a prophetic voice-

Today is Sunday...and I have been spending the weekend with my 4-year-old grandson. Yesterday, we went to the NC Zoo near Asheboro, a quite nice zoological park in which habitats are designed FOR the animals, as much as for the people who come to view them. However- and forgive me for my seeming snobbery- but with my trip to Africa pending, I was acutely aware of just how inadequate any zoo is in conveying the sight and feel of seeing African animals in their natural habitats. Seeing a pair of lions napping in the sun cannot compare with watching a pride eating the night's kill, females and cubs waiting while the males eat their fill. Watching 3 elephants on a grassy knoll seems somehow inadequate after seeing a small herd (20 or so) crossing the grasslands before your eyes. But for most Americans, visiting a zoo provides the only opportunity to see these magnificent animals. I guess I just wish that more education went with the experience, instead of it being viewed as just anot

Only two weeks from today, I will be arriving in Nairobi, Kenya. Two weeks from today! With me will be my dear friend, Mae, both of us carrying our well-stocked shoulder bags and pulling our carry-on luggage. That's right...we are traveling light this year. No checked baggage...just 1 suitcase each for 3 weeks of travel in Kenya, Rwanda, and the Netherlands. Should be a great challenge, especially since we will be encountering such a variety of temperatures and weather changes. I'll let you know how it all works out. I did one suitcase for 2 weeks a number of years ago and was perfectly fine. I've found we usually pack far more than we really need- and no one who sees us cares if we wear the same thing over and over again. With my hair very short, the only hair "product" I need is shampoo... which simplifies things greatly. No hair dryer...no gel or mousse... what you see is what you get. And isn't the purpose of travel to BE THERE...to see and absorb the