Firstly just to show we are here to work … Peter’s new raspberry tunnels are taking shape, slightly back to front as the tunnels are being built around the growing canes! First fruit hopefully in October.

Sammy was slightly put out by Bingo’s arrival in her (our)house this morning once the door was opened, and I was very miffed by Bingo’s muddy paw-prints on a white bed cover! Sammy would never be so badly behaved! 

It’s Saturday morning so we can have a late start with breakfast outside, as by now the sun has crept into our little courtyard…though note the fleece: it’s sunny and pleasant but not warm yet (about 8.30).

Sammy thinks she’s having a beauty treatment (and is thus as good as gold) but it’s actually her first, necessary, weekly anti-tick bath. Even Squeaky Bear (yes imported too!) got the treatment and had to dry off well before re-entering the house (living-room window in background.

Sammy posing on her evening walk in front of a distant view of Lake Naivasha from our favourite viewpoint just at the bottom of the garden. The threatening clouds are announcing an evening rain shower so we’d better hurry…though not as quickly as when,last Monday,I decided I’d use these walks as a jogging exercise and tripped full length in the first two minutes going down one of the rocky paths … with a badly grazed forearm and shin for my pains. 

I’ll still jog but only on the flatter paths!

The rain came and then was followed by my first (feint) African rainbow. I'll have to look out for more after other rain showers.

1. SEMA SOMA

Why sema soma? 

I had to think of a title quickly in order to get my blog up and running. As I've just begun to learn Swahili, and am known for my semantic inclinations, I like the simplicity, alliteration and rhythm of these two words: 'sema' means 'say or talk' and soma means 'study or read'.

Sema soma also reminds me of Sammy's name. She deserves a mention for her bravery in travelling a quarter way across the world and taking all these new smells and sights in her four-legged stride.

Sunday July 21st 2013: Crater Lake

OK: I'm biased...giraffes are my current favourites for their effortless grace and sheer timelessness. Can prehistoric animals have been any more fascinating? However, the symmetrical perfection of zebra comes a very close second!

All these photos are from Sunday's outing to Crater Lake reserve...just an hour from our home at Green Park, Naivasha. We've got a pretty good camera but not a wonderful telephoto. We were amazed how close we got to the animals. This small park, with its mixture of plains and woodland, doesn't have hordes of visitors and the animals carried on foraging ... disdainful of our presence! The eland(next photo)is one of a very few that I've seen. 

As there are no big cats or elephants here, but buffalo are to be watched out for,I was able to get out of the car and walk across the savannah for about 50m to get a closer shot of the eland. See the Rift Valley and its western escarpment stretching into the distance...it's the beginning of the cool dry season and the vegetation is beginning to lose the strong greens of April/May moving towards straw and grey-green hues.

   

I think this may not be the last giraffe you see on these pages!