I was fortunate enough to go to the Serengeti with Lou Coetzer of CNP Safaris in January of the this year. The reason for going in January was that the &Beyond guide at the Grumeti tented Camp, Wasiri had indicated that this was a time when the “short” rains had stopped but the grass was low. Wasiri has been a guide in this area for the past 20 years and so knows its rhythms intimately. The predators would be active because their main prey, Wildebeest, was scarce as the migration was moving down the eastern side of the Serengeti towards Ndutu in the south to where the grass was most abundant, and where they could to calve. With low grass and active predators, this seemed like an ideal time to be wandering around the western corridor of the Serengeti for wildlife, especially predator photography.
“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” ~ Jennifer Lee
We heard there was a coalition of eight males, fathers and sons, which ruled this section of the western corridor at the time we were there. The idea of a mega coalition created images utter domination.
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” ~Martin Buber
On our first afternoon we wandered along the main gravel access road towards the Nyasirori ranger post in the east. Close to the road we came across a pride of lions with these two lions mating away from the main pride. It was late afternoon and there were patches of sunlight streaming onto the grass plains.
The gestation or pregnancy period for a female lion is about 105 – 110 days and a litter of two to four cubs is usual. Some distance from, but part of the same pride as the mating pair, we found several lionesses with a few cubs frolicking around them. The females with cubs stayed close to the rest of the pride. While the lionesses were trying to get some rest the cubs were boisterously playing around them.
These youngsters got very absorbed in their play and every now and then would suddenly stop, realising that this strange thing, our vehicle, was nearby.
The cubs seemed to be evenly matched but one initiated the play more than the other. Their coats were moist from the light rain earlier than afternoon.
If your sibling or cousin will not play with you then perhaps Mom’s tail will!
“Every person can transform the world from one of monotony and drabness to one of excitement and adventure.” ~ Irving Wallace
This lone buffalo bull was very grumpy and for good reason, as there were a few lions around. He did not run away but rather chased the lions away.
The buffalo bull chased this male lion into a small cluster of balanites. This was a first, I have never seen a male lion chased up in a tree before.
“Life is not a dress rehearsal, make it count” ~ Rose Tremain
In the open grasslands of the Serengeti you are likely to find many birds ranging from large birds such as Secretary birds and cranes to smaller ones such as lapwings, larks, starlings and coursers foraging in the grass. This was a Temmnick’s Courser on a game path. This courser prefers the short grass areas where there are ample termites and insects. We often found these coursers in the open grasslands when we looking for lions.
A Double-banded courser foraging for insects in the grass. They feed mostly on ants, termites and beetles. This courser is identified by its pale colouring with distinctive double dark brown bands on its chest.
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it” ~ Charles Swindoll
A Crowned crane coming in to land near its mate. They tend to mate for life, and are very territorial defending their nesting area with loud honking calls. They like to forage in open grasslands adjacent to wetlands where they eat grass seeds, insects and other invertebrates. They are also unique in that they can perch in the trees, unlike other cranes, because of their long hind toes.
Grey crowned cranes are elegant and unmistakable in the wetland areas along river courses in the Serengeti. They inflate their red throat pouch to produce honking sounds that are unique. Their voice has considerable harmonic development and can be heard for miles – these cranes use many different calls to communicate.
These cranes are known for their intricate dance that they do during the breeding season. As the displays pick up they perform ballet leaps of great beauty and dexterity. The entire ritual involves dancing, bowing, jumping and head shaking.
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” ~ Henry Miller
This was the first day in the western corridor of the Serengeti and although the weather was quite overcast, it was a promising start to our week of wildlife photography.
The lioness usually initiates the mating. Although the male lions look to be biting their mates neck this is not the painful part. Male lions have a barbed penis which appears to be painful for the female when the male dismounts. In lions, copulation is often accompanied by snarling, biting, growling, and threats, and sometimes the female turns and swats the male during dismount. The male penis has about 100 one millimetre barbs on his penis. They are made of keratin. As the male withdraws the barbs scrap the walls of the female’s vagina. The barbs have two functions, they help scratch out sperm on the vaginal wall from previous matings and help induce ovulation.
The mating can take place up to 100 times a day and each mating lasts only seconds. The previous male was about to take a short break from his mating marathon. The female usually rolls over after mating which is thought to encourage the sperm to reach deep inside the uterus. This mating marathon can last as long as four or five days.
Little did we know after the first day that we were going to see 70 different lions over the next six days. One of the aspects about going out of the high tourist season is that you get to see and understand the rhythm of the Serengeti without the migration and without tourists. More often than not we were the only vehicle out and about in our area of the western corridor.
“And then there is the most dangerous risk of all — the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.” ~ Randy Komisar
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-connectedness and let it be.
The second day of a brief adjourn in Cape Town for a few days in December 2018. We chose to drive down to Cape Point Nature Reserve via Simonstown and what a beautiful day it turned out to be.
“Jobs fill your pocket but adventures fill your soul.”~ Janie Lyn Beatty
A drive from Simonstown along the main road past Boulders and Murdock Valley onto Smitswinkel and then to Cape Point Nature Reserve. A small inlet just past Boulders on our way to Cape Point.
A moody sky as background with a calm False Bay sea lapping the sandstone boulders. The floating kelp was rhythmically moving with the waves which were lapping the boulders at the water’s edge.
Looking south just beyond Partridge point into Smitswinkel Bay in the Cape Point Nature Reserve.
“Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures.” ~ Lovelle Drachman
A view as you travel down in Cape Point Nature Reserve to the Cape of Good Hope with a view towards Antarctica.
The Cape Peninsula offers a compact floral kingdom comprising Proteas, bushes and grasses which cover the sandstone formations of the peninsula,. Fynos is considered one of the world’s six floral kingdoms.
“It’s not what you look at that matters. It’s what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau
A view looking west from Olifantsbos beach across the stony section at low tide with debris of kelp scattered across the rocks and beach. There were many terns, oystercatchers, plovers and ibis foraging in the kelp debris scattered on the beach.
A swift tern identified by its yellow beak, back cap and white underparts.
Sandwich terns gather in large flocks along the Cape Point coastline diving into the shallow coastal waters for small fish. This is a slender tern which has grey upperparts, white underparts, a yellow-tipped black bill and a shaggy black crest when breeding which becomes a white crown outside the breeding season.
A group of African black oystercatchers identified by the black plumage and red-orange beaks and red eye rings and pinkish legs.
Males and females have the same plumage. The female is bigger than the male and the former has a longer more pointed beak.
“Collect moments not things.”– unknown
These oystercatchers feed on mussel, worms and other crustaceans which they forage in the low tide in the inter-tidal zones.
These birds are monogamous slow breeders; breeding exclusively along the coast of southern Africa. They remind me a lot of skimmers. According to SANBI, the global population of the African Black Oystercatcher has increased by about 33% since 1980 (5 000) to early 2000 (6 670). Due to the small population size of less than 10 000 individuals, the IUCN and South Africa regard the African Black Oystercatcher as ‘Near Threatened’.
A swift tern flying back to its group resting on the rocks in Olifantsbos bay.
On our way back from Olifantsbos beach I was surprised to see this family of ostriches foraging between the road and the coast line. This was a successful family judging from the age and number of chicks which had survived. There is a low predator density in this reserve so their chances were good.
A very young Bontebok calf with its mother not too far away.
An adult Bontebok. Both sexes have horns and similar colouring with a distinctive white blaze on their face. They are dark brown with a white belly, rump and hocks. They are plains antelope preferring the short grass areas.
The common sunshine conebush with flame red young shoots (probably full of tannin). The is plant thrives in a variety of soils and is able to survive fires by regrowing from underground rootstock.
“Take only memories, leave only footprints.” ~ Chief Seattle
Looking directly east across False Bay to Pringle Point and the Hottentots Holland on its left hand side.
A view from Two Ocean’s restaurant looking up the Cape Point coast line towards Simonstown.
A view looking north from Buffels beach in the Cape Point Nature Reserve. This area offers tidal pools to swim in and extensive views across False bay towards the Hottentots Holland mountain range behind Somerset West.
A sugarbush which usually occurs in large thickets. There are around 112 species of protea in South Africa and this family is estimated to date back around 300 million years and so are among the oldest families of flowering plants in the world.
The quartz sandstone boulders offer wonderful landscape photographic opportunities with abundant clusters of Cape Snow (Syncarpha vestita).
“The pleasure we derive from journeys is perhaps dependent more on the mindset with which we travel than on the destination we travel to” ~ Alain de Botton
A fynbos landscape punctuated by quartz sandstone boulders with a dead pin cushion protea lying over one of the foreground boulders possibly blown over and broken by the high south eastern winds which can howl through this area.
Quartz sandstone boulders with a yellow pin cushion protea to add character and colour.
“Live your life by a compass not a clock.” ~ Stephen Covey
Late afternoon facing west with the bright afternoon light toned down with the quartz sandstone boulders in the left hand side foreground.
Clusters of Cape Snow on the slope of a quartz sandstone ridge with a rich diversity of fynbos in the foreground which includes Elegia Filacea. My knowledge of fynbos flora is sketchy so any corrections would be welcome.
The geology of the peninsula formation comprises hard, light grey course pebbly quartz sandstone. A Cape zebra stallion standing in the foreground in the fading light of the late afternoon.
The Cape Peninsula which has an area of about 470 square kilometres has a floral kingdom consisting of 2,285 flowering plant species. A field of orange Elegia Filacea with cluster of Cape Snow.
The Cape has many photographic dimensions. One of the intriguing revelations about this trip has been that the more you look the more you see and the more you realise that you have still to learn. It is like opening the first few pages of a thick book.
“And then there is the most dangerous risk of all — the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.” ~ Randy Komisar
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-connectedness and let it be.
Helen and I went down to Cape Town in early December to participate in the Nature’s Best Photography (NBP) Africa award ceremony. The quality of the award winning images were excellent and we got to meet some fascinating people at the ceremony. Nature’s Best Photography Africa has an annual exhibition of award winning photographs which are displayed by the Iziko SA Museum. NBP Africa is associated with NBP Global whose annual exhibition has been hosted annually at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History for over 20 years.
We stayed at a beautiful hotel, the Cellars Hohenot in Constantia in Cape Town. The Constantia Valley is known as ‘Cape Town’s Vineyard’. The hotel, built in the Cape Dutch style, is surrounded by beautiful gardens and has wonderful views of the east side of Table mountain.
This was the view from our bedroom window onto the hotel’s swimming pool.
The hotel swimming pool area was peaceful and idyllic for not only the guests but the Egyptian geese which had taken up residence in the gardens.
The two remaining Egyptian geese goslings seemed to really enjoy the pool when the patrons were not around.
Some of the hotel rooms were located in an annex detached from the main hotel and were also built in the old Cape Dutch style.
We decided to make a long weekend of our trip to Cape Town after the Nature’s Best Photography Africa awards ceremony. Helen wanted to visit the top of Table Mountain using the cable way but there was load shedding by South Africa’s monopolistic electrical utility. With no electrical power there were no traffic lights so the traffic was chaotic in Cape Town centre making in the cable way inaccessible.
I have been travelling regularly to Cape Town since 1980 and had never been to the World of Birds in Hout Bay. To get away from the traffic, and because Helen and I are both interested in birds, we decided to visit the World of Birds instead of the cable way.
A male Indian or blue peafowl in full gorgeous iridescent blue and green plumage. There are two other peafowl species, the green and Congo peafowl. We only saw the Indian species.
Although the venue was somewhat run down, apparently due to financial difficulties according to the Cape Times, it is still well worth a visit because of the fantastic variety of birds and small mammals it houses.
“The hope of the future lies not in curbing the influence of human occupancy – it is already too late for that – but in creating a better understanding of the extent of that influence and a new ethic for its governance.” ~ Aldo Leopold
The next image is of a silver pheasant. There are some 51 pheasants species in the world being native to Asia with one exception, the Congo peafowl from Zaire. Most pheasant species live in the forest understory.
Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, with males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have longer tails.
Swinhoe’s pheasant from Taiwan
A male Golden pheasant, or sometimes called the Chinese pheasant, resplendent in the most glorious plumage. This pheasant is native to forests in the mountainous areas of western China.
The first time I ever saw a Golden Pheasant was in the aviary of my long standing friend Adrian Lombard in Harare Zimbabwe, back in the 1960s.
“Humans seem to have an innate drive to master other creatures.” ~ Paul Greenberg
A pair of rosy-cheeked lovebirds fast asleep. In the wild this species of lovebird is usually found in south western Africa. Plumage is identical in males and females. Lovebirds are known for their sleep position in which they sit side-by-side and turn their faces in towards each other.
A head shot of a striking Demoiselle Crane, a species which is usually found from the Black Sea to Mongolia and North Eastern China.
Another view from the back of this young Demoiselle crane.
A black crowned crane is only found wild in small populations in eastern Africa, centered in Senegal and Gambia. There is a large population throughout Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya, with separate populations in Chad and Cameroon. I never tire of seeing the grey crowned cranes with its exquisite plumage and radiant golden crown, but the black crowned crane has an even more striking plumage.
We came across three secretary birds with the female on a nest nursing a youngster while the male strode around the cage. It is wonderful to see these raptors in the wild in areas such as Mashatu , Serengeti and Masai Mara. They are highly effective predators eating anything from small birds to snakes and rodents.
An albino male peafowl giving a full display.
A head shot of the marabou stork. These are carrion eaters which hang around a kill to pick up scraps as they cannot tear flesh from a carcass. These storks are also effective fishermen when pools begin to dry up leaving catfish writhing in the mud. Fish eagles are also know to steal prey from marabous.
South Africa’s national bird, the blue crane also known as the Stanley crane and the Paradise crane. This crane stands a little over a metre high and is pale blue-gray in colour with a white crown, a pink bill, and long, dark gray wingtip feathers which trail to the ground. Of the 15 species of crane, the Blue Crane has the most restricted distribution and is only found in South Africa and Namibia.
A juvenile greater flamingo kneeling on the ground. I am not sure what it was doing as its eyes were open.
An adult greater flamingo is the largest of all the flamingo species. In the wild most of the plumage is pinkish white, and the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers are black. The bill is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The degree of pink in the adults depends on organisms in their feeding grounds.
‘If you truly love nature you will find beauty everywhere.”~ Vincent van Gogh
The black casqued hornbill is found in the forest of west Africa from Angola to the DRC and Liberia. The adult on the right and juvenile on the left with the ginger coloured crown. The juvenile’s casque has still to fully develop.
A silvery cheeked hornbill which lives in evergreen forest in most of Africa. These hornbills prefer the forest habitat because of the abundance of available fruit. The large casque on top of its upper bill acts a a echo chamber to amplify its call in the thick forest vegetation.
Red-billed toucan. There are about 40 different species of toucans. Toucans are found in South and Central America in the canopy layer of the rainforest. They vary in size from about 18 cm inches to a little over 60 cm. They are characterised by their short and thick necks and large, colourful, yet lightweight bills. They feed mainly on fruit and berries in the forest.
A pair of spotted dikkops or thickknee. They are predominantly crepuscular and nocturnal, hence the large eyes. The spotted species can be differentiated from the water thickknee because the latter has lighter colouring and dark horizontal stripes on its shoulder coverts and edges of its primary wing feathers.
Masked lapwing is native to Australia which, like most lapwings, prefer wet, open environments.
Black crowned night-heron, another crepuscular hunter which lives around the world except in cold climates and Australia. The long white plumes at the back of its head are used in courtship displays.
A gorgeous scarlet ibis is native to tropical south America and the Caribbean islands. Its taxonomy classifies it as a unique species but that is in dispute as some scientists want it reclassified as a sub species of the American white ibis.
The southern bald ibis is identified by its glossy black feathers which have a slight blue green sheen. Its head is bald with a red crown.The skin on the neck and head is wrinkled. The bill and legs are a pinkish red. This ibis is found throughout South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland but is uncommon.
Straw-necked ibis is native to Australia, New Guniea and parts of Indonesia. It gets its name from the straw-like feathers on its neck. This feature is not particularly evident in this image.Found around shallow freshwater wetlands and are highly nomadic.
“The cream of enjoyment in this life is always impromptu. The chance walk; the unexpected visit; the unpremeditated journey; the unsought conversation or acquaintance.”~ Fanny fern
The giant wood-rail is found in eastern Paraguay, Uruguay and south Brazil. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Giant Wood-rail lives along marshes and rivers, and can often be seen completely out in the open, walking slowly in the mud. This rail is classified as “least concern” in the IUCN listings.
The black oyster catcher is found along the coast of South Africa and Namibia. The adults have black plumage, red eyes surrounded by a orange-red eye-ring and their beaks vary in colour from orange to red. The female is usually bigger than the male. Their diet consists of mussels, worms and other small crustaceans
“Humans seem to have an innate drive to master other creatures.”~Peter Greenberg
The budgerigar is a long tailed seed eating parrot. All budgerigars originally came from Australia. All the different coloured budgerigars are from the same species. Wild budgerigars have a light green body colour, their mantles (back and wing coverts show a black mantle with yellow stripes
Distinguishing the age of a parakeet is determined by the lines on the forehead. Young parakeets have their foreheads covered with lines, while adults have them smooth. Young parakeets have a completely black eye, while older budgerigars have a white ring with a black dot. Contrary to what we saw in the cages, budgerigars are nomadic and move in flocks.
Golden breasted starling. I first saw this bird in Tsavo West in south Eastern Kenya. In the bush this bird stands out like a jewel.
This juvenile spotted eagle-owl distinctive because it is smaller than a Cape eagle-owl and its eyes are yellow whereas the Cape eagle-owl’s eyes are orange. It also has fine barring on its belly.
There were three juvenile spotted eagle-owls in this cage. All were wide awake in the middle of the day.
An adult African spotted eagle-owl asleep in the low light in its cage. There was a lot of noise from different bird calls so it was probably just resting.
Verreaux eagle has all black plumage with a distinctive white “V” on its back which can be seen easily when it flies. This eagle prefers hilly and mountainous regions where its favourite prey, the rock hyrax, is abundant.
Like all eagles the female is the larger of the pair. It is difficult to see this large magnificent raptor in a cage when its natural state is soaring along ridges catching the updraft along hills and mountains. These raptors usually land up in sanctuaries because they were injured and cannot return to the wild.
“Clearly animals know more than we think and think more than we know.”~Irene Pepperberg
The Cape Gannet breeds in large colonies on islands off the coast of Namibia and South Africa. This bird can be found long distances offshore as far as 160kms from the coast when foraging for food.
Mandarin ducks are native to China and Japan. These small ducks have extravagantly ornate plumage. Like Pygmy geese they frequently perch in trees, while the female invariably chooses a hole or cavity in a tree trunk in which to lay her eggs.
The next three images are of a Nicobar pigeon. There are around 300 species of pigeon and dove in the world. They are among the most colourful and beautiful of all birds.
The Nicobar pigeon ranges from India through Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Palau. The spectacular iridescent plumage, elongated gray neck feathers and pure white tail of the Nicobar pigeon are distinctive.
The Nicobar’s beauty has also become its threat, because this bird is a popular target for illegal poaching. It like so many avian species the Nicobar pigeon faces habitat destruction due to the expanding human population.
Some of the other spectacularly coloured and ornate pigeons are the Victoria crowned pigeon, the green pigeon and orange-breasted green pigeon, the Spinfex pigeon and the rose-crowned fruit dove. There are also the bleeding heart pigeons, the Luzon and Mindanaco to name just a few.
“No matter how few possessions you own or how little money you have, loving wildlife and nature will make you rich beyond measure.” ~ Paul Oxton
Our walk around the World of Birds was a vivid reminder of the diversity and breath-taking colours of the plumage of birds.
“I believe the world is incomprehensibly beautiful. An endless prospect of magic and wonder.”~Ansel Adams
My next post will show images of an interesting day spent in the Cape Point Nature Reserve.
“Through the naturalist’s eyes, a sparrow can be as interesting as a bird of paradise, the behaviour of a mouse as interesting as that of a tiger and a humble lizard as fascinating as a crocodile.”~ Gerald Durrell
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-connectedness and let it be.
This is the last post from my trip to Ruaha National Park with Andrew Beck of Wild Eye in November 2018. We were based at the Mwagusi safari camp. This was a special wild place which infused you with a deep sense of wild Africa.
“The cool morn disguised the midday heat. The lively chorus at dawn celebrated the night’s survival. The darkness faded and so too did the haunting calls in the night. The African bush filled your senses and your imagination.” ~Mike Haworth
This first image is a view from my banda at 5h30 in the morning around 10 minutes before sunrise. Coffee had just been delivered and I could sit quietly and watch a new Africa day light up across the dry Mwagusi river bed. The sounds were indescribable with birds singing, spurfowl calling and the hyaenas whooping as they made their way back to their dens. In the distance lion were often heard roaring in the cool air as their roars carried further in the dense cool air.
” There are a few in this world who have the good sense to carve out small sanctuaries in the African bush for ordinary people to visit and be privileged to have the African bush reveal itself with all its wonder.” ~ Mike Haworth
A view of the inside of the banda I stayed in while in the Mwagusi safari Camp. It was spacious and very comfortable. It had a large veranda with big cushions covering a concrete seat and in case that was too hard there was a hammock swinging slightly in the light breeze.
A view from the bathroom through the bedroom out onto the river. As you can see the partitions were made of reeds. The floors were polished red concrete. The main bedroom was a tent which could be closed up at night. Each banda had en-suite facilities with flushing toilet and an ample supply of hot water for the shower and sink.
A view from the veranda of my banda at midday looking across the dry Mwagusi river to the main dining area.
Each banda had a large covered veranda, with a cushioned seating area and inviting hammock designed to catch any breeze in the midday heat. This was a perfect place to sit first thing in the morning watching the sun rise and to relax in the afternoon heat.
A view of the approach to my banda showing the peaked roof of Makuti thatch constructed from palm leaves.
“It is only by going to new places can your experience of life be deepened. Only then to you understand the value in the diversity and being able to sense the similarities and connections of life.”~ Mike Haworth
A view down onto the dry Mwagusi river bed from just in front of the dining area.
On our third morning we were barely five minites out of camp having just crossed the dry Mwagusi river when we found a pack of wild dogs. There was a concentration of predators around the Mwagusi safari camp when we were there.
Looking from the main dining area to the left set of bandas positioned along the bank of the Mwagusi river.
There was much bird activity around the bird baths in the heat of the early afternoon. A whole family of red-necked spurfowl gathered for a drink.
A view from the river bank towards the main dining area. The standard of food was exceptional. The manner in which it was served was first class. Each evening we were treated to a dinner in the river bed in a different location with lanterns lighting the sandy river bed creating just the sort of romanticism which makes you fall in love with the wild African bush.
” In an African sunset you will be immersed in colour and beauty which seems dreamlike. Your senses will be flooded with the heat, fragrances, colours and sounds of that inbetween time.”~ Mike Haworth
A view of the dry Mwagusi river just next to the camp at last light.
Our ‘wheels’ for the trip with Yona as driver and Justin as our guide. Both were very hospitable and Justin had exceptional knowledge of the wildlife, trees and birds. Both were a pleasure to travel with around Ruaha.
Ruaha has its own unique way of displaying its road signs. Each road has a different animal sign mounted on top of a colourful base.
There were a number of bird baths in front of the main dining area and another next to the reading room. We spent time editing our images in the reading room but there were many distractions such as this palm-collared thrush which was frequent visitor to the bird bath in the middle of the day.
“I hope you have an experience that alters the course of your life because, after Africa, nothing has ever been the same” ~ Suzanne Evans
A view along the Mwagusi river immediately behind the camp at last light.
Wild Ruaha was an intense experience. It overloaded your senses. Everything was brand new. November was hot. The bush offered new sights, smells and fragrances, and it was teeming with wildlife and yes, the insects bite.
“You were born to dance to the beat of your own heart, To roam without cages, with the innocence of a child and the free spirit of untamed horses. I hope you laugh without stopping, live with abandon, and love like all there is. Stay wild, my wild, wild child.” ~ unknown
Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-connectedness and let it be.
