acacia blossoms

acacia blossoms

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

just chatting

Today is a beautiful peaceful sunny cool day. The mountains are shrouded in a white veil of dust haze. The warthogs stroll past stiff legged, tails swinging, off to the dam for some mud treatment.  There are two male lions sleeping out there somewhere in the green mopane trees.  They have had a couple of busy nights calling loudly to distant prides. It is the most awesome sound on a dark moonless night – to be enjoyed when in a safe vantage place i.e. bricks and mortar as opposed to grass, or reed huts with cattle shuffling restlessly outside your door.

I am home alone. It's very quiet. Rayson is outside sweeping leaves. The rhythmic swish of the rake is, I am sure, a meditative process, and sounds like gentle waves on a sandy shore.

Oh the monkeys have just arrived so now it's not so quiet any more. They are so funny.
We took a painting of a leopard out into the sun the other day to photograph in natural light and the troop of monkeys went berserk – hanging in the branches of the ebony tree, making alarm calls and showing off their impressive upper teeth.  "Hey you guys, it's just a painting ok?" but they weren't to be reasoned with and when we went back inside they hung around the windows looking in. Amazed that there was a leopard INSIDE THE HOUSE.  The troop is dramatically reduced in numbers at the moment. They were absent for quite a while.  Possibly a leopard has been preying on them recently so the fear is very current.

There have been some wonderful blog posts lately. Have you been to Spiny Marshmallow yet?  Read her latest take on a recent safari guide experience in Livingstone Zambia. And Lori Times Five's heart wrenching tale that belies her wonderful sun filled Californian tales of family and travels.  And Letters from Usedom where Geli wrote of her childhood experience in post war Germany.  And and and…. So many actual and thought provoking facets of life on this crazy beautiful planet. How amazingly different can each one be!

From very far away I have been fascinated by the recent volcanic activity in the north. What a show of power.  I suppose it could be irritating to have ones travel plans upset, and have to extend the budget – but for once let's let nature remind us who is boss.
I still haven't learnt to pronounce the name of the volcano in Icelandic.  Are the wee folk safe there?

I am also fascinated by the upcoming Cosmic Cross event, which apparently astrologers have been anticipating eagerly for years.  Whether we read our daily horoscopes or not, it's hard to ignore the fact that we are affected in strange and magical ways by the great wheel of heavenly bodies that shift and travel magnificently beyond the perfect blue of our earthly dome.  We love our sun and moon, but rarely give the others a thought except sometimes at night when the skies are clear and bright.

This forthcoming event promises an intense time with themes of truth telling, accountability, challenging long held beliefs and self examination. Whoa!  'Running through mud' versus 'go for it initiating' and 'who I am in the world'  Reya from The Gold Puppy will be able to explain this so much more fully, but a print out I received from a friend in SA gives me so much food for thought. Its about aligning with the energies in order to release the past, support new beginnings and propelling ourselves forward; opportunities to change and grow; unleashing our potential and creativity; and profound shifts in consciousness.  Sounds like the ride of our lives so far. Let's buckle up and see where it all goes.

As luck would have it we have the football world cup occurring in South Africa at THE VERY SAME TIME.   Already the promises of chaos and over exuberance are very evident.  What a time to be here – in a good way I hope!

So much more to chat about – crazy stuff going on in wild places here, but you have probably all wandered off to stretch and get a cup of tea so I'll let you go – reluctantly – till next time ok?



21 comments:

pink dogwood said...

First - about your last post - I cannot get over the fact that they are so close to you - wow!!! I think I would be so scared.

Now this post - the monkeys baring there teeth at the painting is hilarious. I love the way you write :)

Kerry said...

I can't get over the monkeys' reaction to the art; I guess they don't have any problem recognizing 2-D shapes!

I look forward to more about the Cosmic Cross.

Anonymous said...

So do the Monkeys have a good eye, or is the painting that good? Just teasing! You are probably right about them being in a heightened state of awareness.

A nice post Val, thought provoking.

Lori ann said...

dearest val,
if you had decided to turn this into a book i would have to miss work, owen would have to take himself to the beach, my family would have to fend for themselves for dinner...until i was through.

when i read your words, everything stands still for me. it is that mesmerizing. so many exciting things to comment on here, lions calling in the night, rayson and the comforting sounds, funny monkeys, leopards (LOVE) if i would only do as Janet says and buy a lottery ticket i could own one of keiths paintings (and go on her big adventure, she needs a cook!)
and yes! pam and geli, fantastic. icelands volcano pronunciation can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_eruptions_of_Eyjafjallaj%C3%B6kull

the cosmic cross happening at the southern cross, with the world cup too, i'm hoping for all good for this major event coming soon. boy am i talkative this morning. heehee.

enjoy your evening you two.
♥ lori

Val said...

Pink Dogwood - possibly more scary if we were on foot! and the monkeys - yes - so funny

Kerry - yes thats true - 2D - interesting; and the cosmic Cross - I need to know more...

Rob - this painting particularly shows the whole shape where normally they probably only show abstract shapes :-)

Lori - thats so funny and thanks x would love to chat more! felt like carrying on - seems a lot to say today :-)

xxxV take good care everyone

Angela said...

Yes, carry on, carry on! Like Lori, I would have listened for hours and hours! Make a book out of your posts, you need not add any word - only perhaps that old story about the monkeys who detected Keith`s newly painted picture out in the sun - and who licked off all the linseed hahaha, not much of the painting left! You really experience the most incredible stories, Val, and then add your thoughts...and your phantasy, and the sounds you make us hear, and we are all wrapped up in awe! I like it how you bring us all together! And next time please share that letter from Lucas!!

Anonymous said...

Chuckle, chortle, giggle - I can see and hear those monkeys going beserk at the pic

I love the Paul Hawken quote in your sidebar. I read a lot of his work in my dissertation research. Will email you more.

Soccer pressure has just upped for me and the realisation of 5,500 guests in 32 days in 9 cities (panic panic panic!!!)

Thanks for the chat though
xxx

Val said...

Geli - hehe thanks xx i will do a post on the school update as soon as i speak to lucas and have moreinfo

Janet - that would be great - i enjoyed that article you sent; thanks for that!
omg yes - its around the corner now - gulp!! but then so is your Big Adventure :-) please tell me you dont own a vuvuzela??

Angela said...

I heard the vuvuzelas are as loud as a jet plane? I don`t care much about football really, but this World Cup under Janet`s regime is something I look forward to!!

Correcting myself, those licking monsters had been squirrels, right?
But it was an ostrich who chased poor Rosina? Your life is such a dream to me! Sigh!
Yes please, write about Lucas!

Miss Footloose said...

The animal world certainly offers up much entertainment (other stuff too) and your The Monkeys and the Leopard tale is riveting.

Wish I had a picture of your monkey view for my latest post on the various views out of my windows around the world. I do have a dramatic one up of an enormous pileated woodpecker banging away at his reflection in our bedroom window.

Obviously, your monkeys win!

Now I'll go check up on that cosmic cross business.

What a wonderful world we live in!

Vagabonde said...

I have been so busy traveling and reading that I have not heard about the Cosmic Cross event – need to read up on it on the Net. Apart from Angela’s blog I don’t know the others you mention – I’ll check on them. I have been reading a blog about a pride of white lions and the photos are beautiful, their eyes are so light. I have read so much on it that I have been talking to my husband about going to South Africa or your part of the world, maybe next year. When is the best time to come, weather wise?

Val said...

Geli - those Vuvuzela's are AWFUL - jsut really really noisy - they could definitely chase me away from any gathering - but then again perhaps if i had my own???
:-)
yes it was the squirrels, and the ostrich that chased Rosina up a tree;

Miss Footloose - i will scratch out some window pictures for you - really enjoyed your blog post on all the places you have lived! that woodpecker - haha

Vagabonde - if you are coming to see white lions, you will be nearby. My favourite time of year is right now - April/May - still warm days and cool nights; Summer is very hot and can be raining; winter is short - June-Aug; Sept and Oct ususally the best for game viewing as the bush is thinner and animals are more dependent on waterholes.
let me know how your planning goes

xxx have a fantastic day xxxV

Anonymous said...

Hey Val - NO WAYS I own a vuvuzela and I can imagine where I'm going to be wanting to ram every single one of them by the time soccer ends on 11 July. I think the first time I'll be able to hear again will be sometime in 2011. Words cannot describe how I detest those things. The peace and quiet of the bush on my big adventure won't come fast enough.

Thanks for the compliment Angela xx

I truly do hope the whole event goes off well from my own point of view through to the country's so someone like Vagabonde will look forward to a visit here soon.

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

Enjoyed 'chatting' with you Val. You always have so much of interest to share. Did you get a cup of tea too?

Thank you for the blog recommendations. Will certainly check them out.

Take care.

Unknown said...

Hmm, about this Cosmic Cross event, I've had enough running through mud and releasing the past in the last seven years. I wonder if I can hide under the bed and give this one a miss!

The monkeys' response to the leopard painting is amazing. I read somewhere about a young boy who designed a eagle decal thing to go on windows - so as to stop pigeons and doves from hitting the glass. Fascinating how animals will recognise the shape, patterns, colours of something "dangerous" irrespective of whether it is real or not. Wired into the consciousness, I guess.
xxx

Reya Mellicker said...

Yes, yes and yes. How nice to sit with you and chat while listening to the gentle sounds of sweeping outside.

When you find a leopard IN your house ... what do you do? Whoa.

Must catch up with Angela's blog - I think I'm current with the others you mentioned.

I used to hate "the news." Now? I love it, because I focus here on blog news. Oh yeah!

Pooch Purple Reign said...

awesome post!
~laura

Kristin said...

Gosh, I love reading your words. It feels like something between a conversation and eavesdropping on your thoughts. Thanks for sharing them!

Marilynne said...

How interesting that the monkeys thought the photo was real. Maybe your power over them has increased - if you had any power over them before, that is.

Spiny Marshmallow said...

So nice Val. Loved reading it. I also had that once with a TINY pic of a leopard I painted. This time it was the baboons who freaked. Long ago - they havent been fooled one more time since.

Cheryl Cato said...

Wonderful listening to you chat. What a broad spectrum of events, I love it. Interesting that the monkeys could identify the painting as a threat. My dog would not even be phased, but then she has not had to deal with attacks from lions. :-)