December 28, 2012

 Well, today is our 44^th wedding anniversary.   We are in East London, actually Gonubie, staying with Elder and Sister Fowers.  They invited us to come spend a couple of days around Christmas time so, here we are.  Our day started with reading scriptures on the deck overlooking a valley and hoping to see animals but no luck this time.  After breakfast, we met up with Elder and Sister Stokoe for a competitive game of miniature golf. The course has 27 holes, but we only played 9 of them.  It was fun and as competitive as old people can get. We all scored within two points of each other and Rick and I tied for second. After lunch at the Fowers it was off to “The Lion Park”.  It is a small park where there are numerous animals…rabbits, llamas, a leopard, several full size lions, tortoises, one very tame deer type animal, crocodile and baby lion cubs, which we were able to pet and play with a bit. 

 
  There is a keeper in with the lion cubs, but we are able to interact with them by ourselves.  Rick was first to play with them…they liked to lick him and one seemed to enjoy his shoe. 

 One jumped on his back, but I didn’t get a picture because the keeper moved in front of the camera to remove the cub as I was pushing the button to take the picture.  When it was my turn, one of them bit at the pocket of my pants and then on my arm.

 I thought he drew blood but when I looked there was only a bruise.  They are 5 ½ months old and very playful.  There was another cub which was only about 2 months old in another pen that had deformed front paws. 

 He was a little more fearful and you couldn’t be around him for very long before he took off.