Here is what one takes on a ride in a balloon in the early morning in Tanzania. Lots of photos and binoculars and looking. Still not something I would ever consider doing. My friend, Mike, did it and said it was a very peaceful feeling.
I was lucky enough to spot 7 Black Rhinos; the most of anyone on our safari. This was actually a female with her 3 year old offspring. I was the one in our Land Rover to spot them first too. What a great find! Lots of jealous folks when we got back to camp and told the rest what our vehicle had found. They are very endangered in Tanzania due to all the poaching that goes on. Very sad! The name Black Rhino has nothing to do with color, but rather the shape of the mouth. The mouth of this rhino is narrow whereas the white rhino has a wide mouth. They have very poor eyesight, but have wonderful senses of smell and hearing. As you can see, mud bathing is a favorite way to spend a hot afternoon.
Here is where my granddaughter, Brooke, is happiest spending her spare time – on the back of a horse. I so wish that she lived out in the country so that she could do some riding more often. She is riding my horse, Disco, here and that is 37 year old Chris in the background. Happy early Birthday, Brooke. I know your birthday is really February 9, but it doesn’t hurt to start celebrating early. These were iphone shots courtesy of Grandpa Walter.
This mother/child pair of Zebras were enjoying a brief rest from the hot afternoon sun. They certainly have lots of beautiful pasture and are in excellent shape. It really bothers me to see pictures of these gorgeous animals hunted down for their hides. I guess that is because they look so much like a horse.
Here we have the bridegroom, in the first two photos, at the Masai wedding partaking in the ceremonial drinking of blood from the freshly killed goat’s neck. The bride, earlier, drank blood from a cup. The Masai of Tanzania consume blood of cattle on a regular basis, which is let from the live animal and then the wound is allowed to heal. It  is mixed with milk or yogurt.  They do not eat the meat from cattle, except on very special occasions. The goat here was roasted for the wedding celebration after the blood letting. The two last shots are of other warriors partaking in the festivities.
This was one of the first family groups of lions that we saw at Arusha National Park. They look like they are out for a morning stroll.
There is nothing better than sourdough pancakes for your birthday breakfast when you turn 4. Love the inclusion of candles too. I asked Gage what shape his pancakes were and he said they were round, like what other shape could they be. Those boys can put away an unbelievable amount of pancakes if they are sourdough ones. That is a starter that I have had for 45 years and who knows how long it had been going when I received it. It is a milk based one, so is extra nutritious. Thanks again for the photo sharing, Tiffany.
Today is my granddaughter’s 11th Birthday celebration. Here are some pretty flowers for your special day. An iphone photo.
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