Wednesday, May 9th...Levi and I made it back to California....arriving in Los Angeles earlier than anticipated because our original plane out of Dulles was cancelled due to mechanical problems....we just barely were able to catch the earlier flight out, almost missing it because we had to have our shoes dipped.... we arrived in Los Angles, but the luggage did not make the flight. We arrived at the family beach cottage in Sunset Beach around noon....completely exhausted, but so far gone, it was next to impossible to relax enough to take a nap!! (we had been up for about 50 hours at that point). Our luggage arrived at our door just before 10 p.m....can't tell you how excited we were to stay awake for the luggage!!! We are trying to get back on a regular routine for sleep etc.....will probably take a few days. We continue to take our malaria pills and will do so for a full week after our return. We are on the mend from thorny bush punctures and scratches, bruises, and only a few bug bites. We will get back track over Mother's Day weekend, then head north back to work. We will add some more photos of our trip. Hope those of you that have read this blog, might post a comment after we have added more photos on Friday. We enjoyed hearing from some of you as we composed this blog.

Photos of Levi's 6 Trophys: Zebra, Warthog,Waterbuck, Impala, Wildebeest and Nyala.

Monday, May 7th.....Up at 4:30 a.m. so we could meet the tour guide at 6am by our main gate that would take us (with Chris) to Kruger Park. The park I was told is the size of Denmark. We only traversed a small portion, but were blessed to see many unique animals at the right time. We came across lions,watching from 30 feet as they mated!!! We watched hippos for about ten minutes that were mostly submerged laying on a muddy bank, then all of a sudden, one came to his feet........WOW!!!!!! We saw two elephants, one eating grass, and the other stripping leaves off trees with it's trunk. We took photos of many other animals and fowl. We returned to camp by 5 pm. We had our final gathering by the campfire with Chris, our PH and Ernest Dyason the head honcho for Spear Safari. We had Nyala, that Levi had shot, and Cape Buffalo for dinnerYUMMY!!!!!! We spent the last night in the tent cabin with all the flaps up as usual so that we could one last time soak in the beauty of our last African night. We leave tomorrow to start our long journey back to California, arriving on Wednesday the 9th at 12:58pm in Los Angeles... Then on to the Beach House in Sunset for Mothers Day. I am pretty sure we will need a nap!!!!

Sunday, May 6th....Franklin bird did not wake us up at daybreak today.....maybe he takes Sunday's off. We are on the road again. Came across a fast moving black momba snake, (the mamba can raise itself up off the ground by 2/3rds leaning forward to strike chest or face level....usually gives the victim less than 30 minutes to live). We also saw leopard tracks that showed signs that he was dragging a small animal, another imprint on the ground that looked like where a cheetah laid down. Heading back to camp we spotted a Nyala and took it. The kudu still eludes us. We will go back out at 2 pm after the midday snooze for our last hunt. I told the PH I was looking forward to smooth roads. You would not believe the terrain we have been driving through!!! Back out again we came across a Secretary Bird.....funniest looking thing you ever saw.....you will enjoy the photos. We only saw kudu cows, so we will just have to return!!!! Found a large dung beetle attched to the barbed wire fencing "bug on the barbee" for a snack for the bird that put it there.

Saturday, May 5th......HAPPY BIRTHDAY DESIREE!!!!!!
We slept in until 5:45 this morning. After our quick bite,we loaded up and moved out. Almost immediately we came across some monster Kudu. I was able to get some photos then we were told we could go after the Kudu......a little complicated story...we had a very short window of opportunity and the animal doesn't wait around for executive decisions....that one got away. Levi just got his first warthog. We have just arrived back at camp for brunch. We have been so blessed with the weather. We are sitting in a shaded area in comfy camp cairs, blue sky...billowy white clouds and a pleasant breeze. I have seen many things I have not taken photos of, like the giraffe towering over a tree, eating from from the top like a salad bowl. I did photograph a whole lot of fire ants on a mission.....they had raided a termite nest and were taking home the "spoils" ie termites they killed crossing the road in frontof us....again survival of the fittest...we must have flattened a few as we passed by. We also tore into a termite mound.....you would not believe the size of the soldier ants. I also tweeked my back yesterday....made getting into the back of the vehicle more difficult. I also chose a bush for a comfort break yesterday, not realizing I was standing on an ant hill. I found out afterI got back in the car and one bit me on my arm....yes that littl"b" DIED!!!!!! Then we had to get the rest of the ants off of me. We went out again in the afternoon, but just could not come across Mr. Kudu. The excitement began again as we sat around the campfire. All of a sudden we heard the roar of lions, crashing and thrashing and what was either a cape buffalo or a wildebeest being taken down very close by. Then all was quiet. A few minutes later we heard the lions roaring again, calling the pride to feast on their kill. We heard the lions a few more times during the night.

Friday, May 4th...We returned to the reserve where we found the Water Buck.....went back to the scenic lunch stop we enjoyed the day earlier, had our picnic lunch, threw mattresses down on the deck gazed at the clouds moving above and took our siesta. Up and back on the trail, Levi was able to take his BlueWildebeest. When we were almost back to our camp we came across a large herd of Cape Buffalo.....what luck to see such a spectacular sight!!! We had the usual cocktails, dinner and campfire before turning in.

Thursday, May 3rd we left this morning to hunt in another reserve. Levi got a mature zebra. We then had a picnic lunch at a lodge overlooking a huge vista. Spectacular view!!!!!!Late, late, too late, Levi shot a Water Buck. The PH is extremely impressed with Levi's skill with his rifle. We returned to camp and had impala filets....FANTASTIC!!!!!

Wednesday,May 2nd......we got up even earlier this morning to
start the hunt. Levi was two for two (two impala). We returned
to camp to eatmhad a short break then we left to hunt in a
different reserve. The vegetation was even thicker.....if the
animals were there, you could not see them with the exception of
the troups of warthogs that would dash across your line of sight
with their tails straight up!!!! We returned to camp and
immediately heard of a pride of lions not far that we could go
see. We took a well deserved hot shower and then got back in
our vehicle. When we arrived, the PH used his spotlight to
shine on them. The male with his large mane watched us as we
came within fifteen feet of him. I started to stand to take
pictures but was quickly told to sit.....if you sit, they think
you are part of the vehicle and less likely to have you for a
snack. He watched us along with two younger males and a female
(3 year old sibblings). Got lots of great photos but a bit of
adrenaline on the move as you can imagine. We didn't want to
"BE" dinner!!!!! The PH told us the other females were out
getting dinner for the family and that we would hear the lions
call to each other when "dinner" was ready. Returned to
camp....coctails ,dinner, campfire then to sleep listening to the
different sounds of an African night....including two times
hearing the lions...."starter and entree." We heard there
preferred animals are zebra and wildebeest. They will attack
and eat anything including giraffes and cape buffalo.

Tuesday, May 1st... Actually, it is Friday and I am filling inthe data for the blog as Levi, Chris, the PH, and two tracker sare out looking for a Water Buck. I am sitting in the back of our open air safari jeep, using my cell phone....no computer, so this is a bit tedious. Actually surprised our cell phones are working in this area. So, back to Tuesday. We were awakened at 6 a.m. Had coffee and toast. We were out on the hunt by 7 a.m. (the daily itinerary is to be out hunting usually by 6:30am,come back to camp around 11:00am, have brunch, take a nap until 2pm, hunt again until 6pm, return to camp for cocktails around the campfire, then have dinner). I will tell you we have missed our naps the last couple days. Still on Tuesday...we saw so many incredible animals.. giraffes of all sizes, including one that still had it's umbilical cord attached....a Rhino that we thought was standing up at about 50 feet, then he STOOD UP!!!....also sawjackels, lions, Kudu,Njala,Duikers, Hippos, Steenbock, several wart hogs (bottom of foodchain), Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, CapeBuffalo, Ververt Monkeys,and Impala, we also saw several species of birds....yellow billedhornbill, grey loerie, vultures, glossy starlings that are blue and bats. We returned to camp. We did see an outstanding waterbuck, but Levi decided to wait and take the animals we came for first.

April 30th, Monday....We barely made it out of Johannesburg on a prop plane because after all the scrutiny of the documentation for the rifle, there was an extra 5 on the barrel that had been missed up to that point!!!!! Hard to believe, but true. We were met at Palabora Airport by Chris, our (PH) Professional Hunter. Arriving at Camp Thornybush (and believe me they know what a thorny bush looks like)!!!!! We now have the holes to prove it!!!!! We met the owners, Ernest and Marita Dyason...we have visited in Reno with them the last two years. We sat around the campfire for a bit, had dinner then adjourned to our tent cabinto listen to all the different creatures, large and small...furry and feathered.