It is helpful to say
there is hope.
You see it
with those you want to meet.
You see it
by the stories you tell.
You probably have hope
by offspring.
Problem is I don’t know
when to look
branding me
vaguely free.
One morning in South Luangwa NP
Strength
Uncontrolled
torrent on salt
damned by a plan
When I was strong,
once,
a rhythm of laughter.
Strength
was a mere shadow
fractured by one breath.
sunset walk outside of Sossusvlei, Nambia
Out it Alone
It came slowly
yet you are shocked?
no question asked
quiet with time.
young Maasai woman beading
Maasai Pastoralists, Their Community and the Amboseli Ecosystem
… hard work with unforgiving physical labor is required of all farmers
Read MoreSangre de Christo Mountains, Southern Colorado
Dark Skies
Our connection with the night sky is calming and is vital to our health!
Read More
dried Elderflower and fresh Lavender. for fragrance and skin.
Flowers and Herbs
Surprise yourself with your own power to be healed and to heal. Understand that your daily habits affect your long term health
Read More
Lion pride at Savuti Channel
Morning at Savuti Channel
The Savuti Channel
A dry channel meandering through an equally dry landscape, the Savuti Channel is now a legendary area for lion sightings. Once a vast marsh the area has dried out over the course of time, though inexplicably the channel will produce water some years. Savuti is located right on the very tip of the East Africa Great Rift Valley, it’s theorized that the associated tectonic activity influences the water flows into the channel. Other theories point to extended droughts as being the cause of Savuti’s lack of water.
Our visit coincided with a dry spell at the Savuti channel. We drove into our remote camp on a blazing hot spring afternoon wondering what our chances were for catching sight of wild game in such an unforgiving environment. Waking at 5 am the next day, we saw lion tracks close to our campsite. The lions of Savuti, hardened by the dry conditions, are known for their ability to hunt down the largest of mammals including; giraffe, buffalo, and elephant. With anticipation of what may lay ahead we drove slowly out of camp to the channel. As if on cue we came across a pride of lions relaxing after a night of hunting, their bellies were full and the youngsters were in good spirits playing and chasing doves.
flocks of doves flew in and out of the channel, attracted to the small water hole that the lions watched over
We spent 2 hours photographing and watching the lion pride that morning. A photographic safari allows for extra attention spent with wildlife sightings, time given for careful observation of the subject, and opportunities to play with composition and camera settings.
Considerations when choosing a guided safari company include:
Is your guide a trained naturalist, familiar with the region?
Is your guide a photographer, able to position the truck for the best photographic opportunities?
Is the truck suitable for photographers; room for gear, removable windows, outlets for charging?
Are your travel companions agreeable to staying with a sighting for a couple of hours?
The Savuti Channel has been a life source of water off and on for centuries. Catch the documentary Stolen River, by Derrek and Beverly Jobert, for a gripping description of Savuti as it dried up in the early 1980’s.
The Okavango Delta region finally had a decent wet season this year so perhaps Savuti has water again. Any trip planned to Chobe National Park should include a side trip here, whether or not the channel has water. There is a particular mood associated with Savuti- I wasn’t particularly seeking it but it was there.
Botswana Safari Company was our agent for this trip
Sesriem Canyon is right there at your feet. February 2018
Sesreim Canyon
Canyons are crevices in the earth that I see as an escape from the hot sun. Climb down a canyon and suddenly the environment around you is cool and quiet. Sesreim Canyon outside of Namib-Naukluft National Park is such an experience.
From the distance there isn’t anything to see, but pull into the car park and climb down that gorge and you will see. You will see ancient earth pulled apart by by geologic upheaval, you will see the trees and plants thriving in the coolness of the canyon, and you will feel the still, quiet air.
Sossusvlei blog linked here
Silliness has no Bounds
Ostrich on pan in Estosha, Namibia
Are you a clever one
with just the right response?
You probably didn’t blurt out
“It’s just like ostrich sauce,”
Or tell your neighbor
“Have a gooey gooey day”
not one for sharp retorts
my native silliness
abounds.
Halali Waterhole
Halali Waterhole Estosh NP
I just found a series of photos I took at the Halali waterhole in Etosha NP. I wasn’t keen on taking my camera to the waterhole that night but my friend insisted that I try my hand at a bit of nighttime photography.
Here are our results.
The images I captured that night barely hint at the unique beauty we observed. When you stay at a nationally run lodge in Etosha you will have access to the waterhole situated in your lodging area. The waterholes are protected so you can literally get up in the middle of the night and go view animals. Different lodges have different situations for instance the waterhole at Halali is quiet, small and intimate. Another waterhole, by our first lodging area, was vast. I woke at 2 in the morning and walked to it without my camera. There I observed herds of zebra, springbok, and impala move in and out of the waterhole with grace and silence. Sometimes the most amazing images are not captured on film.
blue Agapanthus
Midsummer in Kirstenbosch Gardens, Cape Town ZA
I visited Kirstenbosch Gardens on a midsummer Sunday afternoon, early January. It was an overcast misty day and everything looked so lush. The paths were filled with Capetonians and tourists alike all enjoying the beauty before us. The pelargoniums took my breath away, they were so prolific and fragrant.
perennial borders of pelargoniums, “scented geraniums”
Respite on Land’s Edge
Sunday Evening on Table Mountain, Cape Town ZA
Lovers hold hands,
friends toast,
as parents shout out to their kids.
I am silent
is that chill from the mist,
or is it from the memory submerged?
I arrived to Cape Town, after completing a 6 day bicycle tour in the Western Cape, mid-day on Sunday. After quickly checking in at my hotel I immediately hired a car to take me to Table Mountain National Park, the iconic place that holds the soul of the city. I was just able to take in the views before the clouds rolled in.
Mike and I chasing Flamingos at Nata
The Ultimate Bostwana Adventure
These landscapes materialize for us in more dramatic visions than we had imagined and would provide the backdrop for a fortnight of incredibly diverse wildlife sightings.
Read More
Mill City
Midwestern Cities, U.S.
There is a unique ambience about the cities in middle America. The solidly constructed warehouses and viaducts speak to another era. Here is a photo collection of a time I visited Minneapolis for an annual bicycle conference that takes place in February. Lucky me it was a balmy winter for the Upper Midwest.
Lilian’s Lovebirds at Lion Plain, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
Birds of South Luangwa National Park
Travels Ahead
Zimbabwe has been a lasting dream
an intriguing voice whispered Chizaria in my ear.
Have you heard of those mountains along Lake Tanganyika
Tanzania holds close to her heart?
And to boat with the Shoebill storks in the Bangwelu Swamps,
a new thrill just a few flights away.
These trips will take us from campsite to next
Then deep at night, sky so low
we shall sleep with the stars.
Birds in South Luangwa
May-June 2019
Hamerkop and Hippo in Lagoon