So, today was a "bush" day--a morning game drive, following by an early afternoon bush walk, followed by a late afternoon game drive. Honestly, it was one of the best days of my life.
If you know me at all, you know how much I love animals--I always have; it's why I'm a vegetarian. So, to see animals I have studied with awe and admiration since I was a child, never dreaming I would be able to see them anywhere but in a zoo, was basically indescribable for me. We saw rhinos--I think that was the most thrilling, and somehow also the most poignant--I think it is highly likely they will be extinct in the wild in my lifetime. We also saw hippos, wildebeest, a crocodile, a fish eagle, a Cape buffalo (in the tall grass), giraffe, zebra, vervet monkeys, ostrich, and, one of my personal favorites, warthog. We didn't see lions, or elephants, but frankly, it didn't matter. The whole experience was so humbling--I was full of gratitude and wonder the entire time.
God's creation is absolutely stunning--in every detail and in every variation--and we are blessed beyond measure to share a home with our animal siblings. That's what I came away with--thanksgiving for all animals, near and far, routine and exotic; a heart filled to overflowing.