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| A lioness and her kudu kill on the bank of the Crocodile River. |
“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”
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| This type of chameleon lizard takes on the appearance in its surroundings, as in the case of the tree in this photo. We’ve seen it in this same spot every day for the past week. |
A few days ago, while Tom & Lois were still here, we made our usual drive to the river to search for sightings beyond Marloth Park’s fence into the Crocodile River in Kruger National Park.
Each time we find several cars lined up at either “Two Trees” or one of many lookout spots along the river road, we knew we were in for a treat. The enthusiasm is often generated by lion sightings, much more than for elephants, cape buffalo, giraffes, and others.
This day was no exception. Photography enthusiasts, both amateur and professional, may be found at the fence striving for the perfect shot of what treasures lie beyond the limitations of the fence between the two parks.
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| We couldn’t believe our safari luck in getting these photos. |
Recently, one of our two identical Canon Powershot cameras got soaked by an unopened bottle of red wine I had in a grocery bag. Since I mostly drink low alcohol wine, I often bring my own bottle to a restaurant and pay a corkage fee which generally runs no more than ZAR 30 (US $2.09) for the entire bottle.
Recently Jabula Lodge and Restaurant had started carrying my favorite low alcohol red and white wines, so when I brought the bottle of red, I never used my own bottle, instead respectfully ordering from their supply.
At the end of the evening, with the wine in my cloth grocery bag, I placed the camera inside it, not thinking anything of it. Lo and behold, as we were getting ready to leave after another fine meal, I placed the bag on the stone floor with a slight thud.
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| It was quite a sight to observe her bloody nose from eating her kill. |
The thud was powerful enough to break the glass wine bottle, and the contents poured all over the camera and the floor. I wiped up as much as I could at the restaurant and worked on the camera further when we returned to the house, taking out the battery and SD card, hoping it would dry out.
With the upcoming exciting Kenya photography tour in February, I thought it was a sign I needed a more sophisticated camera. Tom could continue to use the identical second model, and I could learn to use whatever I could find.
Knowing the postal service is a nightmare in South Africa and not wanting to pay outrageous DHL five-day shipping and customs fees, my best hope was to find something suitable.
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| Every so often, she’s stand to investigate her surroundings. |
This proved to be hopeless. None of the models I was interested in are available online here, and there was no way we were willing to drive to Johannesburg (minimum five-hour drive each way) to purchase a new camera.
At one point, a few days ago, I resigned myself to the fact that a new camera wasn’t in the cards for me at this time, and I’d have to use the one we had left, which is in fine condition.
This would mean Tom wouldn’t have a camera to use during the Kenya trip or any other outings we’ll take to Kruger over these next months. I put the bad camera on the dresser in the bedroom, figuring we’d have to dispose of it at a recycling facility before too long.
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| Was a male lion in the area that would steal her kill if he spotted it? |
Yesterday, a few hours after Tom and Lois left, I decided to try one more time (I’d already tried no less than 10 times) if I could get it to work. I inserted a battery and SD card, fired it up, and goodness sakes, it worked!
The result? I’m not going to purchase a more sophisticated camera until we get to the US in five months. We’ll live with what we have in Kenya. No doubt, this being a “photography tour” may leave us as the only people in the small tour group with a less than ideal camera for such an event.
But, I can’t worry about that. I know we’ll end up with decent photos our worldwide readers will enjoy as they’ve frequently commented positively on our photos. Sure, the photos can always be better, and eventually, they will be as I gain more skill and eventually buy another camera.
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| Lois’s last time feeding the kudus was yesterday morning before they departed. |
The reality remains, our site is about the lives of two nomads traveling the world without a home, without storage, and without a place to call their own. It’s not an arena to boast photographic skills and expertise.
Let’s face it. I have minimal photography skills and expertise. As much as I get a kick of out taking some decent photos, it’s just not my major love. My love is sharing our story, year after year, regardless of how exciting or uneventful our days and nights may be.
Thanks to all of our readers for hanging in there with us during this long period in Africa. In a mere 110 days, three months, 18 days, we’ll be on our way to Kenya and won’t be staying in a vacation home until next May. Lots will transpire in the interim.
Have a fantastic weekend, living life to the fullest!
Photo from one year ago today, November 2, 2017:
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| Tom got this distant shot of the Montezuma Oropendola, which is a New World tropical icterid bird. It is a resident breeder in the Caribbean coastal lowlands from southeastern Mexico to central Panama but is absent from El Salvador and southern Guatemala. For more photos, please click here. |