Barbara and Lori (Shark Tank), sent those two youngsters on their own to fend for themselves, she was getting ready to give birth to more piglets, this time three.

It was such fun to see them and how active and alert they are after only being born a few days earlier. We were happy to toss pellets to mom, knowing she must feed these three little ones. Surprisingly, the piglets seemed interested in the pellets and ate some. It was very cute and funny to watch.

She is a good mom, paying lots of attention to what the piglets are doing. She snorts when she calls them to be at her side.

Watching the antics of these newborns is hysterical. We couldn’t get enough until finally, mom had her fill, and the four of them wandered off to their following location, enticing other residents to toss pellets her way. It was as cute as it could be. We have no doubt, they will be back many times in our remaining time in Marloth Park, and we can fawn over them again.

It will require constraint not to publish more and more photos of them as they grow. But, our goal is always to include a variety of photos, not the same over and over again.  But, as all of you have seen, that’s not easy to do, especially when the same animals stop by over and over again with few new visitors.

The piglets weren’t concerned about being so close to Broken Horn, nor did Broken Horn mind sharing pellets with them.

We always strive to keep it as varied and exciting as possible. In a few months, when we’re in Apollo Beach, Florida, with our friends Karen and Rich, awaiting their upcoming wedding, the scenery and subsequent photos will change dramatically. Except, after a few months in a country, the photos can easily become repetitious and it’s also the case when we’re in the US.

However, right now, as mentioned repeatedly, we are thoroughly enjoying our time in Marloth Park. Last night was no exception when we attended yet another fantastic braai for eight of us at Kathy and Don’s riverfront home.

Mom, with the perfect curly tusks, has been a regular here. Now, we expect to see them all often.

At many braais in South Africa, guests bring their preference of drinks and the meat they’d like to cook on the prepared fire the hosts have prepared. The hosts prepare all the side dishes such as potatoes, vegetables, and salad. Kathy goes over the top in making each of the sides delicious and unique each time.  Plus, she always ensures there are sides that I can eat. What a fantastic host!

Don is an equally fabulous host when he often plans fun games for all of us to play after dinner. Last night we had a blast playing “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” with questions he designed suitable for the guests. It was such fun!

The piglets were unfazed by the impalas, and they were unfazed by the three of them. So sweet! The piglets ran about the garden exploring every thing in sight.

As for the food, as picky as Tom and I are about only eating steaks without a lot of fat. We brought two good-sized fillet mignons, which Tom cooked rare for me. When we make fillets at our house, I usually butterfly Tom’s steak so we can put them both on the braai at the same time. Mine will be rare, and his will be his preferred medium-rare.

Yesterday, when I cut our steaks from the huge piece of tenderloin, I asked Tom if he’d like me to butterfly his portion. He said it wasn’t necessary. Thus I cut them both the same size, which was very thick. Three minutes on each side would result in “blue” rare servings.

Kathy, Louise (another Louise), and me. Lesley was busy chatting with the four guys at the fire. I wish we’d included her in this photo and that I would have smiled.

As it turned out, mine was perfect as usual, but then Tom’s was too rare for him. He ate it anyway, not wanting to leave the table to return his to the now waning fire. Now I know why he kept cutting off chunks of meat and putting it on my plate while he sat across from me. Later, he mentioned that it was too rare for him. Next time, we’ll do better and butterfly his or start his on the braai earlier.

Tom, Kathy, Lesley, Manie, Louise and Andrew.
Don and Tom.

We had a fantastic evening once again and were back home after 10:00 pm, 2200 hrs, for a good night’s sleep, waking joyfully this morning, ready to tackle another day. )Today’s high will be 95F, 35C with relatively high humidity. Tonight, Kathy and Don will join us for our usual Friday night dinner at Jabula for the last time before they depart Marloth Park for Hawaii next Wednesday, when we’ll take them to the Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Airport. We will miss them.

May you have a lovely and fulfilling weekend!

Photo from one year ago today, November 12, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #234. It’s a challenge with these unusual fruits in Hawaii, which we could not identify after searching hundreds of photos. For more photos, please click here.

Finally, a cooler day!…Load shedding continues…We’re losing water…Off to see old friends for dinner…

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Gordon Ramsay, our newest bushbuck visitor, visits daily after discovering the goodies we offer.

Marloth Park is practically a disaster area right now. Some residents have been without power for four or five days. Many others have no phone service, TV service, and WiFi, especially if they have Vodacom (we do not). Tom, who usually takes a shower at 3:00 pm, 1500 hrs, each day, is taking one now at 10:00 am before our water runs out, as it has for many others in the park.

The electricity that services the pumps that run the water system is out, impacting everyone in the park. We can only imagine the frustration for those residents who’ve been without power for four or five days. Indeed, they’ve lost all their perishable food in the fridges and freezers by now.

Another view of Gorden Ramsay.

For those of us who still have electricity, load shedding is at Stage 4, which translates to 7½ hours per day without power, spread over three 2½ hour sessions. That’s nothing compared to those who haven’t had power since last Wednesday. Plus, being unable to be online or make a phone call is a terrible hardship for those residents.

Sure, an unsympathetic type could say, “If this was the mid-1800s and earlier, people had none of these services for the majority of their lives. They managed,” But, that isn’t comforting at all. Our lives are adapted to modern technology, and we shouldn’t have to be without that which has become an integral part of our lives in this day and age.

Here is Sylvia, named after my mother. She’s a loner, as are most bushbucks.

Imagine the frustration for those who continue to pay for the services and yet have none whatsoever. They’ll play hell trying to get credits for the periods they’ve been without the services. After all, TIA, “This is Africa,” and such infrastructure failures are expected as the norm.

And yet, for now, we choose to be here. No, we’ll never buy a house here, nor would we live here full-time if we decided to stop traveling and settle somewhere. Both of us agree to this without hesitation.

Sylvia loves cabbage.

Our holiday house uses a different WiFi company, Tech Connect, and we’ve had no issues recently. We have Google Fi on our phones and can easily make calls if necessary and access data. But, Google Fi shares towers with many of those that aren’t operational at times, and we may not have services.WiFi is out mainly because of the ongoing theft of the batteries at the stations that run services from the towers. Thieves come to the park in the middle of the night and steal the batteries.

Vodacom is sick and tired of replacing stolen batteries for its towers. They need to come up with another plan for those who are impacted. How about an impenetrable storage system for the batteries? It’s not rocket science. But again, TIA and things don’t get resolved like they do in many other parts of the world.

Our entire garden is now muddy due to the much-needed rain over the past week.

One might say, “Move away if you don’t like it.” But, in this and many other African countries, people can’t afford to leave when the cost of living is lower here than in many other parts of the world. Permanent residents, including retirees in Marloth Park, have no chance of moving away. With load shedding issues throughout the country, they’d have to move to another country that is not affordable or sensible for most.

For tourists, such as our friends, Rina and Cee, meeting today for sundowners and dinner at Amazing Kruger View. It is challenging. One spends money to come here for a holiday, enjoy the wildlife and end up without water, power, WiFi, and phone service. Such occurrences can easily impact tourists’ future decisions to come to Marloth Park. A lack of tourists affects property owners who need holiday rental income to cover their living costs. It’s a vicious cycle.

The cement pond, which we’ve kept free of water due to breeding mosquitoes, is now filled with water.

We accept the reality of the situation and must continue to do so for the next 74 days until we depart for Florida, US, where we’ll be spending 75 days, until our cruise sails across the Atlantic Ocean from Fort Lauderdale Southampton, England. No, we don’t wish time to fly by quickly. We are savoring every moment.

While we’re sitting on the veranda on a cooler, cloudy day, Froggie, who lives in the rafters above our heads, is entertaining us with his frequent croaks. Lori and Barbara (from Shark Tank) are sitting in the bush with an eye on us, waiting for the next visitor to our garden to whom we’ll toss some pellets. They’ll move in, scare them away with their bossy personalities and take over the eating of the pellets.

Our power just went out due to load shedding, but we’ll be fine during the 2½ hours. We’ll still have WiFi due to our inverter. Thanks to Louise and Danie for providing the valuable device for us during our year-long stay. Gordon Ramsey (bushbuck) just showed up for some pellets and cabbage. I’d better run and get his lunch!

Have a good day!

Photo from one year ago today, November 9, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #231. Tom checked in at the reception desk at the dental office in Savusavu, Fiji, while we waited outside with no indoor seating areas. The dental office was located on the hospital grounds. For more, please click here.

Nowhere is exempt from risk…

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Hal was taking a big gulp from the birdbath. Yes, as stated in today’s headings, “Nowhere is exempt from risk.” But isn’t this true in the most wonderful places to live in the world in the realm of things?

As it turns out, India is the country with the highest risks of natural disasters, more than anywhere else in the world. Whether it’s outrageous traffic and the possibility of earthquakes in California, the risk of hurricanes in Florida, or flash floods in India, nowhere in the world is free from danger. In 2020, 2021, we spent over a year in India but only saw a few of the existing risks.

Hal was taking a big gulp from the birdbath.

Covid-19 was disaster enough for India while we were in lockdown for ten months in a hotel room. But, on a few occasions, while stuck in that room, we were concerned over hurricane risks when a few washed over the area in which we were confined, Mumbai, which is close to the ocean.

Here’s an interesting article about the most dangerous places to visit with the most natural disasters. This article includes how difficult it is in the United States based on varying climates and terrain, often contributing to catastrophe. China is listed in the top three countries with the most natural disasters.

Giraffe on a drive to the river.

The above article is followed by another story about some of the safest and most dangerous countries in Africa.

Also, this article has a comprehensive list of the most dangerous countries in the world. Notice on this list that the USA is #36, and South Africa follows at #37. Our families are always worried that South Africa is too dangerous for us when our USA is even more dangerous

Let’s face it, in these days and times, nowhere in the world is exempt from natural disasters and the ravages of war, crime, and terrorism. Now faced with Covid-19 impacting every country in the world, the risks have increased exponentially. Will there ever be a time in the future that we can return to “ordinary life” with a carefree attitude as we go about our business of taking care of our lives, loved ones, and our usual responsibilities?

A hippo at quite a distance from the Marloth Park side of the fence.

Perhaps not. Perhaps this pandemic will be the fate of the world for many years to come. I dislike the statement, “a new normal,” but there may be a lot of truth in it. This morning, I was listening to a podcast I’ve listened to every week since the onset of the pandemic hosted by Dr. Michael Osterholm, one of the top epidemiologists in the world from the University of Minnesota.

Today’s podcast was #45, which can be found here: https://youtu.be/l37-pFDhzq8. I started listening when I began walking the corridors in India in March 2020. He’s not about doomsday, but his vast knowledge of the virus has been helpful to keep me informed.

Big Daddy was contemplating his next move.

As an “information junkie,” there is nothing more vital for me to do online than to stay informed and educated about what is happening in the world, which impacts our world travels and our personal lives. Information is empowering, and I never shy away from reality.

The state of the economy of the US and the world is Tom’s passion, and he keeps me well informed. The state of the US and the world’s health and well-being is my passion, and I share with him what I learn. No, many of us don’t want to hear about these things, preferring to stay in our little bubble. I get that. Don’t they say, “Ignorance is bliss?”

Ostriches encountered on a drive along the river.

But, avoidance is not a panacea for maintaining a false sense of optimism. Optimism comes from being informed and doing something about it, striving even in the smallest ways for a better chance of getting out of this alive and well, coupled with genuine hope for the future.

I don’t mean to sound down, morbid or pessimistic. I am none of those. But, I know we each can play a role in improving our world, our state of being, and our future, not only for ourselves but also for future generations.

Thank you for an arena to share these thoughts. Some may say, “Stay in your lane about world travel.” That’s precisely what I am doing, learning, researching, and preparing for continuing our world journey, hopefully for years to come.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, November 8, 2020:

 This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #230. It’s odd at times to find lush vegetation, as in this photo from Maui, in what appears to be arid and desolate areas. For more photos, please click here.

Heat and power outages continue…Exciting new sighting in our garden!!!!…

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Spikey has been playing in the mud!

It was quite a night. After an early dinner at 5:30 pm, 1730 hrs, we came inside to stream a few shows on my laptop with the aircon and the fan turned on. Even after showering, we couldn’t seem to cool off from the hot 103F, 39.9C day with outrageously high humidity.

I had a hard time taking the clothes stuck to me to shower and get into one of Tom’s cool cotton tee shirts. My summer night dress was too hot to wear to bed with its silky fabric sticking to me. We got comfortable on the bed in the then-cooled room and watched an episode of shark tank, Billions, and America’s Got Talent.

During this period, yet another thunder and lightning storm shook the house. A few times, the power went off, which we feared would happen. Miraculously, moments later, the power returned much to our relief and amazement. With the delicate and inconsistent power grid in South Africa, outages from storms are more the norm than not.

New tiny bushbuck was eating pellets with mom watching in the background.

By 11:00 pm, 2300hrs, we were ready to doze off, but for some odd reason, neither of us could fall asleep. We both tossed and turned for hours. Fortunately, the bed doesn’t seem to move when one of us is moving every few minutes. It wasn’t until around 1:00 am that I finally drifted off into oblivion, and Tom did the same.

At 1:30 pm, we both bolted out of bed when the alarm went off, for no reason at all from what we could ascertain. Tom promptly shut it off, and we called the alarm company to inform them it was a false alarm, most likely due to the lightning. They weren’t answering the number we always called to tell them it was a false alarm. We kept trying to reach them to no avail.

A short time later, Tom noticed some light through the bedroom shade. It surely must have been the alarm company that was investigating our alarm during the storm. Either their phones were down, or they were too busy to answer. There’s a fee if they have to come out. I will explain what happened to Louise, and she will straighten it out for us.

Last night while sitting at the table on the veranda, I looked up to see a bushbaby sticking her head out of the hole in the bushbaby house.

Speaking of Louise, last night, she texted asking us if we’d like to join them for a braai at Frikkee’s Dam in Lionspruit this morning around 11:00 am. They have eight family members visiting for an early holiday celebration. All ten of them are attending along with a few other “regulars” that always join in on these brunch braais, Flo and JJ and their young adult kids, and Estelle and James, at times with their adult kids.

Everyone brings food to share. We are making our usual brunch egg with cheese, bacon, mushroom, and onions. As I write here, Tom is cooking the large pan on the braai. It’s too hot to turn on the oven in the house. I am back in the bedroom preparing this post in air-conditioned comfort, knowing we’ll be spending the rest of the day outdoors in the heat, expected to rise to 100F, 38C mid-day.

We’ll be bringing the camera, hoping to see some wildlife in the wide-open area where lions, Fluffy, and Dezi reside. We hear their roars night after night when they are on the hunt for their next meal. There is plenty of wildlife to sustain them in Lionspruit, especially after the recent culling and moving many antelope into Lionspruit from Marloth Park. The back border of our holiday home borders Lionspruit so we can hear some action from time to time.

Since bushbabies are nocturnal, she wasn’t quite awake yet.

More old friends have arrived in Marloth Park, Cees, and Rina, who we met and thoroughly enjoyed when they were our neighbors at the Orange house in 2018.  It’s hard to believe that was three years ago. We have already planned to get together for dinner on Tuesday evening at Amazing Kruger View, overlooking the Crocodile River. It will be great to see them again, and we’ll undoubtedly plan other get-togethers while they are here.

Dear friends Kathy and Don are leaving Marloth Park to return to Hawaii for the holidays. There will be a final braai and get-together at their house on Thursday night for a few other friends and us. It will be sad to see them go since they have been close friends since we arrived in December 2013 when they invited us for dinner on Christmas Eve when they’d never even met us.

This was the first time we’d seen a bushbaby in the house since we arrived last January.

Friends Lynne and Mick, whom we hope to see in Jersey, UK, in spring 2022, met us at Jabula a few days before Christmas that year, introduced to us by owners/friends Dawn and Leon. When we all chatted for a bit, they later spoke to Kathy and Don, saying they should meet us. Just like that, Kathy and Don invited us for Christmas Eve dinner along with family and other friends.

We were thrilled and flattered to be included and so warmly welcomed. Now, eight years later, we’ve been included in their circle of friends as we’ve included them in ours. That’s how it is in Marloth Park, one of the main reasons we love it here so much, along with our love of our animal friends.

Soon, she tucked her head back inside, perhaps to sleep a bit longer. Later today, when we get home from the braai at Frikkee’s Dam, we’ll put some sour cream mixed with jelly (leftover from having guests) in a bit of cup for her.

When we reviewed last night’s trail cam, there wasn’t a single photo on the card. We weren’t surprised. We doubted any of the animals would have been out and about during the storm.  When the lightning flashed every few minutes during the night, I often wondered if they were scared. Undoubtedly, the young ones would have been terrified, staying close to their moms for shelter and comfort.

This morning, they were all back: Spikey, as shown in the main photo, Broken Horn, Frank, The Misses, Lonely Girl, Sigfried and Roy, Thick Neck, Gordon Ramsey, Sylvia, Mom, and Baby Bushbuck. It was a lovely start to yet another hot day.

Be well. Be happy. Be safe.

Photo from one year ago today, November 7, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in a hotel in lockdown in Mumbai, India, on day #229. The end of the elephant’s tail has hairs that act as a small brush, suitable for swatting flies, bees, and other insects. For more photos, please click here.

Meeting new people…

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Impalas rarely get this close to humans, but they’re hungry and put their fear aside for pellets.

Today, Tom was supposed to have the first step of his dental implants. Yesterday, we received a message that his appointment had to be moved to next Thursday when the product came in and wasn’t made to meet Tom’s criteria. We’d planned a low-key weekend since we anticipated he might be feeling some discomfort after the procedure.

Our only plans for the weekend are for dinner tonight at Jabula with Kathy and Don when Tom insisted he didn’t want to miss our usual Friday night dinner out. Without the appointment today, we’ll be able to relax and enjoy another evening out.

One Tusk has become a daily visitor. He’s aggressive with other warthogs when they try to eat pellets in his presence.

Last night, we met a new couple from the US that Louise had referred to us, Dorthy and Arthur, a lovely couple with considerable world travel experience who now live in Curacoa, an island in the Caribbean that we’ve visited a few times during the past cruises. They’ve been to Marloth Park many times over the years and, like others, like us, can’t seem to stay away for too long.

The conversation flowed easily while we sat at a table in the Giraffe Cafe, now a part of Phumula Lodge and Restaurant. We each ordered some food. Tom had chicken schnitzel on a bed of cooked spinach with chips (fries) on the side he enjoyed. I had a grilled chicken salad, but the chicken was overcooked and dry. When we got home, I was still hungry and had a can of tuna, topped with mustard and homemade ketchup, befitting my eating method.

Sigfried and Roy, originally from the Orange house, have found us here.

Dorthy (spelled correctly) and Arthur shared a starter (appetizer) basket that was so huge; they didn’t order an entree.

It’s always delightful to meet new people. Some new relationships stick to eventually becoming lifelong friends, while others are pleasant encounters along the way in life. Defining the characteristics that inspire lifelong relationships with other couples is challenging to analyze.

Young Daddy and his mom, sharing pellets with an impala in the background.

Many relationships develop out of convenience, while others stem from a strong foundation of common interests and personality traits. This also seems to be true when making friends one-on-one or developing love relationships between a couple.

Tom and I often laugh about how different we are and how ridiculous it was that we have managed to have this extraordinary relationship. Over the years, we’ve adapted and even embraced each other’s differences, and now they are less glaring and obvious. But, what was it that initially set us on a path to learn more about one another? Surely, it was the attraction.

Notches, also from the Orange house, has found her way here. Her name is a result of the notches in her right ear.

With couples meeting other couples, there seems to be an attraction of another sort that makes us feel comfortable, laughing easily and sharing some degree of similar lifestyles. And yet, with all of those components in place, some encounters don’t grow into lifelong friendships.

We are fortunate. Over our 30 plus years together, we have made relationships with other couples and individuals that we know will always be with us in spirit, if not in person. Many of those relationships that we each cultivated before Tom and I met still hold today.

Kudu mom, baby in the middle, and growing boy on the right. Once the males get a little older, they no longer travel with their mom. Instead, they may wander with their dad or other males, including siblings.

Now, as we continue in our world travels, we seem to connect the most with couples we know we may see again sometime in the future. When meeting people on a typical holiday (vacation) with an unlikeliness of ever meeting up again, we tend to shy away from making an effort to build those types of relationships during such short periods.

We’ve made wonderful friends on cruises whom we know; eventually, we’ll see each other again in the future. For us, traveling the world has been an excellent means of making new friends, some for right now and others forever.

Be social. It enriches life in indescribable ways.

Photo from one year ago today, November 5, 2020:

No photos were posted one year ago. But, here is the link from the post we uploaded on day #227 while in lockdown in Mumbai, India.

Welcome new readers!…Great to see you here!..

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Several female kudus stopped by this morning, including Bad Eye, whose eye is now completely healed but looks a bit off-center.

We are always thrilled to see that new readers visit our site, many of whom continue to read our daily posts once they get into it. We encourage all of our readers, including new readers, to post comments or write to us with anything you’d like to share.

Due to excessive spam in our comments section, logging on to post a comment is now two-step. If you’d prefer, an email is acceptable. But please, bear in mind we get countless email messages each day, and it may take a few days for us to respond.

No doubt, at times, our posts are more interesting than others. But, yesterday, when we wrote about Covid-19, we certainly didn’t expect new readers to stop by. For now, we’ll keep quiet about Covid after having said “our piece” yesterday.

This is Barbara of Barbara and Lori from Shark Tank.

It seems every few months. I can’t help but discuss the pandemic. It has dramatically impacted our lives of world travel in more ways than we can count. This morning, we had many messages from new readers discussing how the current state of the world has also impacted their desires to travel, especially for those interested in cruises.

We realize we are taking the risk of having seven cruises booked for the future when any of them may be canceled before they ever sail. Some cruises have even canceled “after” sailing when there’s an influx of cases during the sailing. This would not be very good for the other passengers when the cruise line makes such a decision. Changing flights, adding hotel nights, and ultimately incurring additional costs and inconvenience would be frustrating.

This is Lori of Barbara and Lori from Shark Tank.

Several podcasts discuss what’s happening in the world of cruising across the globe. If you go to YouTube and search for “cruise news,” hundreds of videos will pop up with the most recent information on cruises, cancelations, starting at the top of the list. We often listen to these podcasts to hear about experiences travelers are having on various cruises.

Then, of course, Tom is a frequent user of cruisecritic.com, which anyone can join. We suggest you be patient when signing up and write down your username and password. I don’t visit the site often since I have other tasks on my daily schedule and prefer to get offline on my laptop after completing our site-related tasks for the day.

The kudus finished off the balance of the cabbage.

Today, I’ll be working on page 10 (of 20 posts each) on the corrections, working my way down the list, which will be fully completed in the next week. Lately, I’ve been able to do two pages a day. The thought of my afternoons becoming free after a year of this tedious task is exciting.

No, the edited posts won’t be perfect. Some had issues that I couldn’t correct, and others had photos I’d copied and pasted from Facebook, which are now gone and can’t be replaced without a time-consuming ordeal. On top of that, I am certain I missed many corrections in the process, although I thought it was error-free after completing each post. Going back to review old posts, I now find spacing errors I’d already corrected, along with other new issues.

The girls are very bossy, including Bossy herself, when it comes to getting treats.

It’s the nature of the beast. With WiFi issues and the massive size of our site, such errors can happen on their own. But, I take full responsibility for any corrections I may have missed in this year-long process. At this point, I have accepted being imperfect in this laborious correction process.

In the future, with new posts, I will make every effort to ensure everything is accurate, free of misspelling, spacing, and grammar errors. In the past, when I’ve read other people’s blogs and posts, I was quick to notice their mistakes. After so much personal experience, I am less critical and pass by such errors, knowing full-well how easy they are to make.

They are all adorable and, although pushy to an extent, very sweet.

Today, it’s warm, but not outrageously so. Lots of animals have been stopping by since early this morning. As for today’s events, today at 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs, we’re meeting a new couple at Phumula/Giraffe Cafe that Louise sent our way. As stated previously, it will be fun to meet more fellow Americans, but we love meeting people from wherever they may come.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, November 4, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #226. Tom took this photo in the early morning while in India. For more photos, please click here.

Booster or not to booster?…

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Big Daddies often hang around together and easily share pellets, as shown here.

There’s no way we can avoid bringing up Covid-19, but we have chosen, based on our reader’s preferences, not to get into politically charged issues. We’ll let all of you pursue those aspects of the pandemic on your own if you so choose. For us, we’ve had enough news about it.

But, now we’re faced with the prospect of getting a booster, and we prefer to base our preference to get a booster based on our health issues and potential risks. With my medical history, mainly cardiovascular-related, I’ve decided to have a booster. Tom has decided not to, which is entirely up to him. I impose no pressure on him whatsoever. It’s his choice.

This could easily be a dad and son.

On Friday, we’re heading to Malalane for Tom’s dental appointment to implant the two teeth he had pulled months ago. After the dentist, surely, he’ll require a few prescriptions, so we’ll head to Click’s Pharmacy to have them filled. While there, I will be able to get the vaccine booster.

After considerable research, I’ve decided on the “mix and match” concept. From the CDC website:

IF YOU RECEIVED
Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen

You are eligible for a booster if you are:
18 years or older

When to get a booster:
At least two months after your shot

Which booster should you get?
Any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States

Check out the gorgeous face of this male kudu.

Based on the lower efficacy of the J & J vaccine, I decided a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Friday would round out my protection. Of course, I ran this by Dr. Theo last time I saw him, several weeks ago, and suggest that you do the same with your doctor, should you or any family members decide on getting a booster.

I considered waiting until we get to the US, but the vaccines used here are the same as those used in the US. There’s no point in waiting. Besides, according to Worldometer, Florida is #3 on the list of states with the most cases, including 2000 new cases as of yesterday. It makes sense to be better protected before we go.

They are always on the lookout for the next morsel of food. Times are tough right now with a severe lack of vegetation.

Even in our former state, Minnesota, there were 6879 new cases yesterday.  There were only 950 new cases yesterday in Nevada, our state of residency. Why cases continue to rise in some states is not clearly defined by the CDC. There is still limited information available as to why there is an increase in cases in many areas worldwide.

No, the vaccine does not provide 100% safety or efficacy, but it seems to reduce the number of hospitalizations and deaths. Deaths are down, but cases continue to rise in many countries throughout the world. That in itself is motive enough for me to get the booster.

Often, other animals clear out when a Big Daddy arrives.

Only each of us can decide what is best for us, our state of health, along with recommendations by our medical professionals. Medicine is not a finite science. It is changing daily. But it’s easy to get caught up in old dictates and directives from the powers that be. Staying on top of the latest developments is our only way of being our own best advocates.

It is up to each of us to do our research, from reliable sources, not from Facebook and other social media, to help us make sensible decisions with the support of our doctors, especially in cases where there are comorbidities that may impact receiving a vaccine and a booster.

That’s our comments for today, folks. Have a safe and healthy day!

Photo from one year ago today, November 3, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #225. Tom, chipper, as usual, during breakfast while we were on a 33-night cruise circumnavigating the Australian continent. For more, please click here.

An evening on the Crocodile River….Visitors are back after voting day ended…

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Tom took this zebra photo early this morning.

This morning I didn’t awaken until 7:30, after a somewhat fitful night. I woke no less than six times, tossing and turning, and when sleep wouldn’t come, I eventually played a game of mindless drivel on my phone. I’m well aware that looking at one’s phone in the middle of the night may exacerbate periods of insomnia. But, for me laying there, unable to sleep only seems to make matters worse.

With a silly matching game on my phone, eventually, I get bored enough to drift off again, often with my phone in my hand and my reading glasses on. Hours later, I may awake in the same position. Overall, on nights like these, I end up getting enough sleep overall and feel fine the next day. Anxiety about not going back to sleep is more frustrating than playing with my phone.

Busy morning in the bush.

Today, at 11:00, Dawn and I will get pedicures at a local spa, where I’ve gone several times in the past, often bringing a friend. Two nail techs work on us simultaneously, and we get done 90-minutes later. It’s an excellent opportunity for “girl talk,” which I always enjoy. Tom will drop me off and pick me up later because the road to our house is too bumpy to ask friends to transport me.

Last night, seven of us arrived at Buckler’s Africa resort at 3:00 pm, 1500 hrs, for river watching and sundowners while overlooking the Crocodile River. We didn’t see much wildlife, but the conversation was lively and entertaining, the food was good (but late in arriving), and by 8:30 pm, we were back at the house.

From left to right, Trevor, Erika, Shakara, and Dawn while we were at Buckler’s Africa on the Crocodile River last night for sundowners and dinner.

This morning, our garden was packed with wildlife, including all of the regulars. As I write this, we have Bad Eye and her three kudu sisters, Broken Horn. Holey Moley, Thick Neck, Spikey, Stringy, and a newly named Sylvia (my mother’s name). When I was pulling up the shade in the bedroom, Thick Neck was standing at the window looking at me. “Good morning, Thick Neck!” I spewed, happy to see him once again.

Each morning before I start the post, I view the photos from the trail cam. It always makes us laugh when we see one photo after another of Thick Neck, hanging around most of the night. We wonder if he ever sleeps. Here are exciting morsels about male bushbuck behavior from this site:

Farmers burn sugarcane crops before harvest to remove the leaves and tops of the sugarcane plant leaving only the sugar-bearing stalk to be harvested.

“Usually most active during the early morning and part of the night, Bushbucks become almost entirely nocturnal in areas where they are apt to be disturbed frequently during the day. When alarmed, individuals react in a variety of ways. When surprised in the open, they sometimes stand still or slowly walk to the nearest cover. Sometimes they will sink to the ground and lie flat or bound away, making a series of hoarse barks.

The Bushbuck is primarily nocturnal, but it is also reasonably active during the day. Half of a Bushbuck’s day is spent standing and grazing. Around dusk, the Bushbuck move toward their night range to feed. The Bushbuck is also the only non-territorial and solitary African antelope, with neither males nor females defending any part of their home range.

Though Bushbuck have small home ranges which may overlap with those of other bushbuck, they are solitary animals, with even females preferring to keep social interactions with their young to not more than a few hours a day. Mature males usually go out of their way to avoid contact with each other.”

Trevor was observing the burning sugar cane from the veranda at Buckler’s Africa.

After three nights of socializing, tonight we’re staying in and will surely enjoy time on the veranda with our wildlife friends, reveling in Mother Nature’s wonders.

Be well.

                                      Photo from one year ago today, November 2, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #224. In Kenya, we were both at ease handling this harmless reptile, fascinated with its pre-historic appeal. For more, please click here.

Excellent weekend with friends…Fantastic ninth anniversary…Memories of one year ago…

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This is an injury of Thick Neck’s side. We used to call him Thick Neck/Bad Leg, but the leg healed. Should we now call him hick Neck/Bad Side? It seems to be healing nicely, though, over the past few days.

It was an excellent weekend. Busy cooking for guests for two nights was easy when it wasn’t too hot, and I felt so good after several nights of good sleep. Tom helped quite a bit, keeping the endless stream of dishes, pots, and pans under control. He’s happy to help with anything I need, but when I am busy cooking, his help with some of the chopping and dicing and the dishes is more helpful than anything.

Both evenings were fun and lively, with great conversation, laughter, and banter back and forth. Last night, when only Alan and Fiona could come to dinner, we ended up having a fantastic anniversary dinner. We had our favorite song mix playing on our portable JBL speaker, not too loud, and we had an excellent time. We won’t see them again until we return in 2022 or early 2023, when they return from being away for many months.

Big Daddy was chewing on the core of a massive head of cabbage. He loved it!

Today at 3:00 pm, 1500 hours, we’re meeting Dawn and Leon and another couple at Buckler’s Africa for Crocodile River watching and later for dinner., which undoubtedly will prove to be yet another fun event.

After that, we don’t have any social plans until Thursday at 4:00 pm, when we’re meeting up with a new couple, Louise recommended, who are also from the US. It’s not that we prefer meeting Americans over people from other countries. It makes no difference to us. We love making friends with people from all over the world.

Two Big Daddies stopped by for some goodies.

It helps when they speak English, but over our past nine years of world travel, we’ve developed friendships with some who don’t speak English (or very little English), with whom we found a magical way to communicate. Of course, sharing a language makes it lots easier to build closer connections.

On another note, as I make my way through the corrections, I am now down to 14 more pages (of 20 posts each). Since I started from the oldest posts, working toward the most recent ones, I am working on those we posted in lockdown for those darned long ten months in India.

They were both enjoying the cabbage, even going as far as sharing. The bigger horned of the two may have been dad and the younger son.

At the rate I am going now, I plan to be done by the middle of November, one page per day. But, more interesting to me than getting it done soon, I am fascinated reading the old posts from one year ago as I work my way through typos, grammar, and line spacing issues. Did we really do that? Ten months in a hotel room? Oh, good grief! How did we ever get through it?

But, yesterday as we reminisced on our ninth travel anniversary, we patted ourselves on the back for the depth and quality of our relationship, that, without it, we would never have made it to the end of those many months still sane, still in love, and still enjoying time spent together.

Such a handsome beast.

Nothing was lost by us as a couple during those ten months. If anything, we grew more attached and attracted to each other (if that was even possible) in admiration for each other’s patience and resiliency. Did either of us ever think we could get through such a scenario, or yet, did either of us ever think such a scenario could occur in our lifetime?

This morning I did three loads of laundry, did my nails, paid all the bills for the month, fed lots of pellets, carrots, and cabbage to the animals. At the same time, Tom busied himself with his usual tasks and, of course, Monday morning’s viewing of yesterday’s Minnesota Vikings game.

Stingy came right onto the veranda, looking for treats.

Once our daily tasks are done, we have little to do on less socially active days, and yet, we are content and grateful.  We are thankful to be able to stay here until January 23rd. We are grateful to each other for the love, companionship, and friendship we share. We are thankful for our friends who have stood beside us through thick and thin. We are thankful to our family members for putting up with our crazy lifestyle.

And most of all, each new day of good health is an indescribable blessing. We wish this for all of our friends, our family, those we encounter along the way, and of course, all of you. Thank you, dear readers.

Photo from one year ago today, November 1, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #223. We found this bloom in Hawaii, known as Kimi Pink Ginger. For more photos, please click here.

Our 9-year travel anniversary!!! Our new itinerary!!!…

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Selfie of us in India in February 2020, before lockdown, excited to be on our way to the palace and Lake Pichola in Udaipur, India.

Here it is, October 31, 2021, a date celebrating Halloween in some countries but not here in South Africa. There won’t be any trick or treaters at our door tonight. Instead, we’ll celebrate. Differently, the ninth anniversary of the day we began our journey.

Last night, we had guests for sundowners, Carrie and Jim, who are much younger than us, in their 40s, who’ve been living a lifestyle almost exactly like ours. Their journey began in 2019. They arrived at 4:00 pm, 1600 hrs, and didn’t leave until 10:30, 2230 hrs, undoubtedly indicative of the similar stories we had to share.

We’ve met a lot of world travelers over the years, but Carrie and Jim’s story was oddly most similar. We’d been to a number of the same places, experienced the same challenges, and like us, they’ve come away, hungry for more. The tremendous benefit they have is youth. With their resiliency and determination, they may continue for decades. One never knows, which we all agreed, how long we’ll choose to continue on this path or if our health in some manner prevents it.

The two of us, nine years ago, at Tom’s retirement party, about one week before we began our travels.

Last night, we were shocked when it rained in buckets, eventually turning into hail. We’d never seen hail in Marloth Park. Such an oddity for the bush. We were relieved our rental car was parked under the carport roof, free of any potential damage. The hail lasted about five minutes, but the pounding rain continued for about an hour.

At one point, we had to go inside the house when the wind was blowing, and we were all getting wet. The delightful conversation continued as we shared story after story of our travels and similarities. Surely, we’ll see them again before they leave Marloth Park on December 1st.

But, now today, as we celebrate our ninth anniversary with dinner guests coming again at 4:00 pm, we’re excited to share this special day/evening with friends Alan, Fiona, Nick, and Joan.

Today, I spent the entire morning in the kitchen, and now at almost noon, I have only a few items to fuss over once they arrive. The starters, the salad, the entree, and the vegetables are prepared except for last-minute cooking, leaving me free to spend time with our guests on the veranda while sipping our wine and drinks and enjoying the wildlife.

Without a doubt, we anticipate another enriching day in the bush. As I write here now, two Big Daddies came to call. The larger of the two ate an entire half of a massive head of cabbage before our eyes. His adeptness at breaking up the huge chunk into bite-sized pieces was a delight to see.

So, folks, here it is, our new itinerary, as promised, posted on our anniversary. Yes, there are several holes we have to fill in time, most of which will be dictated by how Covid-19 rolls out over the next few years. However, if the situation improves, even a little, we’ll be excited to fill in the gaps with fantastic adventures and visits to some new (to us) and different countries we’ve yet to explore.

The future looks bright for all of us world travelers, as long as we stay the course, maintain a positive attitude, manage our health and well-being and continue to strive to see those unique places on this planet that calls to us.

Marloth Park, South Africa Holiday rental 85 10/31/2021 1/23/2022
Flight – Nelspruit, South Africa to Tampa, Florida Travel Day 1 1/23/2022 1/24/2022
Florida -visiting friends, traveling thru state Travel 74 1/24/2022 4/8/2022
Cruise – Fort Lauderdale to South Hampton – Trans Atlantic Celebrity Silhouette 13 4/8/22 4/21/22
 UK – TBD Holiday rentals 68 4/21/22 6/28/22
Flight – UK to Istanbul, Turkey Hotel 1 6/28/22 6/29/22
Cruise – Istanbul to Istanbul – Black Sea Azamara Onward 11 6/29/22 7/10/22
Cruise – Istanbul to Athens – Greek Islands Azamara Onward 10 7/10/22 7/20/22
Europe – Non-Schengen countries Holiday rentals 111 7/20/22 11/7/22
Flight to Athens Hotel 1 11/7/22 11/8/22
Cruise – Athen to Athens – Middle East, Israel, Egypt Azamara Journey 11 11/8/2022 11/19/2022
Cruise – Athens to Lisbon – Mediterranean Azamara Journey 10 11/19/22 11/29/22
Cruise – Lisbon to Cape Town – West coast of Africa Azamara Journey 21 11/29/22 12/20/22
Flight – Cape Town to Nelspruit, South Africa Travel Day 1 12/20/22 12/20/22
Marloth Park, South Africa Holiday rentals 90 12/20/22 3/19/23
Africa travel – TBD Holiday rentals 132 3/19/23 7/29/23
Flight – Africa to Edinburough/Leith, UK Travel Day + Hotel 3 7/29/23 8/31/23
Cruise – Leith to Amsterdam – Norway, west coast Azamara Journey 17 8/1/23 8/18/23
Total Days 660

Yes, 660 possible days into the future, some planned, some not planned. But, only time will tell and guide us into the following number of years, God willing.

Be well. Be happy. Step outside the box!

Photo from one year ago today, October 31, 2020:

This photo was posted one year ago while in lockdown in a hotel in Mumbai, India, on day #222. With no photos of us on our travel anniversary in the past few years, we posted this photo from October 31, 2017, our fifth anniversary of traveling the world, taken on the veranda at the villa in Atenas, Costa Rica. For more photos from one year ago, please click here.