Out Of Africa . - February 17, 2012, 10:54:49 PM »
Posted: Fri Oct 04, 2019 7:50 am
Once upon a time, we had a farm in Africa.....and a game reserve called Ulusaba belonged to members of our family. It was a wondrous place, on the border of the Sabi Sands conservation area adjacent to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. In those days, there was only one rock lodge and one river lodge at Ulusaba, and it was an unspoiled paradise. It was sold to the De Beers corporation, who in turn, after discovering large supplies of ground-water, sold it to Sir Richard Branson, who has developed it as one of his exclusive resorts. These images were taken during one of our family visits there in 1985, with a Nikon FE2 on Fuji Velvia film. This is the Africa that my best beloved and I love and miss.
The game ranger's rondavel
Mocambique on the far horizon
Enjoying the sunset
Vulture's view. The view from the lodge.
Thats my son sitting on the trackers seat
*******************
Julio1fer
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2012, 12:56:41 AM »
I can understand why you miss this place. One could spend hours in that rock lodge just looking at the shadows of the trees below. The animal shots are fantastic.
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Philip
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2012, 01:15:18 AM »
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These are gorgeous. What a place!
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martolod
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2012, 01:57:55 AM »
simply beautiful
Lumen.....ergo visum
http://the-fstop.blogspot.com/
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PFMcFarland
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2012, 05:39:15 AM »
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That third shot from the end says it all, Graham. Just, beautiful.
PF
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2012, 06:25:02 AM »
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Graham,
What a splendid group of photos that transports us back in time and into a country I've read so much about, but never had the pleasure to visit. This is a lovely virtual tour into a beautiful countryside.
Please treat us to other treasures from your interesting past from time to time.
brazile
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2012, 02:08:57 PM »
Special stuff, thanks for showing us.
Robert
Graham Serretta
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2012, 03:52:32 PM »
Thanks for all the appreciative comments. Photographs can never convey the true spirit and beauty of such a vast landscape because there is so much more than just the visual aspect. There are the sounds, (and the background sound of the African bush is unique in all the world, made up as it is of birdsong, baboon barks, monkey shrieks, lion grunts, elephant rumbles, hippo snorts, fish-eagle cries, zebra whistles and antelope snorts) the smells, (of the damp red earth after the rain, the dust when there is no rain, the scent of the acasia tree blossom, the dung of the wild game, the putrification of the odd carcass, the scent of the grasses and the smell of the water-holes) and the all pervasive, almost spiritual, presence of the continent, which is the most captivating influence and which is the thing that will seize one's soul and make one forever a child of that land.
We can only hope that some of the measures being used today to conserve the wild game and the environment, will be effective, and that our children and their children will still have the opportunity to venture into this magical wilderness and see the creatures to which it is home.
Graham S
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #8 on: Yesterday at 04:11:52 PM »
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Graham, those are unbelievable good. Thanks for sharing.
Claudia
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #9 on: Yesterday at 06:52:26 PM »
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Graham,
I loved the photographs you presented of the country you lived in most of your life. The family pictures and the animal preserve are all so well done and presented. They are cherished vignettes of your past life in another continent.
Quote from: Graham Serretta on February 18, 2012, 03:52:32 PM
Thanks for all the appreciative comments. Photographs can never convey the true spirit and beauty of such a vast landscape because there is so much more that just the visual aspect. There are the sounds, (and the background sound of the African bush is unique in all the world, made up as it is of birdsong, baboon barks, monkey shrieks, lion grunts, elephant rumbles, hippo snorts, fish-eagle cries, zebra whistles and antelope snorts) the smells, (of the damp red earth after the rain, the dust when there is no rain, the scent of the acasia tree blossom, the dung of the wild game, the putrification of the odd carcass, the scent of the grasses and the smell of the water-holes) and the all pervasive, almost spiritual, presence of the continent, which is the most captivating influence and which is the thing that will seize one's soul and make one forever a child of that land.
We can only hope that some of the measures being used today to conserve the wild game and the environment, will be effective, and that our children and their children will still have the opportunity to venture into this magical wilderness and see the creatures to which it is home.
The description of your homeland is a masterpiece. Reading it instantly transported me to South Africa. I was there to see and hear the animals and birds, to smell the sweet blossoms and the fetid odors of decaying flesh and vegetation. to feel both the heat that makes you sweat and parches your throat. Each of my senses was stimulated as you wrote superbly in short phases with a Hemenway gift of brevity.
« Last Edit: Yesterday at 07:02:54 PM by Claudia »
Graham Serretta
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #10 on: Yesterday at 09:26:39 PM »
Claudia, you honour me.
Report to moderator 90.209.113.233
Graham S
Dennis Gallus
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #11 on: Today at 02:52:21 PM »
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Graham,
Sorry to join late. Your photographs, and the appended comments, are memorable. How fortunate we all are that you captured these memories.
Dennis
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Dennis Gallus
Hereford, Arizona USA
One nautical mile from Mexico
The game ranger's rondavel
Mocambique on the far horizon
Enjoying the sunset
Vulture's view. The view from the lodge.
Thats my son sitting on the trackers seat
*******************
Julio1fer
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2012, 12:56:41 AM »
I can understand why you miss this place. One could spend hours in that rock lodge just looking at the shadows of the trees below. The animal shots are fantastic.
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Philip
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2012, 01:15:18 AM »
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These are gorgeous. What a place!
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Using whichever camera is handy. Now showing at Flickr or at Flickriver
martolod
...leave only footprints....
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Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2012, 01:57:55 AM »
simply beautiful
Lumen.....ergo visum
http://the-fstop.blogspot.com/
br1078lum
PFMcFarland
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Waiting for the light
Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2012, 05:39:15 AM »
Reply with quoteQuote
That third shot from the end says it all, Graham. Just, beautiful.
PF
Smile, it won't kill you
lesged
Shooting blanks
Prolific Poster
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Posts: 3683
Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2012, 06:25:02 AM »
Reply with quoteQuote
Graham,
What a splendid group of photos that transports us back in time and into a country I've read so much about, but never had the pleasure to visit. This is a lovely virtual tour into a beautiful countryside.
Please treat us to other treasures from your interesting past from time to time.
brazile
Frequent Contributor
***
Posts: 121
Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2012, 02:08:57 PM »
Special stuff, thanks for showing us.
Robert
Graham Serretta
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*****
Online Online
Posts: 2167
Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2012, 03:52:32 PM »
Thanks for all the appreciative comments. Photographs can never convey the true spirit and beauty of such a vast landscape because there is so much more than just the visual aspect. There are the sounds, (and the background sound of the African bush is unique in all the world, made up as it is of birdsong, baboon barks, monkey shrieks, lion grunts, elephant rumbles, hippo snorts, fish-eagle cries, zebra whistles and antelope snorts) the smells, (of the damp red earth after the rain, the dust when there is no rain, the scent of the acasia tree blossom, the dung of the wild game, the putrification of the odd carcass, the scent of the grasses and the smell of the water-holes) and the all pervasive, almost spiritual, presence of the continent, which is the most captivating influence and which is the thing that will seize one's soul and make one forever a child of that land.
We can only hope that some of the measures being used today to conserve the wild game and the environment, will be effective, and that our children and their children will still have the opportunity to venture into this magical wilderness and see the creatures to which it is home.
Graham S
Santiago Montenegro
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*****
Posts: 1197
Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #8 on: Yesterday at 04:11:52 PM »
Reply with quoteQuote
Graham, those are unbelievable good. Thanks for sharing.
Claudia
Jr. Member
Posts: 84
Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #9 on: Yesterday at 06:52:26 PM »
Reply with quoteQuote
Graham,
I loved the photographs you presented of the country you lived in most of your life. The family pictures and the animal preserve are all so well done and presented. They are cherished vignettes of your past life in another continent.
Quote from: Graham Serretta on February 18, 2012, 03:52:32 PM
Thanks for all the appreciative comments. Photographs can never convey the true spirit and beauty of such a vast landscape because there is so much more that just the visual aspect. There are the sounds, (and the background sound of the African bush is unique in all the world, made up as it is of birdsong, baboon barks, monkey shrieks, lion grunts, elephant rumbles, hippo snorts, fish-eagle cries, zebra whistles and antelope snorts) the smells, (of the damp red earth after the rain, the dust when there is no rain, the scent of the acasia tree blossom, the dung of the wild game, the putrification of the odd carcass, the scent of the grasses and the smell of the water-holes) and the all pervasive, almost spiritual, presence of the continent, which is the most captivating influence and which is the thing that will seize one's soul and make one forever a child of that land.
We can only hope that some of the measures being used today to conserve the wild game and the environment, will be effective, and that our children and their children will still have the opportunity to venture into this magical wilderness and see the creatures to which it is home.
The description of your homeland is a masterpiece. Reading it instantly transported me to South Africa. I was there to see and hear the animals and birds, to smell the sweet blossoms and the fetid odors of decaying flesh and vegetation. to feel both the heat that makes you sweat and parches your throat. Each of my senses was stimulated as you wrote superbly in short phases with a Hemenway gift of brevity.
« Last Edit: Yesterday at 07:02:54 PM by Claudia »
Graham Serretta
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Posts: 2167
Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #10 on: Yesterday at 09:26:39 PM »
Claudia, you honour me.
Report to moderator 90.209.113.233
Graham S
Dennis Gallus
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Posts: 1291
Re: Out Of Africa
« Reply #11 on: Today at 02:52:21 PM »
Reply with quoteQuote
Graham,
Sorry to join late. Your photographs, and the appended comments, are memorable. How fortunate we all are that you captured these memories.
Dennis
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Dennis Gallus
Hereford, Arizona USA
One nautical mile from Mexico