Au Revoir USA

     I'm sitting in the lobby of the hotel in Houston near the airport.  This is my last day in the US.  CoCo and I left the Springs early this morning where Cindy and Andy saw me off.  I surprised myself that I was not emotional.  I think it's because I am so very excited about this journey - this bend that has been so long in coming but one I have been seeing for many many years!  It still all seems a little unreal.
     I think it probably will take more than a month for it to sink in that I actually live in France and aren't there just for a visit. 
     The Peak has had some snow on it the past two mornings - so beautiful!  You can't see it in the photo as it is covered in clouds.  Snow in August, you ask?  YES!  Not terribly unusual for the mountains to start getting some snow as we get closer to Autumn.  Cindy was so in love with the view of the Peak this morning that it was hard for her to pay attention to directions from our hotel to the airport :-)
    

     It was great to have Andy and Cindy at the airport this morning.  So glad that Andy's boss was willing for him to come in late so that he could see me off on my grand adventure.  Wish he were coming with me.  We'll make arrangements for him to come for about 10 days in the winter when his Incline project is finished.  That will take him away from snow removal for a few days which will make him happy!
     My "Moving to France" party was so much fun.  Had a chance to visit with so many good friends and family.  Many of whom hadn't seen each other in many years and I think everyone had a really good time.  And it was the perfect way to send me off with lots of love and blessings.
     I know of people coming to see me in December, January, February and April.  Better get your bids in soon or the months will be filled! :-)  I am happy to travel to see anyone who might be coming to Western Europe.  Air and train travel makes all the countries so accessible which is awesome!
     I wanted to get one last blog post done while I'm still in the US.  The next one will be from my cottage in France!  I am so blessed to be able to follow my dream.  I realize that  very few people can actually do that.  What a long road I have traveled so far and now the bend is in sight.  I expect to follow many more roads and encounter many more bends in France.  And you can all come along!
     My phone and email will stay the same.   Here is my new address:
                                           Candy Witt
                                           Chez M et Mme Gentile G
                                           Lassenat St Georges
                                           32190 Justian
                                           France
      Lassenat St Georges is the name of the property.  If you google it you will see the website for the cottage.  The owners have done a great job of setting up the website with photos of not only the four holiday cottages that they rent out but also of the surrounding area.  If you have some time I encourage you to check it out and then you'll see where I'm living for the next eight months.
     Thank you for joining me on this journey.  Some of you have been hearing me talk about moving to France for the past 20 years.  Now the time is here.  And you are all coming along with me, so to speak.  I will continue the weekly blog.  No more house projects.  My days will be filled with markets, villages, gardens, castles, cathedrals, chateaux, Roman ruins, eating and drinking and exploring.  And I am quite happy to share it all with you.  Au Revoir aux Etats-Unis et Bonjour a La Belle France!

Packing and Visiting and Packing and Visiting

     The past few weeks and this week leading up to my August 29 departure (!) has been filled with the last few things I need to do to be totally ready.  And most of the things on my list have to do with packing and visiting.
     I decided to box and mail some books and other heavier items so that my suitcases will be a little more manageable.  I will be the one lifting them in and out of the rental car after we get to France and I'd like to save my back!  I mailed two boxes yesterday and have one more that will get mailed just before I leave.  I'm keeping that one in case I can't fit everything in my suitcases that I think I can.
     I have a 26 inch and a 24 inch suitcase.  The larger one has all my winter clothes, coats, boots, etc in it along with a smaller carry-on that will be very handy for short travels once I'm in France.  The smaller one will have my warmer weather clothes and shoes in it.  I'm down to six pairs of shoes and two purses!

In the midst of packing

     My two carry-ons will be a backpack and CoCo's carrier.  My backpack will have my travel documents, snacks, my lower back inflatable pillow, and three changes of clothes for the two over night layovers.  My travel purse fits nicely in the backpack and it will have my kindle fire and my kindle reader along with the usual things one needs for air travel. My purse is cross body and works well for when I'm in the airport.  When I'm ready to board it goes in the backpack, but comes out again once I've boarded and the backpack goes overhead.  CoCo has to go under the seat in front of me.  And the backpack has a nice padded section for my lap top.
     I have collapsible food/water containers for CoCo's needs and will put her favorite toys and blanket in her carrier.  I have some homeopathic liquid "valium" for her and will also put her in her thunder shirt.  I did that the last time I had her on a plane and I think that helped quite a lot.
     The vet tech was finally able to find out exactly what is needed for CoCo's travel documents.  She had her vet check yesterday and I got all the necessary documents.  Tomorrow I have an appointment at the USDA office in Denver to get the official stamp.  And then, she should be all set!
     So penned in my planner - around all the packing and errands, I have tried to get in lots of visits with friends, family and church family.  I have had my usual monthly/weekly visits with Beth and Renae.  My cousin, Sara, came from Texas Sunday to spend a little time with me and with Cindy and Mary Ann.  I have had lunch and/or dinner with some of my favorite older church family members.  Some of whom are no longer able to come to church.  Also, lunches with other favorite people who wanted to wish me well.
    Last Saturday, my HS girlfriends dedicated our monthly lunch to me and my move to France.  There were 14 of them who came to wish me well and give me hugs.  My "Moving to France" party is Saturday from 2-6 and it sounds like there may be about 100 people coming during those 4 hours!  I feel very blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family who are sending me off with the best thoughts, prayers and wishes. 
     Sorry this is late - I usually try to get the posts done on Sundays and hopefully I'll get back to that routine once I'm settled in France.  I will try to get one more post done before I leave the States.  I fly from the Springs to Houston Monday morning and then will spend the night there.  I will get to see my Aunt and cousin, Pat, that night!  So glad to get the chance to visit with them before I leave Tuesday afternoon for the flight to Frankfort.  I'm hoping that Monday night I'll have some time for a short blog post - my last one in the US!
     Tomorrow is busy.  I drive to Denver in the morning for the USDA appointment.  Then back to the Springs to meet Cindy for lunch at 12:30.  At 4:30 my car will change ownership and at 5:30 I'll take Whiskers to her new home.  Friday morning Cindy and I will head to the zoo - the last time for me this year!  Then we will be getting things ready for the party, finishing up with packing, doing laundry, and cleaning and clearing all of my stuff out of the condo. 
     It means so much to me that so many of you have joined me on this journey!  Thank you for taking the time to read my posts and for offering comments and encouragement all along the way.  Merci!!

Becoming a "French" French Poodle

     If you are a regular reader of this blog you remember that I had to go to the French Consulate in Los Angeles in order to apply for a residency visa for the eight months I will be at the cottage.  While I was visiting with the French mademoiselle behind the glass I asked her about bringing my dog into the country.  She referred me to the French Embassy website where the regulations are all described.

     Shortly before my trip to LA I had read an article in my International Living magazine about taking a dog or cat to Europe and they gave pretty much the same info as the Embassy website.  The first couple of regulations were not a big deal.  I needed to get CoCo micro-chipped which I had planned to do anyway.  But Europe requires the 15 number non-encrypted type.  Then, after that was implanted, she had to get a rabies booster.  I guess so that when they scan her chip at customs the rabies vaccination date will show up.
     She has to have an international (meaning English/French) health certificate issued no more than ten days before arrival in France.  And then with the certificate in hand I must take it to the USDA office (in Denver) to be officially stamped.  But here's where the tricky part comes in . . . .
     When the vet tech asked about our flight itinerary she was concerned about the overnight layovers.  And I hadn't even thought of that when I made the reservations.  I thought I would be doing both me and CoCo a huge favor by not flying all the way through from Colorado Springs to Toulouse.  I was looking forward to a respite from constant airplane/airport possible twenty hours of CoCo in a carrier and me carting her around all that time.  It seemed to me that breaking up the legs of the trip would be helpful.
     The first issue is that I may need to visit the USDA office in Houston since the actual international flight segment originates in Texas.  The second issue is that we will be flying into and going through customs in Frankfort, Germany.  So I may need two international health certificates - one in German and one in French.  The vet tech is supposed to call me tomorrow and let me know what she found out.  Fortunately, she has worked on these certificates for all over the world for many years.  I suppose because Colorado Springs is such a big military town there would be lots of people moving and taking pets overseas.
     I think it's funny that France is so very concerned about the health of my dog, but seems to have no cares about whether or not I'm bringing in any diseases!  Although, within a week of arriving in France I have to visit a local doctor for a physical routine to verify that I'm healthy enough to stay in the country.  And CoCo has to visit a vet within 48 hours of arrival so that a French vet can verify what the US vet and the French customs official have already certified.  Oh my!!!
     CoCo has no idea that any of this is happening which is probably a good thing.  I know it will all work out, but what a hassle this has been over a little 7 lb dog.  At least she gets to be in the cabin with me.  I can't imagine transporting a dog in the cargo hold of a plane for ten hours.  That just seems cruel to me.  She has to stay in her carrier, but at least she's with me.  We did a trial run in April when we went to Delaware for a wedding.  The longest flight segment was four hours and she did great.  I keep telling myself that dogs can't tell time so she won't realize it's ten hours!
     People have asked about drugs or how she will go potty or getting her food and water, etc.  I found a homeopathic liquid that's given in a dropper that is very effective for calming her.  It actually works better than the drugs (pills) that the vet gave her for a car trip I took her on.  Those made her really thirsty and in the car is was no problem to give her water and then stop for her to go potty.  But that won't work on a plane.
     She is very good at night and never needs to go outside.  I take her out for the last time around 8:30pm and then she's good til we get up the next morning at 8.  So I'm not worried about that issue.  No food or water less than three hours before the flight and none during the flight (again, she doesn't need to eat or drink during the night so I'm sure she'll be fine).  Fortunately, when we're not on the plane I can take her out of the carrier and can carry her around in the airport.  I could let her walk, but she's so little I'm afraid with all the foot traffic and bags being pulled all over that she could get hurt or, at the least, stressed.
     I'm so glad that I have the Global Entry Pass which gives me permanent TSA precheck on all flights originating in the US.  So I can use that privilege in Houston when checking in for the flight to Frankfort.  That will cut down on some of our airport wait time. 
     So, that's what I've been dealing with the past couple of weeks.  Everything is set for ME, but I'm waiting on getting everything in place for CoCo!
     I have a friend who asked me how I found out all this information about moving requirements and travel requirements.  My answer is: I do my homework!  It's so easy now to "google" any question you have and find the answers.  But first and foremost, you must go to the embassy website for the country you plan to visit and find out their requirements.  Most European countries have the same regulations, but you never know until you ask.  Never take anything for granted.
     One more thing about CoCo.  Once I finally get her to France and have her visit the local vet, he/she can issue CoCo a "Pet Passport".  This will allow me to take her anywhere in Europe without having to check her in with every country's custom official.  YAY!!  So glad they have that.
     Just another bend in the road.   It's all good, as they say, and I am so excited I can hardly stand it!!
We leave two weeks from tomorrow and everything has fallen into place.  I even have a buyer for my car, thanks to Stacy!  Boy, I owe her so much.  She has provided my "temporary home", and now a buyer for my Toyota.  I feel extremely blessed in so many ways.  And especially because I actually am able to follow my dream and live out this fantasy.  It hasn't been quick or easy, but I am finally doing it!
     And you have all been with me from the beginning of this journey.  Thank you so much.  Never fear, the journey will continue in France (as will the blog!).  Merci!!!

Mountains, Mary Poppins and the Beach Boys

     It seems unreal that I leave for France in about three weeks!  So much planning and purging and preparations in the past two years and now the time is almost here.  I am so excited!  CoCo knows something is getting ready to happen, but she has no idea how much her life is about to change.  The great thing about CoCo is that she is happy as long as she is with me, so I'm not worried about her.  Her happy place is in my lap and that won't change, no matter what country we're in.  
     I will try to get you caught up on my activities of the past two weeks.  I spent the last week of July (how is it August already??) in Cripple Creek at Cindy and Aunt Mary Ann's cabin.  What a great time that was.  Very peaceful and quiet and beautiful as each morning I woke up to being surrounded by mountains and pine trees.  We had a wonderful time together.  I never even made it into Cripple Creek.  The cabin is on the road to Florissant and I get there by taking Two Towers Road off of Highway 24 - sort of coming in the back way.  It takes me past the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument and the Wolf Sanctuary.  It's a beautiful drive.

Cripple Creek - elevation 9500 ft

     I remember visiting Cripple Creek when I was little.  It was a fun little "ghost" of an old mining town with lots of history and a famous melodrama performed every summer at the old Imperial Hotel.  When the casinos came in everything changed and Cripple Creek lost a lot of its charm.  Unfortunate, in my opinion.  Most of the little shops and cafes were forced to close as they couldn't compete with all the amenities offered by the casinos.  There was a lovely little shop that sold upscale jewelry, knick knacks and Colorado souvenirs.  I still have two of the rings I bought there years ago made by local artisans and using local gems and metals - a black hills gold and a rhodocrisite stone set in silver.  The store has been gone many years now.  I'm sure that visitors who know very little about the town and how it once looked are quite happy with the casinos and how much money they can lose in a short amount of time.  :-)
     I was back in the Springs for two days before my friend, Jane, arrived from California.  I spent two nights with her when I went to LA to visit the French Consulate there to get my visa.  She needed to come here for some personal and professional business meetings and I offered to return the hospitality while she was here.  We have managed to fit in a number of "touristy" things to do to make her visit more than just stressful meetings.  We saw "Gone With the Wind" on the big screen at Tinseltown with Beth.  Jane wanted to meet all my "friends" at the zoo!.  Then we spent a morning at the North Pole with Renae.  Both of them worked at Santa's Workshop at some point in their lives and had a lot of stories to share. Fun!

Elsa and her daddy

Aslan and Boma look like a two-headed lion!

Handsome Abuto

Beautiful Elsa

My sweet friend, Asha

Santa's House at the North Pole

     So, perhaps you're wondering what connection Mary Poppins and the Beach Boys have to do with anything.  That very proper British nanny with the bottomless carpetbag and the parrot handled umbrella; who could breeze through every job with just a little magic and song; who could make everything easier and fun.  And then that marvelous band of genius musicians who filled our lives with "Good Vibrations".  What do those two have in common?  Apparently ME!

     According to Jane, I have whipped out my Mary Poppins magic and mixed it with "good vibrations" to make her stay here more enjoyable and less stressful.  So, I feel very honored to have channeled those personalities to give Jane a good time while she's here.  I hope it can continue for me in the next three weeks to get me from here to France with as little effort as Mary Poppins used to clean the nursery!  If only I had a bottomless carpetbag!  How handy would that be?  My two suitcases are looking very full - but that's for a later blog post. . . .
     Thank you for joining me on my journey around all of these bends - some expected and some that just sort of popped up on the horizon.  I'm glad you're all here with me and cheering me onward.  Merci!
    

A Temporary Home

     Over a week ago I moved into Stacy's mom's condo as a temporary place to stay before I leave for France next month.  Tomorrow I will head up in the mountains to Cindy and Aunt Mary Ann's cabin to stay for a little over a week.  So that will be our second temporary home.  Then we (that is CoCo and I) will be back at the condo for the month of August until we leave on August 29 for our next temporary home in SW France.
     So, what makes a house a home?  I think I wrote about this in an earlier blog, but I feel the need to address this question again.  Having CoCo with me makes it feel like a home.  And she has been so good about being flexible and not causing any problems in the move out of our permanent home.  I was worried that she would be uncomfortable with me leaving her alone in the condo when I need to be out.  She goes upstairs to the bedroom and stays in her bed.  That's what she used to do at the house.  She knows the suitcases are upstairs and associates those with my being gone longer than just a few hours.  So if she's upstairs she can keep an eye on the suitcases!  She's a smart little girl :-)
     Things have been moving so quickly for me the past few weeks that I really haven't had time to think about no longer having a house.  Cindy was here the last week that I was in the house and we stayed pretty busy with moving boxes and bags of things to the storage unit and to the condo.  We found some time to play also - an evening at the zoo, a movie, some dinners and lunches out.  It was great having her here.
     Then she went back to the cabin in Cripple Creek with her mom and I started staying at the condo full time.  Andy and I picked up a UHaul truck on the Saturday before the house closed and got everything moved out of the house so I could spend the rest of the weekend cleaning.
     At this point I've been at the condo for two weeks and CoCo is starting to feel comfortable with out new routine.  There is no yard here so she has to be walked.  Yesterday morning she saw her first deer!  And wanted to chase it!  I think there's a bit of a wild dog in her.  She gets walked three or four times a day and enjoys it, but I'm sure she misses her yard with the squirrels and the birds and the dirt that she loved to dig in.  There won't be a fenced in yard in France either, but the cottage is out in the country so she'll have lots to explore.
     Speaking of animals, I went to the zoo today.  I've been twice in the past few weeks, once with Cindy and once with Beth, but those were both evening events and the animals are not as active at night.  Today was wonderful!  I spent lots of time watching the cubs - I know, big surprise there!  Aslan and Elsa were enjoying the pond.  They were playing and wrestling and having a grand ol' time!  Boma, was watching from a safe and dry distance.  Elsa loves to play and she can get pretty aggressive.
     When I went back after my visit to the rest of the animals, Elsa was eating a ground squirrel that she had caught!  She is still the "party girl" and not afraid of anything.  I love her!!!  And will miss those babies so much.  The zoo always feels like a part of home to me.  I guess because I've been going there my entire life and especially frequently since the cubs were born over a year ago.
     So, I'll close today with some photos from my zoo visit.  I'll try to get back into my Sunday blog day on the 31st of this month when I get back from Cripple Creek.  I'm so looking forward to being up there for 8 days because it has been so hot in the Springs!  The mountain air will be wonderful in our next temporary home.

Elsa at the pond

Boma keeping his distance

Elsa is looking so grown up now

Aslan wanted to play with the barrel

JuJu was posing

My Life in Two Suitcases, Five Bags, and a Storage Unit

     Well, it's done!  House is sold, furniture and boxes moved to the 10' x 10' storage unit, numerous trips to GoodWill, suitcases and bags moved to the condo and CoCo and I are getting settled in our temporary "home".   And no tears shed!
     I am surprised that I have not been emotional through all of this, but I think I understand why.  Right now, when I think about my house, I can only think of all the work I've put into it over the past year and a half - all the back pain and hip pain and shoulder pain and blisters and bruises from the constant effort put into remodeling the house and the yard.  I'm sure once those memories become a blur I will begin to feel the emotion of giving up my house of 40 years.
     Another thing that helped keep my emotions in check is that I never saw the buyers.  The closing was set for 1:00 Monday afternoon.  My realtor called me on Friday and said that the buyers could not do the final walk through until 1 on Monday which would mean they would not be at closing until between 2 and 2:30.  Did I want to wait around that long to hand over the keys and get the check or was I ok with leaving them the info to wire the money to my account and then I just needed to sign papers and hand over keys and could leave in about 20 minutes?  I liked that plan!  So, I really think that since it was all about the paperwork and no face to face with the buyers I had no problem handing over the keys and the garage door opener and being on my way.
     So, I am officially homeless!  And I feel a huge relief in no longer being a home owner with all the cost and responsibilities that go along with it.  I put the majority of the money I received into a 6 month CD and will decide after the first of the year whether or not I want to buy a house in France.  At this point I'm pretty sure that I do.  It's always been a part of my dream of living in France.  It's all a matter of whether or not I find that "perfect" place that sings to me!
     In the meantime, I feel very fortunate to have a place to live while still in the States.  It's a cute little two bedroom townhouse with a view of the mountains and a tiny little back patio that I have set up with some of my plants and a small water fountain.  I set more of my plants out front which has been a shock to them as it faces West and that afternoon sun is brutal!  So that means more watering.
     I am feeding Andy's fish while he is building mountain trails near Snowmass so I've been over to his place a couple of times this week.  I also water for him.  Working for a landscape company he has realized the beauty of having flowers and shrubs in his yard so it needs water while he's gone.  And since his cottage is just across the alley from where I lived I can peek over his fence and see what's happening at the "old place."  So far, nothing.  Maybe they are planning to move this weekend.
     I was hoping my life would slow down now that I have sold the house and have most everything done for my move to France, but my day planner still has lists of things on it that I want to get done.  Next weekend CoCo and I will be heading to Cripple Creek to spend a week with Cindy and Mary Ann as the condo will host Stacy's family.  Then when I get back from the mountains, my friend Jane, is coming to spend the first week in August with me.  And then there will be only three weeks left before I (and CoCo) will be on our way to our new life in France.
     I need to visit my zoo babies numerous times and have lunch and dinner with friends and finalize all the packing before the end of August.  I still have to get CoCo's International Health Certificate and take it to the USDA office in Denver to have it officially stamped.  And I'm sure other things will appear as the time gets even closer.
     I am so thankful that you all have stayed with me on this journey.  Your words of love and encouragement have been such a blessing for me.  And I hope you will continue to join me on my adventures as I know I will have lots to share with you once I have moved.  And you can help me pick out my new house!
     Here are some photos of my new views and temporary home.

The front walkway and CoCo peeking out the door

My view from the balcony - that's the Peak behind the smoke from the Hayden Pass fire

A view of the foothills

My little flower and herb garden in the back

Three Generations of Pathfinders

     A good thing about moving is one is forced to go through boxes and albums of old photos and memorabilia which are otherwise pretty much ignored or forgotten.  I have found not only photos, but old postcards and letters that were sent from and received by my parents.  And I thought about all the times my parents moved in the ten years they were married before finally settling in Colorado Springs where I was raised.
     They met here in 1944.  My dad was stationed at Peterson Air Base which was then a part of what was called the Army/Air Corps.  He grew up in Ohio and as far as I know, had never been outside of that state until he joined the military in 1943.  My mom was born and raised in Kansas and in 1944 she was working at the Smokey Hill Air Base in Salina, KS.  She came to Colorado Springs to visit a girlfriend who just happened to be a volunteer at the local USO which was in the YWCA, a building at the corner of Nevada and Kiowa downtown.
    They met and fell in love and four months later were married in her parents' home in Liberal, KS.  They lived for about a year in the Springs before moving to Ohio after my dad received a medical discharge from the military.  But they vowed that one day they would return to the Springs to live.
     In 1955 we packed up everything we owned (I actually do not remember the move from Corpus Cristi, TX as I was only 3, but I heard the story many times!) and pulled a little uhaul trailer behind our 1953 Cadillac and came to the Springs with no place to live and no jobs set up.  Talk about a leap of faith!
     My dad was always the adventurer and the "never say never" kind of guy!  Not long after moving back to Colorado he became really interested in the old mining towns.  He managed to find some maps that showed where they were and he would take off on a weekend to go and find them.  Or we would plan our camping trips with these places in mind.  These trips often involved four-wheel drive trails and even though he didn't have a four-wheel drive, that didn't stop him.  He came home with all kinds of "finds" - rocks and boulders, old glass bottles and dishes, tin cans which would have held flour or salt or tobacco.  He loved being out in nature and exploring places where very few people in modern times had been. 
     He was my example of how to live a life of adventure and exploration; to not be afraid of getting lost as that is simply an opportunity to find something you weren't expecting.  This life and this world has so much to offer.
     Skipping a generation, I see so much of my dad in my son.  Andy loves losing himself in nature.  He is never afraid of trying something new.  As a point of fact, he did a moonlight climb of two "fourteeners" last weekend!  A moonlight climb!!  He came back from a fishing trip yesterday with a backseat full of rocks, no fish - that is what my dad used to do!  It was fortunate that my mom realized we probably wouldn't have any fish for dinner and she always planned accordingly.  But, here is my son scouting out old mining towns and finding trails (at least he has a four-wheel drive - and a cell phone!) and spending time getting "lost" in the beauty of the Colorado mountains. 
     So here am I, the generation in between these two adventurers, feeling all those same emotions and desires to be a pathfinder.  To seek out a new way, a new journey.  I, too, have maps and charts.  They are of the SW of France showing all the little towns and villages and castles and churches.  I have no doubt I will get lost (since I usually do when I'm driving around in France).  But I am not afraid of that and am, in fact, looking forward to it.  Because I know whatever I find will be wonderful-  and will provide material for my next blog post :-)
     This past week I got rid of more furniture.  Tomorrow the mattress recycling company is picking up the two beds that are left.  I will sleep on my little loveseat that makes out into a bed and which will be going into my storage unit.  Cindy comes on Thursday and will sleep on a blow-up mattress.  It will be almost like camping - except we will have inside bathrooms!  I have packed up all my dishes, cups, glasses, flatware and baking things.  I bought two plates, bowls, knives, forks, spoons and glasses at the dollar store that I will use in the next two weeks before I move to the condo.  I'm learning how to live small.
     Cindy and I have lots planned to do for the five days she will spend with me.  I'll tell you about it next week.  As always, I am so grateful for your support and encouragement and for your continued company on this journey.  Long live the pathfinders of this world!  Where would we be without them?  
     And now for a few photos of Thursday's visit to the zoo since I don't really have any other photos to attach to this blog post.  Thanks for your indulgence in my love of the animals.

Our handsome new silverback, Goma

Dembe showing off is swinging skills

Ember showing off her swinging skills

Boma napping under the buffalo statue

Enjoying a day in the sunshine

And beautiful Aslan, always so photogenic