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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 27/09/2025

I just returned from a couple of weeks in Okinawa. I could go on and on about what an amazing and impactful time it was, and maybe some time I will. For now, I will just share this photo I took of Naminoue shrine.

a Shinto shrine on a high bluff, with sunlit clouds in the background

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 29/01/2025

Perhaps OpenAI should ask the NYT for advice on what to do about this sort of thing.

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 15/08/2024

It felt a little strange after all of that to be back where everything is shaped by and for humans instead of... everything else. Changes of perspective, even if temporary, can be powerful.

a single tree on an otherwise flat grassy plain of the Serengeti, with a cloudy sky overhead

a lioness sleeping with her chin flat on a rock, looking very content in her world

a bearded white man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a ring, looking out a window to an out-of-focus scene of a riverbank

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 14/08/2024

Some smaller critters saw us go as we headed away and back toward human-inhabited places, such as vervet monkeys, rock hyrax, and some dwarf mongoose that had moved into a termite mound.

a black-faced vervet monkey sitting in a tree, looking at the camera

two black-faced vervet monkeys sitting in a dirt road, with the smaller one grooming the larger

a dwarf mongoose poking its head out of a termite mound

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 14/08/2024

Though we spotted another leopard in the distance on our last safari day, I'm not bothering with a (reduced enough for a toot) photo of it here since that cat can barely be seen in the ones we got -- so here's a youngish male lion that we crossed paths with that same morning.

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 13/08/2024

It was bittersweet to be nearing the end of this magical time, contemplating the sun on its way toward setting.

the sun low in the sky, seen between the branches of an acacia tree

the sun seen as striking red dot over the trees

the sun as a striking white circle with a red smear around it that is reflected in a water hole, with trees also partially reflected

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 13/08/2024

Some of the less common sights found us as well, like a monitor lizard, an enormous python, a glorious African fish eagle, and more.

a monitor lizard walking on swampy ground

the body (its head is low and not visible) of a large python on a fallen tree in green grass

an African fish eagle perched on a branch looking for prey

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 13/08/2024

On the road, we crossed paths with a veritable army of baboons, some banded mongoose, and a black-backed jackal.

a group of over twenty olive baboons walking on a dirt road

zoomed in shot of a few members of the large group of olive baboons, with a young one riding on the back of an adult

a black-backed jackal walking on dirt and dry grass

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 13/08/2024

Waking up in Tarangire is stunning every time. The acacias and baobabs make every view feel like a composed scene.

sunrise over Tarangire national park, the sky a gentle spectrum of color, some baobabs jutting above the tree line off to the left

sunrise over Tarangire national park in the background, a white guy with a cup of coffee backlit in the foreground

a majestic baobab tree, with a calm blue early morning sky behind it

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 12/08/2024

The monkeys, birds (in this case, a lilac-breasted roller) and other creatures live very well in the trees of this forest. It's a lovely and dramatic ecosystem.

a lilac-breasted roller (beautifully colorful small bird) perched on a stump

a black-faced vervet monkey on a branch, looking down

the sun low in the sky over the green scrubland of Tarangire

sunset over Tarangire, rich colors of the sky showing the outline of acacia trees in the distance

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 12/08/2024

There were many family groups to be seen around Tarangire, including of elephants, baboons, giraffes, and zebra.

several elephants of varying size and age, standing in shallow water

a group of baboons climbing a riverbed, with the smallest in the group clinging to the back of a larger member

three giraffes, one adult and two juvenile, standing near some large bushes

two zebras (one adult female, one juvenile) standing next to each other, looking over their shoulders in an identical pose to each other

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 12/08/2024

Our last major area of exploration was the Tarangire national park, home of many majestic baobab trees. On our way there some Makonde carvers gave us an opportunity to work a bit on some ebony with them.

a massive baobab, with other trees nearby looking very small by comparison

a white man with a beard in a hoodie, carving with a chisel and wooden mallet

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 11/08/2024

Spending a day on the coffee farm, not out seeking wildlife, was a nice brief change of pace.

selfie of a white guy in front of coffee plants

reclining legs crossed, ending in a pair of dirty black shoes, on a lawn bordered by decorative flowering plants, and beyond that a longer, lush-green view

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2024

The rest of the day in Ngorongoro was magical as well, with crowned cranes, zebras covered in oxpeckers, warthogs, a golden jackal, and much more.

a zebra standing in a field with oxpeckers perched all along the ridge of its back

a stately warthog standing alone in a field

a golden jackal, walking with head held low as if stalking

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2024

Another stroke of luck was coming across a pair of thomson gazelles with a newborn fawn. The baby was fresh enough that the mother was still cleaning it off.

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2024

This serval cat was a delightful surprise. We were lucky to spot it! We waited, just like with that cheetah previously, and then watched it walk not far from us at all. It paid brief attention to us before deciding to wander off in search of something else.

a serval standing in a dirt road, looking at the camera

zoomed in shot of a serval's head and shoulders

a serval walking in medium-height green and brown grass

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 10/08/2024

The Ngorongoro crater/caldera deserves its own special attention. This amazing and unique place would have a sense of magic to it all on its own even if it wasn't also home to so many special habitats.

dirt road descending into Ngorongoro, cloud ring visible at the far edge

view across Ngorongoro, cloud ring visible at the far edge

looking out at the rim of Ngorongoro from the inside

looking down into Ngorongoro between two ridges covered in lush green and with the lake visible in the distance

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 09/08/2024

We ended this day at a beautiful organic coffee farm, an excellent place to stay for the next few nights.

sunset in a clear Tanzanian sky, with the setting sun on the right of the frame and an acacia on the left of the frame

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 09/08/2024

We ended this day at a beautiful organic coffee farm, an excellent place to stay for the next few nights.

sunset in a clear Tanzanian sky, with the setting sun on the right of the frame and an acacia in the foreground on the left

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 09/08/2024

I know that this vervet monkey was just plucking something off a branch, but I like to think that it was waving to us.

a black-faced vervet monkey in a pose that looks like it is standing up and waving to the camera

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 09/08/2024

There was a group of elephants in the same area, unconcerned about those cats.

several elephants walking closely together in tall grass

multiple elephants of different ages in tall grass, mostly facing the camera

a young elephant facing the camera, with an older elephant visible behind it

a young elephant facing the camera, trunk raised higher than its head

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 09/08/2024

We spent a day traveling further southward toward the Ngorongoro area. A beautiful lioness traveled alongside us for a short while, and we spotted a leopard in a tree.

a leopard resting on the branch of a tree

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 08/08/2024

We spotted (ha ha) our first spotted hyena this day, and also enjoyed a sunset made even more dramatic by the smoke from a controlled (prescribed) burn.

a spotted hyena walking in a mix of green and brown grass

a spotted hyena looking back over its shoulder

smoky sunset over the central Serengeti with an acacia tree in the foreground

smoky skies over the central Serengeti, lit by sunset, shot from inside a tent with the upper edge of the frame showing the tent flaps

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 08/08/2024

Some of the other animals were found in bigger groups today, with baboons, hippos, and elephants each congregating with their kind.

an olive baboon looking over its shoulder, with the sunlight glowing in its fur

several hippos on a riverbank, some of them with birds perched on their backs

many hippos in water clustered very closely together, one of them looking blissful with their chin propped up by the back of another

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 08/08/2024

That wasn't it for large cats, either. We came across a male lion early in the day, and later saw multiple lionesses resting together on a kopje. For the most part, they were doing what they -- and domesticated cats -- do a majority of the time: sleeping.

a relaxed and reclining male lion, mane being ruffled by the wind

a lioness with a scar across the bridge of her nose, resting on a rock and looking toward the camera

a sleeping lioness, her (dangerously scritchable-looking) chin resting on a branch

two lionesses sleeping near each other on the same rock

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 08/08/2024

We had a huge stroke of luck in the central Serengeti of #Tanzania as a cheetah was spotted off in the grass, so we waited to see if it might show itself more. That patience paid off! Not only did she show herself, she eventually walked by fairly close to us […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

a cheetah standing in medium-height grass in an open field, looking back over her shoulder

closely zoomed in on a cheetah's head, mouth slightly open, background out of focus

closely zoomed in on a cheetah's head, background out of focus except for a bit of grass

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 07/08/2024

Crocodiles, giraffes, and more were seen this day as we headed southward to our next camp. We were less than a third of the way done, and already had experiences of a lifetime.

zoomed-in photo of a giraffe's head, looking toward the camera

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 07/08/2024

When she noticed us and saw which way we were headed, she gave us a warning growl and roar! We soon discovered that this was because as we rounded the corner of that kopje we were able to see her cubs! We took a quick look and then left without disturbing them further.

a partially concealed lioness, growling toward the camera

a partially concealed lioness, roaring toward the camera

three lion cubs partially obscured by grass, one of them looking at the camera and the two others looking to the right at their out-of-frame sibling

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 07/08/2024

The star of our third day was unquestionably this lioness!

a lioness on a rock, body concealed by bushes, face showing and looking directly at the camera

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 06/08/2024

As the day wound down, a stately brown snake eagle watched the sunset with us.

a brown snake eagle, perched on a dead branch and looking out into the distance

sunset on the Northern Serengeti savanna

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 06/08/2024

We also made our first acquaintance with some critters that our group particularly appreciated even if they're not big names from a safari point of view, such as rock hyraxes and colorful agama lizards. The little ones were welcome buddies that we'd see almost daily for the whole trip.

a single rock hyrax, appearing like a lookout atop a kopje

a group of rock hyraxes under the shelter of leaves, huddled together

a red and blue agama lizard, on a rock and facing away

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 06/08/2024

This day had our first sightings of many other iconic animals of the area, such as cape buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, and warthogs.

a single cape buffalo, standing in some grassy brush, looking at the camera

a hippopotamus, mostly submerged with only the upper half of its head above water, looking directly at the camera

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 06/08/2024

During our first morning that started in the Northern Serengeti, we saw our first lion! (repost due to minor error in original)

adult male lion, looking calmly at the camera

adult male lion, mouth slightly open and showing teeth

adult male lion, relaxing between some bushes

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 05/08/2024

Arriving at our first camp of the trip, the sunset over the Serengeti was breathtaking. We would be appreciating many more of those over the upcoming days.

the sun setting, in a red sky over the Northern Serengeti with an acacia standing out of the horizon in the distance

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 05/08/2024

We saw the first few of many, many wildebeest that we'd observe over the course of the trip.

a single wildebeest, looking at the camera

multiple walking wildebeest, one of them looking directly at the camera

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 05/08/2024

There were all sorts of other fascinating creatures to see as well right in the first couple of hours, such as zebras, baboons, striped mongoose, and trees full of vultures.

a zebra walking in the foreground, and an olive baboon walking in the other direction out of focus in the background

a banded (also called striped) mongoose, walking alone

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 05/08/2024

The first day of safari in #Tanzania started off blowing our minds right away -- there were giraffes on the airstrip in the Northern Serengeti! #photography

A giraffe and a small Cessna 1-engine plane sharing a dirt airstrip.

a giraffe browsing a tree while standing next to a small building at an airstrip

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 25/05/2024

Oh, wait, I left out the question mark. Maybe it'll answer better if I include that!

exchange with ChatGPT 4o
prompt:
how many counties in Ireland start with the letter "C"?
response:
There are five counties in Ireland that start with the letter "C." They are: 1. Carlow 2. Cavan 3. Clare 4. Cork 5. Carlow

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Justin Sheehy @justinsheehy.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 25/05/2024

Yes, friends, we're definitely on our way to AGI!

exchange with ChatGPT 4o
prompt:
how many counties in Ireland start with the letter "C"
response:
There are six counties in Ireland that start with the letter "C." They are: 1. Carlow 2. Cavan 3. Clare 4. Cork 5. Derry 6. Donegal

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