Wow!…How did we get so lucky?…Superb time at Jabula with many friends, old and new…

Hal has been stopping by each day. Now, we see less of Broken Horn. Could Hal have scared him off and claimed his territory. Only time will tell.

We’re running low on photos right now. We’ve had many visitors, but our photos are becoming repetitious with the same animals coming to visit day after day. I guess they are like us humans; familiarity is comforting and dependable. They visit, we serve pellets along with “happy talk.” They don’t seem to need much more from us.

Oh, don’t get me wrong! We aren’t ever bored seeing the same visitors day after day. One never gets tired of seeing their loving dog or cat greeting them at the door. That’s not to say these lovely beasts are pets. But they similarly grab at your heartstrings.

We’ll continue to try to get good photos to share in our posts. As soon as the weather improves we’ll head back to Kruger National Park. But, with the heat and rain, we wouldn’t expect to see much, as has been reported by some friends who’ve given it a try. The animals tend to stay undercover on hot days and during rainstorms.

Speaking of friends, last night at Jabula, we had another delightful evening with Rita, Gerhard, Petra, and Fritz. Today, they will drive to Johannesburg to drop off Petra and Fritz at the airport for their return flight to Germany. They had decided not to fly in and out of Nelspruit, the airport several hours closer to Marloth Park. They aren’t seasoned travelers, and changing planes and flights may have been daunting for them. It was easier for them to fly in and out of Tambo Airport in Joburg with only one layover in Paris.

Anyway, as usual, the six of us were having a great time at Jabula, situated at our regular table for six on the veranda. While sitting at the bar before we moved to our table, several friends arrived that we were thrilled to see. Once at the table, more and more people arrived and greeted us.

Hal seems quite content, repositioning himself for a nap.” On average these wildebeests spend around 4.5 hours sleeping each day. This sleep is comprised of both non-REM (4.2 h) and REM (0.28 h). Actigraphy recordings show fair agreement with polysomnography.”

It was delightful to see all of these lovely people and realize that after spending over 30 months in Marloth Park in the past 9 years, we’ve had the opportunity to develop a wide array of friends, along with many acquaintances who often become friends over time. Of course, like all of us, we tend to gravitate toward those special people with whom we spend the most time, creating beautiful memories along the way.

Although some of our friends are away right now, we look forward to their return when we can pick up where we left off. It was never this easy to make friends while in the US. That’s not to say people aren’t friendly. They are. But the busy pace and culture of always being on the go made it difficult to cultivate new friendships, especially as a couple when the pairing must suit all four individuals.

We haven’t restricted ourselves to couples or age considerations. No, we don’t gravitate only to people in our age group. Many of our friends are 10, 20, or even 30 years younger than us. The magic of finding other couples that we connect with and singles we incorporate into our lives is a very special aspect of our lifestyle.

When I was young, I was always the youngest in a group of friends. Now that I’m older, more often than not, I’m the oldest in any group. This doesn’t phase me one way or another. After all, Tom is five years younger than me, which isn’t much, but there is nothing about our lives that makes this a hindrance in any manner.

We are grateful for all the fine friendships we’ve made in Marloth Park and worldwide, many of whom we stay in close touch. We are thankful for the friends we’ve left behind in the US, knowing at some point down the road, we’ll be together again.

Yes, it’s easier to make friends in Marloth Park. The commonality of our love for nature and wildlife is a perfect segue into easy conversation. Although our lives may be very different, this mutual passion can easily build lifelong friendships.

May your day be filled with the companionship of dear friends.

Photo from one year ago today, January 29, 2021:

We have a clean cement pond in the garden, from which the wildlife often drink, and the birdbath, which Tom refills with fresh water daily. The pool water has only a tiny amount of chlorine in it, not ideal for wildlife to drink but not dangerous for them. For more, please click here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *