The rains continue! + YES, Helen went to Paris!!!

PARIS!!!!!

I took this picture!!   Yes I was there!  I haven’t been out of the country for over 10 years and I nervously went to Paris for 2 days!!  A VERY important mission!  And after a loooooong queue at passport control, 2 hours! I was rethinking my crazy escapade!!!

A beautiful film,  part of the very popular ‘Rendez-vous en Terre Inconnue’ TV programme shown in France has been made with in the area that the Milgis Trust covers!!..  I was invited to Paris by the good people in ADENIUM TV, who made the film to talk on French TV about the Milgis Trust!!

Our ‘Milgis’ scouts had been instrumental in helping them out to find the location and to be a liason between the community and them while making the film! The film is called ‘A meeting in an unknown land’. It will be shown in France on the 3rd December.. I gather it will be on youtube for a week after!  its worth searching for.. The film is very very beautiful!! Full of fun and laughter, and shows so much the generosity of the Samburu.. 

ANYWAY.. I actually had a really whirl wind of a time.. EVERY one was fantastic.. It was a huge affaire the equipment needed for just a few minutes of talking on TV is unbelievable.. at least 30 people rushing around, lights, TV screens, mixers, etc etc etc…. . I had to have a translator  so I had one microphone on my shirt, another in my ear .. It was CHAOS in my head!!!

Myself with Estelle her daughter and son.. 

After all this.. I really hope I did a good enough job in the few minutes I had on the set!! bright lights and an audience and mixing with the celebrities!! It’s all a bit of a daze, and I can’t really remember what I said after all that work.. !!!  Anyway looking forward to seeing the real thing and seeing/hearing what i did say!! We hope and pray it was good enough for the good french people to help the Milgis Trust out!! It would be so fantastic.. We have partnered up temporarily with ‘Solidarites international’ for a donate page, and  ‘MILGIS TRUST’ was mentioned several times on the SHOW!!!! We really hope to raise awareness about this beautiful part of the world, and to raise some funds to keep up the work! 

NOW Back to OUR northern Kenya where i am delighted to tell you the rain continues!!, the grass is growing and EVERY ONE IS BACK HOME AND SETTLED!!

this new moon brings good news.. you see it is completely square to the sun.. giving a sign the rain is not over yet!!.. The water cant pour out!

Day 2.. You see how the moon is at an angle .. if that had been yesterday it could be bad news!!.. Venus above and Jupiter below.. did any of you see them passing each other!! The Samburu say this time they passed with no quarrels and peacefully just to say a quick ‘hello’..

They also mentioned luckily Mercury was safely in the morning sky so did not cause any arguments!!

Day two the moon setting! you can see it well here!.. the water can all flow out!

A small storm gathering pace.. Note the shadow of Lkanto down on the Milgis

Check the reflection on the water

heavy rain in the desert!

double rain bow!

 

Full moon flood .. The mighty Milgis Lugga in full flood just over 2 weeks ago

full moons reflection on the full milgis lugga.. one km wide!

A MOON BOW!!!! this is a rain bow made by the full moon as it is setting.. A very very rare sighting.. How many of you have seen this???

 

The moon!.. plenty of moisture in the air..

and of course this is what it brings!!

Flowers and beautiful scent all over… Heliotropium

The country is transformed!! We have not seen this for many years!

This is a swamp near us on the Laana Nikan Lugga Interresting to see how its flourishing only after a month or so.. wonderful

swamp on the seiya lugga..

Salau having a game!

this beautiful swamp weed, that helps every thing in the swamp, especially stops quick evaporation!

There is a spring but it had just about dried up..

 

Just over a month ago this was the state of things in the swamp.. these are catfish battling to stay alive in the tiny bit of water remaining..

This elephant searching for a drink through the dried mud

Amazing .. this is the same swamp last time we had rain.. just pointing out the different moods of this tiny ecosystem..

then remember this terrible fire…

A few years back some ‘arsonist’ for want of a better word, just a young badly brought up youngster, had fun lighting this fire..

shocking, and brings shivers to ones core imagining all the animals, reptiles and insects killed in such a folly..

a year later still just a bare patch!

Anyway we walked around after these rains and at least found that it was now covered ..

Seems to be some sort of salt weed..

a closer look..

We took a flight over the areas worst hit by the 18 months drought!! LOOK how green it is!!

from the desert looking back towards the east of the Matthews and Ndotos.. Poi in all her glory ..

looking towards Ilakwen

BUT despite the wonderful photos and things looking good at the moment WE THE MILGIS TRUST have

                               A VERY IMPORTANT MISSION!!!!

The Trust covers an amazing, fragile and forgotten part of Kenya.. Scenically just beautiful.. I have lived here for over 35 years, doing my walking safaris with camels..  When I first went there I found  the most beautiful, serene and blessed place, in my mind, on earth BUT things were not right.. the Elephants were being wiped out, hundreds, thousands were decimated for their ivory, other wildlife was being massacred, the forests were burning, overgrazing and general love of their land was not happening.. and this was leading to self destruction…. even the Samburu people were questioning their culture which ‘cradles’ the the land and all living things..

                     WHAT WAS HAPPENING????                

                    SO ‘The Milgis Trust‘ was born..  

The trust is very small, family run and comes from our ‘hearts’.. We are respected and we have seen fantastic changes.. We believe in the people here, we believe in their culture, and we know they love their land and its inhabitants!! 

Please check our website out and kindly support us.. We are very grateful..

One of our scouts at work.. in his land.. The northern end of Ndonyo Lenkiyou,( Matthews Range) looking towards the Ndoto mountains..

Enjoying the fruits of RAIN!