I "might" have been chased by a hippo

But more on that later...

First things first. Forrest and Shannon left last Tuesday and it seems so long ago. As with Eli and Amber, I found myself asking "did that really happen?" They came on a Sunday and Monday was a rest day. These guys have been sleep deprived for, oh, the last two years. And if anyone needs sleep it's those two. So Lynne's instructions were something to effect of "listen you early riser, if you wake them up as you slam around out there...." She didn't finish her warning and didn't need to. I got it loud and clear. At first they were up around the time I was (0530) due to jet lag, then they progressed to sleeping the clock around.

On Tuesday we went back to Chobe and "had" to duplicate the trip we had with E&A. The weather was rough the week before as it is Fall here. We had the first crystal clear days in weeks for our visit. Picture a gorgeous October day in Hood River, you get the point. We had a game drive in the morning where we were effectively skunked. F&S were good guests and said that it didn't matter. It did to me.

That afternoon we saw a mother hippo and her adolescent calf in the creek that runs through the hotel area. She would snort and sink, snort and roar, and sink. Her calf was hidden in the bushes near her but was almost invisible. We then went on the most amazing river cruise. As before we all hopped in a boat with dozens of others from around the world (is there a LL Bean in every country?) and went up the river to see the sights and any animals that were on shore. It had been hot but now the sun was setting and it was turning cool. We saw many crocks on the shore cooling off, a gillion hippos and too many to count elephants. Cape buffalo, impala, kudo, gemsbok, baboon, more elephants, and more hippo, fish eagles, beautiful birds. The sun set and it was just magic.

That night I was able to resist the dreaded buffet monster. Tempting to be sure but with just two weeks 'til nats I just couldn't become well marbled again. We went for a short walk to view and photo some extraordinary spiders and see some stars. As we were on our way I noticed a group of twelve or so people off in the distance, all of them excited and pointing. Well I just had to see what all the commotion was all about so I sauntered over to see for myself. Off in the distance was a grazing hippo, on the lawn, probably the mother we had seen earlier.

As I'm sure most of you know, hippos are a cranky and contrary lot. They are responsible for more animal attacks than any other in this part of the world. And some idiot was taking flash photographs...begging to be skewered. So of course the hippo snorted add made a mock charge. Now these guys can go from 0-60km/hr in a blink. We all backed up and I found myself next to the same idiot who again took some flash pics. Real dumb. And I found myself standing beside him, also reeaal dumb. Still I thought all I have to do is keep the flasher between me and the hippo and I'm safe. Darwinian selection at work doncha know.

Well this time the hippo was appropriately upset and charged again, but we couldn't tell if it was a mock charge or the real deal. I thought it was probably of the mock variety so I was a touch slow on the uptake. When she didn't stop, and was about 10m from us, I took off up between some buildings with idiot close on my heals. The space between hotel buildings was a tight fit and wouldn't admit a hippo, or so I hoped. I ran out of my sandals and might have sprained my ankle. My first thought? Not "that was close", it wasn't. Not "that was so cool", it was! It was "this is really going to eff up my nats!"

Forrest came to my "rescue" and was amused until we got back to our respective wives tapping their feet, arms crossed, glaring. Then he was on their side! Safe to say there weren't any couches in the rooms or I would have had to cram myself onto one for the night. The alpha female was upset.

Next it was off to Victoria Falls. As it had been raining for the previous week, and the river was way up we had a difficult time seeing all of the falls for the spray. But could we ever feel them. Not unlike the feeling you get when a crack of lightning is followed by thunder that seems a touch too close. What power and sound. We of course got soaking wet and then mutually (OK, Forrest and I did) decided to cross the "Amber Line" at one of the lookouts. But just by a meter, I swear Amber.

We went home to have the most rain and cold in a given week that Bots has had in quite some time. THAT really messed with my training. On went the farmer john and out went the sea anchor. I was reminded of the t-shirt at masters meets that says "I'm old, but I'm slow". I also like the one, "The older I get the faster I was". True that. My pace was more appropriately timed by a calender. I had to add at least 10s per hundred to even stay within a set.

This week has been great medically. I was in a primary hospital and was rounding on a woman who was having seizures that we not well controlled by medication. Interestingly she was fine after the seizure which is a touch unusual when they are major motor type; no loss of consciousness, no post seizure disorientation or lethargy. In the process of examining her I noticed her face was without expression and she had some cog wheeling rigidity. We got her to stand an she had a wide based, tremulous gait; Parkinsons disease. That explained her "seizures" and her level of consciousness after.

Every once in a while I can overcome my lamictal brain and make a clean diagnosis. And she had been in the hospital for two weeks! The third doctor to round on a patient is always the smartest as s/he knows what the diagnosis, or treatment, ain't or ain't working. This time I got to be the third.