acacia blossoms

acacia blossoms

Thursday, October 9, 2008

living in a hide

Ok I wont make a habit of this but yesterday the game viewing from the house was truly amazing. Its all about the drought and the few waterholes we pump to nearby. Some of the other boreholes in the reserve are dry so we are bound to be popular, and it’s a sad thing really. We had an informal business meeting all morning and the pageant walking past was very distracting!

So I’ll begin with our normal friends..

1. Warthogs – about 30
2. Monkeys – whole troop – not sure how many – maybe 50?
3. Dassies – rock hyrax, live in the koppies at the back
4. Duiker – small grey antelope - one
5. Steenbok – small golden brown antelope - one
6. Bushbuck – normally shy and tucked away in thickets – one young male
7. Nyalla – the most decorative of antelopes in my opinion, mixed herd of ten?
8. Giraffe – a whole Journey of them with one youngster
9. Eland – massive Taurean antelope – I saw two
10. Kudu – so elegant – four
11. White rhino – two
12. Scrub hare
13. Impala – a big herd – 60+
14. Waterbuck – one male

I think that’s all……. Just had to share with you.

11 comments:

Angela said...

Oh Val, thank you! I see them all walking past. How BEAUTIFUL! Can`t they all come together and do a great rain dance? And you with the camera on your porch/stoep...
I tell you since I was in Africa I never wanted to go to a zoo anymore. There is NOTHING compared to casual encounters with FREE wild animals!

Dream Catcher said...

Val,

I love reading your blog. It is so atmospheric and brings back gloriously happy memories of times at the Ruins as I sit here in my mill [ruin] house in the Gers - la France Profonde.

Love - Chantal

A Mum said...

you are so lucky. i am green with envy. i live in the middle of nowhere and all i've seen is three crows. though I have heard the toads and next door chickens which sound permanently as if they are being torched. enjoy the wildlife for me.

Val said...

Geli - thanks for always encouraging me! Yesterday was so amazing that i couldnt resist sharing my list withmy blogosphere pals :-) I know i am supposed to be practising the written word - jogging that lonely brain cell - but i will next.....

Chantal - how very lovely to hear from you!I had no idea you were reading mine. Am going over to check yours now!

Reluctant Memsahib - where in the world are you? toads chickens crows... Yup I do feel lucky to be in this amazing place and to live with natural metaphors to learn from. I will send them all your greetings . thanks for visiting.

xxx

Reya Mellicker said...

I love the parade of animals! Thank you.

And as for your massage, what a shame! I wish I could work on you. I wouldn't hurt you, I wouldn't! Lots of sensation and release is the best way to receive massage, but pain? I don't think it has any place in therapeutic massage.

Your post was really funny, though.

Adrianne and I have both been dreaming about monkeys - pet monkeys and other monkeys that get into our houses and leave monkey poo everywhere.

Clearly we love your blog!

A Concerned Citizen said...

So, just to give credit where credit is due, Miss Reya is the wonderful "massage therapist" to whom I referred when commenting on yesterday's post. She speaks truly when she says that she would never hurt you - in fact she would make you feel like a million bucks. Maybe you should visit DC to find out first-hand?

If you did that, the things parading outside the front door of your temporary quarters would include buses, cabs, emergency vehicles, and stressed-out people. You have by far the better deal where that is concerned. I can barely imagine living in a place with so much wild life just outside the front door, but I have a fun time trying!

Val said...

ooh Reya i would LOVE to come to you for some massage therapy - am a bit chary of returning to the torture chamber of the last one.
How funny that you and Adrianne have been dreaming of monkeys- thats so great (I hope?) haha the monkey poo - its a real issue i tell you!
thank you both for reading and for your lovely blogs that surely stimulate the lonely brain cell!
xxx

Lori ann said...

that is so amazing. your words really take me there. i think that sometimes it must be hard to get any work done at all! witnessing all those lovely animals right outside your door! i know i don't get anywork done because i'd rather be reading your wonderful blog and dreaming about africa...sending thoughts of bigfatraindrops your way.
thanks val,
xx lori

Val said...

Thanks Lori - as i write this evening there are clouds building all around! maybe tonights the night???!!

loavesandfishes said...

That's it! Now I want to come visit! LOL Too bad I live in Nebraska which is so far away.

spacedlaw said...

I am SO jealous.
(via Miranda)