My dear Friends,
Well, here we are, another New Year !
The last day of 2003 brought us unexpected rain. It rained all day, a blessing really. It stopped just in time for 'the preparations'. You see, a lot of folks celebrate the New Year in the relative luxury of the neighboring Safari Club, but Mama Duma and her lot prefer to usher in the New Year on the ranch, under the stars, by the dam.
It started in the afternoon after the last drop of rain had fallen, the skies cleared and a light wind dried the ground. Of course from our high Cheetah tower we can follow most goings on at the ranch. In fact that is what makes life interesting around here.
I spend a great deal of time up there because with my excellent eyesight I can see clearly all that may be almost invisible to the human eye. (That's why Cheetahs do not use binoculars if you will...).
They took out camp chairs and a barbeque and mounted lanterns in the trees. Then they made a huge pile of dead wood and after dark it was lit. Bwana Don, Mama Duma and all their friends gathered, and by the sounds of it had a great old time.
I could smell the meat on the barbeque and hear the juices sizzling on the coal. Sometime later they got silly and sang and hugged in great excitement and after that I fell asleep leaning on my sister Diana. When we woke the first rays of the New Year were teasing our eyes.
Another beautiful dawn on Mount Kenya.
I hope you will be able to visit this year. Wherever you are in the world, we hope that 2004 will be kind to you and bring peace and happiness to us all.
Yours most devoted,
