Friday, March 7, 2008

On the Wild Side

From Noel:

Today Talitha and I joined the Sorleys for their weekly family day. At Lake Naivasha (about a 1-1/4 hour drive from Sorleys'), we rode in a slow motorboat that skirted semi-submerged hippos (you don't want them messing with your boat) and dropped us off at Crescent Island.
Moses, a guide who's worked there 15 years, led us within yards of gazelles and dik diks. We saw a giraffe nursing her 1-day old baby. On the next hill we could see a herd of zebra, and on the shore on the opposite side of the island were waterboks and wildebeests. In the course of the day, we counted at least 19 different kinds of birds--fun and beautiful to see. Amazing when you think how few that is compared to Kenya's 1089 bird species.

We sighted a hippo on land, fortunately headed toward the water. You don't want them to mess with you on land either. And somewhere on the island is a 5-meter long python. Moses explained that when a python eats an animal (gazelle, for example), you can tell what it's eaten by the shape of the lump in its body. Nathan and Aaron Sorley really wanted to see the snake. But Moses apologized that the python was deep in the bushes and not to be found today. Talitha relaxed then.

Afterward we had lunch beside a swimming pool and then we adults had a few quiet moments to talk while the kids played in the water. Quiet moments have been rare this week, but they're important to me for knowing how to pray.
It's 9:30 pm here, which seems early to me. But as usual this week, I'm the only one up this late. Tomorrow Talitha's mission is to minister to MKs--Nathan and Aaron here and a couple of others she's met nearby. I'll be with Craig and Francis at an all-day workshop for community leaders in old Kijabe town, about an hour from here.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi, Noel and Talitha! I got behind in reading your fantastic blogs and this one has no comment yet. So here is mine. I love your new hair, Talitha, but do you get tangled up when in bed?? !! When Julie was with Africa Inland Mission at Kijabe in the 1970's, she loved visiting the orthopedic hospital there and playing with the children patients. Thank you for your colorful sharing with all of us. Love, Mother & Grandmother

Noel said...

From Talitha

Hi, Grandmother,
no, my hair does not get tangled up because I braid in 3 big braids.

Love u Grandmother, Talitha