Crocodile

I'm standing on a point overlooking the Olifants River. Far, far below, on a wide spit of gravel, a fat crocodile basks. He's the only crocodile I've encountered, and I like the distance, thank you very much. I guess he's a giant, because at this distance he appears to be 4 inches long. 

I content myself to watch through my binoculars because, for some reason, I can't learn to carry my camera everywhere I go. Even here in Africa, where every shot is a unique shot, I sometimes leave it. Interestingly enough, those photos I miss take up residence in my brain, coming up in sharper focus than any digital photo I bring to this 24-inch screen.

And so I watch that croc pretend to sleep. In actuality, his focused eye watches a giraffe lead her young along the opposite bank. I can't believe she doesn't see him. She seems to have let her guard down, munching the fresh, green vegetation that grows on the river bank, showing her baby the delectable bits.

The croc remains motionless, even as the giraffes step into the river and begin to wade.