Take a Virtual Safari through Kruger National Park for a bit of Happy

Going a bit crazy staying at home? Take a virtual safari with us to spot some beautiful wildlife in South Africa’s famous Kruger Park.
No, it’s not real time! It’s from our last visit about a year ago. With the world and our lives in turmoil with Coronavirus a bit of happy is very much in order. Grab a cup of tea and sit back as you take a virtual safari with us.

Enjoy Photos and a Video on Your Virtual Safari

We start our day before sunrise. The Crocodile Bridge Gate opens at dawn and were ready to spot some wildlife driving our trusty old Land Rover.
Our first sighting… a lone Giraffe and his passengers. How many Oxpeckers do you see enjoying ‘breakfast’?

A bit hard to determine in the light of dawn. We’re no experts, but it appears to be a Tawny Eagle watching for his breakfast.

The sun begins to brighten up the bush.

There’s just something about silhouetted trees isn’t there?

More Giraffe. A curious youngster. See his passenger?

And mum… and of course, her own very own oxpeckers.

A drive in the Kruger is never complete without seeing Impala. What’s this with all these Oxpeckers?

Unless really close these Black-Bellied Bustards are hard to spot. Unless they’re vocalizing of course.

A Warthog.

Must be time for a mid morning nap! This lone Wildebeest is enjoying the warm sunshine.

In the Kruger National Park you can only get out of your vehicle in designated areas. This is at a hide.

Spending time in a hide is both peaceful and exciting.

You never know what you’ll spot in a hide. We sure weren’t expecting this Boom Slang right next to the viewing area.

A Lilac Breasted Roller. A bit more serene to spot.

Then there’s always a Crocodile!

Once on the road again we spot Zebra.

A lone Elephant bull. Best to keep our distance.

Along the river we find the most wildlife today.



Even one of our favorite… the Goliath Heron. The largest heron.

Right there fishing from the bridge we find a Giant Kingfisher.

Moving away from the river we spot a Vulture nest.

Its getting warm now. This Kudu bull is resting and chewing his cud in the semi shade.

A Spotted Hyena also escaping the heat.

We reach Skukuza Camp and its time for us to have some lunch in the shade.

Hope you enjoyed your Virtual Safari with us.
There’s more coming. For the first time ever we see Cheetah in the wild. And Leopard? Well, almost.

Go ahead relax some more and enjoy the VIDEO version of our Virtual Safari.

The post Take a Virtual Safari through Kruger National Park for a bit of Happy appeared first on Nikela: Helping People Saving Wildlife.


* This article was originally published here

A promptless post

Lucia turned 9.
It was Father's Day.
We have 2 weeks left in this house.
The packing mess is making me crazy.
Salt and Light is taking over my life (in a good way).
We move into our new house in less than a month!
Exciting family wedding coming up.
Basketball and baseball take over our life.
Starting up a start up craziness.

I should have a lot of write about, really the prompts are endless and the opportunity is right there. I can't think of a better time to feel inspired and let the words flow: the sun is out, the coffee is hot and the birds are chirping.  We're on the eve of summer and everything smells, feels and tastes like fun.
Except blogging.
I think the fresh air stole my mojo.

But that's okay because I spend the majority of my life wandering the corridors of experience, piecing together sentences of how I will one day like to tell this story.   This blog, after all is a vessel for the remembering of all the things we do and over the course of the past 10 years (!!!!!) I feel like I've done a good job of maintaining it.   There is no formula or schedule that I follow, I am letting this become what it needs to be and right now, writing nonsense has brought me much joy.

So as I sit here in the morning sunshine (Monday morning writing sessions have become a spiritual ritual that I will not be dismissing any day soon)...sipping my coffee- well it's my replacement coffee because a fly decided to end his life in my first, - I find myself feeling grounded.  I haven't taken the time to sit and write out all the things flowing through my mind in the past two weeks (hence the long prompt list) and I can't help but wonder if that has added to my feeling a little overwhelmed as of late.

Maybe it's in the act of taking away the busy, saying no and just being that brings calm.  I know this works for my kids when they're starting to feel overwhelmed with all the activity - we just cancel life for a night and enjoy home.  Therefore why am I not practicing this for myself?
Well, this begins today.
I am going to sit and enjoy the morning sun, write some words and then take my dogs for a walk before I tackle the day.   Okay, I may also watch a bit of the Raptors victory parade because yay sports!  And when I start feeling bogged down by my to-do list, I will remember what magic a few minutes to myself can do for my soul and channel that.

Cheers to enjoying that coffee, to listening to the song of the birds and enjoying some silence this summer.

* This article was originally published here