Yikes….Venomous snake at Jabula, as we walked up the steps!…Jaun, snake handler to the rescue…

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Twig snake, also known as vine snake, was on the railing at Jabula Lodge and Restaurant as we walked up the steps to the restaurant. See the story below.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A praying mantis stopped by for a visit this morning. After it walked on the veranda table, it landed on Tom and then landed on me. Friendly little fellow.

When Uschi and Evan suggested, the four of us got together for dinner at Jabula Lodge and Restaurant last night. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to spend another evening with this lovely couple.

They suggested we meet at 6:30, but in our usual style, we planned to arrive by 1715 hours (5:15 pm) to have an opportunity to chat with owners Dawn, Leon, and assistant Lyn at the comfortable bar.  
Jaun, snake handler, captured the snake, placing it in this container and releasing it in Lionspruit, where other caught venomous snakes are sent to live out their lives.

We parked the red car in our usual spot, reasonably close to the stairway entrance to the restaurant. Clumsy me, I’m always a little tentative on the “open” wood staircase up to the restaurant and carefully watch my step with Tom behind me.  

When approaching the steps, a guest of the resort and one staff member hollered, “Look out! There’s a snake on the railing! Neither of us panicked.  Instead, we searched the railing for the culprit and waited to see what was going to transpire.

Young zebra in the garden.

Had no one alerted us, we easily would have been in striking distance of the deadly venomous snake, a twig, also known as a vine snake. Here’s some information on these dangerous creatures from this site:

“This perfectly camouflaged tree-living snake is seldom seen because of its excellent camouflage and habit of remaining very still in low shrubs, observing the ground below for passing lizards and snakes. Birds often mob this snake, inflating its neck with its bright orange tongue flickering – this leads to the incorrect assumption that they lure birds closer with their tongue. It is exceptionally placid but, if provoked, will inflate its neck and strike viciously. Bites are rare and most inflicted on snake handlers.

Like the Boomslang, this snake’s venom is haemotoxic, affecting the blood clotting mechanism and causing uncontrolled bleeding. There is no antivenom for the poison of this snake, and although a few fatalities have been reported, none were in South Africa.”

We’re treasuring every moment with the wildlife, knowing once the holidaymakers arrive, we’ll have considerably fewer visitors until well into January.

The hotel guest grabbed the swimming pool net and tried to capture the snake…not so bright. That didn’t work and was foolhardy. A degree of commotion ensued while Dawn contacted the young Juan, who’s fast becoming the best snake handler in Marloth Park.

In the interim, we gingerly climbed partway up the steps to take the above photo of the snake as it politely posed for us sticking out her pink forked tongue. Nice.

When I didn’t see Little on the veranda, he knocked over the chair where I sit when he visits—determined Little, trying to get my attention.  It worked!

Jaun arrived within 10 minutes and in moments captured the snake and safely placed it into a plastic container.  From there, he’d take it to Lionspruit (the game reserve within Marloth Park) and release it. There are no residences in Lionspruit, making this an ideal spot to transfer captured snakes or other venomous creatures.

We had a chance to congratulate Jaun on his excellent snake handling skills. He attended snake school with us many months ago, and now he is a volunteer snake handler. Glad we didn’t go down that road!

Pellets and ice-cold carrots were on the menu on a scorching day. He’s so exhausted in the heat he lays down to dine.

After the commotion died down and Juan was on his way, we entered the bar and engaged in enthusiastic discussions with staff and guests over the excitement we all experienced in seeing this scary snake.  

One might think that locals are used to venomous snakes, but many are equally apprehensive about them as us visitors. There’s no such thing as “getting used to” the risk of encountering a snake that may be deadly.
 
The evening commenced in its usual playful manner. We’ve seldom encountered such a fun bar anywhere in the world, even in our old lives. The African atmosphere, cozy lighting, friendly staff, good friends, great food and service, and our good friends Dawn and Leon make it an exceptional time for us.
Giraffe on the side of the road on our way to Jabula.

I sipped on one extra light wine cooler while Tom had his usual brandy and Sprite Zero. In no time at all, Uschi and Evan arrived, and they too were delighted to sit at the bar as the lively conversation ensued for the remainder of the evening.

Finally, we ordered our meals, and when the food was just about ready, we wandered outside to the veranda to dine. During our dinner and after Dawn and Leon joined us at different points, the four of us for more great chatter, laughter, and good times.

We didn’t walk out the door until close to 2200 hrs (10:00 pm), late for an evening out to dinner in this sleepy community. Within an hour, I was fast asleep, the cortisone no longer in my system, and slept no longer alluding to me.  

Another giraffe on the road in the evening.

When I awoke this morning and still had 80% battery left on my phone, I knew I’d slept well.  When I can’t sleep, I read books, play games, or read the news on my phone, which I’d avoiding last night. I feel like a new person today.

Tonight, we’re off to Ngwenya for river viewing and the buffet dinner. Rita and Gerhard won’t be returning for a few more days, so we’ll be off on our own. We always enjoy time with friends but being “just the two of us” isn’t bad either.

May your Thursday be pleasant, whatever you decide to do.

Today’s expected, high temp? 37C (98F)…A refreshing break from yesterday’s  
40C (104F).  

Photo from one year ago today, December 6, 2017:

A band was playing on the beach in Arica, Chile. For more photos, please click here.

Ratcheting up the research…Holidaymakers moving in…Piglets in the pond!…

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Mom and the piglet are enjoying the cement pond on a hot day.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This is “Little” on his usual mission of getting our attention to come outside and give him some pellets. If we don’t respond, he enters the house. Very funny!

Our one year in Marloth Park is rapidly coming to a close. We’ve decided to spend one night, February 14th, Valentine’s Day, in Nelspruit to avoid early morning traffic on the 15th, the day we must exit South Africa. It’s hard to believe in 71 days, and we’ll be leaving Marloth Park to drive to Nelspruit for the flight to Nairobi, Kenya, departing early the following morning.

If you missed our story as to why we must leave on the 15th as opposed to the planned February 20th initially, please click here for yesterday’s post. It’s all clearly explained there.

As it turns out, we won’t have to travel on my birthday after all and will spend it doing something exceptional while in Kenya. Details will follow once we get everything booked.

Mom warthog gets into the cement pond to cool off.  Now, the piglets follow her.

Speaking of bookings, we need to get to work now that we have a definitive answer on our immigration status. We’d left many loose ends in the itinerary, and the time has come to get these items booked.

With the ongoing power outages, spending time online is tricky. By the time we manage photos and prepare and upload the day’s post, the power goes out again, usually for 2½ hours. During these periods, we have no internet access.

According to the Eskom load shedding schedule, the power should be out about 7½ hours every 24 hours. Fortunately, and not surprisingly, the schedule isn’t precise, and often a time slot for an outage is ignored, and we have full power and WiFi. Go figure.  

Piglets were climbing out of the cement pond.

We’re managing to work around it, as are other residents throughout this country, not just here in Marloth Park. With the continuing heat and humidity, it’s even more uncomfortable when we can’t use a fan, especially when our surroundings are still and windless, resulting in a long 2½ hours.

But this is Africa, and we’re making the best of it, planning social events, cooking our meals, dining out with friends (tonight with Uschi and Evan, tomorrow with Rita and Gerhard), and attempting to ignore the inconveniences.

The holidaymakers are beginning to filter into the park now as we see more and more vehicles on the roads each day. Soon, every holiday rental and most bush homes will be filled, the noise will ensue, underage kids will be driving vehicles in this relatively un-policed area, and maniacs will be driving fast on Olifant Street (the paved road), killing the precious wildlife.

With the heat evaporating the water in the pond, between cleanings, Tom refills it for easy access for wildlife being able to reach for a drink.  So far, the only animals we’ve seen enter the pond are the warthogs.

No pun intended…it’s the nature of the beast. Not everyone who comes to stay in Marloth Park possesses the love and respect for this magical place, its rules, and its wildlife. This is so sad and disheartening.

Among the rest of us dedicated to this paradise, we’ll continue to respect the laws and treat the wildlife with dignity and respect. We’ve heard tales of humans feeding wildlife marshmallows, potato chips, and other human junk food. If it’s not good for us, why would we assume it’s good for them?

During this Christmas season, as in the past six years, we don’t have a tree, wrap gifts, bake cookies, or plan holiday parties, although we’ll attend a few. I’ll bake some treats to share at Christmas and make a few special items for Tom’s upcoming birthday on December 23rd.

Back onto the dirt, everyone is cooler and refreshed.

I’d considered a party or get-together for his birthday, but he reminded me how busy a time it is for everyone else with their usual holiday festivities. To burden others with a party the day before Christmas Eve was unfair. I relented, and we decided to make it a party for two.

This leaves us plenty of time in December to get to work booking the following for our upcoming travels:

  • Hotel in Kenya for seven nights, arriving February 15, 2019, and departing for the booked photography tour on February 22, 2019  (tour ended on March 7, 2019
  • Flight from Nairobi to Santiago, Chile on March 8, 2019
  • Transportation from Santiago, Chile to San Antonio, Chile (the location of the cruise port) 
  • Hotel in Santiago, Chile from March 8, 2019, to March 24, 2019, when our 15-night cruise departs from San Antonio, Chile, and sails to San Diego, California
  • Flight from San Diego, California to Minneapolis, Minnesota* on April 8, 2019
  • Rental car in Minnesota from April 8, 2019, to April 25, 2019
  • Flight from Minnesota to Fort Lauderdale to board the next cruise to Copenhagen on April 25, 2019, cruise departed on April 26, 2019
  • Flight from Copenhagen to Dublin, Ireland on May 12, 2019
  • Rental car in Dublin, Ireland on May 12, 2019, and drive to Connemara, Ireland, where we’ll stay in a holiday home until August 9, 2019 (booked and deposit paid)
    Two giraffes were walking along a dirt path in the park.

*The hotel in Minnesota is already booked and partially paid, with the balance due upon arrival.

This covers our booking needs for the next eight months. Once we’ve put all of this together, we’ll update and fine-tune our spreadsheet with all the new expenses.
 
I hope you have a spectacular Wednesday!


 Photo from one year ago today, December 5, 2017:

In Pisco, Peru, this pelican was trained to entertain tourists as the man passed around a cup. For more photos, please click here.

There’s always a recipe for a solution…Cost and convenience are often the vital ingredients…

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This fluffy little one captured our hearts.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Baby zebra are sticking close to mom during nighttime activities.

I don’t know where to begin. It’s a convoluted story of inconsistencies, inaccuracies, and rampant incompetency in one manner or another. My intent is not to bash South Africa’s governmental procedures. 

Instead, I reach out to you, our valued and loyal worldwide readers, to share our story and to alert those of you who may consider a long-term stay in this country.

Don’t get me wrong…we’re grateful for the exquisite almost 10 months we’ve spent in the country in this isolated little world of paradise in the bush, Marloth Park.  

It’s not like this everywhere in the country, animals roaming free as one might expect countrywide. There are conservancies, game reserves, national parks, and designated wildlife areas for that.  

The dry bush will brighten once the rainy season takes off.

The uniqueness of Marloth Park was the motivator for us to visit and subsequently return this past February. Our future itinerary has us returning in about two years from now, but only for the allowed 90 days, no more. We never want to deal with immigration issues again.

I won’t reiterate the beginning of the story and the massive pile of documents we prepared to accommodate a request for a visa extension to February 20, 2019, the day we’d been advised to book a flight out of here to Nairobi, Kenya, for our next adventure. If you’ll click this link here, that portion of the story is told in its entirety.

But, it was the culmination of the complicated process that hovered in our minds as we wondered as to the outcome since September when we first applied, as it turned out, way too early, upon advice from others and ended up starting all over again on October 24th when we returned to Nelspruit the second time to apply.

While there in September, a rep made a handwritten notation on our document copy that we were to return on October 24th (still have this document), giving ample time for the file to be reviewed and meeting our planned departure date of February 20, 2019.

Waterbucks grazing by the river’s edge.

Part of the application process required two departing South Africa-airline tickets for ZAR 15461 (US $1132) for that date which we purchased at the time of making the first application in September.

Stay with me. We’re getting there. When we returned on October 24th, going through all the forms with the reps at the VFS Immigration office, we were told everything was in order. We were told to start checking online after three weeks to see when the response would be ready.

For those of you who read the prior posts, we indicated we’d have to appear once again once the notification indicated we were ready to see the answer in a sealed envelope, which we’d open in front of the immigration rep.  

If we didn’t like the answer, the only available process was to reapply once again. This was not an option for us. Our visas had already expired on November 21st.  We weren’t in a particularly good position for “negotiating,” which, in any case, is not a part of the process regardless of circumstances.

A lone giraffe was munching on treetops.

We took off for Nelspruit yesterday morning, typically a 75 to 90 minutes drive where many trucks and vehicles jockey for space on the highway. We were told to arrive anywhere between 10:00 am and 1500 hours (3:00 pm).  

Once we were “scanned” by the security guard, we entered the waiting area, lined up several rows of chairs. All the seats were filled, and we had to wait, standing, in the back of the chairs section. As each person was called, everyone in the chairs moved over to the next available chair, kind of like a musical chairs thing.

Much to our surprise, the line moved more quickly than during our two other visits.  Within 40 minutes, we were standing at the counter awaiting our news.  Tom was handed his sealed envelope first. Gingerly, he opened the envelope and immediately we were bost aghast. He was granted an extension but only until February 15th.

We have paid our rent here to February 20th, paid for a rental car to February 20th, and paid for the two airline tickets for February 20th. We tried to explain that it was their manager who’d told us to return on October 24th, allowing us ample time for the requested February 20th departure date.

Waterbucks live close to the river, grazing on its green lusher vegetation than in other areas of the bush, where everything is dried up during this year’s low-rain period.

We even showed her the handwritten notes she’d made on the document telling us to return on October 24th. She dismissed this written statement saying what she wrote was irrelevant. The government’s decision is all that matters, regardless of the number of days.

Then the weirdest thing happened.  I opened my envelope and was given until February 21, 2019. Our files were linked as a married couple. Why the six-day difference? All kinds of thoughts ran through our heads. No matter what we said, the only option they suggested was to start all over.  

There was no way we were going to pay the fees ZAR 3500 (US $256) again and start over the lengthy and detailed paperwork process, all the while taking the risk that nothing would change.

We walked out the door, neither of us talking, and made our way to the parking ramp, thoughts racing through our heads. On the return drive, we reviewed our options, but Tom, bordering on “overly grumpy,” was more engrossed in his driving in traffic than a lengthy discussion over our options.

On Sunday night, while situated on the veranda, speaking on Skype with my dear friend Karen in Minnesota, a dazzle of zebras appeared.

Instead of pressing him, I wrote the text for yesterday’s post on an offline app on my phone, determined to get it uploaded before the power went out due to “load shedding” again at 1500 hours (3:00 om).  

As soon as we returned, I immediately got to work on the post, albeit with less than my usual enthusiastic demeanor. Miss Overly Bubby wasn’t in. I rushed to get it done, but the power went out earlier than expected, and I couldn’t upload it until after 1730 hours (5:30 pm). Sorry for the delay.
 

At 5:30, we set up the veranda for the evening, made ourselves a “sundowner,” and sat down to discuss our options. They included the following:

  • Reapply and start the entire process all over again with no guarantees. We tossed this idea out the window.
  • Tom could leave and go to Kenya on the 15th while I stayed alone in Marloth Park, using one of the two non-refundable flights from Nelspruit to Nairobi on February 20th (my birthday). This raised many questions: hotel for Tom, transportation for me to the airport, being alone for the five nights until February 20th when I could depart, traveling apart, handing luggage…and on and on.  We tossed this idea out the window.
  • The rep told us Tom could go to Mozambique by car and see if he could end up with the extra five days. This was a very risky idea. When would he go? He could easily have ended up with no more than what he has or even less, depending on what transpired at the border.  We tossed this idea out the window.
  • We could try to get some form of credit from the airline to change our travel day to February 15th, change our end-of-rental date to February 15th, change our car rental period to February 15 and clear out of South Africa. We decided this was our only option, with both departing on February 15th, regardless of the cost or inconvenience.
There was a total of nine zebras, including the baby.

Immediately, we got to work on Expedia.com on our website to see what we could first accomplish with the tickets. In all these six years of world travel, we’ve never canceled or changed a single flight. Somehow the preplanning has always worked for us.

We knew that flights were non-refundable but never encountered an opportunity or desire to change a flight.  The website offered such an opportunity, and for a total of ZAR 2156 (US $159), we changed our tickets to February 15th.  We were relieved.

 
We want to book hotel accommodations in Kenya which we’ll do this month. Not having done so was one more minor step to handle. From here, we’ll see about our rent and early return of the rental car, both of which should save us a little more to apply to the added cost of the extra five days in Kenya.
 
Whew! What a relief! Drama averted. Immigration issues are averted, and a massive lesson learned: When we return to South Africa in years to come, we’ll only stay 90 days. Period.
Preoccupied with my phone call, I couldn’t get a photo of all nine at once.

We skated through the first three 90-day periods by leaving the country twice to travel to Zambia to get another 90-day visa each time. We just weren’t able to pull it off the third time. These two one-week trips cost us upwards of ZAR 111628 (US $8232).  Surely if we’d tried traveling out the country once again, we’d have incurred similar costs with no guaranty on the ability to return.

And so it goes. We’re good again. Cheerful, but hot in the temps above 40C (104F). And, we’re back in sync with our otherwise pleasing lifestyle and of course, with one another.

Today, we’ll lay low in the heat and humidity, but who knows what tomorrow may bring.


Happy, healthy day to all.

Photo from one year ago today, December 4, 2017:

Children were playing at the beach with views of colorful fishing vessels in Pisco, Peru. These boats remind us of the colorful fishing boats in Negara, Bali. (See that link here). For more details from the one year ago post, please click here.

Immigration day from hell…Solutions rolling around in our minds…More tomorrow…

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She was reaching for the treetops.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Three very young impalas in the bush.

It would have been easy to sit down and pen today’s post if the South Africa immigration issue had been resolved as we’d hoped. The realities of world travel dictate that sometimes, things don’t go as we’d hoped. Attitude adjustments are in constant flux.

Unfortunately, this morning’s trip to the immigration office in Nelspruit didn’t go well after we’d received the online notice to appear, and we are in a quandary as to how to proceed from here. Our options are few. Our frustrations are many.
Giraffes are fortunate during the dry season.  There’s no competition for the leaves in the treetops.

Due to a myriad of ill advice, government incompetence, bureaucracy, and inconsistency, today’s visit to the immigration office was both frustrating and disappointing.

When we returned to the house a short time ago facing another power shutdown in the next half hour, I felt rushed and out-of-sorts to write an upbeat article about life in the bush.

Instead, I apologize for a less-than-cheerful rendition of where we’re at the moment and where we’ll be in months to come based on today’s outcome.

Cheeks filled with vegetation.

Inconvenience coupled with unexpected expenses is a bitch. My usual overly bubbly self continues to nudge me into settling down and seeing the bright side.  Isn’t there always some semblance of a bright side in these kinds of situations?

Good grief, I’m not implying there’s any modicum of a bright side in lousy health, injury, and personal loss, although some special people manage to find a means to rebound regardless of strife.

But, when it comes to business-type situations and functions of daily life, generally speaking, there are lessons to be learned that may prepare us for the “next time.” We need to hold on to those lessons!
Giraffe along the road.

I need to settle down for the remainder of the day as we discuss our options to come up with a suitable plan that we can live with. By no means is this situation untenable, nor a significant crisis. It’s more annoying than anything. We’ll get over it.

But, for today, I must reserve going into the details until such time in the next 24-hours that we’ve had an opportunity to review our options and come to a logical and practical solution.

We’ll be back with a much more enlightened demeanor by tomorrow’s post. For tonight, we’ll still enjoy another warm night on the veranda, loving our wildlife friends with their playful and entertaining antics.

Have a pleasant evening!

Photo from one year ago today, December 3, 2017:

It was an evening “chic” night, and we entered the elevator with other passengers. One of the passengers grabbed my camera off my shoulder and shot these “feet photos.”  We all howled when this occurred, and here’s the funny photo! For more photos, please click here.

Pig on the porch…Pig in the parlor…Warthog “Little” comes to call…

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This is “Little” entering the parlor looking for the bags of pellets! Funny!
Little decided to check out the inside of the house. I was in the kitchen chopping vegetables when he entered and looked up to see this! We both couldn’t stop laughing.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Adorable young duiker has become more at ease approaching the veranda for pellets. As the smallest in the antelope family, they are often the last to be able to eat when the larger animals chase them off. Whenever we see them alone, we make sure they have plenty on their own.

As our long-time readers are well aware, I love pigs. They are intelligent and readily make eye contact with deep expression and, they appear to have an excellent memory:
“Pigs are actually considered the fifth-most intelligent animal in the world—even more intelligent than dogs—and are capable of playing video games with more focus and success than chimps! They also have excellent object-location memory.”

Yesterday, Little gingerly climbed the several steps up to the veranda, looking for pellets.

We can’t underestimate their ability to interact with us, not unlike a dog or other domesticated animal. No doubt, warthogs are not domesticated, and nor are we purporting they should be especially warthogs who thrive in a life in the wild foraging for food, mating, and raising piglets to adulthood.

Once he was situated, we brought him some fruit and veg.

With the recent visits of the mom and four piglets, we’ve witnessed a loving and attentive mother, concerned for the well-being of her young, to the point of putting her own life at risk. We’ve watched her chase off bigger and stronger male warthogs to ensure her piglets get in on the pellet action.

I sat quietly in the chair next to him, wanting to make him feel at ease.

But today’s story is about Little, a warthog who’s been visiting us for the past six months. His gentle soul and good nature with other animals, while sharing the pellets has astounded us, making him hold a special place in our hearts.

This was yesterday afternoon after he’d climbed the steps to the veranda.  He ate some pellets and left. But today, was an entirely new scenario as shown in our video and photos.

When we first saw him enter the cement pond a few months ago, he endeared himself to us further. He splashes around in the tiny pond cooling off on a very hot day, often putting his face underwater while taking a big gulp of the water we keep clean. Well, as clean as you can keep a pond clean that a pig swims in. Our pond is emptied and cleaned once a week. 

Little doesn’t care for lettuce, but likes pellets, carrots, apples, and pears.

Since that time, he’s visited many times on hot days to do the same. He easily knows his name and looks up at us when we call him. His expressions are of great interest and curiosity. We have no doubt he is the same when he visits other bush homes in Marloth Park.

 What originally inspired me in 2012, to convince Tom, we needed to come to Marloth Park was a photo Louise had on her website of a pig, napping in front of a fireplace in a bush home.  

Today, he was determined when he climbed the steps, feeling more at “home.” He’s come up the steps to the veranda a few times in the past weeks but now, it’s been two consecutive days. Maybe this will become a regular part of his almost daily visits.

That single photo inspired me so much, I literally had to plead with Tom to “step outside the box” in our upcoming travels and stay in this wildlife conservancy for at least three months.  

As warthogs do, he was on his knees eating.  They have long snouts so nature provided tough knee pads to allow them to scoot around on the knees gathering morsels of food.

Coincidentally, we arrived in Marloth Park on December 2, 2013, five years ago today. See that post here. Our first official visit at the Hornbill house was a warthog as shown in this photo below.

At the Hornbill house less than a half-hour after we arrived, this warthog stopped by to welcome us to the neighborhood. He was our first official visitor. For all we know, we’ve seen this warthog during these past many months since our return. They may live as long as 17 years.

Returning to Marloth Park this past February, my greatest enthusiasm surrounded the opportunity to interact with these funny creatures once again. And, have we ever. There are many warthogs, we recognize and who know us as the generous pellet providers.  

When the pellets are consumed, he waits patiently for more.  Although, a few times, he nudged me with his nose.

Sure, they visit for the food.  We have no delusions that the single biggest motivator for them, including Little, is to regularly return to our garden.  But, in our heart of hearts, we see their continuing interest in us, curious to as to what us humans are all about and possibly gleaning some form of emotional attachment similar to that we experience from dogs.

There’s always time in his busy schedule for a pellet break.

This morning, when Little wandered into the house, this behavior confirmed his curiosity which made us swoon with laughter.  And yes, his powerful sense of smell directed him to bags of pellets resting again the wall in the parlor.  

Little is not so little.  Hee may weigh up to 136 kg, (300 pounds).

Had we left him to his own resources we are certain he’d have torn open the bags and had himself the feast of a lifetime. We cut the video short and sent him back outdoors. He didn’t go easily. This doesn’t imply he was aggressive. He was not.

Little contemplating a nap after his big meal.

But, he hesitated to leave and we had to toss some pellets to the garden to encourage him to make his way back down the steps for one last bowl of pellets until we cut him off…not for good…but for a “Little” while until he returns again.

 We can’t stop smiling. Personally, I’m in “pig heaven” today reeling from the wonderful experience.

 May your day leave you reeling with wonderfulness!

                                            Photo from one year ago today, December 2, 2017:

Tom is getting to be quite the photographer. But, when I compliment him he says, “Even a stopped watch is correct twice a day!” He’s too modest! For more photos, please click here.

Oh, oh…Frequent power outages scheduled for December…A challenge in our lives…

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We didn’t see much on the river yesterday, but we were thrilled with our other sightings, including this young zebra and mom.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This is our boy Wildebeest Willie, who stops by most afternoons for pellets and several naps. He waits for other wildlife to appear then gets up to join in on the pellet frenzy. He isn’t interested in carrots, celery tops, apples, or pears.  He responds enthusiastically to his name and most likely responds to names other residents have given him. Smart guy, that Willie!

It was a shocker yesterday when there was a notice on Marloth Park’s Facebook page about power company Eskom’s scheduled power outages, referred to as “load shedding.” 

What is load shedding?  Here’s a description from Eskom’s website here:

“As South Africa’s primary electricity supplier, Eskom’s mandate is to ensure the security of supply to service the South African economy and society.

Eskom, therefore, generates, transports, and distributes electricity – and this is managed predominantly by Eskom for the entire country; however, Eskom only directly supplies more than 5 million households which means that most of us are provided by municipalities.
At all times, there must be sufficient supply to meet demand, but electricity demand is not consistent because of:

  • peak periods when demand is higher
  • and continuous growth in the number of customers requiring electricity services.

This means that the power system requires constant and prudent management of supply to meet demand, but, today, Eskom faces the challenge of a constrained power system that will affect us until substantial new power capacity is available. In the meantime, to meet demand, our older power stations and infrastructure are being used to total capacity. In addition, routine and necessary maintenance of plant and infrastructure are carefully scheduled to limit compromising supply capacity during periods of high demand. We have also strengthened the distribution network to reduce localized outages when the power trips because of overload in local areas such as suburbs.

Localized outages should not be confused with load shedding. Local outages can occur when there is either a technical fault in the transmission or distribution network, or when electrical equipment has been tampered with, such as theft of cables, or when there is an overload of the local system because of irregular high usage due to electricity theft as well as normal faults.
Five years ago, we saw ostriches at this bush house, and they continue to visit almost every day. The owner can walk freely among them and distribute pellets. We’ve yet to have an ostrich at the Orange house but had one at the Hornbill house in 2014.

Load shedding, or load reduction, is done countrywide as a controlled option to respond to unplanned events to protect the electric power system from a total blackout. While we generally use the word blackout loosely to mean “no lights” in our local area, a country-wide blackout has much more severe consequences, which can occur when there is too much demand and too little supply, bringing the power system into an imbalance – tripping the power system in its entirety.

Many countries and cities in other parts of the world have experienced complete blackouts. To re-start their system, they can tap into a power system from a neighbor who can take a few hours or days, but we have to rely on ourselves to start the system from scratch – energizing one power plant at a time and one section of the country at a time. It could take up to two weeks to restore full power, which would severely impact our country! This is why we use load shedding, or load reduction, to effectively manage our power system and assist in protecting it from such an event.”

This is one of the chicks we’ve been following for the past several months. They certainly have grown. One of the fantastic attributes of the ostrich is the fact that they will grow to adulthood in 18 months. They weigh about 1kg when born and, in the space of 18 months, grow to an incredible size of about 140kg. The female ostrich will start laying eggs when she is about two years old.

There’s nothing we can do. This is the way it is and will be, especially over the busy holiday month of December. The holidaymakers will begin arriving this upcoming week, and it will be relentless throughout the entire month of December and part of January.

When reviewing the schedule for outages, we realize in many ways this will be a challenge for our daily needs as well as that of other residents and tourists in Marloth Park. Our biggest concern is being able to upload our posts with new photos daily. 

Of course, we found them on Volstruis St., which means ostrich in Afrikaans, where they are often found.

We want to assure our readers that we will continue to post every day regardless of this challenging schedule. The exception will be in the event of a total power outage lasting more than a day.  

Here’s the proud mom still fussing over her growing brood.

Thus, if you do not see a post by the end of 24 hours, you can be assured we have no power and cannot do a thing until the power is restored. At first, we were shocked and disappointed.

But now, after reviewing the schedule, we’ve discussed ways in which we’ll make it work. For us, lousy sleepers that we are, the most challenging times will be on hot nights when we won’t be able to use a fan or aircon. The windows have no screens, so we’ll be in the equivalent of a “hot box” during the two to three-hour outage.

Here’s the family altogether; mom, dad, and growing chicks.

For example, here are the scheduled power outages for us in Stage 2 over the next week:

Sat, 01 Dec
07:00 – 09:30                                         2.5 hours
15:00 – 17:30  (3:00 pm to 5:30 pm)      2.5 hours       TOTAL OUTAGES IN 24 HOURS – 7.5 HOURS
23:00 – 01:30  (11:00 pm to 1:30 am)    2.5 hours
Sun, 02 Dec
07:00 – 09:30
15:00 – 17:30
23:00 – 01:30
Mon, 03 Dec
07:00 – 09:30
15:00 – 17:30
23:00 – 01:30
Tue, 04 Dec
07:00 – 09:30
15:00 – 17:30
23:00 – 01:30
Wed, 05 Dec
05:00 – 07:30
13:00 – 15:30
21:00 – 23:30
Thu, 06 Dec
05:00 – 07:30
13:00 – 15:30
21:00 – 23:30
Fri, 07 Dec
05:00 – 07:30
13:00 – 15:30
21:00 – 23:30

The load shedding schedule varies by week when many of the outages will be during dinner time from 1700 to 1930 hours (5:00 pm to 7:30 pm). Last night was the first evening we experienced this particular schedule.  

For the first time yesterday, we spotted giraffes at a particular overlook we often visit but rarely see any wildlife on the Marloth Park side of the fence.

Knowing in advance, while the power was still on, we prepared everything we needed for our dinner. We usually start putting the dinner together around 1830 (6:30 pm) with ease with lights on. Last night we got everything out and ready to prepare while it was still light (it gets dark about 30-minutes later). We ate by candlelight.  

However, the most challenging part for us at this time of day is not the meal.  We’ll manage that just fine. It’s the fact that it’s our prime wildlife viewing time from the veranda when our evenings are so unique, is from 1700 hours (5:00 PM) to 2100 hours (9:00 pm).

We’re always in awe of giraffes, especially those in the neighborhood.

The remaining schedule includes outages for most of these hours in 2.5-hour increments. This changes everything. We won’t be able to see a thing. This is a big disappointment for us and our lifestyle.

There is nothing we can do but adapt to this situation to the best of our ability.  Next Thursday, when we go to Komatipoort to shop, we’ll stop at the hardware store to see if we can locate an excellent solar-powered light we can see the garden at night.  

We spotted five giraffes in this area, including a youngster.

As it turns out, the power issues during the prime evening hours don’t begin until December 9th.  This will work out well if we can find a solution. In reality, this is always the case; finding solutions to situations we find discomforting.

Traveling the world isn’t always convenient. It isn’t always comfortable, as we’ve seen by the outrageous over 40C (104F) heat we’ve had with much hotter temps ahead of us.  

It wasn’t easy when I was attacked by pepper ticks from walking in the bush at the river resulting in over 100 awful bites lasting for over a month, requiring medical intervention and a 12-day course of cortisone (only three days of meds remaining – situation greatly improved) when I’ve hardly been able to sleep as a side effect of the drug.
For the time being, to avoid getting more tick bites, I’ve taken photos from the car while on the daily drive in the park.  I only get out where I don’t have to walk through the bush to get to the fence to avoid taking photos of the wall. These gorgeous waterbucks males typically weigh 198–262 kg (437–578 lb) and females 161–214 kg (355–472 lb).

We never have to ask ourselves, “Is it worth it?”

Without a doubt, we rest easy in the knowledge that we love this life we’ve chosen, even with its ups and downs. No life is free from challenges, medical concerns, inconveniences, and for us, immigration issues.

We carry on with joy, love, and happiness that somehow supersedes the hardships, knowing full well, this is what and where we’re meant to be…in the world.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 1, 2017:

Slurpy mouthed iguana posing for a photo at the park in Manta, Ecuador, as seen one year ago today. For more photos, please click here.

Immigration process on the move…Let’s see what happens next week…More photos from Marloth Park…

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Big Daddy by candlelight after dark.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

We see this same gecko almost every day on this same tree area in front of the veranda. It appears to change colors from time to time.

On October 24th, we drove to the immigration office in Nelspruit to file our request for a visa extension, having no idea whatsoever what the outcome may be.

Kudus by candlelight by the cement pond, stopping for a drink.

When we left after a second lengthy visit to the facility, we were told to begin checking their website every day once three weeks had passed. We started checking after two weeks, figuring it was better to be proactive than wait.

Things do not move quickly here, as is the case for many government facilities worldwide. One never knows what to expect. Patience and perseverance are vital in working through any governmental agency, as we all know from personal experience.

Giraffe in the neighborhood.  We never tire of seeing these beautiful animals.

Three weeks passed, and nothing. Finally, two days ago, we noticed a change in the online information at the five-week mark when we entered our ID numbers and surname on the “check your application” page.  

A determined walk along the fence by the Crocodile River.

It appeared our file had been moved to Pretoria, one of the three capital centers in South Africa.  Why does this country have three capital cities? The answer is here from this site:

South Africa is amongst a minority of countries that do not have a single capital city. Instead, South Africa boasts three capital cities, one for each branch of government. Pretoria is the administrative capital of South Africa. Cape Town is the legislative capital. And Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.
 
When the Union of South Africa was created, different parties had different views on the appropriate city for the capital. Some expressed concern that allowing a single city to hold all branches of government could lead to too much power for one place. Thus, the developing nation placed the three branches of government in three different capital cities.”
The Crocodile River after the sun has set.

This morning when I checked again, I found a new vague response, different from that of a few days ago, prompting me to call to determine what the special message will be when it’s time to drive back to Nelspruit to get the answer from a sealed envelope, opened in front of us, if we have to leave or can stay until February 20, 2019.

It kind of feels like a game show…open the envelope for the answer. But, who’s to say how this particular process was developed and why the necessity of the sealed envelope becomes the means of notification.

A beam of light reflected off the camera at sunset on the river.

If we have to leave, we’ll have 10 days to clear out. If not, we’ll go on about our enjoyable lives in Marloth Park for the duration. We’re trying hard not to speculate anything other than a positive outcome.

Should we have to exit, we’ll have 10 days to come up with a plan and leave accordingly. We’ll keep all of our readers posted on the outcome as soon as we know.  

Mom and four piglets have been stopping by several times a time.

We’ll most likely be heading to Nelspruit by next Friday or Monday, December 7th or December 10th, based on the fact that the rep I spoke to today stated we’ll know something in five business days.

We’re anxious to get this behind us, one way or another, and be able to fully relax during the holidays with many plans on the horizon. During whatever remaining time we may have in South Africa.  

Bushbuck baby, maybe dad and mom often stop at the bottom of the steps for their pellets.  

Last night we had another excellent evening with Rita and Gerhard at Ngwenya.  The sky was clouded, so we missed the sunset, nor did we see anything of significance on the river. But, as always, the conversation flowed with endless stories the four of us thoroughly enjoyed sharing.

Tonight, after being out the last two nights, we’re looking forward to an evening on the veranda once again. We’ve had numerous visitors so far today and anticipate it will be no different tonight when they seem to arrive as soon as we set things up. 

Tom took this photo early this morning of a wound on yet another warthog which appears to be healing.  These are sturdy and hardy animals that often survive serious injury without any intervention by humans.

It’s bun-less burgers on the braai tonight with homemade ketchup, sliced onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese (for Tom), and of course, crispy bacon to top it off.  A lettuce salad on the side with homemade salad dressing, and we’re good to go.

Have a great weekend wherever you may be, doing exactly what you love to do!

Photo from one year ago today, November 30, 2017:

While off on a self-tour in Manta Ecuador, we noticed Panamanian hats were a popular tourist purchase. For more photos of our day, please click here.

 

The escalating cost of feeding our furry visitors without rain…

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There were several elephants very close to the road, allowing us to acquire these close-up photos.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Many species visited our garden in the early mornings; kudus, bushbucks, warthogs, helmeted guineafowl, and duikers.  What a great start to the day!

Finally, the hot weather has ended for the moment, and we’re currently sitting outdoors on the veranda feeling cooled and refreshed. Several days of extreme heat plagued this area, and finally, we got a breather for a few days.

Even some of the dry bush has some nutritional value to the elephants. Rain is desperately needed for the wildlife.

We’re hoping the cloudy sky will bring much-needed rain for the vegetation and, subsequently, the starving wildlife. If it doesn’t rain soon, many animals could die of starvation when many are herbivores and omnivores.

Giraffes were making their way up a hill.

The constant feeding we’re doing in the garden of our bush house surely is helping some of the animals with a modicum of nourishment but certainly can’t comprise their entire diet.

Hippos rest close to one another while in the water for added safety.

We’re currently going through a 40 kg (88 pounds) of pellets every three days, which has increased over the year. At this point, at about ZAR 236 (US $17.21), we’re spending upwards of ZAR 2360 (US $172.10) per month on the pellets.

A parade of elephants on the move near the Sabie River.

In addition, we’re spending another ZAR 658 (US $50) for pears, apples, and carrots for a total of ZAR 3018 (US $220.04) to feed the wildlife each month.  Once the rains come and the vegetation is lush, we’ll be able to cut back on the feed as they go about their search for nutrition provided by the bush.

Giraffes have the advantage of not having to share the treetops with other wildlife other than other giraffes.

Do we mind spending this much to feed the wildlife? Not at all. It’s part of the reason we are here in Marloth Park, not only to enjoy the beauty of the bush but to play a small role in providing nourishment for these stunning creatures during this difficult time.

Two hippos and two cape buffalos were cohabitating peacefully at the river.

Of course, we can feed any single animal an entire day’s dietary needs. Even the delicate bushbucks who chew slowly and deliberately could eat us “out of house and home” if we gave them all they wanted. Their needs are substantial.

We were so close to these elephants we didn’t use any zoom on the camera.  

The pecking order prevails in this situation. The warthogs scare off the bushbucks, the wildebeests scare off the pigs, the zebras scare off the kudus, and it goes on and on. All we can do is continue to pay attention to those who haven’t received any sustenance and try to single them out with extra pellets.

They were packed in tight into this good spot for dining.

Sadly, we have a few injured warthogs coming to call, particularly Wounded right now, and we do admit to going overboard to ensure he gets a larger share than some. He looked very thin when he initially appeared, but now he seems to be filling out a little.

Knowing we may play even a small role in helping them during this dry season means a lot to us both. Some locals feel the animals should not be fed and to let “nature take its course.” We understand both sides, but we had to choose one, and we opted for feeding as many other residents have.

They were so busy eating, they barely noticed us.

Some say there are too many animals in Marloth Park to sustain itself, and we also understand this. Of course, if the rain would come, this would alleviate a part of these concerns.  

Plus, with the desirability of this magical place, more and more new homes are being built, which ultimately impacts the size of the bush where the animals can graze. It’s a vicious cycle, but we don’t get into politics.  

The size of these elephant’s feet is astounding.

We don’t own a house here, nor will we in the future, and in reality, we have no right to impose our opinions on others. We can only make choices that feel right for our beliefs and our passions while we’re here.

We’re hoping the rains will come over these next few months to gradually reduce feedings to encourage the wildlife to forage as nature intended.

Such fascinating beasts must be revered and respected.  Sadly, their numbers are dwindling in many parts of Africa due to poaching.

Last night we had a fabulous dinner at friends Jan and Steve’s house with Rita and Gerhard in attendance as well. Perfect food, beautiful people, an ideal setting, and conversations. We’re so fortunate to be among these fine friends, such pleasing surroundings, and the paradise where this wildlife exists.

We’re thankful, so very grateful!

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, November 29, 2017:

Some freighters can carry as many as 18,000 20-foot containers. This freighter was being guided through the Panama Canal at the Miraflores locks. For more photos from the Panama Canal, please click here.

Lions in Kruger National Park…The fascination with lions…The scorching heat continues…

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We shot this photo of a female lion taking a drink in the Maasai Mara in October 2013.  Although we had an amateur camera then, as we do now, being up close made all the difference in the world as opposed to today’s remaining lion photos taken in Kruger at a distance. Here’s the link from which we copied this photo with many more lions photos, including one in a tree.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This is our resident tree frog, who mostly lives on a light fixture frame on the veranda.  In the winter months, he only appeared at night. Now, he’s there almost constantly except for this particular time when he came down from the light and sat on a chair on the veranda. He eats lots of insects at night when we turn on the light.  

Human’s fascination with lions has persisted for centuries. Their mystery, fierceness, and veracity, coupled with their physical structure and gender differences, have been the primary source of interest for most amateur and professional photographers who are fortunate enough to visit their territories throughout the world.
 From Kruger National Park’s website:

“GL SMUTS, LION (1982)

Butch Smuts worked in the Kruger National Park for many years, first studying what was causing a decline in zebra populations and later performing intensive studies on the lion populations in the park, with a special emphasis on the central region of the park. Together with colleagues, they developed mass capture protocols for lions that are still used today. During this research, the first lion ever to be fitted with a radio collar was captured and released to provide information to curious scientists.

Lions are often seen at a distance in Kruger. It’s a rare exception to see them crossing the road, as depicted in many photos.

Over four years in the 1970s, the stomach contents of 257 lions were examined. 47 percent of the lions had empty stomachs. For the remaining lions, ten prey animals had been eaten by the lions. These were impala (30%), wildebeest (24%), giraffe (15%), zebra (11%), warthog (8%), waterbuck (5%), kudu, and buffalo (2% each). A domestic goat (probably from outside the park) and an unidentified animal were also found. When statistical analysis based on the sizes of the animals was performed, the giraffe was found to make up the most incredible bulk of the animals’ diet, followed by wildebeest and zebra.

We spotted the five lions at the Verhami Dam, which no longer has any water during this hot season.

Smuts and his colleagues performed a lion census in the mid-1970s, luring over 600 lions to call centers where the lions could be darted and marked to enable counting. During a five-year period, they managed to capture over 1 200 lions. He found that the central district of the Kruger National Park had over 700 lions, dispersed amongst sixty different prides. There was a sex ratio of two adult female lions to every adult male.

The five lions were all females.

The largest pride contained 21 lions, and on average, there were two males per pride, although this ranged from one to five males per pride. The lion density was worked out as 13 lions per 100km2. They also worked out that there was one lion per 110 prey items in Kruger at that time. This was a strong contrast to the Serengeti where only about one lion per 1,000 prey animals.”

It was scorching that day at 40C (104F) as they sought shelter from the sun under trees.

Although this article is over 35 years old, it was interesting information we hadn’t seen anywhere in our recent research.  Kruger’s website, in general, has been an excellent source of information for us over these past many months.

Surely, calling groups of lions a “pride” has something to do with their proud and confident demeanor.  Hence, the “King of the Jungle.”

And yes, as we peruse the Crocodile River banks day after day from here in Marloth Park, we find ourselves on the proverbial search for lions when we enter Kruger.

We held our breath as we took these photos to steady the camera.

Much to our surprise, we see them more often from the fence in Marloth Park than we do while on a self-drive or professional game drive in Kruger. While in the Maasai Mara in Kenya n 2013, we did see them up close and personal.  

 In a mere 87 days or so, we’ll be back in Kenya to visit once again the famed Maasai Mara (as part of a larger Kenya wildlife photography tour) when roads are not barriers to getting close to the magnificent beasts.  

These five may be part of what is referred to as the “Verhami Pride.”  

In Kruger, it’s required to stay on the paved or dirt roads. Thus, our photos may only be taken from the roads when spotting wildlife, making many scenes challenging to acquire.

 We took today’s main photo in the Maasai Mara in October 2013. You can see the advantage of being close to the subject when using a less-than-high-end camera, as we had then and we have now.

She couldn’t have been prettier as this little branch framed her face.

Of course, we’d love to have the equipment to be able to get great shots from long distances. But, as we’ve mentioned repeatedly, we don’t want to carry the extra weight around the world, nor can we handle a heavy camera since both of us have bad right shoulders. It’s a reality we have to live with.

From time to time, a few would raise their heads, looking intently for possible prey.

As technology improves over the years, we’ll eventually be able to buy a lightweight camera with more efficiency and clarity. We look forward to that time.  In the interim, we do the best we can.

 Here we are attending a photographic safari for 16 nights in Kenya in a few months, were most likely, all the participants will have upscale, sophisticated cameras. We’re ok with this.  

Not everyone has a lifestyle similar to ours with certain restrictions. We’re going on this adventure for the experience and for photos we can share with all of you along this exciting journey, many of which will be as clear as the primary photo in today’s post, taken over five years ago.

They’d lay back down with one keeping a watchful eye for possible action.

We continue here now and will carry on in Kenya, searching for those special wildlife photos. Please stay tuned for many more lion photos during our remaining time in South Africa, which will only escalate once we return to the Maasai Mara.

 The scorching heat continues as we sit here on the veranda drenched in sweat.  But, this is what one expects in Africa, so we take it in our stride. As long as we can sleep in aircon comfort at night, we have no problem. That means the power must stay on, another reality of Africa we’ve adapted to over this extended stay.

Tonight, we off to friends Jan and Steve’s bush home for dinner.  Rita and Gerhard are joining us after meeting them last Saturday at Jabula. That’s how it is here, friendly and welcoming, even for newcomers.

 Stay cool, stay warm, wherever you may be, to provide the utmost comfort.

Photo from one year ago today, November 28, 2017:
Our ship was this close to the walls to the walls of the passageway of the Panama Canal as this cargo ship in front of us. This was our second passage through the canal since we began our travels. For more photos, please click here.

Christmas season upon us?..A good trip into Kruger National Park…The suffocating heat continues…

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A tired old elephant was resting his trunk on his tusk.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

The four little piglets keep returning (with mom, of course) for more fun in the garden.

It’s a little after 11:00 am, and I’m finally wrapping up today’s post. As mentioned in prior posts, I don’t always get it done first thing in the morning as I’d done in years past.

Elephant family on their way back up the hill from the Sabie River. “The Sabie River is a river in South Africa that forms part of the Komati River System. The catchment area of the Sabie-Sand system is 6,320 km2 in extent. The Sabie is one of the most biologically diverse rivers in South Africa, with generally good water quality.”

Often, I’ll prep for dinner, wash clothes or work on other tasks lined up for the day to get them all behind me, so my mind is free when I sit down to begin the day’s story.

Waterbuck on the Sabie River.

This morning, I began purchasing some of the six grandchildren’s Christmas gifts, with more to do in a few weeks. Some want specific items we order from Amazon and others prefer Visa gift cards to choose their items. Either way is acceptable for us.

This morning I ordered the gifts for my son Greg’s three children, who had specific items in mind. With the big holiday rush in the US and often special items becoming sold out, I decided to get a handle on it today.
Enormous cape buffalo on the shore of the Sabie River.

Our other three grandchildren prefer the Visa gift cards, so we order those from Amazon about two weeks in advance of Christmas with no worries about them arriving on time.

A face only a mother could love, seem at the Sunset Dam in Kruger.

Tom and I don’t buy gifts for one another, nor do we exchange gifts with our adult children (wouldn’t that be a fiasco with South Africa’s mail service with a backlog of 7.5 million undelivered packages)? This made sense a long time ago when we left the US – no gifts, please.

We often waited for that big mouth open photo, but it didn’t happen.

It’s hard to believe that the Christmas season is upon us once again. We’ve already noticed Christmas decor (which isn’t an issue here in SA) on display in our frequent shops. 

Another adorable hippo face at the Sunset Dam.

Over these years, we’ve become less and less interested in the hoopla surrounding the holiday season. It doesn’t fit into this life of world travel. This doesn’t mean we don’t observe and respect the spiritual significance of Christmas. It simply means it makes no sense to purchase gifts for one another (no room in our luggage), Christmas trees, or decorations.

Nor do I bake cookies and the confections I’d done in years past. We both continue to monitor our low-carb, keto-based diet, attempting to maintain good health during the holiday season as well as throughout the year.

A tower of giraffes crossing the paved road in Kruger.

In reality, it certainly is easier this way. And, considering the awful heat lately, which will continue through the summer, I can’t imagine standing in the kitchen baking and cooking for the holidays.  

A parade of elephants traveling along the river’s edge.

The recent pie-baking-day-from-hell confirmed this when it was 40C (104F) while I made eight pumpkin pies. However, we loved serving our Thanksgiving dinner table for 12, and all the food and pies ultimately came out well, sending everyone home with leftovers and a full-sized individual pie.

Handsome…

Social plans become the highlight of the holiday season in Marloth Park.  We already have plans set for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve.
Now I’ll get to work on deciding what to do for Tom’s upcoming birthday on December 23rd, not the most convenient time of the year to celebrate a birthday.  But, celebrate we will, in one way or another, as we always do.

The hot temperature reading in the red car…40C equals 104F. It will be more desirable today, perhaps 42C (107.6F). We spend the days and evenings in the heat but use aircon in the bedroom at night.

Today’s photos are a few of many we captured in Kruger National Park yesterday when the power was out. We’ll have more to share in tomorrow’s post. As for today, most likely, we’ll make our usual drive through Marloth Park and to the fence at the Crocodile River to see what we can find. Doing so is an excellent respite from the heat of the afternoon when temps are at their highest, and the cooling air in the red car is a huge relief.

An oxpecker was working on a giraffe’s leg.

The rest of this week is socially active, with plans for tomorrow night, Thursday night, and Saturday night. We’ll report details as they occur.

May your midweek bring you many beautiful surprises.

Photo from one year ago today, November 27, 2017:
On Saturday, one year ago, we had lunch at Morgan’s Seafood Restaurant in Cayman Island with new friends Susan and Blair. For more photos, please click here.