St. Patrick's Day - Garden chores - delicious tea.

Sunrise this morning was accompanied by the loud hooting of a Barred owl in a tree right outside the bedroom window - it was an amazing sound. I opened the window hoping to see it but didn't. If you open this link you can click on owl sounds - the one I heard today was definitely the Barred owl.

https://www.audubon.org/news/learn-identify-five-owls-their-calls

I don't know where time goes. This past weekend the sunshine and temperatures were perfect and enabled us to spend a lot of time working in the garden. Blossom trees are opening, magnolia and camellias are beautiful right now. 

We were pruning and cleaning out flower beds of remaining fallen leaves. It became so warm on Sunday that I had to change into a short sleeved top. That resulted in scratched arms from the rose bushes, and from helping Bob cut out what had become a huge juniper, which had met its demise! Now there's more light for azalea bushes that will soon be in bloom, and later the summer flowering plants in that area.  

Sometimes life is just full of wonderful surprises. They don't have to be huge, over the top, or magnanimous. . . . . such as the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes Prize Patrol Dispatch arriving at your front door smothering you in balloons and bouquets of roses, holding a giant facsimile of a check with lots of zeros and YOUR NAME emblazoned across it!  

A gentle, elegant, fragrant surprise from across the pond popped up in the mail a couple of days ago!  More of the famous, and only, tea grown in the UK on the Tregothnan Estate in Cornwall arrived in my mailbox on Monday from blog friend Barbara at Small Moments. She also spoiled me with two truly gorgeous antique French embroidered napkins which I love. 

So today is St. Patrick's Day and sadly, for the second year in a row, there are no parades, no visits to local 'Irish' pubs for a drink with a bunch of cheery friends, or an Irish inspired meal. We will wear something green. We will chat with each other about our two fabulous visits to Ireland a couple of years back, and raise a glass together. We are playing our High Kings music CD, recalling our fun time when we met them on a sunny day in Galway. Bob will remember his Irish ancestors from County Kerry, and I will celebrate having my own live-in, life-sized leprechaun!!!!!

Erin go Bragh - and a happy day to you all.

Promise of a new day. . . . . . .

The sunrise can be beautiful but fleeting.

Here in the garden I was just in time to take a 

photo of this female Cardinal in the fig tree

this morning. . . . . . . the sun illuminating her 

feathers and turning them to gold.

One more quick snap and I caught the magnolia 

in the early sunlight. . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . and the first of the tulips not yet eaten by visiting deer!!!

I have a feeling my tulips may disappoint this year.

Sunrise on Sunday. . . . . .

I've rarely seen such a magnificent sunrise off to the east across the garden.

My best sunrise memories are from Autumn mornings at the coast, viewed from a 

high floor hotel balcony. Watching the sun creep up from the horizon, throw

 down a golden carpet and unroll it across the pewter ocean, sometimes all the way

 to tide line along the beach, is breathtaking.

This morning's surprise came close. I grabbed the camera and dashed outside.

Sunrise or sunset. . . . . they are always too brief.

Thankfully, the ancient mariner's rhyme, 'red sky at morning sailor's warning' 

 forecasting rain, isn't expected. Here, the entire day looks close to perfect. 

At last we can enjoy true Autumn weather. . . . . . . this morning I actually

 felt quite a chill in the air, and I welcomed it.

Sunrise ~ 7:20 AM today

Have a special Sunday wherever you are.

Carolina Beach Sunrise. . . . . . . . .

I set the alarm for 6:30 am this morning not wanting to miss the chance 

to take sunrise photos. At first I was not sure of catching a perfect sunrise, the

 clouds were heavy, almost threatening. 

Within 15 minutes all changed. . . . . . . . for the better.

There were a few early beach walkers, a trawler followed by gulls and pelicans,

 beautiful cloud patterns, and finally the golden rays of the sun falling across the

 ocean making a path to the shoreline.

Imagine what you would miss if you slept in at the coast!

The perfect 'glitter path' - I didn't know until now that there was a name for

 this beautiful pathway across the water.

All photos taken today 6:30-7:15 am - from our 10th floor balcony.

A Morning on the Maasai Mara. . . . . . . . . . . .

Rise and shine!

It's dark with a definite chill in the air.

A stiff breeze billows the linen curtains covering the meshed tent walls.

One almost feels as if floating on a sailing ship.

There's nothing quite like the early morning on Kenya's Maasai Mara.

Your wake-up comes via the 5:30 AM requested delivery of tea, coffee to

hot chocolate at your tent entrance. The Maasai smiles and hands you a tray.

Peering through the canvas it's black as ink outside and the morning noises

 are muffled. A few early birds start to call. China clinks from the nearby kitchen tent,

and fragrant food smells waft through the air.

The monkeys and bush babies who played on your roof through the night are gone.

 The lions have stopped roaring, and hippo grunting has ceased.

By 6:15 AM you are washed (too cold to shower, that comes in the warmer afternoon)

 and warmly dressed. Louder birds call as the hippos slide back into the small

 river behind and below the tent. A tiny lizard runs up the outside

of the canvas walls. You can just make out a line of wildebeest crossing nearby as

the sky shows a narrow line of light on the horizon.

You gather your hat, scarf, day-pack, and most important your camera, flash your

 torch, step outside and zip up your tent flaps. 

Immediately a guard armed with just a machete appears from nearby

 bushes - where he has watched out for your safety through the night - to

accompany you on the short walk to the main tent. There are prints and droppings

 along the soft ground - usually hippo, and once a giraffe, they often visit at night,

 Your friends and guide are waiting. Skipping breakfast, which is there if you want it,

 you know your bush breakfast will be packed in the vehicle ready to enjoy

 when the sun is up and after you've seen some wonderful things. . . . . . . 

such as these. . . . . . . . . .all taken on the morning game drive.

Along the north and east boundaries of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, 
much of the cattle-grazing areas have been converted into wildlife conservancies. 
In these exclusive sanctuaries, the Maasai landowners (each own a small tract of
 unfenced ranch land) now benefit from safari tourism by agreeing to joint land use,
 and lease agreements with safari camp operators who pay their partners an
 annual rent and a daily fee for each visitor.  

Minor troubles aside, the conservancy model has been a huge success for both
 the Maasai landowners and the wildlife which has steadily adjusted, finding more
 safe havens where humans pose only a limited threat and the environment is
 returning to a state of healthy balance.

Conservancies have a limited number of smaller camps which are exclusive to
 their guests. They are permitted to take them into the National Reserve
 however conservancies do not permit safari travelers staying in larger camps
 and lodges to enter conservancies. All of this means more focus on conservation
 and more successful community integration.

Our ten day stay was at the seven tent Mara Plains in the Olare Motorogi
 Conservancy. There the benchmark has been set for sustainable Mara tourism
 in the conservancies, the limit being  just 12 tents per camp and at
 least 3 square kilometers of game viewing land per tent.

By the time the sun is fully risen, life on the Mara is wide awake.

 Driving across the golden landscape, with sweeping views across the plains,

 one felt privileged to be in one of the world's most magnificent wildlife havens. 

A relaxing day in camp. . . . . . . . . .

Topi antelope at sunrise 

At Mara Plains camp, the main thrust for most guests is of course getting

 out on early morning game drives, prior to sunrise, to view animals as they wake. 

Lions are especially active at that time. . . . .this cub below, one of three siblings,
 was anxious to start playing with mom as soon as it was light.

Armed with nothing more threatening than a camera and binoculars, and clothing
 layers which can be peeled off as the day warms up, we were ready to go by
 6:15 am with sunrise around 6:30 am.

Life in the bush hums with the quiet sounds of rustling in the very cool morning air.

 The bulky lumbering hippos have retreated to the river . . . . . one night they were

 within a couple of yards of our tent, grunting and snorting, a security guard, one 
of several Maasai who patrol the camp overnight, explained to me just how
 big and how close the next morning.

 A large monitor lizard creeps through the undergrowth, and one morning a monkey

 comes up the steps to check out my boots.

 Grunting, snorting, screeching, calling, and of course roaring, seems to occur

 mostly at night. Yes, nights in Africa are often quite noisy as the big cats and

 nocturnal animals go about their lives in the inky darkness outside the safety

 of the tent. Bush babies scurried and screeched across the canvas roof jolting
 us from sound sleep, making a lot of noise on several nights.

As day breaks, many loud birds become natural alarm clocks as they sit in

 the trees outside, awaiting the sun. They are the only ones you really need to

 get you moving. If you've also scheduled a 'wake up call' - and there are no phones -

 a tall, lean Maasai arrives at the tent flaps, tray in hand with coffee, tea or chocolate,

 with a cheery "good morning" and brilliant smile, making you feel instant warmth

 despite a definite chill in the air at 5:30 am.

The morning I took these photos, Bob and I had a free day to roam the camp

 and take things easy. Paula and Tirian had business to attend to at his community

 where we had already visited, so we opted to stay back, rest our backs from those

 rough rides, and enjoy leisurely breakfast and lunch and chat with staff and other guests. 

There are just seven tents at Mara Plains and 14 guests or less. 

The camp managers, husband and wife team Ken and Michelle, are from Australia. 

They are also wildlife photographers and photo safari leaders when not working as

 camp staff - they are really great at all they do and were a lot of fun.

The entire staff, mostly from the Maasai tribe, were friendly and accommodating, 

nothing being too much trouble.

Working with just solar-powered appliances in the kitchen yet still turning out very

 good food, beautiful fresh linens for bed and table, plenty of hot water, doing our 

laundry, lighting all spaces, and even supplying hairdryers (low voltage but they do

 the job) etc. is not easy. Makes one think again about how we are spoiled just

 flipping a switch and having unlimited electricity. Only the Internet gave us a few

 problems, at times slow or unavailable - but not really missed as we were there for

 more important things!

More pics of the interior of our tent - you have to agree that it's quite plush, and the

 bed was so comfortable, especially crawling under the covers after a busy day and 

finding the cozy leopard print covered hot water bottles waiting.

A couple of chilly, windy nights we requested the exterior canvas be dropped to calm 

the blowing linen drapes, but mostly just enjoyed the night air and sounds around us.

If you're wondering about the sisal doormat at the tent entrance, it's placed over

 the zipper closures at all times to prevent monkeys from entering - yes they know

 how to work zippers, but apparently not how to move heavy doormats!

We were interested in the history the wood used for steps and floors at the the camp. Apparently they are made from recycled railroad ties from Zambia.

Library at Mara Plains

Wildebeest grazing

Yes, a lovely day in camp - late breakfast in the sunshine looking out onto the open plains.

On other mornings breakfast was in the bush either packed and served by our guide

Tirian or, on two occasions, driven out and cooked for us by a chef and assistant in 

special spots in the bush. . . . . . . more on that in another post! 

Mara lions from sunrise to sunset. . . . . . . . .

Up early this morning for another spectacular day in Kenya.

It's hard to show you here just how amazing the Maasai Mara landscape is.

Very different from the other African countries I've visited on wildlife safaris. 

Much more open, with fewer trees and vegetation therefore game drives become

hours of animal viewing. The most incredible lion sightings have been nonstop,

starting before dawn - we are out of camp by

6:15 am each day - and lasting until sunset just before 7 pm.

Internet continues to be sporadic and slow, takes a while to load photos,
 so for this post I'll just share some of my shots of the Mara lions and
 lionesses. . . . . . . .and some adorable cubs.

Sunrise

This is how close lions often come

to the vehicle - that's the guide's

seatbelt in front of me!

Dear old Mohawk - more about him later.

Sunset - on our arrival evening - with a few of

the thousands of wildebeest we've seen.

Enjoy these beautiful big cats - and there will be more!