Saturday, August 2, 2014

"My Wild Affair" and "Dateline NBC: Bad Blood"

That is not what it sounds like!  "My Wild Affair" is a TV show which I just discovered on PBS.  The episode that I watched this week was about a vet, Dr. John Condy and his family who took care of an orphaned black rhino in the 60's.  The baby rhino was rescued in what was then Rhodesia in Africa after the flooding of the Zambezi River for the building of the dam.  It was a wonderful show, truly it was, and if you get the chance, please make sure that you see it.  The children, all grown up now, are interviewed as adults and tell their memories of "Rupert" the rhino. Of course, this was in the 60's and they did the best that they could for the little fellow having no one to tell them the best way to prepare the animal for future release.  He was returned to the wild and..well, I don't want to spoil it for you. Watch it!   As an adult, one of the sons returned to Africa and was able to see a rhino baby once again, and if the view of this grown man cuddling a baby rhino does not bring tears to your eyes, then you must not be human! (No offense to the robots, who I know have plans to take over the world.) 
I might not ever make it Africa, so I try to read and learn as much as I can about it.  Watch this video and you will see lots of animals and will also see the dam that was built after the land was flooded.  (Richard has sung this song for years, he said that a group in the 80's re-did it.) You can imagine how many animals were displaced by this flooding.  Rupert the Rhino was one that was rescued, his mother died accidently as they were attempting the rescue.  As I have said, watch the TV show if you can!
 
 Best to turn down the sound on the first video and look at the pictures! That trumpet is too loud for me.
Richard said the song that he remembers is the second video I found for you. It is by a group called the Piranhas, and they were from Brighton! (Brighton is not far from Eastbourne.)
 
Another thing that was on TV this week... a show called "Dateline" which airs here on Friday night.  This was called "Bad Blood" and was about the true story of twin teenage girls who murdered their mother. This happened in the town of Conyers, Georgia, which is where I live. (The high school that the girls attended is the same one that I and all my siblings went to.)  I think that the police officers and the DA came across very well.  Let me know if you saw it, and what you thought of it.  You may see a bit about it here.

Richard and I walked on a paved trail this week...and it seemed like FOREVER, and when I asked him how long we had walked...he said 32 MINUTES!  We just walked at Arabia Mountain for TWO HOURS and the time just flew!  Wait until you see Richard's photos, I think they are wonderful.  Have a nice weekend everyone!

16 comments:

  1. When it comes to programs with animals in them, I often can't watch - I am such a whimp and start crying when an animal is in danger, and I even cry at the happy scenes.

    Looking forward to Richard's photos - it is not just you who thinks they are wonderful, I just KNOW they ARE wonderful!

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    1. I am always interested in a true story and if it is moving in some way then I like to tell people about it! One of the main points was the problem of rhino poaching in Africa, a very serious subject along with this story of the baby rhino.
      And I am glad that you appreciate my personal photographer! :-)

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  2. Rupert was very cute. The programme looks really interesting. Some great animal clips in the video.

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    1. Hey Paul! Good to see your comment here! Be sure and see this show about Rupert if it comes to you there, you will like it.

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  3. Raising a rhino sounds like quite an adventure! But i think i will stick to kittens.

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    1. You wouldn't believe it but the rhino was even allowed in the house! I think that the mother must have been a saint! Kittens don't get as big as rhinos anyway!

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  4. I do enjoy the variety offered on PBS. One station I watch often.

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    1. I think I have watched a lot of British TV on PBS. Of course, we sometimes get it years after it is shown in England and we I tell my English in-laws about a British TV show, they will sometimes have to search their memories and think back about the show I am asking them about!

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  5. I saw your blog post and watched the PBS show last night. Thank you so much for bringing to my attention - my husband and I really enjoyed it! It was one of those evenings when you've had a long day and need something sweet and light before going to bed. Yes, there was sadness, but much to be learned about how important it is to support the preservation of the oh too many endangered creatures on our Mother Earth.

    It happens that I did watch Dateline Friday evening, the first time in a long while. Now THAT was a heavy program to watch! As of mother, heck - as a HUMAN BEING - I will never be able to make sense of that awful incident.

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    1. YAY! Cynthia, I am so happy that you and your husband enjoyed the show about the rhino! I thought it was excellent, just very well done! And I wish I could have had you write a review of it, so I am happy for your comment here, I agree with you!
      The interesting thing, and they touched on it, was that the twin girls were allowed to go back to school for several months, but after looking at all the evidence (DNA) and the tapes that they had made, they police could only come to that one sad conclusion: the girls had killed their own mother. Very sad and puzzling, and it was very shocking, it still is.

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  6. Thanks for the "rhino recommendation" - it sounds like a great (though slightly sad) show. We'll see if they have it online. The Dateline episode sounds rather dreadful - a dubious distinction for you!

    I know what you mean about paved trails.... :)

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    1. Yes, Sue, please watch it if you see it repeated. See the comment above from Cynthia Crane!
      And I am glad you understand about the paved trails...they are just not my cup of tea!!

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  7. I'm hopeless when I watch animal documentaries. Invariably, tears fall!

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    1. Do you remember the movie "Bambi" or "Old Yeller"? As a kid, I really cried at those!

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  8. Sounds like you have lots of good stuff for us to watch. The show on the black rhino Rupert would be winner here for our whole family.

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    1. I really think that you and your family would like the rhino show. And I think you would find the Dateline show interesting too. I would appreciate you letting me know what you think about it.

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