Summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere…WiFi came back this morning…Meat market blast…

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All of this meat including four steaks, seven pounds of sausage, two flattie chickens, four packages of ground beef, four packages of chicken breasts, two large hake (fish) fillets, and two bags of beef biltong (best beef jerky in the world) at a cost of Zar 1853.19, US $102.49.

“The June 21st date refers to the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, not an equinox. It marks the longest day of the year and the beginning of astronomical summer. The term “equinox” refers to a point where day and night are of equal length, which occurs during the spring and autumn equinoxes.”

Gosh, being without WiFi is a big hassle for us. Not only were we unable to prepare a post, but we also couldn’t look up information that came to mind throughout the day and evening. Fortunately, yesterday, early in the day, there was a weak enough signal for me to post a notice that the WiFi was out.

These are two chicken flatties, each whole chicken cut in half, weighing 1.35 kg, or 2.98 pounds, costing ZAR 93.70, USD $5.18.

But that weak signal soon disappeared, and we had no signal at all. The fault was all the way to Komatipoort and included thousands of users. It was tough during the night, as I had trouble falling asleep and didn’t nod off until 2:00 a.m. On the other hand, Tom has been having awful issues getting enough sleep since we returned.

His first night here was good, but Wednesday and Thursday nights were awful. He didn’t sleep more than two or three hours each night and was exhausted. Additionally, he was experiencing symptoms of a cold, including frequent coughing, sneezing, and a runny nose.

Doc Theo had given me a prescription for Ambien to use when we were trying to sleep on the plane. Neither of us took it, but I thought last night would be a perfect time for Tom to take a pill when he went to bed. It worked! He slept through the night and feels more rested today, although he still has cold symptoms.

This is a pork chop weighing .45 kg, 1 pound, at a cost of US $2.27. South Africans like fat on their meat. We cut it off after cooking.

Hopefully, he’ll be better by next Saturday, when friends Karen and Rich arrive from Florida. Of course, I am staying as far away from him as I can, praying I don’t get it. He’s using a nasal spray, cough medicine, and antihistamines. Having pulmonary fibrosis only exacerbates the coughing. Thank goodness, he quit smoking nine months ago.

A few days ago, we went to The Butchery to purchase a variety of meats, as shown in the photos. As always, we were thrilled with the excellent prices on protein sources in South Africa. The prices are comparable to the prices we paid in the US 30 or 40 years ago.

Now, we have plenty of meat to last while Karen and Rich are here and will only need to make a trip to Komatipoort next week to round out some items they use that we don’t consume, such as orange juice, fruit, milk, and more. We’ll ensure that we have everything they typically eat while here, as long as it’s available at the Spar Market.

This is a porterhouse steak weighing .72 kg, 1.59 pounds, at a cost of ZAR 107.60, US $5.95.

Of course, we’ll be dining out often, but typically they eat breakfast and lunch. Today, I made Tom breakfast, hoping he wouldn’t eat so much candy from the remaining 11-pound load, as he had been doing over the past several days. I have returned to my OMAD (one meal a day) eating routine, which consists of a single meal rich in nutrients.

Now I can lose the 5 pounds, 2.3 kg, I gained back while in the US, eating “big” food often twice a day. I even succumbed to eating snacks during the day and evening, all healthy, but way too much food for me. This style of intermittent fasting may not be suitable for everyone, but I feel my best when I eat only once a day. Please check with your medical professional before you embark on such a plan.

Last night, we headed to Jabula for dinner. It was such fun to spend time with Dawn and Leon, owners of the lodge and our dear friends. We had a fantastic evening.

Tonight, we’ll return to Jabula again for dinner. I suggested we stay in tonight since Tom is under the weather, but he insists he’ll be fine going out again. I am feeling good and rested.

That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back with more tomorrow.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 21, 2015

Tom’s homemade dinner last night in Trinity Beach, Australia, included one pork chop, three gluten-free cheese sausages, one gluten-free knockwurst on a bed of sautéed onions and mushrooms, a side salad, and a muffin with New Zealand grass-fed organic butter (muffin not shown). This is a typical meal for us. For more photos, please click here.

Our fun, separate day with family…Three days and counting…Off we go, back to South Africa…

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Tom and his son TJ were at the Minnesota Twins game yesterday.

Yesterday, Tom joined his son, Tj, and grandson, Jayden, for a Minnesota Twins baseball game at Target Field in Minneapolis. TJ was able to get tickets for the event that included “all-you-can-eat” snacks, including drinks, but not alcoholic beverages.

Tom, undoubtedly, was on Cloud 9 about the “free” snacks, most likely more so than the game itself. However, he was excited to go with the boys, including Jayden’s friend Thomas. They had a fun evening. It rained a little during the game, but not enough to make spectators uncomfortable or cancel the game.

Tom and grandson Jayden at the game. The Twins won!

When Tom returned to the hotel by 11:00 pm, he got a kick out of explaining to me what he ate, listed below, all of which is not shown in the photo below. (He didn’t eat the potato chips):

  • 3 hotdogs
  • 1 hamburger
  • 2 large chicken filets
  • 1 bag of popcorn
  • 2 ice cream sandwiches
  • 2 Pepsi

    Only a small portion of what Tom ate yesterday was at the game.

But, even worse, was the fact that he walked in the door with a plastic bag, as shown in the photos below, which made me cringe… 11 pounds of his favorite jelly candies from Fleet Farm, as a Father’s Day gift from his daughter, Tammy. He’ll regain ten of the 15 pounds he’d lost when we were in South Africa.

He’s already gained a few pounds while here before eating this batch of candy. It’s so unhealthy for him to eat this, but as Food Police, I have to keep my mouth shut. However, with all the clothes, shoes, and items we purchased here, our two bags were maxed out at the allowable 23 kg, 50-pound limit each.

Here’s the 11 pounds of candy Tammy gave to Tom for Father’s Day! Yikes!

The 11 pounds of candy could require us to purchase another suitcase at around US $125 and pay an additional US $100 in extra baggage fees. The candy will have to be carried in a plastic bag as a carry-on item, and he’ll have to haul it through four airports, along with the two carry-on items we each have to haul with us. Oh, good grief.

“Zip it up!” I tell myself.

Nonetheless, he had a great time at the game, which was the last time he would see TJ and Jayden before we leave in three days.

As for my afternoon, my three grandchildren, Maisie (18), Miles (17), and Madighan (15), picked me up in Miles’ newly purchased used car, and we drove to the local AMC theater complex nearby to see the movie “Karate Kid: Legends.” I had pre-purchased the tickets in advance, and I got a kick out of paying for three adults and one senior! Gosh, they’ve grown up!

Target Field is located in downtown Minneapolis.

I had planned to spend a fortune on snacks in the theater inside the Eden Prairie Mall, but they were worth it. However, knowing how expensive the food is in the theater, they all suggested getting a bite to eat at the food court, which was about half the price of what I’d pay inside the theater. Once they finished eating, we headed inside the theater, and I suggested that they each order a beverage.

We had a great time! I love being with those kids! Our seats were the recliner-type with raised footrests. I had a bad night’s sleep and thought I might nod off during the movie, hoping the kids wouldn’t notice. But, as it turned out, the movie was so much fun, I never closed my eyes. We all loved it! I was so distracted by our good time that I forgot to take photos. Maybe I will tonight, when we all meet (including Greg and Heather) at a Mexican restaurant for dinner, our final time together before we go.

Back at the hotel, I spent time on the phone with my dear friend Karen, who, along with her husband Rich, will be arriving at Marloth Park to stay with us for a few weeks. We are all so excited for their visit, let alone our enthusiasm to return to the bush to see our animal and human friends.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 12, 2015:

The early morning lights of Luna Park, Sydney. For more photos, please click here.

Fantastic evening with friends in the bush…Tom’s on his way but ran into an obstacle…An uninvited visitor in the house…

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Danie was preparing our dinner on an open fire which included slow-roasted lamb necks, roasted cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and more This was truly a South African meal. Delicious.

Note: I was so distracted by Tom returning I forgot to upload yesterday’s post!  Here you go…

The only way last night could have been better was if Tom had been with us. We all missed him and spoke of him often. That aside, we had a wonderful evening. Louise and Danie certainly know how to turn a meal into a memorable event serving fantastic food, a wide array of options, and an ambiance one would only expect in fine dining.

Most people don’t often invite half a couple for dinner. They wait until the partner has returned from wherever they may have been and then invite them as a couple. But Louise and Danie didn’t hesitate to invite me by myself, never giving it a thought that cooking for one guest may be a lot of extra work. These two special people aren’t afraid of work.

They’d been staying at the Khaya Umdani house, where my birthday party was held three weeks ago, since it has solar power, whereas their own home does not. Load shedding has been awful lately. I feel bad they put this massive inverter system in this house to ensure we are comfortable, yet they haven’t put it in their own home.

Khaya Umdani is the most upscale of all their rental properties (although all of them are very nice) and has always been our favorite. From time to time, when it’s not rented (a rarity), they use it themselves to get away from the annoyances of load shedding.

In 2014, we stayed at Khaya Umdani for about three weeks and cherished being there. We’d love to be able to rent it regularly, but it is out of the range of our budget, and we don’t expect Louise and Danie to lower the price and lose money with us staying there for so long. The price is about three times more per night than we pay for this lovely house that fulfills all of our needs and expectations.

The evening started with adult beverages and keto starters of ham, cheese, and dill pickles, perfect for my way of eating. By the time we stopped chatting long enough to eat the main course, I already felt full. But, not surprisingly, when they put that huge slow-roasted lamb neck on my plate, I dug right into it, savoring every morsel, never thinking, as the meat melted in my mouth, about how full I was getting. I wasn’t leaving a morsel behind.

This is where I sat at the table at Khaya Umdani last night at sunset when Louise and Danie prepared a fantastic meal for me. I brought my bottle of low-alcohol wine.

Yesterday, I baked two keto cream cheese pies with almond flour crusts, which I know they both love, one to bring to them and another for me. I only tried a few tastes of side dishes, which were also delicious. If I’d had more room, I’d have also piled them onto my plate. (Tom doesn’t care for it). I’d hoped to save space in my full stomach for a small piece when I got home.

They get up each day at 4:00 am and had another busy day working and prepping the lovely meal. They each had a small piece of pie and offered some to me, but I wanted to leave it all for them and also needed a little time for my food to settle down before I could enjoy the pie. Louise drove me home when  I insisted it was time to go around 9:00 pm, 2100 hrs.

The ride back was special when we saw a lot of wildlife hunkered down for the night along the dirt roads. It’s incredible how they all look out for one another. They only looked up for a few seconds when we drove by to ensure they were safe. It’s quite a sight to see.

Back at the house, no more than a minute after Louise dropped me off, I ducked when a huge bat flew over my head when I was in the lounge room. I thought I’d better quickly cut my little piece of pie and head off for the bedroom, knowing I’d never open the bedroom door again until morning.

Once I was settled with my pajamas on, I noticed a message coming in from Tom that his flight from Newark (where he was) had been delayed, which would cause him to miss the 16-hour flight to Joburg, which ultimately could delay him by as much as a day. He texted me at 2:00 am to let me know he’d be in the air before too long when the airline booked him on an earlier flight so he’d make his connection.

Louise had made cole slaw, salad, and creamed spinach, all of which were delicious. I ate an entire lamb neck, but a little of the sides since the meat was so large and delicious. I took bones and scraps for the mongooses I hadn’t seen in days.

With that flight often taking 16½ hours, plus going through customs and immigration in Joburg, most likely, he won’t arrive at the airport hotel until around  10:00 pm, 2200 hrs., or later tonight, where hopefully he can get some sleep and recover for his morning flight from Joburg to Nelspruit on Airlink. He still should arrive here by 1:00 pm, 1300 hrs., at the latest. Whew! What an ordeal!

Vusi is here now and hasn’t seen the bat anywhere, either. I suppose it will appear tonight when it’s dark. With the lions in the area, I don’t feel safe leaving the doors open after dark, plus doing so would invite more nocturnal creatures into the house. We’ll see how it goes. I am not panicking. I just don’t like bats flying around the room.

Anyway, that’s it for today. folks. Thank you for sharing these past long days and nights alone in the bush without my lover, partner, husband, and travel companion. Soon, he’ll be home. I am in the process of planning a special dinner for him. I will post the menu tomorrow.

Be well.

Two “Go-Away” birds are enjoying the birdbath in our garden. Photo from one year ago today, March 14, 2022:

For more photos, please click here.