Wednesday, October 05, 2005
May!-CATCHING UP
May was a great month. It seems so far away…Yes…It was the last time I posted anything significant.
An incredible designer, a successful landscape architect and former professor of mine at Texas A&M University came to work and visit for four months. At **years old…Don Austin is an inspiration. He was an accompanying professor during my semester in Italy and one of my academic advisors. His story is too long to even try to summarize—but I’ll tell you this—he’s still writing chapters in his life. It was great to visit with him and his wife Maria and for those who ever ate Maria’s food—she’s a wonder.
So, Don, Maria and I visited much, drank many a glass of wine (just Don and I) and ate many good meals. Don and Maria have been coming annually to South Africa for the past 5 years or so and for a few months of the year they connect with more people than the average person might in several decades.
On May 21, we all went to Addo Elephant Park. The accommodation was incredible and despite being warned about the 2 hour safaris, Don decided it would be the best way to see the park. Yep, I saw some buck, a warthog, a secretary bird…and ELEPHANTS!!
I’ve never seen elephants like this before. Absolutely indescribable…graceful, intelligent, and very social—just an attempt. Our tour guide turned onto a road where a mother and her family were crossing…They watched us as we watched them, the tour could have stopped there…but after spotting a heard on the hillside, our guide drove us to a private (restricted access) mud hole. There we watched as family after family came and cooled down.
We stayed for an hour as she described the ritual, the family politics and the maternal side of the hierarchy. Each family was run by a mother, who took care of the young ones. Elephants played, they pushed each other in the mud, there was a confrontation as a young bull was confronted by a female…As each ‘family’ approached the mud hole, the elephants would communicate…those in the mud hole would wallow for a little while longer and then together they would all leave…and the next family in line would get all muddy.
200-300 elephants…You would think that would make a racket. All you could hear was mud and movement. No thuds, no big noises, just quietness…
Besides the pictures posted, all I have to offer is a small video clip. If you’re interested you have to email me and I’ll try to send it to as many people at one time as I can.
May…it seems like a long time ago.
An incredible designer, a successful landscape architect and former professor of mine at Texas A&M University came to work and visit for four months. At **years old…Don Austin is an inspiration. He was an accompanying professor during my semester in Italy and one of my academic advisors. His story is too long to even try to summarize—but I’ll tell you this—he’s still writing chapters in his life. It was great to visit with him and his wife Maria and for those who ever ate Maria’s food—she’s a wonder.
So, Don, Maria and I visited much, drank many a glass of wine (just Don and I) and ate many good meals. Don and Maria have been coming annually to South Africa for the past 5 years or so and for a few months of the year they connect with more people than the average person might in several decades.
On May 21, we all went to Addo Elephant Park. The accommodation was incredible and despite being warned about the 2 hour safaris, Don decided it would be the best way to see the park. Yep, I saw some buck, a warthog, a secretary bird…and ELEPHANTS!!
I’ve never seen elephants like this before. Absolutely indescribable…graceful, intelligent, and very social—just an attempt. Our tour guide turned onto a road where a mother and her family were crossing…They watched us as we watched them, the tour could have stopped there…but after spotting a heard on the hillside, our guide drove us to a private (restricted access) mud hole. There we watched as family after family came and cooled down.
We stayed for an hour as she described the ritual, the family politics and the maternal side of the hierarchy. Each family was run by a mother, who took care of the young ones. Elephants played, they pushed each other in the mud, there was a confrontation as a young bull was confronted by a female…As each ‘family’ approached the mud hole, the elephants would communicate…those in the mud hole would wallow for a little while longer and then together they would all leave…and the next family in line would get all muddy.
200-300 elephants…You would think that would make a racket. All you could hear was mud and movement. No thuds, no big noises, just quietness…
Besides the pictures posted, all I have to offer is a small video clip. If you’re interested you have to email me and I’ll try to send it to as many people at one time as I can.
May…it seems like a long time ago.
