Algonquin Early Morning

At the North End of Lake Opeongo

the first sliver of Sun Rise shows,

promising another beautiful day 

Only minutes later a breeze ruffles the lake's surface

and we await a hard day's paddeling

Was this a sunrise or a sunset?

I believe it was the latter!

Very early AM, and

Andy was still asleep in our tent!

The lazy bum, still snoring, while I was already in the canoe

grabbing early shots.

Scenes of Algonquin Park

another Waterlily

still more Waterlilies

Lilly pads and Pine needles

Along the Mizzy Lake Trail

Anti-poaching patrol

I obtained permission to accompany two Botswana rangers on their anti-poaching patrol.
Through bushland, thick and thin, along almost dry river beds, over sandy areas which made you slide back one step for every three steps taken forward.
They showed me and explained the tracks of various animals whose paths we were  crossing.
From afar we spotted Cheetah, Elephants, Kudus and many other denizens of this area.
After the first 10 kms we took a little rest, when one of the rangers talked about the fact that they had "shoot to kill" orders in the event that they should come across poachers with a dead Rhino or Elephant, but that  the poachers had better rifles and better telescopes than they had and that whoever saw the other first, would shoot first. Therefore, he said with a pained smile on his face, my red shirt would not be the best camouflage I could wear.

At the edge of the Chobi dessert.

A family of Kudus, with the male, on the far left, proudly displaying his curved horns.

Through a part of the Chobi dessert, with Maponi trees barely surviving in the sand.

Elephants at one of the few watering holes.

Four Cheetahs on the prowl.

This shot was taken with a 500 mm telephoto lens, since, on foot, 

one cannot get as close to these animals as one can riding in a vehicle.

It is my theory that animals are conditioned to fear man, 

whom they recognize by shape and smell.

Man, riding in a vehicle, such as a land rover, the animal does not recognize 

the square shape of the vehicle, and the smell of the exhaust fumes

overpowers the smell of the human.

For these reasons one can approach animals much closer when riding in a car

than when walking.

Second rest stop:

I am still the one in the middle

and I'm still wearing the red shirt.

More Autumn

Can no longer call it "Early Autumn"

It's now "Middle Autumn"

Reflection

Pink cloud and early morning fog

Early Morning on Little Joe Lake

Ferns

There are a thousand possible combinations

and configurations.

The lower image is the top half of the upper image,

with only the center fern in focus.

The Best Frog

The Best of the Frogs

Crossing the Pond

A family of Elephants crosses a pond in Mana Pools, Zambezi Escarpment, Zimbabwe.

Note the infant, second from right, for whom the water is a bit too deep, 

and it's almost totally submerged.

The third in line never breaks contact with the youngster by resting her trunk upon the infant's back.

This is truly a neat trick. The water is too deep?

No Problem! We just use the trunk like a snorkel.

The crossing was successful.

Dry land beckons.

Stick with me, kid.

We'll be all right.

Autumn Veggies & Fruits

The FOX

6 AM and the fox is out, looking for food.

What a beautiful example he/she is.

Bushy tail and all...

Algonquin Park, July 2016, 6 AM.

The early morning air feels a lot colder at age 84 then it did at 48.

I never thought that a simple number inversion 

could make such a difference.

Quark, quark,quark

The Frog on the Lily Pad

How true it is!!

Out of Time Magazine

Although this "map" is meant to be funny, it is, in deed,  a very real and a very sad commentary on the world in which we live today.

It is also incomplete, since in front of the words "foreigners" there should be the definition: "damn" or similar.

Only Penguins remain unscathed from the almost always negative opinion we have of each other.

This is particularly so in Europe, where almost nobody likes their immediate neighbour. ( Nor, come to think of it, their distant ones.) 

This, I am certain, is the underlying reason why the so-called European Union cannot get its act together.

I shall refrain from detailed comments and explanations, since everybody, if honestly searching, will have their own tale to tell.

Bertstravels

has met people on three continents and reluctantly had to come to the following conclusion:

People don't like people!

The French really do not like the Germans.. ( and vice versa )

Austrians have little respect for Slovenians. ( and vice versa )

The Ndebele have little good to say about the Bantu.

In Rwanda, the Hutus killed almost a million Tutsis. (Or was it the other way around?)

Xenophobia reigns supreme right into the smallest detail.

Observe the soccer fans when Graz plays against Salzburg. The outright hatred is palatable., and they are not even of different countries.

Calling this map a sad commentary on the world in which we live today, in no way implies that this was a better world in the past. Quite the contrary. We have always killed each other for a variety of reasons. Reasons, real or imagined. 

The worst brutalities always were committed under the mantle of Religion and/or race.. During the 30 years war, when France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and numerous Principalities of today's Germany fought against each other. 

Roman Catholics versus Protestants, causing an estimated 8 million victims.

WW1 caused 17 million dead and 20 million wounded.

This is a small number of victims when compared to WW2 which demanded 57 Million dead.

Mostly because Germany's leadership considered everybody living east of them as racially inferior and not worthy of occupying space.

So, have another look at the above shown map and think about it.

Bertstravels

The Last of the Roses

This is truly the last of our roses.

The wilted leaf, which had fallen off our tree,

came to rest close by the rose.

This is the true "Fare Well to Summer" picture.

The Marx Brothers

In their way, they both could be classified as Anarchists.

But which is the greater Anarchist?

Is it Karl, who said: “It is inevitable that the oppressed classes will rise up and throw off their chains.”

Or his brother, Groucho, who said, “Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside a dog it's too dark to read.!

Bertstravels,

who considers them both "funny".

stole this one from:

“Plato and a Platypus walk into a Bar”

Miscellaneous Africa

Extra caution is required during a walking Safari! 

A male Waterbuck on the far right!

Impala abound!

No Swimming, unless you are a Crocodile!

Hey, Judge, I've been framed!

How come, they can fly and we can't?

Kudu with Oxpeckers.

In this case should they not be called "Kudupeckers"?

Look at him! He's got a Nikon with a Zoom lens.

It is all relative!

What we call "Chinese Food", 
the Chinese call "Food"!

Telos or not to Telos

TELOS

The dictionaries tell us that “telos” is “The Ultimate Purpose”.

That, to which everybody and everything is destined.

That, which is inherently our, and everything's Destiny.

Mrs. Rosenblum is in the park, walking with her two grand children.

By an acquaintance she is asked the ages of the children and her answer is right to the “telosian point”:

“The doctor is 5 and the lawyer is not quite 7.”

Although Mrs. Rosenblum is a most determined lady, her pre-determination of the professions of her grand children, is funny at best, but it is not “telos”.

Mrs. Rosenblum does not make “telos” for her grand kids.

The “telos” or “ultimate destiny” or “the End Goal” is inherent in everything, and cannot be created or altered by anybody or anything. ( see: Aristotle ) not even by Mrs. Rosenblum.

No one knows the telos of anybody. Not even they themselves know what their ultimate destiny is.

The Aristotelian definition of existence, falls into four states:

1. Inanimate ( rocks etc )
2. Vegetative ( plant life )
3. Animalistic ( all manner of Animal, except human )
4. Human

Of the above only the fifth state of existence is capable of “contemplating telos”, but incapable of recognizing, nor altering their ultimate destiny.

Mrs Rosenblum is making a valiant effort, but is doomed, according to Aristotle, to failure.

Unless:

Unless her hopes happen to be the same as the two kids' telos.

Bertstravels

is the exception:

He knows his telos.

Funny, isn't it?

A vulture tried to board an airplane of Lufthansa.
He carried two dead young warthogs under his wings.
Very politely the stewardess said:
I'm sorry, Sir, we allow only one carrion per passenger.

Bertstravels thinks that's funny.

Ngorongoro Crater

A Volcano exploded, probably millions of years ago, ripping a hole into the ground about 610 meters deep, 24 km across,  300 sq.km. in area. It is called the Ngorongoro Crater, which, in the language of the Maasai, means: "The Gift of Life".
The area houses many thousands of Wildebeest, Thompson Gazelles, 60 to 70 Lions, Several Rhinos,
many Zebras, Leopards and all manner of other mammals and birds.
At the lowest point you may find Lake Magadi, which makes a gathering area of hundreds if not thousands of Flamingos.
Only a relatively short distance from the town of Arusha in Tanzania, at the South End of the Serengeti lies this jewel of a wildlife sanctuary.
Many of the Antelopes remain there without participating in the annual migration.
I suppose they are much too comfortable there.
Let me show you just a small segment of "The Gift of Life".

Rhinos in the tall grass of the crater.

Clearly visible in the background

the approximately 600 meter rise of the crater's wall.

A lone Lion suspiciously eyeing us.

A pride of Lions after a good meal, lazing in the afternoon sun.

They would surely agree with the name: "Gift of Life".

Plenty of meat to catch and puddles of water near by.

What more would a Lion want?

FLAMINGOS

At the bottom of the Crater is lake Magadi.

Occasional and temporary home 

of a flock of  these pink flecked birds.

I wanted to see the pink/red markings on their wings and bodies.

I clapped my hands as loudly as I could

and see there, the birds on the shore 

decided they wanted nothing to do with me.

************

Yes, Lake Magadi is a wondrous place.