The Next Chapter

Bobbejaans! AKA Baboons!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 08:16:00 +0000

My apologies for the giant delay in posting this. It seemed as though all that could go wrong did during & after my juice fast! Sadly since I've finished juicing, I've felt rougher than when I was! My raw weekend turned into the craziest bout of gastro I've ever experienced. I couldn't even sleep through the night. I think I know what it's like to have a newborn - I had to get up every 30-90 minutes from midnight until 6 a.m. for 5, yes, FIVE days. When that ended, I was left with a migraine and a bladder infection. I ended up taking antibiotics for 5 days & only after the fourth day did I find relief! And then I got ANOTHER migraine. Just a wee bit crazy!

It is becoming quite hot here now and I am VERY grateful about that. I think I will do a simplified version of juicing, smoothies, soups & lightly steamed or grilled veggies. There are many delightful fruits in season at the moment and I won't have access to them in a month's time once we leave for Canada. My Skoonma brought home a case of apricots just the other day.

I hope you'll enjoy the video and I'll do my best to post a few more over the weeks to come. I have a large stash of yarn to bust through by Christmas time, as well as preparing for our 'migration', so bear with me!

Much love & health to you! Keep up the great work JuiceGirl and Miss Montana. I'm elated for you both!

xxxx Mama Africa

ps - My weight loss hit 65.3 kg, but since I've eaten food, I've gained a few kg already. (Not all of it has been healthy food!)

One Week

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 06:43:00 +0000

Yay! I've made it through the first week! Certainly not without it's challenges! Last night I managed to go for a little jog with Jaco & Kudu. I was impressed that I made it as far as I did. However, my knees and ankles are reminding me (gently) today that I did something.

Today we went to the beach and took a drive up Rotary Way. It's a stunning lookout point and gives great views on clear days - like today! The beach was quite busy, since it was hot, so we didn't spend too much time there. I managed to get sand spilled onto my camera and lens, so I'm a little upset this evening! :o( We're off to Cape Town tomorrow, so I'm taking in my gear to see if I can have it professionally cleaned. Fingers crossed!

My weight loss has hit a plateau, but I'm not too worried about it right now. I haven't been enjoying the green drinks as much as I should be, but perhaps it has a little (a lot) to do with the cabbage, beets, and broccoli I've been putting in. I think I'll 'tame' down my imagination in the juice department.

I'm feeling much better after this first week. I'm looking forward to the coming week to see what changes happen. The idea has been popping into my mind to just keep going after this week. We'll see.

I hope you enjoy the video. I had fun making it. I really enjoy picking out the music to go along with the footage. Maybe it's just because I love music so much and when I edit I can put my headphones on & have my own little concert. (If only in my head. Literally!)

And a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Juice Girl on completing 3 weeks of juicing! Wow! That's amazing! You should be very proud of yourself & how far you've come! You've kept your commitments to us, to Eric, your friends & family, but most importantly to yourself! Keep up the great work & we're with you every step of the way. It's an easy ride from here on in!

Enjoy the video!

P.S. - I'm typing this waiting for the YouTube version to load & listening to my 'juice splatter' fix - Trots Afrikaans Vol. 6 - I'm lovin' every minute of it! Perhaps I'll feature some of the tunes in a video yet...

Day 6 - Presenting Whales!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 07:17:00 +0000

I'm baaaaack! I'm sure you missed me! :oP Today's footage is actually from a few days ago, but I wanted to share it with you anyways. We were supposed to go to Cape Town today and then decided against it. Looks like Monday is going to be stellar weather, so fingers crossed, I'll have some excitement for you by then!

I went for a run this evening with Jaco & Kudu. I struggled, but crossed the finish line. Looks like I've got a long path ahead to get fit, as well as healthy! But I'm feeling encouraged by the scale thus far. I've lost 8.6 lbs. Nearly 4 kgs. I'm happy about that, as I have been struggling to lose more than 1 or two pounds, which then creep back on magically!

A huge shout out to Juice Girl and her amazing success! Three weeks down! And 10 kg sugar bag lost!!! Amazing!!! And kudos to Eric for sticking with you! That's amazing support!

In any case, I won't ramble on... I hope you enjoy the video. Stay healthy!

xxxx Mama Africa & her village

Days 4 & 5 - MIA, but here's a re-enactment

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 22:23:00 +0000

A little hiccup along the path - but we're back and on the air. Kind of. I did a little re-enactment just so you could experience a little taste of the past two days. It wasn't all bad, but I was certainly tired and in pain!

xxxx Mama Africa & her village

Still on Track!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 10:58:00 +0000

Just a quick note to let you know that I didn't fall off the bandwagon! I had a really rough day & night, so I went to bed early & decided to forego the day's edit. I was in bed by 8:30, but woke up at 1 a.m. and couldn't fall back asleep until 4. My head was pounding and still is this morning. I have severe muscle tension throughout my sinus area, jaw, occipital region, down the back of my neck, shoulders and between my shoulder blades. Sounds like fun, eh? Stay tuned, I'll see what I can get together once my head feels better!

xxxx Mama Africa & her village

Stellar Day at Grotto Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 08:55:00 +0000

Today was GORJUSS! It was hot and sunny. I still had some juice from last night, which was perfect, as I am always hungry in the morning. I was another kilo down, weighing in at 67.5 kg.

We went to Checkers, nearly bought them out of coconuts, along with 2 bags of fruit and veggies. The bagging lady said something about not eating any more mealies now that it is summer time and how she has to eat meat everyday. First off, that make me a little queasy. Second of all, the health magazine I showed in another video talked about GMO corn and how it's causing tumours in mice. Africans live off of mealies - cornmeal, basically. The women are notoriously big. It's actually quite frightening to think of how many people are eating this 'death trap'. I've never seen organic corn in any of the stores. If you haven't heard about it, read this. California is fighting to have GMO foods labelled, which I think is a smashing great idea. Just do a quick google search to find out which of your favourite food brands don't care about your health. Even some of the so called 'healthy & organic' companies are listed on the 'dark side'. If you're interested to know what countries use GMO & which don't, here's another article. Having had cancer and survived, I feel quite passionate about things like this.

One last thing I want to mention is about Canada. And the Prairies. The Federal Government is planning to sell off a bunch of land in a few years time. Why this should concern you is because it is currently cared for by people who have a vested interest in the land and animals using it. Not making a profit from it. If it is to be sold to private owners, it would be too expensive for the average Joe in the neighbourhood, meaning it will most likely go towards wealthy business owners who only care about making more money, or to the Hutterites, whom I've heard use A LOT of pesticides and also care about making money. Currently the land is cared for diligently - endangered species, protection from overgrazing, using natural pest control (bugs that eat other bugs or grasses and then perish). Access is controlled for hunting and oil & gas exploration. How do I know this? My Dad is one of those caretakers and trust me, you've never met someone as passionate about his job as he is! Even after 30+ years! Basically, if this land is sold, it will affect farmers and ranchers, who will no longer be able to raise as many cattle or be forced to use cropland as grazing land. How does that affect you? Guess where your food comes from? If you think, 'I don't eat much meat', think again. Where do you think your grains come from? Those farmers are growing YOUR next meal! Here's how you can help. Go to www.protecttheprairie.ca and sign the petition. Share it on Facebook and with everyone you know. P.s. - my Dad is retiring & he still cares about this issue - GREATLY! I hope you will care enough too!

Anyhow, here is the video for day three. I hope you'll enjoy it. Hermanus really is a beautiful place to live. If crime wasn't such an issue (& currently the strikes against the farmers) I would thoroughly consider staying here for good! In case you could hear on the video, our dog is named Kudu, after one of the wild animals found in South Africa. The second video shows you what a real Kudu looks like. I'll also include a photo below that I took in Addo Elephant Park.

Have a fabulous day wherever in the world you are. Stay well, stay healthy, stay vibrant!

Maria Valentina AKA Mama Africa (& her village)

The 'other' or 'real' Kudu:

Taken in Addo Elephant Park:

Day Two of the Juice Fast

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 08:38:00 +0000

Soooooo bored! But getting stuff done!

Today I woke up earlier than usual - only one hour, but it made a big difference. I decided to clean up my painting supplies, as I'm pretty much done Kudu's Magical Flying Box. Then I decided to rearrange the furniture in the sitting room. I cleaned, tidied, rearranged, played with the dog, made juice, knit, edited my videos and was ready for bed by 10 pm! Phew! What a day! I could get used to this productivity!

In any case, I got a little carried away with the videos... Here is the official one on how the day went:

And as promised, here is the Granadilla 'Promo':

Lastly, I have been having so much fun with music and videos as of late... I did one of Apple's built-in templates. It's only a minute long... Can't wait until I have better footage! I hope you enjoy them all!

Keep up the great work girls! I'm extremely proud of you!
xxxx Mama Africa & her 'village'
Oh & today's weight was 68.5 kgs.
Starting weight was 70.3 kgs.

Mama Africa (Mars)

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:29:00 +0000

Day 1 is done & dusted. Nearly dusted. I just need to set the video to load & I'm retiring for the day. It was a tough one. I didn't sleep well last night, monthly cramps found me taking Advil on an empty stomach at 3, 6 & 9 a.m. Finally woke up around 11. Made some juice & putted my way through the rest of the day. Managed to sneak in a great chat with Jenn. I'm thrilled we can reconnect, as I've been on ships & communication is tough. Even the slow internet in Africa is an upgrade from internet at sea!

Not much to report. Here's the video. Hope you enjoy it... I'm looking for critters to capture for you...

Mama Africa (for another 13 days!)

Mama Africa Gets Juicy

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:43:00 +0000

Right. So. If you check my blog regularly, you'll have the 'privilege' of seeing the video before anyone else. Here's the scoop.

My best friend's sister-in-law (you got that?) decided to do a 57-day juice fast to try and help some of her health issues. Someone suggested she blog about it & I love a good blog. I voted yes for the blog. She decided to do a vlog (video blog). I've been following her progress faithfully and she is doing AMAZING! 20 pounds vanished in 2 weeks!

Funnily enough, another of my best friends was chatting with me about health and nutrition just a few days prior. At the time I had just changed my diet and started exercising to help my husband and I as we transition from ship to shore. She felt a little discouraged about health and eating, so I suggested she start small and we could help each other along. When JuiceGirl came along, I thought, 'Hey! These two should meet, if only virtually, they would be great support for each other!' I suggested a FB introduction and lo & behold, they are both losing weight like melting snow in African sunshine! I'm so happy for them both!

To show my support and wanting to boost my own health, I've decided to join them for 2 weeks of juice fasting. My Skoonma has a juicer, so I'm borrowing it for 2 weeks. I'll do my best to upload a video each day. I said I would try to include African animals as much as I can, but we're a little ways from any wildlife parks. I will also show snippets of what it's like over here, for those who have never been.

It's hard to sit in front of the camera and just talk. I am used to being busy, not sitting idly, this could be a challenge. I hope this first video does what I hope it will - entertain you!

Stay tuned for more juice in life!

xxxx Mama Africa

Humble Pie, Kicking Dirt, Gritting Teeth, Inspiration or Maybe Just Perspiration...

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 23:21:00 +0000

Today Jaco & I went to a nearby town called Kleinmond. We were meeting one of Jaco's colleagues from the ship. Jaco needed a reference from her for his Canadian application. We enjoyed a lovely visit at a seaside restaurant. The service was wonderful, they even brought a bucket of water for the dogs, and the views were stunning.

It wasn't too busy at the restaurant, but one large table was sat beside us. There was one fellow who had a nice camera. A Canon 7D with a 24-70 lens. 2.8, L-Series. It's a serious lens. It retails for around $1500 Canadian. In Rand, it would be significantly more. But the guy didn't have a UV filter on it! Seeing this mortifies me! My Mom taught me most of what I know about photography & one of the very first things she taught me was to put a UV filter on my lenses. That way the lens is protected from dust, dirt, bumps, scratches, dog's noses, kids fingers, etc, etc. If your lens is scratched, it's ruined. If your UV filter is scratched, it's replaceable!

When I worked on ships, we would get a lot of passengers who would come to the counter for numerous issues. If I noticed they didn't have a UV filter, I would always recommend it. Well, today it bit me in the butt.

I hesitated telling the young man, because nobody likes to be told what to do(*ahem*). When I did, I started out by commenting on his lens & how good it was. Then was he a professional... He hesitated on professional, but his friends said yes, with emphasis. I asked him why he had such a great lens, but no UV filter on it. He replied saying it affected his focusing, and besides, he has a lens hood. A weak argument, but that wasn't the point.

The points are:
1. He is much younger than I.
2. He has a business in Photography. (I don't)
3. He hands me his business card. (I don't have a business, why would I have cards?)
4. He is from up country, but shooting near Cape Town. (Obviously has clients around the country)
5. You get my point?

I don't have a leg to stand on. I'm just a girl with a nice camera. I bought a domain name in 2010. I haven't done anything with it. I bought a Lightroom tutorial book. I haven't done anything with it. I have a decade of travel photographs. I haven't done anything with them.

Blimey! It's a real struggle! This kid really knocked me today! I'm like the child-less friend telling her friend how to raise her kids! (And we all know how much Moms hate that!) (I really try not to!)

In fact, part of the reason I stopped my blog was because I thought I should be investing my time in a photography business, not blogging about what I did or didn't do for the day! These days I'm lucky to be up & dressed before 2 in the afternoon! Who am I kidding!?

So, here I sit. Tools in hand. But where is the key to get the engine revved up & rolling down the road?! Seeing as it's after midnight, I'm not looking for the key tonight. Maybe tomorrow, but certainly not today!

On the lighter side of things, and please don't judge me for what I'm about to say... I painted Kudu's nails yesterday. His first paw-dicure. What's that? Paw-dicure? Photo business? My head hangs in shame, but my dogs toes are a pretty blue!

Jaco & I walked around town this afternoon - it was a glorious sunny day! I've committed to a 10-14 day juice fast to support a few friends and to help myself get on track. I'll begin it on Monday. Who knows, maybe I'll even finally tackle that Lightroom book and get started with learning what to do with all these photos!

I hope I'll look back on this day & laugh. But for now... I'm unsure of the word to describe this humble feeling.

Sincerely,
Maria Valentina

I was going to look for some pretty pics to try & validate that I'm not a lost cause, but it was so bloody overwhelming! Now it's past one, so this is the only one you get!

And Then One Day...

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 20:19:00 +0000

Gosh, it's been such a long time since I've posted anything on here, I feel like I'm starting over again. And in a way, I am!

So much has happened since I blogged regularly, it really is difficult to pick a starting point. Perhaps I'll try to include snippets of the past 1.5 years in the days to come, but for now... An update on present day happenings.

Jaco & I have officially claimed our land legs. We have said goodbye to Princess & then have most certainly set sail without us. Jaco is happy & I suppose I am too. Obviously I will miss the travel opportunities - who wouldn't want to wake up in another exciting location from one day to the next without having to drive or fly? But I hope in the future both of us will be able to enjoy a trip together. Certainly we will if I have a say in the matter!

Jaco has been busy applying for his Canadian registration. He has a job. He has a work permit. He only needs to certify with the College in BC and have a few references sent it and it's a green light for life in Canada!

He has a job in Penticton. Where? Penticton, British Columbia. A quaint little town that sits between 2 lakes & mountains on the other sides. Kelowna is to the north and Osoyoos is to the south. The area is known as the Okanagan Valley & is home to many vineyards & fruit orchards. The climate is as close to Mediterranean as I could find in Canada & apparently the winters are mild. We'll see about that! Here's what Wikipedia has to say about Penticton.

I'm very excited to finally move into a house and unpack. No more suitcases! No more 50 lbs is your life! No more baggage! And our 3 dogs will finally be together. Three dogs you say? Yes, since my previous blogging days, Jaco & I have acquired another dog. His name is Kudu and he is a Miniature Pinscher born and raised in South Africa. We have had him for just over one year. A brief history...

My adorable niece, Zandrie, got a guinea pig last year when I visited her family for the weekend. Jaco was attending a recertification course nearby. On Sunday afternoon, Zandrie, her Dad, and myself went to a few pet shops to try and find a pen for the guinea pigs. When we entered one of the pet shops, they had one puppy. The store was just opening and was still preparing the shelves and shop. This poor little puppy was lying there all alone. No toys, no blanket, and fleas and worms as I later discovered. When I saw him I said, "Oh, look at the little puppy!" He went crazy when he heard my voice. Crying, whining, scratching at the door, licking my fingers... It was unbearable! He even came with a little upside down heart on his chest! I immediately called Jaco, who said I would have to ask his Mom, as she would have to care for Kudu while we were on the ship. To my surprise, she said yes! We drove back to Cape Town the next day and brought Kudu home. He weighed a whopping 1.4 kgs and he has been such a delight to get to know. In South Africa it is against the law to crop dog's tails & ears, a topic which is dear to my heart and I hope the rest of the world will catch on! Needless to say, Kudu's huge ears are one of his most endearing qualities. Of course, his spirited personality is another!

I took him to puppy classes and he loves them! He caught on very quickly and whines the entire class because he is just so happy to be there! In fact, since I've been away this last little while, if the dog walker didn't come to collect Kudu for puppy class, Kudu would clear the fence (over 1m) and run down the block and into the municipality where he would completely disrupt the class. The instructor loves the fact that Kudu likes puppy classes this much. He is truly an example of 'the Teacher's Pet'!

Currently we are making arrangements to fly Kudu to Canada. I bought a wooden box last time I was in SA to fly him in. He can not fly in the cabin of the plane & must fly cargo. Not impressed! In any case, I have spent the past 3 weeks painting his 'flying box'. Primer, white enamel, SA flag, Canada flag, Kudu's name, checkerboard, stripes, and I still have the inside to do! And then he needs to get used to it!

He loves to play ball and run - very much a Daddy's boy! I am excited to see how Kudu will get along with the girls. Valentina's nose might be slightly out of joint as she does not have the long legs Kudu does to run & jump for the ball!

Jaco & I are currently in South Africa at his parents place. We have been enjoying quiet days. We have started eating healthily and preparing our own food. Yes, you read that right. I have been cooking. *gasp* I am doing my best to try and give us a good start for our arrival in Canada. Jaco has been very helpful in the kitchen and he even does the dishes! I'm so lucky! My Mother-in-Law used to cook and bake professionally, so I have a plethora of expertise at my fingertips. Although I think her and my Father-in-Law are a bit skeptical of the 'alternative' ingredients I use! Buckwheat flour, agave, coconut oil, cacao nibs, almond butter, kelp noodles... Good times and challenges for the taste buds! It has also been very interesting for me to learn of some of the traditions South Africans use in the kitchen. For example, they eat their gem squash (think mini acorn squash) by boiling them in a pot of water and then putting butter and sugar inside.(seeds removed) We always baked them in the oven and then put butter and salt and pepper in them.

Our days are filled with internet (!) (Yay for no more satellite internet that is as slow as dial-up!), yoga, a walk or a jog, taking the dogs to the beach, and sometimes Jaco will watch some sports, I'll paint or knit a bit, we'll get groceries and then make dinner. I haven't quite figured out how parents do it in the real world. I don't wake up early and I'm lucky to get 3 things done in a day. (This blog thing could be a challenge!) Hats off to those of you who manage to handle yourselves and children day after day!

Oh and speaking of internet... Our internet was out for 11 days last month. We spent hours on the phone with the Internet company. They told us our password needed to be changed, they told us the transmission cable was out and 82 other people were without internet in our area, they told us what their colleague was telling them to tell us, they sent one technician who couldn't fix it. I was nearing my breaking point with South African service. Finally, I had a lovely gentleman on the phone who escalated our need for service and the following day a second technician came out to fix our internet. The problem? Kudu. Yes, the dog. Kudu managed to bite through the cable. He must have had a ball in amongst the wires and played away until he bit through the cable. Rather humorous, I must say. He has had his photo, along with the cable, submitted to Dog-Shaming.com Apparently they have over 12,000 submissions, so I don't know if Kudu will make the cut, but in any case, it's a funny way to laugh your way through a lunch break!

I suppose that is enough of an update for now. I'll do my best to submit some more posts on a much more regular basis!

Until then... Keep well and enjoy your day!

Maria, Valentina, Oceana, Kudu, Adios and of course, Jaco

The day we brought Kudu home

Just look at those ears!

Sorry Telkom!

He looks guilty, no?

On his skateboard

Mama's boy.

The Cowgirl Rides Away...

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Tue, 22 May 2012 07:00:00 +0000

As much as I would love to reignite my zest for blogging, I'm really dragging my feet. These days it seems like I'm dragging everything! In any case, I'm compelled to share with you my past week.

My Dad is due to retire from his job as a Pasture Manager with the PFRA. What's that? Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration. Basically the Federal Government owns the land & Dad runs it. Local farmers in the area bring small herds of cows & calves each Spring & put them in the pasture. Dad & one hired man look after the animals all summer long. They make sure they are not overgrazing the fields, they have ample water & salt blocks. At a certain time they will let the bulls out to breed the cows. In the Fall, the cattle are gathered & sent home for the winter until the following year.

For whatever reason, the Federal Government has decided to close approximately 80 of these pastures across several provinces. It's really quite tragic. For reasons I won't get into here - it's a lot of information & that's not what I wanted to go on about!

Dad asked me to take some photos of 'the end of an era', so I happily said yes for the chance to shoot & ride - for old times sake!

I drove to Saskatchewan on Saturday afternoon, leaving 3 hours late on true Taylor Time. I arrived about 9 p.m. Dad had been helping the neighbours brand their cattle & they had a long day of hard work. They were just coming in for supper, so Dad & I joined them.

After dinner, Dad & I went out to the truck to realize that the girls had locked the door & the keys were inside! Oops! Luckily there was a spare key hidden on the exterior! Silly dogs!

Sunday I drove to Swift Current to visit my Grandma B for Mother's Day. I picked up a few dozen roses for her & a couple of cards & joined her & my Aunt Patti & cousin for brunch. We had a nice visit & managed to bump into my brother's Godparents, whom I haven't seen for DECADES! We stopped to see another cousin & his family - 2 ADORABLE children!

I headed home early, as I knew I had a full day ahead of me on Monday.

I grew up on the PFRA for the majority of my childhood. We moved there in 1989 & I left in 1997. Horses were part of my life since I can remember. 4-H, rodeos, horse sales, brandings, etc, etc. I'm certainly the odd duck of the family - choosing to travel, while the balance of my family could easily slip into a Marlboro ad unnoticed.

Before I left Alberta, I tossed my saddle into the trunk with my chinks (short chaps) my mother made for me. I grabbed my most cowgirl-like pair of Italian boots, as my cowboy boots are in storage somewhere. I'm about 30 lbs heavier than high school, so I had only one pair of skinny (stretchy) jeans that would fit. I tried my chinks on before I left & I had to ask Mom how fat people put chinks on. I could barely bend around to do them up! Sad!

Well, Monday morning I realize I have no cinches on my saddle. I have no belt. I can't find my cowboy hat. So. I use Dad's old saddle, a progress string for a belt (one step up from baler twine) & I throw on a wide headband to keep the hair out of my face. My cowboy hat has disappeared over the years - unbeknownst to me until this morning! (And don't forget I'm wearing Italian boots with my classy outfit!) Of course, getting on was a sight to be missed! As I mentioned, I'm a little pudgy, the chinks are tight & getting on I nearly pulled the saddle round the side every time. *hangs head in shame*

I was given Earl to ride. Earl will forever have a special place in my heart. Earl is in retirement - he is lame. He did really well the day I rode him & I couldn't tell he was sore. He stood rock solid still when I needed to take photos & when I wasn't taking photos - Oh. Yeah. Baby. Earl's got cow. Seriously. If I had Earl when I was in high school, I am positive I would have been a cow girl & not a sailor. In case you don't know what 'cow sense' is - check out this video:

Earl was a cow eating machine! If I gave the slightest suggestion that he should go after the cow or calf, he was ALL OVER IT! AWESOME!!! What a great horse!

I had a great day with Earl. It was sunny & windy, so I was pretty burnt by the end of he day, but it was worth it! Spending the day under the sun, on a horse, in the middle of a sea of rolling grasslands... life is beautiful!

On Tuesday morning, Earl was a little sore from the adventures of the previous day, so I was given a different horse. We were NOT a match. He got excited about cows, but he didn't know what to do with them. He didn't neck rein, was rougher than a riding a jackhammer & when he spooked & caused my camera bag to fall on the ground, that was it. I was done. I wasn't going to risk a $5000 expense because of a boneheaded horse.

Dad, Greg & April had to move the cows & calves to a different pasture yet, but they had to do it without me. Unfortunately it was a bit of a challenge & they certainly could've used a few more hands to help out. I felt bad, but riding the bonehead, I'm sure I wouldn't have been much help.

Another day out in the sunshine, I was pretty tired by the time dinner rolled around. In fact, I'd had a bad headache from the sun/wind the day before. I didn't have much of an appetite, so I headed for bed. At 8 o'clock. That's a world record for me!

I'm not sure what happened to me, but at 3 a.m. I woke up & felt my lower lip feeling a little puffy. I went to the loo & got a bit of a fright when I looked in the mirror. It looked like a midnight Botox session had secretly occurred while I was dreaming! Only somewhat scary! By the time I woke up at 6:45 my lower lip was even bigger & blistered! I couldn't even drink properly! Water dribbled down the front of my shirt & talking was also a challenge! Try to say 'metformin' when you have an extra 50 psi in your lower lip! It wasn't a pretty sight! Never in my life has anything like this happened!

Needless to say, I didn't ride that day! I googled 'sunburned lips' & found out that a tea bag was supposed to help soothe the lips, so I spent the morning with Earl Grey stuck on my face. April & I went for a walk & since it was sunny, I stuck a tissue under the bridge of my sunglasses & away we went. I looked a little like Michael Jackson meets Angelina Jolie! Oh the joys of coming home!

By the afternoon, my lips looked normal & Dad asked if I wanted to ride. I said sure, but Earl was still sore. Boo. I took the truck & trailer out, along with the girls & followed along behind Greg & Dad as they gathered the field & moved the cattle to the other field. It was still a challenge that day, but they managed to get the job done. Dad said for 20 years one bunch of the herd had been going East & another bunch North. Now that he was trying to take them all West, they were confused. Thankfully the 2 of them got the job done. I enjoyed taking photos from the truck & when a few stragglers wandered near the truck, I took the stick & whooped & hollered to send them away. At one point I realized that the lone cow headed in my direction could've been a little aggressive & being on foot, I was helpless with only a stick. There were no trees to climb & but for one fence post I could run circles around, I would be buggered if she decided to show me who's boss. Thankfully she headed the other direction!

We spotted a few antelope on our way out & back, which is always a nice sight on the open prairie! That night my lip swelled up again, but not as bad. Thankfully it went down again by noon the next day.

I have decided to hang up my hat on playing cowgirl. But wait, I don't have a hat. Well, in any case, I think it will be awhile before I sit in the saddle again.

That afternoon I was getting ready to leave for Alberta the following morning. I thought I best load my saddle, seeing as I wasn't going to need it again! The girls followed me to the barn & the horses were sniffing them out. When I left the barn, the girls stayed close & just as I got to the gate, all hell broke loose.

Most of the horses had just been walking along behind looking & sniffing the girls' trail. One of the horses, from 20-30 metres away, picks up a trot, marches right over & steps on Oceana. I had just told the girls to hurry up & get out of the way & this horse was on top of her in an instant. I heard this horrible yelping & crying & turned to see dust, hooves & Oceana caught in the middle of it. I threw my saddle down to spook the horse & he got out of the way. But the damage was done. Oceana crawled under the gate & under my car.

I tried to reach her & pull her out to assess the damage, but she tried to bite me every time I reached for her. I started the car, thinking it would scare her out. Nope. I tried a treat. Nope. Finally, I took a 1x4" piece of wood & nudged her out from under the car. She was holding her rear right leg up & crying & whimpering.

Off to the vet's we go. I did about 130 km/h & prayed I wouldn't meet a cop. If I did, I was just going to wave out the window for him to follow me! I was so scared for poor little Oceana! We got to the vet's & I couldn't get them to look at her fast enough! The girls had been to this clinic on Boxing Day when they ate rat poison at the house where my brother was staying. (Saskatchewan is now declared a hazard for my dogs!)

The vet was wonderful. They sedated Oceana, did x-rays & found out that she had fractured her pelvis in 2 places. She is now confined to her kennel for 4 weeks. Yay. (It has been 4 days & she's doing much better already!)

I drove home the next afternoon & said 'Farewell' to Saskatchewan for a few more months.

I'll miss the stunning sunsets, the vastness of the never-ending sea of rolling grassland, the cattle dotted across the landscape, the random antelope stopping to look my way, the smell of the air, the amazing night skies, hawks catching a tailwind, gophers standing up to see what they can see & the dilapidated barns & homes that could write a history book of their own if only they could talk. But most of all, I'll miss the yard & house I used to call home. Another chapter comes to a close.

xxxx Maria Valentina & the girls

Earl rocks!

The Girls get their first ranch ride - on the back of the truck.

I've got a cheap option instead of Botox. Or a really effective lip plumper. Message me for details! Or just spend 9 hours in the sun & wind!

The following photos were shot with the 'real camera'. I hope you enjoy them. It was a memorable experience shooting at home.

Drop Gate in the making

Cow dogs. (not horse dogs!)

Buffalo Beans, Sagebrush & Barbed Wire

Old John Deere Manure Spreader

Home Sweet Home

Return to Canada!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:12:00 +0000

It's nearly 3 a.m. I have just arrived from Toronto, from Amsterdam, from South Africa. I am not quite sure how many hours I've been conscious, but it's a few too many! And now I think I've got jet lag issues, as I'm not as exhausted as I should be!

Trailing down the list of 'to do's', I run across 'BLOG!'. Here I am. I've checked Pinterest, Facebook, XE.com - what is the Rand at?, I knit nearly an entire cowl on the plane, watched 5 movies, ate the grenadillas in my carry on... You get the idea.

I have no idea why I abandoned the blog so suddenly. I guess life just got busy. Or I filled the blog gap with something else. In any case, I've often thought about the blog & that it's high time to do another post. I just never seem to get there!

I'm in Canada for one month, visiting family & friends, then off to the Med to join Jaco on the Ruby Princess again. I'm excited to go to Italy again! Yay! The sights, sounds, smells, mmm, it's a sensory delight in every shape & form!

Don't worry, I'll have a routine checkup with Dr. Daly while I'm home. I'm going to give a good effort to getting into shape again. While I've been absent from the blog, I managed to discover Hungry For Change. It's a new documentary about our lifestyles & the food we eat. A MUST see for EVERYONE. Yes, you. And you! Don't you dare rule yourself out! You NEED to watch this film. I'm beginning to realize the issues nearly EVERYONE has around food! There are so few people I know of who aren't hung up on 'needing' to have this food or that food or using food to soothe some 'broken' part of themselves... It's crazy! Anyways, do yourself, your children, your family & friends a favour. Get the film & watch it! And then watch it again! You can thank me later!

So yes, getting with the healthy program & starting some exercise & better eating habits. After all, isn't Italy the fashion capital? I can't try to look all fashion savvy when I'm sporting a muffin top, now can I??

Right, it's time for a shower & teeth brushing! Before I go - a friend posted a little joke on FB today.

"What did the buffalo say to his son when he left for college?"

"Bison."

Bahahaha! Hey! It made me laugh! Hope it at least made you smile!

Goodnight or good morning... Thanks for reading this after all this time!

xxxx Maria & Valentina & Oceana & Adios

Another Chilly January Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 04:05:00 +0000

Felt like blogging tonight, so here I am. What to say? It's been so long I've forgotten how!

I'm at home (Mom's) right now & doing my best hibernation routine. It's been crazy cold & gets dark late/early, so not exactly my style of weather! I've been spending the time at home catching up with friends on the phone & online - Skype has to be one of the best inventions! I've enjoyed the girls company & I know they've enjoyed mine! Valentina is LOVING her new ball - she even brought it to bed the other night. I rolled over & couldn't figure out what the lump in the bed was. A lovely durable street hockey ball! What a girl!

Today I also walked on the treadmill. Barefoot. I know now that I will never make it as a Masai barefoot runner! Yep. Nice big blister right on the pad of my foot. Hey, at least I used the treadmill!

I've knit two hats & a cocoon (photo prop) this week & I'm almost done my Rainbow Nation sweater - just trying to modify the collar without making a mess of it!

As of late I've been craving soft shell tacos, so tonight I took some corn tortillas (clearly not fresh, as they crumbled after the first bite!), avocado, cilantro, yellow pepper, tomatoes, lime juice, a little mayo (I know, it's bad!) and some chipotle Tabasco sauce. Not bad if I do say so myself! If I turn the heaters up a little more it will qualify as a Mayan Moment! Olé!

Tomorrow I'll head to Mom2's for Christmas Dinner (yes, I know it's January). Back to the ranch on Sunday night, to the Doctor's on Monday for a checkup & then to Saskatoon for the rest of the week. Granny hasn't been well, so I'm anxious to get there & hopefully help her feel better. She's 97 next month! What a feat!

Okay, that's all for today... Keep well & keep warm!
Maria Valentina
reunited with Valentina, Oceana & Adios

Squishes with Mama

Keeping warm by the heater!

Hat for Baby Brown

Cocoon for Baby Brown

Hat for Karter - needs a button yet!

Still Alive! Actually, Very Much Alive!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:52:00 +0000

Well, I’ve taken an awful long time off. The task of trying to catch up on the blog just seems so daunting. I faithfully blogged every day while I was able to, but internet access, time & patience became considerations once I was back on my feet & out & about!

I’m posting the Christmas letter I sent around to a few family & friends. My laptop died a few weeks ago, so I haven’t had all the resources I thought I would! If you didn’t get it, it could be due to the fact that my address book that is backed up is over 1 year old! In any case, excuses, excuses, right!?

2011 has been a wonderful year, with the words – REMISSION ringing loudest in my head – of course, time will only strengthen the word, but for now, I can breathe easier & enjoy life to the fullest! Well, a slightly larger version of the fullest I was formerly experiencing!

I hope you had a phenomenal year & 2012 will bring nothing but joy & health & happiness for you – whatever version of that you dream of!

I’ll do my best to periodically update the blog – don’t expect too much too often! Thanks for checking in now & then & by all means – if you have any questions or comments, write me!

Much love from a healthier, hairier version of my former self,

Maria Valentina

xxxx

If you want to read the letter & see the photos, just click on each one - I loaded them as original size so you could see the text! :o)

Crazy Times!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:14:00 +0000

Just a quick note to let you know I haven't abandoned the blog completely! Since the last blog I've been to Dubai, Italy, France, England, Norway & Russia. I'm currently in Norway with my Mom meeting our long-lost relatives! Watch this space for exciting posts!

xxxxMaria

So Far Behind...

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Fri, 27 May 2011 19:23:00 +0000

Since I can't sleep due to mosquitos, I thought I might as well try & be productive. I haven't blogged in so long, I don't really know where/how to start. I told myself I wasn't going to spend so much time on a personal blog, but rather focus on my photography. Of course, that meant I would work through the Photoshop book so I would be a wizard at editing all those wonderful images. Naturally, that hasn't happened. So, I won't give you a play by play, but I'll try to give a Reader's Digest version of the past few months. It may be choppy & a little disorganized, but then, so is my life!

-----------

The last I blogged, Jaco & I were still in South Africa. I had decided to go to Europe for 10 days on my own. Jaco had waited a VERY long time for his new passport. Home Affairs took so much sweet time, that he wouldn't have time to make his flights to the ship, since he still needed to apply for a visa. My flights had been booked previously & to change them last minute to fly to Gibraltar would have been very costly. So, we decided that I would go off on a little adventure of my own.

Two days before my flight, I picked up a few rough guides - one for Italy & one for France - and booked a rental car. I also booked the first two nights of accommodation at Camping Fabulous just outside Roma. Beyond that, no plans were made. Yikes!

We bought a cell phone on the way to the airport and a GPS in Dubai during a 10 hour layover. (I thought it would have been fun to see Dubai with Jaco. Never again.) Speaking of Dubai. Man, I just gotta say it. I just don't get this whole 'drape yourself in fabric' thing. I mean, seriously? How is it that the men are able to wear white & only 2 towels in some cases (one around the waist & one around the shoulders) and the women have to wear black & cover every last inch of skin. Hull-oh? The desert is hot. The sun is intense. Black vs. white? Someone's getting the raw end of the deal. I'm all for equality. I don't handle suppression well. I was so uncomfortable being in that airport. Say what you want, but I'll take my Western freedoms any day. And besides, if it's so wonderful to live life in a sheet, why are they all coming to the Western World? (Sadly enough, still in their bedsheets!)

Anyhow, I better hush up before someone gets the wrong idea. One last thing... I see that Quebec is the first in Canada to approve a burqa ban. Of course, the article was written over a year ago!

Happily out of Dubai, I landed in Roma. I had been there before, so I planned on only spending one day there. It was a full day! I managed to see the Colosseum, St. Peter's, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and yes, my feet were sore by the end of the day!

I picked up the rental car the next morning. I had rented a sub-compact car, as I wanted trunk space to keep my suitcases out of sight from would-be thieves. The car company didn't do a walk around with me, just handed me the keys & sent me to the parking area. I didn't recognize the brand of car - Astra - and as I walked through the parkade, I spotted a station wagon. Oh please no! My first time driving in Italy, I wasn't feeling ready for a big car in crazy traffic! I hit the unlock button on the key chain & sure enough, the lights on the station wagon winked back at me! Great! I got along fine with the beast. Well, after the GPS & I got acquainted.

Our first 20 minutes leaving the airport & getting onto the Autostrada around Roma was a challenge. I felt like I was in an episode of The Office, as the GPS sent me on the wrong exit! I was going in the wrong direction! Towards Naples! I had visions of standing in my underclothes with nothing in my hand but the rental car keychain!

I managed to get turned around & headed towards Firenze. The traffic was a little hectic. Three lanes. Far left is 130 km/h. Middle lane is 90 km/h. Far right is 60 km/h. God bless you if you need to pass someone! The drivers also like to straddle the lanes. They are apparently as indecisive about lanes as I am about which lip gloss colour I should get!

I parked outside of Firenze & took the train in. I wasn't going to brave city parking on my first day! I climbed the 400+ steps up the Bell Tower at the Duomo, had gelato on the Ponte Vecchio, hunted down my favourite boot shop & told them where my last pair had traveled to (didn't buy a new pair, fyi!), and then headed out of the city to try & catch a Tuscan sunset.

The sunset was incredible, but no chance I could find a spot to pull off the road & shoot it! ARGH! And then, I was left in the dark to try & find my accommodation for the evening.

I think I'll leave it at that for now...

xxxx Maria & Valentina

May 21 – Spier with Marisa & Brunch with the Gründlingh’s

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Sat, 21 May 2011 19:27:00 +0000

This morning Jaco & I were up early & left for Stellenbosch. We were meeting Nico & his parents, Marten & Marianne, for brunch. I hadn’t seen Nico since April of 2009 & I hadn’t seen Marten & Marianne since the summer of 2009 when they stayed at Mom’s place with Karen & Werner on their Western Canadian tour. I was excited to see them! Talia, Nico’s girlfriend (now fiancée!), was flying in on Monday & I was disappointed that I missed her!

We had a wonderful visit about Nico’s last contract & Marten & Marianne’s visit to the ship when Nico & Talia were working on the Diamond in Asia. It sounded like the trip of a lifetime!

Nico had to go to a bachelor’s party that afternoon, so we left just after lunch & drove out to Spier to meet Marisa.

Marisa & Anine met us just outside at Spier. I hadn’t been here before & it is quite the place! There were birds of prey, big cats, a large pond with plenty of picnic spaces, and a massive restaurant where we had a drink in a treehouse! How cool is that?! We also had our faces painted in a traditional African pattern… See images below!

After we left Spier, we drove to Marisa’s to download her Roxette photos. We were greeted by a gaggle of Chihuahua’s, a Bischon, a MinPin & a few cats. And a whole lotta noise! Too cute!

Her father was home, busily fixing things up for the engagement party Neill & Marisa were having this coming Friday. Her mom arrived shortly after & the 5 of us had a great chat. I can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed so much with 2 people I’ve just met! I’m very sad I’ll be missing the party on Friday. Especially when I saw the menu!

Funny story – When Nico & I were working together on ships, we worked a contract with Marisa. Nico & Marisa were both from Stellenbosch, but they didn’t know each other prior to this contract. Or so they thought! One night Nico was scanning old negatives & the roll was shot on a night out at a pub. And there in the background was Marisa! Can you believe it? What are the chances!?

xxxxMaria

(photos to come one day!)

Marcus & Celia's

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:09:00 +0000

This evening Jaco & I went to visit his best friend & their family. Marcus & Jaco worked together in Kimberley & became close friends. Marcus decided to specialize in Anaesthetics & his work has brought him to Cape Town. He & his wife have 2 beautiful boys, Joshua & Micah.

We enjoyed a fantastic dinner outside in the front yard & unfortunately Marcus got called to work, so we didn’t get to visit with him as much. But after the boys were asleep, Celia, Jaco & I had a great visit.

I’m very sad that we won’t get to see them again for another 4 months, but I’m looking forward to the next time we do! I’m sure the boys will have grown so much more!

Here are a few photos I snapped of them in the front yard.

xxxxMaria

Leaving Kronenhoff & Leana

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:58:00 +0000

I'm still alive... Don't hold your breath, but here's a start!

****************************************************

Okay, forgive me while I try to retrace my steps over the past few months… Where, oh where does the time go?

The last post I did had Jaco & I experiencing the amazing wildlife in Africa – Schotia Safaris to be exact. Where were staying at Kronenhoff Guesthouse in Kirkwood, close to Addo Elephant Park.

We were quite sad to say goodbye to Jurie & Hendrien, and of course, the luxurious Honeymoon Suite we were staying in! We had a quick brunch & packed up our things & hit the road running. We were running a few hours late – as we do!

Hendrien gave us a bag of GIANT avocados from the tree in their yard. I’ve never seen such HUGE avocados! Wow! Impressive!

On our way, we stopped at the Storms River Bridge for a pit stop & quick peek into the canyon. The bridge is impressive! Even more impressive were the photos on the walls of bridges around the world. Lethbridge, Alberta made the cut! Who would have thought?

We rolled into George just before 6 p.m. Leana had phoned to see where we were & we made plans to meet at Sails restaurant on the seafront. It was beautiful! We had a wonderful dinner & fabulous visit with Leana. Jaco just finished working with her on the Sea Princess. She’s now left ships & is working in George, her feet firmly planted on land. Leana is one of the most special people I’ve encountered on ships & I am sad she won’t be with us on the next ship. But I’m happy for her to back at home & enjoying life in the ‘real world’. Big hugs Leana!!! We miss you!!!

We were supposed to stay at Leana’s, but Jaco was pressing to drive home, so we left, pulling into Hermanus just after 1a.m. Welcome back…

xxxxMaria

Schotia Safaris

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Sun, 15 May 2011 08:43:00 +0000

Wouldn’t you know it. The ONE morning we get to sleep in & I don’t set my alarms. And they go off. What gives? I need an alarm & it doesn’t work. I don’t need one & it goes off! At 0530! Argh!

We left a little late for Schotia. Speeds of 180 km/h were reached. We arrived with 4 minutes to spare. I’m not sure if I was more relieved to arrive alive or on time. In any case, we were 6 people & we climbed up into our open top safari Land Rover & headed off on our 6 hour adventure.

The afternoon highlight was most definitely the 2 white rhinos we saw. They were in close proximity to our vehicle & I took some great shots. White Gnus were also spotted – I’ve never seen them before, along with reedbucks (I think). We also saw blue wildebeest, warthogs, waterbucks, impala, springbok, kudu, and zebra.

Our guide, Renier, was a plethora of knowledge, showing us the skull of a kudu & how the horns are actually part of the skull & only covered in keratin. He told us about the termite mounds & how the red soils works well with termite spit to make the hard clay that forms the mounds. Did you know that inside termite mounds the temperature is about 36º? He told us the name of the white rhino is actually a misunderstanding. It was actually meant to be WIDE rhino, because of it’s wide mouth, but it was somehow translated into White & it stuck. Renier also showed us a leopard tortoise, which can live up to 150 years old!

We stopped for tea & a biscuit at a little café type room – formerly it was a dairy barn. The land is managed by a family which has been there for 6generations. We no sooner poured our rooibos tea when someone spotted giraffes out back. Letting the tea cool, I raced outside to photograph this long & lean creatures. They are so beautiful. Gawkish but graceful, they shyly made their way across the little patch of grass behind the buildings.

We climbed back into our vehicle & headed back out in search of lions. The weather had changed & it was quite cool by now. There was also a fog rolling in, so visibility was getting low. We didn’t see much of a sunset & it seemed to get dark quite quickly. There we were in the fog, in the dark & looking for lions. I’m having a Ghost & the Darkness moment! Just as it was getting too dark for photos, we found the lions!

Now that was something. They walked RIGHT past our OPEN top vehicle. We’re talking close people. Male & female lions. Wow. Just strolling along. We followed them for quite a while. In fact, one of the lionesses even took off after a wildebeest, but she called off the chase before anything too exciting happened. One lioness had 5 cubs & they were much bigger than the ones we saw yesterday. We watched them play & interact with each other. Of course, they terrorized their mother too.

After our lion watching was sufficient, we headed to the lapa for dinner. A fire was roaring & the food was hot & ready. We enjoyed a traditional South African meal – complete with Malva pudding.

When it came time to leave for the end of the tour, we stopped to see the resident hippos in a nearby pond and then, of course, what were the lions up to. They still hadn’t caught anything, but I’m sure if we had stayed a few more hours, we would have seen a fair bit of carnage. I’m not sure I would have wanted to see that, but it would have been amazing to see the agility & speed of the lions in action.

I think it’s safe to say, if we ever end up near PE again, we’ll certainly stop in at Schotia!

Tomorrow we’ll leave for George to see Leana. We’ve certainly enjoyed our stay at Kronenhoff & our visit with Oom Jurie & Tannie Hendrien. I always enjoy this part of South Africa. I’m always sad to see the visit come to an end. There’s always a next time though…

xxxxMaria

ps - There's a Facebook page for Kronenhoff. If you feel inclined, 'like' it. If you've stayed there or want to, leave a message there or on Trip Advisor! Thanks!

Panoramic Vistas

The person who means the world to me doing something that means the world to me!

Renier & the Kudu skull. Showing us the horn is part of the skull

Termite mound

Leopard Tortoise

Rhino hips (and the perfect toilet seat according to Renier!)

Rhino Jaw

Rhino skull & tooth

Safari vehicle

Inside the former milking barn

Blue Wildebeest

Reedbuck (I think!)

Waterbuck. They have bulleye's on their tushes!

White Gnu

White or Wide Rhino

Zebra - look at the fuzzy baby!

Nguni cattle have mirror markings on their hides when they are purebred!

Warthogs

On your knees!

Giraffe

What the giraffes eat around!

Can't remember

Impala & zebra

Lioness

One of two dominant males

Mother of 5!

One thing on his mind!

Hippos!

Warming up!

Chefs & guides!

Hippo out of the water

Lions lying around!

The dala

Tanja

Hippo!

Day Two At Addo & Daneill Cheetah Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Sat, 14 May 2011 23:20:00 +0000

Hooray! Kind of. My alarms worked! I never dreamt I would be excited to hear my alarm ringing at 0530, but what can you do? A girls gotta seek out the wildlife while she can!

We left Kronenhoff for the day just past 0700. We drove along the wonderful Sundays River Valley towards Addo’s main gate & made our way into the park.

We decided to drive through the southern section of the park, since it hadn’t been open the previous times I’d been to Addo & we thought we could see something new. Of course, we only decided this after scooting over to a certain section some punk had marked on the main map as having sightings of lions & leopards! Argh!

Oh well. We found Jack’s picnic site & learned the differences between white & black rhinos. Jack’s picnic site was named after a black rhino who used to like to hang out in this particular section of the park. Black rhinos are not native to this part of South Africa, but since he was an endangered species, they kept him there, part of a bigger plan. He would have been transferred to another park later on, but he had a weak heart & the trauma of relocation would have most likely been the end of him. Thus, he lived out the rest of his days in Addo.

From Jack’s picnic site, we headed towards the south end of the park. It’s a big park. It took us the rest of the morning & the better part of the afternoon! Yes, I drive slowly when we’re looking for critters, so you don’t cover a whole lot of ground, but nonetheless, it was another great game drive.

The southern part of the park has much more open space & massive rolling hills. It is stunning, to say the least! I loved it! We saw another black-backed jackal, zebras covered in red mud, kudus, hartebeest, one lonely buffalo, a few elephant, warthogs, mongoose, and my first bushbuck!

I forgot to mention yesterday’s sightings of the dung beetle. Yes, you heard me right. Dung. As in poo. The flightless dung beetle is actually a protected feces, I mean, species in Addo. You are not allowed to drive over elephant dung or the beetles themselves. And believe me, avoiding piles of elephant dung is a bit like avoiding landmines in the Falklands. The road is a warzone in places! But it was particularly entertaining to watch these little dung beetles in action. They lay their eggs in & eat elephant dung. Once they lay their eggs in the dung, they roll it into a ball & then roll the dung ball to a certain location. I’m still not sure exactly where they roll It to, but they are definitely on a mission to roll it somewhere! They use their hind legs to roll the balls along the path. It’s amazing!

The beetles look like they are wearing suits of armour. They are solidly built – the front half & the back half are similar, but their heads even look like they have a helmet on, with little antennae probing out.

And the balls they roll aren’t small balls either! We’re not talking about a little gumball here. We’re nearing baseball size! They are big! Most often they are uniform shape too. Not misshapen & oblong, but consistently round. I always chuckle when I see them rolling the balls, as there are usually 2 dung beetles together. They usually work together, as inevitably the beetle rolling the ball will tumble over & end up upside down wiggling its legs trying to right side up itself. The other beetle will often help. As I watch them at work, I can’t help but think that they are Husband & Wife. The wife is busy barking orders at how the husband is rolling the ball in the wrong direction & he should listen to what she’s saying. He’s creating more work for himself & oops, there you go, upside down again. See, you should have listened to me in the first place… and on & on it goes. It strikes me funny, in any case.

Of course, when we stopped to watch the beetles, I looked out the back window & noticed this ‘blob’ of little grey worms inching their way across the road towards the car. Gross. I don’t like creepy crawly things. Jaco couldn’t see the beetles, so he backed up. Then he wanted to see the worms. We drove forward again, overtop of the worms. It was only then that we realized they were baby shongololos! Centipedes! Oh no! We’ve just murdered half of them! I felt terrible! Shongololos are cool little creatures! Not good!

As we carried along the road, we came across our first elephant. He was a big old bull. There was a car in front of us that had stopped to watch him eat. As they sat there in their little red compact car, this MASSIVE elephant, tusks & all, walked right in front of their car, stopped right in front of their car & proceeded to eat away. I bet they had an eyeful from where they were sitting!

Shortly after the elephant, we spotted a jackal playing in the grass & trying to hide around a bush from us. As we watched him trot away, we couldn’t help but notice how light on his feet he was.

Although we didn’t see a lot of wildlife in the southern section, we enjoyed the scenery & what we did see. As we left the park, we decided to head for Daniell Cheetah Farm & visit the cats.

We had to wait about 10 minutes before our tour started. We stopped to see meerkats first. Funny little creatures – I love how they sit up so tall to look around. I think they would be the town busybody if they were ‘people’. We saw two 28-month old cheetahs next. Beautiful. Simply beautiful. We didn’t go into the pen with these cats, nor the next ones we saw – the Serval. They are also beautiful. Much smaller than a cheetah, but I love them just as much. Why? Because they catch snakes! Yes, that’s right. Snakes. Even the poisonous ones.

From here we headed in to see Ola. The full grown female cat that is affectionate & more gentle than your average housecat. She was adorable. She purred like a diesel motor, licked your hand & pressed into your pats & rubs. She is so graceful & striking. God sure used his creativity when he made our African friends!

After we finished visiting Ola, we headed over to the rooicats or caracal. They are also very beautiful cats. They look a little like a miniature mountain lion, only they have tails that are half the length. They are a little more reddish in colour & their ears are blackish grey & tipped like a lynx’s, only the tips are much longer. Their eyes are a striking greenish colour. They were also very affectionate, but unfortunately they are quite a nuisance to farmers, as they do not only kill prey for food, but also for fun. So instead of killing one sheep & eating it, they will kill 20 in one night! And this is a small cat!

We stopped briefly at a pen holding a 3 month old cheetah cub. I leaned in to rub her head through the fence & nearly stuck my head into a golden orb spider. Gross. Thank goodness I missed! The little cheetah was adorable! And energetic. She would rip around the pen in no time flat & then be back for more attention – they are truly fast creatures! We didn’t go into pet her, as she wouldn’t sit still long enough for us to do so!

Our last stop was with the 3-week old lion cubs. Oh. My. Word. They were absolutely adorable. Albeit a little smelly, but simply precious. They made these funny little squeaking noises as they motored around us. They were very affectionate, crawling all over us & cuddling up on our laps. The one even tried to crawl into my bag! I would have gladly taken it home, had it not been for customs! The lion cubs still had spots & their hair was really curly. They were also quite clumsy as they maneuvered around their large pen.

What a great way to spend the afternoon. Have you hugged a cheetah today? Have you hugged a lion today? If not, well then, I guess it’s time to take a trip to Africa!

We left Daniell Cheetah Farm for P.E. or Port Elizabeth. Oom Stephen & Tannie Tersia live in PE & we were going to visit them this evening. Unfortunately on our way in, we hit a hawk. I only saw a big brown thing heading for the windshield & before I could react, a massive WHACK! Jaco felt so terrible, we turned around to see if the bird was okay (obviously not, but was it suffering). We found the bird in the ditch & it was across a grassy patch. I was too afraid of snakes, so we looked around for a stick to see if it would respond. As we observed the poor bird, we could see it breathing & it’s mouth opening & closing, but nothing else was moving. After a few minutes, the breathing ceased & no movements more. Sigh. It’s a rough season for birds & Jaco. Maybe he was a mouse or a grasshopper in a previous life. Or a penguin. I don’t know. But I do know that I hope our interactions with birds & the car are now finished. I’m sure his Mom does too!

After our brief delay with poor Mr. Hawk, we fumbled our way through PE. We eventually found the right house & had a great visit, along with a wonderful dinner. Stephen & Tersia had just been to America to visit their son & his family. I was appreciative of how enamoured they were with the amenities available in the States. I will certainly agree that it is much different than South Africa! We looked at photos of their family from years gone by & I am absolutely amazed at how much Mother & Daughter look alike. They are spitting images of each other at this stage in life! Wow!

Tannie Tersia is recovering from stage IV breast cancer that is currently in her liver – but shrinking! We are all praying for her speedy recovery from this chapter in life. She has a beautiful granddaughter & more grandchildren on the way to spend her days enjoying their company! Please add her to your prayer list if you’ve got one!

We didn’t leave until after 2300, Oom Stephen drove us out of the city & made sure we were safely on our way & not lost! We enjoyed our visit with them very much. And I’m pleased to say that we arrived safely back at Kronenhoff without any animal encounters!

Tomorrow we’re off to Schotia Safaris, but not before a little bit of a sleep-in… Lekker slaap!

xxxxMaria on Safari

The Dung Beetle

Whoopsie Daisy!

Back on top of things

Here we go

Whoops again

Shongololo

Nice place for a... bed?

Let the good times roll.

Lovely vistas

Comforting

For Mike!

Local transport

At the Lookout - from the day before

Great days!

Southern part of Addo

Kudu

Hawks - there were 5 in one spot!

Termite mound & warthog

A little too close for the insurance company's comfort!

Jackal

On the road again...

I just can't wait to get on the road again...

Wildflowers

In step

Lonely tree.

Kisses

More kisses

Cacti & warthogs

Birdie

pretty hoodoos

Another lonely tree & big skies

Okay, so I don't have that much hair to be worried about!

tall grass

There are 2 sides. To every elephant.

The only buffalo we saw

The only & first bushbuck

A little messy Bessie!

Playin' around

Meerkat

Yawn

Serval

Ola

Rooikat

or Caracal

The Golden Orb I nearly stuck my nose onto! Yuck!

Baby cheetah

Jaco & Ola

Jaco & the wee cub

Three weeks old!

Sure, I'll take you home!

Cuddled up!

Oom Stephen, Tannie Tersia & Jaco

Day One At Addo

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Fri, 13 May 2011 23:17:00 +0000

Our first day at Addo Elephant Park was wonderful. We even managed to find some elephants! Imagine that! We had arrived at Kronenhoff the previous night about 2100. We had supper with Oom Jurie & Tannie Hendrien & then they showed us to our room. The Honeymoon Suite! Sweet!

It was a beautiful room with a massive king size bed, soaker tub, and beautiful furnishings. We were pretty tired from the drive and I wanted to get an early start to the day, so I set the alarm for 0530 & headed to bed.

The animals are most active in the early morning & late afternoon. The Park is closed in the evenings. Basically from sunrise to sunset you can drive & look for animals. Neither Jaco, nor myself are morning people, so you can imagine the enthusiasm! I do tend to get a little more energetic when I’m going to be photographing African animals!

Well, wouldn’t you know it, my iPod alarm let me down. I woke up at 0718 & I was furious! NO!!!! I’ve just missed a good 2 hours of light! Well, by the time we got ready & drove to the park, it would be 0900 & daylight well under way. ARGH!

We managed to still see a lot of animals, so the day wasn’t wasted by any means! We saw a lot of kudu, warthogs, jackals playing & heaps of cranes! I’ve never seen so many cranes at Addo before – maybe they were lost?! We saw ostrich, hartebeest, zebras and of course, elephants!

The elephants came right past our car. I’m sure if I had stuck my arm out the window, I could have touched the massive bull that strolled past our car! He was that close! There were also several baby elephants. Too cute for words!

I felt like a kid in a candy shop! Now THIS is what I’m talkin’ about! I could easily live in Africa if I could wake up every day & photograph wildlife.

We left Addo early afternoon & headed for the Croc Ranch. Jaco hadn’t been there & I had stopped there 2 years ago when I was with my Mom & Brother. We had enjoyed the lions, big & small, (they had 2 week & 3 month old cubs), rooicats, tiger & crocodiles. But when we pulled up to the gate, it was locked. It was 1545 in the afternoon. Why were they closed? In any case, we headed for Daniell Cheetah Farm.

I had also visited there with my Mom & Brother & we were able to pet cheetah cubs. This time they also offered a walk with the cheetahs. We wanted to know if we could set one up while we were in the area. Just our luck, they were closing for the day & by the way, the cheetah walkers were on holiday until the 23^rd of May. Phooey. The good news was that they had 3 week old lion cubs & we could also visit a full grown cheetah if we came back another day & a little earlier in the day. Good stuff!

Exhausted from our day, we headed back to Kirkwood. Kirkwood is in a valley – the Sundays River Valley to be exact. The valley is filled with citrus groves & the trees were heavy with ripe oranges, lemons & grapefruits. It was a beautiful sight. We stopped at The Lookout, a restaurant/lodge on the top of a hill overlooking Kirkwood & the entire valley. It was close to sunset, so we enjoyed a makeshift virgin piña colada & the incredible scenery. What a wonderful day & a great day to be alive!

We drove down the hill & back to Kronenhoff for the rest of the night. Jaco went to the gym & I fell asleep COLD on the bed. He woke me up about 2000 & we went to the main building. We enjoyed dinner with Jurie & Hendrien, also enjoying a wonderful visit with them. Hendrien made arrangements with Schotia Safaris for us to go on an afternoon/evening safari, along with Tanja, the Austrian girl working at Kronenhoff.

And then it was time for bed. Tomorrow we’ll head back to Addo to see what we can see. I’ve got 3 alarms set on my iPod. Surely ONE of them will work & we’ll be up on time!

G’night, sleep tight & don’t let the lions bite!

xxxxMaria

Hello!

Kudu

Birdie chirping

Jackals playing

Yellow bird

Peek-a-boo

Warthog

Crane

You can see both eyes!

Zebra

Hartebeest

Hawk

Lizard

Aloe

Another lizard

BIG snail

View from The Lookout

Citrus groves in the Sundays River Valley

Um, a Piña Colada?

Joyride All The Way!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Tue, 10 May 2011 22:13:00 +0000

Wow. What a night. What a show. What an experience! Roxette was brilliant! Jaco & I left Hermanus early in the afternoon, as I did NOT want to be late! We found our way there fairly easily & to my surprise it was a very beautiful venue!

Grandwest is a massive area featuring a casino, hotel, movie theatre & 7,000 person arena. Additionally there are many fast-food/dining options along with a kids arcade & a skating rink! Jaco was impressed by the skating rink & said he should visit a few times before he moves to Canada!

We wandered around the property & checked out the different areas. We found the meeting spot where we would soon find Carmen, Marisa, Charlene & her boyfriend, David. I stopped to use the 'facilities' & found a cellphone in the bathroom. Not wanting someone to go without their phone, we hung around the area outside the bathroom & managed to call the contacts in the phone to see if they were with the owner of the phone.

I managed to call her husband, who was going to drive to collect the phone. I suggested rather, that he call the friend that she was with & they find us at the venue. Then her Mom phoned. I thought the husband had called the Mom, but no, the Mom was shocked to find out that her daughter's phone was missing. Then the husband called again & said he was leaving. Two minutes later the phone's owner called & asked if I had her phone. She seemed a little annoyed - come on lady, I'm doing you a favour! I told her where I was & she came straight away. In the meantime, I phoned her husband & told him not to bother coming, as his wife had contacted me. She did seem grateful to get her phone back.

Now for the main event...

What can I say, but, ‘Wow!’ Roxette was amazing. Not only did they sing all their amazing hits of the past, but they blew us away with several of their new hits from their latest album. And, best of all, they did 2 encores! They played for about 2 hours & every moment of it was fantastic! High energy & a lot of sing-a-longs by the crowd!

I didn’t realize it before hand, but when I googled Marie later on that night, I found out that she had suffered from a brain tumor a few years back. What a tragedy to overcome! She has quite a hectic schedule planned for the coming year – she’s definitely retiring with a bang!

We met up with our group near the coffee shop where we had initially met prior to the concert. Marisa & Anine had Golden Circle tickets, whereas the rest of us were General Standing. We enjoyed another quick visit before we left for home. What a brilliant night. It was so much fun to sing the songs of yesterdays & relive the ‘glory days’, as they say. Does that make me old?

xxxxMaria

My view! :o)

Facelift

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Marie) — Tue, 10 May 2011 00:50:00 +0000

Oh & you might have noticed that I've given the blog a face lift. I'm quite proud of my endeavours. I started out with this template - Extreme Georgia - and went into the html & made the changes to make the blog look like it does now. It wasn't that easy for me. I must admit. There was about a week of 0400 mornings & a lot of frustration! I've got it right where I want it now, but it was certainly a steep learning curve for me!

Let me know what you think... I'm open to suggestions! Some of you have already & thank you for that!

xxxx Maria - Blogger Babe