and there was another of the world's most beautiful sunsets, because the dust covered the sun + the rays hit the water + bounced around + the lighting was perfect + i have over a hundred pictures to prove it.  but i'll leave you with this handful of my favorites, plus some just because, and save the others for when i'm feeling generous, because i've discovered that i'm stingy with pretty pictures.  it's true.  

so i got charged by an elephant.  twice.  and it was one of the most exhilarating, terrifyingly awesome things i've ever experienced.  and when they screamed at us, we screamed at mom to drive on and get us away from the amazing, sixteen ton animal that was chasing us away from her baby.  and we held onto the top of the car and my shutter finger was going a million clicks a second and yet it seemed that i was still unable to capture the sheer ginormousness of this beautiful creature.  and i marveled a lot, because suddenly, here before you are these animals.  giant and bizarre and grey in all of their baggy skin and flailing trunks.   with the tiny elephants grabbing their mother's tails and following them through the tall grass like i only thought they did in jungle book.  

and we drove kilometer after kilometer on dusty, dry roads in the middle of nowhere.  straining our eyes for what little natural wildlife is left here.  and we got to see it raw and natural, ever though mom would have been a little more comfortable if there was some sort of a barrier between where we were sleeping and the lake full of crocs.  

there were birds the color of neon sharpies and others of dirt.  so we dodged tree limbs from our perch atop the car and bruised our legs from scraping branches, and it was wonderful. 

then there was a rosy sunrise that filtered through the dust blanket that had settled over the earth.   we climbed a mountain, that looked more like an ant hill, and watched the sun wake and spread its light over the dark earth.  as far as the eye could see was brush and grass and trees, so different than those normal to me, and yet in their own rugged, tired, brown way: they were beautiful. 

isn't it amazing the diversity that He has created?  each so individual and unique, and yet still completely perfect by design.  His glorious creation was all around us, rugged and natural.   He creates mountains and plains, deserts and rain forests, fish and elephants.  and he says that they are all good. 

yeah, it was hot and filled with sunscreen, ugly sunhats and mass quantities of nasty flies.  but those were nothing because we had twenty hours free and alone in His creation, and fellowship with dear, dear friends who had traveled half-way around the world to see us.  and i got a sunset that felt like it was painted just for me… 

life has been full with visitors (from the states!) and village trips and hundred of pictures and editing + weeding through those pictures (that seem to be multiplying) and packing and unpacking and short notice french lessons and scary amounts of time in the car and overplayed playlists.  

so i'm exhausted and full and ready for a long time of sleep.  but it's been great and i've got pictures to prove it.  and hopefully something else that will make an appearance before the first month is out.  and i think that the fact that the moon decided to visit during the day is pretty cool… 

they say that pictures speak louder than words, so here are pictures instead of words.  but i will say, that we sang and ate and played and walked and ran and laughed.  and it was amazing… and beautiful.