The holiday festivities have begun…Sparse photo situation at present…Losing weight isn’t easy…

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The baby bushbuck took cover behind mom when she wasn’t sure what to do when she saw us.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

With the small amount of rain, the bush has begun to green, creating more vegetation for the wildlife.  But, it still has a long way to go to nourish them fully.

We can hear the cars and bakkies (trucks) driving down our road, minute after minute on what is not necessarily a thoroughfare. Our road, Swartwitpens, is one of the bumpiest dirt roads in the park and isn’t the first choice for residents to get to their homes. 

As a result, most of the passing vehicles, often driving too fast are holidaymakers finding their way through the maze of dirt roads when the only paved roads in Marloth Park is Oliphant Street (the main road) and Maroela Road (for a short distance from Oliphant to the municipal park and building).

Why people drive so fast here baffles us. It’s not as if the roads are comfortable to maneuver when passengers bounce around as if on a boat in rapids. In my old life, I’d never been able to ride on these dirt roads.  

Now, with renewed health due to my eating, I no longer have pain that would prevent me from doing so.  For this, I am eternally grateful and maintain this strict diet with relative ease.

Unfortunately, over the next few weeks, we aren’t willing to tackle the traffic on the river roads. Tom is an impatient driver, and it’s just not fun being stuck behind multiple vehicles on the narrow dirt roads.

The lucerne lays scattered about the garden uneaten. The warthogs move it around with their snouts but eat very little.

Instead, we’ll stay at our bush house, relishing every moment we can, even with the few visitors we’re getting right now. This morning was better when we had a few bushbucks, and eight kudus stop by for pellets.  

It was exciting to see the kudus. I told Tom to keep tossing pellets while I went inside and chopped carrots and apples for them. A neighbor stopped by while I was tossing them and scared them off.  Hopefully, they’ll return soon.

Without our usual drives in the park, self-drives in Kruger, and with less wildlife visiting us, right now, our photos inventory is sparse. I know I should take photos when we’re out to dinner and at social events, but once I start having such fun, I forget about taking photos and live in the moment instead.

I suppose in the realm of things, enjoying the moment instead of stopping to take photos isn’t always a bad thing. I will start working on this tonight when we go to Kathy and Don’s bush home for their holiday cocktail party. But, during this time, I’d be wise to take photos of social activities to ensure we have fresh photos for the next day’s post.

And then, tomorrow is Tom’s birthday which, as mentioned, we’re celebrating with Rita and Gerhard. They’re doing the cooking, and all I’m bringing is one of Tom’s favorite recipes, gluten-free apple crisp, which is not low carb.  

Mom and baby stop by for some treats.

I found a low-carb version I’m going to make tomorrow for Rita and me. It has a total of 10 grams of carbs per serving, so I’ll have to carefully consider what I consume for the remainder of the day to stay within my daily allotment of 20 grams.

A while back, I’d mentioned I was trying to lose the 11.34 kg (25 pounds) I’d gained when I was suffering from the now non-existent gastrointestinal issue for two and a half years. Eliminating all dairy several months ago put a quick end to my woes.  

By dropping dairy from my diet and cutting back a little on fat and protein, so far, I’ve lost over 9 kg (20 pounds) with only about 2.5 kg (5.5 pounds) to go to be back where I was when we began traveling six-plus years ago.  

Need I say, I’m thrilled to wear my limited wardrobe without lying on the bed to zip my pants and constantly feeling as if I had to “tuck in” my love handles which have now all but disappeared.  

It’s been a slow process. While I was suffering from the condition, I was constantly eating to stop the gnawing pain in my gut. Sure, I continued eating a low carb, grain-free, starch-free, and sugar-free diet, but one can certainly gain weight if overeating any food.

Mongooses often stop by looking for eggs.

These last few pounds have been tricky. When Tom and Lois were here, we were dining out more often than usual, and the weight was packed on. During their three-week visit, I gained back 2.27 kg (5 pounds).  

Since November 1st, when they left to return to the US, it’s taken me to get back to the point where I was before they’d arrived. That’s slow! However, I stayed determined and on course, day after day.  If I lose the remainder by the time we leave here in February, I’ll be content.

In the interim, the clothing I purchased in the US in 2017 is now too big, and before we leave here, I’ll donate everything that doesn’t fit and purchase some new items when we return to the US in April. Wearing the same clothes over and over again with frequent washings results in wear and tear, and every few years, we must replace some items.

Today, I’m trying to dry a pair of white denim capri pants to wear to the party tonight. Without a dryer, the heavy denim fabric often takes two days to dry in the humid climate. Tom set us a chair in front of the portable fan, and I’m hoping it’s going to dry them in time.

That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back tomorrow on Tom’s 66th birthday, looking back at his past birthdays since we left Minnesota on October 31, 2012. 

Have a fantastic day as many of us delve into the spirit of the holiday season, wherever we may be.

Photo from one year ago today, December 22, 2017:

Many of the streets in Montevideo, Uruguay, reminded us of other historical cities we’ve visited. For more photos as the 30-night cruise came to a close, please click here.

Baking Tom’s favorites for his birthday and the holidays…

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The humidity made it difficult for the Rice Crispy bars to harden, so I trimmed the edges, placing them in the red bowl as shown. Tom can snack on the edges today after they firm up in the refrigerator as well.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This croc was half the size as the one shown below.

Each year around Tom’s birthday on December 23rd, I ask him what special desserts or meals he’d enjoy for the occasion. This year, we’ll be dining at Rita and Gerhard’s temporary condo at Ngwenya since the Hornbill house wasn’t available for the few weeks at Christmas time when they’d come to Marloth Park without reservations…brave folks…lucky folks…Louise worked it all out for them.

I offered to bring a dessert Tom loves – gluten-free apple crisp made with “real” sugar using both white sugar and brown sugar in the interim. Whatever she’s making is a total surprise to us, and as good guests, we won’t ask.  We do not doubt that whatever it will be, we will love and appreciate it.  

We’re bringing vanilla ice cream and aerosol whipped cream, none of which Rita nor I will eat now that she’s joined me in this way of eating. We’ll stay true to our healthful commitment.

An Egyptian goose standing in shallow water.
For today, I started baking the “sugar frenzy,” which Tom will surely enjoy over the holidays and will abruptly come to an end on January 1st. Most likely, he’ll gain a few kilos (pounds) in the process. 

Let me explain, white marshmallows don’t exist in this area. The only option is pink and white. So, pink and white it was! As for the Rice Crispies themselves (the dry cereal in a box), Tom scoured a few warehouse-type stores on the way to Lebombo while I shopped at Spar in Komatipoort. Miraculously, he was able to purchase two giant boxes.

The first thing I did this morning was getting to work on making the bars. Today it’s hot, and it’s humid after last night’s glorious rainfall, not the ideal conditions for expecting the bars to firm up. In any case, I made three batches of Rice Crispy bars using the two giant boxes of the cereal, 500 grams of real butter, and four big bags of pink and white marshmallows.
A few elephants in the Crocodile River from quite a distance.
When they didn’t fully firm up sitting on the kitchen counter, I stacked them (uncut) atop one another, each batch separated with parchment paper, and placed them in the refrigerator, hoping they’ll firm up enough to make the cutting easier and the eating less messy and enjoyable. The photo above was taken before I placed them in the refrigerator.

Tomorrow night, we’re going to a party and Kathy and Don’s, and she insisted I don’t make a thing. Instead, when we go to their home again on Christmas Day, I’ll be baking Don’s favorite…cherry pie with a handmade lattice crust. We’ll see how that goes in the heat and humidity on Christmas morning.  

On Sunday, Tom’s birthday, I’ll make the apple crisp. I’m making an extra batch to have for Christmas Eve when Tom and Gerhard can dig in once more. That’s a hard one for me to resist. I love it warmed with vanilla ice cream and topped with a hefty dollop of whipped cream. But, that was then, and this is now, and I remind myself that I’m traveling the world due to renewed health from drastically changing my diet. 

As we perused the river for wildlife sightings, finding few, we took a few distant photos on a cloudy evening.
I didn’t eat many sweet desserts in my old life, but on special occasions, I did partake. Now, traveling the world makes every day is a special occasion, and I avoid starches, grains, and sugars as if they are poison. It’s a small price to pay to live this “wonderful life.” (No pun intended. It’s a great Christmas movie).

I’d hope to make a low-carb dessert for Rita and me, but I couldn’t find the ingredients needed to do so. Today I’ll go through my recipes and see if I can roust up a decent dessert item for us girls.

Last night, we headed to Ngwenya for dinner on our own since Rita and Gerhard were busy packing to move there today. Tonight, Tom and I will go to Jabula on our own since they’ll be busy getting unpacked.  

Mom and youngster heading back up the hill after a swim.
We’d promised Leon (of Dawn and Leon, owners of Jabula Lodge and Restaurant) that we’d bring him some Rice Crispy bars, a favorite childhood memory which we’re excited to do.
 
We’re staying put for the rest of the day until around 1700 hours (5:00 pm). We’ll be off for another fun evening at our favorite restaurant.  
 
We’ve had one Ms. Bushbuck and “Little” stop by this morning for some pellets, which of course, we provided, happy to see them both. As for the others? They are off and about visiting holidaymakers offering them all kinds of foods, some good for them, some not so much.  
Last night we saw a few crocs at the Crocodile River from the veranda at Ngwenya.
If you had a choice to go where the sweet treats are being offered instead of the dry pellets, carrots, and apples, where would you go?
 
Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 21, 2017:

Christmas display aboard the ship as we’re nearing the end of the cruise. For more details, please click here.

Marloth Park, five years ago today…The wonders never cease, then and now…It rained and cooled down!…”Little”…what a cool guy!..

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It was hot at 42C, 108F, and “Little” needed to cool off yesterday. The water in the cement pond was most likely hot as well but cooler than the air temperature.  It was only after it had cooled down that he lumbered out of the pool and then, only then, was he looking for a good meal. We complied with pellets, ice-cold diced carrots, and diced apples. He took one last dunk before he left for the evening.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

Closeup of “Little” cooling off in the cement pond. During the worst part of yesterday’s unrelenting heat, he stopped by, not for food but to sleep in the cement pond for over three hours!!!

As mentioned in an earlier post, with it now nearly impossible for us to do our daily drives in Marloth Park with the roads blocked with holidaymaker’s vehicles, considerably less wildlife in the garden and our unwillingness to deal with the crowds and long waits to get inside Kruger National Park, we’ll be reiterating a number of our past posts from five years ago.

There will continue to be new relevant content, and we’re not “copying and pasting” entire posts, only photos and a small amount of content. We’ll be sharing new photos from several of our planned social activities through the busy holiday season, as outlined in yesterday’s post here.
Treefrog nest made overnight over the pool by a female frog.  

Five years ago is a long time. We lived in Marloth Park from December 2, 2013, to February 28, 2014, for a total of 88 days. Many of our more recent readers may have not read the past posts nor have they seen the photos included therein.

Subsequently, over the almost three weeks until things get back to normal in Marloth Park, as mentioned earlier, we’ll be incorporating some of the stunning experiences we had five years ago.
I’d taken this photo while sitting at the outdoor table of the Hornbill property where Gerhard and Rita have been living recently. The white foamy ball can be seen on the left of this tree, opposite the bush baby house on the right. from this vantage point, we kept a watchful eye as the life cycle of the tree frog eventually unrolled before our eyes.

By the time we left here on February 15, 2019, we’ll have spent a total of 15 months of our entire 76 months of our world travels right here in Marloth Park. (The exception is the total two weeks we spent in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana).  As a result, we’ll have spent almost 20% of our entire travel time in South Africa.

At this point, we have no desire or intention of spending so much time in one location. But, this time here was special and we don’t regret one moment of it.  It’s been a memorable and extraordinary experience, one we’ll always treasure.

For the sake of our many worldwide readers who may follow us off and on or consistently, few will recall what we shared five years ago. Thus, we hope that which we include over these next three weeks (not every day) will be fresh and new information. 
Many male treefrogs mounted the nest to fertilize it.  What a sight to behold!

We apologize for any redundancy if you’ve followed us from the beginning and possess a keen sense of recall, But also keep in mind, we’ll be sharing considerable new information as well, and you may want to check each day to see “what’s new.”

As for the balance of today’s post, which information and photos we gathered from the posts of December 20, 2013, and December 29, 2013, we excitedly share these photos, the video, and the statement below directly from those posts.  Please click the above-dated links if you like to read those posts in their entirety.

Male treefrogs fertilizing the foam nest. Here’s the video we’d taken in December 2013.
 

It was the sudden overnight appearance, of a foam treefrog nest, hanging over the swimming pool in the Hornbill house, where we lived on December 20, 2013 (the same house where friends Rita and Gerhard have been living), that precipitated the story, the photos and the included video. Nine days later the tiny tadpoles began to drop from the nest into the pool below.

From that post:

“Fascinated by this anomaly, (to us anyway), we both immediately began searching online for more information such as:
1.  How many eggs are in that white foamy ball?  500-1200
2.  How will they hatch? They’ll drop from the foam ball within a week falling into the pool as Tadpoles.
3.  Did the female make this foamy nest overnight since we hadn’t seen this on Wednesday? Yes, it takes seven hours to make the foamy nest at night.
4.  Will the Tadpoles swim in the pool before the metamorphosis begins and they become treefrogs? Yes! 
5.  How long does this process take? It could be as quickly as 24 hours. 
6.  Will we have the opportunity to watch and photograph this process? Hopefully! We’ll certainly try.”

As it turned out, we had an opportunity to see the treefrog nest process unfold before our eyes, shared in the two dated posts above. What a fantastic experience!

An hour later, they started climbing off the foam nest which appeared to have been well fertilized!
When we first arrived in Marloth Park in February 2018, we had the opportunity to see a treefrog nest suddenly appear overnight. However, the story wasn’t quite as significant as it had been five years ago. On February 26, 2018, we posted the story of the recent nest.
 
Many people who’ve lived in Marloth Park for years have yet to see a treefrog nest. Now, with both a tiny male and a huge female treefrog occupying the light fixture on the veranda, we anticipate we may actually get to see this one more time. More “safari luck” we assume.
 
In any case, we don’t anticipate a lot of “safari luck” over the next few weeks but look forward to January 9th, when the extended holiday season comes to an end and Marloth Park will return to its place of wonder, peacefulness and quiet with wildlife visiting and freely wandering this magical place.
 
Last night it rained throughout the night and today, although quite humid, it is considerably cooler. What a welcome relief for the wildlife and for us to finally cool off a bit!
Enjoy this day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 20, 2017:

One year ago today, we participated in a tour of the ship’s bridge. There were dozens of pieces of equipment for the staff to monitor 24-hours a day. For more details, please click here.

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

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Even the minuscule amount of rain brings greenery to life.

“Sighting of the day in the Bush.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Have a great holiday season evening.

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

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

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

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

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

High cost of living in the US compared to South Africa…”You’ve Got a Friend”…That is, “Little” certainly does…Pig paradise in the park…

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Little told his friend that the “pickins” were good at this house so they both climbed the six steps up to the veranda to the front door.  I was in the shower and missed the fun event. Tom tossed pellets to the ground that motivated them to climb down.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

The Big Daddies didn’t seem as interested in the lucerne as the female kudus but this one managed a few mouthsful.

Yesterday’s trip to Komatipoort went well. The visit with the dentist, Dr. Luzann, went better than expected and once my dental work is completed over the next month, I’ll share details here.

“Pigs on the porch,”  Pigs in the pond,” and Pigs in a pile,”  It’s “Pig Paradise in the Park.”
Coincidentally Gerhard also had a dentist appointment with Dr. Luzann yesterday, a few hours after mine ended. He was thrilled with his cleaning and of course, the reasonable cost of ZAR 388 (US $27) compared to the typical ZAR 2876 ($200) cost for the same service in the US.  
“Little” was checking out what the kudus were eating.

After his appointment ended, he and Rita headed to Ngwenya where we met up with them for drinks on the veranda followed by the buffet dinner in the dining room. As always the conversation was superb, the drinks refreshing, and the food, although the same items each Thursday, was consistently good.

We’re always surprised by the reasonable cost for such a meal with drinks, tax, and tips. Mine and Tom’s total was only ZAR 325 (US $22.60).  At Jabula Lodge and Restaurant, which we consider a much better restaurant, it’s usually twice the amount but well worth the added expense.

At this point, we’ve been dining out twice a week, once at Ngwenya and once at Jabula. When we considered the combined weekly total it runs about ZAR 935 (US $65) averaging at ZAR 467 (US $32.50). This is at least half as much as similar meals at a restaurant in the US, if not more.

Tom didn’t feed him on the veranda but I surely would have.  Little is my favorite warthog.

Once again, when we arrive in the US in 115 days, dining out for each meal, we’ll be shocked by the high prices, not only for restaurants, accommodations, and rental cars but for all other incidental costs. It’s the nature of the beast.

And, speaking of “the beast”…Tom had me in stitches this morning when he showed me the above photo he’d taken only moments earlier when I was in the shower. Seeing the photo reminded me of James Taylor’s popular song from 1971, “You’ve Got a Friend.” Click here to listen!

Piglets in a pile.

Apparently, Little, our favorite warthog had “told” a friend our house was a good place to visit. But, not only the garden of our bush house but also, the veranda which requires only a few gingerly executed steps on slippery tiles to reach.  

They both embarked on the adventure and arrived without incident, shocking Tom in the process when he spotted the two pigs on the porch  We couldn’t help but laugh over the irony of the situation.

A male ostrich’s flattened feathers during the downpour several days ago.

What’s particularly funny is that animals are just like us, or shall I say, we’re just like them? They’re nothing like a good friend (s) and we, like Little, have been blessed to have many friends in Marloth Park and other parts of the world as our years-long journey continues.

Tonight, we’ll dine in, spending most of the evening on the veranda, at least until the insects bombard us.  Every moment we spend whether it’s “Just the Two of Us” (click here for that song) or with wildlife or human friends, we feel fortunate during this very special time in our lives.

May you feel fortunate as well. Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, December 14, 2017:

Punta Arenas, Chile would have been a great port of call to visit but bad weather prevented the necessary use of the tenders. We sailed away. For more details, please click here.

“Buggie” nights…A reality of living in the bush in Africa during the summer months…

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Mom with four piglets napping on the edge of the lucerne. They visit at least once a day. The piglets have begun to show some interest in pellets.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A second visit from the thick-tailed bushbaby.

Last night around 2000 hours (8:00 pm), for the first time since we arrived in Marloth Park in February, there were so many insects buzzing us, flying in our faces and landing on, and in our clothing, we had no choice but to go inside.

It went from almost no insects to this buzzing frenzy in a mere 24 hours. The only thing we can attribute this to is a result of the rains of several days ago. Even after we’d gone inside with the door closed, more insects buzzed us.  
We had no choice but to go into the bedroom (where we keep the door closed at all times), turn on the air-con and watch an episode of a TV series we’re wrapping up after watching a few episodes each week, The Brave (disappointingly, this show wasn’t renewed for a second season).
Wounded is beginning to look a little better but we doubt he can see from his left eye. He looks thin and weary but we’re feeding him all he’ll eat and we’re sure other residents are doing the same.
This morning as I was getting showered and dressed for the day, I spotted a slew of those pesky flying things in the bathroom. How did they get in?  What are these long-winged beige-colored flying things?  
I researched online but couldn’t find them. If any of our readers know what these are, please let us know. We experienced these same pesky things in Kenya over five years ago. I suppose we’ll see them again when we return to Kenya in 64 days.
This morning, back on the veranda, no insects are flying about our heads other than an occasional fly, bee, or hornet. With both of us allergic to bees and hornets, we get up and move when they pester us. I have so much repellent on, I can’t imagine why any insect would approach me, but they do.
Six bushbucks came to call around the same time. Generally, they don’t stay in groups but these two moms, two babies, and two other females showed up simultaneously.
For the past week, I’ve been using the DEET free repellent friends Uschi and Evan recommended as non-toxic.  I’m still getting some bites but they don’t appear to be mosquito bites.  
They look and react more like chigger bites. I’m not getting bit at night since the mattress was replaced but can’t figure out where these are coming from. Each day I have three or four more bites that itch for weeks, especially during the night.  
Last night I was awakened no less than five times due to the severe itching of about six of the bites. I put cortisone cream on them for a little bit of relief but only lasts for an hour or two. I don’t scratch much at all, knowing this makes it worse.
This is Africa. There are insects and there are bites. I guess I’ll just have to live with it for the remaining time we’re on the continent, using the safer DEET free repellent. The bites weren’t occurring any less frequently when using the repellents with DEET so I suppose the DEET free product is ultimately better.
This morning we found thousands of dead insects on the veranda.  We have no idea why they died or why so many at one time.
Soon, we’re heading to Komatipoort so I’m rushing through today’s posts. I have a dentist’s appointment and we have to do our usual grocery shopping. When dining out a few nights a week and time marching on until our departure, we’re purchasing fewer groceries than we had a few months ago.

We have plenty of meat (beef, chicken, pork, and fish) left in the big freezer which we’re attempting to go through now until we purchase any more. With many social plans over the holidays, we’ll be dining out often and won’t be cooking any big meals for now.

Tonight, we’re meeting Rita and Gerhard at Ngwenya for early evening river viewing and the buffet dinner indoors. We’ll see how the insect situation is on the veranda as the evening wears on. We may be going inside to dine earlier than usual if we’re bombarded with these insects again.

That’s it for today folks. We had some interesting wildlife events in the past few days which we’ll share in tomorrow’s post when we have a little more time. Right now, as more and more holidaymakers arrive in the bush, we’ve yet to see a single visitor this morning.  This could be our fate over the next three to four weeks as more and more tourists filter in.
 
Have a pleasant day and night wherever you maybe, hopefully, free of pests buzzing about your head!



 Photo from one year ago today, December 13, 2017:

As we approached Cape Horn in South America on the cruise, one year ago today. For more, please click here.

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

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

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mom stopped eating so the baby could suckle.

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

 Be safe. Be happy.

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

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

Another outstanding “first!”…A difficult decision…

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

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More and more kudus arrived to partake in the bale.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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


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

They worked out an amicable arrangement and all went well.

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

May your day be filled with meaning and purpose.

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

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

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

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

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He was scanning the garden looking for possible food sources.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And…he swallowed it right down! 

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

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

Be well!  Be happy!

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

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