DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS FEBRUARY 19, 2011,
THIS HAS BEEN A SPECIAL WEEK FOR US DOWN HERE IN SOUTH AFRICA. WE HAVE A LOT OF SPECIAL TIMES TOGETHER, BUT SOME HAVE ATTACHED SOME GREAT MEMORIES AS THIS WEEK HAS. MONDAY , OUR DAY OF TO TAKE CARE OF PERSONAL THINGS, WE WENT DOWN TO ESCORT WHICH IS ABOUT AN HOUR FROM LADYSMITH AND VISITED A GLASS FACTORY AND TOOK A TOUR OF HOW THEY MAKE GLASS FROM THE START TO THE FINISHED PRODUCT. THOSE GLASS COVERS OVER SOME BATHROOM LIGHTS ARE HAND MADE ONE AT A TIME IN THIS PLACE WITH SOMEONE TAKING HOT GLASS OUT OF THE FURNACE AND THEN BLOW THREW A TUBE TO GET IT STARTED THEN PUT INTO A MOLD TO MAKE THEM SMOOTH, THEN BAKE AND AT THE OTHER END OF THE BAKE THEY PACK THEM INTO BOXES. IF THEY DON'T FIT OVER THE LIGHT BULB THEY JUST THROW THEM IN BIG BOX TO BREAK AND RUN IT THROUGH THE PROCESS AGAIN. THE TOUR WAS ABOUT AN HOUR AND THEN WE DID SOME SHOPPING, BUT WE HAVE TO REMIND OURSELVES THAT WE CAN'T TAKE A LOT OF THINGS HOME AFTER OUR MISSION SO THAT LIMITS US ON BUYING.
BACK TO MISSION WORK ON TUESDAY WITH A ZONE DEVELOPMENT MEETING UP IN NEWCASTLE AND KEYBOARD ON THE WAY HOME. WEDNESDAY WE WENT UP TO DUNDEE TO WORK ON OUR HUMANITARIAN PROJECT, NEEDED TO GET A LIST OF CONTRACTORS FROM THE MUNICIPALITY. THEY HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL AND GOT THE LIST FOR US, I ASKED OUR GO TO GUY TO MARK THREE FOR ME TO START WITH. ANYWAY THE GUY THAT GOT US THE LIST INTRODUCED US TO A FRIEND THAT HAPPENED TO BE IN THE BUILDING AND THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE US A BID ON THE PROJECT. OTHER THINGS HAPPENED AND THINGS ARE FALLING INTO PLACE. WE RETURNED TO LADYSMITH FOR KEYBOARD IN THE AFTERNOON AND SOME PAPERWORK.
THURSDAY WE WENT TO A GAME RESERVES ABOUT 30 MINUTES FROM LADYSMITH FOR TWO DAYS AND NIGHTS. WE DO GET TO PLAN THINGS WHERE WE CAN GET AWAY FOR A SHORT TIME. WELL THIS IS WHERE THE PAMPERING STARTED AND DIDN'T FINISH UNTIL WE LEFT TODAY. WE ARRIVED ON THURSDAY AT NOON, PARKED OUR CAR IN A COVERED AREA AND SOMEONE FROM THE LODGE CAME AND PICKED US UP IN A COVERED VEHICLE THAT THEY DO THE GAME DRIVES IN AND I'LL SEND PICTURES. WE GOT ANOTHER TOUR OF THE LODGE AND HAD TIME TO JUST SIT UNTIL LUNCH AT 2 PM. THE LUNCH WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD AND IT JUST GOT BETTER THE REST OF THE TIME. OUR BAG WAS IN THE TENT (WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE PICTURES) AND WE SETTLED IN WITH A SHORT NAP BEFORE OUR FIRST GAME DRIVE. WE HAD THE SAME RANGER THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE THERE AND SHE TOOK CARE OF ALL OUR NEEDS. OF COURSE WE LEFT THE BED UNMADE WHEN WE LEFT FOR THE DRIVE WHICH IS FROM 4 TO 7 PM. IT IS A BIG FIVE RESERVE AND WE STARTED OUT BY SEEING THE WATER BUFFALO UP CLOSE, BUT THE BIG SURPRISE WAS THE LION WHICH WAS JUST FINISHING OF THE CATCH OF THE DAY OR NIGHT BEFORE. THE MALE HAD HIS FILL FIRST AND WAS JUST LAYING IN THE GRASS AND THE FEMALE WAS UNDER A TREE MUNCHING AWAY CRACKING BONES AND ALL, WE WERE THAT CLOSE. THE GRASS WAS HIGH SO DIDN'T GET REAL GOOD PICTURES BUT WE WERE WITHIN 15 FEET OF THE FEMALE. WE SAW A WATER BUCK OUT IN THE WATER AND GOT SOME REAL GOOD PICTURES. THE RANGER SAID THAT WAS THE FIRST FOR HER TOO. BACK AT 7 AND DROPPED OFF AT OUR TENT, GO IN THE BED IS MADE AND HOT WATER IN THE TUB READY FOR A BUBBLE BATH. SISTER HUDSON DIDN'T THINK SHE HAD ENOUGH TIME SO WE JUST CLEANED UP AND WENT TO DINNER. WE WERE THE ONLY ONES THERE SO THEY SET UP A TABLE FOR TWO IN FRONT OF THE HUGE FIREPLACE WITH CANDLES ON THE TABLE. THEY JUST FUSSED OVER US AND THEY DON'T USE STEAK KNIVES BECAUSE THE MEAT IS SO TENDER, WHAT A WONDERFUL MEAL. WHEN WE WENT BACK TO THE TENT, THE RANGER HAS TO WALK US BACK AS THE ANIMALS ARE NOT FENCED OUT OF THE AREA AND ARE FREE TO ROAM THROUGH THE AREA. BACK AT THE TENT THE BED IS TURNED DOWN AND THERE IS ANOTHER BUBBLE BATH OF HOT WATER IN THE TUB. THE AIRCON WAS ON SO IT WAS VERY COMFORTABLE. WE SLEPT LIKE LOGS, SOMETHING ABOUT BEING OUT IN THE FRESH AIR ALL DAY I GUESS.
FRIDAY WE HAD A WAKE UP CALL AT 5:30 AM FOR ANOTHER GAME DRIVE AT 6 AM. WE HEARD THERE WERE THREE LEOPARDS JUST LAYING AROUND A TREE IN THE SHADE SO OFF WE WENT TO GET A CLOSE LOOK, 10 FEET IS THAT A CLOSE LOOK, SEE BY THE PICTURES. WE STAYED THERE ABOUT HALF AN HOUR JUST WATCHING THEM, WHAT A WONDERFUL SIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL ANIMAL. THE GRASSLAND AT THIS TIME OF YEAR IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD, ONLY IN MOVIES OR ON A GAME DRIVE. THERE ARE ANIMALS EVERYWHERE AND IN LARGE NUMBERS TOO. THE WEATHER WAS ALMOST PERFECT THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE THERE. HALF WAY THROUGH THE DRIVE THE RANGER (ELISE IS HER NAME) WOULD FIND A SPOT WHERE SHE WOULD STOP AND HAVE HOT CHOCOLATE AND A MUFFIN. WHERE WE STOPPED THIS MORNING SEVERAL GIRAFFE WERE NECKING WHICH MEANS THEY THROW THERE NECK AT EACH OTHER IN A PLAYFUL MANNER LIKE A DANCE. WE THEN LOOKED FOR THE ELEPHANTS AND SAW THEM AT SOME DISTANCE SO NO PICTURES. BACK TO THE LODGE FOR BREAKFAST AND A REST ON THE LAWN CHAIRS NEXT TO THE POOL. WE WENT BACK TO THE TENT AND JUST SAT ON THE DECK AND WATCHED FOR ANIMALS OFF IN THE DISTANCE. LUNCH AT TWO AND BY NOW THERE ARE TWO OTHER COUPLES THERE AND WE FELT SO CROWDED, BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER RANGER AND ON THE AFTERNOON GAME DRIVE THEY TOOK TWO VECHILES SO WE WERE STILL THE ONLY ONES WITH ELISE. SHE KNEW EVERYTHING THERE WAS TO KNOW ABOUT THE AREA AND THE ANIMALS, A DRIVING ENCYCLOPEDIA AND EVEN POINTED OUT THE STARS THE NIGHT BEFORE. SHE WANTED TO GET A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ELEPHANTS, BUT BY THE TIME WE FOUND THEM IT WAS CLOSE TO DARK SO NO PICTURES BUT THEY WERE RIGHT AT ROADSIDE. FOR THE EVENING MEAL WE BOTH ORDERED SALMON IN A WHITE WINE SAUCE, THE CHEF CAME TO THE TABLE AND SAID I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T DRINK ALCOHOL SO I'M GOING TO DO A DIFFERENT SAUCE FOR YOU IF THAT IS OK. THE SALMON WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD AND THEN WE HAD A WONDERFUL DESSERT AND OF COURSE I ASK FOR THE RECIPE WHICH THEY GAVE TO ME THE NEXT DAY. AGAIN WE WENT IN AND SAT IN FRONT OF THE LARGE FIREPLACE AND WHEN SISTER HUDSON GOT WARM, ELISE WALKED US BACK TO THE TENT.
SATURDAY AGAIN A 5:30 AM WAKE UP AND A SHOWER OUTSIDE TO START THE DAY, EACH TENT HAS ONE. THIS MORNING WE WENT IN SEARCH OF THE RHINOS AND WHEN WE FOUND ONE SHE WAS JUST OFF THE ROAD SO WE WERE CLOSE FOR SOME GOOD PICTURES. WE THEN WENT TO THE NORTH END OF THE RESERVE TO A BEAUTIFUL WATERFALLS, YOU JUST THINK THERE IS NO WATER IN SOUTH AFRICA UNTIL YOU SEE THIS SIGHT. THIS IS WHERE WE HAD OUR MORNING HOT CHOCOLATE AND MUFFIN. WE WERE LATE GETTING BACK FOR BREAKFAST AS THE WATER BUFFALO HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY WHEN THEY ARE ON THE ROAD AND WE BACKED DOWN FOR SOME DISTANCE, AND THEN WENT OUT IN THE GRASS TO GET GOING AGAIN.
IF ANY OF YOU COME FOR A VISIT WE WILL GO THERE AND HAVE YOU ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF THE AREA. IT WAS HARD TO LEAVE, BUT WAS ALSO GOOD TO GET BACK TO THE WORK. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE PICTURES AND IT OPENS THOSE OF YOU THAT CAN THINK ABOUT A MISSION TO THE POSSIBILITY, THERE IS DOWN TIME ONCE IN A WHILE. WE LOVE TO SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES WITH EACH OF YOU, BUT KNOW IT IS NOT LIKE BEING HERE, SO THANK FOR THE SUPPORT.
LOVE FROM BEAUTIFUL SOUTH AFRICA,
ELDER AND SISTER HUDSON
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