Kruger National Park, South Africa

Hopefully my readership has not forgotten about me since my last post was in May. What a challenging summer it has been. I took some serious losses in my rabbitry and learned more about Mucoid enteropathy than I cared to. Charlie had been talking about a trip to South Africa but in the midst of the crisis it was hard to imagine. Then at the last minute the pieces of the puzzle came together and a plan was laid. For the first time in 5 years we left the place TOGETHER for more than 24 hrs. I always feel uneasy about leaving the place and rightfully so. Finding care givers is no small feat. We did it and I don't regret it but what a toll it takes to travel that distance into a foreign land and culture. I loved it there and would go back in a flash. The photograph above is taken at Skukuza Camp in Kruger Park. We got to see the Big 5 which was mostly good fortune on our part. Included in this category is lions, leopard, elephant, Cape buffalo, and rhinoceros. With only a little over 24 hrs to explore the park this was extraordinary luck! I will be posting more photos as we sort through them.

On Saturday night we had dinner overlooking this river. It is not clear from this vantage point but there were elephants and buffalo grazing right across the river bank. It was magical to watch these peaceful animals. Later that evening we took a night time game drive. This was where we spotted a small pride of 4 young male lions. The tour guy said this was a strong pride of "brothers" and they stand a better chance of survival due to their numbers. It was twilight when we saw them and they were sleeping soundly and didn't seem bothered that there were tour buses lined up gazing at them. It is truly remarkable to witness these creatures in a natural setting. Unfortunately it was getting dark and they were far enough away that picture taking was not possible.

I look forward to sharing more of this journey. And find pleasure in plotting a way to get back there to do it again.