U is for Ungulate

Because I was stumped on what to use for the letter 'U' today, I'm reprising information used in an earlier post about our amazing African trip...
Note: I will be away this week but will most certainly respond to comments when I return...thanks for stopping by!

Masai Giraffe

 Ungulate” refers to any animal with hooves. Ungulates are the grazers and browsers of the world, accounting for the majority of herbivores currently on earth.

Africa’s list of ungulates is longer than in any other continent and East Africa is particularly noted for its diversity and abundance of these mammals. 

 Common Zebra

Unfortunately, a fair number of these species are also threatened or endangered.

Grevy's Zebra with Antelope

 Wildebeest Herd

In areas where rainfall is scattered and seasonal,  animals must travel great distances to satisfy their nutritional needs....

 Young Zebra with Cape Buffalo

The end of the rainy season in May results in the annual Great Migration of wildebeest and other herbivores, as great herds of animals cross north from the parched Serengeti, across the Mara River and into the Masai Mara Reserve in search of food and water.  

 It is thought that one-and-a-half million wildebeest take part in this migration along with hundreds-of-thousands of zebra and gazelle.

Complementary grazers preferring different parts of the same grass, Plains zebra and wildebeest often travel together. 

 Zebras, with their superior vision and hearing, serve as an early warning system for the wildebeest…and given the choice, predators prefer wildebeest meat to zebra, so zebras  can find safety in their midst.

Ungulates have always been important to humans all over the world. We've hunted them...domesticated them to provide us with food, fibre, transportation and a variety of other things.

In many cases, we've also pushed them to the point of extinction. 

 Wildebeest frolicking...

This puts more at risk than the animals. Locals depend on the tourism that drives the economy in East Africa.

Studies reveal that 60% of the large mammals in protected areas- lions, cheetahs, leopards, zebras, rhinos, and wildebeest - have been lost in the last two to three decades alone.

 Quite simply,

there is no more time to lose is we are to preserve the magnificent and diverse population of the African savanna...

White Rhinoceros

Please stop by ABC Wednesday for more takes on the letter "U"...

http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.ca/

L is for Looking

In the course of a day, our busy eyes process   

innumerable objects and images. Faces, flowers and 

facts float before us in a frantic bid to catch our 

attention. 

No sooner is an 

item noted than our 

eyes 

are drawn away  to 

something else.

Life can seem like  a flickering  television drama, 

darting quickly from scene to scene, with frequent

explosions of commercials in between, all happening at 

breakneck speed. No wonder we feel time is 

running away from us.

And while we spend our lives looking 

at things, we miss so much of what 

is right in front of us. 

I have 

learned that looking with the heart 

and head, as well as the eyes, can 

slow the world down for a much-

needed break in the day's 

busyness.

Every now and then, stop for a bit. Stand quietly 

and look around you. I guarantee that wherever you 

are, there will be something lovely to capture your 

imagination..

                        The multi-hued brilliance of autumn leaves...

lacy shadows on a woodland trail...

a row of robust pumpkins
 at the greengrocer's.. 

the pleasing symmetry of a

weathered, wooden bridge...

old boots who've 

found a second

home as 

planters...

afternoon sun on 

a pretty vase...

a perfect reflection of 

clouds...

the sweet grace of a garden ornament...

and dappled light as it twirls on sunlit water...

Even vintage film canisters stand to 

attention and beg to be noticed 

when we look their way.

Above all, gaze often at the faces   

of the ones you love. They will be 

the most beautiful and important 

things your eyes will see in a day... 



I am linking to the wonderful ABC Wednesday, where 

you will find many other takes on the letter 'L'.

http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.ca/

C is for Clouds

I'm told my head is often in the clouds...

 This is usually said in a fond way...but on occasion, it is clearly 

meant to bring me down to earth when I'm off in my own world of imagination.

I do know the real world must be dealt with. Jobs, children, laundry...all must be addressed with responsibility and attention to detail. If pressed, I can truthfully lay claim to being conscientious in my roles of wife, mother and working woman.

But it's also true that I'm fanciful, forgetful and easily distracted. I spend an inordinate amount of time gazing at clouds or lost in books...and I truly believe that daydreaming is essential to the soul.

My quest for balance is ongoing....

I will happily continue to

nurture my family and pull my weight in the world. I am loved, needed and appreciated in what I do. My life is, indeed, blessed.

 But I cannot..will not..neglect the free spirit who still becomes breathless at the sight of snow, and gets absurdly lost in thought, even in the midst of crowds.

I need her too much..need her wonder and optimism, her childlike ability to get up again when she falls and continue on anticipating the best. She is the balance in my life.

So if you catch me with my head in the clouds, don't be overly concerned.

Give me just a moment to dream, if you will. 

I'll come back refreshed, recharged and ready to take on the busy world once more.

I promise it will be worth the wait...

The photos above were taken on a 2010 trip to Mesa Verde in Colorado.

I'm linking today with ABC Wednesday. Check out the other entries from around the world at...

http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.ca

I'm also linking to Skywatch Friday. For wonderful skies, check out this link...

http://skyley.blogspot.ca/

B is for Books

"There's more to life than books you know, but not much more.."

from the 1984 song "Handsome Devil" by 

The Smiths 

After my people and pets, books are my greatest treasures. I am fortunate enough to have amassed hundreds thousands of them, and have spent many hours lured in by their irresistible richness. A peek into my home library will attest to my obsession with the printed word! 

Book in hand, the whole world is laid at my feet in all its beauty and complexity. I can be anyone…go anywhere…experience lives entirely different from my own, and grow a little from the experience of trying on other peoples’ realities, however briefly. 

 Books took me through a troubled childhood by being my friends when I had no other and my refuge when the world asked more of me than a child should have to give. As an adult, they have been my joy and my inspiration…a continual celebration and exploration of life in all its diversity.

Additionally, I have found a wonderful serendipity at work in the world of words. Sometimes the right book manages to find us at exactly the time we are in need of it. Such was the case a few years ago when I happened upon Tara Frey’s, “Blogging for Bliss”. 

I’d been curious about blogs, but knew little about them. That all changed after reading this book. Its straightforward and concise information, coupled with yummy pictures and pages of inspiring bloggers and sites, was just the catalyst needed to lure me into the vibrant world of blogging. I have never looked back. 

 A Few Books In My Studio

 I am a fast and focused reader, so it's an ongoing challenge to ensure I always have great stacks of both fiction and non-fiction books awaiting my eager hands.

 (Okay, it's not that difficult since I do make weekly visits to Chapters and the local thrift stores!)

My mother complained that I always had my nose stuck in a book, as if there was something wrong with that! 

Now the only complaint I hear is from my beleaguered husband who doesn't understand my reluctance to ever give books away. 

I live in the thrall of bookish delights. Here are a few titles that have delighted me so far this summer, (with many more in waiting)...

1) Still Alice  by  Lisa Genova  (2009)

2) Small Wonder: Essays  by  Barbara Kingsolver  (2002)

3) To Cut a Long Story Short by  Jeffrey Archer  (2000)

4) Collected Stories  by  Carol Shields  (2004)

5) Floating In My Mother's Palm  by  Ursula Hegi  (1990)

6) Saturday  by  Ian McEwan (2005)

7) The Art of racing In The Rain  by  Garth Stein  (2008)

  8) Wildflower  by  Mark Seal  (2009)

9) The Weird Sisters  by  Eleanor Brown  (2011)

10) All Roads Lead to Austen  by  Amy Elizabeth Smith  (2012)

 Old or new...printed or electronic...I take comfort in knowing books will always be my friends...

To read other takes on the letter "B", do stop by ABC Wednesday and enjoy the variety...

http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.ca/