I didn’t become bird-obsessed until we moved to our house in a rural area of Pennsylvania. There I would take my writing outside and work on a project while surrounded by birds. On our few acres, we have a varied habitat: woods (deciduous and hardwood); meadow; wetland. Our feeders were always active with finches, Black-capped … More Grey Go-away Bird: You Won’t See This in Your American Backyard
This post is for a friend of mine who is having a frustrating day (you know who you are). I was saving it for a different week, but when you know someone needs a cheetah pick-me-up, you need to just share the cheetah already. These photos are from our experience taking a bush walk with … More Walking With a Cheetah
We have been to The Kruger twice now. Our first trip was in a rented a KEA bakkie (“truck” for my readers in the states) which had a camper/caravan. We stayed in campgrounds with it, and it was a nice experience. The bed was comfortable, it had its own refrigerator and freezer, and it gave … More Camping in Kruger National Park
We’re having quite a bit of heat here in Pretoria, at least from my perspective. It’s currently around 27ºC (around 80ºF) and this is supposedly still springtime. Days like this I could really go for a nice, icy Coca-Cola. And that makes me think about the funny things we occasionally debate in the states: the … More Coca-Cola in Glass Bottles
There were two spots I made on our first trip to The Kruger that made me really feel like I accomplished a lot: Verreaux’s eagle-owl; and a civet. The civet story and photos can wait for another day. Today is about that owl. We were on a dirt road in the southern part of the … More My Best Spot in Kruger: Verreaux’s (Giant) Eagle Owl
I was born in Autumn in North America, September 25, 1856. Oh, wait… no. That was my great-great-grandfather’s birthday, as witnessed by this baby announcement card to my mom from her Gram Shorts. Let’s just say I was born sometime in the 1970’s. 😉 Before I get on with today’s post, I would like to … More Today is My Birthday
Nothing. Or, at least…nothing you or I can usually hear. Ever get frustrated playing with a child because you don’t know what sound you should make for a giraffe? Yeah, me neither. But I know some really wonderful parents who do, and this post is for them. Unlike the quite vocal (yet elusive) fox, an … More What Does Giraffe Say?
For the second time, we did not see any cheetah in Kruger National Park, a.k.a. “The Kruger”. Or…is it “the Kruger”? I love the way South Africans refer to it, particularly when they use “the”. I was trying to think of an equivalent in the states. We also drop the words “….National Park” off the … More The Marla and The Kurt Went to The Kruger Again and Saw 0 Cheetahs
If you’ve followed my blog long enough, you know that my way of dealing with stress is often music, and dancing. Not in public, but alone, where I can fill my ears with noise and my feet with space (I am kinda’ clumsy after all.) I gave you my pick-me-up playlist a year or so … More What DOES the Fox Say?
“Kindly note females are at risk whilst menstruating…” I’ll be honest, I hadn’t even read the waiver I was signing before going on a walk with a cheetah at the Lion Park, until they pointed out where I needed to add my initials. Like most release from liability forms here in South Africa, it’s generally … More I Had to Sign a Menstruation Waiver
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