just for a thought on a cold winters day
you're sitting in fron of the mopane fire with a sundowner in your hand. Hides are in the salt, tusks are leaning against a big fig tree. The skull of the lion is drying in the shed. every so often the warm breeze blows a bit of mopane smoke into your nostrils. Davison, the cook has just brought out some guinea snacks, and your PH is telling a story (truthfully of corse). The sounds of a pod of hippos is echoing through the dark, and is answered by the lion pride.
Just a thought on a cold winters day

Butch,

You reliving your days at Jumbo's camp? Some of us weren't so lucky as to have a PAC lion dropped in our laps (MGM lion at that!).

So I'll just have to remember the mopane smoke, Davison's excellent impala back strap, The sundowners by the hippo-laden river, the buffalo that got away, and the leopard that didn't.

BTW, the taxidermist just finished my leopard. He is going to display it in his booth at the Georgia SCI meeting this coming weekend. It will be on my wall next Monday. All I'll have to do to relive my Zim safari is gaze at this trophy, as it represents 11 of the most exciting and tense nights of my life. (Excepting the 15 nights spent trying to bag Kathy Sue McDonald, but's another hunt-story all together!)

Butch,

What you described is a pretty pleasant place to be in. Everything seems to be right with the world and life is good. I've experienced it and it is one of the things that makes safari what it is. A unique total experience and much more than just shooting animals.

Mark

ive never been to africa... yet. but reading that story will surely help me get there. thanks.

geoff

OOORAH!!!

Not to detract from the reality which was an african safari hunt experience, but never having been overthere, at first I thought your post was slightly in jest. Mopane is close to propane to my mind, I guess, and therefore I though you were sitting next to some artificial fireplace! AND, sundowner I never suspected a nickname for a drink after a days hunt, and assumed some kind of sun lamp for Seasonal Affective Disorder" to pick up the winter's February blas'. Man was I wrong. Maybe first impresion in this case had more to do with the viewer tban viewed.

In any case, I can only dream, suspect of the special caracteristics of mopane fire, the place and beer. Not to mention a buff skull drying in the shed.....and o yes a cape in the salt. LOL

quote:

Originally posted by butchloc:
just for a thought on a cold winters day
you're sitting in fron of the mopane fire with a sundowner in your hand. Hides are in the salt, tusks are leaning against a big fig tree. The skull of the lion is drying in the shed. every so often the warm breeze blows a bit of mopane smoke into your nostrils. Davison, the cook has just brought out some guinea snacks, and your PH is telling a story (truthfully of corse). The sounds of a pod of hippos is echoing through the dark, and is answered by the lion pride.
Just a thought on a cold winters day

Butchloc:

That does pretty much sums it up, doesn't it? Those memories & experiences are worth more than money can buy. They're what keep us trying to always get back over there again.

That's a great story....and it's even cold in Florida tonight!!!

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI