This morning’s visitors were plentiful. We had no less than eight bushbucks, seven warthogs, 50 mongooses, and Frank and The Misses. Tom was busy feeding everyone while I showered and dressed for the day. Once done, I was outdoors and joined in on the feeding and usual chatting with the wildlife.

It’s odd to think about talking to wild animals, but many of them look into my eyes, tilt their heads, flick their ears in response to the gentle, albeit high-pitched voice. No, they don’t necessarily know what I am saying, but I often repeatedly use the exact words, and they may quickly become familiar with those words.

At this point, the most frequent warthog visitors do a little dance when I say, “Do you want some pellets?’ It’s not different than asking your dog, “Do you want to eat or go for a walk?” Pigs are listed as smarter than dogs. Is it any wonder that the warthogs and other wildlife would eventually associate my words with actions after a while? It’s not surprising to me at all.

The most significant joy of interacting with the wildlife is the way they make eye contact. As I’ve mentioned in the past, zebras don’t seem to make that same type of eye contact. I genuinely believe that the lack of emotional interaction with them is why we seldom see them in our garden, although they do visit from time to time.

In today’s heading, I’ve mentioned the payoff of a debt hanging over our heads. When I had open-heart surgery in February 2019, and our then insurance company refused to pay, we had to pay the entire balance out of pocket. After we paid off the bulk of it, we had a remaining balance which we agreed to pay monthly to the tune of ZAR 10000, US $678, a month.

On Friday, I made the final payment. The actual US dollar amount varied monthly based on the rand (ZAR) value, but we chose to pay in rands rather than US dollars, which ultimately saved us some money. We could have used personal funds to pay this off, but it made sense to pay it off this way when no interest was charged. Now that this is finalized, we can put this behind us.

We used a credit card each month to make the payment using a South Africa payment app through a bank, but we paid off that card every month, as we usually do, avoiding any interest charges. It feels good to have this behind us since we have no debts, without a home or car and accompanying lifestyle.

Being debt-free is a good reason why we always strive to live within our means. That way, we never have to worry about money which can be an enormous stressor. Sure, from time to time, we’ve charged substantial amounts on our credit cards to pay for expensive cruises, but we’ve always managed to pay them off quickly.

I easily recall being a single mom while owning a business subject to the ebb and flow of the housing market and how financial struggles kept me awake at night. I never stop appreciating how fortunate we are these days, not to worry about money. But, here again, we live on a tight fixed income, and foolish spending is not within our realm.

Speaking of spending, finally, after 12 days, we’re going grocery shopping once again. Having dined out several times during this period and using all the meat we had in the freezer, we made it through. But today, we’re down to the “bare bones,” and grocery shopping is a must.

That’s it for today, dear readers. And thank you for all the kind and thoughtful messages regarding yesterday’s post about losing my sister, Susan, one year ago while we were in lockdown in Mumbai.

Be well. Be safe. Be happy.

Photo from one year ago today, August 16, 2020:

One year ago, this photo was posted in lockdown in Mumbai, India, on day #146. With almost 13,000 restaurants listed on Trip Advisor in Paris, it’s tricky deciding on where to dine. For more photos, please click here.

Most of the holiday homes in Marloth Park were rented this weekend due to National Women’s Day, as described in yesterday’s post at this link. As a result, there are few animals in our garden today. Sadly, as mentioned in previous posts, some visitors feed the animals foods that aren’t good for them, which they may love. It could include;  chips (fries), potato chips, leftovers from meals, and even sweets and candy, which are not suitable for any wildlife’s diet.

In that regard, they are like humans; bad-for-you foods are tasty and irresistible. And, animals don’t know that these food aren’t good for them, although humans do. And yet, they continue to feed these inappropriate foods while visiting Marloth Park.

Then, of course, those who care about the well-being of the animals have purchased pellets, Lucerne bales, apples, carrots, and fresh green suitable for the animal’s diet. The bush is so dry there is barely a leaf on a tree or bush with the vegetation the animals usually eat. It’s nearly impossible for many of us not to offer some sustenance during the drought-like months of winter.

The fire hazard is at its peak right now, with many restrictions in place regarding bonfires and open braais. We often wonder if holidaymakers correctly put out fires, even when confined to an appropriate container such as a wood-burning braai (grill). Right now, bonfires are forbidden.

Already, many animals have been killed on the road. Last night, after driving home from Jabula after a lovely dinner with Rita and Gerhard, we couldn’t help but notice the road packed with cars, many of which were exceeding the posted speed limit. As Tom drove home, there was a speeding car dangerously close to the rear of our vehicle. If Tom had to stop suddenly for an animal, he mentioned we could have been rear-ended, and an animal could have been killed in the process, let alone potential injury for us.

Not all of them are like this, but many are, and on occasion, it may be locals failing to observe the speed limit. With little police presence in Marloth Park, many ignore the laws. Multiple security vehicles may be present at night, but they aren’t able to arrest careless drivers. It’s this type of behavior that makes us suspicious of holidaymakers.

Are we fully recovered? Not quite yet. Tom is healing nicely from his tooth extractions, and his cough is minimal. Mine is still lingering with a cough and significant congestion. I don’t believe I am still contagious after, but I paid particular attention to steering clear of close contact with our friends and other diners at Jabula last night.

We’ll continue to lay low over the weekend, not only to avoid contact with the huge tourist crowd but to continue to rest and recover from this dreadful virus. This morning, albeit still weak, I made a big pan of Low Carb Cheesy Chicken, Sausage, and Mushroom Casserole, enough to last for three nights. We prepped a pot of rice for Tom and a cabbage salad for me as side dishes. Tom cleaned up after me, which reduced my time in the kitchen.

All we have to do is mix the salad and bake the casserole in the oven about an hour before we’re ready to eat. Most likely, we’ll spend the evening indoors streaming a few shows on my laptop. Right now, we’re wrapped up in an excellent British TV series on Hulu entitled, The Split. Once completed, we’ll move on to a few others we’re looking forward to, including newly added seasons of a few favorites, such as Line of Duty, Succession, and more.

Have a pleasing Saturday and be well.

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

One year ago today, while in lockdown in Mumbai, India, on day #137, we posted photos from Versailles in Paris in 2014 during a rainstorm. Astounding view! The crane in the photo is in an area where the palace is under renovation. For more photos, please click here.