lake manyana

the following is an excerpt from my africa travel journal:

i am in heaven right now sitting outside the manyara serna lodge in tanzania. the temperature is just right, the view is divine and ever-changing. i can see the vast lake manyara down below, which gathers its water from inside the earth. the sky is edging toward evening and seems endless. i can hear the peaceful conversations of birds and baboons. someone is playing drums in the distance. a thatched roof hut is waiting for me, clean and cozy, complete with mosquito netting canopies above each bed. i am experiencing one of those rare perfect moments.

june 29, 2011

africa's voice

the following is an excerpt from my africa travel journal:

africa spoke to me in hushed tones through waving grasses, trees that reach, and the monotonous breathing of lounging lions. the message is clear - stop looking and enjoy what you have and are currently experiencing. this she said at the heart level. i took it in layer by layer, knowing what a rare opportunity i was present for... i will honor it, hold her advice close to my heart, and live it each day.

july 2011

ngorongoro crater

the following is an excerpt from my africa travel journal:

this morning the crater was filled with mist like a steaming cauldron but now the clouds just hang over the edge for a peek inside. in another time this was a place of extreme activity, the earth opening up and pouring inside out. now it is calm, full of life. the rocks remember, the surrounding sides remember, for it was not that long ago for them. today the dirt roads are lined with safari jeeps, seeking the treasures of animal sightings and perfectly framed shots. darting here and there, raising dust and surpassing the expectations of so many tourists.

july 2011

tanzania

photo by kaylynn neal

rhinoceros

photo by kaylynn neal

the following is an excerpt from my africa travel journal:

rhinoceros, even your name evokes the prehistoric. all alone in a sea of grass, your back rising like a mountain range silhouette. your skin is poured lava crust, not organic looking at all. your ears fell short of your head and landed on your neck. steely eyes, far from warm, go well with the spike-like protrusion on your snout. you are not a beauty but such the prize. munching your breakfast, you raise your head and shutters snap. elusive, you are one of very few. in your presence, we are aware as the future holds its breath.

ngorongoro crater, tanzania

july 2011

a graveyard

the following is an excerpt from my africa travel journal:

the elephant skulls lay on the crater floor like scattered boulders in the grass. the elephants come here when they get old to eat the softer, more tender swamp grasses. by then, they are on their last set of teeth and apparently know this by some innate wisdom or instinct. they die here, leaving bones and spirits as massive as their former bodies. there is room in the crater to hold all that is, was, and will be.

july 3, 2011

ngorongoro crater, tanzania

photo by kaylynn neal

soaking it up

i know summer does not officially start until tomorrow but, here in arizona, the season sneaks in early. i have been busy soaking it up, enjoying every last ray of sunshine and each warm breeze.

i am lucky to be off work during june and july so these days are mine, all mine. i treasure the unstructured time and the ability to do as i choose (for the most part, anyway.) the ease of this season brings me so much joy. happy summer, everyone!

taste of summer

i have been buying and eating lots of apricots this month. when i was young, my grandparents had several apricot trees on their property in western colorado. i remember picking them right off the tree for a snack. they seemed much bigger, almost like apples, back then.

the funny thing is that as soon as i smell an apricot, my memories of those days come back so vividly. what a delicious way to time travel!