All Things EARTH... part 2

[MJC]

LOL Melody, I can't tell a moose from an elk! 

 

Sorry about all your spots. ::sigh:: Paying now for prior fun is no fun!

[Sailor_Sally]

1 hour ago, MJC said:

P.S. to Sally and anyone else learning the new CC.

 

If you want to post a link that is click-able (a hotlink), click on the thing to the left of the smiley face (to me it looks a bit like a paperclip), copy the link in the space for "URL", and then click on "Insert into Post". Then when you save your post the link will be blue and others can just click on it to go right to the photo.

 

I can't tell you how long it took me to figure that out with the new format.  🤔

Thanks ,I was wondering why my link got messed up .

[Sailor_Sally]

2 hours ago, MJC said:

 

 

Sally, that dress was really cute, so disappointing to hear about the fabric.

When I opened the box I was disappointed .It was much cuter in the add .

Melody,Sorry about all our spots .

[awhfy]

DSW has the Mirabelle Sofft Sandals in Black & pewter. They’re $89, but the POPFIZZ coupon takes $10 off (with free shipping). You can also use DSW rewards. The link wouldn’t populate. Melody

[MJC]

I have to take back what I said about my face. Had one small pre-cancerous lesion near my eyebrow burned off. Nothing else to worry about, thankfully.  😅

[awhfy]

18 hours ago, MJC said:

I have to take back what I said about my face. Had one small pre-cancerous lesion near my eyebrow burned off. Nothing else to worry about, thankfully.  😅

Good news Margaret!

[MJC]

Day 13 – Seronera, final game drive

 

It’s taken me some time to figure out how to write about this day. I’ve decided that I must talk a bit about our morning or risk seeming heartless. However, to keep within the essence of a travelogue, and because it is sad, I will try to be brief. The details aren’t of much importance in hindsight. We woke and had breakfast as usual, and returned to our tent and got ready for the day. Because the lodge had wifi, we both checked our email to make sure there hadn’t been any changes to the next day’s travel plans. I had a blunt email from my sister to please call home. My heart sunk and I just knew it in my bones that my dad was gone. Mark has international calling on his phone for work. We went back to the lodge for a signal and tried and tried to call my sister, her husband, and their land line. I was able to leave her message to email me, but I couldn’t connect for a call. Email worked fine and we eventually had a stilted “conversation” that way so I could at least get the basics. My dad had died of a heart attack in Michigan Sunday afternoon, yesterday for us, and because of the time change, when she tried to reach me we were sleeping, and of course all our in-country contacts were closed for the night so she couldn’t reach them either. It was after midnight for her when I was finally able to get in touch. Mark found our driver and told him our sad news and that I needed some time.

 

We very quickly realized there was little we could do to change our travel plans in order to leave right away. It wasn't really necessary as we wouldn’t have any more information until late in the day for us, after my siblings were awake back home and had time to make some plans. After being the one “in charge” of my parents for so many years, it was weird to be waiting, doing nothing. So, to fill the time and distract ourselves, we went for a drive. Just a meandering, peaceful, beautiful drive. A soul-soothing, wind in the hair, calming couple of hours in the heartland of human creation with God’s beautiful creatures. It is a balm I highly recommend.

 

Dark Chanting Goshawk:

 

Weaver's nests:

 

For Laurie, a baby hippo :)

 

More topi, including a calf:

 

Harrier Hawk:

 

 

[MJC]

Day 13, continued -

 

One of several impala harems we saw. In Tarangire, most of the impala we saw were bachelor groups, but here we saw mostly a single breeding male with a harem and lots of babies.

 

 

 

 

Tawny eagles enjoying a hare in the road:

 

 

 

The tree line in the distance is where the river is:

 

 

 

We ended our drive in the company of this huge male leopard. He had his kill up in the tree, which we just had a glimpse of through the leaves. He was sleeping when we arrived, and we watched for quite a while until eventually he woke and stretched, then worked his way down the tree. He came up close to the stream along the side of the road right near us, and we were hoping he would drink!  But he curled up in his nest of grass near the water and went back to sleep. He was amazingly well hidden.

 

 

 

 

 

I am not a very mystical person, and I won't say it was the spirit of my dad visiting me through a leopard. But, there was something so magical and poignant about spending time with this incredible beast, alone in such an isolated place, clearly his home. It felt like a gift just for me. What a beautiful memory to treasure on such a difficult day.

 

Afterwards we drove back to the lodge in time for a late lunch. Amos had been so kind all day, giving me a hug and providing a such a peaceful, quiet atmosphere, and Mark was very sweet all day. We had another flurry of emails with family and made our plans to go to Michigan. I decided to wait until tomorrow when were in the airport in Nairobi with some decent wifi to book our flights to Detroit and contact work and friends. Here is what I wrote in my journal that afternoon:

 

"What followed lunch was a flurry of emails and what ifs, though there is nothing to do at the moment, really. So, I sit here on the balcony and write... watch the clouds in yet another gorgeous sky... listen to the yellow weavers chatter in the trees. Watch the herd of buffalo in the distance. Admire the hills and plains. I'm crying, but it's ok. If anyone can understand, it's the Serengeti."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MJC]

Day 14 - Departure and final thoughts

 

The lions and hyenas were very loud during the night, and we were awakened by a water buffalo bleating right outside our tent. As we left the lodge we passed a large elephant family, and on the way to Seronera Airport we were delayed by a traffic jam because a huge giraffe was taking up one side of the road, eating from a tree, and there were about 20 vehicles stopped to take pictures of it.

 

The airport was very small, and there were no scanners. All the luggage was hand-searched. The woman in front of me had a huuuge suitcase, and when she opened it the clothes were all willy nilly like she had just thrown everything in. The agent had to paw through all of it. I couldn't believe the amount of luggage some people had! When he opened my duffel with the packing cubes arranged just so, he just looked at it and smiled, zipped it, and sent me on my way.

 

Here is our plane. That's our pilot in the white shirt behind Mark. We kept our backpacks but they stowed our duffels:

 

 

It was very tight quarters but the flight was only an hour:

 

 

Here are some things I found really helpful to have:

 

pashmina - many times a fleece was just too warm, and a shawl was just right

wet wipes

bug wipes (instead of spray)

pepto bismol

Advil

hat with a brim and strap

hand/body lotion (I thought the lodges would have it, but most didn't)

sunscreen (didn't need as much as we brought)

a backpack that is designed well for organization

microfiber cloths (for cleaning glasses and binocs)

packing cubes!

small carabiners (for hanging things on the backpack like hats)

smartwool socks (excellent recommendation from Anita, and not just for safari)

a pair of shorts

small pad and pen for jotting notes on the fly

ElectroMix (add to water for electrolytes without the sugar of Gatorade)

convertible sleeve spf 50 shirts

a good lip balm and a good face moisturizer - the dust and wind are very drying

a very edited list of cosmetics - my eye makeup was worn off by lunch on the first day and I never wore it again, and at night everything is lit very low, like candlelight, so nobody sees whether you have it on or not

a no-fuss hair regimen - I took one hair clip and one ponytail holder

two good sports bras

 

We were provided with really nice keepsake water bottles to use for the whole trip, and it was easy to fill them at the lodges and camps.

 

Things I wish I had brought:

 

a cheap pair of ballet flats to wear in the evenings - flip flops were ok, but my feet got dirty walking to and from dinner

a regular bra - would have been nice in the evening to have a more comfy option

a decent swimsuit - I brought an old one so I could leave it behind, but I would like to have looked nicer at the pool among the other guests

 

Things that surprised me:

 

We were mostly at elevations from 3500-7500 feet, so we found it tiring to walk at our usual sea-level pace, especially in Tarangire with all the hills and the stairs to our treehouse. We couldn't figure out the first few days why we were so exhausted just walking to the lodge for breakfast. :)

 

Our vehicle had plenty of places to plug in USB cords for charging cameras etc.

 

Really thankful for:

 

Airport lounges. Here I am at the Virgin lounge at Heathrow, book in one hand and a scotch in the other:

 

 

 

 

Mark made this map of our route, which went from right to left. I imagined it was northbound, but really we went northwest:

 

[awhfy]

Margaret ❤️

[Sailor_Sally]

What a fabulous trip !

[laurspag]

Margaret, I got pretty misty eyed reading through this today.  When we lose someone we love, they have ways of letting us know that everything will be alright.  

 

I have a lot to catch up on here!

 

Melody, I hope all is going well with you.  I know I have said it before, but I get very nervous that I would not be able t spot skin cancer and the like.  I'm just ver pale with some freckles here and there.  I do my best to protect my skin, but I've had some sunburns over the years.  Only once or twice did I make an effort to build up a tan.  Not only is it difficult to do without burning when you are pale, but my skin gets insanely itchy and dry for some reason so I have no desire to try to get a tan.  It is not worth it at all.

 

my biggest thing is that sunscreen can be so greasy and it stains your clothes.  There is one made by Neutrogena that is a spray that dries up nicely, but that can get tricky to apply when it is breezy out.  And as I already mentioned, sunscreen tends to stain clothing it comes in contact with.

 

Anita, my younger daughter carried mace on her keychain when she went to college.  She later gave it to her older sister, who worked at the mall because it was a very unsafe place to be at night, after closing up the store.  I admit that living in the suburbs, I'm not outside very often alone or at night.  In reality, anything can happen anywhere.  I have been thinking that with one daughter having moved out and the other not being home much, there is much more of a chance that I may be alone going places, so I do need to have a plan.  My daughter showed me an SOS type thing on my cell phone, and I would readily use it.  As a matter of fact, my older daughter activated hers once by mistake, and I can say that it is very, very successful.  We even knew exactly what her location was.

 

 I can be as alert as I want to be, but if it is dark, with my hearing loss I am at a disadvantage. 

 

Well, the wedding shower was a big success!  The place was really beautiful, and just seemed to suit us really well.  Here is a picture of my daughters together, and then me with the bride-to-be.  Not a great picture of me, and I really, really, REALLY hate my glasses.  Lol!

 

 

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[Sailor_Sally]

Laurie ! Great pictures and You look great in the yellow dress .  The wedding must be soon.

[MJC]

[laurspag]

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms, grandmothers, people who are like a mom to others, and fur-moms!  

[Joby]

Margaret, I enjoyed your Africa journal. Africa is  such a special place!

 

Nice photos, Laurie :)

 

Melody, having fair skin is such a curse, isn't it? I haven't had near the problems you have had but, I've had my share of simple basal cell cancers and pre-cancerous spots. If we only knew now what we didn't know then 🌞

 

Anita,  great info on the self protection. Our London trip is a GO!!!

 

Debbie and I had a great time on our mid-week meet up, always talking, laughing and having a few vodka collins🍸

 

[awhfy]

Laurie, you & your girls look lovely, glad the shower was a success. 

 

I agree ladies, sunscreen is your friend. Laurie, the mineral sunscreens are best & they don’t seem to stain clothes, but then I never noticed any sunscreen staining my clothes. I do put it on every morning before I get dressed (never use the spray stuff) & reapply as needed. I’m really paying her being a beach lifeguard in my teens (chestnut red hair, green eyes, Irish complexion, I was doomed). 

 

Happy Mothers Day to all. Melody

[MJC]

Laurie, I'm so happy for you that the shower went well. You all look so lovely and spring-like in your dresses. We're only two weeks away from June! You must be so excited for the wedding.

 

The ingredient in sunscreens that causes staining is avobenzone. It binds with iron in your wash water to create those orange stains. It is used in conjunction with other chemicals to make it effective longer that are known hormone disruptors, so if that is an issue for you, it is better to avoid it (among other reasons). DH insists on using NoAd which makes a mess of his tshirts, so we designate a few of them for boat time that all get thrown out at the end of the season.

 

I was exchanging a birthday gift in Macys yesterday and saw the most stunning dress. I wish I had taken a pic because it's not available online yet.

 

 

 

 

[Anita Latte]

I don't understand why my activity stream thinks I have never posted on this thread!! I haven't been getting updates...so frustrating.

 

Margaret...your last touring day in Africa, while carrying sorrow with it, feels like it was peaceful and relaxing and in the moment. A wonderful day for reflection and healing thoughts in the midst of life going on, I guess...and the beauty of the world we live in. Being in a place where circumstances dictated that you do nothing about those circumstances...kwim...you could really just deal with yourself for a while. Again...wonderful pictures.

 

Is that your pashmina acting like a blanket on that couch? It so pretty.

 

Laurie...also lovely pictures. I agree...very spring-like with the dresses and the background for the photo. It's so satisfying when plans work out! I'm very glad to hear that the shower was a success. 

 

I can hardly think straight over here. DH is home this week because of the concert last weekend and DS's graduation this coming weekend. DS is taking finals and I'm trying to continue to prepare for the move. Graduation is Saturday but we have no specific plans around that. DS has been very low key...I had asked him about various plans and he was just not interested. So...feeling a bit off because I'm not exactly sure how the weekend is going to go. DH leaves Sunday for his last travel work trip to Orlando...he'll pick up the keys to our new place on Wednesday. Then right after Memorial Day weekend, two weeks away!, the packers come and the truck comes and then we move to Orlando.

 

We have the choice to stay in a hotel (would be reimbursed with the relo package) for the days before the truck arrives...but we've opted to just stay in our empty apt with our kitty after we get to Orlando. We'll have to do 2-3 nights in a hotel already and DH and I agree that we'll just want to be in our own place. So I'm going to set aside some things we normally use for camping to make do until the truck comes. Hopefully, the sleeping won't be too uncomfortable...

[Sailor_Sally]

Anita , Good Luck with the move and Congratulations to your son.

Yesterday we got new passport photos since we need to renew our passports . . It is my forth passport and it is interesting to think of all places they represent .

[awhfy]

Anita, I’d think it’s a pretty normal reaction for your son. He’s likely just come to the realization that he’s not only going to college, but going to be living in another country. That could be rather overwhelming, just try to go with the flow. Favorite desserts help. Congratulations on his graduation. Good luck with the packing & the move. 

 

Sally, we just got our fourth passports, know exactly what you mean!  Melody

[laurspag]

Congratulations to your son, Anita...and to you and your husband.  Raising kids is not necessarily an easy task!  

Your son's disinterest in celebrating this milestone is likely just a normal response.  For me, I have an extensive family, as does my husband and the girl's father's family.  So that means milestone events have a party attached and lots of people to invite.  For you, you have moved around a bit, so his perspective might not be the same.

 

And he's probably thinking about all the changes going on in his life.  It's an indication of the start of adulthood, and the distance he will have between himself and you and your husband.

 

No two kids are alike.  My oldest daughter still texts me all the time and says she misses me or just wants to chat.  My younger daughter is similar now that she is getting older, but when she first went to college I felt deserted...she was so happy and excited to be able to make her own decisions!  Friends!  Dorm!  Parties!  Then she settled down.  

 

This is very good info on sunscreen.  As it turns out, my subscription to Consumer Reports means they send me emails on exclusive info only available to subscribers.  I sound like an infomercial or something, lol.  Anyway, they have listed their latest results on sunscreen, so I'm going to check it out.  We will be in the sun a lot on our cruise and I don't mind spending a little more on sunscreen if it is better for me than the usual brands in the store.  I'll check it out, and share some of the info!

 

Speaking of my cruise, I have not done the usual planning because I've been tied up with wedding and shower plans.  Do any of you have suggestions for my ports of call?  Most of the excursions are different tours, but the options are overwhelming, and I think some of these areas might be fun to view on our own, if possible.  We try to either walk or use public transportation such as a hop on, hop off bus.   We will be in Bar Harbor, Maine, St. John, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Hopefully, there are plenty of options near the port!  The all look so rich in history, scenery, and good food places.

 

This may sound silly, but I plan to research a bit and see if there are any local microbreweries or wineries right there.  We found a great microbrewery for lunch in Bonaire, and we just loved our time there.  We really like just following a map or seeing where the sidewalk takes us, so to speak.  Depending on where we are though, we won't always do that.  These ports seem like the kind of places we can do that.

 

My husband is a big history buff as well.  The day in St. John is a little short - 7 to 3.  I believe the other two we arrive fairly early in the morning, and they leave at 6.

 

I am thinking a 6 night cruise, and the type of places we are visiting may make wearing a long gown seem out of place.  I always feel I will do what suits us, but it is a bit awkward if no one else is dressed up.  Maybe I will wear a more subdued long dress the first night, such as one of the newer jersey dresses I have.  Then the second night, I can go with a formal short dress.

 

I think my dress from the wedding would work for either night as well.  I just really want to wear a long dress both nights, and I'll probably be pushing it for one.  I just get the feeling this is going to be really, really casual. 

[awhfy]

Laurie. Look into Ollie’s Trolley into Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor (one of our favorite places in the world), then hit Stewmans Lobster Pound on West St for lunch then across the street to the West Cafe for a piece of amazing blueberry pie. Leave West Cafe & head up the hill for souvenirs (the store at the top of the street on the West corner has the best prices (I got a sweatshirt for $10 that I love) There’s also a couple of breweries, but we haven’t been to them. Melody

[Sailor_Sally]

Laurie , In Halifax there is a boardwalk that is very close to where the ship docks that is an interesting walk . We took a tour in Halifax .In St. John's which is very small we just walked around . It is a cute town with a very pretty waterfront area . Great seafood in both places . The New England cruise was one of my favorite cruises . It was casual but then most cruises are pretty casual anymore .

[MJC]

Laurie, I forget when your cruise is and what port you are leaving from. All these suggestions sound like so much fun. I have traveled very little in New England so far.

 

My big news is that it's official... on Thursday I told my colleagues that I'm leaving the college at the end of the semester. I am taking six months off just for myself, to get healthy and generally do all the deferred maintenance and projects I've had to put off for the last few years. I've been at the college for 11 years now, and I'm very ready for a change. I'm excited to enter a new phase, which will probably be a collection of activities rather than one thing, but I know I'd like to do some private tutoring. I love teaching.

 

I've been telling friends and acquaintances for a while now and I've already had two job offers. :) It is very nice to be wanted, but what I'm looking for is to work LESS not more! And no sitting at a computer for hours.

 

Now that the weather is is warming up, I have been sorting work clothes as I wear them. If I can't imagine an activity or opportunity for an item, it gets washed and goes in the donate bag. All winter I have been analyzing what I actually wear as casual wear, and what I like for going out in Manhattan (both day and night). Some of the things that I wear to work, I also wear for those, but there will be quite a few things that don't make the cut. I really want to edit. I really want to lose weight. I have lots of pretty clothes waiting for me in smaller sizes!