Packed! and Sale!

DIRECTIONS to the SALE : from the corner of Nolensville and Old Hickory go south on Nolensville for about 1 mile. After you see the PIE IN THE SKY restaurant on the left turn left at the next traffic light (this Lenox Village Drive)
Then turn right into the parking garage of 6900 Lenox Village Drive and drive one floor up (this is considered level 3). Park your car in one of the 2 hour places on the west side of the parking. Enter the building (on the south side). This is the block with my apartment and your are on the correct level. Go to apartment 320. If you have problems finding it give me  a call (347 819 3030).

Some of you have asked what I will take to South Africa and what I will do with all the things I cannot take with me. Here are the answers:

By Sea

This is a picture of the Pelican cases with all my stuff, to be sent by sea to South Africa. They will arrive a few weeks after I will have arrived at Thanda.

By Air

This is a picture of the four cases and the bag which will travel with me on the planes first to Switzerland and then from there to South Africa.

Sales and Giveaway

I will only take my cameras, computers, clothes and a few other personal items to South Africa. Everything else has to go!

So here is the procedure how I will get rid of my belongings:

Where: My apartment at 6900 Lenox Village Drive – Unit 320, Nashville, TN, 37211, Phone 347 819 3030

DIRECTIONS to the SALE : from the corner of Nolensville and Old Hickory go south on Nolensville for about 1 mile. After you see the PIE IN THE SKY restaurant on the left turn left at the next traffic light (this Lenox Village Drive)
Then turn right into the parking garage of 6900 Lenox Village Drive and drive one floor up (this is considered level 3). Park your car in one of the 2 hour places on the west side of the parking. Enter the building (on the south side). This is the block with my apartment and your are on the correct level. Go to apartment 320. If you have problems finding it give me  a call (347 819 3030).

When: From May 22 to May 24 from 3pm to 7pm

Open House Sale – Day 1 and Day 2
Tuesday May 22, 2012 and Wednesday May 23, 2012
On these two days I will sell all items in my apartment. All sales are cash and carry! (Any purchased item must be taken away on the day of the sale).

Open House Give Away – Day 3 
Thursday May 24, 2012
On this day all remaining items (not sold on day 1 or 2) are giveaways. You may pick them up any time between 3pm and 7pm

Goodwill – Day 4
Friday May 25, 2012
All items not gone by then will be moved to goodwill on this day. And then I am ready to leave 🙂

What items are for sales:
– Computers
– Screen
– TV
– Blu-ray player
– Surround sound system
– Tables
– My famous wooden cubes (large and small)
– Briefcase
– Printer
– Speakers
– Cabinets
– Bed
– Plastic containers all sizes
– Glasses
– Plates
– Cutlery
– Lamps
– Books
– Clocks
– Clothes
– Shoes
– Safe

… and many other items …

Note: Unfortunately I have no time for previews and answers to questions about the sales items. If you are interested you have to come and see yourself.

Looking forward to seeing you at the sale 🙂

Picture of the Week 18 – Climb!

Small Cheetahs – as all other small cats – love to climb. Once they grow up it is much harder to get onto trees with their “semi-retractable” claws. These claws are designed like spikes to aid fast acceleration.

Nevertheless, in the picture below an adult male Cheetah climbed a low branch for a better look around in the morning mist.

Enjoy the pictures 🙂

For more Cheetah images go to http://www.sperka.biz/cheetah

Timeout :-)

From now until end of May I will be preparing my move to South Africa. This will leave me less time than usual for shooting pictures and posting blog message.

Once I have arrived and settled in at Thanda (South Africa) I will be posting again regularly (probably end of June 2012).

Thanks for subscribing to and reading my blog!

PS: I will post as often as possible during the move and let you know how it is going 🙂

Pictures of the Week 15 – Browse and Graze

[View all Pictures of the Week 2012]

Black Rhino and White Rhino

This weeks’ pictures are in honor of two of my favorite mammal species which are under the threat of extinction by humans. If the poaching madness is not stopped these creatures, which were on this planet long before us, will disappear forever!

The main difference between Black Rhino and White Rhinos is the shape of their mouths. White Rhinos have broad flat lips for grazing and Black Rhinos have long pointed lips for browsing foliage. A popular theory claims that the name White Rhinoceros was actually a corruption of the word weid (“wide” in Afrikaans), referring to their square lips.

“Rhino Dawn”

More about Rhinos:

Rhinoceros, often abbreviated as rhino, is a family of five species of knee-less, odd-toed ungulates. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia.

The Rhinoceros family is characterized by its large size, with all of the species able to reach one tonne or more in weight; a herbivorous diet; a thick protective skin; relatively small brains for mammals this size; and a large horn.

Rhinoceros are killed by humans for their horns, which are bought and sold on the black market, and which are used by some cultures for ornamental or (pseudo-scientific) medicinal purposes. The horns are made of keratin, the same type of protein that makes up hair and fingernails.

Click here if you would like to help the “Save our Rhino” effort on Thanda Private Game Reserve.

Click here is you would like to know more about the “Rhino Poaching Issue”.

Click here if you would like to see more of my Black Rhino pictures.

Click here if you would like to see more of my White Rhino pictures.

Call for Help!

Today, Thanda Private Game Reserve – my future workplace in South Africa – has lost a Black Rhino to poachers.

This is the second Rhino killed by poachers on Thanda (the first one was a White Rhino).

If you would like to help you can email melanie@thanda.co.za. Any donations, cash or items are very much appreciated. We need radios, camping gear, binoculars, cellphones, solar panels, …

If you live in the USA you can also send your donation to me and I will make sure that the money will go to Thanda’s “Save Our Rhinos” efforts. You can contact me at christian@sperka.com

Thanks for your support!

Feathery Spectrum!

I have not posted a bird picture for quite a while. So here are a few images of one of my favorite birds in South Africa.

Lilac-breaster Rollers have many colors of the spectrum in their plumage.

These pictures were taken in Phinda Private Game Reserve, the Timbavati Private Game Reserve and in Kruger National Park.

More about Lilac-breasted Rollers:
The Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus) is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. Usually found alone or in pairs, it perches conspicuously at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, lizards, scorpions, snails, small birds and rodents moving about at ground level. It is the national bird of Botswana.

Picture of the Week 14 – The tree that shines from afar

[View all Pictures of the Week 2012]

This African Elephant is browsing in between Fever Trees on Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa.

In the Zulu language the Fever Tree is called umHlosinga (the tree that shines from afar). This beautiful acacia has a pale white bark and green foliage. It is one of the few trees where photosynthesis takes place in the bark. The yellow color on the Elephant’s skin is from rubbing against one of the trees.

Enjoy the picture!

The Tree That Shines From Afar ( Fever Tree – Acacia xanthophloea)

REMINDER – South Africa 100 – Invitation for tomorrow’s First Saturday Gallery Crawl

At my last event at the April First Saturday Gallery Crawl I will show one hundred of my best African wildlife images at the Arcade in downtown Nashville.

A reception with drinks and “nibbles” will be held from 2p.m. to 6.pm. for all of you receiving this invitation . The offical gallery crawl will start at 6p.m. and last until 9p.m.

When: Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 2p.m. to 9p.m.
Where: Christian Sperka Photography / Animal Art Photography Gallery at the Arcade

For more information go to https://christiansperka.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/south-africa-100-invitation/

South Africa 100 – Invitation

Invitation to the First Saturday Gallery Crawl

At my last event at the April First Saturday Gallery Crawl I will show one hundred of my best African wildlife images at the Arcade in downtown Nashville. These images were taken during my 20 trips to Southern Africa over the last ten years.

A reception with drinks and “nibbles” will be held from 2p.m. to 6.pm. for all of you receiving this invitation :-). The offical gallery crawl will start at 6p.m. and last until 9p.m.

When: Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 2p.m. to 9p.m.
Where: Christian Sperka Photography / Animal Art Photography Gallery at the Arcade [Downtown Nashville in the block between Church and Union Streets and 4th and 5th Avenues]

My gallery will close on April 8, 2012.  Amiee Stubbs, the new Official Nashville Zoo Photographer, will open her new gallery at the same location during the June First Saturday Gallery Crawl.  See amieestubbs.com.

PS: A few people have asked me what they could get me as a good-bye present for my move to South Africa. As I will have stringent luggage and shipment restrcitions I suggest for those who want, that they could contribute to my “African Vehicle Fund” = small contributions to buy my first vehicle in SA. But, the best gift would be for you to come on Saturday, April 7, and enjoy the afternoon and evening with me!