South Africa

memories / Monday / photo / safari / South Africa — Comments Off on How’s the weather up there?
6
Jul 26

How’s the weather up there?

There is no going outside. There is no doing of things. There is only making sure that the air keeps moving, and finding the sweet spot to sit in for optimal ceiling fan coverage.

The truly great thing is that this heatwave hasn’t even concluded yet — that temperature was on Saturday — and meteorologists are already confidently forecasting the next one. That’ll be the third of the season.

Also, this was the only cloud in the sky.

Poison ivy update: I have learned going outside is really uncomfortable now. All the places stressed by the blistery itchy irritated skin. It feels like the skin is being stretched apart and pulled together at the same time, somehow. Also, it just exacerbates the itching. This weekend I also graduated to oatmeal baths. They sounded silly, they still do, but also they seem helpful. Nice long soaks of the arms seem to give the Cortisone and Calamine a fighting chance at providing a little relief.

We are now approaching week two of poison ivy. Most people deal with this for two or three weeks. I bet I’ll be dealing with it for two weeks. Maybe three.

I have a complex relationship with giraffes. They are awesome. It is an unrequited appreciation. Few animals give off the same air of indifference, but that’s part of what makes them awesome. Here is a short clip of two we saw at Kruger National Park when we were on safari there last month.

  

The safari won me over on the first day. The views were lovely, the animals we encountered were outstanding and each one felt unique, and our guide was top notch. The entire experience was stress free, aside from early morning wake ups. If we ever find ourselves in South Africa again, and going on a safari again, it’ll be with Wild Wings. And if you’re considering doing such a thing, do it. And book it with Wild Wings. They were terrific.

adventures / cycling / memories / Monday / photo / safari / South Africa / video — Comments Off on It’s an itch
29
Jun 26

It’s an itch

Poison ivy status: The backs of my hands have blistered up. My arms are terribly itchy. But it’s all there on hands and arms. No fever, no real additional spreading. Just a painful inconvenience. I have been applying Neosporin and Cortisone and some other lotion that we have that has the magic words on the label. Extra Cortisone has been acquired. Calamine lotion, too. I wake up itching, of course. More accurately: I wake up scratching, which is when I’m doing the most of it. Will power only gets you so far and not that far at all when you’re unconscious.

It doesn’t feel nice in the heat. It is about to get terribly hot. We are approaching the end of week one of this by the book consequence to hasty and stupidity.

You know what else doesn’t feel good just now are my cycling gloves. Fingerless gloves are meant to be a protective bit of accessory, but the worse of my blisters are on the backs of my hands and … ouch.

Anyway, we went out for a short ride today. Just long enough to get in some posed photos.

There is a Strava segment near our house and it seems to me that I should be offended that I don’t own the best time on the Strava segment that is near our house. It is a .8 mile stretch that starts with a downhill and then comes back up. It’s nothing, but, then, neither am I. Also, I usually try this on those days when my legs feel good, but always at the end of a ride, when “good” is a relative term, anyway. (You wouldn’t do it at the beginning of a ride, because you aren’t warmed up, but I should try that sometime, just to see.)

Anyway, we only rode for a half hour and so my legs were basically warmed up but I was not tired, so i gave it a go.

And now I have the second fastest time of that Strava segment, improving my best by three seconds, and now just seven seconds off the overall.

I’m, also, almost out of tricks for improving my time. Not sure where I can find eight more seconds.

Here’s another little video from earlier this month at Kruger National Park. This elephant was, momentarily, not happy that we were there. I was characteristically thrilled he was running right to me. I took out the audio because mostly you can hear our guide try to warn him off, and then begin to move his truck as a precaution. But the elephant was running a bluff, and we’re all still here of course.

  

I was, initially, a bit ambivalent about the idea of a safari, but found myself won over on the first day. The views were lovely, the animals we encountered were outstanding and each one felt unique, and our guide was top notch. The entire experience was stress free, aside from early morning wake ups. If we ever find ourselves in South Africa again, and going on a safari again, it’ll be with Wild Wings. And if you’re considering doing such a thing, do it. And book it with Wild Wings. They were terrific.

Friday / memories / photo / safari / South Africa / video — Comments Off on Just cats
26
Jun 26

Just cats

It is time, once again, for the site’s most popular feature, the regular check-in with the kitties.

This summer Phoebe has been discovering the World Cup.

She has just walked into the room as I am writing this. I’m not sure, but maybe she’s saying something about exterior shots, or pausas de hidratación. Probably it is the back-and-forth.

Poseidon likes to watch the bike races and, for some reason, he’s intrigued by police chases. I suppose it appeals to his ever watchful eye. Poe is always watching.

People see these photos of him and they’re a bit startled to learn he isn’t always that cute. He is not always this charming. He could be. He chooses not to be. It is an innate and frustrating bit of character.

A cat of a different sort, this one from South Africa. We caught it on one of our morning safaris. He was looking to wind down from an evening and night of hunting and whatever else the Disney lions do when we aren’t looking. Isn’t this guy great? He strutted around for a while, determined to give us a decent show, before he wandered farther off into the scrub.

  
Somehow I doubt all of these cats would get along. Poseidon would terrify that lion.

I was, initially, a bit ambivalent about the idea of a safari, but found myself won over on the first day. The views were lovely, the animals we encountered were outstanding and each one felt unique, and our guide was top notch. The entire experience was stress free, aside from early morning wake ups. If we ever find ourselves in South Africa again, and going on a safari again, it’ll be with Wild Wings. And if you’re considering doing such a thing, do it. And book it with Wild Wings. They were terrific.

memories / safari / South Africa / Tuesday / video — Comments Off on In the weeds
23
Jun 26

In the weeds

We had an electrician out today. His job was to address something brought up by a previous electrician. I wish the first guy was still here, instead. But you get what you get. Also, the issue did not get addressed. But, my, how we can pass the buck.

The good news, I suppose, is that I discovered a whole lot of weeding to do. I pulled up stuff for hours, making a considerable dent, and filling the last of my yard bags. I need to buy more. So that I may do more weeding.

Some people find that relaxing, I suppose, but I have other pursuits. Or I did, before today.

Anyway, that was the biggest part of the day. Here’s a little video I shot in South Africa. However short it is, it is better than my discussing the root systems of the various things I encountered today.

  

I was, initially, a bit ambivalent about the idea of a safari, but found myself won over on the first day. The views were lovely, the animals we encountered were outstanding and each one felt unique, and our guide was top notch. The entire experience was stress free, aside from early morning wake ups. If we ever find ourselves in South Africa again, and going on a safari again, it’ll be with Wild Wings. If you’re considering doing such a thing, do it. And book it with Wild Wings. They were terrific.

Friday / memories / safari / South Africa / video — Comments Off on Two elephants at play
19
Jun 26

Two elephants at play

This was our last day on the safari, earlier this month. I shot this video on my Canon, and we’ll see how that looks on the video player now. I have other videos on my phone, which I’ll upload in due time. If I’d left in the natural audio you would hear our tour guide narrating this little mating dance. (The male was being rebuffed.) I only, just now, noticed the bird in the foreground tree branches.

  
There’s a lesson in that, I’m sure. But it is easy to be distracted by these other powerful, giant creatures.

I’m going to add this as boilerplate to the rest of the safari memory posts, but it is true and useful.

I was, initially, a bit ambivalent about the idea of a safari, but found myself won over on the first day. The views were lovely, the animals we encountered were outstanding and each one felt unique, and our guide was top notch. The entire experience was stress free, aside from early morning wake ups. If we ever find ourselves in South Africa again, and going on a safari again, it’ll be with Wild Wings. And if you’re considering doing such a thing, do it. And book it with Wild Wings. They were terrific.

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