Are we concerned about returning to South Africa during political unrest?…Photos from Tom’s cemetery visits…

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    Tom was not named after this grand uncle. This headstone is located at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

One year ago today, it was day #116 while we were in lockdown in a hotel room in Mumbai, India, for almost ten months. The last post that we wrote from that hotel room was day #291. It’s hard to believe when we think back over 2020 while living in such unusual circumstances.

And yet, now, in the US, we feel far removed from that reality.  Oddly, we feel far removed from South Africa right now with its riots, killings, carjackings, and political unrest that we see all over the news. Many are shocked that we plan to return, leaving in a mere seven days to our temporary house in the bush in Marloth Park.

Tom’s ancestor, Thomas F. Lyman, was a grand uncle, brother to Tom’s grandfather, who passed away in 1931.

On yesterday’s five-plus-hour road trip from Minneapolis to Milwaukee, I spoke to my dear friend Karen who, along with her fiance Rich has been considering visiting us at some point in the next year. But, their logical concern over what’s transpiring in South Africa right now is undoubtedly justified.

To alleviate some of our family and friends’ concerns about our returning to South Africa, we explain that the political unrest transpires the equivalent of a “state away,” comparable to Wisconsin and Minnesota. This five-plus-hour drive is the distance from Johannesburg to Marloth Park. The horrifying riots and looting occur in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Nata provinces, not in Mpumalanga, where Marloth Park is located.

The top portion of the headstone for Thomas F. Lyman.

Our dear friend Kathy just arrived in Johannesburg a few days ago and her husband Don picked her up at the airport. She mentioned that security was over-the-top on the N4 highway. From there, they made the five-hour drive to Marloth Park without incident. We’ll travel from the closer Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger Airport on July 26th and then commence the 90-minute drive to the park.

Of course, we feel a little apprehension about returning during this difficult time. Who wouldn’t be? But, then again, as we’ve mentioned in the past, there was rioting and looting in Minneapolis only 20 to 25 minutes from our family members and friends living in the area, only months ago.

St. Mary’s Cemetery is located in Hales Corner, Wisconsin, where many of his ancestors were buried.

There is nowhere on the entirely safe planet. We always proceed with as much caution as possible. We’ve encountered some of those risks along the way, some heart-pounding, some less problematic, but have come out on the other side. We knew these risks were real when we originally planned to travel the world.

As for our drive from Minneapolis to Milwaukee, the time flew by, mainly when I talked on the phone to Karen for 90 minutes. We had so much caught up to do. Then, I read a few interesting articles on my phone to Tom, contributing to the time flying quickly.

Before we knew it, we arrived at the first cemetery in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where Tom wanted to find cemetery plots for his ancestors and take photos to add to his substantial file in Ancestry.com. We both wandered through the wet grass at the cemetery and finally found a few plots. However, Tom was disappointed to discover that many of his ancestor’s plots were unmarked.

We arrived at the hotel in Milwaukee by 4:00 pm, did a little unpacking, and headed out the door for dinner by 5:30. We settled for a Chili’s restaurant with mostly fast-food restaurants nearby for a quick bite to eat. The restaurant was dated and run down, but the food and service were exemplary. Our goal for Milwaukee was to see Sister Beth, not experience fine dining. Once we arrive in La Vegas, we’ll undoubtedly have an opportunity to enjoy better meals.

Back at the hotel by 7:00 pm, we streamed a few shows while we were shocked by the loud music in the room next to us. By 10:00 pm, we’d called the front desk twice to ask them to address the loud noise. It was frustrating. At this point, all we wanted was a good night’s sleep. By 11:00, it settled down, and we were able to accomplish our goal.

This morning, Tom took off to the second cemetery he wanted to visit in a nearby suburb, 17 miles from our hotel. I stayed behind to shower, dress and begin working on today’s post. Above are a few photos of the headstones Tom found at the cemeteries.

We’ll head out to visit Sister Beth in a few hours and hopefully, if she’s up to it, spend the afternoon with her at the nursing home. Tomorrow, after one more visit with his sister, we’ll head back to Minneapolis to the airport, where, in the evening, we’ll fly to Las Vegas for five nights to visit his son, Richard.

May your day be pleasant and fulfilling.

Photo from one year ago today, July 17, 2020:

There were 17 kudus in the garden that morning. See the video at this post for details.

Part 2…We’re back to booking future travels!!!…Building a new itinerary…

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In yesterday’s post, we wrote about building a new itinerary, as shown at this link. After a long travel hiatus due to Covid-19, we are excited for the future as more and more cruises and countries open up. Also, we have now been vaccinated with the two-week window of increasing protection from the virus; our spirits and enthusiasm are growing exponentially.

It’s been a long time since we were busy logging information into our  Excel spreadsheet with all the information relevant to each cruise. Yesterday, it was fun for us to work together compiling pertinent data on these two cruises to plug into the fields on the “cruise sheet” in our travel data workbook.

We have three cruises in and around Japan, beginning on February 27, 2022, the first leg departing from Singapore, before these newly booked Azamara cruises. The Japan cruises are all on Celebrity Solstice, one of our favorite cruise ships we’ve sailed many times. It would be fun to experience that ship once again. However, we’re anticipating those cruises will be canceled.

Why are we surmising the Japan cruises will be canceled? With the Olympics starting on July 23, ending on August 8, 2021, it will be interesting to see if there’s been a spike in Covid-19, although spectators aren’t allowed. If there is a massive increase in cases in Japan, we expect these cruises will be canceled. Once again, we’ll be watching the stats on cases from Worldometer at this link.

Japan is currently in the #34 position worldwide, with the USA in the #1 for most cases and deaths. South Africa has moved up the list from the #20 position a few months ago to the #17 position. To see the stats for the numbers of vaccinations given worldwide, check this link.

Staying informed about the Covid-19 stats is very important to us now. It allows us to see where, most likely, we’ll be able to travel in the future. Then again, we’re heading back to South Africa with abysmal stats, with only 2.5% of the population vaccinated thus far.

Fortunately, Marloth Park is less populated and currently has a program in place to vaccinate residents. The question here is: How many residents will agree to get vaccinated when many have negative opinions of the safety and efficacy of the vaccine? That remains to be seen in months to come.

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, here is the pricing information for June and July’s two new cruise bookings.  Also, see that post here for the many perks we got from booking with Costco:

CRUISE PRICING

Istanbul to Istanbul on June 29, 2022

Price Summary for 2 Travelers

Cruise Package $6,749.00 $2,699.00: Total $9,448.00

Taxes and Fees $345.06 $345.06 Total $690.12

Total Package Price $7,094.06 $3,044.06 Total $10,138.12

Payment Details

Total Package Price $10,138.12

Payment(s) Applied ($1,100.00)

Balance $9,038.12

Final Payment Due Date 02/15/2022

The second leg of our back-to-back cruise from July 10 to July 20, 2022 itinerary is as follows:  (See yesterday’s post for the itinerary for the June 29, 2022 cruise from Istanbul to Istanbul):

Date Port of Call Arrival Departure
07/10/2022 Istanbul — 06:00 PM
07/11/2022 Cruising — —
07/12/2022 Kavala 06:30 AM 08:00 PM
07/13/2022 Thessaloniki 08:00 AM 08:00 PM
07/14/2022 Volos 07:30 AM 06:00 PM
07/15/2022 Mykonos 08:00 AM 06:00 PM
07/16/2022 Rhodes 08:00 AM 10:00 PM
07/17/2022 Thira/Santorini 08:00 AM 10:00 PM
07/18/2022 Heraklion 08:00 AM 08:00 PM
07/19/2022 Nafplion 09:00 AM 06:00 PM
07/20/2022 Athens/Piraeus 05:00 AM —

Istanbul to Athens on July 10, 2022

Price Summary for 2 Travelers

Cruise Package  $5,199.00  $2,079.00  $7,278.00

Taxes and Fees  $201.57  $201.57 $403.14

Total Package Price  $5,400.57  $2,280.57  $2,280.57

Payment(s) Applied ($1,100.00)

Balance $6,581.14

Final Payment Due 02/26/2022

Yesterday morning we visited dear friend Sue and had a fantastic time!.  Later Tom went to his sister Mary’s home for their usual Thursday evening barbecue while I went with Greg and the three grandchildren to dinner at Champs, followed by a movie, “Black Widow.” We all had a lot of fun. When Greg dropped me back at the hotel, Tom returned to the hotel and came outside to say goodbye.

The time in Minnesota has come to an end. Without a doubt, this was one of the best visits we’ve had to the US over the past almost nine years. Everything fell into place, and we had continuing opportunities to spend with family members. Now, as I wrap up this post to upload in a few minutes, we’re heading out the door to drive to Milwaukee to see Sister Beth.

On Sunday night, we’ll return to Minneapolis to take our flight to Las Vegas, Nevada. We decided to return here to save on the cost of the car rental fee by returning it to the same location and better flights and times for Las Vegas.

The next time we write will be tomorrow morning from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Be content.

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

Please note: all of our year-ago photos are reposts we utilized while in lockdown in India for ten months. At this point of this post, we’d been in lockdown for 115 days—a view of the cemetery in Boveglio, Italy, in 2013, from the iron railing. For more photos, please click here.

Part 1…We’re back to booking future travels!!!…Building a new itinerary…

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Yesterday, we not only booked the cruise on the Black Sea but also booked the “back-to-back” (the next cruise, on the day of arrival), which we’ll share in tomorrow’s post. Tomorrow is a travel day for us as we make our way to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to see Tom’s sister, Sister Beth, where we’ll spend two days in a hotel.

I will undoubtedly use the workout facility.

As for the itinerary for this ship, see below:

Azamara

11 Nights – Azamara (Istanbul – Round Trip)

Cruise Line: Azamara

Ship Name: Azamara Onward Not Yet Rated

Cruise Length: 11 Nights

Departure Date: 06/29/2022

Embarkation Port: Istanbul, Turkey

Return Date: 07/10/2022

Disembarkation Port: Istanbul, Turkey

Sailing Itinerary

Date Port of Call Arrival Departure

06/29/2022 Istanbul — 06:00 PM

06/30/2022 Varna/Bulgaria 08:00 AM 08:00 PM

07/01/2022 Burgas 08:00 AM 08:00 PM

07/02/2022 Constanta 07:00 AM 08:00 PM

07/03/2022 Odesa/Ukraine 09:30 AM —

07/04/2022 Odesa/Ukraine — 08:00 PM

07/05/2022 Cruising — —

07/06/2022 Sochi 08:00 AM 09:00 PM

07/07/2022 Batumi 08:00 AM 05:00 PM

07/08/2022 Cruising — —

07/09/2022 Istanbul 08:00 AM —

07/10/2022 Istanbul — —

Once we arrive back in Istanbul, Turkey, we’ll move to another cabin on the same deck but on the opposite side of the ship for better viewing for the upcoming itinerary on this ship’s next leg for another ten days, July 10 to July 20, 2022, ending in Athens, Greece. We’ll include our costs for the balcony cabins for both cruises and the second leg’s itinerary in tomorrow’s post.

The theatre for nightly shows.

As for today, our last family day in Minnesota, Tom will be joining his family for the Thursday barbecue at his sister Mary’s home, while tonight, I’m going to a movie with Greg’s family. At 11:00 am this morning, we’re heading to visit our dear friend Sue, former neighbor and widow of our beloved, since deceased friend Chip, who passed away five months before we left in 2012. We hadn’t seen Sue since we were here in 2017 since she spent the winters in Florida. It will be wonderful to see her again.

This morning, Tom took our vaccination certificates to Office Max and had them make copies to be laminated and kept the originals to be amended for boosters in the future if required. Oddly, Office Max didn’t charge to do this. Go figure.

That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back with more tomorrow, perhaps later in the day, completed after arriving at our hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, July 15, 2020:

Some flowers continue to bloom through the summer season, as is the case in this Alstroemeria. For more photos, please click here.

A 44-year ago memory…Great food and ambiance…

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Our waiter took the family photo.

We had a fantastic time at Maynard’s in Excelsior on Lake Minnetonka last night with our son Greg’s family as we celebrated Camille’s birthday. The three grandchildren were there, and we all sat at a big round table for seven which allowed for easy conversation and laughter.

As was always typical for Maynard’s, the food was great, and the conversations all around were delightful. A few days earlier, Greg and I recalled July 4, 1977, when he and my other son Richard and I took out our first boat on Lake Minnetonka for the holiday experience.

It was fun to be here to celebrate Camille’s birthday with her complimentary ice cream sundae.

It was the first time I’d driven a boat, and the three of us took off from our boat slip in St. Alban’s Bay early in the morning with a plan to make our way across the vast lake, in and out of many bays, to end up at my friend Lynda’s lake house for a 4th of July party.

Our first foray with the boat on the lake that day was to make it the short distance from our slip at the marina to Maynard’s, then called T. Butcherblock’s, so the kids could feed the ducks. It was no later than 9:00 am. Once we arrived at T. Butcherblock’s docks, I somehow managed to dock the boat without banging into the wooden posts and then securely tied it down.

Tom, Miles, and Madighan are at the table.

We went inside the restaurant to ask for some stale bread for the ducks that typically swam around the dock, hoping that boaters and diners would toss some food their way. The restaurant staff gave us a bag of old bread, and we meandered back out to the dock to feed the ducks.

My boys, Richard and Greg, then ten and almost eight years old, were thrilled to feed the ducks but not too confident about going back out on the huge lake with their mother, an inexperienced boat driver at the time. I was 29 years old.

Maisie’s Asian salad.

Although I dinged the prop in shallow water, shortly after leaving T. Butcherblock’s, we somehow made it to Lynda’s house hours later, albeit slowly with the damaged support. Once at her house, I arranged to have the prop repaired, and we were soon able to get back out on the lake a few days later. It all worked out, and in those first few days, I learned a lot about boating.

Over the years, I became an experienced boater, upgrading to larger boats as the years passed. My kids spent many summers on the lake with me driving and gained confidence with my skills in time. It was an enjoyable time in our lives.

Tom’s walleye fish and chips. The walleye is a popular fish in the midwest.

Yesterday, being at Maynard’s brought back many memories, especially when Greg recalled that date, 44 years ago, and brought along a bag of stale bread for his kids and us to feed the ducks. After our enjoyable dinner indoors, we headed outside on the pier, packed with partygoers, boaters, and diners to make our way to the water, where numerous ducks and giant carp were awaiting our offerings.

At this point in my life, I wouldn’t normally condone feeding bread to fish and fowl. But, the family tradition was being relived not only for our grandchildren but also for Greg and me. Later, I sent Richard a text to tell him what we’d done, but “tongue in cheek,” he commented, “That wasn’t me.” I reminded him that, indeed, it was him as well. My sons are now 54 and almost 52 years old.

My Cobb salad.

Oh, my gosh…44 years ago. It seems like yesterday. I found myself saying this over and again, “I can’t believe it was 44 years ago!” After we were all done at the dock, we headed back through the restaurant and out the door to the parking lot, where we all hugged goodbye until we saw them again on Thursday evening, our last time together before we departed for Milwaukee and then on to Las Vegas.

Greg, Camille, the kids, and I will all go to the movies together on Thursday evening to see Black Widow. We will have to split up again to say our goodbyes. Tom will return to his sister’s Mary’s home for the usual Thursday night barbecue and catch up with me later in the evening.

Maisie sat next to me as we chatted endlessly.

Today, we made arrangements to see Sister Beth at the nursing home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Saturday and Sunday, after which we’ll head back to Minneapolis, directly to the airport for our flight to Las Vegas, Nevada, to see Richard. We’ll spend five days in Henderson, Nevada, and then on July 24th, we’ll begin the long trek back to South Africa.

As we fed the ducks, huge carp joined in on the action.

May your day be filled with pleasant experiences.

Photo from one year ago today, July 14, 2020:

Gina, our property manager in Madeira, Portugal, explained that the number of cloudy days we’d experienced while there in 2014 was unusual. For more photos, please click here.

Making the most of time available for family and friends…Scary news in South Africa…

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We couldn’t believe our eyes on this date in 2018 in Kruger National Park when we spotted this elephant digging a hole to access water in the ground below.  For a video and more photos of this sighting, please click here.

Yesterday was a diverse day for me. At 1:00 pm, we arrived at Tom’s sister Patty’s house for eight of us to play dice and later have dinner. We all sat at the table in Patty’s kitchen that was extended with a table leaf. Patty gave each of us a little Tupperware cup for quarters for playing various dice games.

I never seem to win at games of chance but give me a strategy game, and I may have good luck. At 3:15 pm, Tom and I stopped playing while he drove to drop me off at a local pub and restaurant to meet my dear old friend, former business partner Theresa Steichen, who is still in real estate, successfully so, after almost 30 years.

With Theresa and I both on time for the 3:30 pm get-together for a late lunch or early dinner, we couldn’t have embraced each other with more love, warmth, and enthusiasm. The next few hours sailed by quickly while we engaged in lively and animated conversation, as we always had.

Not only were we great friends, but we respected and admired each other for our innate skills in dealing with clients and other professionals. I had retired and left our business shortly after the market crashed. I’d had enough after decades in the business, and we couldn’t have made the transition more easily from business partners back to friends.

The last time we were here in 2019, Theresa and I got together for lunch with our mutual friend Cathy. What a treat it was to be with her once again. It was difficult to end our time together, and again we hugged when we parted with smiles on our faces, tears in our eyes for a beautiful few hours we spent together. We plan to see each other again each time we return to Minnesota in years to come.

Theresa drove me back to Patty’s house, where the remaining seven were eating dinner and enjoying every moment together. Our time is winding down rapidly now. We leave for Milwaukee in three days and plan to pack in as much family time as possible during the remaining hours.

Elephants were forming a line to stop traffic in Kruger National Park.

The fun dice games continued after their dinner, and after a full day, we headed out around 7:00 pm, after traffic had cleared. We were about 40 minutes away, and avoiding traffic was a priority. When we reached our hotel room, we had settled in for a quiet evening, streaming a few shows and nodding off on another excellent night’s rest.

Today is daughter-in-law Camille’s birthday, and we’re all meeting for dinner to celebrate at a favorite restaurant from our old lives, Maynard’s in Excelsior on Lake Minnetonka. There will be seven of us for the celebratory dinner including, Tom and I, Greg and Camille, and grandchildren Maisie, Miles, and Madighan.

I can’t believe how quickly time has passed. We leave for Las Vegas in five days and then leave Las Vegas for South Africa in only 11 days. I don’t know if it is due to old age or simply due to the good times we’re having, but the days are flying by quickly.

My dear friend Kathy travels from Sacramento, California, to Johannesburg, South Africa, where husband Don is picking her up in a few days. She’s at the airport now awaiting her first flight for the long journey. There is civil unrest in South Africa, awful enough that President Cyril Ramaphosa has called in the military. The road we travel from Nelspruit to Marloth Park has been closed off for days due to riots, carjackings, and murders. It’s the only road providing access to the park.

Of course, all of us will proceed with caution and pay lots of attention to news reports as to the status of the highway. It’s a 90-minute drive on that highway, always packed with police. Now, it may also be filled with the military. Then again, only 20 minutes from where we are in Minnesota is equally dangerous. Nowhere in the world is entirely free of risk. We stay informed and proceed accordingly. We’d be waiting to hear from Kathy if she and Don could get through on Thursday.

If the road is closed in Nelspruit, we’d have no choice but to hunker down there for a few days until it is safe again to travel. We always have to consider backup plans.

Have a pleasant day!

Photo from one year ago today, July 13, 2020:

We found these shells on a beach in Australia. The next day, we returned all the shells to the beach where we found them. For more photos, please click here.

Food and shopping in the USA…

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Photo from the Big Island in Hawaii in December 2014 as the sun came up.

We don’t have food photos to share. When we’ve been dining out, the last thought on our minds is to take photos since most of which we’ve ordered is not considered “fine dining” as we’ve opted for standard American fare, not necessarily photo-inspiring meals.

I must admit that being here in the US sets my mind away from the search for good photos and no doubt has had an impact on my creativity when posting each day. Right now, I don’t feel like a world traveler. I feel like a mom, a grandmother, a mother-in-law, a sister-in-law, a stepmom, and a friend.

With no interest in cooking, although we have a fully equipped kitchen in our resident-type hotel room, we’ve eaten most meals sitting in a restaurant, eating takeaway in our room, or on a few occasions, in the homes of family members. I am confident this will continue for the remainder of our time in Minnesota, now only over the next five days when we head to Wisconsin.

From there, we’ll be dining out for all meals or perhaps ordering a few carry-out meals. In Milwaukee and Nevada, we won’t have a kitchen as we do here, which ultimately proved to be less important to us other than for chilling our iced tea, making ice, and keeping cheese for snacks.

Later that morning from the lanai.

While in the US, I’ve lightened up a little on my eating less protein and consuming lots of salads. It doesn’t seem to have impacted me one way or another. But, once we return to South Africa, we’ll both resume our usual way of eating.

Tom has been enjoying many of his old favorites, and I’ve kept my mouth shut. He eats doughnuts, candy, fried foods, and bread. He’s gone through bags of jelly candies (not gummy) and many plastic containers of old-fashioned cake donuts, his favorites which are never available in Africa or in many locations we’ve traveled.

Yes, he’ll gain a few pounds (kg) but will undoubtedly lose it once we return to Marloth Park. I have gained a few pounds just from eating out every day, not certain about the ingredients in the meals I’m consuming. I’m none the worse for the wear and will also lose it once we get back to our lives in the bush.

We’re certainly not as active as we’d been in the bush, jumping up and down every few minutes to feed the wildlife and doing a variety of tasks around the house each day. Here, we sit on the bed or small sofa in our hotel room, our only task being laundry every few days and walking here and there.

We are located in a bustling area with lots of traffic. Walking is not appealing to us in this location. With the post to do each day, planning and scheduling get-togethers with family and friends, neither of us feel motivated to do much else. I can’t believe how lazy I feel here.

The much-anticipated whale fluke, as seen from the lanai.

We’ve done quite a bit of shopping, more online than in stores. Although, it’s been fun to go to Target, Walgreens, and the Eden Prairie Mall across the street from our hotel. We even went to Best Buy to purchase a much-needed new cord for Tom’s laptop. It’s been just like old times, going out shopping and dining.

Today, at 5:15, I will meet up with Camille, Maisie, and Madighan at the pier on Lake Minnetonka. We are going out on Al & Alma’s dinner cruise, which I haven’t done since the 1970s. That will certainly bring back many memories of a life long ago when my two boys were young and I was in my 20s.

Tom is meeting up with daughter Tammy for dinner, which I would have attended. But, tickets were purchased and set for the dinner cruise on the lake at the same time. We had no choice but to split up and spend the evening with our respective family members. I hope to finally see Tammy at some point over the next week before we depart for Wisconsin on Friday.

Tonight, President Cyril Ramphosa will conduct another “family meeting” about Covid-19 and its impact on South Africa. We are concerned about our ability to re-enter South Africa on our flights as planned, departing two weeks from yesterday on July 24th.

May your Sunday be restful and fulfilling.

Photo from one year ago today, July 11, 2020:

The natural bond between mom koala bears and their offspring is always precious to observe, as we did in Australia in 2015. We were allowed inside the pen for an up-close and personal experience. For more photos posted one year ago, please click here.

Another fun evening at Billy’s Bar & Grill in Anoka, Minnesota…

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    Billy's Bar & Grill, Anoka, MN | Scary places, Haunted places, PlacesHere’s a photo of the famous Billy’s Bar and Grill in Anoka, Minnesota, where Tom’s relatives get together every Friday at 3:30 pm, when “Happy Hour” begins.

Yesterday afternoon and early evening couldn’t have been more fun. We met with Tom’s siblings and other family members at the popular Billy’s Bar and Grill in Anoka the second week. Although it’s a long drive from our hotel in Eden Prairie, the time flew quickly while we chatted during the drive both ways and also when we were with the family at the bar.

Tom is hard of hearing, and when driving in South Africa on bumpy dirt and paved roads, we hardly chat when he can’t hear me due to road noise. Here in the USA, with smooth roads and a rental car with automatic transmission, we can talk during a long drive.

Billy’s is a great restaurant and bar. Happy hour begins daily at 3:30 pm, and the food and service are over-the-top for what may be considered standard bar food. But, when the meals are presented and tasted, everything about their environment comes to life. It’s not surprising to see the crowds as early at 3:30 pm, not only to partake of the great prices, free popcorn, and reasonably priced delicious food, but the fantastic service, attention from the in-person owner(s), and general pub-like and lighthearted atmosphere can’t be beaten.

Tom spotted this orange street rod when walking from the parking lot to Billy’s Bar & Grill.

Yesterday, we met owner Paul Justen, engaging in a delightful conversation. Funnily, it reminded us of our favorite restaurant in Marloth Park, South Africa, Jabula Lodge & Restaurant, where we experience the same ambiance and attention from the owners along with the excellent food, which is unsurpassed by any nearby restaurant.

Billy’s Bar and Grill is located at 214 Jackson Street, Anoka. There’s a huge, easy-to-access parking ramp across the street with free three-hour parking and ample other parking spots nearby. Reservations for large groups may be helpful, but it seems the Lyman family always manages to get a good table with plenty of room for all of us.

The last time we were in the US in 2019, we also joined the family at Billy’s Bar and Grill for their usual Friday afternoon/evening get-together, and we were both thrilled to do so twice in the past two Fridays since we arrived on July 1st. Next Friday, we’ll be leaving for Milwaukee in the morning and won’t be able to join them.

When we left Billy’s Bar and Grill, we noticed a table with a small stack of Billy’s complimentary logo tee-shirts. I grabbed one for me, as shown in the photo below. We left around 7:30 pm and headed back to our hotel in Eden Prairie to stream a few shows and later watch the local news. We haven’t watched TV in over six months! We’ve never even turned on the TV in our bush house in Marloth Park.

This will be a cool shirt to wear in South Africa when the weather warms up in a few months.

Speaking of our bush house, we paid rent while we were away, rather than packing everything and leaving it for other potential renters and perhaps their “germs.” Once we return to the bush, it’s comforting to know that our comfy two-bedroom bush house will be awaiting us and, hopefully, all of our favorite wildlife friends as well.

Then again, we’re looking forward to seeing our human friends as well. While visiting family and friends in the US, our dear friend Kathy (of Kathy and Don) will be arriving in the bush. We hadn’t seen each other in over two years, when we left in May 2019, three months after that dreadful surgery. However, we’ve stayed in close touch during the past two years. I can’t wait to see her in person finally.

Today is a low-key day. Most likely, Tom will visit his brother Jerome while I stay busy working on corrections on my laptop while he’s gone. It will be good for Tom to have some alone time with his eldest sibling. When Tom returns, we’ll head out for dinner, or we may end up doing takeaway since there are so many good options nearby.

May you have a pleasant day!

Photo from one year ago today, July 10, 2020:

A sunny day at the beach in Trinity Beach, Australia. For more photos, please click here.

Family days continue…There’s no easy answer…

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The mongoose went on a frenzy, taking the whole eggs out of the pan, cracking them on rocks, and eating the contents. This is so fun to watch!

Today is another busy day. Soon, we’ll be off to see our granddaughters, Maisie and Madighan, at their home about 20 minutes from here. This afternoon, we’ll again meet up with Tom’s sisters and family at Billy’s Bar in Anoka, a 40-minute drive.

The time in Minnesota is moving quickly. We can hardly believe we’ll be leaving for Milwaukee a week from today to see Tom’s sister, Beth. Next Thursday, the 14-day waiting period will have passed, and we’ll be free to visit the nursing home. At least by then, we’ll meet the criteria of having had our vaccine two weeks earlier.

As mentioned earlier, Tom intends to visit a few cemeteries to do further research for his Ancestry.com files, for family members who passed in various cities near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I will take photos on my phone of the specific findings to enable him to upload them to his files on the app.

Yesterday afternoon, we headed back to Andover for a 4:00 pm barbecue at Tom’s sister Mary’s (and husband Eugene’s) home. We had an opportunity to see a few other family members we hadn’t seen since we arrived on July 1st. His niece Kari, a big fan of our site and wildlife, was there as well.

Kari often writes to us, and it was delightful to interact with her in person. She loves animals, and we giggled over many of our sightings and photos posted on our website, videos on YouTube, and Facebook. We could easily call Kari a “superfan,” which makes us blush in the sheer wonder of having a family member, or anyone for that matter, so enthralled with our site and photos.

Along with us, Kari is particularly concerned that our favorite warthogs, Little and Tiny, will still be there when we return, along with all of our other wildlife favorites. Almost a month is a long time to be away, and it may take a while for them to realize we have returned and to come to visit us again.

Returning, of course, hinges on our ability to return to South Africa in 16 days based on the increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases escalating by the hour. It appears that the new lockdown measures are having little impact on the reduction of cases, including the pointless alcohol ban. People will still find ways to consume alcohol and gather in groups which is obviously still happening.

I can’t say how relieved we are to be vaccinated (Tom, less so than me). In Minnesota, with low numbers of cases right now, few, if any, are wearing face masks and social distancing. It’s easy for a population to become lax when their cases are low, but it only takes a handful of infected individuals to set the pace for more cases and subsequent deaths. It’s not time to lighten up in the US as yet.

As for Marloth Park, we keep reading of increasing cases in the park, and this is concerning for sure. Of course, we’ll exercise caution when we return, that is, if we can return. Only time will tell.

Everyone talks about their struggles during the lockdowns over the past 18 months. Each individual has their own special story to tell, often interspersed with interesting anecdotes and challenges. Many are left traumatized by the experience and, in some cases, losing loved ones and possibly having had the virus themselves. Some are even left with Covid “long-haul” symptoms making a full recovery far down the road.

There’s still a long way to go until life returns to that which we knew two years ago if it ever does. Will our new world include ongoing precautions, including less hugging, less touching, fewer gatherings, and fewer public interactions? Here again, it’s a “wait and see” scenario over which few of us have little control.

With all the negative scuttlebutt about getting the vaccine, it appears, at this time, to be our best option. Sure, many have had serious consequences from receiving the vaccines, and there’s no easy answer as to how to avoid those risks. But, we have little choice but to prevail.

May you and your loved one be safe and healthy.

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

Horses and a peacock in the front garden of a home in Trinity Beach, Australia, in 2016. For more photos, please click here.

The Minnesota visit continues…Photos from our journey…

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Roomy seats in Business Class that entirely lay down. I have no idea what he was looking at.

We expected to be busier here than we’ve been, but with Covid-19 and most of our friends worried about being around us with us coming from South Africa, we haven’t had our calendar as complete as in past visits. We certainly understand their hesitancy. After all, as of today, it’s only been seven days since we were vaccinated. We have another seven days to go to ensure the two-week period for maximum safety after vaccination.

It was such a relief to be in Business Class, away from other passengers other than one another. My clothes were all bunched up while I was wearing several layers. We wore two masks on the plane.

We’re a little surprised by how careless people are here. Few, if any, wear face masks, and social distancing is not happening out and about, in stores or public locations. We have no idea if people are washing or sanitizing their hands, but we don’t see anyone using the provided sanitation stations available at the entrance to most shops.

But, when checking stats, we can certainly understand why Minnesotans aren’t interested or motivated in following Covid protocols.

Roomier Business Class area on the huge plane.

Stats for Minnesota, which is in the 19th position on Worldometer. Click here for details:

(Total cases, new cases, total deaths. There were no new cases or deaths as yesterday).

And yet, when we look at South Africa, which is in the 18th position worldwide, up from 20th a month ago.

With 21,427 new cases as of yesterday, of course, President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered a recent ramped-up lockdown, including an alcohol ban. (Total cases, new cases, total deaths. 411 new deaths).

Tom was preparing to put on his compression socks for our upcoming 20 hours of flying time on the two longest legs of our journey to the USA. I had put mine on earlier in the day.

Thank goodness, when we’ll return to South Africa in 18 days, fully vaccinated but will remain cautious. The vaccine is no guarantee of total safety from the virus. However, we’ve read that 30 days after the jab, the protection from the vaccine increases exponentially. That’s a relief.

Besides, most of our local South African friends will not have been vaccinated by the time we return. Of course, we’re concerned for their safety when there are now over 35 active cases in Marloth Park, based on what we’ve heard so far, which may or may not be accurate.

We’ve been able to get the bulk of our shopping done while in the USA. Tom has some new clothes and shoes. I have ordered a few clothing items but still need a few pairs of jeans which, most likely, I’ll order online and have shipped to our mailing service in Nevada.

Tom’s takeaway (room service) meal at the hotel in Johannesburg when a new lockdown required all restaurants to be closed. (Reminiscent of our time in India, huh?)

Yesterday, I ordered a new camera, a newer model of the camera we had. My familiarity with that model made the most sense, especially since it has a few new features I’ll enjoy using. Also, from Amazon, I ordered two more pairs of shoes that I knew will fit without issue. More on that later.

We visited a DSW shoe warehouse while out and about, but I didn’t see anything that fit my criteria of being ultra-comfortable and washable. After all, shoes get very dirty in South Africa. At US Amazon, I had no trouble finding what I liked in my size.

This afternoon, we’re heading to Tom’s sister Mary’s house in Andover for a family barbecue. We stopped at Cub Foods and picked up a salad for me, brats for the grill with buns for Tom. This weekly barbecue was an event we attended when we were here in 2017 during the summer months. We hope to see even more members of his family.

My room service meal in Johannesburg. I gave Tom my rice but ate the chicken and veg.

If time allows for Greg, Camille, and family, we’ll visit them tomorrow morning and then head to Tom’s family’s weekly happy hour and dinner get-together at Billy’s Bar in Anoka.

Well, dear readers, that’s the only update I have for today. Please know that we’re very aware of our lack of photos. Some readers have asked for photos of family members. But, please keep in mind, not everyone wants their image posted online for “the world” to see. We get this and must respect their privacy.

Have a pleasant day! Stay safe wherever you may be.

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

These common Yellow Allamanda were growing like crazy in the garden of our holiday home in Fairlight, Australia, in 2017. For more photos, please click here.

Photo facts we must face while in the midwest…Happy 4th of July to our family and friends in the USA!

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Little, please be there when we return at the end of the month!

After signing up for a membership for $60 yesterday at Costco, I was a bit frustrated. Once again, Tom dropped me off to shop, with a plan to pick me up when I was done and called him. I was surprised to discover a new policy after being a Costco member for many years, except for the past nine years since we’ve been gone.

The customer’s credit card to sign up for the membership will automatically be set for future renewals. In concept, this doesn’t sound so bad. But, the only way I can cancel the automatic renewal is to call and talk to a manager after we are no longer using the Costco membership when we leave the US. Why can’t I go online and do this?

Having to call, be on hold, and explain our circumstances to a manager is a big waste of time. Sure, they want to make it difficult for customers to cancel to maintain their vast customer base. I get that, but such policies when it comes to us are archaic and out of date in today’s technological world.

Now, I’ve had to mark my calendar to remember to call Costco when we leave Minnesota on July 16th to head to Milwaukee. The main reason we signed up was to purchase a camera. Once in the store, I discovered Costco no longer sells cameras in their store or online. Maybe they found it wasn’t worthwhile during the pandemic. Who knows?

I have a mental block about learning new camera techniques. It’s just one of those things I am not fascinated to learn. I know how beneficial it would be for me to become more adept at taking photos. But when it comes to wildlife, there isn’t much time to change settings and lenses when the magic happens quickly in the garden or a national park. So, now I begin searching for the best camera for our use, which hopefully won’t require a lot of my time to learn to use.

In the interim, when photo ops present themselves, I will have no choice but to use my phone to take the photos. With Chromebook, getting the images from the phone to the computer is time-consuming and tricky. By the time we leave the US, three weeks from today, we’ll have a new camera and can begin retaking photos.

As for today, Independence Day, aka the 4th of July, we changed our plans from visiting an old friend and neighbor since fireworks on the lake were canceled this year due to Covid. Go figure. What does a virus have to do with fireworks? In any case, I sent Nelleke a message, thanking her for thinking of us, and explained we’d be celebrating the 4th with Greg’s family at their home.

I will be preparing most of the meal but wanted to keep it easy. Since we aren’t planning to arrive at their home until 2:00 pm, I will be busy once we first arrive at their home, getting the cake baked, cooled, and decorated, the ribs in the oven, and later on, the grill preparing the garlic bread and sweet corn. Camille will make potatoes.

We purchased several Costco rotisserie chickens, which we’ll reheat 30 minutes before dining. This makes for an easy meal, leaving more time together instead of being stuck in the kitchen. In my old life, I’d be cooking for hours on the 4th of July, but nowadays, my interest in cooking is marginal at best.

While back at the hotel, we washed, dried, and folded clothes, especially after Tom’s lost bag was delivered from United Airlines, with everything intact. The only issue was my container of Himalayan salt spilled all over his clothes. We had to wash everything to get the salt out.

Last night, we stayed at the hotel after several shopping trips. We were both still exhausted after failing to catch up on sleep. We dined on one of those enormous Costco chickens in our hotel room, streamed a few shows, and fell asleep early, hoping for an 8 hour night. It just didn’t happen. We’re still on South Africa time, 7 hours later than Minnesota. I suppose we’ll adapt in the next few days.

Be well, everyone. Continue to follow safety protocols wherever you may be. We’ve had no ill effects from taking the Covid-19, J & J vaccine, other than Tom’s sore arm. Be safe.

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

In Trinity Beach, Australia, vegetation growing in the lake at the Cattana Wetlands created this view. For more photos, please click here.