The day began with an encounter with monkeys over hot coffee and biscuits.

It ended with a sumptuous dinner and good conversation based around a candle lit dinner.

In between we watched a lioness drink at the waterhole.

We encountered Zebras, leopards, giraffes and all manner of animals.

It seems unreal that we are here at times.

I've not had a lot of time to design, but I did do a painting based on the monkey's tail this afternoon.

I have no idea where it will lead to but it's fun to experiment.

This afternoon I sat at my desk  in the tent. It was so peaceful. The air is scented by wild flowers and blossom… and there is a low chorus  from the 100's of birds. With temperatures in the 30's the weather is perfect for safari and ten dwelling.

We are in the country some 400 kms from Johannesburg and the internet is dependent on the weather…. tonight I can compose and write, but it seems impossible to add photos. The cloud cover has added a little difficulty to the process.

This is my third trip to South Africa and it all began with an invitation to teach some 4/5 years ago.

I loved the environment and the beauty of the country the first time I came and it took a little persuasion to get Keith here. But I think he's as enthusiastic as I am now.

We have another day of safari tomorrow…. we spend about 7 hours a day out on the vehicle….