September 11th, 2001 in Zimbabwe
We were at afternoon tea on a terrace of the Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe, Africa when our safari guide, Mark, quietly told us, “A jet plane just flew into one of the World Trade Center’s twin towers. It’s 8:46 am in New York.” Our hotel room TV carried a BBC feed as we watched the second tower invaded by another jet plane seventeen minutes later. It felt like a grade B movie. The images were surreal. My safari mates and I met up an hour later for dinner. Servers and buffet staff looked at us with pity and concern. They knew we’d be going back to a country at war. What they didn’t express to us was how our lives were changed forever. Zimbabwe was involved in their own civil war—black against white, neighbor against neighbor. They had a unique perspective on...
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Snow is brilliant. It magnifies animal tracks. Glancing out the front window after two inches of snowfall, I saw numerous tracks. I investigated a hole under the edge of our porch similar to one we had two years ago. Time again to set the trap! What will we find this time? Should I bait with meats to attract possums, or vegetables for rabbits? I decided on sardines in oil – more smell. Evening. “What’s the dog barking about?” Dan yelled down from his upstairs office. “Crystal wants to go outside?” I answered, assuming I knew her desire. I let her out. Wait – she’s running around sniffing and listening. What’s up with her? First a lot of barking, which is unusual, now her only interest is in going to the front of the house. I’m confused....
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