This is REALLY, REALLY Important.

Africa Day Eight - Chobe Chilwero Morning Game Drive

Another morning dawned over the rather glorious although seriously bloated Chobe River, and after breakfast we all gathered by the jeeps.

We would be taking two vehicles into the Nature Reserve for the morning, in the hopes of finding some elephants, and then after lunch we'd be going out again onto the river on the little flat-bottomed boats as we'd done the previous afternoon.

We hadn't gone very far before Gavin stopped the jeep and hopped out, and picked something up from the ground. It was a large, a VERY large, black beetle. It wriggled its legs in a slow, worried way. He put it on the palm of his hand, and he said, "Sssssh. You're alright. You're alright," to it, for all the world like Crocodile Dundee charming an ox. He stroked it along its carapace with his pointer finger as he spoke to it. The beetle settled down, and then Gavin turned to the rest of us and told us that it was an "Alexander Beetle." I haven't been able to find anything on Alexander Beetles anywhere, but I'm pretty sure it's a "ball rolling" beetle from the Scarab family. Probably.

Gavin called it an Alexander Beetle, so it was only appropriate that we take its picture with OUR Alexander.

We spotted a White Helmet-Shrike in the bushes...

There was also this little bird, but alas I cannot ID him. Or her. My notes for around that time indicate a Black Widowfinch, but the ID doesn't match. *shrug* If anyone would care to take a shot at it, please feel free.

Near the trail we came upon a pretty large herd of Impala, all being groomed by Red-Billed Oxpeckers. This was charming enough a scene, but beneath their feet, two ridiculously adorable Banded Mongeese...Mongooses?...anyway, were digging, and playing, and rolling around in the warm sand, and being very weasel-like.

They win.

Impala:

Near the Impala, (practically in the herd), were two Black Backed Jackals

At least, I'm pretty sure they're black backed, and not side striped...

BIRDS! (Terrible Pictures of Them!)

Immature Hawk-Eagle above!

Cardinal Woodpecker!

Red Billed Francolin, and chicks...

A truly awful photograph of a Blue Waxbill above. If you can see something there that looks a bit like a smurf, that's the blue waxbill.

And an even worse photograph of a Long-Billed Crombec.

Above, European Bee-Eaters bathing...and flying

Below, a Black-Winged Stilt.

Some spoor, as Gavin calls it - signs of animals.

Elephant

Something wriggly

Hippo

We took a short bathroom break and stretched our legs near the shore of the river. I'm pretty sure everyone that had to make a trip into the bush was thinking about crocodiles. And for good reason.

Crocodile Zen: Think like Log, Act like Log, Be the Log

Those of us who didn't need to make a trip were waiting by the jeeps, on a pebbly sort of beach. Poking around in the dirt we discovered raw agates and picked up a few as souvenirs. I began to enthuse about purchasing a rock tumbler to polish them, and jokes were therefore made by the menfolk about rock polishing. Men. *disgust*

Gavin rallied us all back into the jeeps, saying, "Right! Everyone back in the cars. We've got a date with some long-nosed jobs."

We were running out of time before lunch, and still no sign of elephants. Gavin was thinking that they were still up in the higher ground, and hadn't come down yet to the river because it was a cool morning...but as we turned around and began to drive back toward camp, and lunch, we ran into a small family group.

There was the wee-est of wee baby elephants with them, his head all covered with downy red fluff. He was pretty much the cutest thing ever.

We watched him drinking out of that little sink hole, and Gavin told us that he was probably at least a year old, because he had pretty decent trunk control. He said young elephants are complete idiots with their trunks, and can often be observed smacking themselves in the eyes with them. It's possible he was exaggerating. *laughing*

So we returned to the river road and headed back to camp.

On our way, we passed a solitary gentleman having a snack...

And another further up having a drink. He wasn't so much a drinker as a quaffer, if you know what I mean. Took me right back to my college years and frat parties...

And we passed this Monitor Lizard.

Then we were back at camp, and it was time for lunch.

Really Quick...

Would you guys believe me if I told you I'd ex-laxed myself on purpose? Part science experiment, and part necessity.

Let's just say this morning has been...interesting.

Moment in Time...

At this very second, I'm planted in the kitchen at the breakfast table. I smell faintly of horse, since I rode both the palomino and the chestnut this morning. (Roy and Diablo, respectively). Still wearing my jods. I have just devoured some pizza with blue cheese dipping sauce, and I've got an entire pot of Darjeeling wrapped in a tea towel waiting on me. And I'm uploading the photographs from our 8th day in Africa!

I know at least Liisa is stoked about that. Happy First Birthday, Cooper.

Blog post comin' up once they've uploaded.

Doom! (I Return!)

Let us discuss for a second Halloween. Important things you need to know about it include:

1. It is my favorite holiday
2. I like to have costume parties
3. I REALLY like to throw costume parties
4. I really, REALLY love Halloween.

This brings us to a rather obvious conclusion. Halloween was upcoming, and thus, I planned a party. This time, however, I enlisted the aid of Ali Delaney, of Stella Byrd Events and Dorian Meyer, a local marathon runner who also happens to be a master florist. Carol Ann McLaughlin of Allenhurst, NJ catered, and the Groove Shop played the music. The results were pretty spectacular. There are over 200 photos on photobucket of the party, with no explanations so you'll just have to use your imagination. The theme was Mythology, and Sandy and I were Hades and Persephone.

I spray painted and carved an unhealthy number of pumpkins, by the way, as you will soon see.

Pictures

Sorry y'all

I suck! We're planning this massive halloween party and it's just been too overwhelming for me to handle anything but the party planning, eating, and sleeping.

I promise to return, and soon!

Out of the Frying Pan...

You know how that saying goes, of course. I went to see a doctor about the cruds that I was rocking last week, and discovered that, in fact, my personal puddle hygiene or lack thereof had not had the least influence on me. I had two middle ear infections, and a sinus infection. And evidently I'd left them alone long enough for them to firmly establish themselves, and give me a fever. The fever was why I was really feeling miserable. The ache in the ears and the running nose were just the icing on the cake.

Anyway, I'm now feeling much better, (although the ears are still bothering me a bit), and naturally as soon as I'm on the mend, one of the dogs comes down with a terrible case of Giant Unknown Swelling Lump On Ass. I won't recap that experience again, so please feel free to visit Nanook and Pooka's blog to read all about it.

But in other news, I've met Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor! More on all of this later.