Last week I decided that my Sunday posts for the rest of the month would focus on the topic Warm. It seemed fitting, given how cold it has been and how much I wish it would warm up.
Today, I decided to share images that make my heart feel warm and happy. It should be no surprise to any frequent visitor that this means elephants. Lots and lots of elephants!
I hope you enjoy my selections, and wishing you a wonderful week ahead.
A group of desert adapted elephants surround a calf that was having a brief nap at the edge of the riverbed. Hoanib Camp, Namibia.An elephant calf imitates its mother, bring the trunk up to sniff the air and decide if our presence was a threat or not. Since Mom wasn’t worried, the calf wasn’t either. Machaba Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana.The tiniest elephant calf I have seen; probably no more than a couple of days old. A very relaxed family though, that was not at all concerned by the vehicle, the clicks of the cameras or the numerous times people in the vehicle said “Awwww, the baby is so tiny and cute!”. Machaba Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana.We saw numerous baby elephants while staying on the Okavango Delta; this one stuck close to Mom’s side while she dug for minerals in the dirt.A precocious elephant calf that spent lots of time investigating me; here it is snuggled close to Mom and trying to get a drink from an irrigation pipe. Londolozi, South Africa.
This topic came to me as it is the exact opposite of how I feel right now! We’ve been in a deep freeze for some time now, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight yet. So, my Sunday posts for February are going to focus on warm places, warm interactions; anything that makes me feel a bit warmer!
Today, I have some landscape images to share from my travels. All places where I haven’t spent time shivering!
Wishing everyone a fantastic week ahead.
The desert near Hoanib Skeleton Coast camp in Namibia. It’s a truly striking desert landscape, and a place I would recommend to visit.Another area near Hoanib, where we stopped for a sundowner. This was a quick photo I snapped as the sun disappeared behind the hills; glass of wine in one hand and camera in the other.Where the desert and a lush valley meet. These pockets of green seem to come out of nowhere when you are flying over the desert, and show that there are habitats capable of supporting lots of life, even within such a hot and dry place.The Okavango Delta from the air.A sunrise in the Sabi Sands in South Africa.Driving through the desert outside of Palm Springs, California. Photographic “rules” would say that lines should be leading into the photo, not out of it. But rules are sometimes made to be broken; I like the unexpected composition.One of the beautiful vistas in Joshua Tree National Park.
I think elephants look stunning in a black and white interpretation. The amazing texture of their skin gets emphasized in such a wonderful way.
Lots of wrinkles, and wise eyes.An old bull elephant enjoying a drink in Etosha National Park.This elephant gave us one head shake, but when she realized the rest of the family was completely chill with our presence, she went back to calmly grazing.
A trio of leopard images to start the week. I hope you enjoying, and wishing you a fantastic week ahead.
We were lucky enough to spend a couple of hours with this beautiful leopard, as day faded into night.Even though I got loads of great photos while it was still out light out, when our ranger got the spotlight out, I had to try for a couple more.A leopard cub descending a fallen tree to play with its sibling.
A cheetah seen on Phinda Game Reserve during a morning game drive.A lion resting in the shade in the afternoon heat on Ngala Game Reserve.A leopard pausing alongside our vehicle during an afternoon game drive on Londolozi.