Have you hugged an elephant today?

Howdy!

During our time in the Kingdom of Thailand, I’ve shivered in the grip of a python, stood between Bengal tigers, cradled giant spiders and scorpions in my hands, and stroked a king cobra… but there’s one creature that has eluded me thus far—the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and that’s ironic because it’s unquestionably the most iconic element of Thai wildlife!

Elephants are like ginormous, sentimental cows with bristly skin covered in barb-like hairs, plus strength to match living stone and, to top it all, snakish arms for noses.

Elephants are wonderful, absolutely huge creatures that are surprisingly gentle. I’m so glad that God made animals that are so incredible that all the people who work at the Elephin Café can be supported by raising these beautiful giants and letting us interact with them!

I got a great hug from this elephant! (If you pose by an elephant’s head, it will fan you with its ears, a neat bonus)

The funniest thing? My sister got an elephant kiss! (Elephant kisses come from the nose, not the mouth) I doubled over laughing as my sister squirmed during the long smooch. “I didn’t know it would be slimy,” Dawn later told us.

“Hold still!”

The place we went to is called the Elephin Café. It’s a delightful locale to eat ice cream and pet elephants, and it’s all set into the mountainside! The view was INSANE!! Honestly, I can’t think of a better place to ‘taste and see’ that God is good!

Now, time for CELEBRATION!!

I have officially reached TWENTY readers!! That means twenty lovely people get my newsletter each time I send it out, but it also means that my little world of writing is growing!! I can’t stop grinning about this.