Saturday, 29 December 2012

Crochet'ing fool


Friday, November 30, the eve of World's AIDS Day,  I went down the street to Hillcrest AIDS Center to do my part to make aware of this dreadful disease.  





They were wrapping trees in the city I live in crocheted squares - called a Yarnbomb.


Of course I've never in my life crocheted.  


With crochet hook and yarn in hand down I went because I was told there would be a teacher available to teach those of us less fortunate folks.


Poor, dear Theresa was my mentor and she should win the patience of Job award.


With instructions like, relax your right hand and let's try again - we worked and worked to make a row of stitches.  
My favorite minute was when she stood behind me, placed her right hand on top of my right hand, her left hand on top of mine and together: black teaching white we worked together.  It was a beautiful moment in time.


This cold, wet, rainy day I participated in the World's AIDS day.  The jacaranda tree being covered.


Lord have mercy and end this awful disease.


Smaller neighboring trees

More than 30 years after the emergence of HIV/AIDS and almost 20 years after the end of apartheid, South Africa holds the dubious distinction of having the most people afflicted with the deadly virus





Bonamanzi Game Reserve Day Two 12.27.2012

Up and out at 5:30am for our 9 hour safari at Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserve.  We were picked up at our Bonamanzi accommodations in a safari vehicle.  So cool, just the three girls.



First sighting: Baboon's in a tree.



Next... the first of many zebra's.




Rich in history the area had been subject to severe hunting first by the Zulu’s during the early 1800s and then in the 1840s by the Great White Hunters, who arrived by Ox Wagon from the Cape of Good Hope ( Cape Town ) and Port Natal ( Durban )to plunder the area’s wildlife recources for skins, ivory and of course Rhino Horn. Hundreds of thousands of animals where shot and in a period less than 50 years the Elephant herds had been slaughtered. and numerous other species were destined for extinction.




South Africa is sooooooo very beautiful. Like none other!



Magnificent elephants roaming about







Road block... giraffe's.




Hello beautiful





Can't get enough of these awesome creatures.




By the late 1890 fewer than 100 White Rhino’s had survived in and around the Umfolozi area, the last remaining on Earth. By 1895 the area fortunately received formal protection as a game sanctuary from the Natal Colonial Government as the Imfolozi Junction Reserve, together with the Hluhluwe Valley Reserve.









Baby zebra and the mother is very pregnant with another





Stunningly breath-taking.  


Lone graffee on the hill and I think I heard her singing...
'the hills are alive ~ with the sound of music'



herd of water Buffalo's - one of the 'big 5'



closer shot of a water buffalo


baby water buffalo






From the early 60′s new species where reintroduced to the reserves by the Natal Parks Boardand and the KwaZulu Natal Conservation Services. The corridor area between the Umfolozi and the Hluhluwe was finally incorporated in 1989 and has contributed in recreating a fully functional ecosystem in allowing a natural movement of game between the two areas. The reserve hosts over 1200 plant species, 84 mammal and 350 bird species not to mention the reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects.










My ministry partner, Ginger - the nyala.



We ran into the same group of pregnant zebra with the baby and a few of their friends, many hours later.



Did you know that the stripes on a zebra are like human fingerprints?  Each is unique.




Zebra are one of my favorite animals.


White Rhino - another one of the big 5.



Lazily chillin in the water on this very hot day.




So big and powerful


Cute, little butts


Big, sharp horn.


Poaching is a HUGE problem here and poachers are shot and killed on site/sight.  Both!





Weaver birds build these nests, near water.  


Bye-bye rhino





Near the rhinos we found a lion under a bush.



Obviously a male.  Sad this was the only shot I could get of the guy.


Kristin enjoying her birthday safari.


More baboons.




The big 5 roam freely today as well as Cheetah and Wild Dogs to mention but just a few of the larger species found within the reserve.




We covered a lot of kilometers in 9 hours.


Crossing the Hluhluwe River.


Ginger enjoying the wonderful day.


I've never seen a giraffe sitting down.











Big Bird in a tree

















The basic bucks were around.





hello there friend


Another road block








Three happy missionaries: Ginger, me and the birthday girl, Kristin.