All Things EARTH... part 2

[MJC]

I'm going to bombard you with more Africa photos now.

 

Day 9 - Southern Serengeti cat-spotting

 

We left our tent this morning and again saw some interesting birds on our way into the plains.  The first was a Martial Eagle, the largest eagle in Africa. It can have a wingspan of up to six feet:

 

 

As we were taking pictures of the eagle, we also spotted a pygmy falcon:

 

 

The plan for today was to find a pride of lions in hopes of seeing a hunt. We drove and drove, eventually stopping to visit these adorable cheetah brothers lounging under a tree:

 

 

 

More driving and driving, and then we saw these two boys hanging about, and Amos said the rest of the pride must be near:

 

 

Everywhere we saw evidence of the great migration. This group of wildebeests was unaware that they were walking toward the pride, hidden here and there in the tall grass downwind. Lions hunt by stealth, not speed like the cheetah.

 

 

[MJC]

Day 9, continued

 

Sadly, one of the lions gave the game away, and the gig was up. Suddenly all the wildebeests were on alert. Even the zebra in the distance on the right was at attention.

 

 

All the lions stood and stretched. Time to look for shade and wait out the heat of the day.

 

 

How about here?

 

 

This lovely lady gave me the eye before settling under my window.

 

 

 

 We let them lie in the shade of our vehicle for a bit, and then it was time to move on. It was getting hot, and we knew they wouldn't try to hunt for the rest of the day.

In spite of Amos assuring me that the cats don't bother people in cars, I did have quite a few goosebumps with her so close!

 

 

[awhfy]

Margaret, I can’t imagine being that close to a lion!  What an experience you had! Melody

[MJC]

Day 9, finale

 

After a long morning of driving and all the lion excitement, it was time for our picnic lunch. Amos had another treat in store for us thanks to news from another guide. This alpha male had taken two lionesses in estrus away from the pack for an afternoon of love. It may seem a strange thing to want to see, but we had heard that it is a very loud and quick operation, quite dramatic to witness, so we were willing to wait around a bit.

 

 

We ate lunch, we chatted, we ate some more and chatted some more, but it became clear that the heat of the day was making everyone drowsy. The odds of seeing action any time soon were dwindling, so we bid goodbye to the trio in the trees. By this time it was very hot and still, so we decided to call it a day and head back to our tent.

 

 

At this point it had been a loooong time since we had the advantage of plumbing, so I’m going to talk about the “bush toilet.” Skip ahead if you want to! I will say that this is one of the things I had obsessed over before we left but couldn’t find a lot of info about what to expect. So, in this instance here is what we did. It is not for the overly modest. Keeping in mind that we had spent the day with lots of lions, it was clear that we needed to do our business in an open area with nowhere for them to hide, like this:

 

 

 

Zebras have very good eyesight, and wildebeests have excellent hearing, so they band together as protection from predators. So, amid their vigilance, we each took a turn at the back of the vehicle, as quickly as possible. It was a bit funny to have hundreds of animals watching under a wide open sky, but at least there weren’t any vehicles in sight.  It does make one envy how much easier it is for men. 😀

 

 

 We had a long ride back... around the lake, past the flamingos, and this random buffalo. We were hot and tired, and had just enough water left in our talking shower for a quick rinse. It felt heavenly.

 

 

 

 I parked myself in my favorite spot, the daybed on our "porch," reading and writing in my journal while Mark took a nap. Later at dinner, we finally had some company. A father, mother, and daughter from California, who told a long tale of missed flights and missing luggage. They had gone directly to Mt. Kilimanjaro to climb, so they had to purchase a lot of last minute basics. It took three days for their bags to catch up with them. We didn't see them again as they left at 5am to do a balloon ride.

 

 

 We could finally recognize some of the sounds we heard at night from our tent:

zebra:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klxCOdMOIO8

wildebeest:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwGVppISIJk

 

[Sailor_Sally]

Margaret , Your trip sounds so fabulous and I have loved the pictures . How amazing to be so close to the lions .The only thing I can compare it to is years ago in Bora Bora we went shark feeding and were inches away from sharks .Pretty Frightening !

[Anita Latte]

Margaret...I continue to be amazed at your photographs of Africa. And the stories. I am sorry that you and DH dealt with illness on your cruise. But I agree that it sounds like you made the best of the situation and were able to still enjoy yourselves...even if it wasn't quite the typical enjoyment you have on a cruise. I don't think you got your dancing in...Big pout face on that, I'm sure. 

 

I've gotten really really picky lately with my clothing choices...well...purchases, I guess. I just finished binge watching all the Project Runways available on the Lifetime app...and one thing that I noticed consistently is that most of the knit fabrics were critiqued to be really unflattering and hard to wear for that reason. I have come to realize that I buy mostly knit tops and they are really not flattering and I generally don't appreciate the way I look when I wear them. I haven't necessarily found a solution to this...except to say that I'm going to be very careful with the shirts I buy to try to avoid the unflattering knits.

 

The fabric on that one piece suit is really attractive but that style makes my rear end look ginormous. 

[Anita Latte]

If you shop Soft Surroundings, save your emails with the coupon codes. I had my birthday coupon email, and even though the code was supposed to expire on March 31, I thought that I would give it a go and see if it would take and it did. I was still able to use the supposedly expired code today. I ordered myself another dress...I have few dresses...and there were two in the latest Soft Surroundings catalog that I liked. One, the Mercado Gauze dress, wasn't shipping until July:

 

https://www.softsurroundings.com/p/mercado-gauze-dress/

 

I think this A line would be super flattering. Nice hit at the knee...sleeves would be good for sun protection and the light weight gauze should not be too clingy and definitely nice for warm weather...which would also be more flattering.

 

This one is shipping sooner...though still saying delayed a bit...the Sante Fe Dress:

 

https://www.softsurroundings.com/p/santa-fe-dress/

 

Another lightweight cotton gauze. I think the dark chambray color is reading quite cool...but we'll see what that denim like look really is in person. Cotton takes dye well...so I'm thinking that a tea stain may help to warm it up, if needed. Wrap dresses are supposed to be universally flattering...but I've had issues with the fit in the past...but those were for fake wrap dresses...this one is real...so fingers crossed that I can get the front to fit properly and not gape at my cleavage. I like the asymmetric high low hem a lot. So I splurged and treated myself to this dress with my birthday coupon today.

[Sailor_Sally]

Anita , It will be nice to hear how you like the dresses when they arrive . I bought one top from Soft Surroundings and the quality was so so .Those dresses do look nice . I bought that green fringe dress that Margaret had posted and it is very nice . I have taken to wear dresses quite a bit especially in the summer.

[MJC]

Anita, I'm wondering which color you like in that first dress? I love the print but I think the sleeve detail shows up better on the solids. If you order it, I'd like to hear what you think of the fabric weight for show-through.

 

I am one of those who does not look good in a wrap dress. I think they emphasize the boxy-ness of my torso. It's too bad because there are so many nice ones to choose from.

 

Sally, I'm glad you like the green dress. I am thinking of ordering this brown one for summer now that it's on sale. It would look nice with my metallic sandals:

 

https://www.jjill.com/product/crochet-trimmed-a-line-dress?color=2LQ

 

I'm still struggling so much with my hair color. It looks nice for a week and then turns brassy. It limits the colors I can wear in my wardrobe, which is a sure sign that it's wrong. I need a new stylist who is better with color, and someone closer because I need to go every three weeks now. What a pain in the.

Edited April 11, 2019 by MJC

[Sailor_Sally]

I have been very Happy with the JJIll knit dresses . They require almost no ironing and wash like a dream . I have gotten tons of use from them .

[Anita Latte]

I do prefer the print in that one dress...but I didn't order it. The shipping date wasn't until July and we'll be Florida then. It seemed odd to have two different shipping addresses in the same order...so I'm just going to wait. There are two more coupons that should be coming out soon...I haven't cleaned out my inbox in FOREVER so looking at my history, I should have my anniversary of signing up with Soft Surroundings coupon coming in May and then there is usually a summer sale coupon that hits in June/July.

 

The quality of Soft Surroundings does vary. I kind of wish that they did their labeling more like Anthropologie does where it isn't an Anthropologie label...it is a designer label that I think may be made just for Anthropologie? Kind of like when designers do special releases at Target. But Soft Surroundings seems to private label whatever comes from different sources...so you can't latch on to what is a good SS source until you see it IRL. Kind of frustrating.

 

Mom might be making a trip down to her local SS store, so she might be able to report on the thinness of that fabric. IDK if it is in stores yet though with the web site showing a shipping date in July.

[Member123]

I'm going to try to post this link. (but I don't know if it's "allowed")...

 

anyway, I'm just so fascinated!

 

It's a bald eagle sitting on a nest in the Big Bear Mountains. A live feed. The information I have is that the eggs should hatch in the next few days. OMG. I drank my coffee watching this bird this morning. Really super cool.

 

 

The mate just arrived! They've switched positions. OMG. She (I think) looked just as stiff getting up from sitting for too long as I do!!

Edited April 12, 2019 by Member123
just more cool stuff to say

[MJC]

Pam, I can see how watching the eagles could be addictive!

 

Anita, I know what you mean about knits. I think that's why I like my Pleione tops so much. They just hang off my shoulders and flow over all the jiggly parts. :) One of the dresses I took on the cruise was a heavy t-shirt dress, and I wore a body shaper under it so it looked ok, but I certainly don't want to wear a body shaper every day. Also, a lot of knits are so thin now, and especially with lighter colors, everything shows through. I don't know how many light color or even dark solid color t-shirts I've tried on and put back because I can see my bra, or the line of my pants, or the color of my skin through it. Yeesh.

 

I finished my PT this week. Tonight I'm going to go to Zumba for the first time in months. I chose my Friday class because it is completely low impact. I may not make it for the whole hour. I'm trying to be wise and ease back into exercise.

[MJC]

Day 10 - Naabi Hill

We woke at 6 when they unzipped our tent, and listened to the mourning doves again as we got dressed for breakfast. Last night we packed to the sound of wildebeests. On the schedule was an all day game drive on the way to the central Serengeti area called Seronera, after the river there. As we left we saw several secretary birds. They are raptors who prefer the ground and can be as tall as 4.5 feet. They kill their prey with a powerful stomp.

 

We came to the Naabi Hill Gate where we entered the Serengeti National Park. The climb to the top of the hill was not long nor too difficult, and very worth the view. Like in Alaska, you have these moments in Africa where the vastness just makes you speechless. It was challenging for me going back down because of my knee injuries, but with Mark's help and careful footing I was able to just manage it. It took us about 1/2 hour to go up, take some pictures, wander around up there a bit, and come back down. It's not that big.

 

We drove for a couple hours through the flat plains. Amos explained that there was a small layer of volcanic ash and soil over granite, so there were few trees able to grow there. Occasionally we'd see areas where the granite heaved up and made small hills.

 

 


We constantly came upon long, long lines of zebras migrating. It was funny how they were literally walking in a line, and would take their turn crossing the road one by one. It was fun to see the babies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MJC]

Day 10, continued


We were lucky to see another cheetah, though it was moving away from us on a hunt and quickly disappeared into the tall grass. Now that we were in the national park, we could not leave the road to follow it.

 

Traffic jam... something interesting ahead…

 

It turned out to be a small pride of lions that crossed the road and headed off. All the vehicles promptly went on their ways, but Amos said we should wait and watch. He was so wise. We got to see the lions climb a tree and settle in for the afternoon. They were so beautiful.

 

What is that smell? Hippos ahead. We finally got up close to a hippo pond and watched them for a bit. Boy are they cantankerous! All the arguing, jostling, farting, pooping... disgusting and hilarious.

 

Here is another example how a good guide can make special moments happen, like with the lions climbing the tree. We'd already seen lots of elephants. Lots. Amos positioned us just peeking out from behind a bush as a large family came down a hill and crossed the road, so that at one point we were surrounded on all sides by ellies. I would say 25 or 30, like we were part of an ellie flash mob. So fun.

 

 

After these first brave ones, they came much closer to us. One thing the photos can't capture is all the sounds they make to each other, to us, the swishing sound of their ears, the munching of grass... the intelligence in their eyes. I took some video of our ellie moment, but I have to figure out how to post it here.

[awhfy]

Well, we’re having a marvelous time in FL!  Weather is fabulous, beach is gorgeous, we’re having a great time (& it’s snowing like crazy all week at home, our daughter sent the snow picture). Melody

Edited April 14, 2019 by awhfy

[purduemom1]

Hi Melody, you two look great, glad you are having a good time! You have a really nice tan and it isn’t even summer yet. Hope the snow melts before you return home. 

Sharon

[Sailor_Sally]

Melody , Glad you are having a good time . It is great to escape the snow . Cute bathing suit . I love the color .

[laurspag]

Pam, watching birds and their nesting habits is absolutely fascinating.  At the university where my husband works, they have a hawk family with a few camera feeds.  We watch them all the time.  One time, a baby hawk went missing, and someone said they thought they saw him in a cupola on one of the older buildings.  My husband spent quite a bit of time getting up there to see if he could be found.  

 

I find birds so intriguing to watch.  

 

Melody, I'm glad you are having a great time.  We know some people in the Chicago area, and they are getting all sorts of snow there.  Hopefully, it is not heading here at all!  

 

So, I have some news to share with you all.  I'm going to be - gasp - a grandma.  My daughter who is getting married in June is expecting.  They planned to start a family as soon as possible, as my daughter has some issues.  Her first doctor told her she would likely never have any children.  Her current doctor told her it was hard to tell, but it may take a long time.  She and her fiancé decided that this was what they wanted, and since it may never happen, they weren't going to wait.

 

We are very happy and excited for them.  Like all moms, I worry.  All.  The.   Time.  I'm a worrywart.  I wouldn't mind a bit bigger of a gap between wedding and baby, but it is what it is.  

 

It's  boy!

 

So we are onward with all the wonderful things taking place.  I think our cruise in August between wedding and baby will be timely.    Since she is due October 10th, we are not planning any further trips, unless we do a long weekend  in early November or maybe.  We typically do not travel at all from mid November until mid January, with the holidays and all.  

 

I was looking at some of the dresses you all have been posting, and I see a lot of nice things.

 

This caught my eye, but I'm not sure I will like the fit.  I like dresses that loosely skim the body, but with things such as this, I get that whole tent thing going on sometimes.

 

https://www.jjill.com/product/crochet-trimmed-a-line-dress

 

There is also this.  I noticed the main view on the website is the side view, and really liked it.  Then I saw it from the front, and I wasn't sure it would work for me.

 

https://www.jjill.com/product/we-pleat-back-sleveless-dress?color=2FR

 

One thing I often do if I really like a dress like this is to take in the side seams.  I prefer to have my tailor do it than myself, so with the cost of these two dresses, I don't think I will do that.  I really, really liked the first one though.

 

I know what you mean about knits.  Sometimes, I migrate towards them because I don't want the tent fit.  One thing that has worked for me a lot is that Express, Loft, NY & Co. and quite a few other stores carry a lot of tops that are knit in the back, but a woven fabric in the front.  This works so well for me, because I get a better fit across the chest area.  I'm not looking for clothing to be fitted, but to follow my silhouette loosely and that is hard to find, you know?

 

I can't remember the last time I wore a button down shirt.  I think about....15 years ago, maybe?  

[MJC]

Laurie, OMG congratulations Grandma!

I wanna give you a big ole hug. Sending your DD waves of healthy wishes. Wow, what a year for your family!

 

[Sailor_Sally]

Congratulations ! This will change your life in so many good ways !

As for JJill dresses they are just slightly a line not enough to give a tent look .

[Anita Latte]

How was Zumba Margaret? I'm thinking that I will look for a good class when we move to Orlando. I need something where I can meet other people...but I am kind of picky about my Zumba. I started a strength routine before my birthday. I think I'm into week 5 or 6 of doing it? Such a simple little routine that I found in a special edition of Shape magazine, "The New Science of Strong." The first time, I got through the routine...I did one set of all the exercises, sort of...I did what I could...and the recommendation was to do 2-3 sets? I literally broke down because it was so hard to do what I did. Point being, it's been a slow build up for me to get back into doing anything. Each week, I'm able to do more though...it's really hard to let go of being so final results oriented and instead, embrace the progress...mini-results, I guess you could say. It's a learning process, for sure. I've really improved though...I can't see any difference but my reps and sets have gone up as well as my form and general ability. I'm on board for the slow journey.

 

Still loving all the pictures and Africa story. When DS was 18 months...we were members of the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita...really great zoo. We went on "zoo walks" about 3-4 times a week. The zoo had lots of room and their animal habitats were incredible. Anyway, there was a hippo pond in the Africa plains area. I know exactly what you are talking about with the hippo description. OMG. Memories.

 

Congratulations Laurie! So many changes coming this year! It's wonderful. I too hope your DD stays healthy and that all goes well with everything!

 

Melody...you and DH look great. Your pics are making me more excited for my own relocation!! I'm so ready for a beach day!! I love the print on your suit. Are those shorts Athleta? I've been looking at their suits again...I thought you had a pair of the swim shorts. I like snow...Spring snow can be fun, usually it's wetter, I think...but it feels like there has been a lot of winter this past winter so getting away is divine timing.

 

I don't wear button down shirts either. They never fit right...the buttons pull...or if they don't the arm pits hang too low and the shirt tents out and I lose any shape. I've been thinking about this shirt dilemma, because I like the way that knits can fit, and I think it's probably why I like prints so much...but I would like something that could be a bit more flattering. We'll have an office room in our new apt...I'm taking over DS's desk when he takes his desktop to uni...it'll be my sewing desk. I'm really looking forward to doing some projects, trying to figure some things out in the clothing department.

[Member123]

Well. I've been doing quite a bit of thinking about my "wardrobe" and why it's become so difficult for me. I'm come to the conclusion that I've made quite a mess of things, actually.

 

When I was working, I acquired outfits. I went to great lengths to find the ideal accessories for my outfit: the perfect shoes, earrings, not so much a bracelet person, but necklace... even the right, just perfect, shade of lipstick and nail polish. Not kidding! I had a goal to have ten outfits that I could rotate through a two-week work schedule and not appear to be wearing the same thing, over and over. I didn't really worry too much about neutrals and/or capsule wardrobe ideas.

 

Then work ended. And travel began. And then I was looking for a way to make my travel packing easier and my clothing work better for travel activities. And then along came the idea that there were certain colors that are better for me, etc. We all know the drill. So, I started accumulating neutrals and, also, mix-and-match pieces and setting aside certain items as non-wearable UNLESS I was on a cruise. Cause those items were something that made me feel happy to wear and I wanted them to be available to me on a cruise ship and not get messed up by daily wear.

 

So... now I feel like I've got several tops and several bottoms and... while they're actually "OK" to mix-and-match and wear together... they don't really form the OUTFIT that I'm really missing. It's like I'm wearing a top that goes with a bottom... but there's really nothing special about the combination. And, it also doesn't feel complete.

 

But, I can't take a bunch of stuff with me on a cruise. And I don't really have a super busy social life outside of cruising. Maybe at heart, I'm a pretty lazy dresser. I don't want to sit around my house looking like I'm ready to go to the Happy Hour Lounge on ship! And, I don't want to spend a bunch of time fretting about what I'm wearing when I'm working in the kitchen, etc. But, at the same time, I'm really displeased with my closet.

 

So my conclusion is still to wear a LOT of athletic wear during the day. Relaxed yoga tops and bottoms. It's just not at all satisfying... especially lately...

 

[awhfy]

Congratulations Laurie!  So exciting, hope your daughter has an easy pregnancy. 

 

Anita, the shorts are JAG shorts, the bathing suit is a Mirage ($19 at TJMaxx), wish I’d bought 2!  I have 3 pair of Athleta swim shorts, but not with me on this trip

 

Pam,I know exactly what you mean about work wardrobe & accessories & always coordinating. I traveled a lot when I worked (especially the last 10 years). I traveled exclusively with carryon (Les always asks why I don’t do that now!). I’d take 2 suits, 5 tops, 7 scarves, lingerie & 2 pairs of work shoes. I never had time to work out on a work trip so didn’t carry gym clothes. We did this trip in carryon & Les is so happy my color palette was black, white & cobalt blue (except for my green print bathing suit). 

 

Today is Les’s 70th birthday & we’re on the beach our shell is the big one on the center stick. If you put a shell on the tree it’s supposed to mean you will come back. Melody 

[Anita Latte]

Happy Birthday to Les!

 

I've been keeping my nails painted. They are one thing that I really like about my appearance and so I'm putting in the time and effort. When my nails grow out a bit and/or the polish chips, I immediately repaint that evening. As is often the case with such things, doing them about every week means that it doesn't take too long to do them each time. My cuticles are happier and generally the shape is good. I'm getting better and better with my left hand...and I'm able to have fun with the colors and actually use the breadth of my polish collection.

 

Anyway, I wanted to share this color. It's Kiko Milano brand, which I love so much. The color is 68. It's called Pearly Rust online. Iv'e decided that it is a really lovely spring/summer rust color. Normally, such a color is so Autumn, I don't enjoy wearing it at other times of the year. The shine on this one though, it's almost like it brings this rust color into a pink realm, without being pink at all. Very nice Earth color that doesn't scream Fall/Autumn...highly recommend.

 

 

https://www.kikocosmetics.com/en-us/make-up/hands/nail-polishes/Smart-Nail-Lacquer-01/p-KM0040101100144

 

it's the lowest most left color swatch on the second page of colors...

Edited April 17, 2019 by Anita Latte