Buddy the Baboon and others
First of all, a very happy belated anniversary to Chris and Chelsea!! And a very happy soon to be anniversary to mom and dad! And a congratulations to Michael and Avery, the kewlest and sweetest world travelers I know, on their engagement! Joy and Richard, my host family, will celebrate 53 years of marriage Monday. Dawwww.
The latter half of this week has been fairly uneventful, namely due to my lack of getting out into the bush. I've been feeling sluggish. Attributed to my forever clumsiness, while checking for eggs which the chickens have excitedly begun to lay I banged my head on the low metal framing of the roost-twice. Today is the first day my head doesn't feel woozy and fuzzy, and this will be celebrated with a hike!
Our python , Miss Monty, has officially moved on. We haven't seen her in her usual area in a few days. Hopefully her trauma has worn off and she may continue doing what snakes do without interruption. The snake skull reconstruction is completed, minus some structures that I cannot figure out where they even came from. It can be ranked worst reconstruction ever and I feel that I have failed Dr. VanDev. I am not worthy! Only about 400 vertebrae to be cleaned and organised until the python is officially done.
An annual baboon visitor was heard then spotted early in the week. He is a loner who wanders into the area during winter and leaving after a few days. He sits in a bare tree or on the cliff, absorbing the first and last bit of sun. He often sits in a posture that suggests he is contemplating philosophical questions, or is really bored. If you know my opinion about primates then it is clear that although I respect them as fellow creatures, I generally don't favor them. But that's another argument, and I enjoy watching Buddy the Baboon. Whenever he disappears in the bush, he is wished a farewell, "Goodbye, Buddy. I hope you find your dad."
While dassie seeking I have found some fun and easy boulder problems. I approach the boulder, climb up and toss my gear, jump down and do a few problems, then sit at the top inspecting the cliffs for dassies. One my favorite roadside boulders has an expansive view of the cliffs, and since I am usually out there right after the sun peeks over the hill there are plenty of fauna to be seen and heard. One day I saw a black eagle inspecting an older nesting site. Another day there was a gang of over 20 vervets on top of the cliffs, keenly interested in watching me. Some came down the cliff and snuck into a tree to spy on me. When I looked at one through the binoculars he panicked that his cover was blown and hurried to make himself look more casual. Not long after I went to take waypoints of the dassie habitation area along the bottom of the cliff, but through my wandering I somehow scrambled to the top only to be scolded by the dassies for appearing on such short notice and without an invitation.
Now that I sleep in the impi hut I hear loads more night calls. Owls, bushbaby, occasional baboon bark, zebra, and so on. Once the moon is brighter a night walk is due. My fireplace is awesome, and the wood is so dry that it makes even the least capable more confident. There are always warm coals remaining. If I set it up, the wood will eventually light itself or with a steady blow. Since finishing the autobiography "Mambas and Man-Eaters" I check under my covers before crawling into bed.
Oh, and in my heart's void from Rascal and Sabal I have begun encouraging a friendship with the smart chicken, Putka. She is the only one who jumps the fence to forage, especially when she hears the axe cutting firewood; a sure sign of grubs. We bonded while I separated the vermiculture bins, and she aided in ridding the excess worms while I made her a rap song. She's cool, but I miss my peanut loving parrots.
The latter half of this week has been fairly uneventful, namely due to my lack of getting out into the bush. I've been feeling sluggish. Attributed to my forever clumsiness, while checking for eggs which the chickens have excitedly begun to lay I banged my head on the low metal framing of the roost-twice. Today is the first day my head doesn't feel woozy and fuzzy, and this will be celebrated with a hike!
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| Python skull reconstruction and scotch! |
Our python , Miss Monty, has officially moved on. We haven't seen her in her usual area in a few days. Hopefully her trauma has worn off and she may continue doing what snakes do without interruption. The snake skull reconstruction is completed, minus some structures that I cannot figure out where they even came from. It can be ranked worst reconstruction ever and I feel that I have failed Dr. VanDev. I am not worthy! Only about 400 vertebrae to be cleaned and organised until the python is officially done.
An annual baboon visitor was heard then spotted early in the week. He is a loner who wanders into the area during winter and leaving after a few days. He sits in a bare tree or on the cliff, absorbing the first and last bit of sun. He often sits in a posture that suggests he is contemplating philosophical questions, or is really bored. If you know my opinion about primates then it is clear that although I respect them as fellow creatures, I generally don't favor them. But that's another argument, and I enjoy watching Buddy the Baboon. Whenever he disappears in the bush, he is wished a farewell, "Goodbye, Buddy. I hope you find your dad."
While dassie seeking I have found some fun and easy boulder problems. I approach the boulder, climb up and toss my gear, jump down and do a few problems, then sit at the top inspecting the cliffs for dassies. One my favorite roadside boulders has an expansive view of the cliffs, and since I am usually out there right after the sun peeks over the hill there are plenty of fauna to be seen and heard. One day I saw a black eagle inspecting an older nesting site. Another day there was a gang of over 20 vervets on top of the cliffs, keenly interested in watching me. Some came down the cliff and snuck into a tree to spy on me. When I looked at one through the binoculars he panicked that his cover was blown and hurried to make himself look more casual. Not long after I went to take waypoints of the dassie habitation area along the bottom of the cliff, but through my wandering I somehow scrambled to the top only to be scolded by the dassies for appearing on such short notice and without an invitation.
Now that I sleep in the impi hut I hear loads more night calls. Owls, bushbaby, occasional baboon bark, zebra, and so on. Once the moon is brighter a night walk is due. My fireplace is awesome, and the wood is so dry that it makes even the least capable more confident. There are always warm coals remaining. If I set it up, the wood will eventually light itself or with a steady blow. Since finishing the autobiography "Mambas and Man-Eaters" I check under my covers before crawling into bed.
Oh, and in my heart's void from Rascal and Sabal I have begun encouraging a friendship with the smart chicken, Putka. She is the only one who jumps the fence to forage, especially when she hears the axe cutting firewood; a sure sign of grubs. We bonded while I separated the vermiculture bins, and she aided in ridding the excess worms while I made her a rap song. She's cool, but I miss my peanut loving parrots.
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