Elephant Song

Recently, my husband and I were at a library book sale and walking through the aisles of used books, a title jumped out at me.  Elephant Song.  The title alone enticed me to add the book to my already bulging $5 sack of books. The cover photo and jacket synopsis did the rest.  The book was added to my stack of "must reads". 

Elephant Song by Wilbur Smith is an historical suspense novel taking place in Zimbabwe and London.  The book opens with a deeply disturbing and graphic description of the culling or slaughter of a herd of fifty elephant in the Chiwewe National Park of Zimbabwe. 

Since I visited Zimbabwe's Hwange National park in the late 1990's and saw several herds of elephant of this size, the opening events of  Elephant Song was even more appalling to me. Smith's writing is gripping and visual.  The reader becomes part of that unholy event. 

The opening chapter of Elephant Song brought back so many vivid memories of my visit to Hwange National Park and Zimbabwe in general.  What a life changing experience it was!

The Animals of a Pan

Hwange National Park, near Bulawayo, Zimbabwe was where I learned that the word, "pan", had several different meanings.  In that part of Africa, it is understood that a "pan" is a watering hole for animals.  During that drought-stricken summer I was in Zimbabwe, locating a pan that was not a dried circle of mud was a challenge. 

Leaving the our lodge early one morning, with our driver negotiating the nearly non-existent roads or choosing instead to go cross country bumping over dry and dusty terrain, we were on the quest to find a watering hole that actually had water.  Finding that treasure would mean we would see animals--animals of all kind and description--animals I had seen only in zoos prior to this African adventure. 

Hwange National Park had a system to help out in the years of drought when the watering holes became drier and drier and animals had to walk further and further for water.  In this huge national park, there were several wells which supplied water via pumps to a select number of pans.  It is for these pans that our driver headed.  However, too often we found that the machinery was not well maintained resulting in yet another dry pan. 

On our trek between pans, though, we did see animals and a lot of them--from giraffe eating away on the tops of acacia trees and graceful gazelle to scampering baboons and wandering zebra.  Oh, and did I mention huge herds of elephant? 

But it was at the pan that the wildlife congregated.

A giraffe bent in half with legs splayed and neck reaching to the water far below

A massive crocodile pulling itself through the soggy mud bank

A mischievous baboon cavorting about

A herd of zebra creating a dizzying black and white pattern

Two ostrich primping their feathers

The nostrils of a hippo appearing in the middle of the pool

Birds and more birds


And, splashing and trumpeting -- those most majestic of all beasts -- elephants! 

How Did The Deer Get To The Other Side?

They swam!  Several years ago when fishing for salmon off the coast of Alaska near Sitka, our group spotted two deer swimming across the strait between the mainland and a nearby island.  Our boat captain, on that horribly stormy and bitterly cold July day, explained that this was not an uncommon occurrence for deer in that part of Alaska.  He indicated there was no cause for alarm or even need for concern for the creatures. 

I hadn't thought about this deer spotting for years until, during a dinner conversation with a friend talking about odd animal behaviors, I remembered this deer encounter.  Upon telling the story, he thought it rather odd, but again reiterating what the boat captain had said, we decided it must not be odd behavior for a Sitka deer at all.

However, two days later he sent to me a link about deer from the same area of Alaska trying desperately to cross frigid Alaskan waters only to be rescued by a boat captain and taken ashore.  You can read the story by clicking on this link -- Swimming Alaskan Deer.

Was this the same deer family I had seen?  Another amazing wildlife story!

The Best Sashimi Ever!

How was it that I tasted the best sashimi ever?  Well, long story short, that delectable taste of raw fish came after a long day of salmon fishing on the Rogue River.  But, just how did that fresh caught salmon find its way to our condo kitchen on a summer evening?

First, you need to have a friend who is an avid fisherman.  A friend who lives to fish.  And in particular, a friend who lives for salmon season and his chance to put his boat in at Gold Beach, Oregon to fish the mouth of the Rogue River.

One early early morning with the sun just starting to glint off the waves of the ocean and the riffles of the Rogue River, the boat was launched for a day of fishing for salmon on one of the best salmon fishing rivers in the US.   Rods, reels, bait, nets, ice chests....all were ready.  All the fish had to do was find our bait.  All we had to do was reel them.  Again, long story short....fish were caught.  Salmon were caught...very big salmon were caught!

Those very big salmon were weighed and proudly displayed for photo opportunities.  Long hours of patience had paid off.  Long hours of sitting in a bobbing boat had paid off.  The haul of the day was finally trundled off to the cleaning station where that delectable pink flesh was laid bare and the fish was filleted and made into steaks. 

Back at the condo those of us who had not actually sat for hours in a fishing boat but instead had taken a jet boat trip up the Rogue River for lunch at a rustic restaurant and a chance to view endangered wildlife along the protected part river, had the grill ready for those salmon steaks.

But wait!  I had just returned from Japan where I had eaten all sorts of sashimi -- raw fish of many kinds!  I suddenly realized what a delicacy had been hauled out of the Rogue River onto our kitchen counter--salmon sashimi!

What an evening!  The freshest and best salmon sashimi ever followed by the best grilled salmon steaks ever!  A rare treat!

Where Do You Want To Perform Next?

We had just returned from the "adventure of a lifetime"--a trip to Sri Lanka where we performed at the American Ambassador's residence, for Radio Sri Lanka, and had toured that exotic country from the palace of the footprint of Buddha in Kandy to the elephant orphanage outside Colombo--when a friend simply asked, "Where do you want to perform next?"  My answer--Africa!

Now Africa is a continent--a very, very large continent at that, so I had not been overly exact in my pronouncement or pinpointed my desire of a performance location too precisely, but performing in Africa was my goal.  This friend, knowing my desire to experience the world and get acquainted with its people (and see some amazing animals in the process)--and in the meantime, play some interesting concerts on interesting organ--wasn't all that surprised. 

As it turned out, he had been to Africa, Zimbabwe in particular, not too many years prior and still had a few connections.  Armed with his "connections," I started the process of booking concerts in a nation that at that time I knew nothing about.  Discovery begins for me with a place name and a map--there it was--Zimbabwe, the former Rhodesia, was near the southern tip of the continent.

In the time before the advent of the internet and all the wonders it affords, making contact with my friend's connections was challenging.  Calling half a world away at the time was also prohibitive, but the handwritten letter and--wonder of wonders--the fax were available.  Letters and an occasional fax flew slowly around the world for sixteen months.  Libraries and bookshops were visited so I could learn as much as possible about the Africa I was about to visit.

Finally, a rudely constructed building along a rather isolated and seemingly short runway came into view.  Our plane landed, the stairs were lowered, and I walked into Africa and all the wonders and amazement of a place to be experienced filled my soul.

Where do you want to travel next?

The Indian Ocean and The Elephant

Walking the pristine beach near Galle, Sri Lanka one hot sunny afternoon, my friends and I happened upon a man and his "working" elephant.  We managed to communicate with various signs and a few words that if I would buy several bananas for his elephant, he would let me ride this magnificent creature.

Eagerly I bought a huge bunch of bananas, ensuring a long ride on this gigantic but somehow contented and kind looking animal.  The elephant's owner patiently showed me how to climb aboard his charge.

Awkwardly and not the least bit gracefully, this very white woman in a brightly colored swimsuit made her way to the heights of the gentle elephant.  Sitting directly behind its ears and hanging on for dear life, the elephant and I, with encouragement from his keeper began our adventure.  We made our way down the beach and out into the ocean and back to the beach, stopping only when the rough trunk reached back to remind me that he was in the rather embarrassing situation (of having a gangly-legged woman perched on his back) for only one reason--another tasty banana.  Up close and personal with "my" elephant!

Monkeys On The Roof

Girls in white dresses lined up to enter Kandy Girl's School

The thumping and running of feet across the roof was a tattoo to our classical music being presented on the sloping stage of the Kandy Girl's School.

Temple of the Tooth

(The school is located very near the Temple of the Tooth Relic. 










The screeching that usually accompanied the wild rush of tiny feet was drowned out--for the moment--by the sound of the trumpet and piano.  You see, the added percussion came from the feet of monkeys scampering across the tin roof of the school auditorium.

Kandy, Sri Lanka

In this high mountain town of Kandy, Sri Lanka, monkeys were everywhere--charming, intriguing and cute--and an absolutely unique and rare accompaniment to our music.

Geckos and More?

Are you a fan of reptiles and creepy crawly things?  If so, I am sure you would enjoy a visit to the tropical island nation of American Samoa.  Much to my chagrin though, crawling creatures abound in this paradise. 

Being one who is not fond of lizards, snakes, spiders and such, I really had to look hard at the paradise I was surrounded by to get past my aversion to these creatures.  Eventually I was able to see the beauty of the crawly things visiting my room in the Retreat House at the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Pago Pago.

Brilliantly colored geckos, not-so-brilliantly colored lizards, some pretty darn big spiders, and a few slithering creatures made my stay at this lovely retreat center a challenge. 

For years, I have slept with at least a sheet pulled up to my chin so the "snakes could easily glide over me".  Well, in that cinder block retreat house room with the bath down the open-air corridor along a mossy walkway, I had the opportunity to see geckos up close and personal.  Watching these brightly colored guys make their way up, first on the outside of my window, was well--alright.  But, the first time I woke to one of these creatures clinging to the wall across from my bed, was well--startling!

Gecko

By week's end though, I had learned to appreciate their handsome features and changing colors--from afar anyway.  The other crawly creatures who appeared in my room--mainly spiders did not receive such a wary welcome.  Those were chased out or worse time and again.  Fortunately, the slithering creatures were never seen inside my room but only in the gardens. 

Needless to say, the sheets were tightly drawn up to my chin on a nightly basis in one very very hot and humid room.  More memories of unforgettable creatures!

The Colors of Koi

A weariness that only 36 hours of travel can bring had descended upon my body.  I was ready for only one thing--sleep!  However, my hosts had a different plan.  It was early afternoon and they knew that sleep was the last thing I should have at that moment if I was to become quickly acclimated to a time zone a mere ten hours earlier than what I had left. 

Instead of a rest on a tatami mat spread on a wood floor, I was instead given the back seat in a tiny van headed for yet another train station.  Arriving at the train platform standing high above the rice paddies, we boarded a high speed train for the mountains towering above Kanagawa, Japan.  Speeding along the train rocked so severely that sleep again was impossible.  After all, if I stayed awake I might just glimpse Mt. Fuji in the distance.

An hour later we were whisked off the train in the gathering dusk to climb aboard yet another small van.  The van this time took us not through conjested city streets, but along curving roads high into the mountains.  The goal of this afternoon of travel was to arrive at a place of peace, calm, gentleness and relaxation -- the Hakone hot springs spa in the heart of Japan. 

Stepping from the van, all the weariness of travel slowly began to disappear.  Koi lazily swam through the crystal clear pools lining the pathway to the hot springs-- their stark white, shimmering silver and gold, and bold orange colors vibrant against the backdrop of black rock and the dark green foliage.  These fish provided the perfect example for experiencing the hot springs--slowly and with deliberate calm. 

From hot soaking pools to plunges in cold water to letting the warm waters of a hot spring waterfall cascade over the body; to sitting with eyes closed soaking up the warm steam in the sauna to drifting lazily across a crytal clear pool on an air matress; to concluding green tea served in a koi-pool surrounded tea house, my first evening in Japan was pure magic. 

I was ready to stay at Hakone for the entire month of our visit, yet, I knew there were other treasures to behold and experiences to be had in Japan. 

Breakfast with the Whales

This morning my husband I were treated to bright blue sky, dark blue ocean, and the sun glinting off the stark white surf!  All this magnificence on the Oregon Coast in late December!  This is an is courtesy of unexpected and glorious Christmas gift for all of us beach dwellers.

As we sat enjoying our breakfast while relishing the clear blue sky and the ocean views, we were treated to yet another unexpected and happen-chance sight:  the spouts of whales just off shore!  There must have been a pod of whales enjoying their breakfast at the same time as we were enjoying ours.  Needless to say, we lingered over our eggs and toast just a bit longer than usual.  The whales, judging by the movement of the spouts, seemed to linger over their breakfast a bit too, before moving onto the work of their day.

So the whales (probably gray whales) are making their annual migration from the cold Alaskan waters to the warm waters of Baja just in time for "Whale Watch Week" along the Oregon Coast.  Isn't it great that they timed everything so perfectly.

Gray Whale

Welcome tourists to the Oregon Coast.  Enjoy "our" whales. 

Orcas! Starboard!

Was it a pod, a pair, or only one?  All I know is that when the captain of the ferry boat I was taking between Seattle and Bremerton, said over the loudspeaker, “Orcas starboard”, I thought the ferry was going to roll onto its side.  

Whale watching in the Puget Sound, and all along the Washington and Oregon coasts for that matter, is a common activity.  Whales, usually gray whales, travel the Pacific Coast in their bi-annual migrations between Baja and Alaska providing tourists and locals alike the opportunity to “see a whale”, the largest mammal on the planet. 

Gray Whale

As a Oregon coast local, I know that actually “seeing” a whale is pretty rare even though there are numerous “Whale Watching Stations” and “Whale Watching Week Activities” (December 26-31, 2011 is the next one) throughout the year designed to give the tourist (and local whale watching guides) the thrill of “finding Waldo” in the vast reaches of the Pacific Ocean.  Usually the very fortunate whale watcher is lucky to see a whale spout—a plume of air rising from the surf.   

Intrepid whale watch guides in those dedicated whale watching centers dutifully and faithfully “count” the whales on a daily basis.  These people are sometimes more fortunate than the tourist in “seeing” a whale.  They may actually see the hump as the whale surfaces briefly to breathe, or once in a very great while, they may see the tail or wonder of wonders, they may have the thrill of seeing a whale breach.   Of course these are the sightings one might expect from the safe reaches of the shoreline.

Breaching whale!  Amazing!

There are opportunities to get closer to these giants, though.  Many companies offer whale watching cruises and tours in boats large and small.  Tours that take you where the whales might be on a given day for that up-close and personal encounter.

Or, there are always the ferries playing their way back and forth across Puget Sound.  Maybe that is really the best way not to just “see the whales”, but see the resident Orca whales of that part of the world.  An amazing sight whether you are a local or a tourist from afar!  “Orcas starboard!”

Monkey Faces Here There and Everywhere

The Portuguese pavement wave pattern at Copacabana beach

On a gorgeous day just after Ash Wednesday, the streets of Rio de Janeiro were rather quiet.  The frenetic activity of Carnival and the samba contests was over.  The city and the beaches of Copacabana had returned to some sort of normalcy.  The height of the tourist season was over as the seriousness of Lent replaced the frivolity of Carnival.

This is the Rio I experienced--a quieter, more laid back visit to Copacabana where local families and tourists mingled along the long paths following the curves and sweep of the ocean beaches; where, with the bulk of tourists gone, those of us remaining, had the pleasure of visiting the city's famous landmarks and fabulous seafood restaurants less impeded.

Statue of Christ the Redeemer

It is on one of these explorations of the city of Rio that I realized there were little furry faces peering out from palm fronds and the jungle vegetation everywhere.  Riding the slow cog railway up Corcovado Mountain through the Tijuca Rain Forest to eventually arrive at the statue of Christ the Redeemer afforded many close-up encounters with these lithe, curious, quick little creatures:  the capuchin monkeys. 

Capuchin Monkey

What was most amazing about that experience?  The awesome size and presence of the Christ statue?  The incredible views from the top of Corcovado Mountain of Copacabana Beach and the Sambadome?  or those dozens and dozens of curious monkey little faces looking at all the equally curious tourists?

Dreams of Slithering Things

A visit to Sri Lanka would not be complete without experiencing a cobra and python show, or so I was told.  I, for one, am not in the least fond of or enamored with reptiles of any kind, but snakes are lowest on my list.  I grew up in Western Kansas where the threat of rattlesnakes was real and a healthy fear for slithering creatures was imprinted on my mind.

Cobra Charmer

So when the host for my visit to Sri Lanka took us to the central province deep into the jungle area to visit Sigiriya and the Lion Fortress, and I learned that a reptile "show" was part of the entertainment at the posh hotel where we stayed, well, I was more than ready to forfeit the "show" for sipping a chai while lounging about at the pool.  However, that was not to be. The Cobra and Python Show was too important an event to be missed and I was soon presented with a front row chair for the "show".

Several baskets of varying sizes were set on the floor about six feet from my chair.  Near one of them was an interesting double reed flute-like instrument.  The rest of the "stage" was bare.  Instinctively, knowing the baskets probably contained snakes, since this was the Cobra and Python Show, I curled my feet and skirts up on the chair making sure nothing was touching the floor.  And, what a smart move that was!

Pungi

Soon the snake charmer entered the room, picked up the instrument (which I soon learned is called a pungi), and began to play.  The sound is at once wailing, piercing, and crying but obviously is one cobras respond to.  Why? Who knows how that fact was discovered, but thankfully the charmer did know the fact that cobras will "dance" to this sound and can be somewhat "controlled" by it.  Thus, the ability to show deadly cobras to the seriously concerned tourists with feet gathered onto their chairs. 

The turbaned snake charmer kicked the lid of first one basket allowing a slithering creature to emerge, then a second and eventually a third.  Each cobra responded differently to the sound of the pungi:  one standing straight up in its basket and puffing out its neck; a second slithering FAR too close to the legs of MY chair before being "halted" by the charmer; and the third lazily emerging somewhat from the basket and weaving in a trance-like dance.  Mesmerizing to be sure!  Danger lurked too close for my comfort.

But wait, just when the last cobra was finally back in its basket and the final simple straw basket lid was replaced (with no hasps or latches I noted) to cover the cobras once again, a second snake charmer arrived wrapped, and I mean wrapped from shoulder to foot, with the largest pythons I have ever seen.  (Not that I have closely looked at phythons in the past.  Those are the exhibits I quickly pass at the zoos I visit!) But, this slithering creature was HUGE.  It could have eaten a pig before in preparation for the show it was so large.  This creature was then allowed to entwine itself around not only its keeper, but several willing tourists as well.

I however, was still perched on my chair with skirts wrapped around my legs with absolutely nothing touching the floor.  My eyes were still glued to those baskets containing the deadly cobras!  Just why did those snakes stay inside those whimpy little baskets?

Sleep that night?  Impossible!  Dreams of slithering things slid through my head!

Dory? Is That You?

A Blue Tang

Snorkeling!  Now there's a sport I can get into.  You see, as a musician and an organist specifically, I have never been and never will be athletic.  I know it and everyone who knows me knows it.  But, once in awhile, I pretend I am athletic and try a "sporting activity".

I've always loved to swim--in a pool that is.  I am one who needs to mentally "know" where the bottom is.  Even if I can't physically reach it, I am comfortable swimming if I know the depth will never be over ten feet.  I have, however, always been intrigued with the ocean and love walking ocean beaches, but swimming in the ocean?  Well, that's another thing altogether. 

However, on my first trip to Hawaii, I decided to do just that!  Swim in the ocean--sort of.  Not knowing how deep the ocean was at any given moment, my "swimming" consisted of lying on a boogie board and paddling away with feet and hands feeling secure and confident in my ocean "swimming" abilities.

This style of "swimming" however, did allow me to experience the creatures of the ocean through a snorkel mask.  Lying on my boogie board with mask securely clamped to my face, flippers on my feet and hands free to maneuver the board I was ready to experience the "depths" of Hanauma Bay. 

Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, Oahu, Hawaii

What an amazing world opened before my eyes!  Fish of all colors, shapes and sizes; coral and anemones galore;  jellyfish and urchins; a whole marine world!  Paddling along secure on my board, face in the water, breathing through my snorkel tube, life was bliss!

Suddenly, gasping for air, choking on water and flailing about I became just another white-bodied tourist among the literally hundreds in Hanauma Bay!  What caused this major disturbance in the force?

Ah, a sea turtle!  A sea turtle making its slow and deliberate way across the reaches of the Bay.  A sea turtle was just what I had hoped to see, but instead of enjoying its graceful beauty I had been so discombobulated by its sudden appearance that all I could do was choke and sputter and hope for another sea turtle sighting, which of course, on that first snorkel outing never did happen.

Dory sent word around to her sea buddies--avoid the woman lying on the boogie board pretending to know what she's doing.

Did I See a Lion in That Cattle Truck?

I grew up in Western Kansas, where, according the state song, "the deer and the antelope play".  However, I can't remember having ever seen the deer or the antelope at play or anywhere for that matter around Garden City, Kansas.  Those are not the animals I remember from my childhood!  What I remember, though, are the polar bears, the elephants, the anteater, and of course, the lions!  Wait!  In the far southwest corner of Kansas?

A "Kansas" lion

Yes, the town of Garden City had within its borders an amazing zoo and my family often took long Sunday afternoon drives through this oasis on the plains.  I think I knew more about elephants, polar bears, anteaters and lions then I did about the native Kansas deer, prairie dogs and feared rattlesnakes.  The Lee Richardson Zoo provided all of us with a window to the world and I loved it!

Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City, Kansas

The Zoo was, however, along the banks of the Arkansas River and one summer after days of rain in the Rocky Mountains not too far to the West, that slow-moving nearly dry river became a mad rushing torrent of water!  The Zoo and all its animals was directly in the path of the flood threatening the city.  As sandbags were being piled along the banks to save the town, intrepid folk determined to save the animals.

Cattle truck

Owners of cattle trucks were pressed into service.  Their cattle trucks, plentiful in Garden City due to the feed lots and packing plants in the vicinity, became the new home to all sorts of wild animals.  Photos in the Garden City newspaper ran of a lion roaring its displeasure at its temporary home.  To me, that photo depicted the depth and anguish caused not only for the wild and exotic animals of the Lee Richardson Zoo but for the inhabitants of one western Kansas town due to the Arkansas River flood of 1965!

How Many Elephants?

Yes, it is time to return to elephants.  This time, let's go to Zimbabwe, specifically to the Hwange National Park and let's go on safari.  Just the word, "safari" conjures up pictures in my mind of Victorian Englishmen sitting in their canvas tents being served tea while around the encampment the wildlife of Africa roam unafraid and unabated.

A pan in Hwange National Park

Ah, but my safari took place in the late 1990's aboard a jeep with three other musicians and our intrepid English host hoping to show us "his Africa".  And show us he did.  Jeffrey headed out from the opulent Hwange Safari Lodge with three wide-eyed musicians and their cameras stuffed into the back of an open jeep.  The wildlife was abundant from an enormously tall gangly giraffe with long-lashed eyes checking out those who photographed her every move to hippos rumbling like runaway tanks down a dusty road.

The Big Guys!

But where were the elephants on this safari drive?  We had seen several of these majestic animals from our hotel bathing in a pan or water hole a short distance from the deck where we enjoyed tea that morning, but I had hoped for a closer elephant encounter.  As with many things in Zimbabwe, one more turn and all Africa opened before us.

Elephants at Hwange National Park

Following a dusty path around a grove of acacia trees where giraffe lazily feasted and there we were nearly in the middle of a huge herd.  Hundreds of elephant!  Elephants of all sizes, some old, some young and yes, babies too!  Elephants everywhere trumpeting and restless with the intrusion of our little jeep loaded with four individuals who had never seen such a sight and one man, our driver Jeffry, who never tired of such an awesome sight.  Amazing! and forever seared into my memory!  In Africa in the midst of elephants!

We Call Them "The Boys"!

After traveling to various exotic places around the world, it is always good to come home for awhile to take in the uniqueness and experience again the sights and sounds of home.  One of those sights and sounds indigenous to the Oregon coast is afforded to us from time to time by the California sea lions.

California Sea Lions

These huge mammals glide through the waters of Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon, where they make their home between mating seasons in Baja Califnornia,  searching for those unwary salmon on which they love to dine.  Once satiated, the "boys" as we like to call them, head for a favorite rock outcropping or a dock in the bay where they can loll about and sun themselves.  The sunning, however, takes second place to the featured activity--establishing and maintaining hard-fought territory on those rocks and docks.

Gaining a foot--or flipper hold--on a dock or rock is perilous business if you are a junior sea lion.  The large "boys" easily establish themselves in prime locations and take up as much room as their 800 pound bulk will permit.  The juniors are then faced with gruff and LOUD attacks by the established dock/rock sitters as they try to pull themselves up and into a position to rest and relax a bit.

Or are the junior "boys"  just annoying the senior "boys"?  Whatever the reason, the ruckus is loud, boisterous, and unrelenting.  Gawking tourists and locals alike are treated to an unforgettable display of macho-ism.  Their antics can provide hours of fascinating diversion.

A Kanga and a Roo too?

Since this blog title also includes the word, "kangaroo", I guess it is time I added a "moment that made me smile" that involved that interesting creature.  Since I grew up with a stuffed animal kangaroo and her joey, that we named Kanga and Roo, I have always been fascinated with this animal and had hoped one day to see a mother with her joey in "real life" shall we say.

Yes, I was in Australia when I had my "kangaroo encounter".  The kangaroo that added to my "smile list" was observed in a wildlife park in Sydney.  She was an average-sized docile looking creature in the midst of dozens of other fellow kangaroos hopping about a large grassy enclosure.  What caught my attention, though, was her pouch.

Kangaroo with her joey

Something in it was moving!  Ah yes, she had a joey with her.  As I stood there fascinated by the movements of her pouch--like a watching a punching bag being punched from the inside out--suddenly not the head appeared of this tiny kangaroo but its two back legs!

Blissfully unaware of the stir she and her joey had created for the onlookers-- with the tiny legs of her joey sticking straight up like forks out of her pouch--Kanga, with Roo happily ensconsed in its warm and cozy home, bounded off in picturesque springs.

A Bottle for a Baby Elephant

I had the great privilege of performing as part of a cultural exchange program in the exotic country Sri Lanka several years ago, and while I was there my hosts were determined that I see their country and the places that brought joy to them.  We that in mind, one of the many places we visited was the Pinawela Elephant Orphanage.  And what an experience that was!

This elephant orphanage, one of the first in the world, was started to save the many baby elephants orphaned due to poaching in the jungles of Sri Lanka.  It is also a rehabilitation center for older elephants injured by hunters and left to die.  The orphanage at that time, consisted of a few rude buildings to give shelter to the elephants and their keepers, a covered area where we tourists could feed the babies, and acres and acres of land and crossed through by a river where the elephants could safely live.

Baby elephants at Pinawela Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka

Shortly after our arrival, a boisterous group of baby elephants came thundering up the hill from the river to the shelter looking for their bottles.  A more incredible sight of boundless uninhibited joy cannot be described.  These babies were free!  They were not behind bars and glass and more bars and moats and walls in a zoo.  These babies were not standing alone in horror as their mother died in the jungle.  These babies were happy, protected, and loved.  These babies had been saved and were being nutured in a loving caring place each with its own keeper who provided for their wants and needs.

And, I, with the help of a keeper, was able to provide for one moment in one day of one baby elephant's life--its breakfast.  A large baby bottle filled to the rim with nutritious milk.  As that baby elephant's trunk twisted around my bare leg and I petted its wiry haired back we were both transported!  For me, the smiles have never stopped when I think of that moment.  For that baby, I hope he is now safely returned to his jungle home--a free and fully grown elephant.