The Imire Sable

While visiting Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservation in Zimbabwe, we came across these beauties.

Sables, of the antelope family, are becoming rarer and rarer.

They are absolutely beautiful to watch, very regal.

Why, hello, sable!

A zebra at Imire.

Zimbabwe is covered with just so many stunningly beautiful trees.

For some reason, our ride at Imire struck me as particularly hilarious.

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Chobe's Animal Traffic

While visiting Chobe National Park in Botswana, we came across these beautiful sables.

Watch their crossing (the safari version of traffic!):

A different perspective, seen from the safari vehicle.

We saw this --- a giraffe corpse, a few days old kill.

Which meant this lion pride was near by.

The sables were just too magnificent not to sneak another photo in!

Then there were these.  Monitor lizards.  They are simultaneously so cool and gross.

They were swimming on the Chobe River, heading toward elephants.

They slither across the top of the water.

Check it out (so creepy and amazing):

More animal traffic!
These giraffes didn't know what to do with our approach so they just froze and stared at us,
until the one on the right decided to high tail it out of there!

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Hope is a thing with feathers

This lilac breasted roller may possibly be one of my favorite photos taken in southern Africa.

I'm a little shocked about it. I don't really like photographing birds, even bird watching bores me.

But there's something about this photo that I just love.

Also while in Chobe National Park in lovely Botswana on safari, we came across this stunning sable.

Hello, bird!

This stork was hanging out on the banks of the Chobe River.

A bird in flight. . . maybe if I paid more attention, I'd remember birds' names. Maybe.

He made me think of a soldier standing at attention!

 Inspiration for the post's title:

Hope is a Thing with Feathers

Emily Dickinson

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

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Snapshots from Botswana

Chobe National Park, Botswana, may be one of the loveliest places I've been on safari.

After taking a river safari on the Chobe River, you can take land safaris and see surreal images like this one of a giraffe.

A Chobe baboon.

The first time I've sighted a sable!

Unfortunately sables are becoming more and more rare in southern Africa.

An elephant leads her baby elephant toward the Chobe River.

Beautiful.

This elephant charged us.  It was the first time I've experienced a charge (but not the last time I have!)

and let me tell you, your heart can drop straight through your feet in no time flat!

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