Where Am I?

I am in Africa, Duh! This week's FS weekly roundup theme is "A picture from where you are now" and it is being hosted by Becky at Small Bits. Make sure to click over there on Friday to see all the cool locations people where people are both mentally and physically. You may notice a ribbon of pink running through the photos this week. The pink is in honor of Jen Dinoia, a busy mom who decided to celebrate breast cancer awareness month (October) by getting diagnosed with breast cancer while her husband was serving an unaccompanied tour in the middle-east. I honestly can't imagine anything worse. Cyberbones has followed Diplopundit's example and gone pink in honor of Jenn. Today's post will be my contribution to the roundup, but first I bring you this public service announcement:

To the males in my household who delight in leaving this in every dark corner:


You are not nearly as funny as you think you are! If this continues we will see how funny you find braised chicken feet and stewed tomatoes and okra for dinner. Just Saying! Now back to our regularly scheduled post.

When I was a kid I desperately wanted to go to Africa. I loved watching documentaries about Jane Goodall. I wanted to go live with the chimpanzees too. I never missed an episode of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom unless I was grounded. How many of you are now humming the theme song? "Mu-tu-al of Oooo-ma-ha is people you can count on when the going's hard" My favorite episodes were always the ones about Africa. I could see deer and raccoons out my door in my own fields but I just couldn't imagine walking out the door and seeing an elephant. How cool would that be?

Jump forward a few decades. We get posted to Africa. *SQEEEE!* Then we get here. In the first week the electricity goes out constantly, tiles fell off the wall in the kitchen, we ran out of water, the shower in the master bath (still) doesn't work, and the only animals out my door seem to be big a** spiders. YIKES! This was not the Africa I dreamed of. It is a dust coated, mosquito infested let down of enormous proportions.

Last weekend we went on safari. While hanging out in the pool staring out over the Luangwa River I began to fall just a little bit in love with Africa again. Suddenly I can remember why as a kid I thought Africa was the coolest place on Earth.

This pool is the perfect place to fall in love with Africa. Just steps away from the bar (11 steps, I counted!) it is calm, peaceful, relaxing and WOW! what a view!

Elephants! You wouldn't believe how long it took them to get up the nerve to walk down to the water. You would think something that big would be a lot less jumpy.

Impalas and baboons

Crowned cranes and sacred ibis

Pink baby baboon ears!

And yes they were very, very close to the pool.

How cute is that baby?!?

The pink of the sunset