Hippos

Hiippo Mama with Baby

The second camp was at Pretoriuskop and in that area we saw hippos for the first time.  We were at Mestel Lake and the early morning sun was beautiful on the rocks.  We stayed there quite a while watching the different animals come and go and finally those “weird-looking” rocks rose up and walked out onto dry land!  Watching hippos is like watching paint dry.  They move very ponderously, tire quickly and soon lay down or head back to the water to get the weight off their feet.  It’s hard to believe that they can move fast enough to be one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.

The only “car incident” we had on the whole trip (not counting the initial entry into traffic back in Johannesburg), was at Mestel Lake.   We had the inverter on for awhile to charge the camera batteries, but the biggest culprit was the headlights that got left on.  So when we got ready to move – dead battery.   With help we pushed the car up the incline towards the road and when we could push no further, put it in gear and coasted back down.  A time to be glad that it was stick shift – it started right up and we went merrily on our way.

When we left Pretoriuskop and headed towards the next camp we had an interesting stop at Albasini ruins (where you could get out of the car), saw more hippos at the Nyamundwa watering hole, drove through Skukuza where there was a picnic area and on to a very special place which isn’t even noted in the guide, the Lake Panic Hide.

Grey Heron on nest with chicks

Goliath Heron

In several locations, usually along rivers, a blind was erected and after reading all the usual warning signs “you may alight from your vehicle at your own risk,” “no alcohol on these premises,” “do not leave the designated area,” and “do not talk!” we made our way into the little shelter, called a “hide.”  What a pleasant surprise that was!  A long bench was across one side and one end where a people could sit and prop a camera or binoculars on a ledge and watch the activity.  In this case, the structure was actually built out over the waters of Lake Panic (have no idea how it got that name), which was lush and host to many birds, crocodiles, antelopes and whoever else might come to enjoy the water.  Only 20 feet away we watched a Grey Heron in her nest with chicks, while her mate was fishing nearby.  A crocodile swam by below us, just 3’ from the hide.  Antelope came in on the shores to drink and eat the abundant green grass and a Goliath Heron fished at the far end of the lake.  In addition, a flock of white-faced ducks
shared the shore with a dozing crocodile and numerous, beautifully-colored little song birds flitted in and out of the grasses.

African Darter

High Marks for Lake Panic!

The biggest treat of all, however, was the African Darter.  This is a large bird with a long beak, who dives for fish, but he doesn’t “catch” a fish in his beak like others do.  Instead, he spears them.  So he comes out of the water with a 6-8” fish stuck on his beak and then must spend several minutes flipping his head this way and that trying to dislodge it.  On the final and successful toss, he deftly catches the fish and immediately starts swallowing it, head-first and whole.  This process also takes a minute or so and it is easy to see the bulging in the long, narrow neck as the fish makes its way to the stomach.   But wait – there’s more!  The final step in the dinner process is drying the wings.  This bird is not equipped for diving – that is, it doesn’t have the proper oils, etc. on the feathers to keep it from getting water-logged.  So the next half hour or more is spent sitting on a log or branch that is in the water with the wings held straight out to dry.   Reminds me of those old commercials where women did crazy things to make their deodorant dry faster.  Because of this delightful experience we stopped at every hide we came across and all were a disappointment after Lake Panic.

Little Bee Eater

Cape Glossy Starling

We hated to leave the lake, but time was flying and we had a ways to go yet to Satara.  I was particularly excited to get there because it was known as the “Cat Camp” – referring to lions and other big cats.  Lions were #1 on my wish list and I was salivating at the prospect of seeing whole prides with playful cubs, patient mothers and kingly fathers.  So far we hadn’t seen cats of any kind, but we were racking up an impressive number of other animals including giraffes, elephants, zebras, wildebeests, wild dogs, hyenas, baboons, monkeys, mongoose, turtles, crocodiles, hippos, wart hogs, buffalo and several different kinds of antelope, of which the little impala is the most common; and too many birds to mention, including big birds such as the ostrich, hornbills, storks and herons.

Stemming from the great safari hunting days, some animals got on a list referred to as the “Big Five.”  The first night in the park our excited neighbor told us he had seen all Big Five on the drive down that day.  But by the time we arrived in Satara five days later we had still only seen two of the five: the elephant and the buffalo.  I was more than ready to see lions and rhinos but didn’t have any real expectations of seeing leopards since they are solitary and secretive and not found in large numbers.

Park Safari Vehicle

We put a lot of miles on the car in that area and didn’t see any kind of cat.  Still hoping, I signed us up for a night drive with one of the Rangers.  They have safari vehicles that are open on both sides and four of the riders shine hand-held spot lights around in the dark hoping to catch a glimpse of something.  It was quite cold and we were happy they provided blankets as our four layers of summer clothes weren’t very effective.  We actually did see some wildlife, but it wasn’t that exciting because, in my book, if you don’t come away with a good picture – it wasn’t a good spotting.  We saw some lions slinking away through the tall grass, a couple owls and an African Civet.  Most interesting was the giraffe that was sitting on its haunches.  The Ranger explained that they lay down to sleep only in captivity where they feel safe.  In the wild they rest all night on their haunches because it takes a full 15 seconds for one to get to his feet from a laying down position and by that time a pride of lions would have finished him off.  All the spotlights were trained on the giraffe for a full five minutes during this explanation, but for some unknown reason I didn’t even attempt to take a picture – which now, of course, I greatly regret.  The other highlight of the trip was a gorgeous shooting star – no picture of that either, but the
memory is a very happy one.

Lioness Sleeping

Rhone Antelope

The next day we finally did see (with the help of spotters in another car) a lioness taking a nap.  She was some distance away and one had to jockey for a position where she wasn’t half covered with brush.  We chatted a bit with the people who had seen her come there and this is the story they told.  They saw a herd of Rhone Antelope and were so pleased because they are quite rare.  While they were watching the antelope, this single lioness appeared and launched an attack.  She was successful in getting one down, but during the struggle the antelope managed to get to its feet and run away.  Rhone Antelope have a reputation of being aggressive fighters and that one certainly proved that true and came away with his life.  Other folks did spot him later during the day and said he looked and acted as if he were severely injured; so perhaps he didn’t survive.  Anyway, the two were able to keep the lioness in sight and followed her to that spot where she lay down to rest.  We stayed there for three hours watching her sleep. Since we knew she had missed out on a meal, we thought surely she would get up and hunt again.  We saw the herd of Rhone Antelope – they were not far away and we were convinced that she would not give up.  But after three hours, we finally did.  You know how many hours a day a house cat sleeps?  We should have known better.

When we finally left the lioness we saw other cars stopped and discovered they were watching a pride of lions.  This group was even further away
and in even thicker brush.  The best picture I got out of that attempt was one blurry little cub.  Disappointed, we moved on.

Permanent Safari Tent

That night we stayed in a safari tent at Letaba because we hadn’t been able to get reservations for a campsite.  The cost of pitching a tent averaged out to about $21/night (for both of us); the cost of a permanent safari tent averaged $54 and the stay in a regular guest hut was around $100/night.  It’s easy to see why we opted for our own tent.  But the Safari tent was a pleasant experience.  Lydia, being tall, appreciated being able to stand up while getting ready for bed.  The tents had straight walls 8’ high, board floors, two bunks with bedding, a wardrobe and a small refrigerator.   The tents were up off the ground about 4’ – water can be a problem there in the rainy season.

The next morning we decided to do chores instead of being out the gate by 6:00 am.  So Lydia repacked, I did laundry and some strolling through the grounds.  When we got ready to leave about 8 we stopped to gas up and found there was no electricity.  So we checked out the elephant museum and wandered around taking pictures for an hour or so.  We asked the attendant if they would have the same problem with electricity at Olifants – a camp about 30 miles away.  He was sure they wouldn’t so we took a last look at the gauge sitting perilously close to the “E” and decided to make a run for it.   God looked on us kindly and we made it there, only to find out they had no electricity either.  It turns out that a couple rhinos had decided to take down a major power pole.  Electricity was predicted to be back on by noon.  So again we strolled, took pictures, ate lunch and waited.

Our Sleeping Quarters

Saddle-billed Stork

Next stop: Tsendze Rustic Camp.  Very strict rules about no noise applied in this rest camp.  We had to go to Mopani to register and still get to the camp by 6:00 so that coupled with the late start really shortened our viewing time that day.  But we enjoyed walking around at Mopani and learned that it was named after the tree which is prolific in this area.  The leaves are shaped like butterflies and that’s what “Mopani” means – butterfly.  Tsendze is called a rustic camp because it has no electricity.  There is a communal kitchen and restrooms to which limited electricity arrives via solar panels.  The camp is completely dark after 6:00 pm with no light poles, and any kind of generator or other noise-maker being forbidden.  After we had worked together to barbeque our dinner (the extra two hands were needed to hold the flashlight), we were faced with a long evening in total blackness.  Lydia noticed how really magnificent the stars were and lamented that she didn’t know how to take time exposures.  Although I knew we wouldn’t be able to use a tripod taking pictures of the wildlife from the car, I had packed a lightweight one anyway, and now was the time to use it.  The stars occupied us for awhile then we had a lesson on light painting.  It’s simple, but takes a little practice to achieve the desired results.  While the lens is open on the camera, someone with a flashlight “brushes” light on chosen objects.  After that, Lydia stood beside the tent and “drew” a heart with the flashlight for the picture you see here.  Afterwards we sat in the car for awhile intending to run the engine while we plugged in the inverter to download our pictures and make sure batteries were charged and ready for the next day.  We weren’t more than five minutes into this task when we heard a little tap on the window.  There was the camp manager wagging his finger in our face and telling us to turn off the engine – no noise allowed!  I was really hoping in this primitive area to see some wildlife and took a walk around the fence line, but didn’t see or hear anything.

As usual, we were out the gate right at 6:00 am and less than a mile away were astonished to see a hyena family strolling down the middle of the

Hyena Family

Hyena Pup

road.  The large, brownish one is the mama and she is accompanied by five “teenagers.”  They were fun to watch and didn’t invoke all the nasty images that they portray in wildlife documentaries, although I’m sure they played the part to the hilt when called upon.  They were coming straight for us, zig zagging as they stopped to investigate every odor that came to their noses much as a dog would.   All this changing of position and direction made it difficult to take pictures for they kept getting in the “no shoot” zones of the rearview mirror or the slanted front window.  We later saw a lone hyena drinking at a river.  But the best hyena spotting was puppies right beside the road.  The mother had chosen to rear her family in a culvert and now the little ones were old enough to come out and play.  They would disappear and then be seen peeking out the other end.  There was one little guy who lay quietly in the grass beside the road and let all passersby stop and take his picture.  This is one of my favorite shots from the whole trip.

After the second night in Tsendze, we continued our northward trek and soon came across another hide, Nyawuti.   We were reluctant to pass any by, hoping that each one would be a “Lake Panic” repeat and not just another dried up river.  Some of those places must be fantastic during the rainy season, but they didn’t have much to offer us.  Lydia got out of the car and went in to see if there was anything worthy of having its picture taken.  I stood by the passenger door, sweeping out bread crumbs (one of the joys of eating in the car!) and getting camera equipment sorted and more orderly.  When I finished, Lydia hadn’t returned so I went in to see what was happening.  She replied that she was watching a kingfisher which we hadn’t seen before.  I went back to the car to get the big lens and just as I got to the door, there was a terrible commotion in the brush by the road that led into the hide.  Still standing beside the car, holding my camera with the 70-200mm lens on it, I waited, hoping to catch a glimpse of the action.

The Rhino Chase

The Wounded "Loser"

Suddenly two white rhinos burst into the open.  The larger one had the smaller on the run now and the little guy had decided that the safest place was the parking area of the hide.  So straight towards me he came with the big guy in hot pursuit.  Lydia had heard the noise and started to come and check it out, but saw the rhinos headed straight for the car and decided to stay inside the hide.  She managed to climb up on the 2 x 4s to which the vertical poles were nailed – forming the wall around the hide.  I was still outside the car, doing what any photographer would do – taking pictures.

As they were rapidly getting closer, she called in a voice that was part panic and part commanding “Mama!  Get in the car!”  Reluctantly, I obeyed and immediately regretted it.  The victorious rhino, having made his point, decided to leave.  The defeated guy was right next to the car on the driver’s side watching his tormentor depart.  Not that I would have, but I could have reached out and touched him.  He was breathing heavily, bleeding and obviously under a lot of stress.  As soon as the victor was out of sight, he turned around and faced the hide, still standing very close.   I assumed I wouldn’t have any more success taking pictures through the side glass then the front, but I was desperate.  Lydia had the keys in her pocket and I couldn’t roll the windows down.  I kept tumbling from the front seat to the back wishing I could take pictures.  Finally, I did the only thing I could do, take them through the glass.  After a couple minutes he walked over to the hide and stood right in front of Lydia.  She was motioning frantically to me, from her precarious perch on the 2 x 4s, but it didn’t occur to me what she wanted; a picture of her with the rhino.  I was sorry I was too thick-headed to understand her gestures, but in retrospect, I couldn’t have taken the picture because it would have been through the front window and it wouldn’t have been good.

After the rhino was breathing more easily and he was sure the bully was gone, he trotted back across the road and disappeared in the brush.  So our only rhino spotting was truly an spectacular one.  Just as he was leaving, a car was driving in and saw him.  We excitedly told them the story (in spite of all the signs that said “no talking”) and every time we saw them after that they referred to us as “the Rhino ladies.”

As I thought about this incident and remembered how frustrated I had been feeling so caged in the car, I thought that after all, God probably knew what He was doing.  Rhinos have notoriously poor eyesight and notoriously short fuses.  If I had been able to roll down a window, the sudden little electrical hum right in the ear of this already stressed-out behemoth, might have caused him to attack the car.  Trust me, our car was no match for a rhino – even a defeated one!

A couple days later I remembered my frustration about the lions and the prayer that I had sent heavenward.  “OK, God, you are in control of the animals – remember how you sent them to Noah to get on the Ark?  We obviously aren’t having much success in going to them, so please send them to us!”  I was thinking “lion” but didn’t actually say that.  It dawned on me that I prayed that as I was going to sleep – and it was the very next day that God did exactly what I had asked…sent the rhinos right to us!  There are a couple lessons to be learned here: 1) be careful what you pray for; and 2) pray specifically!

Vervet Monkey

Next chapter: the fun continues!

As departure time neared, I had a small twinge of anxiety about getting it all together.  It had been a long since I had flown and I knew there had been a lot of changes at airports.  For instance, I checked-in on-line and wasn’t sure what to do with myself when I got to the airport.  Once again, Lydia came to my rescue!   Funny how things change over the years.  When we did the book together I was doing all the orchestrating, planning, staging, writing and photographing with a little girl who was just following instructions.  Now here I was very dependent on her travel expertise and “worldly know-how!”

I left home on August 10^th and flew to San Francisco; Lydia drove in from Redding and somehow found me amidst the acres and acres of concrete and bustle!  We ensconced ourselves next to an unmanned ticket counter and proceeded to repack all our luggage, taking advantage of the convenient baggage scales.  We certainly didn’t want to pay extra for overweight luggage.  To our surprise, the large pieces that were to be checked weren’t a problem, but the small hand carries were!  With an allowance of only 15# it soon became clear that each of the telephoto lenses had to be in separate bags allowing only small stuff to be added.

We kept shuffling until every bag passed the weight test and finally we were on our way at 1:30 a.m. on August 11^th.  But not to  Africa – to China!  Definitely the long way around (Frequent Flyer beggars can’t be choosy!).  The flight took 13 hours, then we had a layover of 12 hours there.  Lydia had done the research as to what we might do during the 12 hours and insisted that sleeping in a corner somewhere in the airport was not one of the options.

So we exchanged a little money, bought bus tickets and bravely set off  to see what we could see in Hong Kong.  First stop was the Water Park where we enjoyed the beauty of the natural world nestled among unending skyscrapers (mostly apartment buildings).  The Park was very well done.

Beautiful Tropical Fish

Red Lacewing Dragonfly

Pink Waterlilly

Next on the schedule was to go to the Peak. We found our way to the trolley station and waited in line for more than an hour to get onboard.   The trip is a great trolley ride straight up the mountain with spectacular views and a cool breeze on top.  But by then I had a problem that just wouldn’t go away; my feet were so swollen from the 90-degree temperature, the high humidity and walking for hours on blistering pavement,  that my heels had open blisters and my ankles ached from the top of the shoe rubbing against them causing bruises.  We had planned on the weather being hot in Africa, but hadn’t given a thought to the weather in China.  My two pair of sandals were packed in the suitcase which was checked through to Johannesburg – along with a ziplock bag full of sorely-needed (no pun intended) bandages. When we finished exploring the Peak we rode back down and tried to find the way to our bus stop.  After several limping, agony-filled turns around different blocks, I finally plopped down on a bench and said “that’s it, I can’t walk another step.”

Trolley Ride up to The Peak

Us at the Top

Lydia said “OK, what shall we do?”  Ever too cheap to pay for a taxi or to buy a pair of sandals that I didn’t need, I quickly replied “I will walk in my stocking feet!”   I did, and have the blackened socks to prove it.  I got some curious stares and I’m sure comments consisted of “those crazy Americans” but at that point I was perfectly comfortable and could have walked for miles and who cares about being politically correct or committing social faux pas!  We finally found the bus stop we needed and made it back to the airport in plenty of time.

Then another long flight (12 hours again) put us in Johannesburg at 7:00 am.  Scurrying around we got our luggage (safe, sound and intact) and met the friend that was going to take some goodies Lydia had brought to missionaries she knew.  On to the phone store to rent a phone – (safety rule #1, don’t go into the Park without a phone and unfortunately, mine wouldn’t work there) and then to exchange money.  At the car rental counter we were able to plug in the computer and send a quick email home telling the folks we had arrived safely.  At last we were in the garage getting the car loaded.  I had asked for the “cheapest” car they had – and we got it!  It was about the size of a glorified lawn mower with limited space for luggage.  I asked Lydia if she wanted me to drive and she replied “no, you’re on vacation – I’m driving – you just sit back and relax.”

In your dreams!

The next words out of her mouth were half accusatory and half dismay: “you didn’t tell me it was stick shift!”   Oh, and did I mention that they drive on the wrong side of the road there?  Well, you learn to swim by jumping in and that’s what we did.  After easing our way to the exit, the quietness of the parking garage vanished abruptly as we found ourselves in heavy, four-lane traffic zipping by at 50 mph (only they call them kilometers there, of course).  Lydia was attempting to shift with her left hand, jabbing at the turn signal (which was actually the windshield wipers), and trying her best to remember to drive on the wrong side of the road.  I wanted to be helpful and read signs and compare them with the map and directions, but I wasn’t doing a very good job amidst the honking and fist-shaking, flapping windshield wipers (it wasn’t raining) and the grinding of gears.  I seriously thought we might not make it to the Park – a five hour drive away!  Who’s worried about wild animals – this seemed a lot more dangerous to me!

Within a few miles she was driving like the natives, which means pulling off on the shoulder at full speed to let cars pass even in the face of oncoming traffic in a two-lane highway.  When in Rome….

We stopped at the “petrol plaza” Alzu which had been recommended by friends.  It was alive with visitors getting gas, buying souvenirs, snacks and watching the wildlife held captive in the fields outside the building.  We had lunch in the restaurant there and got back on the road.  Arriving at the Spar grocery store in Malelane, we bought groceries and an ice box then drove the last few miles to Malelane Gate – one of the entrances to the Park on the South end.  After getting paperwork done there and buying a guide, we drove another 10 miles or so to the first Rest Area – Berg En Dal.

Ablutions at Berg-En-Dal

Electric Fence Around all Rest Camps

Many people have expressed amazement that we slept in a tent.  We’re really not that brave.  The Rest Areas offer campsites, permanent safari tents and huts for sleeping arrangements.  They also have communal bathrooms, with showers (called “Ablutions”),  outdoor kitchens for cooking with two-burner hot plates and hot water for washing up after.  Each of these camps is enclosed with a gate and an eight-foot electrified fence.  As our son put it “the people are locked in the cage and the animals walk around the outside looking in.”  He got it exactly right.  Everyone is required to be in the gate before it closes at 6:00 pm and cannot leave until it is opened at 6:00 am the next morning.  No one is allowed to be on their own in the Park at night.  The exception is those who are staying in private lodges, which may or may not have fences around them and the folks are able to go out with guides under certain conditions.  So we were perfectly safe and I slept very peacefully every night, except the second night when the thermometer dropped into the 40s accompanied by a nasty wind and rain.

The calendar said it was the last two weeks in August, but there were no “dog days of summer,” since it was the end of winter there.  The locals were complaining that winter was lingering.  It was in the 80s every day and usually in the 50s at night – as far as I’m concerned that was very pleasant and that’s why Lydia (who had done the research, knowing I don’t do well in hot weather) had recommended that time of the year.  The down side was that there were only a few trees that were beginning to get leaves on them, and not many birds had arrived from the Northern Hemisphere to spend our winter months there in a warmer climate.  The upside was the weather was very dry – not the rainy season – and therefore we didn’t have the complications that go along with it; i.e. mosquitoes (which carry malaria), muddy, flooded and/or impassable roads and dust that ruins your camera equipment to mention just a few.   All said and done, I’m thinking we were there at the perfect time of year.

Our travel plans were to start in the south and work our way slowly to the north end of the Park which is the length of the country of Israel and covers 12,500 square miles.  To that end, we had reservations in 7 different rest camps, staying two nights at each except one; moving ever northward.  The practice was to be out the gate when it opened every morning and, following the guide book, drive all the little, winding, dirt side roads past the water holes and away from the main road.  We could easily use up the 12-hour day in this manner, each evening getting back to the campsite with only minutes to spare.

Some days started off with a bang – having terrific animal sightings within a mile from the camp -  and others just a constant trickle of wildlife throughout the day with some “dead” times thrown in to make us look at scenery or crawl into the back seat to dig out something to eat.  Getting out of the car was forbidden.  Being accustomed to people pushing the envelope, the warnings went so far as to say “no body parts outside the car!”   There were several days when the car door wasn’t opened from the time we got in it in the morning until we arrived back at the campsite that night.  On three occasions, we stumbled upon picnic areas that were very well-kept, had outhouses, tables, grills, etc.  The signs at these spots would read “You may alight from your vehicle at your own risk!”  We always did and weren’t bothered by more than the Yellow-billed Hornbill – their version of the all-too-common “Camp Robber.”

Wart Hog

Giraffe

Of course the first sightings of any creature were the most exciting: “Look, giraffes!”  But we quickly got to the point of “Ho-Hum, just another elephant herd!”  Nevertheless we would stay and watch and hope for that million-dollar shot.  We were never disappointed (except for the lioness that slept peacefully for three hours!) and usually felt exhilarated from having seen “something different.”  The first day at a new camp site we would drive in the area, covering as much ground as we could before returning to the camp.  The second morning we would get up early, take down the tent and get everything packed in the car and work our way to the next campsite.   At the last two campsites we finally got smart and on the first day would take everything out of the car and leave it in the tent.  That way I could sit in the back seat, moving from side to side as necessary and Lydia could have the passenger seat on which to lay her camera equipment – and also be able to take pictures out either side of the car.  She often had to turn the car cross-wise in the road in order for one of us to get clear shots.  It was impossible to take a picture through the front windshield because it was very slanted and all the images looked fuzzy.  Animals in the 11:00 or 1:00 position, were also difficult because the car had rearview mirrors half as big as the vehicle!  Those mirrors ended up in a lot of shots!  Next time I’m going to take a screw driver or maybe a sledge hammer and my first task will be to get rid of the mirrors.  If the subject was in the 7 or 8:00, or 4 or 5:00 position, it was equally hard.  Imagine trying to hand hold a lens that weighs 10# while turned backwards in a tiny bucket seat!   Most successful pictures were taken at a 90-degree angle to the car.  I had made bags which we filled with dry beans when we got there; the bags were placed on the window sill and the camera sat on that – a nice, solid foundation.  I was shooting with a Canon 40D, using a 28-70mm zoom lens, a 70-200mm zoom (which became a 140-400mm when combined with a 2x converter), or a fixed 300mm lens with the 2x making it 600mm.  Lydia was using a Canon 20D with a 28-135mm zoom or a fixed 400mm telephoto.  If the critter(s) were on her side and she needed more fire power, she took the pictures on my camera with the 600mm.

Next Blog: Animal Adventures!

Charlie in 1956

Patiently, year after year I waited, trusting that somehow, someway I would get this once-in-a-lifetime trip.  Whenever anyone would ask “if you could go anywhere you wanted and money wasn’t a factor – where would you go?”  I had two standard answers to that question depending upon my mood and “life” as it swirled around me at that particular moment.  One was “I would send my family away and I would stay home and do what I wanted, when I wanted!”  The second was “on a photo safari in Africa.”  As our family passed through the different seasons of life, some dreams faded and others arose to take their place.  Old “wants” didn’t seem important anymore.  God was faithful in amply supplying all our needs and as Paul says in Philippians 4, “I have learned to be content in any and all circumstances, whether living in plenty or in want.”  But, still the African dream lingered on.

In 1963 I met and married Charlie, a tall, dark and handsome Hungarian refugee, with the traditional “cute little accent.“   Our life was never dull; we changed occupations every ten years and raised up three wonderful children to be servants of God.
As the years raced relentlessly on, my husband’s physical strength began to wane.  Beginning in 1989 he was severely limited in what he could do.  Finally in 1993, he had quintuple by-pass surgery.  When he seemed to be getting weaker instead of stronger the search was on to discover what else might be hindering his return to normal.   A trip to the Mayo Clinic revealed that he had Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM) – a rare auto immune disease where one’s own immune system begins to destroy the muscles in the extremities of the body (i.e. lower leg and forearms).   The advice was “go home and get used to it” – there was no medication, no hope of reversal; it was progressively degenerative.

The doctor was right….every year we could look back and see what abilities he had been robbed of in the past 12 months.  Time stops for no man…year after year, he grew weaker and weaker until he couldn’t even move his arm when his hand became dislodged from the joy stick on his power chair.   He could no longer pet his faithful companion, a tiny, but fiercely loyal Pomeranian.  He developed Diabetics and other physical ailments and still he soldiered on.

In December, 2010, I had my annual day out with our two daughters.  Over lunch, Lydia again asked me the question which had been put to me so many times before.  And my reply was the same “Africa.”  Yes, she knew that.  The topic wasn’t pursued because the unspoken reality was that I couldn’t go anywhere.  For the past 22 years I had been the sole caregiver 24/7 for my failing husband.

A few weeks later in January, I got a surprising phone call from Lydia.  She said “I want you to start praying about going to Africa this year…”  When I protested that it couldn’t happen, she just insisted that I pray about it and talk to her father.   I promised I would and I did.  Talking to Charlie was the hard part – I knew what his answer would be, and when it came, it was just as I suspected.  There was no way I could leave him; he wasn’t willing to be subjected to the care of strangers.  Disappointed, but not surprised, I reported back to Lydia “thanks, but we need to forget about it for now.”  Undeterred, she urged me to continue praying and to ask one more time.  In the meantime she suggested that I check out the airlines for frequent flyer seats for August.  Time was moving along and now it was April.  I broached the subject again and got the same answer as before.  This time he added “when I’m gone you can go anywhere you want.” Gently, I replied “but I expect you to live another 10 years and who knows if I’ll be physically capable of doing this when I’m in my 80s!”  He made no reply.

All those 22 years I had been a caregiver, I had virtually gone nowhere, but was diligently putting all purchases on the credit card and building up frequent flyer miles.  Lydia also had enough miles for the trip.  In spite of continuing to say “you know I can’t go anywhere!”  I did two things then:  1) I sent for my passport; and 2) I was on the phone for an hour with the airlines seeing if there were any frequent flyer seats available.  We had agreed that we would fly separately if necessary, but there wasn’t one seat available.  I told Lydia I would not ask again because there weren’t any seats for us anyway.

The Faithful Little Pom

Two weeks later, Charlie’s faithful little dog passed away.  He was broken-hearted and mourned his loss openly.  Every day he begged me to find another dog for him.  I spent hours on the internet and the telephone; we even brought one home on a trial basis from the pound.  That didn’t work out well.   Finally a friend found one on Craig’s List and the next day we drove to Spokane to get the dog – another Pomeranian.  We had only been back home for a couple hours when Charlie said “take me to the hospital; I’m having a heart attack.”  Back into the car we went and sped off to Coeur d’Alene.  He stayed overnight there one night then brushed aside the doctor’s advice and returned home.

But nothing was the same.  Fluid was building up and it was difficult to transfer him; he wasn’t comfortable in his chair and was having trouble breathing.  After the church service on Mother’s Day one of the ladies cheerfully patted him on the arm and said “see you next Sunday.”  He responded “I don’t think so.”  In the evening he said “call 911”.  He was given oxygen and when he felt better I drove him back to CdA to the hospital.  (He refused a ride in the ambulance.)  They were not able to drain off the fluid and he died of congestive heart failure three days later.

After the Memorial Service, Lydia said “now are you ready to fulfill your dream?”

“We can’t go this year” I replied.  “There are no seats.”

This girl never gives up!

I went outside to pull some weeds and she got on the phone.  Within a half an hour she was at my side.  “Are you ready to go?” she asked.  Dumbfounded, I stammered an affirmative response.  When I had tried a month before, when it was impossible for me to go, there were no seats.  Now there were two, together, all the way to Johannesburg and back and now I was free to go!  What a God we have!

tag=winter

winter

60 Photos

Joan is on a crusade to obtain images of as many different breeds as possible. Keep checking back - more will be added soon!

Any of these images may be ordered as enlargements or on any of the items listed in the "Products" section.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

1234►