Lifupa Conservation Lodge (Part 6)

One evening we hired a guide to come with us to Black Rock which is a large inselberg, in Kasungu National Park.  An inselberg is an isolated hill or mountain rising abruptly from a plain. ( I have lightened all photographs)

  Climbing Black Rock was not easy for me as it was very step and there was no footholes or anything to hold on to.  However my grandchildren were wonderful with their encouragement and pulling me up at times.  They said we all had to get to the top as a family.  Of course I also was carrying my camera and binoculars and the sun was sinking fast!

My grandshildren were like mountain goats and didnt even have shoes on their feet.  WOW!  What a view where I did reach the top.  It was worthwhile although I did wonder how I was getting down again!  What I did not know until later, was that the vegetation around the inselberg is very dense and Leopard and Lion footprints had been seen in the vicinity of the rock recently! 

Daniel was the first to the top (above) and Annika second (below).  

                                        This was our lovely guide.

The whole family made it to the top.

The fading sun was spectacular. 

I had never seen such a pink sun.

This tree was at the top of the rock and did not appear to be rooted in much at all and of course just had to be climbed by Jon, Daniel and Annika.

Now doesn’t Jon just look like a leopard laying there!!!  

Now I have a short video and if it does not appear below CLICK HERE.



I hope you enjoyed this post and I thank you for your visit.

Many thanks for leaving comments on this post.  I appreciate every single one.

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY - Lifupa Conservation Lodge (Part 5)

This was a beautiful little swallow that I watched for quite a long time, presumably collecting feathers to line her nest.   You will see her better in the video at the end of this post.   It is a Lesser Stripped Swallow.  

If the video does not appear below, CLICK HERE.


I hope you enjoyed seeing this Swallow and thanks for visiting.

I am linking this post with  WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY. 

Many thanks for all the comments you leave on my post.

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY and THROUGH MY LENS

It is time for Scavenger Hunt Sunday which I am joining to the meme Through My Lens today.  Apart from the first photographs, the rest were taken one day I was bird watching with my class in the morning and then I went shopping in the afternoon and another day I enjoyed an early Christmas lunch with my siblings, sisters in law and nephew as I am soon off to Malawi for Christmas.

1. When I Grow Up
Now, I consider myself already grown up so I am tackling this when I wasn't grown up.  This photo above is when I was 3 year's old with my sister Dorothy who was 8 months old then.  When asked the question then, 'What do you want to be when you grow up', the answer was always, 'a nurse'.

That is what happened and this photograph below is of when I had qualified as a State Registered Nurse from the Royal Victoria Hospital and was part of the 'Royal' choir that made this record.

When shopping I saw this Fairisle Pattern Jumper.  Perfect I thought!

2. Pattern

When out bird watching, I came across this lovely dog as I was coming out of a cafe where we had refreshments and I didn't know until I reached home that he had a beautiful pattern of bones on his collar.

Back to the shops, and here we have a diffuser which tells us it is called 'Festive' spice. 

3. Festive   

This is a photograph of our early Christmas festive lunch.  I am fortunate to have a younger brother who is sitting at the head of the table, my younger sister to the right of him and my older brother to the left of him.

This is the beautiful Christmas tree that my brother and sisiter in law had decorated in their converstory and it looks like a triangle in shape.

4. Triangle 

While bird watching we saw Lapwing, Turnstone and many Gulls on the rocks, I suddenely exclaimed, 'Look, a triangle'  I think my class thought I had lost the plot as I had not told them the words for this week.  They all agreed that the maker buoy to the channel was a good triangle for the meme.

5. Fancy

Back to the shops again and I told the shop assistant what I was looking for for this meme and when I found both the shoes above and bag below, I went back and showed her the photographs and she said immediatey, 
"I fancy both these items". Job done!

 I hope you enjoyed the words I photographed for this meme this week.

I am linking this post with

THROUGH MY LENS 
and

SCAVENGER HUNT SUNDAY.

Many thanks for your visit and also to those who leave comments.

SUNDAY THOUGHT - Lifupa Conservation Lodge (Part 4)

His (God's) splendor was like the sunrise; 

rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.

Habakkuk 3:4-14

Photographed in Malawi

2014

Many thanks for visiting also to all those who leave comments.

SATURDAY CRITTERS - Lifupa Conservation Lodge (Part 3)

Yesterday you saw the first sunrise I woke up to at the Lifupa Conservation Lodge and today I am showing you a few of the birds I saw when I walked round the lake with a guide.  Below is a Western Great Egret on the right and  a Cattle Egret on the left.  

These are Common Quail running away from us.  Terrible shot but it gives you an idea how camouflaged they are in their surrounding. 

          This is a beautiful Red breasted Swallow very high up in this tree.  

I hope you enjoyed these birds today.  There are lots more to come next week. 

I am linking with SATURDAY CRITTERS.

 Many thanks for visiting and also to all those who leave comments.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS - Lifupa Conservation Lodge (Part 2)

We have now arrived at Lifupa Conservation Lodge in Malawi in the dark and in Africa when there is no electricity, it is extremely dark.  However, staff sorted us out into 2 lodges, girls in one, boys in the other.  We had booked a meal at the centre and said we would walk over when we got settled in our lodge.  However the staff said they would come and accompany us over as there could be lots of wild animals around!!  These images below are my first views of the sunrise the next morning.  Enjoy. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing the sun come up over the water. 

I am linking with WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

Many thanks for visiting and also to all those who leave comments.

GOOD FENCES - Lifupa Conservation Lodge (Part 1)

Last week you were all very good at excepting my ‘ out of the box’ images and I am afraid it is the same this week although this week when you watch the video, you ­­­­are in for a bumpy ride.  When you are travelling through Malawi bush, there are NO ‘fences’.  Everything is wild!   

Now you will see what I mean on this video so hold on to your hats!!  We are on our way to our next destination which is Lifupa Conservation Lodge.

If the video does not appear below, CLICK HERE.



Well did you all survive?  This was indeed a good road perhaps when I am there again I will endeavour to film a worse road!! (maybe!)

I hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for visiting.

I am linking this post with Tex's GOOD FENCES.

Many thanks to all who kindly leave comments.  I appreciate every single one.