The Endless Plains, Chapter 14: Dispelling the Gloom

 Friday Afternoon 19th September

The chaos was over, our spirits were low. 

We went on with our day trying to dispel the gloom that the death of five (or more) lion cubs had cast over us.

Yes, we realise that nature is red in tooth and claw. Yes, we know that there is so much suffering all around us. 

But there is beauty too. 

So lets bloody well find it.

It didn't take long. Searching for amazing stuff is second nature to Ian.

Suffice to say, that when you need your spirits raising, there is always a cheetah at hand.

I said clean your room!

Mum's in a bad mood.

Say what?

Despite how it may look, cheetahs are not easy to find. And when you do eventually find one, it usually just lies there flat out with only its head raised up.

For hours.

But not this week. Ian has an unerring ability to find them, to spot them at long distances when all we can see is termite mounds and fresh air.

Two hours later...

Three cheetah brothers working hard at posing for us.

Seriously? Three cheetahs on a rock?

Good grief, you could not have staged this if you had wanted to.

Purfection.

The threesome were hunting, checking out the local talent. We spent some time with them in the hope that they would kill something in the way that nature intended. But no, the had chosen the only area in the Serengeti without prey.

Incase you were wondering, we did see plenty of other wildlife but if I included photos of them all, this blog would literally be endless. 

However, just to give you a favour, there were ostriches dotted all over the savannah (yes, to our eyes they just look like black dots).

Close up, they look like extraterrestrials.

And of course, how better to finish the day than with yet another cheetah, this time in a tree. 

I mean, why not?

The gloom had been suitably dispelled.

Talking of extraterrestrials, next chapter: Close Encounters...