THESE RED SKY’S???!!!!

I thought the saying went like this.. ‘ Red sky in the morning shepard’s warning ‘.. in other words it’s going to rain later on that day??!!.. not in a year on two’s time!!?? We have had one beautiful red dawn after another.. like this

Every one was hoping when Jupiter and Venus passed each other it was going to bring the rain?? (You can see them above Mt Kenya .. Jupiter below Venus above..)

AND

IT DID COME.. the next day huge puffy thunderous clouds, lots of noise, massive downpours in patches!.. Floods and all.. BUT two days later the clouds disappeared… The rain was very disappointing in the end… Although I might add some places have had enough to get their spirits up! Some too much and the poor animals were over whelmed..

These poor goats, having survived the drought, could not cope with the cold rain.. This ‘boma’ lost 40 goats in one night.. Many others did as well.. Terribly sad after all the months and months, working so hard to keep them alive.. These goats are their ‘banks’.. a huge loss for these people..

Not only livestock died.. wildlife was weak, and we found quite a few very young elephants succumbed to the cold rain.. AND this one very sadly fell down a well head first one week before the rain..

What a sad way to go.. head first into a deep well.. Not only for the Elephant but the person that dug this well and relied on it will also suffer.. what we need is rain!!

Out ‘on safari’ in February and March the red skys were exquisite, mesmerising.. never seen any thing like it..

East of the Ndoto Mountains… from Poi to the unmistakable peaks of this lovely range

drinking tea in paradise!.. What a way to start the morning!!

Standing in silence.. in awe..

Its true there is nothing like a dawn like this to get the thoughts going… BUT where is the rain…

As the water holes get deeper and deeper it was properly worrying times..

The wells get deeper and deeper.. trying to water the 40 camels with the levels so low.. mmmmmm

making a well in the lugga..

down down down..

the drought has bitten many people… and Wildlife..

Elephants have been risking steep hill sides to find something to eat, AND unfortunately also trying to get the bark off some really old acacia trees

Sadly this beautiful tree ring barked..

But the elephants were hungry..

BUT sadly we can’t blame all this on the drought…

One reason is this… MOUNTAIN FIRES…

There has been some absolute disastrous fires up in the beautiful Ndoto Mountains. The all important magic water tower!… …I have changed the colour a bit to show the line of the mountain so you can see how massive this fire is.. MASSIVE DESTRUCTION in these already fragile mountain’s.. of course it will take years and years if ever to recover…

Its a really crazy thing.. its human nature sadly.. The person that lit this fire probably thinks… .. if I burn the forest away … what will grow back is grass for my cows.. OR my cows are all dying so lets just all fall apart OR I’ll get a job if I don’t say it was me, but report it! OR the smoke will make clouds OR it was an unfortunate accident…

A closer view taken from over 30 kms away.. SO in response Milgis finally has a film to show the REASONS NOT TO BURN… Please check it out on the website ..

www.milgistrust.com/videos

 FIRES… This film explores the damage that fires are doing in the Milgis ecosystem and why we need to stop them

a second film we have made is ….

PLASTIC…. What is plastic and how is it effecting Samburu Society? and what to do with it!

As we speak our team are out showing these educational films.. They will travel several times to show these films and talk about the content …

Every one loves to come to the cinema!

The team are also calling in to as many schools to talk about living with wildlife, fires, and rubbish!! AND over population issues!

The children love visitors..

proud to stand together with the Milgis scouts

Mary keeps at it day and night… ‘Basically the message is we need to cut down on children if we are to survive’ Pretty simple.. Ha ha??

So we are nearly at the end of the month of May.. the rainy season month and this is what is looks like in quite a few places… Our desert unit out on patrol to the East of the Ndotos did not come across a pleasing situation …

Larapaasi area… East of Ngurnit.. This should be full of water… Not a cloud in the sky..

This Elephant that left these footprints is as worried as the desert team ..

not good.. this is all the water there is here for that Elephant… VERY WORRYING TIMES.. I might add..

small puddles of water in other places …

At this place just north of the Milgis Lugga, hardly a drop of rain fell, but thanks to a bore hole, with a solar pump, and some leaking tanks, there is a bit of water around.. Rather than let it go to waste, the team opened up a water pan, so at least the night wildlife can benefit, including grevey zebras .. (the donkeys in the back ground were also pretty grateful!)

Mean while back at lkanto, west of the two ranges, we all got excited as the lugga finally flooded, BUT only one day and not nearly full..

What is Milgis doing about the water situation…

the wildlife safe wells up and down all the big luggas will continue from this month..

Wildlife safe wells..

AND here we are in Aarge… Where they were very unfortunate, it hardly rained… Extraordinary as further north of the Ndonyo Mara they had quite good rain.. SOOOOO PATCHY.. But reiterates the fact that the local people should NOT settle and the secret to survival is a nomadic life..

Our tractor has just finished desilting this dam..

bunds.. small scrapes in the eroded areas to catch small bits of water when it rains..

Each red dot is a spot for a bund.. little scrapes in the barren earth that when it rains will be a mini dam..

Kasipo were a bit luckier…

At least this dam in Kasipo, recently de-silted has some water!!

In Kasipo here’s our quite new water project … LOOKING GOOD!! We had to flush the borehole out as it was not producing what we were ‘promised ‘ it would, by the drillers and surveyer, and thank goodness the water is pumping really well now!

BUT at the community stand pipe.. Chaos as these poor animals kill themselves for a tiny sip of water… and in the mean time break the taps and all the water disappears into the sand.. so we are making troughs at all the water points to ease this problem..

the old water point where the cows, goats and donkeys were scrambling for a sip of water..

we are changing it so not a drop is lost..

And this will be a small trough from the over flow..

Remember as with all our water projects this water is for all living creatures!! The sign post at Kasipo repainted by Nderitu!!

Other wise what have we been up to since the beginning of the year.. We have been on many beautiful safaris with many fantastic people.. Done some great exploring and finding new places to walk, the lack of water and food for the camels has pushed us and its been great!… Just a few pictures to round off..

A gorge in the Arsim valley

A dream spot for break fast

From 4000 feet strait to the top of Alamisio, 9000 feet.. The east side.. Those Ndotos are steep!

Looking down from the Ndotos into the Seren valley and beyond into the desert.. Positive signs for rain I would say

Our exploring took us to the high mountains and valleys..

Alamision from the West … this was in beginning April.. I was thinking with a sky like this the rain was imminent.. JOKE!!!

Home ward bound.. Tired doggies!!

finally This little sequence of the Dog and the Elephant.. totally relaxed and unperturbed!

very relaxed dog.. and elephant.

so relaxed I’ll have a quick scratch

Elephant just having another little check out of the situation..

AND onwards.. The dog came back to where were standing to let him pass, we are about 20 meters away from him!!

Living in peace with wildlife is VERY COOL!!