Jayell:

Birddust:

Did you hear all the howls and screams soon after I last posted?  Some were hyena, but the very loud 'screams' I could not identify.  Very disturbing.

Yes, I heard them, though I missed the splashing you spoke of.  That was the jackals.  They sound as if someone has them on the rack (the medieval torture device)!

 Thanks for the ID.  I would never have guessed a jackal could make such a horrible sound.  Do you have any idea what would cause them to respond with that sound?

Last Summer in Mashatu

Last summer in Mashatu the rains came
and the arid, red land blossomed, grass
grew higher than we had ever seen. The same
animals wandered down to the pond to drink

but their numbers dwindled and sightings
were less common.  Impala and wildebeest
came daily and, in the distance, a few giraffes.
All the land became a place to drink and feast.

The red dust that once blew along the shore
was covered in dense vegetation. Grazing
animals grew fat and even their predators
no longer showed their ribs. Still, though,

elephants did come to the pond and we heard,
sometimes close, a lion’s roar. Impala walked
as skittishly as ever. Even then they feared
stalking lions and leopards we could not see.

The pond had become a wetland. Strange birds
sank to the red shore and drank. Swallows
found growing clouds of insects and the whir
of wings drowned out the chirr of countless bugs.

Ospreys, yellow-billed storks, eagles, knob-billed ducks—
so many species broke their flights to…I cannot say
where...when they found a watering source not there
only a year or two ago. They stooped to drink then flew away.

The pond changed, both as the seasons changed
and as the climate warmed. New not often seen birds
altered their old paths, flew farther north, range
extended. This summer in Mashatu—so much changed.

And now, with all the concern about copyright, and what I consider misplaced zeal, I do not think I can post here again.  The Forum has become oppressive and is verhing on repressive as people are being "disappeared."   The sad thing is that I truly appreciate the work NGS has put into this, but it has been a collaborative work as writing is.  NGS is losing that as they lock down.

It's not Mary and it's not Lisa...they work for the folks who set the policy.  So, no, I do not blame them.  But when a simple word to stop posting videos elsewhere would have solved the situation, NGS decided to use a sledge hammer.

I had hoped to take a trip to Mashatu next summer.  Pete invited me when he ordered copies of my little book to sell at the Curio Shop there.  I sold them to Mashatu at cost...no profit.  And I was planning to buy tickets.  Now, I don't think so.

So, goodbye.  I'll read the Forum from time to time...unless my IP address is blocked, but that's about it.

Best to all, including Mary and Lisa,

--Palmer

HPalmer:

I am betting on two ferocious genets they look like cats (little cats, not big) though they are in the mongoose family and, as pets, are quite devoted to a single owner and pretty nasty to other people.  Of course impala is not on their usual menu, but if they were really really hungry...who knows?  Or, perhaps, like the Cape Hunting Dogs...Fatty hired them to chase an impala his way?  Reality sometimes plays no part in the show.

--Palmer

Ha ha ha re: Fatty.  Definitely not genets.  Way too big.

Was that a baby duck (or goose) floating on the pond a few minutes ago???  There were little quacking sounds too.

Birddust:

Did you hear all the howls and screams soon after I last posted?  Some were hyena, but the very loud 'screams' I could not identify.  Very disturbing.

Yes, I heard them, though I missed the splashing you spoke of.  That was the jackals.  They sound as if someone has them on the rack (the medieval torture device)!

I am betting on two ferocious genets they look like cats (little cats, not big) though they are in the mongoose family and, as pets, are quite devoted to a single owner and pretty nasty to other people.  Of course impala is not on their usual menu, but if they were really really hungry...who knows?  Or, perhaps, like the Cape Hunting Dogs...Fatty hired them to chase an impala his way?  Reality sometimes plays no part in the show.

--Palmer

Wyoming:

Hey Birddust, I think it was jackals.  They can sound pretty scary sometimes and boy that one did didn't it? 

I see that DAR was just deleted. I just tried to comment but couldn't post. Must be tiring....

Good night everyone! Let's hope all gets resolved tomorrow!! 

Hope  you see lots in the meantime. Say hi to Afke for me ;))

Hey Birddust, I think it was jackals.  They can sound pretty scary sometimes and boy that one did didn't it? 

I see that DAR was just deleted. I just tried to comment but couldn't post. Must be tiring....

Jayell:

Birddust:

Jayell:

... probably lionesses - about an hour ago.  They are blurry streaks!  I recorded it, but am not posting anything anywhere until NG clearly states its copyright rules.

 

 If anyone has this recorded, you will hear a very large splash after the animals streaked across the screen.  This splash was followed by several others that were not made by fish.  It sounded to me like an animal swimming or thrashing in the water.  There were large waves associated with the splashes.

Maybe this impala jumped into the water like the one(s) that the dogs were chasing?

 

 Did you hear all the howls and screams soon after I last posted?  Some were hyena, but the very loud 'screams' I could not identify.  Very disturbing.

Jayell:

... probably lionesses - about an hour ago.  They are blurry streaks!  I recorded it, but am not posting anything anywhere until NG clearly states its copyright rules.

 

I have to break my silence here on the S&S forum.  This is %&()$#@#$ annoying that we CANNOT see the re-runs.  What will happen when my new job starts (sorry for being self-centered here) and I cannot catch up with PP on a daily basis.  I think that I will lose interest, that's what I think.  Sorry for the rant!

Birddust:

Jayell:

... probably lionesses - about an hour ago.  They are blurry streaks!  I recorded it, but am not posting anything anywhere until NG clearly states its copyright rules.

 

 If anyone has this recorded, you will hear a very large splash after the animals streaked across the screen.  This splash was followed by several others that were not made by fish.  It sounded to me like an animal swimming or thrashing in the water.  There were large waves associated with the splashes.

Maybe this impala jumped into the water like the one(s) that the dogs were chasing?

nevermind...I don't want to be the next one banned.

Dang....I missed it.  Too busy trying to sort out the rest of the stuff going on here.

Hopefully the impala got away.

Jayell:

... probably lionesses - about an hour ago.  They are blurry streaks!  I recorded it, but am not posting anything anywhere until NG clearly states its copyright rules.

 

 If anyone has this recorded, you will hear a very large splash after the animals streaked across the screen.  This splash was followed by several others that were not made by fish.  It sounded to me like an animal swimming or thrashing in the water.  There were large waves associated with the splashes.

... probably lionesses - about an hour ago.  They are blurry streaks!  I recorded it, but am not posting anything anywhere until NG clearly states its copyright rules.

Jayell,  Thank You for the link and the explanation. I have been asking for one for some time now. Still think the whole thing is whacked and that a NG explanation is warranted. 

To Carmen and Nancy and Miesy and anyone else who may check in. so sorry. We miss you. Hope you will come back given an opportunity. You better be handed that opportunity!!

Love Pete's Pond and love the forum and am still darn confused about the recent turn of events. 

We had splashing, bird calls and ripples :)

Jayell:

Unicorn:

Rita:

Wyoming, don't fret about it. It was a discussion on why some were no longer able to post here...that can lead to long debates that belong on a different thread...

 

 If moved would we know where to?

Not without manually checking all of the topics.  I haven't found any moved posts so far. 

I just made an off-topic-here post to To Lisa & NGS/NGM re: copyright concerns with videos  thinking it would move that topic to page 1, however there are now so many topics pinned to the top of the list that Page 1 is already filled with threads pinned to the top, so we now have to go to page 2 to see any other topics!  Please use the link above to check it out.

 

 

Jayell, I've sent you  a PM.  Also, thank you for the link to this thread.

HPalmer:

The problem may be that I was a member back when the Forum got started, what?, 3 years ago...and then rejoined with my new email address.  My new profile does have the current email address, but there may be two profiles for me back in the wherever. 

August of 2007 was the first time there was any opportunity for us to join.  In 2006 we were all "Anonymous", and in 2005 different software was used.

Unicorn:

Rita:

Wyoming, don't fret about it. It was a discussion on why some were no longer able to post here...that can lead to long debates that belong on a different thread...

 

 If moved would we know where to?

Not without manually checking all of the topics.  I haven't found any moved posts so far. 

I just made an off-topic-here post to To Lisa & NGS/NGM re: copyright concerns with videos  thinking it would move that topic to page 1, however there are now so many topics pinned to the top of the list that Page 1 is already filled with threads pinned to the top, so we now have to go to page 2 to see any other topics!  Please use the link above to check it out.

It took me a long time to realize we were frozen in one spot.   And the sounds are very nice. Even a critter or two has past by.   Sure wish the Elephants would come back.   I wonder where they are??    

There is nothing going on at the pond, so I thought nothing of it being so quiet. Then I realized I had no sound ! Had to completely restart RP. Now I hear that bird that always keeps us company every night. So soothing.

There is no birthday thread that I know of. All, or most of the off topic chat is on the Let's Chat thead:

http://forums.ngm.com/forums/p/7752/311369.aspx#311369   click link to get there