Lala update and more

First an update on Lala, the Miracle Dog: Tuesday morning Lala started to regain control of her tongue and legs (her tail was already going) since the venom had paralyzed her muscles. By 11:00, her tongue was controlled enough to drink from a bowl, and she was struggling to sit upright. When I left the clinic at noon, she struggled to her feet and followed. Amazing.

She continued to improve all day, and today she is tired, but almost herself again. Her throat is still very swollen and sore (partly from the tube) so she can only make a sound that can only be described as a goose-like honk. One by one yesterday afternoon, her doggie-friends were brought to her so they could see she was all right. As you can see in this picture, Pickles was much relieved that her buddy was back.

Marieta said that a people who are bit by mambas and survive often have to learn to walk all over again and are in bed for weeks. So everyone is sure that Lala has some important reason to be here with us still. She is being spoiled and pampered by all--and deserving of it.

On to the Swakopmund story. My favorite activity was the seal and dolphin boat trip that Marieta and I took. One of the seals came aboard for some fish and lovin'--and I was privileged to have Spotty sit on my lap and let me hug him. He was big, but hey--he ain't heavy, he's my seal. His breath, though, could have used a few dozen Tic Tacs--very rotting fish-like.

We went on to see hundreds of seals on one beach. There are about 2 million people in Namibia, but there are 2 1/2 million seals. They sound like sheep "baaa-ing" all together. Quite amusing animals. I may bring one home.

On board we were treated to champagne and oysters (at 10:00 in the morning). Marieta had her first oyster ever--grimaced the whole time, but she got it down. My years living in New Orleans made me a fan of them, though, so I put away more than my share of them.

Then we ran into several pods of dolphins who followed the wake of our boat over and over. It was wonderful to watch them. All in all, it was a great little adventure. I always think life's experiences are enriched by the presence of animals.

At night we went out for fabulous seafood--one night at a barefoot bar on the beach and another at a five-star restaurant shaped like a boat, called The Wreck. Swakopmund is a great seaside resort town because it has authentic German architecture, genuine African art shops, and none of those cheesy cheap souvenir and t-shirt shops. The sand goes on for miles and miles and miles with no one on them but a few walkers with their dogs. But buy your property quickly--construction is everywhere.

So I picked out my beachfront lot near Langstrand--the place where Angelina and Brad went to have their baby Shiloh. Now I just have to wait for my ship to come in. Marieta and I decided to build next to each other and get a fast boat for dolphin sightseeing. Anybody who wants to donated a couple of million, feel free. Checks accepted.