All you need

I recently got to go on a PD trip to Dubai, and as the conference wasn't especially good and I was by myself I ended up having alot of time to think. I also got to ski for the first time in 18 months so maybe the 2 things influenced eachother. The ski hill in Dubai is pretty cool- you walk into this too big for any real purpose mall and at the far end of the food court is a window looking out over the snow- you see little kids petting actual penguins and a small sledding area. You head in and buy your ticket- 2 hours for 45$, then proceed to the rentals where you get boots, snowpants, jacket, and skis. No hat and gloves- I brought a ski hat (really I did) I just left it in the hotel- no worries I thought I am from Tenessee Pass- I will not get cold. just to foreshadow- I got cold- real cold.

A real simple process and as I rode not walked the escalator up to the hill I couldn't stop grinning- I felt like a kid- so excited to be skiing- I even asked a lady to take my picture!

So there I was- skiing in jeans on a hill smaller than gold peak but it didn't matter- I was loving it and I realized that there are things in our lives that make us smile- more than smile- I think we need them. And then I got to the top of the run and there it was: a pearl of wisdom, a nugget for me to ponder:

ALL YOU NEED

more on this later- but first some pictures.

1st day of conference done- why sit in the room?

On the way out to Mall of the Emirates- look close for Tom Cruise

Cheney skis in Jeans

trying to give an idea of the pitch- it doglegs to the right after the building behind me

better living thru science!

All you need- is ...well what? fill in the blank for me- add a comment and tell me what it is you need.

So as I skiied my laps I got to think about what it is I need. In some ways it is pretty simple I need Wilder, Luca, and Lisa nearby. I need adventure- whether it is traveling, meeting new friends, teaching or some other form I need that stretching of what is comfortable in my life.
And I guess I need to ski- you don't know what you got till its gone- someday I will be back to the Colorado mountains to ski proper but till then it's dubai and sand dunes.

I also need my family and friends- so thanks for being out there- big abrazos to you all. Trust me you need one.

Africa part4- the Masai

We had a pretty cool opportunity on our trip to visit a Masai village- and yeah I know there was a bit of a "lets fleece the tourists" going on- but in the end who cares? We got to see a culture straight out of National Geographic. Beautiful kind people as well- we were met by the son of the chief who took us on a walk to the village- we did this instead of driving and it was great- he told us about the plants they used- and we didn't worry about getting eaten by lions because he had a wooden club and a small sword- I'm sure we were completly safe.

The Masai wear bright colors because they can spot each other from far distances- and it scares the lions away- seriously!?! these guys must be badasses.

They have a plant to use for teeth brushing, for sand paper, for cooling your forehead on a hot day, and one to help joint pain. When I asked where they get the red die shipped in for the fabric from- he grabbed a few leaves, crushed them in his hand and said "just mix this with some goat fat" I felt like Bear Gryllis.

Wilder with sword- Luca with club

When you see a bunch of ants the Masai think it is good luck to spit on them- so now you know.

One of these kids is not like the other ones.

This is where they keep the livestock at night- Luca walked in (and it had been raining) and said "This is gross" -ahhh just be thankful you have shoes my little man. 

This guy was not as happy that the rains had begun.

These guys showed us a traditional Masai dance- Usually if you marry you need to pay the girls father a dowry of about 10 cows, If you can jump really high you may get away with paying fewer cows. This guy would owe about 8.

This guy might only have to pay 6 cows

Luca and Innes gave it a try: Luca would owe 7 cows, Innes would owe 14.

She is smiling- but I know what would happen if I kept jumping for a wife.

Making fire!

Inside a house- it was interesting seeing a world so vastly different from our own and wondering what the kids would take from it. I notice children running around without shoes- Luca sees children running- I see a girl Wilders age with a  little sibling on her back- I wonder if Wilder sees another kid- or a kid who has the responsibilty of childcare already. I will be curious as to what these 2 Isom kids recall from all this travelling we do.

The ladies

Now how come when I leave the house dressed like this Lisa always makes me come back?

Africa part 3- Masai Mara

It takes a fair a bit of driving to get to the Masai Mara- you just go and go and go. And once you get there it just keeps going- right into Tanzania! It was so great to be there seeing the sheer numbers of animals. As a science teacher I felt like... a kid again. Here are some more critters

The topi- with little topis too.

Charles said this was a guinea hen but I wasn't fooled- that is a direct relation of a dinosaur! 

This is where Luca and Wilder spent pretty much all of the drives.

1 mongoose, 2 mongeese?

Wildebeests: the lawnmowers of the mara. we just missed seeing 100's of thousands passing through to Tanzania- we only saw thousands.

This was cool: we saw many lions during our 3 days but these ladies were snacking on a slow wildebeest. The males had eaten and were sleeping nearby and the cubs were playing and grabbing bites here and there. 

after a bit this guy woke up and noticed a few cars parked watching, so he walked right by us and totally posed.

I guess when you are cool as this guy you can pose anywhere you want!

I am faster than a cheetah...when the cheetah is at rest.

The more we learned about and saw elephants the more we liked them- what magnificent creatures- unless you are a tree- trees hate elephants.

warthogs: so ugly that they are cute.

Luca wanted a pet monkey untill he heard stories of the naughty ones getting into cars and stealing crisps from little boys.

The Mara river- just try to swim across!

Hippopotamus: one of the most fun words to say slowly out loud... try it.

Crocs!

Trivia: what flag is the crested crane on?   (uganda)

The secretary bird- so named because of its showy hair and long legs... and it can type 30 words a minute.

good times...good times

Dik dik's are couples for life and if one dies or is eaten the other will usually die as well in a few days. at least that was what our guide said.

I can't recall the name of this bird but it gets its meals from big piles of elephant poo.

the contemplative vervet monkey

Impalas- yet more of the ungulates.

this was on our last night in the park- the black rhino- quite endangered and very aggressive- was glad that we were quite far away.

Africa part 2- the animals of Lake Nakuru

I've watched my fair share of nature videos- heck I even lived in Tanzania when I was 7- but nothing can compare to actually being out on safari. So many animals- and they all want to eat! Talk about natural selection and evolution right in front of you- its a dog eat dog world and you don't want to be wearing the milk bone underwear. Each animal had some trick up its sleeve to find food or protect itself. Being just ordinary humans we didn't have any tricks and it was quite interesting to not be at the top of the food chain- this was especially apparent when we stopped for a bathroom break- you should have seen those Isoms jump out, wiz, and clamor back into the van like a bunch of vervet monkeys drinking esspressos. 

Our first stop was Lake Nakuru- enjoy! 

Giraffes are so cool- they eat the thorny trees which means they often prick their tongues- giraffe spit is a natural antiseptic- so if you ever have a cut- just let a giraffe lick you.

Getting licked sure feels funny- and that is strawberry fanta on his lips- not lip gloss

Zebras are the smart ones- they hang with the wildebeests- show them where to cross the river- then when the crocs are full- easy crossing! If I was a cowboy I think I would ride a zebra.

Survival trick: water bucks have coarse long hair and taste bad so the lions pretty much leave them alone.

Water buffalo:"alright here is how this is going to go: You stay on my back and eat the ticks and I'll make sure pretty much no one will ever mess with you."
Tick bird: "sounds like a deal, but you are on your own for getting that poop off your horn"

Water buffalos look like big dumb cows but they are one of the "big 5" because if they feel you are messing with them they get a little agro. I stared at one a little too long and I think he short sheeted my bed.

Lake Nakuru is known for having millions of flamingos that hang out together- this guy didn't get the memo. Some people think they are pink because of their diet- its actually because it makes them look FABULOUS!!

My favorite part: watching the animals- my second favorite part: watching the kids watch the animals. (3rd favorite part would be nachos)

That little gopher thing is called a rock hyrax- a fearsome deadly beast which should be one of the "big 5". (the big 5 are: elephant, water buffalo, rhino, leopard, and lion)

Lake Nakuru

Pelicans and flamingos

Charles is the man! If anyone needs his email to plan a safari let me know.

So this is what santa does in the off season.

You can't have too many giraffes- this one is a rothschild (sp?) a bit different than the Masai giraffe.

Jackal

The very rare to see (who knew?) striped hyena. This one really left an impression with Luca as he told people for days about the striped hyena we saw.

Who is second fastest after the cheetah? Ostrich you say? Correct, and they can kick you into next week.

Thankfully this hiding snake was the only snake we saw all week.

The white rhino- so named because of its wide mouth- when they were naming the animals no one could understand the dutch who kept saying "name it the wide rhino!"
Ahhh the dutch- thats why we don't let them name animals much

So that was lake Nakuru- we loaded up after this and drove to the Masai Mara- but you'll have to tune in next time for that- cheers