Walking and Talking

Bobby Darin's song Animal Song rang through my head yesterday...

"If I could talk to the animals, just imagine it,
Chattin' with a chimp in chimpanzee,
Imagine talking to a tiger, chatting with a cheetah,
What a neat achievement it would be!

If we could talk to the animals, learn their languages,
Maybe get an animal degree,
I'd study elephant and eagle, buffalo and beagle,
Alligator, guinea pig, and flea! "


We had a weekend playing tourists with some friends that are visiting from Oregon. It's been interesting traipsing around the "Cradle of Humankind" on the western side of the city, taking in the sights and checking out what the area has to offer.

On Saturday we visited the Sterkfontein Caves - the home of Mrs. Ples and Little Foot - fossilzed bones of what is considered to be the earliest form of man. Well... I don't even need to say how we felt about the interpretations that were given for the existence of these bones. It did make for some interesting viewing and the caves that we crawled (well...mostly walked) through were stunning. The museum that we had to wait in, however had a lifesized model of evolution's "Adam and Eve". It really disturbed Allison (who had just viewed actual stuffed animals in a museum an hour before).. I had to assure her that these were man made.

On Sunday we went to the Lion Park in Krugersdorp and I was struck by the beauty of God's creation. Each animal is so distinct in its behavior and appearance. I petted a gorgeous giraffe who dipped his head down right over the top of mine several times. (Did you know that the giraffe's anatomy actually disproves evolution?? Click this link to see an explanation) Then we spent a few minutes playing with soft fuzzy lion cubs, who were more interested in having a snooze than in posing for photos! A car tour through 4 areas filled with full grown lions made me realize the rawness of nature, as they chewed on their meaty bones and licked their lips contemplating whether I would be a nice tasty dessert. It was a day of realizing just a tiny portion of the scope of creation - how complete and perfect God made the world and its inhabitants.

Check out the photos below by clicking on each thumbnail-it may take a moment or two to load, but it is worth it!