Tidbits, Travel & Torti's

Once again, I have neglected my blog

2011-05-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

So much has happened since our trip to Africa. One thing that I neglected to mention is that our Queen cat - Kerry Ann died while we were in Africa. It broke our hearts, and the remaining members of our Torti Clan have been saddened by her loss. She was their leader, their ruler, and the Queen of our house.
We started thinking about our next great adventure shortly after we returned from Africa. First we thought we would return to Ireland, to visit relatives and the places Tricia remembers from her childhood. Next we thought, no let's go to Costa Rica and go Birding. Finally we decided to return to Yellowstone and take a course from the Yellowstone Institute on Elk and Wolves. Should be a great trip, and this time we are making a big loop though Montana so that I can show Tricia places that I lived and enjoyed in the 70's.
I will try to be more responsible and put my fingers to the keyboards more regularly in the future.

Our first full day back in Kruger

2010-12-28T16:58:00.000-08:00

After checking in, we settled in to our home for the next five nights. Lower Sabie camp is a wonderful camp, with a variety of facilities available. Camping areas, safari tents, Bungalows and Cabins that are meant for larger families are available and there is something for every budget. We settled in to our bungalow, I cooked dinner and we ate and then hit the pillows, fast asleep within minutes. The gate opens at 5:30 in the morning, and I wanted to be first in line. We were up long before any the sun, and by the looks of the bungalows across the way, we were up before anyone else. I quickly packed our breakfast and made tea. We were just packing the cooler in the car when our neighbor quickly hopped in his vehicle and was off toward the gate. Oh well, there went being first in line. By the time we got to the gate we ended up 3rd in line. A short wait and the gate was opened, the first two cars turned right and that put us first on the road to the left, which is where we wanted to go. Last year we had good luck on the Mlondozi Loop, where we saw eight Cheetah. I had decided to see if we could repeat our good fortune from last year so we were off. We had to stop on the Dam to watch the sun come up.

We were hoping for more Cheetah on this morning. The first few kilometers were a little slow, not too much moving except a few Wildebeest and Zebra browsing in the distance. Then to the south we saw a large bull, he was a long way off, but things were looking up.

Soon we saw two more large bulls fairly close to the road. This can become dangerous as Bulls can be cranky and charge at any time.

We were so busy with this big boy that when we made it past him we almost didn't see a White Rhino standing within 2 meters of the road.

It was barely 8 in the morning and it was already getting warm. We got to the Mlondozi Picnic area and had breakfast. Watching out for a gang of thieves who was nearby attempting to steal a bite to eat from those not on the lookout.

They were quick and aggressive, but would back down if confronted. They were successful in stealing breakfast from a number of those picnicking. Here is the view we enjoyed while eating.

On the way back to camp for a break we saw a Martial Eagle. They are very shy and avoid contact with people. This was a first for us. All I was able to get was a shot of it flying nearby.

Another Journey back to Africa

2010-12-28T12:17:00.000-08:00

It has been quite a while since I have had a chance to sit down and put my fingers to the keys, and I have neglected telling everyone what is going on. During October, we returned to South Africa for another adventure. This time we spent two weeks in Kruger National Park.

What an amazing journey!

Well it was amazing except for the LONG, LONG flight. We left Seattle just before midday on Friday, and arrived in Johannesburg at about 6pm on Saturday. That works out to be about 26 hours in coach. I would give anything to fly First Class on these trips, but it would require donating body parts or mortgaging our house to be able to stretch out, use real silverware, enjoy better food, and be able to really sleep.

Since our flight arrived late in the day we stayed at the Garden Court Inn near the airport again. We have found it to be easy to get to, reasonably priced and a very tasty morning breakfast buffet. After getting a good nights sleep, we headed back to the airport to pick up our SUV and then headed east towards Kruger.

After about five hours and a couple of stops we drove through the Numbi Gate and headed towards our first destination Lower Sabie. Lower Sabie is 95km (59 miles) from the gate, and the speed limit is 50km, which logically would take one a little over an hour to navigate. However, Kruger distances cannot be judged in a normal way. Because of game sightings and roadblocks (whether from traffic jambs or from Animals on the road) time and distance are not easily linked. The Kruger website says the time from Numbi gate to Lower Sabie is 3.5 hours. I had calculated we would arrive at camp around 5pm, an hour before the gate closes. Being outside of a camp after the gates close is strictly forbidden and being caught outside can result in fines of several hundred dollars each. Five rolled around and we were still many kilometers from our destination. I pushed the limit and drove slightly over the speed limit and made it to camp at 6:05pm. The ranger at the gate looked at our pass and waved us through with a stern word about gate closing time.

This was the first sunset back in Kruger taken shortly before arriving at camp.

Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking....

2010-09-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

Here it is, one week until we leave for Africa on our annual adventure. I have been packing and deciding what I really need to take. My carry-on is almost full, and camera gear makes up the bulk of its contents. Thanks to Think Tank, my camera gear will be easy to carry on, and I am confident that the rest of my belongings will follow in the cargo hold of our transport without incident.

We have been anxious for the past few weeks, partially in anticipation of our trip, but mostly because our Queen cat, Kerry Ann has been diagnosed with Kidney Disease and a Heart problem. She has been dropping weight like crazy, and has a difficult time getting around, but doesn't seem to want to go yet. We are taking it day to day, and are realizing that we have to accept that she won't be around forever. She is eighteen, and has always been the matriarch of our Torti Clan. We call her the Super, Wonder, Yoga, Squeaker cat. She holds a special place in our lives and in our hearts.

I plan to post a trip report as soon as I can and promise to include pictures.

Dogs, Dames, and Detectives - Opening lines to a great (?) mystery novel

2010-08-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

A steady rain pounded down in a staccato, like the hammering of keys on my Smith Corona. It was a cool wet morning as I sat in my office waiting on a client looking for her lost dog. I lit a cigarette and watched the smoke curl towards the ceiling, I didn't hear her enter the room, but I knew she was there by the scent of her perfume. A shiver went up my spine, Something told me this dame was lookin' for more than a little doggie. I spun in my chair, as she approached closely, bent down and handed me a fat envelope full of cold hard cash.

There was something strangely familiar about her perfume...and that lipstick, it matches the stain on my collar! What is going on? and how did I get here? "Hey Rick, how's the head this morning?" She hissed.
"Those were some mean Martini's you were drowning in last night." Martini's?, all I remember is sitting down at Murphy's bar and ordering a tall, cool one. WHAT IS GOING ON? Boy could I use a drink. She walked to the water cooler, and filled a glass. "That wasn't what I had in mind", I mumbled. As the water hit my face, it all started rushing back to me...........

I have been a bad blogger!

2010-07-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

It has been forever since I last put words down to let you know what I have been up to. In fact I have had a hard time finding the time to even read the blogs of friends and relatives.

We are fighting the good fight and treading water in this topsy-turvy economy. We get the opportunity to travel back to Africa for our third visit late this fall, and have begun counting the days until we are back in the bush.

Africa is a place that you either love or hate, but I believe that if you go and are bitten by the "Africa bug" you will always dream of Africa and will always return to her treasures.

We are currently smitten with the Kruger National Park in South Africa. A park more than twice the size of Yellowstone National Park here in the United States, Kruger is an unbelievable experience.

A lone Kudu Bull. The regal symbol of South Africa's National Parks

Helmeted Guinea Fowl

An Old Bull who appeared out of nowhere right next to our car!

We watched an Egyptian Goose honk and harass this small crocodile for a long time, so much that the croc eventually escaped into the river

Hyena resting in the shade on a hot dry day

96F - 35C

The King of Beasts - what a lazy lot! During the day all they do is sleep!

It won't be too long before I am back!

Early Risers

2010-03-03T04:29:00.000-08:00

One of the effects of our very mild winter is any early start to the many blooms in our yard.

Five of our Rhododendrons started blooming weeks ago, and unfortunately were hit by a few cold nights and have already lost their flowers.

Many other plants have now taken their place.

I love the color that is popping up around us, and am thankful that we have not had the snows and harsh weather that the eastern part of the country have suffered this winter.

Fostering Cats and Kittens again!

2010-03-03T04:17:00.000-08:00

Once again, we have been enlisted to foster a mother and her kittens, and two pregnant cats (until early next week). All were rescued from a small single wide trailer where they shared space with 27 other cats and a family. We are giving them a secure place until other arrangements can be made.

This is the Siamom

Suppertime!

Our girls are pretty used to occasional guests, but the mewing from behind the door has them all curious, and they take turns watching and listening at the door.

Under Siege - We're surrounded!

2009-12-30T19:53:00.000-08:00

We are lucky to live in an area that has abundant wildlife. Our yard is home to many small birds, and at least one family of squirrels. The large cedar tree on the side of our house is also the home to a family of Raccoon. There have been new additions to the family each year, though the population seems to stay fairly constant.

The brown spot in the middle of the picture is their home.

A little closer

Nap time on a warm summer afternoon.

This fall we have noticed that there are now two families living in our yard, one in the regular raccoon homestead, and another group in a slightly smaller Cedar in our front yard. We enjoy having them around, and they have never been a bother. Well, that is until the past few weeks.

Open the door, and Raccoons come to beg for a handout - someone in the neighborhood is feeding them! They are not afraid of walking right up to you. This is not a good thing.

The problem came apparent a little over two weeks ago when one of the young Raccoons scaled our cat fence (first time in 5 years) and decided to come in the house for a visit. Luckily FloJo was on Guard duty that night and refused to let our uninvited guest through the cat door. We got out of bed and herded our visitor back over the fence and went back to bed. The next day we reinforced the fence and slept soundly knowing the little buggers couldn't get in now.

A few nights later we were in bed and Tricia heard the toenails clicking like a dog's across the floor. She jumped into action yelling and dashing through the house in hot pursuit of the house guest who sneaked in without the cats sounding the alarm. Down the hall towards the front door and the kitchen, Tricia quickly opened the door only to find one of his accomplices waiting to be let in. "Oh no you Don't" I heard as I followed down the hall. Luckily the house guest realized he had chosen the wrong house and made a hasty retreat out the door to his waiting friend. (Who I'm sure high-fived him for his bravery)

We are under siege! There are eyes glowing in the night all around us!

I am sure that on the two occasions since that night when the fence has been breached that our neighbors thought we were crazy yelling expletives into the dark to an unseen (to them) enemy.

The price you pay for living with wildlife. They are kind of cute, and as long as we can keep them at bay we are glad to share our yard with them.

We are planning to get an electric fence kit to deter any further incursions. Wish us luck fending off the masked marauders.

Our Last Day at Kruger

2009-12-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

Our final morning in Kruger was a sad day for both of us. We didn't want this adventure to end, we needed more! I felt like an addict in search of more drugs, Kruger has become my drug of choice, and I needed to keep the high going. We dreaded the drive out of the park, and on to Jo'Berg and then America.A short distance south of Skukuza we stopped to watch a raptor attempting to pull a meal out of a hole in the side of a tree.

It was a sub-adult African Harrier-Hawk also known as a Gymnogene.It was interesting and amazing watching him contort his body and legs to reach inside the hole in the tree.

Back down the road towards the real world we pulled off and drove to the viewpoint at Mathekenyane and took a self portrait and a picture of the view of the bush.

Hopefully my self portrait is not confused with the group photos taken a little further south:

A little further down the road we saw a group of Impala, including this one who seemed to be scarred up badly, and very pregnant. I wonder if she survived an attack?

One last stop at Afsaal Traders for a snack, and then we were through the gate and back into the real world. I wish we could have stayed forever.A long journey back to Jo'Berg, followed by 26 hours in the air, and we made it home to Seattle. We were tired, drained, not looking forward to getting back to work, and missing Africa. After a couple of days we started getting back on track, though both still dreaming of the bush, and wanting to return.We are working out the details, and plan to return to Kruger for two weeks in October, 2010. Tricia and I are hooked on South Africa. We both feel free and at home in the bush, the worries of the world melt away, and the day to day rat race of the rest of the world fades quickly. Can't wait to return!

Satara to Skukuza September 24th - only one day left!

2009-12-15T23:02:00.000-08:00

As we started our drive from Satara to Skukuza, we began to realize that our wonderful adventure was coming to an end. We kept our eyes on the bush, (and on the road) to make sure we didn't miss a thing. Not too far south of Satara we saw a few vehicles slowing in front of us. Another Hyena coming towards the road. We stopped and he crossed right in front of us. after crossing he decided to check us out.

As he got closer to the car, I was taking photos and tricia was filming with the digi-cam. Soon Tricia started quietly saying "roll up the window", each time she repeated it, she was a little louder, until I turned the key to raise the window. I got it rolled up when he was about a meter away.

We continued our drive and made another stop at Tshokwane for tea and a huge slice of carrot cake. It was very busy this time, but we still find it a wonderful rest stop. After our break we were back on the road and decided to stop at Silolweni Dam and Leeupan. We caught these Saddle-Billed Stork at Leeupan.

Our day ended at Skukuza, a booming metropolis in the bush. Too many people, too many cars, too much noise. Despite all of that, we found our bungalow, and settled in for our last night in Kruger. We decided to splurge at the restaurant for a last Kruger dinner. The service was marginal and the food was poorly prepared and poorly presented. We left disappointed.

The highlight of our stay at Skukuza was watching all of the bats under the eaves at the outdoor eating area near the cafeteria, that was special. After watching the bats coming and going, and those already roosting, we made our way back to our roost for our last night in Kruger.

It is hard to relay in words how amazing this trip was. The sights, sounds and smells of Kruger are imbedded in our minds. The amazing things we have seen and experienced are drawn in indelible ink in our hearts and souls, we will never forget, and look forward to continuing our adventure next year, and for years to come. I will make one more TR post later, with our drive down the H-3 to Malelane Gate, and back into the world.

More Satara Photos

2009-12-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

Our stay at Satara gave us the opportunity to drive some back roads and explore at a more leisurely pace than our one night stays at the other camps. Here are more shots taken while at Satara.

2 Nights at Satara September 22 and 23, 2009

2009-12-15T19:18:00.000-08:00

After our bush walk we were worn out, but still had much to do. Here are some more shots that I took while near Satara, most of them on the S100.

Satara was a nice stop for both of us, we felt like we could relax a little more, since we had two nights in the same place. Dinner at the restaurant was nice and relaxing, and all of the employees that we talked with were friendly and helpful. The morning of 24 September, started with the realization that we only had one more night in Kruger. It also was the point when Tricia and I decided to start planning our return in 2010 - after World Cup madness is over. As we drove through the gate we both wondered what our drive to Skukuza would bring.....more later!

Satara Camp, our home for two nights

2009-11-03T08:29:00.000-08:00

This was nice, we actually could unpack our bags, rather than just put them in the corner for the night.

We enjoyed the birds at Satara, especially this Scops Owl, who was in a tree not very far from our bungalow. I didn't realize they were so small.

We joined a night game drive our first night, and saw 5 more African Wildcat, including one just outside the gate. The rest of the drive was Giraffe, Ellies, Impala, Zebra, Wildebeest and Kudu. We Caught sight of Genet and Civet from a distance, but couldn't get any photos again.

Back to Bungalow #A9, and a short night sleep. We had an early breakfast with this guy looking on before heading out for a drive to the Timbavati picnic area, looping back to Satara for our Afternoon Bush walk.

Firepower is a comfort when on foot in the bush.

Our walk was very interesting, though I don't know if the other three guests agreed. We saw a number of birds, learned about Hyena and Rhino Poo, and saw the usual Impala, Kudu, Wildebeest and Zebra as we walked. We made our way to a small waterhole, and on the other side, out of the brush walked two large male lion, who turned and ran as soon as they saw us. We tried to find them again after the quick glimpse, but they were gone, only leaving their paw prints in the dirt.

As the daylight faded, this was our view on the way back to camp.

After returning to camp we grabbed dinner, then headed back out for our night game drive.

This is the life. The sights, the sounds, the smells...so much it almost makes your head spin. I love it here!

More heaven and a little laundry

2009-11-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

After being dazzled and mesmerized by eight Cheetah, and a visit to the laundry, it was time to head for Satara. Our time washing and drying clothes was actually enjoyable, as we spent it talking with a Veterinary student who is on an externship with Sanparks. Since Tricia is a Veterinarian they had a great conversation. They talked and I folded.

Birds were a big part of our trip to Kruger and the area surrounding Lower Sabie added to our African Life list. Our trip this year added 60 birds to the 102 that we saw last year in Africa.

This was one of two Secretarybirds that we saw near Lower Sabie.

A drive up the H4-1 would have not been complete without a stopping at the Nkuhlu Picnic site and meeting the proprietor Wacktazz. After all we had heard, we couldn't resist a lunch of his famous Buffalo Pies.

A little north of Nkuhlu we found that one can back down the road for long distances quite easily when being herded by a very large Bull Ellie.

One of our fun bird sightings was a group of Ground Hornbill that walked all of the way across the Sabie River bridge. We were lucky to see over 26 Ground Hornbill while in Kruger, and these really gave us a laugh as they paraded all of the way across the bridge stopping traffic for their stroll.

This little one decided to show us that he was the boss. While his mother and the others in the herd were ignoring him.As with each day before, our drive to Satara was wonderful and exciting. New things to see, and the feeling of being at home while at Kruger.

I hope that we can return many more times.

Kruger day 4 - oh my god!

2009-10-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

So far we have seen the big five, a whole lot of birds, small cats, large cats, and tons of other things, but we were not prepared for Lower Sabie.

We arrived at Lower Sabie camp late in the day, checked in and headed to our cottage on the perimeter. After dinner we took the spotting scope to the bench near the fence, watching birds and Hippos until dark, then we watched bats for a while before climbing in bed so we could wake up for our early morning game drive, little did we know what was in store for us.

4:00 AM came early, but after a light breakfast and some tea we were at the meeting area and off on our next adventure. Our small group piled into one of the big safari vehicles and we headed north along the Lower Sabie River. A little north of Sunset Dam, our driver got a radio call from the rangers who were leading the morning game walk. One of their guests had mistakenly placed her camera in our vehicle. They caught up a short time later and we gave them the camera. Their delay gave us the opportunity for a once in a lifetime sighting.

We continued north and turned around at the Causeway after getting another radio call that was too faint to make out. Our guide said we should go to find them in case they were having problems. Back past the camp and onto the S29, the Mlondozi Loop. About five km in we saw something on the right. Oh My God - Six Cheetah! a Mom and her five babies!

She had just killed an Impala and they were having breakfast.

This little guy was very curious and walked toward us to check us out.

We decided he should be named Elvis, because of his sneer!

This was amazing, we were alone with this great sighting, how could it get any better?The only sounds were mom and kids chirping, the wind blowing, a light rain coming down, and cameras clicking. Then movement from the left, another Cheeteh, NO TWO CHEETAH! coming in slowly, then rushing in at the last moment. What was going to happen, were the babies at risk? Not a sound has made from our vehicle as the two males approached and encircled the female, a little argument, the kids ran a short distance away, and mom finally gave up the Impala to "Will and Harry". (We didn't name them, they had aleady been given the Royal names by the Rangers at Lower Sabie). We watched as Will and Harry kept leaving the Impala and harassing Mom and the Kids. Tricia was getting annoyed with them and wanted to "go kick their butts" for stealing the Impala.

Finally mom and the kids made a hasty retreat and were gone. I will never forget Eight Cheetah at once.After that it was back to camp and the laundry room to wash clothes. Laundry, what an exciting way to end an unbelievable morning game drive!

Kruger Day 3 Letaba to Lower Sabie

2009-10-20T19:36:00.001-07:00

Our night drive at Letaba was a night for little discoveries. We saw Civet, Genet, African Wild Cat and Cerval, which was a treat. Seeing all four of these cats in a short span was fun. In addition to the small cats we saw a few Giraffe, Elephant, and various Antelope before returning to camp.

Day three was our long haul day, Letaba to Lower Sabie. We left shortly after 6 and made a quick stop at the Letaba River bridge before heading south. Just a few km south of Letaba we spotted a pair of Hyena laying under a bush very close to the road. While we watched a number of cars drove by, but one stopped next to us and said that the pair have a den under the road and that they have pups (or is it kits?) in the den, that they bring out usually later in the day. Unfortunately, we had places to go, so weren't able to get any baby Hyena shots.

A little further down the road we joined a parade.

A number of lazy lion sightings, they are sure boring, and hard to get a good shot when they are sleeping. Finally not too far north of Tshokwane we were able to get a good shot of a Lion. We stopped to watch Vultures in a tree and caught movement on the other side of the road. A lone lioness with a kill, she seemed to have eaten her fill and after a few minutes walked to some tall grass 10 or 12 meters away to lay down. As soon as she laid down a single Hyena appeared and started trying to locate the kill, after 5 minutes or so, he had come close but all of a sudden a male lion appeared.

It was really funny watching how the posture and attitude of the Hyena changed when the male showed up. The hyena wouldn't look at him and started walking away, then broke into a run to get out of there.After a break at Tshokwane, we took the H10 to get to Lower Sabie. What a glorious drive, and the view from the top of the mountain is spectacular.Getting close to Lower Sabie we came upon a few cars watching two Lions at a Giraffe Kill, the Lion were sleeping in tall grass, and most of the action was a group of Vultures picking up scraps. After watching for a while we continued on to Lower Sabie and settled in for the night.

Africa 2009 - Kruger National Park day two

2009-10-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

After a short night's sleep we planned to leave the gate at 6am. Well, that didn't happen. We had a light breakfast on the porch and got caught up watching all of the birds, that led to a drive back to the restaurant and an hour watching birds at the dam.

When we finally left Mopani we drove the Tropic of Capricorn Loop and then headed south towards Letaba.

Here are a few of the things we saw along the Loop:

This is a juvenile Wahlberg's Eagle, he didn't move a muscle while I took my photos.

A Slender Mongoose posed so that I could get a good shot.

This Hornbill kept us laughing while we watched him searching for food, and chasing off the other birds that got too close.

This mom and two little ones were part of a large group of over 25 Ellies.

All this and more just on a 22 mile (36km) loop, More later from the H1-6 road to Letaba Camp!

We already miss Kruger, and can't wait to return!

Africa 2009 - Kruger National Park day one

2009-10-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

We have been home since September 26, and I am finally getting around to starting our trip report. We have adjusted back to Pacific Time, here on the west coast of America, but both would prefer to still be in SA. One week in Kruger is not enough, so we are planning a return next year for two weeks.
I have been wading through photos (around 2000) to find those I would like to share. We arrived in Jo'Berg on 13 September, rented our vehicle and drove to Gravelotte, where we were booked for a week long Wildlife Rehabilitation course taught by Karen Trendler. After our course, we drove to Phalaborwa to begin our week in paradise.
For our first visit, we wanted to see a lot of territory, and bit off a little more than we should have. We stayed at five different camps in six days, and spent much of our time driving from one camp to the next. We'll know better next time, and plan to book 4 or 5 nights each in three different camps.
Not too far inside the gate, we spotted a number of bull Ellies on our left, and while watching them we almost passed this fellow,who was only a few feet away, without seeing him.

The rest of our drive to Mopani Camp was filled with birds, Giraffe, Zebra, Impala, Cape Buffalo, more Ellies, Klipspringer, Gyrsbok, Kudu and amazing vista's and landscape.

By the time we rolled into Mopani we were in seventh heaven. We tossed our bags into our cottage and made it back to reception in time for an evening game drive. Our first Baobab, more birds ,Buffs, Zebra, antelope and various birds. No cats, but we did get to see a Black backed Jackal. We made it back to camp, had dinner in the restaurant and went to bed, completely worn out but excited and anticipating another wonderful day of discovery.
More Later.

Time Zone Time Warp

2009-10-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

Here it is almost two weeks since we got home from our 2009 African adventure and I am just getting my internal clock set back to Pacific Daylight time. Our 26 hour flight home took it out of me, and I have been trying to catch back up since we returned. The Torti clan is happy we are home, and we are glad to be here.

I am still wading through photos, but decided I should get started telling everyone about our amazing journey.

After hop scotching from Seattle to Vancouver to London, and finally to Johannesburg, we dragged ourselves into the Hertz rental office at the airport and picked up the keys to our SUV. A Kia Sportage was our trusty steed for our two week stay, and it didn't fail us, successfully battling the traffic, Elephants and Cape Buffalo to get us to our numerous destinations and back to the airport in Johannesburg without a scratch.

Our first destination was SanWild, an animal rescue and rehabilitation Preserve near Kruger National Park. Sanwild is where we spent our first week, attending a Wildlife Rehabilitation course. More about SanWild in another post, though I will say that they are a dedicated group doing great things on a small budget.

After our week at SanWild, we packed up and headed to Kruger, arriving in Phalaborwa Saturday mid-day. After a stop at the SPAR grocery for supplies we drove through the gate into a wonderland. One of our first sightings was a group of Elephant on the left side of the road. Tricia wanted a better look and asked me to back up a little bit. As I was backing up something caught my eye to the right.

I still can't figure out how I didn't see this giant when I drove by him the first time. He was massive, and about twenty feet away.

We continued on to Mopani rest camp where we had reservations for our first night. At Mopani we had booked an evening game drive, and by the time we got to the camp it was time to go on the drive. Lots of Impala, Elephant and Cape Buffalo to be seen, a few other Antelope and a lone Jackal but not much more. We finished the drive unpacked our bags grabbed a bite in the restaurant and hit the sack looking forward to more adventure in the morning.

We're back home!

2009-09-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

We made it home. What an amazing journey, though we both are running on empty after our 26 hour flight home. After I get adjusted to Pacific time, I will start sorting through the photos and share some of the highlights of our trip. In the meantime, before I fall back to sleep, I will give you an idea of a few of the things we experienced.

We participated in a bush walk, luckily with two heavily armed rangers, and were fortunate to find two male lions, and watch them disappear into the bush from about 50 feet.

I learned to drive quickly in reverse for over 150 yards (137 metres) while attempting to get out of the way of a very large Elephant bull walking down the road.

(Photos to follow)

We had the rare fortune of seeing 8 Cheetah all at the same time - a mother and her 5 cubs at her fresh kill were intimidated out of the kill by two male Cheetah, while we watched from 100 feet (30 metres) or less.

More to come later, must sleep and cuddle with the Tortie clan!

Less than 64 hours

2009-09-08T21:27:00.000-07:00

Tricia and I are getting excited! Friday we board the plane for our 2009 African Adventure. We have both been packing and repacking our checked and carry-on luggage, making sure we have everything we need. After all my advance work, I am sure I'll still forget something, hopefully it won't be too important.

The last couple of days before a big adventure are always torture for me. My mind races through countless checklists, and I wonder what our trip will bring. This time I add driving on the opposite side of the road to what we Americans are accustomed to. Should be an interesting trip, and hopefully a short learning curve. I hope that driving a right hand drive postal vehicle for 12 years will help me with the adjustment.

We will keep you informed is possible, and hope to bring photos and a diary of our trip to the blog.

Peace to all,

Tricia and Norm

Eleven Days until Takeoff

2009-08-31T19:11:00.000-07:00

In eleven days Tricia and I will "Take off" our work clothes, and take off on our second African Adventure.

No, we won't be catching a ride with the blue angels!

We won't even be taking a Ferry!

We are taking the scenic route from Seattle to Vancouver, British Columbia, connecting to London-Heathrow, and then traveling on to Johannesburg, South Africa.

Yes it is a long trip, twenty hours in the air, plus layover time in B.C. and London.

We are prepared for the long haul, with reading material, iPod tunes, pillows and sleeping pills.

Once we arrive in Jo'berg, we hit the ground running, and will drive on the left side of the road for five hours until we reach our first destination: The Sanwild Wildlife Sanctuary.

We hope to be able to post while we are in Africa, but it will be dependent on our ability to connect to the internet.

Look for new posts from the African Bush.

Peace,

Norm

Seventeen Days and counting!

2009-08-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

Africa here we come.

It has been almost a year since our last visit, and we can't wait to return.

I guess it is true what they say about going to africa. It does get in your blood, and you will always long to return.

We started planning our upcoming trip while we were still in Africa last year. We apparently got bit by the Africa bug, and want to return and explore.

We leave on Seattle on September 11th in the afternoon – fly to London with a 9 hour layover – (We’re going to take the tube into the city and go to one of the street markets)

We fly out of Heathrow at 7:20pm – arrive Jo’Berg 7:00am on the 13th. Then drive 5 hours to the SanWild sanctuary. After a week there, we drive a couple of hours to Kruger National Park where we are spending an additional week. We fly back out on Friday September 25th and arrive at Dulles Saturday morning, short layover and back in Seattle around noon September 26th.

I hope to get a broadband account in South Africa so that I can upload photos during our trip, but will have to wait until we get to Johannesburg to find out.

Ode to an Old Soul

2009-07-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

Wise beyond her years, an even keel, Dora Jean, an elder in our Torti Clan left us today after a short battle with Heart Disease. She will be missed by all those who knew her, her passing so profound that the skies opened and cried a torrent.

Loved by her Torti sisters, Dora Jean was the cat that everyone respected and looked to. She made it a point to supervise all of our projects, checking our work to ensure that it was done correctly.

Building our deck two summers ago was quite an undertaking, yet Dora Jean was right there, making sure all was correct. When she took a break it was to roll in the dust under the deck, coming out completely covered.

Though suffering for a number of years from arthritis and a Herpes infection in her eyes, Dora Jean was our rock, always there to give encouragement, and to snuggle up against us on cold winter nights.

Her almost constant shadow was Hana, one of our feral sisters, who thought the world of Dora Jean. Hana would almost smother Dora Jean, and most definitely encroached on her personal space. Dora Jean would put up with her clinging to a point, then it was one loud hiss, and off she would go, with Hana following behind, giving Dora Jean breathing room and little more space until she felt it safe to attach herself again to Dora Jean’s side.

We are convinced that Dora Jean has been here on earth many times, learning and sharing joy, love and her sense of humor with all who have crossed her path. Tricia and I feel as though a part of us has gone, but will never be forgotten. We will step into tomorrow’s light, holding Dora Jean in our hearts and minds forever.

Dora Jean – rest your weary bones, and open those eyes that no longer hurt. Run to chase a blowing leaf, or stop to smell the flowers. Know that our lives are much better for having been fortunate enough to have shared our place on earth with an Old Soul named Dora Jean.

Building blocks

2009-07-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

Portobello Road Market, London

In my travels, I am always interested in buildings and architectural styles. The monuments that men erect are sometimes fanciful, sometimes puzzling. Good and bad, they make you stop and wonder about the thought behind the building, or the decorative touches.

Art Deco meets Fried bread dough at Elephant Ear Universe in Seaside Oregon.

The Driskill Hotel - Austin, Texas

I saw this odd sculpture on a building on Portobello Road in London. Yes those are infants and starfish!

Imagination and building materials can create some amazing things, and some that make you scratch your head and say "huh?".

All in all, it is fun to ponder and to photograph.

The Fickle Finger of Fate

2009-06-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

The deaths of four celebrities this past week, gives us a chance to explore mortality, and as Dick Martin of "Laugh In" used to say ' The Fickle Finger of Fate". What is the reason that some leave this world in sudden unexpected ways, while others hold on to life for as long as they are able? Why do we wage wars, which snatch the breath of life from so many young people?

I have no answers, but then maybe we're not supposed to have the answers. Maybe our lot is to question the unexplained, and life's little mysteries . Without the quest for answers, the great leaps of science and technology would not have taken place, without the searches of areas unknown, we wouldn't know about our earth, our solar system, and the vast space beyond.

Maybe we're meant to question, look in awe upon the little things, and just enjoy the ride.

"Live Long and Prosper"

Vulcan Salute

Some Beetles have all the luck!

2009-06-23T15:45:00.000-07:00

While in South Africa we saw this sign at Tembe Elephant park and had to get our picture taken with it.
After posing, we were told that they are protected by the government, and that a few species of Dung Beetle are endangered because of vehicles.
I was very impressed with the measures that South Africa takes to protect it's wildlife (which also helps the tourism trade).

I am also happy that our new President signed into law The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, which gave 26 million acres of government land the full protection it needs. Most of the 850 protected areas are largely unknown to most Americans, but include areas like the Missouri Breaks in Montana, the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation area, and Nevada's Black Rock Desert, known to some as the home of the Burning Man Festival. He is undergoing a baptism of fire, but to me our new President is the real deal, a man of his word, and the right person to move us forward while returning our country to a more respected position among the world's countries.
For the Dung Beetles it's life as usual, rolling balls of dung and trying to avoid being squashed by car tires. We all have our work to do, and there are times we all feel like we are dung beetles, pushing poop from one place to the other in order to survive. Too bad we don't get the right of way in our lives too!

Under the Scissors

2009-06-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

For the first time in almost eight years, I got my hair cut. My long ponytail is now just a memory. I quit getting it cut as a personal protest against George Bush and his Evil Ways, vowing to not cut it until he was removed from office. George is now a distant Presidential memory, and the world is starting to look more favorably on America. Our new leader told us it was time for change, so I asked my sister-in-law to cut my locks.

Having gone for so long with long hair, it seems strange without it, but it is also a lot easier to manage, and my wife appreciates no longer having to braid my ponytail!

Worker Bee is Buzzzzy

2009-05-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Now that I am back among the employed, and feel like I am contributing to the success of the hive. I have been pondering the absence of Bees in our yard this year. A couple of years ago beekeepers started to find complete colonies of honeybees had just vanished, sometimes leaving a few sick, dying or dead individuals at the hive. A widening mystery, this has begun to impact commercial crop pollination in agricultural regions of the country.

Tricia and I are blessed with a wonderful yard that is full of flowers and flowering shrubs and trees. We have developed this over the past few years as a habitat for birds and other animals in our neighborhood. One of the delights every year is watching the honeybees and bumblebees busily working from flower to flower doing their jobs, keeping their colonies alive. This year we have only seen a couple of honeybees and about a quarter the number of bumblebees we normally see.

Colony Collapse Disorder is killing bees faster than they can reproduce, and this could have a disastrous on the world's agriculture. Is this the bee world's version of our current economic collapse? Are the worker bees losing their jobs, becoming homeless, and starving on the streets? What is happening to the queens? Are they losing their crowns to an unseen enemy?

A number of Corporations have joined the fight against Colony Collapse Disorder. Take a look at what others are doing to help:

http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView?contentPageId=531&catalogId=10051&storeId=10001&langId=-1

http://www.greatsunflower.org/en/forum/general-discussion/latest-information-colony-collapse-disorder-thedailygreen-com

http://www.helpthehoneybees.com/

Please get involved! Without bees, crops can't get pollinated, which means less fruit and vegetables, which means more expensive fruit and vegetables. Be a good worker bee and support this hive called earth!!!!!!

Peace

Weather, or not...

2009-04-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

Weather fascinates me. Rain, Sleet, Snow, Wind, Sunshine, Clouds, Hail; it all is amazing.

I have been known to pull off the road to watch a sunset, or stand in amazement as rain comes down in buckets. I can't resist, I guess it's the science nerd in me.

Weather also makes for some interesting photo ops. Too bad I can't spend all my time snapping the shutter release.

This morning it was foggy when I got up, this afternoon the sun played peek-a-boo from behind the clouds, one of the great things about the weather; it is never the same. Weather helps make life interesting. Next time it rains, stop, take a few deep breaths and enjoy the moment. Complaining won't make it stop, so let's enjoy it.

Sleeping in - one of life's little joys

2009-04-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, Saturday morning. A time to snuggle up with Tricia and the cats and be lazy. Sometimes I am amazed at how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family. Saturday morning has always been our time for being together and just being. After this morning that will change. My new job schedule will require me to work weekends, so Tricia and I won't have our weekend time together to be lazy, explore, run errands together or any of the fun things we have always done. It will be difficult, but hopefully I will be able to get back to having at least one weekend day off soon.

When one door closes another opens

2009-04-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

I have neglected my blog for a few weeks while I have been learning the ins and outs of my new job. It is amazing how much harder it is to learn when you are in your mid fifties than it was thirty years ago. Thinking about new things can really tax one's brain. I was as comfortable in my last job as I am in my favorite slippers. Having my position yanked out from beneath me was quite a suprise and a shock! After a few months of searching in this terrible economic climate, I was fortunate to find a position. The door that closed was an old and familiar one, the new door seemed to have some dark and scary things behind it Luckily my eyes are becoming accustomed to the dark, and the things that seemed scary are coming into focus and aren't as bad as they seemed.

Right now I am sitting at the computer watching two Male Rufous Hummingbirds zip around the yard checking the new flowers on our Red Flowering Currant in the backyard. They are bright iridescent copper colored and they are tiny. We are very lucky to have a lot of different birds who visit our yard or fly over on a regular basis.

Our return to Africa is all arranged, we only have car rental arrangements left. Everything else has been sorted out and confirmed. One week of wildlife rehabilitation classes followed by a week in Kruger National Park. (For those who are interested, Kruger is over twice the size of Yellowstone National Park!

Spring has sprung

2009-03-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

Spring is here, though by the weather you might not guess that winter is gone. We have a heavy frost this morning, and yesterday we had a tremendous windstorm with driving rain that blew through. Our heavy snows are gone

and some of the early Rhododendrons and bulbs are starting to bloom.

Each spring Tricia and I look forward to the explosion of color that will replace our winter garden browns. Our yard is a year round sanctuary for birds, squirrel, raccoon, and other wildlife. As spring continues into summer our yard becomes a quiet sanctuary for Tricia and me too.

This past week, I started a new job after three months of being unemployed. It feels good to be back into a work routine, though I was starting to like sleeping in.

African Birds are amazing!

2009-03-10T17:13:00.001-07:00

While in South Africa we were able to see over 100 species of birds that were new to us. So many people go on Safari looking for the Big 5, and large animals, but we found that the birds and smaller critters were truly amazing.

From the tiny African Firefinch to Pied Kingfisher, to the Goliath Heron (The Largest Heron in the world at Five Feet!) birds were everywhere and so colorful.

We were fortunate because we booked an extra two days, so wegot our ranger all to ourselves for an entire day of birding on the preserve, Something we wouldn't have been able to do with the entire group.

Brown Hooded Kingfisher

Turacao

Pied Kingfisher

Torti Cats

2009-03-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

If you are wondering, yes we have a conclave of cats. six tortishells and one Torbi and white. If you think , yeow that's a lot of cats, let me qualify this with the fact that my wife is a Veterinarian, who is a feline spcialist. Having lots of pets seems to be a hazard of the job.
Our girls are quite special, and get along great. Now this many cats is not recommended for everyone, as disasterous results can occur. Our cats are mostly indoor types, though our backyard has Purrfect Fence cat fencing, which keeps our girls in and safe from other cats and predators. The fencing also keeps the birds that visit our yard safe from the mighty hunters on the inside of the fence. You can see their product at http://www.purrfectfence.com/. Our cats love being able to go outside, and we love the security it offers our girls.

Baby animals

2009-03-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

On our African Safari we were fortunate to have timed it just right. Our arrival in September allowed us to see a few babies in the wild. This little Giraffe girl was less than three weeks old. Her umbilical cord was still hanging from her belly, these generally fall off at around three weeks old.

She was so cute, Tricia just fell in love with the Giraffes. Her fur looked like a Gund Teddy Bear fur. The first time we saw her, she was close by her mother. Our Ranger said that unless they are right with the mother, you generally can't find them as they are well camouflaged and will stay perfectly still to evade predators.

The Giraffe we saw are the Masai Giraffe. One of the interesting features of these Giraffe is that the older they get, the darker the coloring becomes. Compare these pictures with George from my last post. He is much darker than these Giraffe. Females have tufts of hair covering their horns, while the males quickly lose theirs by rubbing them on trees and bushes, and using them for fighting, being the macho boys that they are.

We also really decided that baby Rhino's are adorable. This little boy was only four or five weeks old when we were there. He stuck pretty close to mom, and eyed us with suspicion when we were around. His little button horn was cute, and he just was not too sure of our intentions as we watched him from about 30 feet away. Mom couldn't have cared less about our presence and just kept browsing.

During our time in South Africa, we had an amazing time. Animals all around everywhere. Tricia and I were in awe of everything we saw. We also found that not all of the people on Safari were as excited about seeing animals as we were. More than one of the people in our group and another group complained that they were tired of looking at animals all of the time. Hello, isn't that what you came here for? We saw so much, and yet all it did was whet our appetite for more. That is why we decided while we were there that we would return in September, 2009.

This time we are renting a four wheel drive at the airport in Johannesburg, and driving to the SanWild preserve near Kruger National Park for a week long wildlife rehabilitation course. When we are finished, we plan to drive to Kruger and spend at least one night in the Park, then drive south back to Kwazulu Natal province and spend three or four days at Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park. Where we saw Lions on our first trip.

Our first day on Safari

2009-03-07T19:02:00.001-08:00

After an early breakfast, we met our Ranger Werner. We were one of three couples at the Tented camp, (amazingly, all of us were from the Seattle area) the other two couples in our group were staying at the main lodge, so we had a short drive to pick up the rest of our group. Soon after entering the Game Reserve we spotted Curious George. George is a fourteen year old Giraffe. He was once the dominant Bull of the herd, but was recently deposed by a younger male. George only has one horn, the result of his fight with the other male. Now an outcast, George lives by himself. Much to our delight, we saw him daily. For the most part, the South Africans don't name wild animals, George got his name from an American film crew while filming the movie "I Dreamed of Africa". George was always hanging around checking out what was going on so they named him Curious George.

The rest of the morning we were treated to Rhino, Hippo, lots of Impala and Nyala, and many different bird species. We searched for elephants without luck all morning, so headed back in for lunch.

After a couple of hours to relax, it was back into Bessie, our Safari vehicle for more exploring. Late in the evening Werner decided to try the water hole before quiting for the night. We found the elephants nearby. We actually heard them in the bush before we saw them.

As the sun started to set, Werner drove to a ridgetop where we saw an amazing sunset.

Our first day was amazing, leaving both of us in total wonder, and excited at the prospects of each coming day.

There's a first time for everyone

2009-03-04T20:24:00.000-08:00

Well, here I go. At 55 I am wondering what should be included on my blog. I guess I'll start with some photos of our trip to Africa this past fall. The background photo for this page is the view from our safari tent on our first night on safari.

Tricia and I traveled to South Africa for a photo safari during September, 2008. Our adventure started out on in chaos, as our flight from Seattle was delayed, which would have caused us to miss a connecting flight to London. We had planned to spend a day and a half in London to help us adjust to the time change, but now London was off the table. Luckily we were assisted by an amazing employee at United airlines who was able to re-route us to San Francisco and then on to Frankfurt, Germany, after a five hour layover, we hopped a flight to Johannesburg, arriving a day earlier than planned, and completely drained from a total of 28 hours in the air, not to mention the layovers. Once we passed through customs, we found a nearby hotel and crashed, pretty much sleeping until the next day. We returned to the airport and caught our connecting flight to the east coast of South Africa, and our final destination in Kwazulu Natal province.

By the time we arrived, it was late afternoon, and we weren't able to see much. The photo is the inside of our Safari "Tent"!

Our second day was another story.