Hello!  More than one person has asked me if this trip was “worth” it. Not sure how you could put a price on seeing elephants in their home, and not in a zoo.  If the leopard in the nearby tree doesn’t make your heart skip a beat when he stands up to check out your vehicle, then I have to wonder if you are even alive. Or how about seeing exotic birds that aren’t caged?  Hippos in the river next to your lodge?

Yes, it was more than I normally pay for a vacation, but hello, it’s AFRICA, and who knows if I’ll ever get back? (Although, I’m definitely hoping for a return visit!)

One thing I can say about this trip is that I came home truly inspired.  The experience seems to have opened up some creative faucet, and I hope it doesn’t turn off for a while!

Here are a few of my recent works:  

Top left:  Yellow- billed stork. Top right: Helmeted guineafowl. (With one of their feathers!) Middle left: Kingfisher (grey-headed?)  Middle right: Hippo. Bottom: Little Bee-eater

These are all ink and watercolor on Arches 7×10 cold pressed paper