HIP HIPPO-RAY

Staring out the window, looking at all that snow on the ground, tired of coats and a little bored with sledding, scraping the car and shoveling the driveway (and the snow volume hasn't been nearly as high here this winter as it was last year when I was without hubby and very pregnant, but that's an aside to which I will add that I do think it has been colder this year)... Well, it makes us remember warmly the advantages of living on the backside of the desert: short sleeves year round... a sandbox anytime you desire digging... regular pilgrammages to the pool, lots of sunshine through harmattan skies... no real concerns regarding activity cancellation due to weather incooperation... lots of lizards and other incredible critters... So, in reaction to a nudge of nostalgia, we thought we'd repost this glimpse of our "other" earthly home! Hope you enjoy!

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Hippos are huge, fascinating, sometimes scary and dangerous animals. ...[Here are] some photos from a boat trip we took [back in June, 2007] to see the Niamey "locals" - a pod of hippos that are generally found in the vicinity. Thanks to our colleagues, Bob & Lois Gillespie for graciously sharing these photos with us ... as you can see, Tim & I had our hands full ... without a camera and Elsie hadn't yet made her official debut!

DEPARTING

SILHOUETTED BOATMAN AS WE SEARCH FOR HIPPOS

FRIENDS OF OURS WHO JOINED US ON OUR EXPEDITION

WE ARE LOOKING OFF TO OUR RIGHT, LOOKING AT THE POD OF HIPPOS

JUST RECENTLY SPOTTED!

LONG VIEW

AND A LITTLE CLOSER

THESE CREATURES HAVE BIG MOUTHS

REALLY, REALLY BIG MOUTHS WITH BIG "TEETH"

OOOOH- WE DIDN'T REALIZE THE WATER WAS THAT SHALLOW

HUGE AND IMPOSING ANIMALS

I THINK THEY ARE WISHING US A "BON VOYAGE..."

...OR GOOD RIDDANCE?

ARRIVAL BACK AT SHORE, SAFE AND SOUND

ENJOYING THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSET -

EVEN THOUGH IT WAS TERRIBLY HOT

AND WE'D BEEN IN THE BOATS FOR OVER 2 HOURS.