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| It was exciting to touch the vultures. We were told to keep moving while around the vultures. They only eat what appears to be dead meat. |
Part 2. Please spend a few minutes watching this exquisite video from National Geographic. You won’t be disappointed and doing so will further explain the nature of today’s and yesterday’s posts.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hodomt6bBOw
After posting all the photos yesterday, I suffered a few moments of trepidation. Every time we post, we attempt not to be repetitious. However, a by-product of posting daily is a certain degree of repetition.
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| An eagle on the mend at the rehabilitation center. |
After all, we’re fast approaching a milestone number of posts which we’ll share in 10 days, a number that is hard for us to believe. After so many posts, we accept the fact that many new readers may not have seen many of our most exciting adventures to date and repeating them from time to time in the photos is the easiest and best way to share them.
For those of our readers unfamiliar with the archives by year and by month located on the right side of the home page each day, please take a look at them. They are under our row of advertisers, under the field that says “SEARCH.”
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| Tom donned a huge leather hand and arm protector and wad handed a huge chunk of fresh meat to feed this vulture at the rehabilitation center. It was quite a thrill to get this photo. I love the look on Tom’s face! As their injuries healed, these vultures would soon be returned to the wild. |
Every post from March 14, 2012, to the current date, is listed in the archives. If you’re looking for a particular post or a recipe, by typing the words into the “SEARCH” field a number of options will pop up that you can choose to read, not unlike performing a Google, Yahoo or Bing search when looking for a particular topic. The difference here is that you’ll be searching through our 100’s of posts as opposed to the entire web.
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| These two badgers are at the rehabilitation center to recover from injuries and had become good companions. Badgers are known to be viscous animals feared by others in the wild. |
We understand that some of our readers may not be web savvy, mainly using the Internet for their email and an occasional search. Please don’t hesitate to email either of us if you’re having trouble with the archives or searching for a specific post or photo. We’re always happy to help.
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| We had an opportunity to interact with a cheetah at a wildlife rehabilitation center. The particular cheetah wouldn’t ever be able to return to the wild due to injuries sustained in the wild for which he was rescued. |
A link to our email is listed on the home page in the upper right under the photo of us in Petra, Jordan. (Gee, that seems like such a long time ago when it was only two years).
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| Although we were parked at a considerable distance, this lone elephant started approaching us. Quickly, Tom backed up the car and finally, the elephant backed off. There have been many instances in which elephants have been intruded upon by tourists getting too close, resulting in cars being tipped over injuring the occupants. |
In selecting photos to share of some of our past wildlife experiences, prompted by our viewing the above amazing National Geographic video, I struggle a bit, when originally I hadn’t hesitated for a moment.
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| The fifth animal in the Big 5, (Leopard, Cape Buffalo, Rhino, Elephant and Lion) this herd of elephants blocked the road as we drove through Kruger National Park. Notice the babies are kept protected in the middle of the herd. The largest elephant, the Matriarch, is often twice as large as the other adult females, holds up the rear with a keen eye ensuring their safety. Seldom are elephants attacked in the wild based on their pack mentality of safety in numbers and their massive size. |
In the past few years, my photo taking skills have improved and it was both frustrating and encouraging at the same time to see the changes in the photos. So please bear with my occasional lack of skills in some of these photos that we’re sharing over this two day period.
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| There was one day we were visited by an entire troupe of baboons who can be very destructive. Tom held a broom handle over his head to show them that he was bigger than they are. These monkeys have no respect for women who are known to feed them, which is never a good idea. However, they have fear of men carrying a big stick. They stayed most of the day, finally taking off all at once through the bush. |
From time to time, readers contact us to tell us that they’ve gone back to the first post to begin reading as if its a book, albeit a very long book, and found it more entertaining following the full course of our travels, seeing how we’ve changed, our ups and downs and the endless lessons we’ve learned.
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| A Vervet Monkey and her baby peering at us one morning while we were sitting at the table on the veranda. Check out that thin pink ear of the baby. |
Gone 30 months to date, we’ve only traveled the tip of the iceberg, (yes, we’ll go there too), with much ahead of us, health providing. We’ve seen so little of the world and yet in another way we’ve seen so much, as shown in these photos.
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| We howl every time we look at this photo of a monkey in Kruger National Park kissing the ground. Too cute! |
Yesterday afternoon, we took a one hour walk, mostly talking about the future and further committing to one another our dedication in continuing on with a high level of enthusiasm and excitement.
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| This photo was taken through the window of our cottage when we stayed at a resort on the Indian Ocean in Diani Beach, Kenya to celebrate our one year anniversary of traveling the world. The monkeys were hanging around as soon as we moved in. They knew we’d have the complimentary fruit plate provided to new guests at check-in which many guests often fed them. We didn’t eat the fruit nor did we give it to the monkeys who need to forage for their food. |
We discussed that we’ve spent too much time in Hawaii, as much as we’ve loved it and are ready to move along. Who’d have ever thought anyone would say, “We’ve spent too much time in Hawaii?”
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| A leopard, the fourth animal of the Big 5, all of which we’d seen in the first 10 hours on safari in Kenya. |
It’s not about Hawaii. It may be one of the most beautiful places on the planet and we’ve loved it, especially our time in Kauai. However, as we’ve passed the 90-day maximum period we usually stay in one location, the wanderlust has kicked in for both of us. We’re ready to go.
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| This Barn Owl was trying to figure a way out of the attic of our house in Kenya. Hesborn, our house man, helped it escape. |
With a variety of social activities ahead of us, plenty of sorting and packing to tackle, a box of supplies for the next two years yet to be shipped, in about three weeks we’ll begin the preparations to depart Hawaii.
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| The White Fronted Plover, a bird often seen along rivers in Africa. |
We always giggle to ourselves when someone we meet says, “Enjoy your vacation or have a good trip.” Although, we have a similar sense of excitement that one has when anticipating an upcoming vacation, holiday or trip, as we navigate our way from one location to another it never feels like a vacation. It feels like a glorious life for which we are grateful, humbled, and never take for granted.
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| We spent an entire day watching the activities of a group of thousands of grasshoppers as they moved from one tree to another. |
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| Close up of one of the above grasshoppers dining on a cabbage leaf we’d left on the driveway. |
It could all change in a minute by unforeseen circumstances. We choose not to worry about that possibility, perhaps that eventuality. As we discussed on our walk yesterday, we’ll always have the option to figure it out.
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| The Golden Orb Spider web was located in the carport in South Africa. |
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This frog hung out in the rafters watching us each day during our entire time at the African Reunion House in South Africa.
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As we neared our condo we encountered a couple, a few years older than us, most likely tourists based on the camera hanging around his neck and the binoculars in her lap. She was in a wheelchair and he was pushing her along the same path we’d taken.
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| Having an opportunity to see an endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal on the beach in Kauai was a thrill. |
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| We weren’t ever able to get a photo of a full breach of a whale. Once we get to Australia, we may have better luck. |
We said hello in passing with both of us in quiet contemplation for several moments afterward. At the same instance, we turned to each other and spoke simultaneously in almost the exact words, “That could be us one day.”
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| We love the Helmeted Guinea Fowl. They visited every day, many with their chicks. |
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| Look at the colors in this close up of the above Helmeted Guinea Fowl. Tom referred to these birds as Guinea Hens. |
We agreed, “Yes, it could be us and if it is, we’ll carry on, one way or another.”
Enjoy the weekend! We’re off to explore today. Back tomorrow with all the new photos!
Photo from one year ago today, April 18, 2014:
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| Le Jardin restaurant in the souks of Marrakech was a favorite we often visited. Two turtles wandered about the floor providing a degree of entertainment. Please click here for details. |