I have seen them in Ireland as well. Many Irish involved in the horse trade immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1800s and settled in Kentucky. Most likely, they brought the wall building technique with them.
You won't get shot....just tell the neighbors that you are waiting for the "3:10 to Yuma"!
It would take the Navy 3 years to write up the specifications and get them approved. Then another 2 years to let the contract, review and approve bids. Perhaps another year for contractors to build and test prototypes. Then another year for DOD to have a head to head competition to determine which company would be awarded the contract.
Add in another year to review the complaint/s filed by companies who did not get awarded the contract. A year later a compromise would be made awarding a joint contract with design factors from both companies used in the final construction. At launch, the joint constructed PT-boat lists to one side and sinks. Two more years later, and at three times the original cost figures, a new and revised design is built and launched. Please note: Only a bit of "tongue in cheek" present in this description!
I definitely recommend the smaller boats (Holland or Princess). I have been on the inside passage twice, both on larger ships and it is a hassle just to get on and off at the various stops. On our last trip, we actually elected to stay on board, rather then dis-embark at one stop because the process was so slow!
Consider the Sigma 10-20 mm. It is fairly inexpensive and good quality. I don't think you will be disappointed.
I second what mizzie, TriX, whwiden and ronichas said. Also suggest extra media cards, just in case (there aren't many drug stores out in the bush). A bean bag is helpful to keep your camera steady when shooting from a safari vehicle. I used one on both of my Africa trips to great success. Just positioned it on the open roof top of the Land Rover and set the camera on it.
Been to Africa twice. Took a monopod and a bean bag the first trip and ditched the monopod on the second trip....too clumsy to use in a vehicle. Plus, if you have fairly good light and a respectably fast lens, shooting "handheld" should not be a problem. I used a 70-300mm lens the most, but did carry a 500mm and a 2.0 teleconverter. You will be able to get surprising close to the animals, since they are used to people in safari vehicles around them all of the time. Two bodies is a good idea so that you can set up each with a different lens and minimize the need to change lenses in the field (dusty conditions can lead to equipment problems). Have a great adventure!
As an Air Force aviator with both fixed wing and rotary wing time, I enjoyed your essay. Having served two tours in Vietnam, the only thing that I would add would be a comment about how, when a fellow aviators or troops on the ground were in trouble, the war virtually stopped until they could be assisted or rescued. It did not matter whether they were Army, Air Force, Navy or Marines.
If your camera require batteries (as opposed to rechargeable ones), take extras---there are no handy drugstores/camera stores in the bush. A "bean bag" is helpful for steadying you camera (monopods/tripods are too clumsy to use in a safari vehicle). An extra media card or two would be smart to have. Have a good Time. I have been to Africa twice. It is a magical place. You can't imagine how much healthier the animals look in their natural habitat.
Took that cruise two years ago. It was fantastic. I brought a 6D, a 24-70, and 70-200 which covered all of my needs. You have the reach when needed and good low light capability for inside shots.
Wow! Beautiful, sharp captures!
Another neat place to visit is Tybee Island, which is about 20 minutes from Savannah. It houses an old fort and a very colorful light house.
The Old Pink House is an excellent restaurant. Lots of beautiful parks dot the city and the riverfront is very interesting.
I have gotten good use out of Office 2007. It did come already installed on my older PC. The store where I bought my new PC did not tell me that the Office software installed on it was only a "trial" version. Didn't find that out until a few days later after I had paid to have all of my data transferred over and done some further configuration. I challenged the store about the misrepresentation and the manager said that the salesman wasn't there, but he knew that he was aware that the Office 365 loaded on the machine was a trial. I explained that I had asked twice if the PC had Office installed and was told yes both times. The manager said he would give me a discount of $20, bringing it down to $130. I told him that wasn't enough to make up for the blatant misrepresentation. Someone standing nearby asked of I had heard of the free Open Office software and explained that it had pretty much all of the capability that I was looking for. I checked it out and it appears to be very capable. So, one computer store definitely lost a customer. A shame. I have purchased a lot from them over the years. Never again. What ever happened to customer service?