Strange Animals

Hi all,

We got back to South Africa in early August without too much hassle.  As I wrote, Noah slept well on the plane (there is a G-d) and Lucy happily watched "Despicable Me" five times as we crossed the Atlantic.

The day after we returned, I came downstairs to find Noah on Dorothy's back.  He wasn't napping so well, so she carried him around for a while.

Jet-lagged but enjoying the ride

A few days later, a new recruit arrived in Pretoria to work at the CDC South Africa office.  We acted as his "social sponsor." (The Embassy hooks new folks up with ones that have been around a bit. Hard to believe we've been here almost a year!)  Andrew (moved from Chicago, but hails from LA) will be running a lab here. His partner, David, will be coming over in January.  (You got it. We're taking over!)

 As a little introduction to South Africa, we took Andrew on a hike we read about in our hiking book.   

The book didn't say anything about crossing a river on a self-powered gondola!

 Big surprise... Lucy loved it!

Next up, Adam and Noah.  (Lucy and Andrew reel them in.)

Sending it back for me.  Reminds me of an old People's Express flight I took once to LaGuardia.  (Grandparents, please ignore the slightly fraying rope.)

The highlight of the hike...

As we turned a bend, we came upon a... ZONKEY!  (Yes, a donkey crossed with a zebra.)   Fun, eh?

Noah would like to take it home with us.

 Andrew spots some wildebeest (I think)

 Marching along through the veldt

(Wikipedia:  The term Veld (often spelled Veldt) refers primarily (but not exclusively) to the wide open rural spaces of South Africa or southern Africa and in particular to certain flatter areas or districts covered in grass or low scrub. The word veld comes from the Afrikaans (ultimately from Dutch), literally meaning 'field'. More info.)

 To keep the zonkeys from migrating to Sarasota for the winter, they use fences and ladders.

(Lucy's checking her Blackberry.)

 Adam and Noah prepare to cross the river again to return to our car. (See! There's even a safety chain.) 

 Don't try this at home, kids!

The 2011 Hike with Me Barbie

 We celebrated the completion of our hike with a trip to the mall for gelato.  (Wow, the Safari really does run on desserts.)  Noah somehow missed what we were eating and was fascinated by the train locomotive.  His burgundy pants are all the rage in Milan.

On a slightly different note, August 9 was South African's Women's Day, a national holiday to remember a march by women in 1956 to protest legislation requiring Africans (non-Whites) to carry a "pass" (identification documentation) meant to suppress freedom of movement during Apartheid. We hosted a Women's Day party at our place and some (straight) friends decided to celebrate in their own way.

 Bastian (from Germany and married to a South African woman), Marion (from France and married to an American, who is here with US AID), and Andrew (South African and now at Oxford getting some fancy degree).

 On August 10th, Lucy rode the bus to school for her first day of KINDERGARTEN! 

(If you look closely, you can begin to see the start of the "You're embarrassing me, Dad" phase.)

 Not to be shown up, Noah paid good attention to the cow at Clamber Club (a toddler program we go to on Fridays).

Noah helps clear up some bovine nasal congestion.  (Beats a nettie pot any day.)

Bounce King, indeed.

 Another day we hit a local Saturday market (see Hazel Food Market) where Lucy does her favorite sand art. (It's crazy popular over here.)

Dips in Training

The Embassy hosted a "back to school" braii (barbeque) at the US Community Center.  Here Lucy (front row) and other "mission kids" (as they call them) stand with Ambassador Gips, the US Ambassador to South Africa, who lives in fancy digs right next door.

 As if Lucy would pass up the ice cream

 State Department Tug o War... Girls against the boys.  Who wins?

... Not the boys.

(And yes, I helped out. I took this picture after our inglorious defeat. We do look a bit more youthful, reviewing the footage.)

 Noah carried that balloon around for two hours until I think he popped it by trying to make it a chair.

 Lucy and her Kindergarten friends, Jahi and Kennedy

Lucy and Shadé rule the castle

The Safari, on its home turf, jumps right back into things.  xo
Glenn

Coopers Rock Detour

Hi all,

While we were with Ad's folks in Morgantown (WV), we had a picnic out at Coopers Rock, a pretty spot that overlooks the Cheat River Gorge.  We've been going to Coopers for years, but I just learned that the name comes from a legend about a guy running from the law who hid in the area that is now Coopers Rock. Yes, and?  This guy made (wait for it...) barrels.  A cooper is apparently a maker of casks and barrels. (Who knew? OK, Adam did, but he's a scrabble whiz.)  Supposedly it's a trade that easy travels and he sold his barrels for years to people who lived near the forest. Then he was caught and elected to Congress.

Josh's friend, Kate Chilco, is an artist and great photographer (see her site) and shared these shots with me:

Equal Weights and Measures

(Lucy and Uncle Josh)

Watermelon Man

 Apparently Lucy should have been on the other side

 Swinger

 

Hanging out with Raj

 I can fit in the swing too!

Ballet rehearsal

 Forest Nymph

 Coopers Rock Staff Photographer captures Josh and Raj

The Traveling Wilburys

(Stan, Judy, Ad, Noah, me, Josh, Lucy & Raj)

That wraps up our trip home.  The Safari headed back to the bush.  Apparently we tired out Noah, because quite miraculously he slept for something like nine hours on the plane. And he didn't even have the free Merlot. (Or did he? Now that I think about it, the flight attendant was always so attentive to his bottle...)

xo,
Glenn

Back in the U S of A (Part 3, The Final Frontier)

Hi all,

This is the last chapter of our journey home and then back to Africa we go.

After grabbing delicious bagel sandwiches in Buffalo, we piled into a rental and drove to Morgantown, West Virginia, to see Adam's parents.  (Alas, we have not found good bagels in Pretoria, even though there's a sizable Jewish population here. Pretty good challah, though.  Rumor has it there's a great deli down in Johannesburg. Will research and report back.)

 People like to take walks in Morgantown, and soon after arriving we walked over to Sharon and Avi's house.  Yes, Lucy, we know you want a dog. 

Future Corporate Executive!

(Playing out in the front yard. Apparently a "swimming costume", as they say in S.A., is optional
in the hollows of WV.)

Noah loves Club Med Morgantown

 Noah takes his first bite of Grandma Judy's Chocolate Eclair Cake.
(If you've had it, you know how good it is.)

 What's that you say?  We can't have this for breakfast too?  But it'll go great with 48-grain hot cereal!

Eating, for Noah, is a contact sport.

 Judy decides to just let it go. "We'll hose him off in the backyard, like we did with Josh."

Who wants more?

 We happen to visit during Ad's 25th high school reunion.  He and his school friend, Beth, check to see if they've left anything in their lockers.

Teacher's pet

School's out and we head to Mike Craig's lake house.  (Tough life, I know.)  

 Lucy asseses the situation. Like with most things in life, you just have to jump.

 Tesa (who now happens to live in Buffalo) and her husband, Mike, head out for a cruise.

 Back on the front porch for some homemade Popsicles.

 "Daddy, you have got to try this! The combination of sweet and tart is positively mesmerizing!"

 Grandma Judy keeps an eye on everything, including Beth's daughter. 
(Grandude was in the kitchen prepping dinner, of course.)

Summer lovin'

Historic West Virginia Porch Scene (circa 1930).
Father on steps insists the dust bowl is coming.

 Noah helps straighten up after the big Popsicle Fiesta...
(Those eyes!)

...then heads out for a quick jog up the middle of the street. 
(Like a good African runner, shoes only hold you back.) 

It's hard to keep up with Judy's "Retirement" schedule.  Soon we zipped off to watch her rehearse
with her Steel Drum band.

 Lucy is a quick study.

 Rockin' Out

Another day we head out to Adam and Josh's favorite watering hole, Cheat Lake.

 River Dance

Babes in arms

We spotted a family of butterflies enjoying the lake, too.


Wouldn't be summer without cooking s'mores.
(Well, here we made them on the barbeque grill, but no one seemed to mind.

Uncle Josh and Lucy tangle over the last one

 Can we move here, Dad?  They survive on sweets and quinoa!

We took a trip out to Cooper's Rock, but I'll post those tomorrow using
some great shots taken by the ever talented Kate Chilko.

 Last night...  off to Dairy Queen on High Street.
 (Note to self: Take pictures of things other than the kids eating dessert.)

 Noah starts to get the hang of how to eat a cone.

What is this magical substance and do they have it in South Africa, the boy wonders.

Rested and full (and hopefully no cavities), the Safari packs up and decides what would really be fun is a 16 hour flight home.  (But it's really not that bad.  Free alcohol!  Come visit.)

xo,
Glenn