the sky’s on fire . . .

. . . is what I was saying to Marieke as I walked into the office and back out again to snap this shot, before its glory had finished setting :-)

what remains

This is what remains of the evening’s visit by a hungry lion. What does not remain is one not-quite-fast-enough Puku, or so reported the Zambians who told me about the prints and the marks of the struggle.

flushing froggy

As is customary, I took my morning walk from my room to the Bush Camp shower and toilet house I use. As is also customary, I then used the toilet before hopping in the shower. The bathhouse being dimly lit, I do not generally peer very closely into the toilet bowl, but this time I noticed something there after flushing. I guess the last visitor left a little something here . . . I thought, slightly amused. So I waited a moment and flushed again. Still there. And again. Still there. That’s odd, I thought. This time I bent down and looked closely into the toilet bowl.
Then I laughed.
There looking up at me was a good size bullfrog, toes gripping the sides tightly and an expression of what I perceived as annoyance on his froggy face. Rightly so, for sure. I apologized out loud to him then, for showering him with such a rude morning awakening.
Leaving the toilet cover up this time [it is generally left shut], I was relieved to see that he had left his post by the time I finished my shower, presumably to a more sanitary and suitable habitat.
I was, however, amused to learn later that this does happen regularly, not because they jump into the toilet bowl but rather because they come up through the pipes themselves . . . so maybe he did not escape to such a sanitary abode after all ☺

a birthday “card”

Happy Birthday Helen!
with lots of love, and creative energies, from:
Lara, Eva, Ellen, Annie, & Anna
[in other words, the entire crew of my little one-room-schoolhouse :-)]

weekend visiting

A friend and her little one, during a Sunday spent visiting with her at her home in the village.

for the sake of the blog

You should know that I risked my life for the sake of you blog-readers today . . . this shot led to a charging hippo and to a nearby shout to me of “Just run!!!” I then sheepishly apologized to folks here for ignorance as to the speed capacities of these lumbering creatures, and for causing some quickened heartbeats :-)

another setting

I warned you not to mind multiple sunset shots, did I not? :-) When the school day lasts until around 5:30 these days, I’m afraid a captured sunset is generally all that time remains for. But I dare say, when it looks like this, one could do worse than capturing a setting sun!

the day’s greeting

As a way of sending out a festive greeting to you all in my little blogger’s world, here is one of the projects from the day’s themed art class. It went over well, and prompted a discussion, that warmed my teacher’s heart, as to which was each student’s favorite out of all our art projects thus far :-)

beautiful relief

Another long and tiring day of teaching is done, and I am intensely grateful for this beautiful close of the day . . . so you will have to have patience with yet another captured sunset :-)

Kimba’s first Zambian birthday

Kimba and friends celebrate with the birthday girl. And I learned Ngili Ngindo Maama, Mbela Mbela. Ieee! . . . [“Happy Birthday” in Nyanja].