beings of the bush

january at mjejane:

fresh capturings of summertime in the lowfeldt 

where the grass is long but constantly grazed

the baby animals are growing

snakes visit our front porch

and i finally spotted wild dogs in a pack of 10

morning views of lions

Monday morning began early: 4:30AM. I was invited to join the game drive and didn't want to pass up the chance to start off a week viewing animals. It won't be forever that we live in the African bush on a game reserve.

I sat in the passenger seat next to my burly husband and guide of the six middle-aged men - all coworkers from Volkswagen - who sat behind. They're at lodge #21 this week talking about business in a scene other than bustling offices of Pretoria. Off we went with tea, binoculars and cameras dangling around necks.

Within minutes we heard Vervet monkeys calling out their sounds of alarm, usually a reliable sign that predators are in sight. Impala began barking. With a bit of searching we saw the source of their fear, a small pride of lions. Doing what they do best, the lions were lounging around. Not at all phased by the giraffe walking closer or impala sharing the field. These lions slept. What I thought would be breakfast was really just company. This pride ate buffalo and wouldn't waste energy on chasing a small reward.

One of the guys on the truck said, "Animals never hurry." We watched black rhino, white rhino, zebra, wildebeest, and buffalo, among other things this morning, and not one was running around mad. Eating, drinking, pooping, playing, sleeping. That's about it, folks. The guy was right. We didn't see one frantic creature out there today. They weren't seeking our attention or approval. They weren't saying, "Look at me! I'm worthy!" They were being.

And being is doing what God created them for.

365 days & changes

 2014 was metamorphic, beautiful, & wild. So much happened. A year ago I moved in with best friends in Minneapolis. Our 4 months together went quickly but were chalk-full of happiness. I revisited Cote d'Ivoire in May, with hug-filled reunions. May 27th marked a life-changing, forward-motioning day when I stepped foot in South Africa for the first time. I grabbed ahold of Matthew - the man I grew to love an ocean away - and haven't let go. We began a season of togetherness and decided to not let it end, though most of the time our decision was the harder one. Married September 20th in my hometown: Appleton, Wisconsin. A glorious day.

The year, 2014, was marked by change... excitement and grief and stress beyond stress. But soft kisses and plenty of tears and raw conversations with family, meeting new and wonderful people, being supported by countless caring souls is honestly what got us through. All smothered and drenched in the grace of God.

(Jan-April)

Winter laughs / game nights / heartfelt talks / sweet potato chili 

with life-long friends

(April)

Easter weekend at the Macbeth farm / 60F tanning weather / Angry Orchards / celebrating spring

(May)

Return to Cote d'Ivoire & renions with family, friends, & Journeyers

(May)

Inexplicable feelings being "home" / speaking french / cooking over the fire / silly boys

(May)

Pilots sweeps lower to grab a view of Mt. Kilimanjaro en route to Johannesburg via Nairobi

(June)

Seeing Matthew for the first time since October / falling in love / camping with friends / traveling South Africa

(June)

Adventuring & spending time with Matthew's family & friends throughout South Africa

(June)

Elephant encounters in Kruger Park / ruined for good / became a bush-lover

(July)

Matthew met home / home met Matthew / birding in pagne pants at neighbor's farm 

,

(July) 

Chilling & talking with family / new beers / swatting mosquitos / Wisconsin's ways

(July)

Mat asked me to marry him / I said yes / engagement pics / braced ourselves for a crazy couple of months

(July)

Matthew met Texas / Texas didn't know what to do / bull-riding / LoneStars / TexMex / Spasmatics outdoor concerts / family time

(August)

Boundary-water camping & canoeing with Brielle & Riva / "canoe-premarital-counseling"

(September)

Wedding day! / married my best friend in the presence of loved ones

(September)

Honeymoon "up north" with gorgeous days / plenty of wine / leisurely cabin days / ferry rides to Mackinaw Island

(October)

Bittersweet days with my family as we packed & prepared to move / fruitful garden harvest / stunning blue-sky days

(October)

Visa arrived just-in-time / We're off!

(November)

First main purchase as a married couple: a set of wheels / Honda 4x4 love

(Life)

snapshots

summer & autumn, 2014

johannesburg, june

appleton, july

door country, july

menominee, july

boundary waters, august

hortonville, september

Guided by Matthew

Farmers for a Day

Life on a farm demands hard work. Matthew and I had the privilege of spending a few days with his good friends who have a farm in the Free State. They welcomed us into their lives and let us help out a bit with the farm chores. To be honest, I'm not sure how much aid we gave them, but it was great to get our hands dirty and join in on the daily routine. Most of our time, however, was spent chatting with our farming friends over many cups of tea, decorated with fresh goats milk and raw honey.