Africa Video and Back to Real Life

Yea! I finally finished the video of our Africa trip and life can resume! To be honest, I wanted to stay home and do nothing until it was finished, but life intervened and I had to do other things. They were things I normally enjoy doing, but it takes a while to get Africa out of your system. Tippy and I still talk about/marvel at some of our experiences. So, I'm happy to share this with you and I apologize that it is so long. It's 48 minutes long, which is ONLY a little over 2 minutes per day of our trip! To be a little enticing, this video is narrated - by a voice that does not sound at all like me - but it's me!! Please tell me that my voice does not sound this way to you!! The good part about it being narrated is that I can tell you some of our stories, which I hope you will find amusing. Also, I have included a few photos and videos from others on our trip, and there is one (by Sandy Greenberg) that looks like it is out of National Geographics! Let me know if you can tell what I'm talking about. There is also a panoramic shot of Cape Town (also by Sandy)  that is stunning and really shows the dramatic scenery/weather/atmosphere of the town. Those are toward the end of the video so I hope it will encourage you to see it all. All I can say is that if you have any inclination to go to Africa, DO IT!  You will be amazed!

One of the revelations of our trip was how much we have altered the natural rhythm and timing of the world - to the detriment of the planet and ourselves. It was really wonderful to be cut off from all that burdens us and to plan each day based on the sun and the temperature. I didn't want to come back to life as we know it; although, I am appreciative of having a welcoming neighborhood and good friends within it. We have also had great weather since our return. Even this late into May, the mornings have been very comfortable and we are still in the 80s. We are supposed to have two days in the 90s this week, so the heat is coming, but it has been wonderful to put it off this long.

My little, baby girl had an accident. We were walking on Tuesday morning and she got two nails on her right, back foot caught in a crack and pulled them until they were bleeding. I thought she had gotten something stuck between her pads and it was only the second time I checked that I realized they were bleeding. I was afraid they would have to be removed but the vet didn't want to do that unless she absolutely had to, thus the bandage. Rosie put up with it for two days, then began to actively work at removing it. She got it off and I wrapped it again. That one she got off in record time, so I took her back to the vet the day before she was scheduled. She thought it looked well enough to leave the bandage off. Rosie's also on antibiotics for a few more days and we will both be happy with that is over.

She and I also had a close encounter with an alligator along one of our usual walking routes. We were along one of the golf holes (#7) and Rosie was sniffing up a hill near the cart path. I was daydreaming in la-la land and paying no attention. One of my neighbors was walking her dog toward us and yelled, "Donna, alligator!" It took me a minute to locate him and he was about 30 feet ahead of us, on the cart path, preparing to cross the road. I got a tight rein on Rosie and started backing up slowly - not wanting to make a sudden move and wanting to keep an eye on him. Thank goodness, he was intent of crossing the road! Also, thank goodness, my neighbor was there!! We could have stumbled right into him if she had not yelled. I am always alert and on the lookout for them near lagoons but this was a big wakeup call. It is the time of year they move around and you never know where they might be. No more daydreaming for me!!

Major announcement: I have dropped my cable service, finally! My bill for cable, phone, and internet had reached $250/month. To make matters even worse, we are held captive. Hargray, the local service, made early agreements with almost all communities when they put in cable that they would use only Hargray, so there is no competition. And, without our approval (or even discussion) the Crescent re-upped with them! I had been meaning to go to streaming for a while and that tipped me over the edge. Two of my TVs were "smart" but old enough to require a FireStick, but that was quick and easy to install. And what I really love is that all of those messy cords go away. If anything, the picture is sharper. I'm really pleased with it.....should have done it long ago!

I'm going to do you a BIG favor and not get into a political rant today! Most of you, if you've listened to our news lately, can probably guess my state of mind. Things just get stranger and stranger, worse and worse. Who has a spare room for let??

A Quick Update

Well, I had hoped to post my trip video but it is taking longer than usual......and I know you're waiting with bated breath!!  I have SO many photos, plus one of the guys set up a place online where we could all share photos, which means I have even more to consider! The actual process of putting them together in a slideshow is slow (for me) even though I love doing it. I now have other things kicking in so am going to have to take a break from it.

It's my fault. The first week and a half I was home I did nothing except the essentials - mail, bills, laundry, cooking, and just nesting with my sweet Rosie. I loved it! I think it was my resistance to returning to reality. It was when everything started to kink in - meetings, appointments, social activities - that I decided to also start my slideshow/video!! That was really what I wanted to do, but now things (Liberal Ladies newsletter, volunteer work, etc.) are happening that I have to do. My solution is to write a brief note today and then get busy on the newsletter, hoping that I can get back to my photos soon. 

While we were still on our trip, Tippy was contacted about teaching an OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) class about her Africa trips. She asked if I'd co-teach with her and, although I don't enjoy speaking to a group, I agreed, mostly because it will allow us to relive our trips! So, at some point, we will be working on another presentation.

For those of you who know Reyna, she is having her baby tomorrow (5/8). I'm taking her to lunch today before it all happens tomorrow. I'll also provide breakfast for Mr. Walzant and Nancy while she is in hospital, as well as visiting her when I can. She has been uncomfortable for weeks and will be happy to have it over. I hope all goes well.

Mini-owl

I haven't been a total hermit, I Thai-ed one on with Chris one evening at Thai Smile, which gave us a good chance to catch up. Tippy and Kieran got me out to an art show at Honey Horn, which was a great opportunity to enjoy nice weather. From there we went to Wild Birds for a  show-and-tell about owls, which was fascinating. The speaker was very good and even had three small, pygmy owls, which I didn't even know existed. The shop has two resident cats and one of the larger owls couldn't keep its eyes off the cat. It was fun to watch. 

Owl watching cat!

We have been having nice weather since our return but we aren't looking forward to the heat of summer. It's in the high 80s and pretty warm in the afternoons, but the mornings are very nice. That's when I try to give Rosie a longer walk.  Needless to say, I missed that girl. The house is also empty without Mama Mia. She always greeted me in the morning when I came into the kitchen for coffee. She was a head-butter so I would bend down and we would butt heads! It's only when someone, person or pet, is gone that you realize the many little things you miss about them. 

Unfortunately, our political situation did not improve in our absence. If anything, it is worse. I saw Tom Steyer when he was here and still was not convinced impeachment was the way to go, but now with Barr's behavior, I think it should be done. At least one party needs to stand up for law and order, checks and balances, moral integrity.....and for just doing the right thing. Even knowing that the Senate will not impeach trump, the case still needs to be made.  What a mess!

I know there was something else I wanted to tell you but, for the life of me, I can't think of it. A mind is a terrible thing to lose!! So, I guess I will leave you with an adorable photo of Rosie......or a photo of adorable Rosie!

She's on the verge of being naughty!