Goodbye Riffraff

I did say that I would be going on and on about my great S. African safari, didn't I?

This will be it, though, I promise...

I just wanted to mention two particular moments that will stick with me for a long time.

The first is from our longest wild charge down the beach.  Just before giving us the Go signal, Howard told us all, "Just one thing to watch out for. Sometimes there might be a baby seal on the beach this time of year, and when they see the horses coming sometimes they move. Nothing to worry about, but your horse might be startled."

I immediately filed that under the things guides tell us to make us think we might have an adventure...like the elaborate inspection of any bush you are considering going behind to have a quick pee when out in the bush. "Lions. You never know." I just never believe that there's going to be a lion.

Silly me. Two minutes down the beach, and a baby seal -- just as cute as you might expect, if not cuter -- makes a mad dash for the sea, right in front of us. None of the horses spooked, and he wriggled safely out of our way.

The second was on our last day of riding. We had gone with Howard to one of the farms where he pastures his horses to bring a bunch of expectant mares and a few older foals over to Farm 215. Howard was riding his boss mare Nona, who looked about ready to give birth right there in the road, and the rest of us were on our regular rides. Howard and Nona led the way, the other mares and foals following, and the rest of us behind to discourage stragglers.

One part of our path took us alongside a big reservoir of water for the farms nearby. Because it's been raining so much, the path along one side of the reservoir was actually under about two feet of water. It was just so much fun watching the foals and their moms splashing through the water, then following them, everyone just having a good time. Then our final long canter along the shore of the reservoir... right by a pair of blue cranes, enormous strange birds, making their rackety clackety sound.