When I was still in San Diego, Phil came down and met Marty and me at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, which isn't called that anymore, but c'est la vie! I just loved his sun hat...

We wanted to take the Safari Train, so we started following the train signs, and passed through a wonderful aviary filled with beautiful birds. As we walked further on, the King of the Jungle was being loved up by one of his girls, but he was totally uninterested, and so she went over to her sister and started bugging her and then settled down...

We also saw an African boar, I believe, but I am not sure. If anyone knows its correct name, please let me know...

We stopped at one of the many eateries in the Park to have lunch before we boarded the train. I really must say that the prices of the sandwiches and salads were reasonable and they were actually very tasty. However, I ordered a diet Coke, and got a huge 24 ounce cup with pictures of the Park animals on it. And I paid $5.00 for it! If that wasn't ridiculous, the cup was made in China. Now is when I get on my soapbox. First, if people want to get that much to drink, that is fine. But when I asked for a small 8 or 12 ounce cup, there was no such thing. Second, most people getting soft drinks there aren't thinking that an 8 ounce coke contains 20 teaspoons of sugar, so if my math is correct, a 24 ounce cup has 60, yes 60, teaspoons of sugar. Third, there is absolutely no reason for the San Diego Zoo and Animal Park to buy ANYTHING from China, and certainly not 24 ounce plastic cups!

We walked over to look at one of the scenic views of the park, which included the area we would soon be riding through...

Then we took the elevator down and started walking again following the train signs. To my left, I looked and then looked again. There laid out snoozing in the sun, were two cheetahs. The first time I had ever seen one up close, never mind two of them...

We reached the train area, got our passes and then were in a line, just like you have at Disney World. The line moved fairly rapidly as did the lines at Disney World as I recall. We finally got on one of the open air cars (there were about six or eight cars per tour) and left the station.

Our driver/tour guide was wonderful. She told us she had been at the Park for a long time and loved her job. She really knew the animals and their names. She talked to them all, as we slowed down, and sometimes would stop for photo ops. We passed a male rhino who was leaving in a few days to another park to service some of its females. Then he would be coming back...

There are two white rhinos there: one is a female, 35 years old, who is no longer able to have babies; the male is also older. They are the LAST two white rhinos in the world. And why you ask? Because they have been hunted to extinction in order to get their horns, which is ground into powder and is supposedly a great aphrodisiac and male libido enhancer. But our guide told us that the horns are made of the same material as our finger and toenails are made from!!! And where does this powder go? To wealthy buyers from the Far East including China! There is definitely something wrong with this picture! Furthermore, most everything in the Park's gift shops comes from China. Come on folks, this simply does not make sense.

Back to the safari train ride...We saw lots of giraffes. Despite the Park's efforts to save the trees by wrapping them in wire, the giraffes have found a way to get their tongues inside and peel off the bark. We saw them doing just that all the time. They are beautiful animals...This one is a teenager...

These giraffes were in a holding area, getting themselves acclimated before being put out with the others. They had just been received by the Park within the past two weeks. One is a baby, as you can see. If you look closely, you will notice that their spots are different from the giraffe from the first picture. I never realized that there were different types of giraffes...

The giraffes roam all over the different areas and sometimes were in groups. I was so excited to see one big tall one start to sit down. Thank goodness our guide knew what to look for in the bend of her legs, and said, "This gal is getting ready to sit down with her pals," and shortly that is just what she did! Incredible! Another first for me...Here are the gals all sitting together and probably gossiping!!

As we were coming back around the area and were up on the ridge, I was able to take a couple of pretty good pictures of some of the animals, as well as a group of zebras eating. Did you know that even zebras are becoming endangered?

We saw the lion and his girls again as we came around. There is an old ranger jeep there, and our guide told us that it was a favorite place for the lion to lie in the sun, until the metal got too hot. I had wondered before why it was there.

We pulled into the station, full of information and memories of all the animals we had seen. I recommend to everyone to take this Safari train when you are in the area.

There was no way I was able to walk up hill for a mile or more, but a very wonderful park intern took Marty, Phil and I drove us up, and pointed out even more sights. We walked to the entrance of the park, and said our good-byes. Phil driving to LA, and Mar and I driving back to SD. We didn't see many of the other wonderful animals, but that will be for another day.

Now that I am back in Lemitar I have found myself getting more and more acquainted with several groups of women, some of whom are in them all. I am with a monthly book group as I think I have mentioned before. Also, a lunch group, which meets every Friday at 11:30AM. We go to different Socorro restaurants, which is really great for me, as I am learning where I would take visitors out to eat. There is also great conversation which energizes me, and gets my creativity moving towards positive things. The third group that I have just started with is a poetry group. That night I wrote my first limerick!!! Haven't written poetry of any kind for years and years. This will be fun.

I also went to the Socorro Library and got my library card. I am reading every night for at least two hours before I turn off the lights. I drove up to Albuquerque to get Matilda checked out, as my engine light had come on. $608.00 later, we were back on the road to Lemitar. The cost was all needed maintenance, and I was told that it was quite obvious that I loved my car, and that I had maintained her well. Matilda and I purred at those compliments.

My friend Anne is back from Albuquerque, and is staying with her friends. I took her oatmeal raisin cookies which she loves. Before doing anything more, the doctor wants to see what the results of the radiation will be, and that takes some time. Anne is resting and is happy. She knows that she will never live in Datil again, and it is lucky that she bought a house in Socorro, before all of this happened. She will move in when the current tenants vacate later in the spring.

Brie turned 22 yesterday. I called her at 11PM my time on the 19th, since it was the 20th her time, and sang Happy Birthday into the message machine! I have heard nothing since. Had great talks with Phil and Siobhan. Kat is in Hawaii, either in Maui or Molokai. She has Sergeant Pepper with her. Thank goodness he survived the plane trip in the hold!!!

It is overcast here today. I haven't heard the weather report lately, so I don't know what is happening. Yesterday was beautiful and after noon it was about 60 degrees out. It is nice out today also, but a wee bit cooler than yesterday. Probably because there is no sun.

I love you all...
Peace,
Sally