The excitement never ends… More surprising visitors… Like none before…Three days until road trip! Plus Big Boy and birds…

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Grasshopper video #1
Grasshopper video #2

Here are four videos we made yesterday while observing grasshopper behavior, as dozens walked along the ground from one tree to another on a ritual we found interesting.  
Watching them up close over a period of several hours was yet another experience of life in Marloth Park, its wonders never ceasing to amaze us. For the full progression of their hour’s long journey, please watch the videos in order as shown by the numbers in each heading.
Grasshopper video #3


Grasshopper video #4
This grasshopper appeared to be the leader as dozens followed his lead.

Every morning, after showered and dressed for the day, swathed in insect repellent (been doing this every day for the past 4 1/2 months), we open the door to step outside.

As the dozens of Grasshopper began their trek across the driveway.

With the intent of determining if sitting outdoors is imminent or better later in the day, we discuss the conditions:  

They marched in two groups.

How is the weather? It rains every few days saturating everything on the veranda. If the wind is blowing, we’ll get wet. Visitors don’t seem to come when it’s raining.

The bigger pieces of cabbage had a greater appeal to them.

How bad are the flies? The amount of flies is predicated by how many visitors we’ve had and how much poop was left behind.  But, oddly some days they aren’t bad. Yesterday, we purchased a fancy hanging fly trap to be placed far from the house. Don’t think it’s working yet.

Finally, they reached the larger pieces of cabbage and began eating.

How hot is it? When it’s above 90F, 32C, coupled with the high humidity, (the Crocodile River is a stone’s throw) it’s uncomfortable to sit outside, although on many occasions at very high temperatures, we’ve lasted from 8:00 am until 2:00 pm, drinking copious amounts of water and batting off the flies.

Five Helmeted Guinea Fowls, whom we hadn’t seen in a month, returned to our yard with these three chicks in tow. Now, we know why we hadn’t seen them for so long. They were hanging out near the grasshoppers but didn’t seem interested in them.
The chicks were so young, they had trouble walking, falling over at times.  Very cute!
The chicks were tentative, hanging close to mom and dad.  Helmeted Guinea Fowls mate for life and the dads take an active role in the upbringing of their offspring, unlike many animals we’ve seen in Marloth Park.

Most days, we start the day outside as early as 7:00 am, Tom hauls all of our power cords, converters, and adapters to the outdoor outlet and both of us haul laptops, phones, camera, pellets, and beverages.  (The big bags of pellets must stay inside the house due to the monkeys). Most days, nine out of ten, we stay outside all day.  

The grasshoppers had reached their destination after eating the cabbage, the vines of the shrub at the base of the second tree, approximately 20 feet, 6 meters.

It’s ironic. As much as I complained about spending every day outside in the “outdoor living room” in Kenya, we now are outside almost all day without complaining, just dealing with the natural realities of living in the bush. The good so much outweighs the annoyances, it is all worth it.

They marched on and on moving up the plant, the second group following suit.

The remaining days, such as today, we start the day indoors. It’s very hot, humid and the flies are in a frenzy.  Looking out the window for visitors every 10 minutes, always wearing my shoes and socks, a camera within reach, I can be outside in less than a minute.

Many days, we jump in the car to drive around looking for wildlife or head to the Crocodile River to check out any possible adventures awaiting us there. We’re seldom disappointed. Whether it’s another impala in the bush, a common sight to see, or a turtle crossing the road, we love it all.

Yesterday, was one of those days with few visitors. An elusive duiker dashed through the yard, a few interesting birds alighted on the trees, but dashed away before I could take a photo and later in the day, “Big Boy,” (see photo below) the biggest, oldest warthog we’ve seen so far arrived late in the day with his submissive smaller buddy.  

“Big Boy” came to visit while we were making videos of the grasshoppers. He’s the oldest and largest warthog with the biggest tusks that we’ve seen so far.  He often visits alone and shows little interest in the pellets.  Also, he’s shy around us, thus we keep our distance. He may weigh upwards of 350 pounds, 158 kg.  

But midday, we had a new breed of visitors, the grasshoppers, as shown here today. We couldn’t have been more fascinated. We realize that not all of our readers are as enthralled with the smallest of creatures, especially insects so please bear with us. 

Not unlike human males, Big Boy’s hair is thinning on top.

As we’ve learned more and more about all of the creatures in Mother Nature’s wonderland, we’ve found that learning new information as a senior is vital to stimulating the brain and the senses. Our memories are better than ever in our lives from all of the “stimulation” from our environment. That’s a good thing.

The grasshoppers made their way up the second tree after munching on the shrub below. They rested on the bark for a few hours. A few minutes before dark, we checked and they were gone. I could hear them moving inside the tree. We figured that, most likely, the cabbage drew them out as well as the birth of the nymphs, who were mature enough to venture outside the tree.

Yesterday, when Tom spotted a large number of grasshoppers in the driveway, we immediately went on a mission to discover what we could about their behavior from multiple websites. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a lot of information about these grasshoppers, none of which explained their behavior in detail.

The Helmeted Guinea Fowl and their chicks headed to the rear yard where they seem to enter and depart.

We can only surmise, that the trek across the driveway on foot, leaving their offspring referred to as “nymphs” behind, was to forage for food. Firstly, they ate portions of the cabbage leaves we’d left on the driveway, and secondly, they ate the leaves on a shrub at the base of another tree.

Yesterday was a busy bird day.

Watching their journey, all on foot, was fascinating, eliciting absolutely no fear of either of us, in the close proximity of 60, 70, or more insects at one time, nor were they fearful of us as shown in these photos.

After seemingly staying in place for over two hours, we ventured indoors for the night. Before dark, we checked and every last one was gone. But, after hearing sounds coming from the second tree, it was apparent they were in the tree, moving about. Wow! Nature never fails to surprise us.

In three days we’ll leave for Blyde River Canyon  where we’ll stay at the Blyde River Canyon Lodge three nights, spending each day exploring the many wonders of the Panorama Route. With many tourists having left after the holiday season, we’ll especially enjoy the lack of crowds. Of course, we’ll share photos and stories of our experiences at the end of each day.

Could it be due to the presence of the grasshoppers that the yard was filled with birds all day?
This is a White Helmet Shrike, common in the yard.

Halfway on the five-hour drive, we’ll travel through Kruger National Park, hopefully with many sightings along the way. The size of the park from north to south, the direction we’ll be traveling, is 220 miles, 360 km long.  Although we’ll be exiting the park partway through to enter the Panorama Route, we expect to be in the park for several hours.  

Tonight, we’re going out to dinner once again to our favorite local restaurant Jabula Lodge, where owners Dawn and Leon, always make us feel at home. It’s a friendly place with great food, affordable prices, and a wealth of local ambiance.

Whether we stay indoors on a hot day, dine in or out, see lots of amazing animals or insects, we’re content, never bored or antsy, happy to be healthy and most of all, to be living this life together.

Zebras… They’re just like us… Hilarious zebra video…

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Curious, the zebras often checked out the braai (barbecue) area and the pool, occasionally drinking from the pool. They wander about the yard, checking out the vegetation and most often are curious as to what we’re doing.

With our eyes continually scanning the yard, suddenly, the black and white stripes grabbed our attention, making my heart skip a beat. Although very common in Africa and often seeing them along the road while walking or driving in the area, a visit to our yard is always special.

Click to start this enjoyable zebra video we shot on Wednesday in our yard.


In the 41 days that we’ve lived in Marloth Park, this is the third occurrence of a herd of male zebras visiting us in our yard. This particular visit from a few days ago was our favorite zebra visit.

As I threw out a handful of pellets, this guy tried to grab my hand, painlessly gumming my fingers. It’s apparent that they’ve frequently been given treats by tourists and residents alike, hopefully with items acceptable for their herbivorous diet. We give them a few handfuls of pellets and provide the mineral lick.

The zebras that appear in Marloth and Kruger Parks are Plains Zebras. Oddly, with their gentle nature, zebras have never been domesticated. It’s been apparent to us that they are intelligent, evidenced by the manner in which they interact with one another and with us, often mimicking each other’s behavior. In today’s video, this mimicking behavior is obvious.  

The mineral lick was getting lots of licks and Ms. Warthog was on her knees getting in on the pellet action. Our intent had been to stick to our beliefs that wildlife shouldn’t be fed anything in the wild. But a Field Ranger explained that the pellets are made specifically geared to the diet of the animals, as is the mineral lick.  We purchased both at Daisy’s Feed Store, here in Marloth Park. So far, most of the animals like the pellets, especially the warthogs and babies. Only the kudus and zebras seem to like the mineral lick.  A few days ago a warthog shoved it out of his way using his tusks putting a hole in it.

Similar to us humans, they develop routines. After three visits to our yard, a routine has already been established. They hang out at the veranda railing hoping for a few pellets and attention. After a while they head to the bush as shown in this video, to nibble on the vegetation.   

Zebras freely make eye contact and are less shy than most of the wildlife.

They walk toward the braai (barbecue) and the pool area, contemplating a drink from the pool. Zebras have a keen sense to detect toxins in water, as in this case, the chlorine in the pool. Although only a small amount, it prevents them from taking more than a quick sip when testing it the first two times they visited.  

This Zebra is looking into the bush beyond the pink car as Ms. Warthog wandered down the path on the opposite side of the carport, one of the many worn animal paths in the yard.

Zebras will naturally find a clean water supply and forage the general area, maintaining easy access to the water. On this third visit, they didn’t consider the pool water recalling that it wasn’t fit for their consumption. 

“OK.  Now that Ms. Warthog has left, what are you going to do for me?”

How did we know it was the same herd of males? The zebra stripe patterns are as unique as our own fingerprints. Having observed them for several hours, it’s been relatively easy to detect the unique patterns. Add the repeated behavior and we’re convinced this is the same male herd as in the past.

“Out of my way!  I’m first!”

Never tiring of repeat visits from wildlife, we can only hope we don’t have an encore from the Mozambique Spitting Cobra, now or in the future as described in yesterday’s post. Once was enough! 

The dominant zebra waited by the rear yard path. It was time to leave. Shortly, they all followed him down the path. They’d had a good visit with us.  Perhaps, the mineral lick makes them thirsty and it was time to head to the nearby watering hole.

But, the Zebras, they’re always welcomed!

Two visits to the river in one day…The rewards, outstanding!…A male lion is loose in Marloth Park…

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After diligent perusal of the book, “Newman’s Birds by Colour for South Africa”, loaned to us by Louise, we were thrilled to spot the White Fronted Plover that we’d captured from the banks of the Crocodile River.
This morning at 8:00 am, Danie stopped by on his motorbike to say hello and to tell us that a male Lion was spotted by a ranger at 3:00 am close to the river. Danie told us that from time to time lions make their way from the bordering Kruger National Park into Marloth Park, protected only be a few stands of wire fence.  
This White Fronted Plover caught my eye as we scanned the Crocodile River for wildlife. It was resting on a tiny island, not far from our vantage point.
Danie explained that a visiting lion may stay in Marloth Park for months at a time, spotted on occasion, mostly at night.  Residents are always alerted to the presence of a lion.This further explains why residents are not permitted to go for a walk after dark along with the danger of other nocturnal animals.
A male cape buffalo, referred to as “Retired Generals” by our guide Anderson in the Masai Mara.
A lone bird hangs out with the two “Retired Generals.”

The intent has been to keep elephants, rhinos, lions, and hippos form entering Marloth Park, potentially harming its residents.
Located in Marloth Park is a smaller park, Lionspruit, containing all the wildlife we see here, plus three Lions, one male, and two females. We intend to visit Lionspruit soon, staying away during the busy holiday season, now finally winding down. It’s unlikely that we’ll see the Lions in Lionspruit as explained by many of the locals we’ve met.  Lions tend to sleep during the day and hunt at night
 Hippos spend most of their time in the water, occasionally languishing in the sun in groups. Crocodiles and hippos co-habitat well.
 
During our second river visit, we spotted this hippo snorting water as shown in the photo as the sun went down.

With the abundant wildlife and vegetation on the Crocodile River, forbidden to human exploration other than viewing from its banks, dividing Kruger National Park and Marloth Park, it is a draw for us on a regular basis.

Safety in numbers, the Cape Buffalo take an afternoon rest together.

Midday yesterday, we took a long drive along the road that borders the river, stopping to look for several openings in the bush and trees, in the same area where the Lion was spotted during the night.  

The interesting white bulls-eye on the waterbuck’s behind. 
The waterbuck is an attractive animal staying close to the river for their food sources.

Later in the day, we returned to the public campgrounds to once again view the river and, to grab dinner-to-go from their popular overlook restaurant.

This crocodile was far across the river, making it difficult to get a good shot.

In the past 15 months, we haven’t purchased any carry-out-dinners, due to a lack of availability, along with the restrictions of my way of eating. With several recommendations to try the grilled chicken, we decided to make our usual coleslaw and two vegetable sides to round out the meal and eat in, the third night in a row.

The views of the river never disappoint.

We placed our order for two whole chickens after seeing guests carrying them to the picnic tables. While our chickens were cooking, we sat outside on the deck checking out the wildlife along the river. Once again, we weren’t disappointed, as shown in our photos.

Based on the fact that chickens in this area are free-range, not receiving any hormones or other drugs in order to grow meatier, the chickens were small and had little meat although the flavor was good. It wasn’t difficult to wipe out almost all of the two chickens in one meal.

Even on a cloudy day, the river views are breathtaking.

Tonight, we’ll dine at Ngwenya, a resort outside Marloth Park, which is also located on the river with what we’ve heard is a phenomenal close-up viewing. Hopefully, we’ll return with more photos to share.

Wherever we drive, walk, or even stay stationary, if patience prevails, “they will come.” Yesterday, we had another extraordinary day with two visits to the Crocodile River and visitors galore. 

Tomorrow, we’ll have an entertaining video to share epitomizing what we keep saying every day, “In many ways, the animals are a lot like us!” It is these similarities that make us smile and laugh again and again, often hours later, when we relive the wonderful events of the day.

As the sun began to set over the Crocodile River, we packed up our dinner-to-go and headed home having had yet another great day of viewing.

There are few recreational activities that bring so much anticipation, laughter, and joy as that which we’ve experienced here in the bush, living among the treasures that Mother Nature has graciously bestowed upon us humans, to nurture, to love, to protect, and respect.

The giraffes graced us with another visit to our yard…Never imagined they would return…Videos..photos…

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Similar to the main photo in this post of December 14th, once again,we looked toward the driveway to discover giraffes coming our way. What a glorious sight!

On December 14, 2013, two weeks after arriving in Marloth Park, 12 magnificent Giraffes visited us in our yard as described in this post.  No words can express how elated we were when we discovered their long gangly legs lumbering down our narrow driveway.

First of two videos, we took yesterday in our yard. The second video is below.


Male giraffes weigh as much as 4000 pounds, 1814 kg, and be as tall as 20 feet, 6 meters. Females are much smaller at 2500 pounds, 1133 kilograms, and be as tall as 14 feet, 4.27 meters. A male can weigh as much as a pickup truck.

The four giraffes kept a watchful eye on us as they wandered in the yard munching on treetops.

Giraffes have the same number of vertebrae as humans and must exercise caution when drinking. during which they spread their front legs to reach down to the water. They are especially vulnerable to predators in this position.

Please click here for more facts about giraffes.

Oxpeckers are the giraffe’s friend, eating ticks and other insects off of the giraffe’s hide.

After an exquisite and memorable hour-long visit on December 14th, we both wondered if they’d ever return. Our ‘safari luck” had given us more than we’d ever imagined. At times, we’ve giggled over how skeptical we’ve been to leave the house in the event they return when we aren’t at home.

With many of their preferred acacia trees in our yard, the giraffes were happily munching, able to reach the tops of the trees impossible for other wildlife.

While most wildlife visits seem to last an hour or less, it would be relatively easy to miss an event, never knowing that we missed. The hope that giraffes would return was held with a somewhat sad acceptance that we’d been lucky they’d visited us once. Why would we be so lucky for a second visit?

Here is the second video we took yesterday. If you watch the beginning carefully, you can see the giraffe rocking the tree in an effort to bite off a big cluster of leaves.
We weren’t certain why this giraffe was bending down.  Unless drinking they seldom lower their long necks. Again, we see oxpeckers hanging on.

Alas, yesterday morning, while busy taking videos of 70-80 Impalas having visited us, then making their exit along a worn animal path in the yard (which we’ll share tomorrow), I turned to look back toward the driveway for any stragglers. 

There they were; leggy, colorful, and laden with oxpeckers picking at insects in their chosen habitat on the giraffe’s hide.  

Whispering to Tom I mouthed, “Check out the driveway!”  Turning his head away from the path of the impalas at the far end of the yard, an even deeper smile came across his face, as we both held our breath in anticipation.  

While the impalas were here, we’d remained seated fearful that moving would scare them off with their skittish nature. After an hour of hardly moving, the giraffes’ appearance prompted further caution, although they appear to be less nervous around people. Although, given a loud noise or sudden movement, they too will quickly wander off into the bush.

A few more nibbles close to the carport and they were on their way.  Instead of walking on the driveway, they wandered away through the dense bush.

Finally, we were able to stand as we excitedly took the two videos included here today and the accompanying photos.  With their enormous height, it’s difficult to take photos of several in one shot unless they’re tightly packed when arriving or departing, walking along the driveway or road.   

At one point we quietly ventured indoors to the second-floor veranda from which we took the shorter of the two videos.

There were only four of them. Last time there were 12. We weren’t disappointed by any means. How could one be disappointed when the tallest creature on the planet comes wandering into their yard? Not us!

After a while, they departed via the bush preventing us from getting a photo of the four of them together as we’d done in the past. 

Tomorrow, we’ll share photos and a video of the 70 to 80 Impalas that visited en mass for the first time, although we’ve seen a few in the yard and literally hundreds along the roads. 


Wonder what today will bring? Whatever it may be, they are welcomed!

Happy New Year!…Two lively nights in a row…Fun with friends…How’d we get so lucky?…

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Last night at Jabula Lodge bringing in the New Year.

Neither of us can recall a time when we made friends with a couple “referred to us” by a couple we met in a restaurant and then another couple we met in a restaurant, of all things, on Christmas Day. 

Our new friends, Hettie and Piet, with whom we shared Christmas day dinner and again last night’s New Year’s eve celebration.

First, we met Lynne and Mick at Jabula Lodge, only three days after we arrived, ending up spending two great evenings with them before leaving to return to their second in Jersey, UK.

Leon, the owner of Jabula Lodge, and also a new friend will scream when he sees that we posted this photo of him from New Year’s Eve. He joined right into the fun with us and all of his and Dawn’s guests for the night.

They suggested to good friends Kathy and Don, who own a gorgeous home on the Crocodile River, to meet us for which they invited us to their home on Christmas Eve and then a second time a few days ago on December 30th.

To the left is Don’s cousin Sandy. Kathy, to the right, was, with her husband Don, our hosts for the pre-New Year’s braai at their lovely home overlooking the Crocodile River. It was our second visit to their home since Christmas Eve when they’d kindly and bravely invited us before we’d ever met.

Then on Christmas Day, we met Hettie and Piet (Pete) at Jabula Lodge, after which we’d planned to bring in the New Year together, again at Jabula Lodge, one of the very few restaurants in Marloth Park.  

From Tom on the left is Don, husband of Kathy and host. Next is Linda and Ken, friends of Kathy and Don’s who’s house in Marloth Park is currently rented over the holidays resulting in them staying with Kathy and Don for several days in their home. To the far right, is again Sandy, Don’s cousin, also from South Africa as was everyone but us.

This upcoming Friday, we’ll celebrate both Hettie and Piet’s birthdays, a few days apart, at a Portuguese restaurant in Komatipoort. After lunch, we’ll grocery shop and purchase more data for our SIM cards. Perfect!

After three days of rain, it was great to see a colorful sunset from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda, where we dined and conversed at length.  
More color in the sky from Kathy and Don’s veranda on Monday evening.

Unfortunately, all of these wonderful new friends are leaving, or already have, returned to their other homes, leaving us to make more new friends, a relatively easy proposition in the friendly Marloth Park. 

The Crocodile River before the three days of torrential rain, taken from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda on Christmas Eve.
The Crocodile River after three days of torrential rain also taken from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda.

































One would think we’d make friends with other tourists as we travel the world. But, this only occurred on cruise ships, several of whom we’ve stayed in touch. The remainder of the friends we’ve made has been homeowners and residents of the areas in which we’ve lived.  

This was my T-Bone steak purchased at the Butchery in Marloth Park, which was ZAR $440, US $4.41. Tom’s was the same approximate size. Cooked for me by Ken, it was moist, tender, and delicious.  Often when hosting a braai, the guests bring their chosen cut of meat while the hosts serve beer and other beverages,  side dishes, salad, and dessert. 
After adding delicious sauteed onions and mushrooms and an avocado Greek salad, my plate was complete. Of course, as always I ate every morsel.

We’ve assumed that the ease in making friends is due to the extended periods we’re living in vacation homes during which, in a sense, we become local residents. Regardless of the reason, we’re loving our busy social life.

We shot these kudu photos from Kathy and Don’s third-floor veranda.

Spending 24 hours a day together, which I might add, we thoroughly enjoy as well, we do find it refreshing to socialize with people with whom we enjoy much in common. Each of these three couples has traveled extensively, often to places we’ve already visited in our own travels, making for lively conversation.

A new male warthog visitor to our yard who’d arrived yesterday with a small female, neither of which we’ve seen in the past. The mating ritual had seemingly been in the beginning stages.  He was the largest warthog we’ve seen so far, difficult to determine in the photo. Hopefully, they’ll return.
She kept nudging him for attention.  But he wasn’t quite ready for the big event, at least not in our yard.

In addition, each of these three couples, still find themselves enraptured by the wildlife in Marloth Park. What stories we’ve all shared about our experiences with visitors! And the laughter…Ah, the laughter, is the best part of it all.

Shortly after the courting couple left, this young mom appeared with her four babies, the smallest babies, we’ve seen thus far, perhaps only a few weeks old.
Suddenly, mom decides it’s time to nurse, stopping dead in her tracks. Immediately, the babies know it’s feeding time and they happily latch on to one of her four nipples. Female warthogs rarely give birth to more than four offspring based on the availability of only four nipples. Nature provides for itself.  Amazing!

So, we welcome the New Year filled with the hope of making many new friends as we continue on our travels.  It’s hard to imagine that in two months from today, we’ll arrive in Marrakesh, Morocco, switching gears from a divine wildlife experience to a profound cultural experience in the hustle and bustle of one of the most diverse and interesting cities in the world.

Yesterday, a lone kudu stopped by, nibbling on the lush vegetation after the three days of rain. He stuck his head in between these small branches near our braai, next to the pool.  What a majestic animal!  We never tire of their visits. Female kudus rarely make an appearance in our yard, although we’ve seen a few.  Males and females don’t hang out together once the mating is complete. We often wrongfully assume that most animals mate for life when actually few we’ve seen in Marloth/Kruger Parks do so.

For now, we’ll put future travels aside to continue to embrace this magical place as we patiently await the next batch of visitors in our yard. I wonder who it will be today. The anticipation itself is a divine part of the adventure.

This same kudu in the above photo stood at the railing waiting for “people food.”  Many tourists over the holidays go nuts giving the wildlife “people food” which, unless fresh vegetables, is generally ill-advised. However, the rangers in Marloth Park suggest providing nutritional pellets or mineral licks, which we’ve done.  Notice the notches in the Kudu’s ear, either from fighting with other kudus during the mating season or in combat with other wildlife.  Kudus are non-aggressive animals and herbivores.

Thanks to all of our new friends in Marloth Park for freely welcoming us into this unbelievably fulfilling and joyful location which we’ll always remember as being the most friendly we’ve encountered in our travels.

Happy New Year to all of our readers. May each one of you find a way to “step outside the box” if only for an hour or a day, to reach for your dreams, whatever they may be.

Fear is to protect us from harm, not a useless emotional response…Happy New Year to all!

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The Southern Yellow Billed Hornbill.

Upon awakening this morning at a late, 7:30, I bolted out of bed, scanning the bedroom walls and floors for my most dreaded creatures – The poisonous centipede.

Sunset over the Crocodile River at our newly discovered overlook. Thanks to Louise and Danie for pointing us in this location.

Since arriving in Marloth Park, one month ago as of tomorrow, we’ve seen only a few small centipedes. We have seen many other poisonous insects, so far.

Sunset over the Crocodile River at we relaxed on the deck of the restaurant at Marloth Park Public Campground.

In our minds, the centipede doesn’t deserve such reverence, although they certainly serve a purpose in nature as does every creature on the face of the earth.

Last night, after returning from another delightful braai evening at the home of our new friends, Kathy and Don, their friends Linda and Ken and cousin Sandy, we moseyed off to bed. By the time, we crawled under the comfy covers it was 11:30. It took me no more than 15 minutes of reading a book on my phone to begin to nod off.

At the overlook as elephants roamed the Crocodile River.

At around 1:10 am, I awoke to hear Tom moving around the bedroom. Groggy, I asked him what he was doing. He said, “I didn’t want you to see this and hoped to take care of it without you waking up.”

Sitting up in bed, I saw what he meant. There was a giant centipede, the biggest we’ve ever seen, on the wall near the doorway to the en suite bathroom which he’d discovered when he attempted to quietly go to the bathroom, using his flashlight, hoping not to awaken me. My thoughtful guy.

Our first sighting, albeit it at quite a distance, the ring tailed Waterbuck.

Instantly, I got that disgusted look on my face. I could feel my mouth turn down into a face only a mother could love – one of sheer disgust. Jumping out of bed, as Tom stood next to the centipede, ready to sweep it into the dustpan with the brush, I said, “Wait, let me get the camera!

This centipede on the wall by the bathroom door made us cringe. Tom as always, dispose of it. Sleep didn’t come easy the remainder of the night, fearful that the rains of the past few days may have brought more of these inside the house.

I got the shot and seconds later Tom, brave soul that he is, swept it up and tossed it into the toilet, flushing several times. Years ago, I’d seen an online photo of a snake coming up through a toilet. At that moment, I imagined the centipede coming back up, when we least expected it, while we were on the toilet. Most likely this is a preposterous fear.  

This ugliness may have been as much one foot, 30 cm, long.

But then, fear doesn’t always make the most sense. In the past few days, I’ve been reading a book, entitled, “The Paleo Manifesto, Ancient Wisdom for Lifelong Health” by John Durant, a fascinating read.  

As we watched the sunset, this Elephant crossed the river.

This book quotes scientific studies on both humans and animals in captivity and their horrible physical response resulting in much illness from eating conventional modern day foods, as opposed to what our DNA dictates, that which is readily available in nature in our surroundings. Well, you know I could spend days on this topic but I won’t.

In the easy-to-read scientific book, he discusses fear which we all experience each day of our lives, fear that is ingrained into our DNA over the estimated 200,000 years that man/woman has been on earth (opinions vary on this length of time).  

He explains that fear is not a pointless emotional reaction over which we have to “pull ourselves together.” Fear is in our DNA to protect us from harm.  

We fear heights since we aren’t intended to fly and harm could come to us. We fear flying in an airplane since we’re confined with no chance of escape. We fear dangerous creatures since they have the ability to cause us serious injury or death.

Thinking in terms of the caveman, these fears protected him/her and their offspring, protecting the development of the human race. Thus, we don’t have to be ashamed of having fear. It’s a by-product of being human, deeply ingrained in our DNA.

Why are many humans less fearful? They’ve mentally chosen to overcome the natural instincts due to a motivating factor that supersedes the fear. The remainder of us remains fearful in varying degrees. After all, we are different from one another.

Observing wildlife surrounding us, we see their fear to protect themselves and to preserve their destiny. As humans, we don’t criticize their fear, and yet, we mock and criticize our own, often dismissing the seeming pointless fears belonging to others.  

If we accept that fear at times may be unfounded, but that most often it has a basis for our self-preservation and the preservation of those we love, perhaps we can become more tolerant of those with fear, embracing their natural instincts.

The author pointed out in the book the following, “Why do many people have a visceral fear of snakes, which kill only a few people each year, but not of automobiles, which kills tens of thousands of people each year? Evolutionary theory points out that snakes were a real and deadly threat to our ancestors – but automobiles were not.”

We don’t walk outdoors each morning, looking at the little pink car and feel fearful. And yet we become fearful over the appearance of a centipede. How ironic. Then again, there were no automobiles in the days of the caveman from which our DNA developed.

Animals have an innate fear of snakes as do most of us. Animals we’ve observed in the wild, have many fears; from us, from one another, from being confined or trapped, and many from forces beyond their control.  


With sensible caution, we continue on, fear being our friend, as we strive to embrace the instincts that ultimately provide us with a safe environment.

Tomorrow, we’ll share the details of last night’s braai at our new friend’s home on the Crocodile River and tonight’s New Year’s Eve party at Jabula Lodge where again, we’ll gather with more new friends.  

May all of you have a safe and enjoyable entry into the New Year! And, thanks for sharing our first full year of world travel with us

Holiday postings update…Please stop back by tomorrow…Something very strange occurred while writing today…

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Of nine members of this warthog family, there are two moms; one with four babies and the other with three babies. From watching this family almost daily over a period of 18 days, we believe the mom shown above is the mom of the three babies, which if you look closely are all nursing. (It’s hard to see the third). Thus, the baby on which she is resting her chin belongs to the other mom who is nearby and seems comfortable with this situation. We couldn’t have laughed more when the fourth baby, whether hers or not provided this neck resting spot.

With the holidays imminent, we imagine that most of our readers are busy with preparations and events, leaving little time for our daily musings and photos. We will continue to post each day presenting an abbreviated version that can easily be perused and caught up after the holidays if you so choose. 

The “three little pigs” quit nursing and took off following the other mom as she’d had enough of us for one day.

However, tomorrow we’ll pick up our rental car, and with that, begin exploring, offering what hopefully will be exciting new content as we venture out beyond Marloth Park. Also, we’ll commence on our own game drives in the area, including Kruger Park (which we’ll visit after the holidays).

Notice the size of the anthill behind Tom, located in our yard where there are several.

The thought of entering Kruger Park in a tiny, economical vehicle is a little intimidating when we’ve seen photos of elephants knocking cars on their sides. But, we certainly won’t antagonize any of the wildlife which is often a precipitating factor in any angry animal behavior.

On our way out to dinner on Tuesday night, these wildebeest were hanging out in the front yard of a house.

We’ve heard that Kruger has increased the vehicle limits over the holidays due to the increased number of tourists in the area from 500 per each of the 11 entrance gates to 700 per gate. Over the holidays, vehicles will be backed up on the narrow roads inside the park. We prefer to wait to visit Kruger until after the first of the New Year.

The fees for “internationals” to enter Kruger Park are ZAR $248, US $24.31 per person, per day.

One of the first things we’d like to do shortly is to return to the Crocodile River overlook. Alcoholic beverages are allowed and Tom can enjoy a cocktail while I sip on my ice tea for a delightful “happy hour,” as often as we’d like. There is no fee to enter the overlook area.

Why all these zebra butts were facing the wildebeests escaped us.

The prospect of freedom of driving ourselves is refreshing. After we pick up the rental car, run a few necessary errands in the larger city of Nelspruit, we’ll dine at the popular Hamilton’s located in the cozy town of Malelane (pronounced mal-e-lawn). The distance from Hamilton’s back to Marloth Park is 42 km, 26 miles.

Nothing is close to Marloth Park. Okee Dokee is driving us to Nelspruit from Marloth Park tomorrow at 12:30 pm at a distance of 95 km, 59 miles. Stopping for wildlife sightings certainly lengthens the normal 75 minute driving time.

Tomorrow will be a busy day of driving, which we don’t mind at all. With our newfound ability to stop and take photos along the way at our leisure, we’re both looking forward to being out.

More wildebeests gathered around the clump on the ground.  There was harmony with the zebras.

This past almost three weeks of waiting and watching for visitors has been glorious. Now, with Marloth Park jammed with holiday tourists, we’ve noticed a decline in the visitors over the past four days.

Danie explained that the animals roam from spot to spot foraging along the way. As the rains come (it’s rainy season now as summer begins on December 21st) and more vegetation grows, they move on to the next prolific location, returning to past locations in a period of time.  

This makes sense to us, but I wouldn’t be surprised if all the extra cars driving on the roads and people at the resorts and vacation homes could certainly have a bearing on the wildlife moving about as freely, considering how cautious they are around us, humans.

It appeared that the zebras and wildebeests were sharing some tasty morsel on the ground.
Over these past few days, the warthog family of nine continues to visit, playful, and funny as ever, while an occasional duiker stands ground, staring at us or a baboon skitters by checking out the status of food on the veranda. The birds, including the three Helmeted Guinea-fowls, make a daily appearance. 


Again this week, we got a glimpse of the elusive monitor lizards whose home is near the pool, as they slither in and out of their holes, much too quickly for another photo. 

Tomorrow morning, before taking off for Nelspruit, we have an exciting story to share of an anomaly we found in our yard this morning after writing today’s post, with photos, of course. Please stop back later!

On Saturday, we’ll be sharing photos of our travels outside of Marloth Park, our first big trip to a grocery store, the much-anticipated purchase of socks and the dinner at the popular Hamilton’s. Our course, we’ll include all of the costs, including the car rental.

Enjoy the holiday festivities!

“Small Things”…a world of miniature wildlife and vegetation…Finally we found a Dung Beetle with his “dung ball”…plus the biggest insect ever!

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Zef, our houseman, held this monstrous insect Tom had fished out of the pool with the net.

It would be easy to sit back waiting for wildlife to visit us as we lounge on the veranda. But “easy” doesn’t always ensure the excitement and adventure of discovery. With our curiosity and passion to explore we’ve found a world of small things as intriguing as the big things.

It’s difficult from the photo to determine the enormous size of this insect swimming for its life. We may have saved its life getting it out of the water. It took a full day of hanging upside down on the tree limb to finally fly away. We might have thought it was a bird if we’d seen it in flight.

It all started with this photo of the most enormous insect we’d ever imagined possible that apparently fell into the pool after Tuesday night’s rain.

After Zef gently placed the monstrous insect on a limb on the tree, it grabbed hold of the branch, hanging on for nearly a full day.

Tom tapped me on the shoulder, saying, “Don’t be scared. I have to show you something.”  It was still in the pool, swimming feverishly for its life. Much to my surprise, when I saw it, I wasn’t scared, just curious, and anxious to take a photo.

A frog on the outside of a window.  Most frogs are active at night. We frequently heard them, but seldom saw them.

Zef, our hard-working houseman was here cleaning, prompting us to ask him what this huge thing was and if it was poisonous. He assured us it wasn’t poisonous, just huge. Tom then fished it out of the pool with the net. 

Not all small things are alive. Thank goodness, this Scorpion expired in the pool during the storm.

Without giving it a thought, Zef picked it out of the net, holding it up for these photos. After we’d taken a few photos, Zef placed it on a tree, where it hung for a full day (see above photo), perhaps recovering from its lengthy swim in the pool. We kept an eye on it, but 24 hours later it was gone. We haven’t seen it since. 

This blue flower, a less common color in the wild, caught our eye in our yard.

We must have spent hours researching information about this giant insect to no avail.  Perhaps, one of our worldwide readers will be familiar with it. If so, please post a comment at the end of today’s post.  We’d love to know more.

These tiny birds, the Red-billed Oxpecker (Tick Birds) eat insects off of the giraffes warning them of potential dangers. 

It was this discovery that prompted us to begin the process of finding “Small Things.” One could easily spend a lifetime, as some do, finding the many small curious creatures and plants in this wildlife and vegetation rich tropical climate. All we ever need to do in most cases is simply take the time to look.

Geckos are everywhere, both inside and outdoors.  Louise showed us how to identify their poop which contains a small white bead in the center, often found on stone floors, on countertops, and on furniture throughout the house.

Last night, we got 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. (Gosh, in Diani Beach, Kenya we had no living room. In Marloth Park, South Africa we have two living rooms and we spend all day outside. 


We borrowed this photo (the remainder of the photos here are our own) from this website to illustrate the sticky nature of the gecko’s feet.

As the search for “Small Things” began, we were surprised to find many more interesting plants and creatures. 

This was our first photo of a dung beetle, yet to create his dung ball. 

My mission, since arriving in Africa, has been to find the dung beetle, an objective now fulfilled, as evidenced by these photos. They are everywhere. One need only look along the driveway where the animals enter our property where there’s plenty of dung and subsequently, plenty of dung beetles, such interesting creatures.

This was our first photo of the 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 as they search for an adequate hole in which to bury the ball. The ball is used as sustenance for both of them as well as the maturing larvae.
“Ah!” he says, “Let’s get this dung ball into this hole before someone decides to steal it from us.” Dung beetles have been studied and they are known to steal the dung balls from one another.

I know this is hard to believe but Dung Beetle navigate using the Milky Way. Here are some interesting facts about dung beetles. In addition, there’s this amazing fact about the dung beetle:  

“The individual strength record goes to a male onthphagus taurus dung beetle, which pulled a load equivalent to 1,141 times its own body weight. In human terms, that would be comparable a 150 lb. person pulling 80 tons!” 

Another dung beetle couple aiming for a hole for their growing family.

In our research regarding the dung beetle, we discovered a fact that made us howl with laughter.  While in Italy and Kenya, we ran and hid whenever an enormous black hornet buzzed us, assuming it was in the hornet/wasp/bee family. With both of us allergic to bees, wasps, and hornets, we were terrified of being stung.

With no specific landscaping in our yard, it’s interesting to see an occasional flower. In Marloth Park, the homeowners are to keep the natural bush environment to ensure abundant vegetation for wildlife.

It’s loud buzzing noise alerted us several times a day that it was in the vicinity. We’d quickly take action to get out of its way. We’d researched without luck trying to find information about what we’d assumed to be an enormous black wasp.  

Millipedes are commonly seen in this area which are harmless to humans although they emit a poisonous secretion that when coming in contact with human skin may cause an itchy rash. For the various insects it eats, this venom proves deadly.

Last week, while visiting with Louise and Dani, they explained that the loud black buzzing thing is in fact a dung beetle in flight (without its dung ball in tow). What do we know? We’ve only been traveling the world for over a year. Now, when we hear that loud buzzing sound, we look and laugh, no longer fearful (although we’ll continue to keep a watchful eye for hornets, wasps, and bees).

These mushrooms are growing in our yard.  Of course, we won’t eat them without knowing if they’re safe for consumption.

With over two and a half months left for us to live in this wildlife and vegetation rich location, we’ll continue to gather information and photos of the “Small Things,” which we’ll share with our readers from time to time. We need only to remember to look down or around us for the “Small Things” that God/Mother Nature created, all with the purpose of nourishing the earth and its inhabitants.

As Tom would say, “At least we’re no longer like the dung beetles hauling all their sh_ _ with them everywhere we go!”

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with our most extraordinary day yet in Marloth Park with visitors we’d find only in our dreams. Then again, every day has been magical.

Morning doesn’t come soon enough…The sights and sounds…Am I dreaming?

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The Warthog family comes to visit via a path that leads to the braai (barbecue).

Awake at 5:30 this morning, I  tried falling back to sleep with no luck. I could hardly wait to get up and outside. Today’s agenda is pleasantly busy with a trip at 11:00 am with Okee Dokee to the village of Komatipoort to pick up a few grocery items and to visit the Vodacom store for SIM cards for our MiFi’s. 

Later in the day at 4:30, Leon, the owner/guide of the local Jabula Lodge is picking us up for a private sunset game drive and subsequent dinner at his restaurant. For some reason, I think this may be a regular occurrence.  We’re looking forward and will share details tomorrow. But, goodness, our trip to the grocery store was eventful in itself with many great photos for tomorrow.

The Three Little Pigs stood directly in front of us as we took this photo. 

Louise had provided us with a MiFi loaded with several gigs, but it’s difficult for both of us to be online simultaneously. And, Tom was unable to load the Minnesota Vikings Game video from Sunday. We’re hoping it will download properly using our newer, higher-powered MiFis.

This morning as we sat on the veranda by the pool, this group of 9 warthogs consisting of seven babies and two moms, walked up the driveway toward us, happy to visit.

Hurriedly, I showered and dressed, inpatient in getting outside to check to see if we had visitors. (Yes, I’m already totally hooked on the prospect of welcoming visitors to our home in the bush). At first, I didn’t see anything. 

Sitting down at the outdoor table facing the driveway, I reviewed my email, checked and responded to blog comments, and the general perusing one does online in the morning, Facebook, etc.  Always, with one eye scanning the area as far as we can see with the thick lush summer bush.

This mom and baby were showing a little affection.  These photos are not zoomed.

A short while later, Tom joined me and only minutes later, we found this family of warthogs walking up the drive toward us. We could hardly temper our enthusiasm to welcome them to our new home.

This warthog walked along the veranda while we were inside the house last night, sitting on the sofa facing this door.

It’s a trade-off in Marloth Park, Kruger Park, and other game reserves in Africa. In winter, the leaves and greenery are gone, eaten by the wildlife, and ravaged by the dry weather. During that period everything is brown. Many travelers prefer to go on holiday during winter with easier wildlife viewing with less obstruction by greenery. 

This mom approached us with caution, checking us out before she let the babies get close to us.

For us, we love the vegetation and the wildlife, and, although much hotter now, we’re delighted to see the wildlife visiting to nibble on the greenery. The heat is less difficult for us to bear when at any moment we can go inside to turn on one of three AC units to cool off. 

Mama felt so at ease, she plopped down in our driveway to nurse a few babies.

There are no screens on any of the windows here. It would be an invitation for the monkeys (we’ve only seen a few thus far) to rip through the screens to get inside to tear everything apart looking for food. Without screens and the windows shut, it stays cool inside the house, requiring that we only turn on the AC in the sun of the late afternoon and in our room at night.

This termite hill on our grounds is approximately 10 feet, 3.05 meters tall.

It is imperative to keep exterior doors closed to keep out the bugs. We learned this lesson on our first night. With our bedroom door shut at all times, we don’t need a mosquito net over the bed. Louise offered to have one put up if we needed it, but not one mosquito has buzzed our heads in bed so far.

The nocturnal mini bushbabies live in two hollowed-out logs we have hanging over the pool.

It’s the rainy season now. Last night it rained all night. There hasn’t been much sunshine since we arrived, making it cooler. The humidity is as high as it was in Kenya. We’re surrounded by the Crocodile River and about an hour from the Indian Ocean. The ceiling and roof of the house are thatched, but surprisingly stays dry during the rainy season from what we can tell so far.

We have no doubt that many visitors will stop by besides the warthogs. We’ll try to keep the warthog photos to a minimum. But for now, we are enjoying their curious visits as we await other species popular to Marloth Park.

The sounds are amazing. Tom’s eldest brother Jerry has been completely blind since 1970. Without a doubt, Jerry would delight in the sounds we’re hearing. Yesterday afternoon, we held our breath at the clear, not too far away sound of a lion’s roar over a period of 20 minutes. We sat frozen in our seats on the veranda, trying to determine how far away it could be. It sounded close.

Devising a rapid escape plan should it come too close, we were unafraid and in awe of the wonder of nature.  Usually, lions don’t enter Marloth Park with the Crocodile River acting as a natural barrier. There are flimsy fences to keep out the animals. But, we were told by Louise and Danie, that on occasion, a lion has been sighted.

Soon, we’ll have time to figure out the species of this bird, but today is a busy day in the bush.

Jerry would also love the sounds of the hippos, a sound we loved hearing when we slept in the tent (OK, fancy tent) along the Mara River in the Masai Mara on safari. Depending on the wind, at times the hippo sounds permeated the air, allowing us to hear them when we are inside, even at night in bed with the AC is on.

Last night as we waited for visitors, we overlooked the small pool. This morning Tom scooped a few centipedes out the pool after last night’s torrential rain.

The bird sounds day and night often change minute by minute are many that we’ve never heard before. At night, the mini bush babies living in their houses hanging by our pool, come out making the sweetest sounds, music to our ears. Tom, hard of hearing after 42 years on the railroad, still can hear many of the sounds, relishing in the uniqueness each creature provides.

So, as we anxiously await more visitors, which surely will come to see us in the three months we’ll be in Marloth Park. We’ll treasure every moment, every sound, every singing bird, every chirping frog, the constant hum of the crickets, and of course, the sound of each other’s awe and excitement of sharing in Mother Nature’s wonderland.

P.S. Soon, we’ll post interior house photos as we continue to organize our stuff and clear off the shelves and counters for a less “cluttered’ look.

Our minds play tricks on us…Learning to avoid disappointment…

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Thank you, loyal readers, for taking the time to read the relatively mundane storytelling of the process of preparing to leave yet another country. At this point, if we didn’t share this process, our alternative would be to avoid posting for many days with little else to tell.

Nothing pleases us more than sharing photos and accompanying stories that seem to pique the interest of most of our readers. What’s to show or tell when the packing in itself is repetitious and boring?

But, wait! A week from today we’ll be lounging on our new veranda with a tower (see chart below) of giraffes only feet away nipping at the tree tops or a sounder (see chart below) of warthogs getting comfortable for an afternoon nap in the yard or a crossing (see chart below) of zebras staring at us in wonder as they contemplate a drink from the swimming pool.

Animal
A group is called a –
Cobras Quiver
Crocodiles Float
Elephants Herd
Giraffe Tower
Gorillas Band
Leopards Leap
Lions Pride
Rhino Crash
Warthogs Sounder
Zebra Crossing or Herd

Click! Click! Click! Will the camera be smoking’ then or what? 

With much to do to prepare, to hopefully arrive safely in Marloth Park, South Africa next Sunday by late afternoon, as soon as we have an Internet connection, we’ll be posting photos and the story of our arrival. 

If, for some reason you don’t hear from us by then, please be patient. Our flight may have been delayed. We may be delayed at immigration or customs. Who knows what delays may present themselves? We don’t worry about possible delays as long as we arrive safely, hopefully with our luggage.

Of all the places we’ve visited thus far, I can honestly say, I’ve anticipated South Africa the most, mainly based on the opportunity to live in a wildlife reserve, bugs, heat, and all. 

Invariably, when entering the new locations, we’ve discovered some disappointments that the house isn’t exactly as we’d imagine. Human nature. You know how we get a picture in our mind, even with accompanying photos of what something will look and feel like, only to find something different upon arrival. 

This isn’t to imply that the property description was inaccurate or dishonest in any manner. It’s just the fact that our brains play tricks on us, helping us paint of picture of “what we’d like it to be” as opposed to “what it is.”  Moving as often as we have in the past 13 months, we’ve come to accept this fact as simply a part of the process. In a few days, we’ll be settled in, accepting the differences, but oddly never forgetting the image we’d conjured in our minds. I guess this is true in life in every area.

So now, I imagine the plastic “vacuum sealed bags” containing all of our clothing, securely closed in our luggage with zippers working and walking out the door of the house in Diani Beach, Kenya five days from today. 

Carrying with us will be the memories of safari which in this case, were more breathtaking than any vision we may have had in our brains long ago.