memorable meanders

Monkeys in my garden

2012-01-28T04:30:00.073+03:00

Some readers may remember how at times I've posted about the monkeys my garden. I always mention that though they are very human-like, funny and the babies are cute beyond description, they can also be a terrible nuisance. Although I have a variety of fruit trees in the garden, we never get to enjoy the ripened fruit ourselves. The monkeys pick a green fruit, take one bite and throw it down on the ground. Often a whole branch with several fruits still attached is dislodged and hurled to the ground. They also rob birds' nests of eggs so we have no fledgelings or birds sitting on nests in the many trees in our garden. They're also very inquisitive and will enter the house if they smell/see fruit or bread on your kitchen counters. I have screen doors which successfully keep them out, but others on camp keep their main doors closed to avoid illegal monkey entry!

Nevertheless, these primates are well worth watching and have provided me with hours of mirth and photo opportunities over the past year. Last week I watched several mothers and babies on the lawn. I had to take the photos through the window else the monkeys grab their babies, turn around and scamper off. It was also almost dusk so the lighting was against me. I think you get the picture though, if you'll excuse the pun!

Two female blue vervet monkeys with their very small babies

This mother noticed me at the window and turned her back on me!

In between snapping away at the mothers and babies, I couldn't resist a shot of this adult monkey who seems to be grinning at something in his hand!

Scratching mom's back!

Practicing climbing skills

I'm staying with mom, where it's safer!

More interesting discoveries

Whoopee look how high I am...

Oops, lost my footing there...

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!

Blue Skies over the Valley

2012-01-27T04:30:00.016+03:00

Mid-week Stanley and I walked along the main mine road to the club. I had worm pills and anti-flea and tick medication for the resident dogs. Afterwards, while walking back to the camp, I couldn't resist photographing the beautiful blue sky over the mountains and valley.

For more beautiful skies around the world, click here

Common Sandpiper

2012-01-26T04:30:00.023+03:00

The Common Sandpiper is one of the birds frequently seen at the concrete bridge at the river below the mine offices.

I love the way that many birds are able to stand on one leg for an extended period of time!

The Common Sandpiper is a small wader with a short, sharp bill and short, greenish legs. The dark grey-brown upperparts contrast with the white underparts and the white on the breast curves over the shoulder. I use this "C" formation - C for Common - to help me identify the bird ! This bird has a characteristic horizontal stance and often bobs its head and tail. Like the African Grey Flycatcher which I've posted about before, this bird is quite tame and stays relatively still while you photograph it!

Egyptian Goose

2012-01-25T04:30:00.061+03:00

Last week after visiting the market, Sue and I drove to the dam for a spot of birding. She'd told me about a pair of Egyptian Geese with five goslings and wanted to show them to me. When we arrived, there was no sign of the little family. Nevertheless, we watched and photographed the other birds around the dam.

Malachite kingfisher

Grey Heron and it's beautiful reflection in the water

A small flock of Cattle egret wandering around on top of the pondweed in the dam!

African Grey Flycatcher; endemic to North East Africa. This is one of the most rewarding birds to photograph as it sits still for ages while you click away!

Then Sue located the family of Egyptian Geese on the other side of the dam. We walked quietly towards a mound on the bank above the birds and took up our positions to get really close photos.

The Egyptian Goose is a large brown waterbird with pink legs and a pink bill. It has a conspicous rufous patch around the eyes and a dark patch in the centre of it's belly. The genders are alike although the male has a thicker neck than the females.

Egyptian Goose male and five goslings

Papa Goose on duty

Male Egyptian Goose on the right of the photo (note thicker neck than female) and female with their fluffy family

Female Egyptian goose stretching her wings, with the male in the centre. An African Jacana shares the little bay with the Egyptian geese

The male Egyptian Goose stands protectively over the goslings while the female looks for dinner

And a close-up of three of the little ones...

For more bird posts around the world, click here

One year in the valley!

2012-01-24T04:30:00.086+03:00

This week marks a year that we've lived in Keirio Valley, in Kenya. I've made up a few tiles of life here in this beautiful remote valley within the Great Rift Valley.

From top: flying into Kenya; staying over in the Sarova Stanley, Nairobi; a view over the Great Rift Valley; the 24km road into the valley; arriving at the guest house; last photo: the lane leading to my friend, Sue's house

Our house in the corner, bordering the African bush; a beautiful bougainvillea in my garden; a view over my garden; Ginger, the cat we inherited as we arrived; I celebrated my nth (!) birthday in that first month; a luncheon at the guest house

An avid gardener, I found a kindred spirit in my Kenyan gardener, Stanley. Together we changed the existing garden from primarily exotic to 80% indigenous. We also revived and revamped the neglected rose garden at the side of the house.

Stanley my loyal gardener and two of the many birds which visit our garden

The middle photo in the first collage in this post is my "before" garden. Above is our "after" garden

In May we brought our Sudanese cat, then living in South Africa into Kenya! Although he hunts lizards with a vengence, he has no interest in birds, which is a relief!

Company management flew into the valley for meetings during the middle of the year. Sue and I helped the Guest House to cater for their stay. I also joined Sue for an ice-cream and soda party at school one Monday morning

In July a security officer arrived at my door with a bedraggled kitten. So now the Hedges have three cats in Kenya! In the photo bottom left, carpenters are attaching screen doors which were for our own account. This is to keep monkeys (of which there are many in our camp) out and to keep cats in!

In between during the week, Sue and I would go birding around the dams and in the bush on the mine

Over weekends Grant and I went birding on the mine property

Among other interesting activities we attended school functions

In October I held a formal tea at my home. All three the ladies on camp (at the time) attended!
Every five weeks we go up the steep, winding mountain road for monthly shopping. There is always something interesting on this trip: birds, large lizards, Black-and-white Colobus and Blue monkeys; new-born lambs, and runners (Kenya has world champions) in training
The last full moon for 2011. It was a lunar eclipse!

An important young man?

Stanley and I created a welcoming display of potplants at my front door

After months of training on a leash, (like I'm doing with Ambrose now) Shadow has the run of the garden

A week before and the Christmas weekend was spent in the Masai Mara, on Lake Baringo, at Lake Elemtaita and at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, Nakuru. Divine!
On the last day of 2011, Grant and I attended a wedding with a difference: the bride never arrived!
On the 1st day of 2012, Grant and I went out birding around the mine and I got my best photo of a Fork-tailed Drongo

Sue and I have been birding recently as well. Apart from this awesome heron and its reflection, I have several interesting photos. More about that tomorrow.

Anyone visiting my blog for the first time, you can scroll back over the past year and read about all I have spoken about and shown in collages above. And more... I can honestly say that this has been one of the best - if not THE best - year as an expat!

For more on other people's worlds, click here

Kenya Safari Part XII continued

2012-01-23T04:30:00.096+03:00

Finally, I'm posting the end of our Kenya safari. I'm using this opportunity to thank every one of my readers for enjoying this trip with us! I also want to try and answer a few questions which have arisen over the weeks. Arija, the Goliath Heron is the largest heron in the world and stands 154cm tall. I'm 164cm so it would reach up to my shoulder. It's a very graceful bird and although we didn't see any young, it was thrilling to see these birds on the top of the tree! BTW, I couldn't resist posting my favourite photo of it again!

Goliath Heron seen on Lake Baringo on our tour in December 2011

Dearest Betsy, I'm sure my Christmas card from you will arrive via the mine office shortly. It goes to Eldoret where it waits at the Posta (Post Office) until a driver goes to town for business and brings it home. I'll let you know as soon as I receive it!

Fred, thank you for reliving Kenya with me through my general posts and recently in my meanderings through the Kenyan Parks and lake resorts.

Eileen, re the lion's injury around the eye area: I think this is an old male and he's been pushed out of the pride by a younger stronger lion. Perhaps he'll be OK, but he might starve to death having no females to hunt for him. Sad and cruel, but that's nature...

After a delicious Christmas dinner at the lodge, we rested until late afternoon when we went out for a last ride around the park. We still firmly believed we'd see a leopard, but sadly didn't! We did see many many birds on the lake, storks, comorants, gulls and of course, pelicans. We also saw a small family of flamingo. As the other 999,997 Lesser Flamingo had flown off the Lake Natron, their natural breeding ground, I was thrilled that I managed to photograph these three remaining flamingo.

The only pair of Lesser Flamingo at Lake Nakuru...

...and their offspring - a juvenile flamingo!

The next morning arrived all too soon and then it was time to leave the park.

Even leaving Lake Nakuru National Park is a pleasurable ride through fever tree forests

I managed a photo of a baby buck (fawn) with the herd before the mother walked in front of it, concealing from view

And a baby baboon catching a ride!

Incredibly, as you exit the Lake Nakuru National Park gates, you enter the town of Nakuru.

Every house along the road just outside the park has murals of wild animals

I loved the artwork on the walls with washing on the lines and life in Africa going on as always

Soon we were on the B24 heading for home

And the final 24 km into the valley!

Although it's almost a month since our holiday, I still remember every animal, bird and experience. I will be posting about birds over the next few weeks. Thanks for joining me on this wonderful safari across Kenya.

Ambrose in training

2012-01-22T04:30:00.006+03:00

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Blogging friends

2012-01-21T04:30:00.187+03:00

Thanks to everyone who wrote kind comments on my blog about my late mom. Thank you to those who visited my friends' blogs which I linked to mine yesterday.For the readers only seeing this post today,  I know Diane will enjoy hearing from you, so do pop over and visit her blog here. By the same token, if you visit Penny, not only would she be pleased to hear from a fellow blogger, but I'm sure she would appreciate any support she can get for a mission she supports here in Kenya.

As an expat who's lived in West and North Africa and currently living in East Africa I can personally testify first-hand to the abject poverty among the masses in these countries.  In most third world countries, for every 100 people that are fortunate enough to have employment, there are always tens of thousands who merely subsist and eke out a living; some by farming and selling vegetables, eggs or milk on the market; others by collecting scrap and transporting it to the cities with great difficulty to sell it; others even breaking stones and selling it. I've seen all these but not one moved me as much as the latter; women sitting on the roadside with a family of children playing nearby while they chop stones by hand. Backbreaking, muscle-aching and and skin-tearing agony!

To anyone who may be thinking I'm using my blog commercially, you're wrong. On the contrary. We've all, at some time, shared tragig stories through our posts; I often read about prayer requests for victims of natural disasters, someone with a terminal illness or a person who's had a serious accident. I always add that request to my already-long prayer list and then petition it to God believing that He will offer comfort or provide protection or peace.

However, faith (believing) without works is dead, as we see in James 2:14-16 :  "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?"(New King James Version Bible)

If there's a disaster relief fund or some worthy cause that I feel led to donate towards, I do it. Not much, a few dollars at best, but every bit helps. I calculate that if I entered a supermarket in between monthly grocery shopping days, (we don't do it, as we can only go shopping once a month, thank goodness!) I'd spend anything up to KSH4000/US$46 on not-such-necessary items.  So I feel I can spare half of that for a worthy cause without breaking the bank. Above all, remember to only give if you feel convinced and happy about it.

If you feel in any way inclined to help, even with as little as twenty dollars, please visit Penny's blog and chat to her. Your contribution could make a world of difference to a Kenyan family.

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend.

Nostalgia and blogging friends

2012-01-20T04:30:00.014+03:00

This week I went out into the garden in time to catch the sunrise over the valley. I took this photo of Wednesday 18 January which marked the 10 year anniversary of my mother's death. She only lasted 16 months after my dad's death when she gave up her fight against cancer. My mother died on my parents 55th wedding anniversary. As I watched the sun rising on Wednesday, I thought of my elegant, hardworking and kind mother and realised that even after ten years I still miss her and think of her often.

But is was also a wonderful week here in the valley. Grant walked in on Monday with mail for me: my FIRST ever since living here. I received a beautiful Christmas card from Diane of Adventure before Dementia. Diane and her husband Bill live in Australia and she has a very interesting blog about their many travels. Do visit her blog and tour all over the world with Diane!

The same day I received a parcel containing a Christmas card from my dearest friend Penny of Snap That. She also sent me a book on - you guessed it - birds! Penny and I met here in Kenya last year and I sincerely hope we meet again some day. I have never met such an organised and practical person. Penny also has a heart for those less fortunate than her and she puts her money where her mouth is. Do take a look at Penny's blog and get to know this lovely lady.

Thanks Diane and Penny for thinking of me all the way from the other side of the world.

Christmas card and book in the front, from Penny and a beautiful card from Diane behind that!

For more sky posts, click here

Kenya Safari Part XII

2012-01-19T04:30:00.176+03:00

After breakfast on Christmas morning and many good wishes for the day, we drove off into the park again. We were hoping to see leopard, lion and rhino. The first animal to cross our path that day, was a giraffe.

Giraffa camelopardalis

The giraffe is the tallest animal in the world. The male stands 12meters tall, while the female measures 10.5 meters. The giraffe is also known for its spots. In fact, the Romans called the giraffe "camelopardalis" meaning "camel marked like a leopard." Like zebra stripes are unique to each zebra (I posted about these here), the giraffe spots are unique to each giraffe. In fact, people who study many giraffes can distinguish between the different giraffes just by looking at their spots. Another unique feature of the giraffe is its unusually long tongue. This pink and black tongue is almost 14cm long and is used to pull leaves and other juicy foliage (the giraffe's food) from trees.

Continuing through the park, near the spot where we'd seen a lion in a tree the previous day, Grant turned off onto a secondary road. We'd hardly been on this road for a hundred meters, when I spotted a lion in the grass beside the road. If you're not looking for this King of the Jungle, you wouldn't know he was there.

African lion in the grass. See middle photo left: the lion is almost invisible in the grass

When I viewed the lion in the tree through my binoculars the previous day, I'd noticed a wound above his left eye. Today this lion sat up and I saw the same wound above the left eye. Perhaps this male has been ousted from the pride by a younger lion.

The lion got up and walked off towards a small tree. (last photo) When he lay down in the shade, we couldn't see him at all. As I said before, lions are very difficult animals to spot!

Then just around the next corner we saw two rhino walking in the grass towards the road.

A pair of Black Rhinoceros in their favourite habitat; the borderland between the grass plains and woodlands in Lake Nakuru National Park

The Black Rhino can be differentiated from the White Rhino by its hooked, pointed upper lip. (See photo above) It feeds on any plantlife including leaves and twigs. The Black Rhino is found in Southern Africa and in conservation areas in Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya. Sadly there are only about 3600 animals left in the wild and are listed as severely endangered. Rhino poaching in Africa (particularly South Africa) is active and ongoing. The value of rhino horn has made it enormously profitable to poach these magnficent beasts (most poachers dart the animal and hack the horn off, leaving the animal to suffer once it awakes) and sell it on a thriving black market.

Black rhinos are not prolific breeders. The female is six years old before she mates and produces one calf every second year.

With no natural predator in the wild, the rhino's only enemy is man

We drove down to the lake and spent a fruitful hour viewing the beautiful birds there. On the way back to the lodge, we stopped at a signpost for me to photograph two young baboons allopreening. We also chuckled at the wording of the regulations below.

No sports in the picnic-and campsites?

Back at the lodge we were greeted with this work of art in the open reception area . The birds were already swooping down from the trees and taking bites out of the confectionery

The weavers nesting in the trees at the entrance to the lodge, were dipping their bills into the iced-cookie-house in the reception area

A Tropical bou-bou outside our room

Inside the room a gift awaited us. An edible dish of chocolates, sweets and cookies!

Was Santa the "culprit" who delivered the delectable present to our rooms?
Arriving at the restaurant for Christmas lunch, the guests were serenaded by the choir singing Christmas carols and traditional songs

The restaurant was chockablock full of patrons. Not only with resident guests (like us) but families and large groups of people had arrived from Nakuru, Naivasha and further afield to sample the lodge's Christmas fare.
I just loved this little girl's outfit. From the top of her little head to her toes. Just look at those boots!

We enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch and later that afternoon, after a short rest in our room, we drove out to the park for one last visit. We had one more night in the park and then it was time to go home!

To be continued...

Goliath Heron on Lake Baringo

2012-01-18T04:30:00.039+03:00

I have posted about Goliath Herons before but recently on our safari through Kenya, while out on a boat trip on Lake Baringo in the Great Rift Valley, I managed to get very good photos of this fascinating bird.

Our boatman and knowledgeable bird guide, Johnson stopped to show us a pair of Goliath Herons, one standing on a nest

He pointed to a younger Heron standing on the same tree top

Possibly this was the female standing to the rear of the tree-tops

When I downloaded my photos, I was thrilled with the next photo. Obviously I had the settings right, the background and surrounding foliage was perfect. I also captured this image with the rays of the setting sun playing over it.

My all-time favourite bird photos taken on Lake Baringo, Great Rift Valley, Kenya

For more beautiful birds around the world, click here

Kenya Safari Part XI

2012-01-17T04:30:00.156+03:00

And then it was Christmas Eve in the park...

If you're only joining my blog today and would like to read and follow previous posts of our recent safari through Kenya, click here.

On Saturday 24 December, we drove through the park in search of, you guessed it, lion or leopard. We saw giraffe, zebra, buffalo, a Black and white Colobus monkey and a lion in a tree. In Lake Nakuru National Park, lions are often seen in trees and that day we stopped behind another car with the driver pointing in the direction of a small tree. When I trained my binoculars on the spot, sure enough, there was a lion in the tree. Very indisctinct images but it's there nevertheless.

Some of the animals seen in the park on Saturday 24th December. Note the lion in a tree in the last photo

Apart from looking for baby animals on safari, I also photographed trees. I have many trees with name plates and hope to post about these shortly. That day in Lake Nakuru National Park, I had the map of the area spread on my knees and saw two interesting places marked: the Euphorbia forest and a grove of Wild Olives. I'll also post about the origin and history of these two collections of trees later. For now, I just wanted Grant to drive me there (Of course, his question was: "What for?") When we arrived I took photos- many photos!

The top two photos are of the Euphorbia Forest, and the other four are of the Wild Olive grove in Lake Nakuru National Park.

Then it was back to the lodge to get ready to enjoy another night of entertainment that the hotel was offering around the pool and of course, Christmas dinner. First I posed with the Masai warrior at the lodge entrance. Then I wandered around the pool area and took photos: you can arrange a romantic breakfast or dinner for two around the pool. The deck chairs begged you to relax while the water sparkled clearly in the large pool.

Clockwise from top: me and the Masai warrior, (note how cold it was in Nakuru, I'm wearing a thick top- I think you call it a hoody in the USA); a romantic breakfast or dinner for two at the pool, me and the Masai warrior again and the poolside with inviting deck chairs

The entertainers and hotel didn't disappoint. Once everyone had gathered around the swimming pool, the waiters handed out cocktails, fruit juice or wine and offered platters of hot snacks. The lodge manager and his staff mingled with guests which I found a wonderfully personal gesture.

Then it was time for the dancers to arrive and entertain us again. I had my camera settings correct this time and managed to get beautiful images. I loved it that several little children joined in the dancing!

The dancers really gave it their all on Christmas Eve. Several children joined in!

As one group of dancers finished their item, they were replaced by another group of equally lithe and fit performers!

The dancers wore kangas, a rectangle of pure bright cotton cloth, printed in bold designs and bright colours with a border all around. Apart from its protective and decorative role, kanga is all about sending the message. It is the equivalent of the get well greetings, or congratulations cards in the western culture but in this case the message goes a little bit beyond the normal meaning. For example, a fruit, a flower, a boat, or a bird could mean good upbringing or just the appreciation of beauty. On the other hand, a lion, a shark, or any such kind of dangerous animals could signal the sense of danger or a clear warning.

In the kangas above, I note hearts so I suspect these messages are romantic ones. I tried to decipher the message on the border, but as a Mzungu who's still learning Swahili, I didn't get very far. Whatever the wearer is trying to convey, when words are difficult to articulate with a mouth, inscribe them on kanga and wait for the results. The power of kanga in the Swahili culture is far-reaching.

After the dancing, the lodge manager welcomed all the visitors to the lodge. He then introduced his staff who were standing with him around the pool.

Then it was time for dinner. Whoo-hoo!

This little lad, seated at the table next to ours, was more interested in making Christmas cheer than his plate of food!

While we served ourselves to the delicious fare, a choir serenaded us in the diningroom. They sang Christmas carols and songs - all delivered A Cappella !

The lady in the front was the soloist and sang "Oh Holy night" backed by the rest of the choir. The sweet high notes of the soprano, brought tears to many an eye

This little boy was fascinated by the singing

After dinner, Grant and I repaired to the bar-restaurant for coffee. The hotel staff entertained the children with games. The first one was Musical Chairs.

Not many children had ever played musical chairs and there was great confusion about the rules!

Our little neighbour from the diningroom was the first person out. When the music started again, he joined the queue and had already done another circuit, when the official noticed and pulled him out!

Grant and I didn't stay up and wait for midnight. We retired and were soon asleep after another wonderful day enjoying Kenya, its wildlife, culture and cuisine!

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Kenya Safari Part X continued

2012-01-16T04:30:00.256+03:00

Yesterday I posted about our arrival at Sarovo Lion Hill Game Lodge. As the visitors arrived over the weekend, a special troupe of entertainers greeted them with the song "Jambo!Jambo Kenya". Behind the lady on the far right, you can see the Christmas tree and the beautifully decorated entrance and lobby of the lodge.

There were various entertainers over the Christmas weekend

This handsome man in traditional Masai dress, handed a hot, refreshing towel to each visitor to mop brows on arrival

After lunch, and a rest in our room, Grant and I took our first drive through the park. Our quest was to find rhinos and of course, to spot a leopard!

The first wildlife we saw, was a herd of buffalo. Some enjoying a mudbath...

...while others relaxed in the long grass

Then it was time to head for the lake and some BIRDING! Yay! The flamingos have left for Lake Natron, the only regular breeding site for Lesser Flamingos. The exsistence of Lake Natron as the most important breeding site for these flamigos in the world, is under constant threat of development. However, the plan to build a soda ash plant on the lake, in northern Tanzania in the Great Rift Valley, has been shelved for now and the developers, Lake Natron Resources, have been ordered to produce a new and better environmental statement and consider other sites for soda ash extraction. The firm is jointly owned by the Indian company TATA Chemicals and the Tanzanian Government.

Down at the lake now though, we were met by the sight of hundreds of Great White Pelicans.

The Great White Pelican is a large gregarious all-white bird,with a blue-pink bill and a yellow pouch. It has bare pink skin around the eyes and the feathers on the head meet in a sharp point above the bill.

They roost and nest on the ground and fly and soar in V-formation when the distinctive black flight feathers can be seen.

This flock of pelicans, gathered on the edge of the inlet to the lake, soon performed their characteristic group-synchronised fishing for us. They land in the water and together they raise their wings and beat the surface, as can be seen in the photos above. This action brings the fish to the top and dinner is served!

Commorants and other waterbirds are found around the lake too

A pair of Cape Teal glided by

I love the multiple reflections in this photo

Driving back to the main route through the park, we passed a female buffalo and calf. Unfortunately the youngster was asleep in the grass and not very visible in the only photo I managed to get.

My first "baby" sighting in Lake Nakuru National Park , a buffalo calf well-camouflaged in the grass

A little further along we saw a few antelope/buck.

I'm never very sure of the id of buck and think the front one is a Hartebees and the one in the rear is an Eland

And then, around the next corner we came across my favourite sighting of the day: A pair of baboons with a baby!

Now isn't that just the cutest little baboon you ever saw? I love the huge ears - eat your heart out Mr Spock!

This young baboon was in a tree above the little family trio of baboons

Back at the lodge, we popped into the curio shop which, surprisingly, wasn't as expensive as we'd expected. Grant bought me a couple of pairs of pretty sandals and a bush hat. Grant already has a hat which he received as a gift when I won the dinner at the Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi in November last year.

Then it was time to go back to our room and prepare for dinner. The reception staff had invited us to the open area below the bar for an hour of traditional dancing by the entertainers. Before we left the room, however, we donned our hats, set up the camera and posed for a photo to send to our children in SA!

Corny tourists on safari!

While the visitors were seated in the sunken garden below the bar, several men in traditional dress set up their drums on the stage in front of us. As they beat the drums, the dancers appeared from the dark garden to the side of us ran up onto the stage moving their bodies to the beat with amazing energy and rhythm.

I struggled with my settings on the first night we watched these dancers. Eventually on Christmas Eve I managed to get very clear and unblurred photos of these amazingly fit and energetic dancers

The lead dancer picked up a mic and told us where the songs and dances originated in Kenya. At the start of the last item, he invited the audience to get up and join in. Of course, no one moved. I saw this dancer and another run into the audience and I whispered to Grant that he was going to come and ask him to join the dancing. He did make straight for us, reached out his hand and pulled ME to my feet! I followed him onstage and for the first time in my life (and I've lived on the African continent for almost 60 years!) I danced to the beat of African music and rhythm. I can't say it was easy as I was wearing my new backless sandals which threatened to trip me up at every turn. Looking around I saw a few people from the audience, (men and women) dancing on stage.

When I got back to my seat (hot and flustered, I might add!) Grant said he'd taken a few photos of me on stage.

C'est moi on stage and, for the first time in 60 years on this continent, dancing to an African beat!

I did my best to emulate my partner but my shoes were not made for dancing and neither is my body made for wriggling!

After the entertainment, we made our way to the restaurant for dinner. The selection of food was a gastronomic delight. There was an entire counter laden with soups, salads, nuts, seeds and dressings. Bread and rolls were displayed here as well. Grant always made for the meat counter while I wandered off to the vegetarian display on the other side of the diningroo. There were choices like spicy cabbage, roasted butternut, various legume dishes (lentils, moong, dahl), herbed potatoes, roasted arrowroot, steamed broccolli and carrots and a huge pile of chapatis, naan breads and papadums. Condiments were chillie/tomato and onion salsa, mango chutney and raita.

While we enjoyed our meal, a young Kenyan serenaded the diners. He fascinated me: he could sing any pop song (mostly from the 60's,70's and 80's) and knew every word of every song. When he came to our table, Grant asked him to sing House of the Rising Sun (this type of request gives away our age, lol!) and he gave the perfect rendition. After singing another song for us, Grant slipped him KSH500/US$6.25 ; he thanked us and moved to the next table.

This man gave a perfect rendition of House of the Rising Sun

A wonderful first day in Lake Nakuru National Park.

Have a wonderful week, everybody!

Kenya Safari Part X

2012-01-15T04:40:00.011+03:00

Leaving Baringo on Friday 23 December, we embarked on the last leg of our journey. We were travelling south again to spend the Christmas weekend at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge on Lake Nakuru.

No sooner had we turned onto the main road between Baringo and Nakuru that we came across two cyclists. Not just ordinary cyclist; fit-looking cyclists with bikes loaded to the hilt. We knew immediately they were on a cycling tour through Africa. Grant slowed down as we overtook them, we asked where they'd come from. Europe, they called, and then became smaller and smaller in my camera lens as I photographed them through the back window.

As we overtook them, we asked where they were from. Europe, they answered

Cyclists who'd ridden all the way from Europe...

...and probably still riding. Just checked that luggage!

My mind boggled at the logistics of such an undertaking. I downloaded a map of Europe and Africa and marked the route I imagined these intrepid cyclists might have taken. Imagining that they started in France (I thought they had a French accent), I mapped their route through to, possibly Italy, Greece or Turkey. From there they'd fly across to Egypt, do a coastal trip along the Red Sea into Northern Sudan and down into Ethopia and then to Kenya where we saw them on a road in the Great Rift Valley! These are all my own assumptions. I wish I'd had a chance to speak to them, to find out exactly what their trip entailed and where they'd end. But then I like to talk to people and ask questions, while my husband likes to drive and keep on driving. Perhaps the cyclists wouldn't have appreciated it if we'd asked them to stop, so that I could talk to them...

On this map which I borrowed from Mr Google, Europe is circled in white. I mapped a route in red surmising that the cyclists started in France (or even Germany or Switzerland), crossed from Greece to Egypt and avoiding all the hotspots in Africa, made their way down the coast along the Red Sea, down through Northeastern Sudan into Ethopia and Kenya.

By 12.15pm we were sitting in a traffic gridlock in Nakuru. Everyone was trying to get their final business done before the Christmas weekend and this was the result! Finally (only a 45 minute wait, short for African cities) the line of cars moved forward and we headed through Nakuru and entered Lake Nakuru National Park a mere 3kms on the outskirts of the town.

The entrance to Lake Nakuru National Park, known for its abundant birdlife

Lake Nakuru National Park is among the smallest of the national parks but the second-most visited park in Kenya after Nairobi National Park. The park has up to 500 visitors per day, approximately 150,000 per year.

Soda lakes (of which Lake Nakuru is one) are formed when they are situated near a volcano. Lake Natron in Tanzania is near Ol Doinyo Lengai; Lake Magadi in Southern Kenya is near Shobole; Lake Elementeita is near Eburu crater; Lake Begoria is near Laikipia volcanic escarpment; (this volcano is visible from where we live in Keirio valley) and Lake Nakuru lies near Menegai crater. Most of the volcanoes in the Rift Valley have covered the area with alkaline ashes containing sodium carbonate which is carried to the lakes by rainwater. If the lakes have no natural drainage, tons of algae is formed in the soda water resulting in millions of flamingo which eat the algae, small insects and crustaceans living in these lakes.

When we arrived in this park, the flamingos had left for Lake Natron. I have previously posted about the beautiful spectacle of flamingoes at Lake Bogoria, so this time at Lake Nakuru I concentrated on the many pelicans and other waterbirds.

From the gate we drove through Fever tree forests to our weekend destination Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge

The misspelt word and the lower cap in Christmas, on their promotional banner, was forgiven as we arrived at the lodge entrance and were handed a cold, damp towel to wipe our hot faces and necks

Driving up to the game lodge, we were engulfed in the Christmas feeling. During December, Sarova Hotels had a specific theme for each hotel around the country. To celebrate and embrace the festive season, Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge brought in a fusion of cultures of the world. The festive air of this upmarket establishment was enhanced by the rich and diverse cuisine, the eye-catching modes of dress in the local tribes welcoming us and infused with the Rhythms of the World.

The view of Lake Nakuru from our room

After a delicious multi-coursed lunch, we rested a while in our rooms and then drove out to see what the park had to offer.

To be continued...

Hedges Kitty Update

2012-01-15T04:35:00.001+03:00

For more pet posts around the world, click here

Golden Vista, Masai Mara National Reserve

2012-01-15T04:30:00.167+03:00

The grassy plains of Masai Mara National Reserve

For more beautiful scenes around the world, click here

Kenya Safari Part IX

2012-01-14T04:30:00.302+03:00

We left The Sleeping Warrior Lodge after breakfast and headed north to Lake Baringo, our next stop for the night. We were on our way to Island Camp, which we'd stayed at before (twice) and enjoyed it so much we visited again. (We'd tried to spend the Christmas weekend on the island but they were fully booked)

When we arrived at Lake Baringo, we found that the summer rains - which lasted six months last year - had pushed the water up so far that the jetty had had to be moved back quite a considerable distance. The fuel bowsers/pumps were also submerged and not expected to work again!

On our visit to Lake Baringo in August 2011, the jetty protruded almost to the inlet created by the reeds. (see arrow marking the opening) The fuel pumps were about twenty meters behind us and on dry ground at the time

In December, the inlet was way beyond the end of the jetty (blue arrow indicating the space). On our August-trip, we'd parked our vehicles next to the fuel pumps which are circled in white in this photo!

The 25 minute trip across the lake was uneventful with, not even a glimpse of crocodile or hippo.

The trip between the town Baringo and Ol Kokwe island takes about 25 minutes by boat

Arriving at the reception office (see hut in photo #2 in collage), we were welcomed with a glass of fruit cocktail, Grant signed the register and porters, carrying our bags, showed us our tent.

Our tent on Island Camp overlooking the lake

We always arrive at Island Camp just before lunch, so after freshening up in our tent, we meandered up the diningroom. We enjoyed a lunch of avocado pear soup, served cold, salads and freshly baked rolls - with beef lasagne for the carnivores - and rounded the meal off with slices of fresh mango and pineapple.

Later I relaxed on my bed in the tent, while my darling husband took a nap. The lake water lapped at the bank below our accommodation, causing a certain level of somnolence to overtake me. However, I was halfway through Wilbur Smith's latest best-seller: Those in Peril which I couldn't put down. His well-researched, realistic and often horrific facts-turned-fiction, kept my eyes riveted to the pages. The story is about modern day-pirating off the African continent (the Horn of Africa and Kenya, to be exact) and in particular, an American luxury yacht being high-jacked and the owner's daughter kidnapped by religous fanatics. (Ironically pirates are very active around this part of Africa at present)

I was standing on the bow of the yacht next to the antagonist - the baddie who'd infiltrated the yacht staff by befriending the owner's daughter - waiting for the pirates to come on board, when I heard a "slap-slap-slap" of fins on the ship's deck ! I looked around and then clicked my tongue at my nervousness. First I spotted a leathery claw appear around the open door of the tent! Then a sharp reptilian nose followed by the bulky body and long tail of a likkewaan (monitor lizard) came into full view. It moved ponderously to a sunny spot in front of the tent, flopped down on the warm stones and went to sleep! I grabbed my camera and photographed this fascinating and harmless reptile.

In the third photo on left, I arrowed the end of the lizard's tail

showing how large he is

Every afternoon, coffee is served in the pool bar higher up on the island. As usual Island Camp was a veritable paradise for birders. On the way up, I stopped to photograph a White-browed Sparrow-weaver and a little ahead I saw a Spotted Palm Thrush, the voice behind the beautiful song we could hear all around the island. While Grant had coffee and crunchies (an oatmeal type of biscuit) I wandered through a small copse of trees in search of more birds. Ahead of me in the pathway, a Blue-naped Mousebird was having a sand bath.

A White-browed Sparrow-weaver

The Spotted Palm Thrush

A Spotted Palm Thrush with attitude!

Mousebirds are well, rather mouse-coloured and I always enjoy seeing this brightly-coloured mousebird with a distinctive blue nape and long pointed tail. Its face and the base of the bill is bright red while its feet (not visible in my photo, unfortunately) are a dull red

Boatman and birding fundi/guide, Johnson and his assistant, Hosea

On Island Camp you can arrange various leisure activities with the guides. Previously we've had an afternoon trip around the islands viewing birds. We've been a morning trip to feed the fish-eagles and view birds. We've also been on the sundowner cruise to Gibraltar Rock. This time we booked for the tour around the islands viewing birds and ended with the sundowner cruise on Gibraltar Rock.

Apart from a variety of egrets, squacco herons, kingfishers and plovers, Johnson took us close to a pair of Goliath Heron with their nest. I will post about these birds next week. Sailing a little further around the island, Johnson whistled and pointed to an African Fish Eagle sitting high up on a branch. His whistle "notifies" the fish eagle that he had a snack for it! (there was a cooler box of fish on the boat, for this purpose) Then he asked me if I was ready - I had my camera focussed on the water where I estimated the fish would land - and he tossed the fish into the air. As it landed, the fish eagle swooped down, grabbed the fish and flew into another tree on the island bank. I've marked this activity with arrows here below:

The African Fish-eagle gives us a show of "catching" the fish the guide tossed for it

Just before we reached the bay where Johnson would stop the boat for us to get off, we saw two Water Thick-knee. It looked like a juvenile and an adult. This was a first proper sighting for me. I've seen this bird in the distance when visiting Ndumu in 2008 so getting a good view of them this time, was a real treat.

In the top two photos, the young thick-knee is on the left. The single photos underneath are of the adult. Note the thick knees of the bird giving it this interesting name

Then we climbed up the path to the top where Johnson and Hosea served us with ice cold drinks while I took photos of the sunset over the lake.

Sunset over Lake Baringo as seen from Gibralta Rock

*Sigh* another tough day in Africa, but then someone has to do the job!

After dinner we retired to our tent and fell asleep to the sound of the waves lapping gently at the bank below.

Next morning we were woken by the lady who brought us tea and ginger biscuits.

Our early morning tea and biscuits being delivered by a kind Kenyan lady. As I said: life's tough!

We sat and enjoyed our tea while watching the sun rise over the lake

As usual a number of birds appeared as the sun warmed the air and kept me clicking away. There were Red-faced Crombec, Black-eyed Bulbul, a Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird and a White-browed Coucal. In between were various species of weavers, some enjoying the crumbs Grant placed on the stones at our feet. I was particularly fascinated by a weaver which spent most of his time on the fruit of a prickly pear just below our patio. We've never known a weaver to eat fruit this so I took a number of photos as proof!

A weaver digging and enjoying the prickly pear fruit below our tent

After breakfast, the porters loaded our luggage into the boat and Johnson took us across to the mainland. Another lovely overnight stay at Island Camp.

Once we boarded our vehicle we headed south again. We were on our way for the final leg of our safari: we were spending the Christmas weekend at Lake Nakuru.

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend.

Kenya Safari Part VIII continued

2012-01-13T04:35:00.005+03:00

Yesterday I posted about driving to and arriving at Sleeping Warrior Lodge. This is the view we had from our room and from the outdoor dining area.

The view of Lake Elementeita and the African bush from the Sleeping Warrior Lodge

Our room at Sleeping Warrior Lodge Camp

Once the porters had helped us take our luggage to the room, we returned to the patio below the reception area, for coffee and biscuits. On the way we had a number of hyrax running across the paths; quite tame they were too. According to the lodge manager, they're rather destructive and make short work of leafy trees and shrubs, and any new saplings. They also breed prolifically. In South Africa we know them as dassies.

Very cute and quite destructive little creatures!

We had coffee on the terrace with a vista of African grasslands and bush stretching as far as the eye could see below us. At the same time, we were entertained by a variety of little birds visiting the bird-feeder.

First on the feeder was a pair of Red-cheeked Cordon-Bleus, the male on the left of the photo and the female on the other side

The next bird, a Yellow-spotted Petronia, was a lifer for me and Grant. I was thrilled to capture the rather indistinct yellow mark on its throat!

While I watched and photographed the birds, my coffee got cold and Grant ate all the biscuits! (His excuse was they were becoming soft in the open air, LOL!) The Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu returned and a Masked weaver landed on the other side of the seed dispenser. When this bird had had its fill, it flew off an the Yellow-spotted Petronia landed in its place.

Below the photo I have a fun and easy quiz question for my readers:

Question: what is the gender of the Red-cheeked Cordon bleu in the two photos above?

Then it was sunset and the sky turned a beautiful purple tinged with pink...

The volcanic crater, The Sleeping Warrior which gives the lodge its name, is bathed in the last glow of the sun. (Fred, apparently the lodge and camp has been open for about five years)

In Africa, darkness falls suddenly...

After we'd had a much-needed shower, we returnd to the diningroom for dinner. Sitting at the roaring fire (yes, it was very cold the night we stayed over!) I watched and photographed a pair of swallows building a nest in the corner next to the chimney.

Swallows building a nest above the fireplace in the lodge dining room

The lodge manager Lawson, right with George, his reception manager

The next morning, while I prepared for the day...

... in a unique shower with a view of the bushveld

Grant took photos of the glorious sunrise!

While I waited for him to ablute, I spotted and photographed the only baby of the day, this fluffy little bird. (not sure what it is)

Taking our handluggage to the car while the porters kindly carried other bags

Another tough day in Africa!

A Grey-backed Cameroptera watching us have breakfast

We stopped once on the dirt road leading back to the main highway for me to photograph this elegant Secretary Bird

Then it was time to "hit the road" to quote my husband. We were on our way for another overnight stay at Island Camp on Lake Baringo.

First full moon of 2012

2012-01-13T04:30:00.018+03:00

For more sky photos click here

Kenya Safari Part VIII

2012-01-12T04:30:00.069+03:00

If you've been following my recent posts about our trip through various wildlife parks in Kenya, you will know that although I'm alread at part eight, I've only covered the first leg of our safari. If this is your first visit to my blog and would like to see where we've been and the amazing wildlife and birds we've seen so far, please go back to Kenya Safari Part I and follow our travels from there.

Leaving the Mara, we were heading for an overnight stop at a lodge on Lake Elementeita. We left Fig Tree Camp shortly after 8.30 that morning and only arrived at our destination at 4pm. After long ride on very challenging roads, we were looking forward to a hot shower and an early night. However, on the road leading to the lake and lodge, we were treated to a number of animals.

As we trundled along the dirt road to our accommodation, we spotted a small herd of zebra. And voila! A zebra female and her foal. Another baby animal to add to my collection!

A zebra female and her young foal. Note how the baby's tail is quite bushy while the adult's tail almost looks as though it's been plaited, leaving a tassle on the end!

The Plains Zebra (Burchell's Zebra) stands 1.3m tall and weighs up to 320kg. It's life expectancy is 20 years. In the Maasai Mara, the zebra and wildebeest congregate in large numbers and form the migration to the Serengeti between September and early December.

Zebras are very alert and often detect predators in time to flee. The herds stampede in a large group, making it difficult for individuals to become isolated and caught. The zebra protects its young when confronted by a single predator, but lone foals are easy prey. There are no known predators in the Elemeteita lake area (where I took the above photo) so this little foal will hopefully make it to adulthood.

Zebras are best known for their distinctive black and white stripes, which come in different patterns unique to each individual. Have you ever wondered whether a zebra is white with black stripes or vice versa? Zoologists maintain that the animal is black with white stripes as white equids would not survive on the plains of Africa. The zebra, although related to the horse and donkey, has an erect mane.

If you'd like to read some more interesting facts about zebras in Africa, please click here.

Then we came across the signpost which said we had arrived. Yay!

The view of Lake Elementeita from the lodge

To be continued...

Longclaws and rollers

2012-01-11T04:35:00.075+03:00

On our first morning in the Maasai Mara, I was on the look-out for LBJ's. I spotted one on a rock facing away from me. As Grant stopped the vehicle, the bird turned around...

A drab-looking LBJ on a rock in the Maasai Mara turned out to be...

...a Rosy-breasted (Pink-throated) Longclaw male

This long-legged, pipit - like bird has characteristic long hind claws. (noticeable in the single photo at top) The upperparts are brown with black streaking and the underparts are salmon-pink with a broad black band across the chest. The pink throat explains why it used to be called by that name. The female is duller and lacks the black band. The call is a plaintive and melodious: Cheet-eet-eet-eet-err.

The next day while game viewing in the reserve, we spooted another beautiful longclaw; this time the Yellow-throated Longclaw.

A Yellow-throated Longclaw spotted the next day in the Mara

The Yellow-throated Longclaw is a large yellow-breasted longclaw with heavily streaked upperparts and black streaking below the black breast band. It's found in grasslands and whistles a series of "phoooooeet" frequently from the top of a small tree. The one above was perched in a small tree and I had to contend with too much light in my images.

The third bird I'm posting about today is one that has often featured on my blog. However, this one was sitting so still and I managed to get a series of photos before it flew off. I captured that too!

Lilac-breasted Roller

The Lilac-breasted Roller is a common species occurring in almost all national parks and reserves. The lilac throat and breat, and elongated outer tail feathers are distinctive. This bird perches on open branches, large termite mounds and even on power and telephone lines, swooping down on its prey and clearly showing its brilliant blue wings. The Lilac-breasted Roller is the national bird of Kenya.

For more beautiful bird posts around the world, click here

Kenya Safari Part VII continued

2012-01-11T04:30:00.089+03:00

No trip to the Maasai Mara would be complete without a post about the Masai. Although not the most powerful tribe politically in East Africa, the Masai are certainly the best known. They're recognised for their handsome appearance and are fiercely proud of their culture and traditions. They are easily identifiable - the men wearing their bright red cloaks often carrying a spear and rungu (short club); the women colourfully dressed and festooned in bangles and beads.

Cattle are the hub of the Masai's existence. The products of cattle - meat, milk, blood, hides and even dung (used in house building) are central to the way of life. Traditionally, unlike other tribes, the Masai have never hunted wild animals for food, but depend on their cows, together with sheep and goats. The Masai effectively live at peace with the wildlife.

The Masai live around the protected area of the Mara on three sides and although you'll occassionally see Masai cattle encroaching into the reserve, there's often as much wildlife outside the reserve as in it.

The Masai with their cattle on the perimeter of the Maasai Mara National Reserve

A Masai herds his cattle across the road as we leave the Mara

All along the road we came across Masai men. Fortunately most of them permitted me to photograph them. Note the modern wristwatch on the arm of the man in the last photo!

Then we were on our way. Leaving the reserve via a different gate to the one we entered a few days before, we encounted 66km strip of very bad gravel road. Having rained every night while we were in the Mara, certain sections and bridges were washed away. However, it was preferable travelling this road to the half-tarred road we'd used on the way in.

One of several bridges that had washed away with the recent rains

At the T-junction, we connected with the 35kms of non-existent tarred road.

These old signposts begged to be photographed!

Thanks for following the first part of our safari. I'll be posting about the next leg shortly.

Kenya Safari Part VII

2012-01-10T04:30:00.083+03:00

After three full days of viewing wildlife and spotting birds, it was finally time to leave the Maasai Mara National Reserve. After breakfast, the porters loaded our luggage into our vehicle and we said goodbye to the efficient and friendly staff at Fig Tree Camp.

En route to the gate, as a special farewell, we had several animal sightings.

African elephant (Loxodonta africana) crossing the road in front of our vehicle

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) clearly visible on the plains of Maasai Mara

African lion (Panthera leo) right next to the road

The lion was so close to the vehicle, I felt as though I could reach out and touch him!

Two buffalo (Syncerus caffer) with a young one between them

A small buck upwind from the predators

One of the gates into the Maasai Mara National Reserve

You may notice that I have used the spelling Maasai Mara in all my posts. Our gate entry passes had this spelling, various visitor's guides use this form as well. You can spell it whichever way you like; the Mara still remains one of the most famous parks in East Africa with an abundance of wildlife and birds with easy viewing.

I couldn't resist a photo of this magnificent fever tree at the entrance gate...

...and a pair of D'Arnaud's Barbets on a bush to my right

To be continued...

For more posts on other people's worlds, click here

Kenya Safari Part VI continued

2012-01-09T04:30:00.224+03:00

On Saturday I posted the first part about the cheetahs we saw in Maasai Mara. You can read about this here, if you wish. We'd been on the lookout for leopard as the only one of the Big Five that we'd not yet seen in the Mara, when, across the plain, we saw a whole fleet of tour operator busses in one spot. When you see this in a game reserve, you dash across to join them, because it means they've come across a special animal and everyone is watching, filming and/or photographing it.

And this is exactly what had happened. We drove up and when we could get a view in between the vehicles, we saw two cheetahs lying on a grassy mound, not at all bothered by the mass of humanity staring at them.

Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) - the fasted animal on earth

The Cheetah stands 80cm in its socks and weighs up to 50kg. So by African big cat standards, this is a small animal but its power is in its speed. The cheetah can be identified by the characterstic tearmarks and the fact that its spots are solid and not arranged in rosettes like those of the leopard.

Cheetahs often rest on mounds or fallen trees from where they locate their prey using both eyes and ears. Mara cheetahs prey especially on Thompson's Gazelle and also the young of a variety of the large buck such as wildebeest, topi and impala. They start rushing at the prey from about 100m away. As mentioned in my previous post, cheetahs can attain speeds of up to 112kph, averaging about 64kph. They're able to pursue their prey from about 300m.

Once a cheetah starts giving chase and the prey runs ahead, the faster the fleeing animal runs, the easier it is for the cheetah to knock it off balance. The cheetah brings down the gazelle by striking at the rump, thigh or sideways at the hind legs, using a downward motion with a paw, or by simply tripping it. The large dewclaw on the cheetah's front foot often helps to trip an animal.

The prey is grabbed by the throat and strangled and dragged to cover before the cheetah starts feeding. If disturbed by other predators, cheetah will abandon their kill and not return to it. Jackal, however, seldom come within 30m of a feeding cheetah as the latter's speed makes it too dangerous to a jackal to steal scraps.

While we watched, the one cheetah yawned...

...rose from the mound...

...and sauntered off into the distance!

Perhaps the cheetah realised there was no hope of spotting prey with all the tourists crowding around his mound!

A close-up of the tour operator vehicles with the roof which lifts to enable tourists to have a close encounter with the wildlife

The tour operators are in contact with each other and one will alert the other if he spots a predator, normally one of the big cats. I often wonder if they and the tourists in their vehicles, notice the smaller predators. Just after we'd left the place where we'd watched the cheetahs, we saw a Spotted Hyena sitting in the grass quite far off the road. I was amazed at how "dog-like" this predator is and couldn't get enough photos of it!

The Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta)

The Spotted Hyena stands 85cm high and weighs up to 70kg. Hyenas are very successful hunters, more than half their food consisting of their own kills. Newborn impalas are especially vulnerable and make up a large proportion of the hyena's diet. At other times they scavenge and hunt young small animals.

Hyenas detect their prey by both smell and hearing. They lie and wait for a young animals to move far enough away from its mother to make it easy prey. When hunting they run in the herd to scatter the group. They then pursue the selected animal until it's too exhausted to escape. Once they've pulled it down and bitten it, the prey usually dies within minutes. Hyenas feed noisily which often attracts other hyenas

Hyenas jaw and teeth are well adapted to splintering and crushing bones and shearing through hide and sinew. They digest bones which is why their dung is characteristically white.

In and around habitation, hyenas can wreach havoc. They will and can eat almost any object. When I worked for a missile test range in Zululand in the eighties, we'd often arrive at the airstrip ready to board the Dakota, only to find the tyres had been chewed through. They also turn over heavy-duty rubber dustbins and eat the lids and most of the recepticle!

After this sighting we drove 57 km to the Mara Triangle. We wanted to visit the banks of the Mara River, which bisects the reserve. This is the river the animals cross during the migration to Serengeti between July and October. There are seven crossing points in the Mara.

Stopped at the boom gate into the Mara Triangle. Although we didn't have to pay anything, (we'd paid our park fees when entering the reserve on the first day) Grant had to sign many books and was issued with an official-looking receipt into this part of the park

While Grant sorted out the beaurocracy, I wandered about taking photos of birds (more about these later) and very colourful lizards.

The Mwanza flat-headed rock agama male (Agama mwanzae), which according to Mr Google, is found in the Serengeti. Here we are so close to the famous Tanzanian Game Reserve, so it stands to reason that these lizards will appear in the Mara as well

This drab-looking lizard was on a nearby log, so I'm surmising it's the female of the species

Just around the corner behind us, is one of the migration crossings

We continued to the Mara Serena Safari Lodge where we had decided to have lunch. The day before, when we'd turned into the road leading to Keekorock Lodge, I'd asked Grant to stop as I'd seen a bird on the lodge's signpost and wanted to photograph it! He replied that it would be there when we came back and he'd stop then. When we returned he stopped at the sigbpost but as the bird had L O N G since flown! I didn't get my photo.

As we turned into the road to Mara Serena Safari Lodge, he screeched to a halt. There was a Lilac-breasted Roller (the national bird of Kenya) sitting on the sign. I took the photo and we chuckled all the way to the lodge. (I wonder if there're other couples out there who also "hear"one thing when their spouses actually means another!)

A Lilac-breasted Roller poses beautifully on the signpost

The Mara Serena Safari Lodge, which you can read about here, was all we expected and more. However, we found it very busy very modern and, dare I say, commercialised. We were doubly glad that we were staying at Fig Tree Camp situated at the beginning of the reserve.

The view across from the Mara Serena Safari Lodge overlooking the Maasai Mara plains and a ringside view of the migration should you visit here between July and October

On our return journey to Fig Tree Camp, we spotted many, many birds: waterbirds, LBJ's and other beautiful birds. SWe also came across as well as a male Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx). The cow-like eland is the world's largest and slowest antelope. It has the endurance to maintain a trot indefinitely and can jump an 8 foot fence from a standstill. Both males and females have horns that spiral tightly, though female horns tend to be longer and thinner.

Elands are found in grassland, mountain, subdesert, acacia savanna and miombo woodland areas.

The older the male, the more solitary its tendencies, while younger animals may form small groups. Males are also more sedentary than females, (I can just picture the male eland sitting on a sofa with the TV remote in his hand, LOL!) who may travel widely, especially during the dry season. Females and young are found in loosely cohesive groups. Calves spend a lot of time grooming and licking each other, developing bonds even stronger than those of a calf with its mother.

Elands browse more than graze, feeding in areas where shrubs and bushes provide the leaves they prefer and using their horns to bring twigs and branches into reach. They also consume certain fruits, large bulbs and tuberous roots.

Man has domesticated the eland due to its rich milk, tasty meat and useful hide. However, its need for a vast range to find sufficient browsing and its low density in number create game management problems and this new idea may not be viable in the long term.

The Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx). Above is a lone male which we spotted in the Maasai Mara

Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Source: (in part only) Google and the Maasai Mara Visitor's Map Guide.

Scenic Majesty

2012-01-08T04:30:00.010+03:00

African elephant on the plains of Maasai Mara in Kenya, East Africa

For more beautiful post around the world, click here

Kenya Safari Part VI

2012-01-07T04:30:00.084+03:00

When you think that this post is about our second full day in the Maasai Mara Park, you'll realise how many parts my safari will have by the end of our nine day tour!

Day three dawned bright and clear and after breakfast we headed off into new territory. As we'd seen four of the Big Five - elephant, rhino, lion (and buffalo which I haven't posted about) - the previous two days, we were on a quest to find the fifth animal: leopard. Note: The phrase Big Five was coined by white hunters now known as trophy hunters, and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. The term is still used in most tourist sand guides on African wildlife safaris. The collection consists of the lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros. The members of the Big Five were chosen for the difficulty in hunting them and the degree of danger involved, rather than their size.

We travelled along another lesser used roads which yielded many other animals and of course, scores of birds which we regularly stopped to photograph.

Along the road we met a giraffe. This was the closest we'd been to "Miss Skinny" that I just had to show the gracious animal off again

Travelling around peering upwards into trees and through the forests near the road, to see if we could spot a leopard, instead in the distance, we saw a group of tour operator vehicles converging on one spot in the veld. Sue had told me that if we saw vehicles congregated in a place, we should go and take a look. Which is what we did. When we finally managed to get nearer to the spot, we were delighted to see two cheetahs resting on a mound. I clicked away thinking that my photos wouldn't be worth a jot (wildlife photography is a profession!) but when I downloaded them, I was thrilled to see I had quite a few very clear photos of the trademark "teardrops" and the soft, rounded features of this cat.

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), the fasted animal on earth

The top speed man has run is about 25miles/40 kms per hour; the fastest dog, the greyhound, reaches a speed of 40miles/64kms per hour; racehorses have been timed at 50 miles/80kms per hour; and antelopes can go close to 60 miles /96 kms per hour.

But none of them can come close to the world’s fastest runner, the cheetah. No animal on earth can outrun the cheetah’s 70 miles/112kms per hour speed.

(to be continued)

Kenya Safari Part V

2012-01-06T04:35:00.090+03:00

For anyone visiting my blog for the first time, please do scroll back to Kenya Safari Part I, if you wish, and catch up to our tour of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Having had a most enjoyable and fruitful (especially birding-wise) early morning ride through the park, and another very rewarding mid-morning tour, we took to the routes again just after 4pm. In a field we spotted a couple of Southern Ground Hornbills. The one I focussed on was marching through the grass enjoying its evening meal. I will do a post on this huge bird later.

Southern Ground Hornbill

As we drove along, I asked Grant to stop as I'd seen a Go-away bird in a thicket near the road. He stopped and I snapped away, only realising when I downloaded the photos, that we'd spotted a Bare-faced Go-away bird and not the White-fronted Go-away bird which we see often here in the valley. The Bare-faced Go-away bird is endemic to NE Africa so this bird was a lifer for us.

A Bare-faced Go-away bird - a lifer for me and Grant

This Go-away bird has a diagnostic bare black face which seperates it from the other Go-away birds and Plantain-eaters in Africa. This one was pointedly silent but it's calll is a deep "kow-kow"

Continuing we came across a small herd of buck (antelope) which we thought were Thompson's Gazelle. However, once again when I downloaded the photos, I managed to identify these (with help of Mr Google) as Grant's Gazelle.

A small herd of Grant's Gazelle

Grant's Gazelle

In case you're wondering why I photographed this buck minus a head and feet, I was trying to focus on the birds on the animal's back

From the beginning to the end of our safari, I tried (without much success) to photograph the birds sitting on the backs of buffaloes, buck and zebra. The birds in question are called Red-billed Oxpecker birds. My book on Birds of Africa south of the Sahara says that oxpecker birds are specialists, gleaning ticks and other ectoparasites* from large mammals. They also take blood and tissue from wounds. They are slender, long-winged and long-tailed relatives of starlings. They roost communally, usually in dead trees and call with a short "hiss-hiss"

I was surprised that the birds were so skittish. Whenver we stopped near an animal with a couple of oxpecker on it, the birds would fly away. Hence the fuzzy photos.

And then...

BONUS!!

A baby elephant follows its mum across the road directly in front of the vehicle

Note: * An ectoparasite, also known as an external parasite is a parasite that lives on the outside of its host, e.g. on the skin or in the hair. Fleas are ectoparasites.

Thus ended our second day, albeit it our first full day at the Mara. We returned to camp tired but happy and armed with many photos!

Vanes in the Maasai Mara

2012-01-06T04:30:00.008+03:00

For more skies around the world, click here

Kenya Safari Part IV

2012-01-05T10:27:00.228+03:00

Continuing posts about our safari and the interesting time spent in, especially the Maasai Mara, got me thinking how Grant and I aren't actually people who regularly visit game reserves to view wildlife. We visited the Kruger National Park in 2003 and saw the Big Five but have not since returned. Later we enjoyed an idyllic week in the Kgalaghadi Transfrontier Park even spending one night at Grootkolk, near the Union's End where the three countries of South Africa, Botswana and Namibia end. At Grootkolk we were - apart from the overseer in his hut nearby - the only people there that night and there were no game fences. The Grootkolk link above shows a family cabin, but at the time, we stayed in an ensuite tent, with a double bed and gas lamps for lighting. There was a gas hotplate outside, a sink with running water and a table and chairs to eat at. The entire area around our tent and outdoor "kitchen" was sandbagged for protection against the leopards and other wildlife roaming the area. We had to sign an indemnity form before being shown to our tent, exonerating the park if we were eaten by wildlife! The pathways to the other tents and communal kitchen (which we didn't use) were marked with white stones; we were told to stick to these pathways for our own safety. Our tent overlooked a waterhole and we watched blue wildebeest, eland and springbok drinking there in the late afternoon.

That evening sitting in our outdoor kitchen/dining area, the overseer snuck up to the side of our tent and whispered that if we crept quietly a little way along our path and looked up to the next door tent, we'd see a spectacular sight. As we're quite the intrepid couple, (lol!) we did just that and were thrilled to see a leopard lying on the tented roof of the kitchen. Now, to South Africans and overseas visitors alike, a leopard sighting is very special as these are very elusive cats who normally hide up trees, or pad around in forests. So we stood and gazed at this rather relaxed leopard, who fortunately had either not seen us or wasn't interested in two gawking humans on the path below. Believe it or not in those days, before the digital camera era, I didn't take photos. I remember videoing the wildlife we'd seen during the day, but although my camcorder had a night-light, it was lying in the tent behind us!

We do have the memories of this wonderful sighting though.
Early next morning the same overseer, bless him, called to us through the tent walls and told us to look out onto the waterhole. The Kalahari Lions (which we'd not yet seen) were drinking at the waterhole.

I don't have photos of leopards, so have downloaded this one from Google (courtesy of National Geographic) A leopard lies on a branch about six meters above the ground and is most difficult for the novice park visitor to spot

So after that [long!] explanation about us not being people who visit national parks frenetically looking for game, why did we embark on this safari? Well, if you live in Kenya, it make sense to visit the parks; no airfares to pay and the resident gate fees are a lot less than tourists rate. Another reason (mine, of course) was that all the parks in Kenya are home to many and varied bird species and I wanted to see and photograph as many as I could. Years ago when we visited Ndumu Game Reserve with Grant's brother, Charles and his wife, Shelley (my sister-in-law who helps me with bird id's) they taught us to look for birds in a game reserve. Ninety percent of the time, while you're watching the birds, the big game will saunter past/into view, or you'll spot them while you're driving slowly through the park.

On our second day in the Mara, we set out at about 10h30 for a quick look around. When we came to the area where we'd spotted lions the day before, we were thrilled to see them lying in the shade of a copse of thorn bushes. Note: Maasai Mara lions are territorial and we saw the various prides around the park in the same places every time.

Above a lion rises and resettles himself in the shade. The second photo is of a lioness' tooth which I zoomed in on while she lay panting in the shade

During the migration the lions feed mainly on wildebeest and zebra. However it's the number of resident species such as buffalo and various antelope which sustain the lion populations. The Mara has over 500 lions, many in very large prides of up to 30 individuals, with each pride occupying its own range. The lion (Panthera leo) is 1 meter tall; males weigh up to 230kg; the females around 160kg with a life expectancy of 15 years. Lions are social cats and often hunt for larger prey such as zebra and buffalo, in groups of two or more, which increases their success rate.

Within minutes of us stopping to watch the lions, half a dozen tour operators drove their mini-busses up and parked. The vehicles have a part of the roof which lifts and the visitors stand and photograph the wildlife from there.

Grant moved off (he felt he was being crowded, LOL!) and stopped down the road for me to photograph a butterfly.

Time for me to practice my bokeh photography on this butterfly

Although there are many rhino in the Mara, we only got a sighting of this one wandering off into the bush

The bottom left photo shows a Thompson's Gazelle with a Ground Hornbill (a bird) which I'll post about later

All around the park were herds of antelope, known to South Africans as buck. Ample food for lions, leopard, cheetah and hyenas here in the Mara.

As it rained every night we were at Fig Tree Camp, certain sections of the roads were rutted and very marshy. Grant had to negotiate several slushy parts, muddying the vehicle. Having to clean the windscreen regularly, the little tank supplying the window washer pump was dry. We turned into Keekorok Lodge for more fuel and to replenish the washer tank.

Signs of very muddy roads in the park

Two little boys were sitting on the ledge housing the diesel bowsers; one looking very pensive, the other rather sombre for someone so young. However, their faces lit up when I gave them a handful of sweets/candy and couple of bananas and apples that I had in the car

We drove through the beautiful grounds to the lodge. I needed a rest-stop and what better place than at a beautiful lodge. Along the way Grant stopped for me to photograph a mother monkey and her little baby. Shortly another monkey (I think it was a male, but not sure) sauntered up and tried to look at/take the baby. The mother - true to form - clutched the baby closer to her. When the other monkey persisted, she loped off on three legs, with the baby grasping her belly fur and her holding onto it with her right hand.

Returning to the camp, we enjoyed a many-coursed lunch and retired to our tent to rest while the heat of the day abated.

Kenya Safari Part III

2012-01-05T04:30:00.161+03:00

On day two of our stay in the Maasai Mara, we had an early wake-up call from one of the hotel staff and wandered off to the bar area for coffee. The morning was quite chilly for us valley-dwellers where the temperature is warm and sunny throughout the year !

Enjoying coffee in the bar area on the second morning in the Mara

While we were waking up and thawing, we heard the hot-air balloons firing up across the river. It was quite a temptation every time we saw the balloons hovering over the park, but just thinking about the price, was enough to opt for watching the balloons and passengers above us instead. At US$450pp for one hour in the air, plus a two-hour champagne breakfast under an acacia trees, which looked very festive through the binoculars, this was very expensive for locals no matter which way you look at it!

Hot air balloon over Maasai Mara

Soon we were travelling along the depicted routes through the outer part of the Mara. Of course the first things I heard and spotted were a number of little birds, I'll post those at a later date.

The very first animals we came across sunning themselves on the side of the road, were Black-backed Jackals. While on safari, I made it my mission to try and capture as many young animals and I managed to do this regularly. In this group of jackals were two very young pups. They were curled up, one either side of the road, obviously waiting for mum to catch their breakfast.

The top two, and bottom right photos are young Black-backed Jackal

Jackals usually den in holes made by other species, though they will occasionally dig their own; females will dig tunnels 1–2 metres in depth with a 1-metre-wide entrance. Black-backed jackals are monogomous and territorial animals, with a strong social structure. The assistance of elder offspring in helping raise the pups of their parents has a greater bearing on pup survival rates.

Pups are born from July to October. Summer births are thought to be timed to coincide with population peaks of vlei/marsh rats and four-striped grass mice, while winter births are timed for ungulate calving seasons. Litters usually consist of three to six pups. For the first three weeks of their lives, the pups are kept under constant surveillance by their mother, while the father and elder offspring provide food. They typically leave the den after three weeks, and become independent at six to eight months.

Jackals are omnivorous hunters and scavengers eating a wide variety of food including carion, rodents, reptiles and birds. They hunt singly for this smaller prey and work in pairs or larger groups when hunting bigger animals. They select weaker animals like impala lambs (African antelope species) or old, sick animals. They hunt in open areas where their prey is found.

In the distance across the grassland, we saw a Maasai Giraffe. The Maasai Giraffe, also known as the Kilimanjaro Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) is the largest subspecies of giraffe and the tallest land mammal. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.

The spots are definitely jagged on a Maasai Giraffe

The Maasai Giraffe has jagged spots on its body. It also has a short tassel of hair on its tail. Adult males usually reach around 6m in height; females tend to be a bit shorter at around 5.5 m tall. Their legs and necks are both approximately 2m long, and their heart has a mass of roughly 12 kg (25 lb).From its height, however, the giraffe can spot a predator from far off and move away very fast when threatened.

There is no seasonal breeding season for the Maasai Giraffe, and females can get pregnant from the age of 4. They also give birth standing up. It takes 2–6 hours for a giraffe to be born and then it drops 2m to the ground. About 50–75% of the calves die in their first few months due to predation. Even though many calves die, the mother will try to stab predators such as hyenas or lions with its sharp hooves. This action may injure or kill a predator quickly; the Maasai Giraffe's kick is strong enough to crush a lion's skull or shatter its spine.

Continuing our early morning drive, we came across a small herd of elephant and, to my delight, a number of calves.

African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)

The African elephant is one of three wild animals (the other two being the hippo and the rhino) that are, as adults, too large for any predator, even a lion, to catch. The only true enemy to these is unfortunately the human. The elephant male stands 2.8m high and weighs 5750kg. The female weighs 3800kg. Its life expectancy is 60 years.

I was delighted to see a calf with this small herd of elephants

Mama leading two calves away from the road

I loved this delightful "little" family!

At this point the sun was high in the sky and returned to camp else we'd miss breakfast if we arrived after 9am.

Source: Part Google and part the Maasai Mara Visitors Guide book

Taphophile Tragics and a Tribute

2012-01-04T10:29:00.044+03:00

In the week between Christmas and New Year (oh, lazy, hazy days filled with time on your hands and trying to get over your Christmas eating spree!) I read about an interesting word (and "hobby") on Diane's blog. She'd contributed to Julie of Sydney Eye's blog with a post pertaining to taphophilia. A taphophile is one who finds they are attracted to walking around cemeteries, reading the headstones and musing upon the family history contained therein.

I've been following Julie* and Diane's * blog for a couple of years now and decided to join in the Tuesday meme. As I'm frantically (lol!) busy with getting back into the flow of things, writing new articles and sharing our wonderful Kenyan safari on my blog, I used a post I'd written in 2009. It was a tribute to a very special cat which we'd taken home from West Africa in 2006. If you like, you can read this post by clicking this link

http://memorablemeanders.blogspot.com/2009/04/our-west-african-cat.html

I have dragged my poor long-suffering husband around cemetries when we tour South Africa on our motorcycle. I hope you'll join Julie on her blog and post any interesting photos and information you have about graves, headstones and cemeteries.

Note* both the blogger's I have highlighted above, have wonderfully descriptive posts about/ and photos of Australia and their travels, not just on taphophiles. Please do pop in and visit them to read about their interesting lives and surroundings Down Under.

Kenya Safari Part II

2012-01-04T04:35:00.002+03:00

After a New Year weekend and a trip to attend a wedding in Eldoret, I'm continuing with our recent safari of various parks, lakes and [island] camps in the Great Rift Valley.

The first three days were spent in the Masaai Mara.

Of all the write-ups I've read on the Maasai Mara, I liked this one the best:
"Brace yourself for a unique exploration of all that Mara represents. From Kenya's most exotic community (the Maasai), their culture and their co-existence with the wild, to the essence of a wild unscripted safari. "

Once we'd reached the entrance gate to Maasai Mara National Reserve and paid our gate fees, we drove through the park to our accommodation about 12km away. The first animal we saw was a White-bearded Gnu more commonly known as the Blue Wildebeest. This was probably the only wildebeest left in the park as the other 1.3 million had migrated to the Serengeti in Tanzania early in December.

As plains (Burchell's) zebra are also part of the migration, seeing this small herd was unique as well. The wildebeest grazed alongside the zebra

The next animals we saw were elephants. A small herd of elephants crossed the road in front of the vehicle and a little way ahead, we saw a mother and young elephant in the grass beside the road

Over the next ten kilometers, we saw giraffe, buffalo, warthog and a sleeping lion [almost hidden] in the grass

We arrived at Fig Tree Camp just after 1pm. As is custom in Africa, the porters assisted us with our luggage from the car park, across the bridge over the Talek river to the lodge reception. Once we'd booked in, we were shown to our tented rooms overlooking the river. Glorious!

The exterior of our tented rooms overlooking the Talek river. Every night we heard the hippos grunting and splashing about in the river.

Every evening we watched the resident pod of these fascinating but highly dangerous animals in the water directly below our tent

The interior of our tented rooms.

We had a double and a single poster bed with mosquito nets. Electricity at Fig Tree Camp is generated from 4am - 8am and again from 6pm until midnight. The accommodation was en-suite with hot water from a "donkey" (water heated in a large drum over a wood fire and piped to the rooms)

A small pride of lionesses with young cubs just visible through the grass in the bottom right photo

Later that afternoon we went for our first drive through a section of the park. We had to drive past the open grassland where we'd seen a sleeping lion that morning and we thrilled to see a whole pride that evening. The females were resting in the long grass and we could just make out a few young cubs with them.

Fig tree camp, is run entirely by men except for the manageress, named Margaret. Men did the cooking, serving and clearing up of the diningroom. Men tended the natural gardens surrounding the camp and stoked the fires for hot water every evening. Men cleaned the rooms every day and at night men turned down the beds and closed the mosquito netting .

When we returned to out tent, the man tending to our room told us that he'd seen a crocodile in the river. He pointed out to an island in the river and sure enough: a large Nile crocodile lay asleep in the late afternoon sun.

A large Nile crocodile asleep on an island in the river below our tent

Of course, I couldn't resist photographing one of the many weavers busily building nests in the branches overhanging the river

Our stay was "full board" which meant breakfast, lunch and dinner was included. The meals were served in the diningroom which, like the foyer and bar area outside, was decorated for Christmas. Soup, delicious varieties of meat or vegetarian, was served at the table. Thereafter you helped yourself at the a long counter, to vegetables, rice, potatoes, ugali (maize meal) and a variety of meats. The salads were different and begged to be sampled. When it came to desserts, the choice was mind-boggling. I won't write about them here, because even the names are fattening. I ate too much this holiday!

The diningroom was adorned with Christmas decorations . The food was self-service and divine!

A waiter waits (!) for us to be seated so that he can serve the soup

True to African hospitality, while we were enjoying our meal, a band of musicians danced past the tables and sang Kenyan songs of welcome.

A band of musicians danced in between the tables and sang to us

A few minutes later the chef and waiters joined in the fun

Soon our first day in the Mara, at the lovely Fig Tree Camp was over and we retired to our tents, replete and happy.

Larks

2012-01-04T04:30:00.085+03:00

For those readers who know me, I love LBJ's (Little brown jobs) and have convinced Grant over the past year that they're also interesting birds to watch and photograph. On our first morning ride in the Maasai Mara, the very first birdsong I heard through the open window of the vehicle, was that of the Red-capped Lark.

Larks are an enigma to birdwatchers including ornithologists. They are very similar and there are Greater Short-toed Larks, Lesser Short-toed Larks, Rufous-rumped and Rufous-naped Larks, Crested Larks - which I was privileged to see in the deserts of Northern Sudan - and Short-tailed Larks to name but a few. The most sought after lark to spot is Rudd's Lark which is endemic to South Africa, and only in a few places in the country as it's critically endangered. You get the picture?

Larks are very difficult to id; you need to hear them and hopefully see them in flight and you also need to take note of where you're seeing them: on very flat, stony surfaces, open grasslands, short grassy areas and agricultural lands, perching on rocks and/or on sparse vegetation. Sometimes the bird has distintive markings, such as a white eye-stripe or rufous patches on their upper wings or napes.

So although larks might seem like boring little brown birds -aka LBJ's to some, they are very interesting to many birders, yours truly included!

Grant kindly stopped many times for me to get photos of this and another lark (see lower down on this post) The Red-capped Lark called its normal tchweerp and then burst into song. This lark mimics other birds and we thoroughly enjoyed its song while I clicked away.

The Red-capped Lark treats us to its early morning song in the Maasai Mara

The Red-capped Lark's red cap crests at times, making it a distinctive feature for identifying

The cheeky looking crest seems as though it's been gelled!

Red-capped Lark having a sand-bath. I loved the long shadows it threw in the early morning light

A few kilometers into our ride, we came across the other lark which is also common in the park. The Rufous-naped Lark. My identification of these two larks is confirmed in my field guide: Birds of East Africa, by Dave Richards who says both these birds are common in Kenya. My Birds of Africa, South of the Sahara, is a lot more confusing but also confirms their presence here. But as they are such baffling birds, I may be wrong on both counts!

The Rufous-naped Lark in an almost identical pose to the photo I have in my Birds of East Africa field guide

According to the same book on East African birds, the Kenyan species, (Mirafra athi) lacks the rufous nape but to me the colour is rather visible in the bird I photographed (See below)

The Rufous-naped Lark is found in grasslands and savannas as well as cultivated fields

Thank you to Springman for hosting this wonderful meme. For more birds around the world, click here

Get me to the church on time

2012-01-03T04:30:00.287+03:00

On Saturday morning, the last of 2011, Grant and I drove up the mountain to Eldoret. We were on our way to attend a Kenyan wedding. The invitation requested us to share in the celebration and witness the exchanging of marriage vows between a lady who works in Grant's department and her husband of fifteen years. In town we followed the road depicted on the map on the reverse of the beautifully embossed, bilingual invitation. We soon found ourselves outside the city and bouncing along a rutted road in the rural highlands of Kenya.

After five kilometers, we realised we'd somehow missed the turnoff to the church. The time was 09h50 and according to the invitation, the wedding started at 10h00. I phoned the bride, who, to my surprise, answered and confirmed that we were on the right road. However, Grant made a U-turn and we retraced our steps for a few kilometers. The only turnoff on that road led to a building which seemed to be half-built. We stopped to ask directions of a lady walking along the road who told us in perfect English that it was the road to the AIC church that we were looking for.

We turned up the lane and soon saw a sign saying: AIC church in front of the half-built building. Turning in there we were met by a young woman who said she'd been sent by the bride to show us the way to the church and that we were there! She also said she was going back to the bride's house and they'd be back shortly. The time was 10h00.

Driving around to the front of the church, we saw drapes over the door and rose-petals strewn on the carpet in between the plastic chairs. Apart from a youthful-looking pastor who came out to welcome us and handed us a beautifully embossed program of the proceedings, there was not another soul in or around the church. The time was 10h08!

The church building, although not completely finished, was prepared for a wedding (Wearing my high heels, I found traversing the builder's rubble quite a challenge)

Grant and I remained in the car waiting for something to happen. A few minutes later a car stopped in the road outside the gate, the doors opened and six bodies peeled out. Three men dressed in suits with carnations in their lapels walked up to the car. Grant and I got out and met the bridegroom and two grooms. Behind them were three little boys, dressed in a similar formal fashion to the men. I asked the children if I could take a photo and they sweetly posed for me.

Three page boys dressed up and ready for the wedding

The time was 10h35 and still no guests had arrived.

At 10h43 Grant and I walked towards the church and stood waiting in the sun. It was a cold and windy day and as I was wearing my little black number and silver top, I asked him to fetch my pashmina from the car.

At 11am two matatas (taxis) arrived filled with singing people and rooftops loaded with gifts for the bridal couple. The congregation had arrived!

Two live sheep (one shown above) were part of the wedding gifts

At 11h08 another convoy of vehicles arrived and stopped in the church yard. The passengers emerged from these and promptly sat down on the ground, some even laying on their sides. A young lady of about 14 approached us and greeted Grant by name. She said she was the bride's first-born and that her mother had told her to seek us out and say she would be at the church shortly.

All the elderly members of the family were offloaded at the church at 11.08. They promptly sat down on the ground and waited

Groups of children and others sat around on the lawn eagerly awaiting the arrival of the bride

At 11h14 a guest arrived carrying a table and cloth, (the church vestments, I imagined) handed it to an usher who took it to the front of the church and placed it there.

At 11h14 a guest arrives with a table and cloth and hands it to the eager usher at the door

Shortly after this the youth pastor approached us and asked us to come inside. I asked if the bride was due to arrive and he assured us she'll be here soon. He led us down the church aisle (the entire floor surface was still ground) and into a doorway to the side. Obviously the vestry. There were several plastic chairs in a semi-circle around a low rectangular table. This part of the church was also unfinished and freezing wind blew through the unglassed window openings. Three other guests - relatives of the bridegroom - who'd flown in from Nairobi that morning, joined us. A lady arrived with a crate of sodas and a box of bottled water and handed them out. As we sipped our water and chatted to the other guests another gentleman arrived through the back opening (no door!) He introduced himself as the pastor who was performing the ceremony and said he'd only just arrived by taxi from a far-away village. The time was 11h29. I thought, well, if the pastor arrives an hour and a half after the time stipulated on the wedding invitation, when would the bride arrive?

Grant chats to Ben (a businessman from Nairobi) while his wife Rose and brother-in-law, William look on (Everyone was huddling into their jackets with the cold pouring in through the open windows)

Fifteen minutes later someone came and asked Grant and Rose to reverse their vehicles back to enable the convoy carrying the wedding entourage to do a lap around the church yard. My heart soared; at last the bride would arrive!

Grant and other guests with cars were asked to move them back to enable the bridal motorcade make a grand entrance

No sooner had he and Rose returned to the vestry when the youth pastor asked us to be seated in the church as the bridal procession was about to arrive. We trundled out through the opening, me tottering across the builder's rubble and in through the front door of the church. The time was 11h51.

I managed a few photos before we were hustled into the church and asked to take our seats

Four ladies from the congregation were singing while we all looked backwards to see the bridal processing. At first they sang traditional songs

Then they burst into gospel to which everyone stood up and clapped, singing along with them. I had my camera focussed on the church door...

Ben in the corner of the photo above whispered to me that he hoped the singing stopped soon and that the bride would arrive. Laughing at his impatience, I asked him to take a photo of me and Grant, which he kindly did!

Me and Grant in the church with our hair blown askew by the wind whipping through the windows

There was a flurry at the front door and the bridegroom (centre) turned around expectantly

The maid of honour, four bridesmaids, four big flowergirls and two small flowergirls could be seen, beautifully dressed in lime green gowns, lining up on the lawn outside the church. In anticipation the singing ladies increased the tempo and volume of their rendition .

All the time guests still poured into the church. I focussed on one wearing a feathered headress, animal skins and carrying a spear. Grant hissed: Don't take a photo of the witchdoctor! But I think he was just a guest in traditional garb.

The guest in tradtional garb is marked with the red arrow

The time was 11h55. Nothing further happened except that the singing ladies stopped singing gospel, opened a hymn book and began to sing from it. As the rest of the congregation sat down and faced forward, Grant and I did the same.

Five minutes later I noticed several young men enter the church via the vestry door. They were carrying large music centres and loudspeakers. They placed these in front of the church. Presently we could hear the small generator starting up in the vestry and the pastor "testing, testing" the microphone. The ladies were still singing hymns a capella with the men in the congregation harmonising beautifully in between. There's something about Africans singing that's not easily equalled or duplicated elsewhere.

Several young men set up the sound system in the front of the church

Once more the singing ladies changed to gospel whereby the rest of the congregation rose to their feet, clapped their hands and joined in the worship. I turned around willing the bride to appear in the doorway. Instead three old ladies appeared, supporting themselves on sticks (not walking sticks, but bamboo-like rods) and turned into the row of seats behind us. I managed to take a photo surreptitiously as I wasn't sure what the older generation's reaction would be to a snap-happy Mzungu pointing a camera in their faces.

Three old ladies behind us clapped along to the gospel singing

It was now 12h29 and with no sign of the bride, Grant whispered to me that we should think of leaving. He was due back on site by 2pm and we would make it if we left at that moment. So, under cover of the singing and arrangements going on in the front of the church, we walked through the rows of chairs, up the aisle and out of the door. Outside people were milling around, children were playing in the builder's sand and chips. My last view of the wedding was of the middle page boy (of the three I photographed earlier that morning) sans jacket and bow-tie, shirt-tails flapping and sliding down a red mound of soil with whoops of delight!

Driving back through town, the traffic was three times as dense as when we'd entered at 9am. Everyone was intent on getting their last-minute business done before the start of the New Year celebrations

Forty minutes later we were on the final 24km stretch down the mountain to the valley. Around the next corner came a convoy of wedding cars (there were dozens of weddings in the city and this was merely another one) I quipped that perhaps this was the bride going to town now! But as we'd spoken to her at her home, a few kilometers from the church at 10am, we knew she had been in the vicinity. She just hadn't arrived at the church by the time we left!

As the white car approached, the man in the back waved and called a greeting to Grant. He was also from the mine and we heard afterwards he was on his way to his wedding in Eldoret

Back home Grant changed out of his formal clothes into his khaki longs and shirt, placed his hard hat on his head and left for work. Three forty-foot containers had arrived with generators for the mine and Grant was off to assist the fixed plant manager to offload them. He arrived home after seven that night which meant I missed Gaelyn's Masquarade Ball. Check out this link and you'll know why I was sorry

We had tea and toast for supper and an early night. Those were our New Year's Eve celebrations.

On Monday Grant spoke to two of his men who'd attended the same wedding as we had. They told him the bride eventually arrived at 4pm.

In retrospect although we had a different experience we would have preferred to see the bride arrive in church and later join them at their midday-dinner as stipulated on the program. Then I could have posted a really good story about a Kenyan wedding.

For more of other people's worlds, click here

Last weekend of 2011

2012-01-02T04:30:00.004+03:00

and first of 2012!

Apart from attending a Kenyan wedding on Saturday (more about that tomorrow) we also went out birding.

Top left is a Common Greenshank spotted in the river below the offices; top right is a Yellow-and-red Barbet seen on the way up to the mine; the middle two and bottom left are White-fronted Bee-eaters; the bottom right photo is of a Fork-tailed Drongo in perfect pose

Hope you all had a wonderful New Year's weekend and are rearing to go in 2012!

A Covenant for 2012

2012-01-01T04:30:00.035+03:00

Driving to Eldoret in the Kenyan Highlands yesterday, we were blessed with this very clear and bright rainbow.

At first I captured the righthand side of the rainbow through the rain-splattered windscreen

A little way ahead, I photographed the left-hand side of the rainbow

Then we saw the complete rainbow over the road ahead of us. To us it was God's blessing and promise over us, protecting us in 2012

May this rainbow ushering in the New Year, be God's great covenant to you all in 2012!

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:12-13

For more beautiful scenes around the world, click here

Last Sunrise over Africa for 2011

2011-12-30T04:30:00.032+03:00

Well, technically it's not the last sunrise for 2011 - that will happen tomorrow morning - nor did I take these photos today. The images are from two weeks ago on the first leg of safari through four National Parks in Kenya.

For more beautiful skies around the world, click here

Kenya Safari Part I

2011-12-29T04:30:00.016+03:00

On Saturday 17 December Grant and I left the camp at 4.30am. (See tomorrow's post for stunning sunrise photos!) By the time we reached and passed Nakuru, the sun was high in the sky and I managed one photo of a crater along the way.

Not sure which crater this is, but I enjoyed taking the photo through the window of a fast-moving vehicle!

We spent the night in Nairobi, and early the next morning we started out on the first leg of our safari.

We stopped at the turnoff to the Masaai Mara Game Reserve to take photos of the many signs, We were booked into Fig Tree Camp situated on the Talek River. (More about this fantastic camp later). While I was focussing on the signs a man ran up to Grant and warned him not to take the road ahead due to recent heavy rains. He convinced Grant to get out while he drew a map leaning on the vehicle bonnet. He had a selection of coloured pens with which he drew an elaborate map mostly with secondary roads leading off the main route and notes saying: "don't take this road" ! Ten minutes later he handed Grant the map and asked for KSH1000/US$13!

We continued on the normal route, ignoring the con-man's map completely. The road was tarred which made it much worse as the tar is almost non-existent. The distance between the turnoff where I took the photos of the signs and the entrance to Masaai Mara is 101km. It took us almost three hours to cover this!

The main road to Masaai Mara Game Reserve was a challenge in anyone's language!

At last we arrived at the entrance but more about this later.

African Wattled Lapwing (Plover)

2011-12-28T04:30:00.045+03:00

As it's World Bird Wednesday, I posted the first of the many birds I photographed while on safari recently.

Below is a very interesting bird: the African Wattled Lapwing (previously known as African Wattled Plover) It's a large grey-brown bird (the largest African plover) with distinctive

yellow wattles hanging from the front of the eyes. There are smaller red wattles above the yellow ones. The forehead is white, the centre of the chin is black and the face and neck are streaked with black.

A thin black line seperates the brown chest and upper belly. The legs and feet are yellow

The bill is yellow with a black tip and the bird has a distinctive upright stance

I photographed this bird in the Masaai Mara Game reserve.

For more beautiful birds around the world, click here

Merry Christmas everyone!

2011-12-27T04:30:00.019+03:00

We're back home after a ten-day safari across Kenya and wondering if the cats missed us... Mmm?

Shadow

Ambrose

Ginger

This was the first Christmas, since I started blogging in October 2008, that we didn't spend at home. I hope you all had a wonderfully blessed time with friends and family. I'll be back to blogging and visiting soon . (And sharing our safari with you)

Kitties are staying home

2011-12-18T04:30:00.002+03:00

Shadow and Ginger enjoy a nap on the old veranda chair

While Ambrose mans the office in his mum's absence!

For more pet posts around the world, click here

Off to see Kenya

2011-12-17T04:30:00.077+03:00

Today as this post is aired, we'll be on our way to the Masaai Mara Game Reserve. The Masaai Mara also known as Masai Mara or The Mara, is a large game reserve in soutwestern Kenya. As it's on the border of northern Tanzania, it's effectively a continuation of the Serengeti National Park. The claim to fame for both these parks in neighbouring countries, is the Great Migration of hundreds of thousands (in fact, about 2 million) of wildebeest, Thompson's gazelle and zebra which migrate from one park to another at a certain time of the year. We're probably not going to witness this phenomenal occurance, known as one of the new seven wonders of the world, while we're in the park. But as a world famous game reserve, Masaai Mara offers viewing the large cats, many different antelope, giraffe and of course, BIRDS.

An aerial view of some of the 1.5million wildebeest migration in Masaai Mara

A herd of wildebeest in the foreground with zebra behind them

Masaai giraffe: these sport jagged patches and a tuft at the end of the tail

Ballooning over the Masaai Mara: we won't be partaking of this activity. It is exhorbitantly expensive! (All photo credits: Courtesy of Google)

After spending three days in The Mara, we'll drive northwards to Baringo. As it's too long a journey to do comfortably in one day, we'll overnight at Lake Elementaita. (famous for its Lesser Flamingoes and other birds and variety of game). From there we drive to Baringo, are collected by boat and taken to Island Camp for one day and night. We've stayed there on two occasions and loved it.

From there we return to Nakuru National Park which is apparently a birders' paradise. (Say no more!) Christmas Eve, -Day and -Night is spent in this park and then it home to the valley.

To every one of my blog readers and followers: Have a wonderfully blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

I will be back online by the 27th.

Full moon over the Valley

2011-12-16T04:30:00.016+03:00

For more beautiful skies around the world, click here

Monkeys on Chebutie Camp

2011-12-15T04:30:00.070+03:00

Continuing with my post on the monkeys around the camp, yesterday I captured pictures of a female and her very small baby. The sight of a mother with a baby is enough to soften any heart. During the spring and summer months here in the valley, there were lots of monkey mothers with babies clutching their undercarriages. I marvel at how they manage to hold as the mothers swing from tree to tree, scamper up steep banks and along rocky paths. But they do. Yesterday I did what I never do (well, not often, LOL!): I fed this monkey. At first I found two tomatoes in the fridge: one for the other monkeys watching me, and one for mama-monkey. I hurled each tomato onto the roof and before they could rolll off, the mother monkey grabbed hers, ran to the apex of the roof and proceeded to eat it. In the early morning sun, this made a perfect picture. A second monkey grabbed the second tomato and sat a distance away eating it while watching me!

I came indoors to the pantry. Opening a large container of Grant's Ginger Nuts, I took out a celophane packet containing four cookies. Outside I broke each piece in half and threw the first one up on the roof.

The blue vervet mother monkey with a tiny baby hanging onto her undercarriage (The older monkey in the bottom photo is always with her; perhaps offspring from last season?)

Mama-monkey - obviously waiting for me - grabbed the cookie and brought it to her mouth. The baby, still downy-headed, looked up as if asking for a share.

I just love the way this baby reached up and tried to share mum's tidbit

Isn't it just too cute ?

The babies latch onto a teat while hanging on under mum. Milk-on -tap, as it were!

I'm protected by my mum!

I fed mama- monkey two-and-a half biscuits and the remaining ones to the other monkeys who'd gathered around on the roof!

So there you have it. It's actually taboo (an unwritten law on camp) to feed these animals but having done this, I wanted to share the beautiful photos with you!

Golden Breasted Bunting and Bokeh

2011-12-14T04:30:00.036+03:00

A few weeks ago I read about Bokeh on fellow blogger, Lori's post . It's basically describes the "out-of-focus" areas of a photograph making the main subject stand out. She has beautiful samples of her photography here. I have been trying to perfect this technique without much success. On Sunday Grant and I were birding in the valley, when I spotted a bird on the side of the road. I not so much as spotted it as heard it at first. Grant stopped and I saw the bird sitting on a sandy mound uttering a nasal buzzing sound: "zzhhrrr". I took half a dozen photos before it flew off into the bush. Imagine my delight when I downloaded the photos and found that I'd inadvertantly achieved the Bokeh effect in my photo. (you can read more about Bokeh here, if you wish)

Golden-breasted Bunting

Bokeh shows how the out-of-focus area makes the subject stand out (I'm determined to work harder to achieve this from now on!)

For more bird photos around the world, click here

Nanny and kid

2011-12-13T04:30:00.024+03:00

As we travel through the mine and even across Kenya, we find many herds of goats, sheep and cattle. These are the people's wealth and often their livelihood. On Sunday we came across this nanny goat and her very tiny kid. This was the smallest kid I have seen on site and I hope it survives. Only time will tell.

For more other worlds around the globe, click here

Birding and Christmas Lunch

2011-12-12T04:30:00.088+03:00

In response to the many comments on my Thursday post, please be assured that the monkeys in our camp and gardens are very well protected. They aren't harmed in any way by any of the expats living here. We just don't encourage them by feeding them. The monkey sitting in the tree near our tea party last week, had in fact, been raiding the mango tree a few minutes earlier. At that point when I took the photo, his friends were bouncing on the roof and rolling green, half-eaten mangoes down the tiles!

A monkey in our baobab tree outside my bedroom window. I took this photo last week. While enjoying our tea in bed in the morning we watch the antics of the monkeys through the window

Even though the rain seems to have stopped now, the river is still raging

Saturday mid-morning Grant collected me from home and we went out birding. This was the first time in a while. We spotted many birds which I'll post later this week. I have placed a photo of a flycatcher just because I can! This delightfully neat little bird always sits dead still while you click away.

African Grey Flycatcher, a perfect photographic subject

On Sunday we went birding again. I hope to fit in the many birds we saw on our hour-and-a-half drive! On the way home, Grant stopped in the lane for me to photograph a pair of starlings.

The striking Greater Blue-eared Starling

And another African Grey Flycatcher sitting in a tree above the starling!

At midday we drove up to the Guest House to attend the company Christmas lunch. Sue and the Guest House chefs had set tables under gazebos on the lawn making it a very festive occasion.

Head-teacher, Caroline, Clinical Officer, Jo-Ann and Sue chatting before lunch

Chef Wheatcliffe chatting to some of the guests as they help themselves at the buffet

There were four meats: Christmas ham, roast lamb, peppered steak and three varieties of stuffed chicken

*Sigh* Another tough day in Africa!

On Wednesday the HOD's (who were all present at this dinner) will host a large dinner for the company employees. Sue and I are not involved in this and will probably go birding instead!

I wish you all a wonderful week ahead.

My scenic, sunny garden

2011-12-11T04:35:00.001+03:00

For more beautiful scenes around the world, click here

Ambrose and Shadow

2011-12-11T04:30:00.059+03:00

Even though Ambrose was brought to me (you can read about this here, if you wish) as a bedraggled, tick-infested and petrified kitten, I have not had the courage to let him wander around outside. Shadow goes out into the garden every day and comes in when he hears me in the kitchen. For such a slender cat (Shadow is the white cat with ginger/brown markings) he is the greediest feline I've ever known. Grant says it stems back to his kittenhood in the streets - read slums - of Omdurman, Khartoum before he walked into our apartment in May last year. (You can read about this here, if you wish!)

Ginger, our inherited cat, has the run of the entire camp and wanders all over at will. He sometimes stays out all night and the next day and night, only to return on the third day, yowling (yes, yowling) for food. Ginger had to fend for himself for two years between the time that the previous occupants of our house left him here and when the Hedges' Kitty Hotel opened in January this year. (Ginger was on a walkabout at the time of these photos!)

Ambrose and Shadow in the garden. Cats love to socialise which means they sit a little distance apart and look in different directions (generally) and then they meander off into those directions. Sometimes the one cat will follow the other; else they go off on their own. I love the last photo of the two headless cats

Ambrose is very athletic and agile. He climbs up the curtains, uses the louvres as stepping stones, or creeps up shelves to get to the top of our wooden pelmets, much to the detriment of the erstwhile resident ghekkoes who have ceased to exist! Last week while Grant was having his breakfast, Ambrose sat on the door watching him. (At this stage, Shadow is at Grant's elbow begging for yoghurt and breakfast cereal!)

Ambrose likes being high!

For more pet posts around the world, click here

Ladies' tea at Chebutie

2011-12-10T04:30:00.060+03:00

On Thursday afternoon Sharda and I were invited to a tea at Sue's house. There are only three ladies on camp at the moment but nothing stops us from having a great time together!

Sue set a beautiful table out on the veranda. She had to guard the eats until we arrived because of the monkeys who frequent our gardens and destroy anything to get to visible food. Once Sharda and I were seated, she went to the kitchen to prepare smoothies. I've never had a smoothie - I'm not a milk or milkshake fan at all - but Sue made this one with strawberries, bananas, honey and yoghurt. It was divine!

Sue's beautifully set table on her veranda overlooking the lush garden

Sue, the gracious hostess presides over the tea pot!

This monkey and half-a-dozen others never gave up. They stayed close by hoping that we'd leave the table and all the goodies unattended for just a minute! They were greatly disappointed: what we didn't eat, we helped Sue to take back indoors once the tea party was over!

Sue served miniature spinach muffins as well as a savoury loaf filled with vegetables (zucchinni, carrots, onion, garlic, sundried tomatoes etc). She had a homemade hummus and another chillie-cheese dip to eat with these. I did notice Sue's divine lemon slices, dripping with water icing and a date loaf, but I steered clear of those. She had a bowl of fresh strawberries, grapes, passion fruits, melon and pawpaw which was freshly cut and easy to eat. I really enjoyed this bowl which was at my right elbow!

The cherry on the cake, as it were, (ha-ha) was Sue's yummy Banoffi Pie. (You can read about this here) It's a pastry or biscuit- based dessert, followed by toffee (made from condensed milk), blended with banana and topped with cream. DIVINE!

Instead of one large pie, Sue served individual Banoffi Pies in shot glasses. Although the glass looks big in the photo, it genuinely was tot-sized and more than sufficient

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend.

Blessings

Blue skies...

2011-12-09T04:30:00.013+03:00

...smiling at me.

Nothing but blue skies, do I see!

For more beautiful skies around the world, click here

Special Gifts

2011-12-08T04:30:00.083+03:00

I'm sorry I've been so tardy at commenting and also taking ages to reply to mails. I'm here, I promise (cannot go anywhere!) but I've been busy with a story (not an article) for the adventure magazine which accepts my pennings. (Sorry, perhaps "pennings" is not a word; I'm using prosaic license here!) My story was about our Harley Davidson which we rode for five years until we bought a BMW motorbike. It was a real story, a true story about me and Grant. Many, many years ago, (in 1971) as a young lad, Grant sold his motorbike (a 1961 Velocette) to buy me an engagement ring. Thirty-one years later, we were still married and happily so. It was at this stage of our lives that we decided to buy a bike! A Harley Davidson.

My dear friend, Sue posted the photos while she was in Johannesburg a few weeks ago. This morning I completed the story and submitted it by e-mail. It will appear in the magazine in January 2012.

(Now it's nose to the keyboard on the weekly submission of stories for a farmer's magazine in SA)

All photos bar the middle right and the last one is of me and Grant with/on our Harley. In the last photo, our older son, John is riding the Harley , with a young girl on the back. It was in aid of a Christmas dinner at to the retirement village in our hometown. The photo above it depicts our 12-year-old Siamese cat, Chip, who loves to sleep on motorbikes

Now to the heading of this post. One of the regular Christian newsletters that I received this week, really made an impact on me.

Read on...

It doesn’t matter how old we get, we all love receiving gifts. Even those of us who have seen many a Christmas come and go, still get excited by gifts and watching others opening the gifts they receive.

Sadly, the snake in the garden has raised its ugly head in this paradise too. Bigger and better has become the norm and receiving has become far more important than giving. Perhaps we should take a different view of gift-giving.

In the Scriptures we read of a whole range of gifts which are intangible but of immense value to believers.

The gift of a pleasant attitude

If dissatisfaction has become your default facial expression and negativity has become your trademark, it’s time to start spreading the pleasant aroma of God’s love in your life. It doesn’t come in an aerosol can but from a heart filled with gladness over God’s gift of life.

The gift of kindness and tolerance

It’s not easy to love everyone who crosses you path and a critical attitude makes it difficult to accept people for what they are. We seem to be addicted to negativity. Isn’t it time to cast negativity to the wind and learn to enjoy the wonderful variety of people in all colours, sizes and shapes who are all part of God’s creation.

The gift of laughter

Laughter makes the world go round and yet it’s so hard for us laugh without reservation. Next time, instead of moaning every time you hear “Jingle Bells” in the shopping centre, enjoy the kids’ laughter in the toy store. Laugh with people and not at them. Joy is one of the gifts of the Spirit, so use it in abundance.

The gift of listening

Make time to listen to someone who needs an ear. Listen with care and with an open mind. And without watching the clock.

The gift of hospitality

Today people are extremely protective of their privacy. We will invite to our homes those whom we decide are fit for our company. But Christ thought nothing of putting his reputation on the line by having dinner with the outsiders and the outcast. Hospitality is high on the list of Christian virtues. Paul challenges us to: Share your belongings with your needy fellow-Christians, and open your homes to strangers. Romans 12:13

The beauty of these gifts is that you can hand them out all year round and not just at Christmas time.
The Bible mentions the abundant gifts of the Spirit. Read Romans 12:9-21 from top to bottom to make your gift list for the year. You would be surprised by the treasures you will find there.

My gift to you all at the early stage of Christmas, is God's richest blessings.

Jo

Swifts

2011-12-07T04:30:00.029+03:00

While we were in Nairobi last week, which you can read about in my previous post, we met up with our niece, Louise (nee Hedges) and Giles Kelmanson. They were married a month ago in South Africa but of course, Grant and I were in Kenya and couldn't attend. They've since moved to Nairobi so this was the perfect opportunity to meet these newly-weds with the world of East Africa at their feet. (Louise' mom, Shelley Hedges, is my sister-in-law, who always helps me with bird id's, so it's fitting that I post this meeting on my World Bird Wednesday meme)

Ironically while we were having coffee with Louise and Gilo (as he's known to all), our younger son, Angus, daughter-in-law, Amanda and grandson, Joel were holidaying on the coast and at that moment having coffee with Shelley. (Today's technology manned by today's youth kept us in the loop even though were thousands of kilometers apart!)

Gilo and Louise Kelmanson settling in and enjoying Nairobi

Now for my birding post proper. I posted some photos of swifts building their nest while we were out to lunch on Sunday. (See Monday's post, if you wish)

Back home here in the valley, I have a pair of swifts who've nested under the eaves of our house since we arrived here. Obviously, because of the very little variation in seasons (because we live almost on the Equator), the birds seem to nest all year round.

I'm not sure which swifts these are, but according to the description in my Birds of East Africa book, they look like Little Swifts

One bird stayed up on the ledge...

...while the other flew down to do some interio/exterior decorating!

For more beautiful birds around the world, click here

Chef's Table Competition

2011-12-06T08:08:00.185+03:00

I'm rather late with my Tuesday post as I have quite a lot to say. If you're interested, read on!

Some of my readers will know what I'm talking about when I mention Nakumatt. It's a large supermarket chain in East Africa. You can buy almost anything in Nakumatt: all your groceries, meat, dairy, bread and fresh vegetables and fruit. You can also buy most household appliances: fridges, freezers, washing machines, toasters, kettles, irons, cake mixers and blenders, food processors, hairdryers, sandwich toasters. They have computers, printers, cell/mobile phones, dvd players, telivision sets, radio/sound systems. Anything. Upstairs you can buy beautiful patio furniture, any and all furniture for indoors, soft furnishings (curtains, cushions, bath towels, bedlinen, carpets, etc). A large range of clothing is available for babies, toddlers, men and women. Again, anything! There is a stationery section stocking all office supplies, a magazine and softcover book section; a hardware section stocking anything to do with DIY, repair and building. You get the picture!

Nakumatt has also an in-house lifestyle magazine called Smartlife. It appears quarterly and I always pop the latest one into my trolley when it comes out. Something people don't know about me, is that when I read a magazine, I read it from cover to cover, starting at the very first page. (I love those glossy perfume or cosmetic adverts on the inside cover and next two pages of women's magazines, don't you? Especially when they use "older" models like Andy McDowell and Mary Steenburgen showing how well Oil of Olay anti-wrinkle moisturiser works!) Next I read the editor's message. I peruse the masthead (I learnt to do this because of the many article queries I pitch to magazines) and then I continue to the readers' letters and so on.

This is how, in the latest Smartlife magazine, I came across the page on the "Chef's table", an article on a celebrity chef in Nairobi and his signature dish. (Yes, I read his biography and the menu depicted right there!) On the next page I spotted a smaller bar with a photo of people enjoying a meal while this same chef looks on. Reading a letter from a reader (who appeared in the photo with her husband), I saw that she'd won a competition: a meal served by this chef at an upmarket restaurant in the city. Just below that was a sidebar showing a competition whereby you can e-mail your favourite recipe (starter, main course or dessert) to the magazine and stand a chance to be a guest at the next Chef's Table.

I submitted my Bread-and-butter pudding and a week later, the PR lady from the magazine phoned to tell me I'd won! Grant and I would be feted at a three-course meal cooked by the Executive Chef of the Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi.

This hotel has been in business since 1903. It has had as visitors, many an international film star, (Clark Gable, Gregory Peck, Grace Kelley, Ava Gardner); authors, (Ernest Hemmingway, Beryl Markham, Karen Blixen, Elspeth Huxley); a famous statesman, (Winston Churchill) and explorers, Henry Morton Stanley after whom the hotel is named and Samuel Baker who, with his wife, discovered the source of the Nile. It also played host to Chief Scout, Lord Baden-powell who spent his last years in Kenya and is buried in the shadows of Mount Kenya. You can read all about the Stanley Hotel here. (I hope to do a complete post about this historical and long-standing hotel sometime)

The meal itself was superb. Chef Godfrey Ouda, who cooks for the president on occasion, joined us at the dinner table. He's been with the hotel group for a quarter of a century and regaled us of tales of the old Stanley and chefs (mainly expats) at whose elbow he learnt his trade. He said humility is one trait necessary to make a good chef! He also explained the hierachy of a large hospitality kitchen. The Sarova Stanley has five kitchens which is staffed with 90 people!

The other guests at the table were two managers from Nakumatt holdings, Annette and George, the PR lady, Sofia and a team of professional photographers. The latter kept clicking away, while positioning white screens and umbrellas while we tucked into the delectable courses Godfrey presented.

On our way to the dinner. As it was at a 4* (some say 5*) hotel, we bought some semi-smart clothes. I bought my last LBN (little black number) in 1990 so Grant bought me a new one for this occasion with silver top, shoes and bag to match. He also had new trousers, blazer, shirt, tie and shoes

On arrival at the Sarova Stanley, the doorman, David welcomed us

Due to the recent bomb scares in the city, we were subjected to a thorough security search just inside the lobby

Our dinner took place in a private room depicting photos of Lord Baden-powell and his wife all along the walls. The hotel also promotes it's rooms, conference facilities and other services on a large screen

Executive Chef Godfrey Ouda holding court!

As this dinner was also to laud and promote Godfrey and the Sarova Stanley, the photographers had him posing under the lights and screens

The food was tastefully seasoned and beautifully presented. The starter comprised of Traditional Smoked Salmon, Lemon Horseradish Foam on a cushion of Fennel and Apple shavings. (Did you know that the chef names the dishes on the menu?)

The vegetarian option was a Vegetable Terrine with Lemon Horseradish Foam on a cushion of Fennel and Apple Shavings (The sprig of thyme on both these plates, just made the dish!)

The next course was a duet of authentic soups. Mine was a cup of mushroom soup and another of tomato consomme - delicious. The others had lobster bisque and tomoto consomme which they all pronounced delicous as well! These were served with a Bread basket of Freshy baked rolls and a trio of flavoured butters: garlic, tomato and lemon.

The main course was Chicken a la Kiev on a bed of Basil mush (which I found out later was potato mash!) served with a Sherry Sauce. (Photo above)

The other option was Dry Aged Fillet of Beef Medallions with Yorkshire pudding and Green Peppercorn jus. Both dishes were served with Steamed organic Kenyan Roots (I spotted brussel sprouts and carrots) in a potato chip basket. We ladies wanted to know from the chef how these were made. (They use a wire basket which fits into another wire basket, lined with potato shavings and then deepfried) Grant loved the beef and Yorkshire pudding but left his vegetables claiming he had too much on his plate!

The vegetarian main course was Panneer (cheese) and butternut cannelloni with Arrabiata Sauce

The dessert was Godfrey's masterpiece. It was called Death of Chocolate. Nested Milky chocolate Mousse with Berry Coulis. Every part of this dessert was edible and TDF*!

Driving through the city centre after a wonderful meal at the Saraova Stanley Hotel in downtown Nairobi

Note: TDF* = To die for!

For more other people's worlds around the globe, click here

Mercy

2011-12-06T04:30:00.026+03:00

God blesses those who are merciful for they shall be shown mercy Matthew 5:7

I've always loved the passage in Matthew 5:1-12 known as the Sermon on the Mount. Also known as the Beatitudes, it contains much of what God desires of us as we seek to follow His will for our lives. As we look over God's plan for our lives, we may wonder how anyone can live up to it. Truth is, no-one can do it without God's help. The verse I quoted above reminds me to be merciful to others at all times. It 's not only for dicators or judges who wield a special power and can give a thumbs up or thumbs down on someone. It pertains to me who has to have mercy when someone cuts in front of me in the traffic. When the dog walks all over the clean tiles with its muddy paws. When my house-lady arrives late for work. She had to be up at 5am to get her little girl onto the school bus and then clean her parents' home which caused her to miss the company transprort to the camp. So many times we are called upon to show mercy. Are we?

Wet weekend in the Valley

2011-12-05T04:30:00.167+03:00

Yes,the rain is still pouring down into the valley . Several landslides off the mountain obstructed the road and graders and loaders had to clear rocks and gravel. Pickups are not allowed over the low-level bridge. I took photos from the higher, yellow bridge which shows how fast and high the river is.

Top and middle photos of the river were taken from the higher, yellow bridge. The bottom two photos depict the raging torrent across the concrete (low-level) bridge

When the weather lifted for an hour or two on Saturday morning, many insects hatched and appeared in large swarms. Waiting for Grant at the office, I managed to capture starlings hawking and eating the happless victims. Above tile shows the Greater Blue-eared starlings snacking on bright green grasshoppers

Back home on Saturday afternoon, Grant and I enjoyed a glut of quiz show television. We always watch The Weakest Link together at night. While I love quiz shows and we tend to know all the answers from the comfort of our lounge here in Africa, the Queen of Mean sticks in my gullet. I find her terribly abrasive and rude. She's also a Fat-a-phobe which I find discriminatory. (And again, rude!) Nevertheless, we continue to watch this show every evening.

This weekend, after three episodes of watching The Weakest Link, I was thrilled to see the show: Who Wants to be a Millionaire, UK was up next. I do watch this show periodically on weekday afternoons although I like to limit myself so that I don't vegetate in front of the box all week. Grant has never watched it but I convinced him it was another great way to keep your mind active! We watched three contestants reach £32,000.

By now it was 6.15 and we were going out to Borries for a BBQ. Still we watched. The next contestant, Ingram Wilcox reached the £32,000 mark, using all is three lifelines by the time he got there. He continued to answer all his questions correctly and eventually he was at a mind-boggling £500,000 ! By now the audience was oohing and aahing. And of course, the two South Africans watching the show from East Africa, were sitting on the edge of their seats, thoughts of going out postponed for now!

Ingram's final question was "Which boxer was famous for striking the gong in the introduction to J. Arthur Rank films?" He correctly chose 'Bombardier Billy Wells' to win the prize of . I've never seen anyone win the million pounds and enjoyed it very much.

Of course, if you Google Ingram Wilcox's name and you'll see that he won this great prize in 2006. This is typical of our television programs: they're all normally years old before being aired on our DSTV!

A few clips of the fifth millionaire on Who wants to be a Millionaire UK, show

Grant and I arrived next door for the BBQ at 7pm. While enjoying the meal later that night, Borries suggested that the next day we all drive out to the next valley where there is a club which serves quite good meals.

The men pose in the lane just before we leave for the club on Sunday (Borries, second from right, shows his muscles while Grant, far left seems to be pulling in his tummy?)

Midday on Sunday, we did just that. We drove about ten kilometers to Sego Valley, and had lunch at Sego Club. (This was a real treat for me as I normally make Sunday lunch)

A ride through the bush, past various villages takes us to Sego Valley

The men pose outside the Sego Club

The accommodation overlooks the valley below

Every valley for miles around is lush and green after the summer rains

It wasn't long and we heard the sound of meowing. looud meowing! The resident cat arrived to rub against us and call loudly while doing this

It had quite a few ticks on it, which I removed

I know the next time I visit this club, I will have a vial of Advantage Tick-and-flea in my basket!

I photographed a pair of swifts building their nest above the Rock Bar

The dining room was very basic, but the dinner of roast chicken, potatoes, rice and greens (spinach) was delicious according to the men

Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Scenic reflections

2011-12-04T04:35:00.009+03:00

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