Going On's

So those of you who have been waiting in absolute suspension about my Luthuli trip- I give my deepest regard because I said I would write quickly about my experience as soon as I got back. Well hmm I don’t even remember when that was- I think I got back on last Wednesday perhaps. To me it is a good thing when I don’t blog. It’s like my journal that I have- I write in it often whenever I’m upset or emotional or down about things, but have a hard time writing when I’m happy and well. I have adopted such a different mindset from the first week that I got here- every single day I remind myself that I am here and to make the most of it. I know only too well that these precious months are going to fly by and I will be back in the states and doing what most ‘normal’ people do. Get a job and blah blah. SO I’m sucking up all I can here…my work, the animals, and the people.
Okay on to my Luthuli experience- I regret that I haven’t written sooner because I don’t necessarily remember specifics as well as I would have before but here goes…It was a four hour drive Northeast up through some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen. It wasn’t green persay and it wasn’t brown. It was a wonderful mix of tans and yellows and most of the bush and trees were new to my eyes. For most of the journey we were on a four lane highway but the remaining half hour was spent on a gravel/rocky road that almost knocked my teeth loose. I don’t think my body stopped shaking for a good ten minutes after we stopped the car. At first I thought it was fun, Hah but that quickly fizzled out. We stayed in the lodge and I’ve got wonderful pictures to show- but it consisted of 6 different hut style bedrooms each equipped with a bathroom and your very own mosquito netting around the bed. Sounds primative but it was beautiful with everything either made of wood or stone- very bushlike. As soon as we got there we went to go look at the genets and feed them. The purpose of us going there was to release them out of their hacking cage and also to bring food up for the troop of baboon CROW had released there earlier in July. The genets were good and we cut up and de-yolked 20 chicks and 20 small chicken hearts and laid them out in front of the door in order to lure them outside once it got dark. I guess I don’t know what I was expecting going on my first release of an animal from a hacking cage, but there were no party streamers or balloons ☺ we just opened the door, laid out the food and left. The next morning we would go back and see if they had left or not. The rest of the day was spent going on a hunt through the bush and looking for the baboons. We eventually heard them before we found them and followed their sounds for about a mile until we came upon them. They were certainly much bigger than the baboon troop left at CROW and I was astonished by their ability to fly through the trees as such high speeds. The growling/yelling noise made by the biggest male made my skin crawl- it was something between a snarl and bark that just sounded terrifying. I wouldn’t want one of them making that noise at me! After finding the baboons we drove around a bit to see what types of animals we could find. All in all I got to see giraffe, wildebeest, impala, kudu, inyalla, bushpig, warthogs, zebra, monkeys, baboons, guinea fowl and many birds of prey. They also have elephant and rhino and I was a little disappointed not to see them but satisfied nonetheless! The night was spent having our own personal braai at the lodge with just the two of us with a bottle of wine, steak and potatoes. It was delish! Wednesday morning we got up and checked on the genets- all were gone except for one (there were four) and left. It was a quick trip but it was my first real experience at a reserve that looked exactly like what I had in mind when picturing the African bush. It was wonderful!
Lets see….last night we had an escapee! Amy and I went to feed our dassies- I have three and she only has one left. One of her little guys died last week due to kidney failure- it was a sad moment ☹, but anyways- we went in their enclosure and I looked up towards the ceiling and there in between the mesh wire and the tiled roof was one of my dassies! We had no idea how he got there or how long he had been there. The enclosure also has an outside part that’s completely fenced in with a door that opens from the inside and we realized that he must have somehow gotten out of the cage from outside and then tried to get back inside the cage by going between the roof and the mesh on the ceiling. We ended up capturing him after a good half our of trying to somehow climb on the roof and then walking cautiously on the wire to the back where he was hiding. We got him back safe and sound and I must admit that I thought it was a fun adventure!
We have also had two visitors in our bathroom in the past few days. Spiders about the size of my palm have decided to venture into our house in order to seek refuge from the rain. Apparently it’s not uncommon for them to come into houses when it gets damp outside and other volunteers have found them under the couch and such, but both of these guys were in the bathroom right on the rug when someone got out of the shower. One was brown and one was gray- both were furry and had massive fangs about half an inch long! The first one freaked us out, but once learning they are not poisonous- a few of us got brave ☺ and decided to hold the second one we found. It was a test of willpower to just sit there and let it crawl around but I loved it!!
Yesterday we got two new baby bushpigs to join our one bushpig (named B.P.). These guys are one of the cutest things ever and I am thrilled to report that I was asked to handle their bottle-feeding! WooHoo!! Since my dassies are now only being fed three times a day, I find I have more free time and therefore was more than happy to take on the responsibility of feeding these two every 3 hours. They are about a foot long and covered in spots and lines and just so darn cute- I suppose ask me in a week and I may tell you I need a break but for now I’m really excited! The noises they make never fail to make me laugh and when they get excited they run around in circles and literally jump in the air and kick up their heels like Wilbur in of Charlotte’s Web- I really need to videotape it!
In a few weeks we are having a fundraiser for CROW- and guess what that fundraiser is??? SKYDIVING!!! YAH! I am so excited and love that I’m doing it for a good cause rather than just my own pleasure. We are in the process of calling up businesses and asking if they would want to donate to CROW- because we are skydiving for charity we get to do it at a reduced rate (which is really nice) and get to take 20 people up in the plane with us. I’m not sure when exactly this will be happening, but I will make sure to keep you all posted!
I am all out of news for the moment- we get a new volunteer on Thursday and two on Friday. We are also going out again this Friday. Oh that reminds me! All of us went out to a club this past Friday- it was called Eighties and I had one of the best times of my life! A club is pretty much a club anywhere you go, but let me just say that a lot more of these South African boys can dance than American boys. It made for a wonderful night and everyone had a blast. Ciao for now- I am well and happy.