Pretty bird, pretty bird

The periquitos now visit us daily.  They grow fat on the chestnuts that remain on the ground while they flit and flutter about in a little group.  Pablo and I are constantly saying to one another, “Oh look, the periquitos are back!”  They are like another addition to our family.  We watch them through our kitchen window and try to sneak up on them to take a nice photo of their colorful plumage.  With the birds singing their songs and the days getting ever so slightly longer it feels like spring might not be too far off.

Happy 4th of July to my countrymen!  While we didn’t shoot off any fireworks nor sing any teary-eyed patriotic songs, we did enjoy the evening with friends while watching the final game of the Copa America... ganó Chile!!

Happy Father’s Day!!

I am very sorry that I am able to spend today with my dad.  No doubt we would play at the lake and sit on the porch and have a nice chat.  But, due to the many thousands of miles between us, I just don’t think that is feasible.  So, instead, I would like to send my dad a little gift… a happy puppy story!

You know who came to greet me this past Saturday?  Three little fur balls.  And before you get concerned that I have introduced yet more animals into my bite-sized house.  Fear not.  These cuties belong to the neighbor…

Just a few weeks ago as Pablo and I were driving into town, we spotted not one, not two, but five tiny puppies that had been abandoned on our road.  Of course, my first instinct was to grab a box and bring the pups home.  But then I was kindly reminded of a few felines on house arrest and the likely cat-astrophe that would ensue if they were subjected to yet more furry friends.  So, with tears in our eyes, we had to pass those puppies and hope that someone else with a kind heart and a large house would be able to take them in.  And, as luck would have it, that person turned out to be our neighbor!  Of the five pups, two now have new homes and for now the other three are being happily spoiled by the neighbor kids… and by us.  It is impossible not to smile with a puppy around.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

My muse has returned!  (Can a muse be male, or would the male version be muso, or macho, or mi hombre carajo??)

Pablo finally made it back on Saturday afternoon after two entire days of return travel thanks to engine trouble, delays, snow... you know, all the good stuff.  We spent the rest of the weekend just enjoying being at home together.  We picked some blueberries to make jam and muffins, we continued to feed the neighbor's bunnies, and we enjoyed chasing chickens around the yard together.  Everything's always more fun when you're two.  

We seem to have reached the tail end of summer.  The grass is dry and brown, the days are starting to get a bit shorter, the apples and plums on our trees are ripe for the picking, and now we are putting the blanket back on the bed at night.  Fall is just around the corner, I can't wait!

Could someone please tell me, what is the deal with all of the attractive animals lounging around Istanbul?  In every park and green space we saw tons of large decently cleaned dogs just basking in the sun.  Obviously well-fed cats sauntered around every street corner.  What are these guys doing?  If they are street-animals, why do they look so clean and act so sweet?  Do the dogs belong to the guards of the surrounding monuments or (this is horrible but it did cross my mind) are they drugged and left in parks as some sort of tourist attraction/ novelty?  They just seem so sleepyyyyy...

Street-animals most certainly do not look like this in Saudi.  While we have an abundance of scrawny one-eyed feral cats (two of which I brought home and are now not so scrawny), I don't think I have ever seen a street-dog in Saudi and really I don't think I have ever seen wild dogs anywhere that seem quite so lovable.  Animals of Istanbul, you are my kryptonite.

more photos below
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Valentines Day Adventure: Part IV

I am a sucker for ungulates.  Giraffes, horses, donkeys, camels, dromedary, unicorns, whatever, I love them.  Like a little kid with a puppy, I feel compelled to chase them, pet them, cuddle them.  Unfortunately, sometimes they do not feel the same.  I come closer, they walk further.  I walk further, they walk even further.  And the consequence of this is that when they flee, they leave behind things that get stuck in my shoes.

It is worth it though, one day, I will catch me one.

pups

I wish I could say that the reason that I have been a bit MIA the past couple of days is because I have been too busy cuddling puppies, but unfortunately that is not the case.  I left these cute little fur balls in Colombia.  On the farm, there were six of these brand new pups.  The picture of me holding the one is them at about 2 weeks old, the picture above is them at about one month.  The grow so fast!  When I left Colombia they were just starting to open their eyes and waddle around a little.  Now they are running and jumping all over one another.  Life can just pass you by if you don't pay attention.

I Spy

Safari Part II

Safari Part I

What do you do if you find yourself in Tanzania with a day to kill before hiking up Kilimanjaro?  Go to Arusha National Park!!!  While you won't find any big predatory cats here, this little park is loaded with herbivores that just love to have their picture taken.  Via our hotel, we were put in contact with Daniel, the owner/ founder/ guide of Creation Wonders, who took us an awesome tour of the park.  While driving around in our sweet, ancient Land Rover, Daniel shared tons of information with us about the biology of the animals we were seeing, the history of the park, and the culture and politics of Tanzania.  We snapped up our photos of giraffes chewing their cud, wharthogs rooting in the mud, and zebras doing whatever it is that zebras do.  It was awesome.  Animals in the wild are so much cooler than in the zoo!!

For those of you at home that want a little bit of Safari in your lives, might I suggest these two flicks:

get out of the city and into the wild!!

by far my new most favorite movie!!

Also, a note on Safari Tour Operators:  While having lunch with Daniel, he told us about the struggles that he is facing in creating/ operating his business.  The Tanzanian government charges each guiding company $5,000 in start up fees/ licensing and $2,000/ year to register tour cars.  For Expat owned giant companies like Leopard Tours, which has hundreds of cars, these fees are nothing.  To a Tanzanian local like Daniel, who operates Creation Wonders with his two brothers and with just three cars, these fees are insane.  Soooo... if you ever think of going to Tanzania for Safari, do your research first and try to pick a local tour operator.  I would be more than happy to give you Creation Wonders contact details if you are interested and you can go on Safari with Daniel to Arusha, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, etc!!