BACK FOR CHRISTMAS

AH, THE HOLIDAYS


made it back from Lewa for christmas. actually played an old shepherd who was there that night for the christmas eve service. acting chops came in handy. and my masai shukas (blankets). off to joburg, south africa, today then cape town tomorrow. gone for a week. fresh material for the blog!


this edition will be "blog lite". much to do this morning but wanted to post something. almost approaching my first 100 days in afrika. it's @ 90 at the moment. so glad i made the move. have a whole new world of friends, experiences, and opportunities. very happy here and excited about the future. can't say i felt that way back home. guess the lesson learned is "if you feel like you're over, time to try something new!"


okay, let's get to the pics. thank you all for following my blog and joining me on the Great Adventure! it truly has been! in so many ways! it's fun to share it with you all!  you now can comment on the bottom of this page without having to sign up, sign in, or anything! just comment! i love your thoughts!!!!

Grevvy's zebra. thinner stripes, bigger ears, browner color.

Reticulated giraffe, different pattern than the massai giraffe in the mara. this is more of what we're used to.

the lewa main house. dawn patrol. calum and soph open in june! the lewa house!

old school thatched roofs. nice.

classic old vibe.

nothing says game lodge like some antelope skullduggery...er, skulls.

such beautiful grounds.

yes, a pool. yum.

really loved the vibe here.

smash cut to dave brown's star wars home and my throne room.

more star wars bathroom

the dave brown compound. not done yet. but you get the idea. the most creative thing i have ever seen.

collecting rain water into the cisterns is a big deal. there are large tanks under each 

pod for more collection.

constructed of chicken wire and rebar. he bought a book on concrete naval ship building and went

from there.

solar power and a wind vane generator. completely self sustainable. and lots of hot water! ahhh!

look at that roof line! no 90 degree corners, the curved pod structure supports the roof weight like an egg.

sue has a massive garden. the whole place reeked of dr. suess, but what not to be taken lightly. it was

incredibly impressive and hard to wrap you're mind around.

a nice frontal shot. amazing views out the back. each pod had a vented roof.

dave brown and some workers on the front arcway entrance.

rebar and chicken wire. wow. so elemental. 

here ya go, P.M., this is how he does it.

and of course the rock work is perfect.

his original contractor quit. too scary. but dave had a vision. close to 2 years in the making.

still a work in progress. so creative. i was agog.

one of the solid state solar panels and the wind vane.

lewa conservancy is hilly and scenic. mt. kenya in the BG.

i could shoot the acacia trees all day. like large scale bonzais.

another Grevvy, iphone close!

the creek.

reticulated giraffe on my way out the last day.

they were very close, with mt. kenya behind. i was shooting a postcard and knew it! this close to large
game, your heart stops. you are in awe!

some signage. more pics in the next blog!

my compound after the 6 hour drive home from the north.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

may 2012 be as adventurous as your comfort level, no, check that, beyond your
comfort level! do something extraordinary next year! take the trip! do that thing
you've been waiting to do! grab the time now!
time to live life! be present, enjoy the moment, make each day count! life is a
gift. make it a big one! life will meet you. look at my africa exploit! go for it!

love to all. hope my clothes on the line outside dry in time for my 1pm departure to
kenyatta airport! or else i'm packing wet clothes! oh well, hakuna shida! no problem!

lala salama! sleep well!

xxoo ddm

HEADING TO LEWA

BACK INTO THE BUSH...OF SORTS

Saturday night here in Nairobi, dinner party last night for my mate Paul who travelled to cape town today, and a dinner tonight with Pippa, a British lass from the UK here for a year doing int'l development and works in the slums. the social calendar seems to be getting busier and busier and that's fine. and as much as i'd love to update this blog weekly, it may be bi-weekly or monthly soon. my dance card is getting full and that's a good thing! sawa kabisa (it's all good). having a blast. typing now on my patio with thunder heads lurking, grumbling, amazing sunset. a beautiful evening.

here's the latest from Slingshot...the elephant pepper camp video finished this week with ed. asst. lorella. she did most of it, is getting the hang of things in FCP 7, and is working out well. and i finally found a local attorney who can help me with my work visa and registering slingshot prods, so that's poa sana! very cool! then the CNN shoot is firming up for late january and just got an email for a possible shoot in south sudan early march. (Not many Canon 5D's in this part of the world. good for Slingshot!)

here's the EPC clip...it's first on the africa channel. hope you like it. some pretty good game and the tents are special.

http://vimeo.com/channels/269147

i'm off to the north tomorrow to shoot Lewa House Lodge again with calum and soph. they have migrated from EPC up to Lewa House, but as the lodge is full, looks as if we'll all be staying at her dad's house on the lewa conservancy, a structure i saw in february of this year that blew my mind! looks like luke skywalker might walk around the corner any second! lewa is 6 hours drive north from here past mt. kenya. i'll be there til friday again shooting game and beauty shots of the lodge. i love my job! (and i got a hunch i'll shoot a vid of dave's house. it's too unique!)

one of the stuctures at dave brown's compound. he's an artist. gee, ya think?

 each structure is free standing and made of rebar, chicken wire and cement. the whole thing is almost done now, more pics next blog! incredible place!

possibly the most creative thing i've ever seen. feeling the Star Wars vibe?

so unique. very excited to see it finished. i'll be here for a week! crazy adventure!

 this is his artist studio. poa sana! very cool!

 back near hardy, my fave...cafe latte...at a new place i found FKA Verandha. 
great vibe.

great lighitng, nice outdoor tables, chill sana!

Another great indoor outdoor place here in nairobi. very hard to find this one.

My Prado will get a proper bush/safari makeover in january for game driving. here's the direction.
no more navy blue. not allowed in some parks! needs to be green or beige. very excited about
having a bushmobile, pop out hatches, roof rack, lots of goodies. future blog material. a new friend
craig sadler whom i met thru the encounter mara couple eche & nina will do the work. can't wait!

this is the karen blixen museum. and the house modeled after for Out Of Africa.

the once a week tradition...Tusker and margherita pizza at que pasa. never gets old!

the blixen museum has huge grounds and the KVC helde their annual christmas carol evening here.

patio looks familiar, eh?

beautiful grounds.

the ngong hills int the background. and the huge lawn we used.

set up.

another angle.

more like a xmas caroling festival!!

skies, trees, and candlelit humanity!

more carolers

everyone got a styrofoam cup with a candle inside. very beautiful en masse.

i have to say, there seems to be a lot more use of fire over here... 3rd world as it is. and i love it.

fires by the side of the road burning leaves and trash, lanterns and candles at night, camp fires

at the lodges. very organic and gives off great light! very africa!

it was another big success! 

OVERALL


cannot believe in two and a half months how much i have grown. looking back to oct 1, i was so green! clueless at LAX waiting to fly over here with all my belongings, not knowing a thing, and very few folks. now, i feel at home. this is my home. and luckily for me i don't miss LA or the USA. i think my heart has been in africa for a long time (from previous visits) and to be here feels salama kabisa...complete peace. i am in the moment, present, and feeling very positive again about life and the future. i love being here. and i'm becoming a little more kenyan everyday. you know those folks that bump around Malibu in their Ugg boots and shorts and fleece vests and have that posh yet disheveled look? well the equivalent over here are called KC's...kenyan cowboys, and they are very prevalent around the karen/hardy area. well, i'm afraid i'm becoming a bit of a KC myself. hard to explain it, i'll try to get more pics for you!


the fun part about life and the Great Adventure is that a year ago i had no idea i'd be here! think we're you might end up by next Christmas???? you never know! you might be filming rhinos too!


well, gotta run. surprised i didn't get even one comment on the santa caption  from the last blog from the christmas faire. "nothing says christmas like..." but maybe it was only hilarious in person. oh well. i still chuckle over it! classic!


christmas is coming! i wish everyone a great holiday season. and if you're blue, remember, things can change! wakati kubwa! big time! look at me! maybe next year this time you'll have your own blog! anything is possible!


carry on!


ddm


p.s. i'll be off grid for awhile up in lewa. check out 


http://www.lewa.org/


lala salama rafiki yangu!! sleep well my friends!