Day 8-9 / Slower Days

 

  May 9, 2018
Today, we split up.  We girls went with J.L. and S. to a different farm altogether [just a few miles from the lodge we "lived in"] and hunted for Little J.'s steenbuck.  We saw a couple of females, but they wouldn't do since we were looking for a male.  Sables were out and about, and we saw Kudu and Impalas, warthogs, baboons, a roan sable, and 1 of the top 5...a cape buffalo.  Oh, and a giraffe with one horn.

This is one of the small animals in South Africa.

One of the reasons we took the warning to duck seriously.

 

[To get to the other farm, we had to drive through a town.  I saw this car (below) and "fell in love" with it.  I mean, just look at how cute it is!  I would totally buy.]

  

  
The animals were in hiding.  [Sounds contradictory from above paragraph, but compared to other days while hunting in South Africa, it was slower.]  We drove around and didn't see many at all.  Even after dark, while spotlighting, we saw next to no movement.  We drove past a sable and he bucked and tossed his head as he loped around a tree and went back to where he had been grazing.  A roan (?) did the same thing.  What we did see ran off quickly.  The birds were quiet.  The flies were a pest.  It was very strange.

We drove and drove and drove.  We never did find a steenbuck for Little J., but we're not done.  And I can't forget--we also saw an ostrich.  It was on the other side of the fence and it ran side by side with the pickup.  Just taking a morning run.  : )  It's head didn't even sway or anything as it ran.

Tonight we ate Kudu.  It was very good.

P.S.  we are TIRED.

***

  May 10, 2018
We drove around the other farm again and, besides seeing a little bit more action, it was about like yesterday. 

At 147 yards, springbuck was checked off my list.  It took two shots, but J. L. told me that the first [shot] was good, right where it should have been.  [My springbuck proved the saying that everything is tougher in South Africa...]  We got to follow this herd of springbuck for quite a while.  After driving behind and beside them in the pickup, J.L. and I got off on foot and followed that way.  Another black man, went around an open area and helped push them out of the brush.  The herd came out and J.L. glassed them, seeing which one I should shoot.  They went back and forth, in and out of brush.  Finally, I got a shot and the springbuck was down, hitting a tree on the way.  He is a nice looking creature.

Right after shooting a springbuck, their hair stands up, making a mohock like effect.

  
Since it was Little J.'s birthday, J.L. treated us girls to pizza in town.  It was some of the best pizza I've ever had!  (Dad and Big J. were at another place hunting Sables.) 

Fun fact: I saw a sign that read "Grass Cutting" instead of "Mowing", which is what we're use to.]

Tonight for supper, some of the people who work here and H., A., and I., [J.L.'s wife, daughter, and son] came out with chocolate cake and candles.  The black people sang "Happy Birthday" and another song, both in their language.  They had even set the table with a birthday themed centerpiece.  Streamers, balloons, animal masks, and a party blower for Little J.  : )  All of that was one of the huge highlights during this trip.  So, so very special.

   
(Typed onto my phone at 9:37pm:  I can hear Adele singing outside the lodge.  It's a fun lodge.  The people are kind and loving.  I like their music choices.)  [We may be on the other side of the globe, a day's worth of time difference, and in a completely different hemisphere, but people are still people and we all listen to music.  I find that neat.]

Daily Family Selfie + one.  J.L. is on the far right.