← Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories
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Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios. To listen, ad free, access our entire catalogue of episodes and support the show directly. Check out our Premium feed by going to getsleepy.com support now a quick word from our sponsors.
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welcome to get Sleepy where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. My name is Thomas and it's my honor to be your host. And here we are, my friends, at the beginning of a new era for Get Sleepy. That's because from today onwards we'll be releasing five episodes a week, Monday to Friday here on your podcast feeds. To give you a little bit more information, you can expect to hear me reading a new story every Monday and Wednesday with our other narrators featuring on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Then every Friday night. I'm really excited to say that we'll be releasing encore episodes, some of our all time favourites from the back catalogue that deserve their place back in the sun. Or perhaps in our case, back in the moonlight. To begin with, at least for the first several weeks or so, those encore episodes will all be ones I have narrated. For those of you who've listened to Get Sleepy for a long while. I'm sure a number of them will be familiar to you and you'll hopefully find comfort in hearing them again. For our newer listeners, it will be a wonderful chance to showcase some of our earlier tales and for you to enjoy them for the very first time. We'll also have a monthly compilation episode, starting with a stitch of the three Peacock House Stories this Saturday night. I really am so excited to be able to speak to you even more often if this is the place you love to come to for a good night's rest. Then I hope this news is just as exciting for you as it is for everyone here at Get Sleepy. Our incredible team has worked so hard to get to a point where we can make this a possibility for you all, and now we can't wait to bring you even more wonderful original stories and exhibit the amazing talent of our writers and narrators five nights per week. With that being said, tonight's story is inspired by a listener request. Beautifully written by Alicia Stefan, and I have the pleasure of reading it for you all. We'll explore a wildlife preserve with accessible paths and viewpoints. On our list of things to see, there will be bighorn sheep, tropical birds, and legendary animals of the savanna. Throughout our journey, we'll be surrounded by beautiful natural habitats, So let's settle in and prepare to listen. Make any adjustments you need to ensure you're as comfortable as can be, and as you gradually relax more deeply, sinking into the surface supporting you, Spend time focusing on the breath. Appreciate the chance just to be conscious of your breath. There's no reason not to do so right now. No other demands or distractions. The day is done and you deserve some rest. So you can just be here in the present moment, listening to my voice and tuning in to the beautiful natural flow of your body. Feel the air as it flows in, filling your lungs and nourishing your inner peace, and feel it leave your body, expelling any stress or tension held within. You can continue to follow the breath with appreciation and care for as long as you like. Meanwhile, we'll turn to our story. It's a blue sky day and you have nothing but companionship and fun ahead of you. This is where our story begins. The morning is just beginning to warm up as you arrive at the wilderness preserve. As you face the entrance, resting comfortably in your wheelchair, you can hear your friend shutting the doors of the van behind you. She locks them remotely with a satisfying click noise. Then, just for good measure, she does it a third time, eliciting a small beep from the van. You roll your eyes at her comically and she grins. She always feels the need to make extra certain that the vehicle is locked, even when she knows perfectly well that it already is. You feel a growing sense of anticipation as you put your gloves on and prepare to head to the ticket booth. Seeing that you're ready, she shoulders her small backpack and motions in the direction of the entrance to the park, as if to say, after you. Laughing to yourself, you roll forward, traveling easily across the smooth pavement of the car park. As you move, feeling the traction of your gloves on the wheels, you think what a beautiful day it is, although you know it will be on the hotter side later. The temperature is currently perfect and there isn't a cloud in the sky. You've chosen a lucky day for your visit. When you reach the ticket booth, you pull your phone out of your pocket and scan your pass. Then you wait patiently while your less organized friend scrolls madly through her emails until she finds hers. She scans it triumphantly and gives you a look that dares you to comment. You shake your head and laugh gently as the attendant scans her code. You request a map of the park. The person behind the window slides a glossy brochure towards your fingertips on the counter. As you drop it in your lap, he leans and points into the park entrance, indicating the best place to begin your explorations. You thank him. Then you and your friend proceed into the open area just inside the entrance, where all the fun begins. Your immediate impression is that this is the section where most of the shopping and eating happens. A nearby gift shop called the Tiger's Lair offers keepsake merchandise ranging from T shirts to baseball caps. The Flamingo Fung Kiosk seems to sell animal themed puzzles and games. A breakfast oriented storefront is offering coffee muffins, bagels and egg sandwiches. Other fast food stands are not open yet, but they promise an array of lunchtime options for hungry visitors who come by later. There are wooden signposts designed to look handle at it. They point visitors towards various enticing areas of the park. Part of you wants to just take your chances and start wandering, but the organized side of your personality wins over and you unfold the map completely, holding it wide so your friend can see. Together. You pore over the options. You decide that you will make a clockwise loop of the park, ending with the section where the animals of the African savanna live. However, before that, you want to get a look at the nearby aviary. It seems sensible to take advantage of it before the crowds arrive. Your friend pushes through the door and holds it for you. There is an outer entrance and then another inner one. Signage makes it clear that the purpose of the double doors is to keep aviary birds inside their habitat. Once you've entered the enclosure, any feeling of passing through small spaces gives way to a lofty feeling of expansion. Trees soar high in the air, topped distantly by an unobtrusive mesh ceiling. You marvel at how it feels as if you're in a real wooded area after the bright daylight and black pavement Outside, it's like a little miracle to suddenly feel as if you're in the forest. You hear the trickling of a stream tumbling over rocks above the peaceful sound of the water. You pick up on the intoxicating song of the birds. Altogether, they remind you of a chorus. Different varieties of birds contribute discreet chaps and warbles that all join together. You close your eyes for a moment, rolling yourself ever so slowly down the pathway. You hear the differences among the species, but you don't know enough about birds to understand which types are actually there. Luckily, some colorful information plaques appear along the railing at eye level and you are able to explore. It seems this aviary contains all different kinds of parrots. To begin with, there are lorikeets, which have long pointed tails and very bright feathers. Looking around, you spot some of them. My goodness. You think how beautiful they are. You're not surprised to read that they are considered to be one of the noisier types of birds among the group. The lorikeets flock together as you watch, forming clusters of wild color that morph and change as they move in tandem. The plaque says they feed off sweet nectar, and you decide that is quite appropriate, as they look almost like popsicles. Speaking of popsicles, the more subtle coloring of the lovebirds grabs your attention right away. You see two of them nesting together. Their slightly less riotous combination of tones remind you of a melted pool of sorbet, orange, yellow, green. But instead of nectar, these birds prefer to eat grass, seeds, berries and fruits. Or at least that's what the sign says. You scan over the other inhabitants of the aviary as you continue to progress through it. There are cockatiels with distinctive yellow heads which are topped with perky feathers. You concentrate to see if you can hear their whistling, but it's hard to detect with all the louder birds in the enclosure. There are also the delightfully named budgies in yellow and black. You had never realized these were also called parakeets. All of the parrots here are fairly small. One thing you learn in the aviary is that large parrots and small parrots aren't always good neighbours, so it's easier to separate them. But you like the fact that this aviary is full of small birds. They're almost like butterflies, bringing fluttering beauty to each and every nook. You feel like you could stay in this sun dappled aviary forever, listening to the peaceful trickle of water and the twittering of the birds. But you and your friend agree that you want to see more. She holds the doors for you as you make your way out of the aviary. You are soon back out in the bright sunshine. The path takes you forward onto a boardwalk, which then travels along the bottom of a steep rocky incline. The small cliff is not right up against your path. It is set back some distance behind a large meadow. But the scene is quite dramatic. At the bottom of the incline, grazing peacefully on the field, there is a smattering of bighorn. She. A few of them have adorable little lambs. Nearby, you spot some of the sheep standing on the steep hillside. Their white woolly bottoms are what you notice first, and the sheep are quite funny because they perch amid the rocks as if their position isn't in the least bit challenging. There are some helpful signs nearby, which you're glad to see are placed at a convenient height for you to read. Perusing one of the information plaques, you see that this is how they are accustomed to evading predators in the wild. These sheep, however, are clearly living an untroubled existence. They appear to be standing on the hill just because it seems like the thing to do. You are distracted by a shadow sliding across the meadow and you look up. A magnificent bird of prey soars overhead. It cries out and the mournful sound echoes off the rocks. One of the sheep pauses briefly and watches it, chewing thoughtfully. Then the hungry sheep returns to grazing as if nothing had happened. The entire scene fills you with a sense of peace. The sheep seem to have balance in both the literal and figurative sense. You savor every moment of your slow progress through the hillside habitat. As you come towards its end, your attention is drawn to the gentle sound of a waterfall up ahead. You are now entering a more heavily wooded area. The ambient noise of insects rises somewhat as the foliage thickens around you. Soon you arrive at a building that invites you to enter and view the lagoon enclosure. Inside her building, you realize how warm and humid the outside had become. In here, it is comparatively cooler and it's kept in soothing darkness. That's because one whole side of the building is just a big window. Light enters the viewing area. But wildlife on the other side of the window will not be disturbed by the sight of you. They only see a mirror of themselves. For you, however, it's like a big, colourful movie screen out there, where moments ago you'd been viewing a dry, rocky hillside. Here you see a verdant wetland area. It has been cleverly constructed by for the comfort of its bird inhabitants. You see from a nearby plaque that it also hosts amphibians. But it's the flamingos that draw your Eye. They are so pretty and so elegant. Their pink colouring makes them look as dainty as a dessert, or as if they had stepped out of a colouring book. But their black beaks add a dash of gravity to their appearance, and their brighter tails and the little rings of matching crimson around their knees make them feel somewhat showy. They are dazzling rather than delicate, you decide. Mixed into the habitat with the beautiful flamingos are the less flashy swan geese. They too have black beaks, but their bodies are brown and more solidly built than those of the flamingos. From inside the peaceful darkness of the little house, you feel as if you should be very quiet, so as not to disturb the scene before you. But then you laugh to yourself and whisper a few comments to your friend as you both take in this feast for the eyes. Of course, the flamingos and the geese cannot hear you. It's time to leave this bubble of cool darkness. Your friend pushes through the exit door and you follow. The path takes you further through the forest. It winds around and eventually you see a sign pointing to a tiger habitat. You express your excitement to your friend. This was something you had been looking forward to. In particular, you've heard that this is one of the best enclosures at the park. It gives visitors two opportunities to see the tigers. First, there is a wooden bridge which takes people high above the large enclosure area. It must be at least half an acre, you think to yourself, and possibly more. So, getting up high gives you the best chance to secure a good view of what is going on. You see a few tigers in the distance, staying cool in the shade. You roll yourself up the ramp, which makes a couple of turns, but it's well worth the trouble. From this height, you see the carefully planned habitat below. It is wooded, but also landscaped, with interesting rock features. Adding even more interest. A stream cascades over the rocks, ending in a large pool at the bottom. Some lucky visitors may catch the tigers enjoying the water. Once you've seen everything from up above, you take a ramp down the other side where there is a small building. You pass through its door and find yourself in a house like the one where you were able to see the flamingos. You are glad, because the view here is admittedly far more impressive. A glass wall looks right across the pond of water. Lounging at its edge, there is an enormous taiga. You roll yourself up to the window, eager to get as close as possible. Laying its head down, the tiger appears to look you straight in the eye, but sleepily, you place your palm flat against the glass and issue a hushed greeting. The tiger stares at you, its eyelids heavy. Then it rolls over and appears to go to sleep. Your friend says wryly that you will need to work on your act, and you cannot help but agree with her. Watching these majestic tigers has been surprisingly relaxing, and you almost want to lie down and have a nap of your own. But the two of you have the biggest habitat ahead. The last and most impressive visit will be to the African Savannah area, where there should be numerous places to get a good view. You leave the falling waters and shady recesses of the taiga enclosure and begin a leisurely trip to the sunnier, drier area of the park. As you go, you reflect upon how well the people who work at the preserve manage to create entirely different landscapes to suit the varied animals. The habitats are large and roomy. Care has been taken to make them interesting and spacious for the animals who live there. As you travel along the path to the savanna, you pause occasionally to read educational signs about conservation efforts that are ongoing in the park. Scientists are hard at work here. The preserve is doing some good in the world, and that makes you happy. You have to put some energy into your progress to the last habitat because you are meant to view part of it from a high point. The trail rises gradually. You hardly notice the trees diminishing as you slowly emerge from the foliage down below, but soon you feel like you're in an entirely different world. It is sunny and bright up here, and there is less green in the landscape, replaced by more browns and yellows. That's not to say the plains before you don't have trees, they do. But there is also a feeling of openness with room for animals to run. You are delighted to spot the giraffes first. You've read a lot about conservation efforts for giraffes, and you've always been fascinated by these somewhat ungainly creatures. You read a nearby sign that tells you giraffes are the tallest animals in the world and that they could easily look into a second story window. You ponder this as you watch a small group of them biting leaves off trees and chewing them theatrically with their long tongues, working hard in the process. The sign further explains that the giraffes are eating acacia leaves, but these are hung by the keepers on fake tree trunks. Since acacias are not native to the area. The length of the viewing platform is impressive. You follow the path quite a distance and eventually encounter a new viewing area for the elephants. You are very lucky because there happen to be a few elephant calves Right now, looking at the posted information, you see that elephants have the longest gestational period of any land mammal, up to 22 months. You view the mother elephants with newfound respect, but it's the babies who steal the show. A few other nearby people are laughing as the little ones delight in a large muddy puddle. They run back and forth, trumpeting happily as they skip through the mud over and over again. You feel like you could watch them all day, they are so joyful. You have to remind yourself that as cute as they are, these little babies weigh upwards of £250. Even at birth, You spend a long time watching the herd as they move about their habitat and commune with each other. They appear so social and intelligent you are quite fascinated. Eventually, you continue on to the final outlook over the savannah, which is a large wooden deck with a building in the middle. You gratefully roll into the shade of the building's interior, feeling relieved by the coolness. You spend a good amount of time reading more about the species you've seen in the habitat and how the park is working to secure their future. Then, when you've recovered sufficiently, you re emerge on the sunny day. This time you reach around to the bag hanging on the back of your chair and retrieve your binoculars. Your friend comments on how smart you were to bring them. You jokingly say that you might be persuaded to let her use them. 2. Moving to the railing, you put the binoculars to your eyes and see a herd of antelope grazing some distance away. Consulting another plaque on the railing, you decide that you are looking at gazelle. They are not large, perhaps three feet in height, and they have a delicate look to them. But suddenly a few of them start to run, and they are so light on their feet that it takes your breath away. As if in a game of follow the leader, they curve around into a shape like a comma and bound off into the distance beyond your view. You hand the binoculars to your friend and she scans the horizon. Finally, uttering a cry of victory, she says that she is looking at a small herd of antelope with curved horns. They are clustered near a stand of trees. She expresses delight as one of them jumps in the air. Looking at the posted information and reading about the herd, you surmise that she is looking at Impalis. They fit the description. You know. There may be other antelope around, but there are some species that aren't very active during the day, so they might be better seen by the evening visitors. Apparently, the park hosts animals with a variety of natural rhythms. The glossy map tells you that keeps if you circle back towards the front of the preserve, you'll get a chance to see the rhinoceros habitat on the way. This is definitely one of the stops you had wanted to make, so you and your friend proceed in that direction at a leisurely pace. As you do, she reads some information about the rhinos on the brochure that contains the map. She tells you that the two types of African rhinoceros are known as the white and black rhinos, but in appearance they are both a greyish brown colour. Black rhinos tend to live alone while white rhinos commune in packs. Then your friend shares a fact that makes both of you snort with laughter. A group of rhinays is called a crash. Another fact you hadn't known was that rhinos can have sensitive skin, which is why they protect themselves from the sun by wallowing in mud. You reach a deck overlooking the rhino area and sure enough, there is one lying nearby in a huge muddy puddle of water. You realize you are looking forward to sitting in the shade soon, because even the puddle is beginning to look refreshing to. As you observe the lazy rhino in the mud, a stork flies in and perches right on top of it. The rhino doesn't seem to care at all. You think how nice it is that these species coexist so peacefully. When you check the time, you realize it is well into the afternoon. Your stomach growls loudly enough that your friend chuckles. She says she is hungry too, and you are both craving an icy drink. You wave goodbye to the rhino who doesn't seem to notice you at all. Then you roll your way down the easy incline that takes you through a thickly wooded area and back to the front of the park where you started. The entire reception area is busier now, but in a laid back way. Families are seated at tables in the shade, enjoying a light meal and big cups of water and soda. Children hug stuffed elephants and tigers that their parents have purchased for them in the gift shops. You and your friend buy yourselves a couple of slices of pizza and enormous lemonades full of ice. You remove your gloves and set them on the table, then grasp the cold cup in your hand. The delicious sweet and sour flavor of your drink is perfect for this warm sunny day. The two of you relax happily and discuss the habitats you saw, reviewing which ones were your favorites. You discuss the possibility of visiting in the evening sometime to see different animals at their most active. This is definitely a place you could see yourself returning to again and again. Besides, you reason it's wonderful to contribute your entrance fee to the conservation efforts that are happening here. Even though you are reluctant for the day to be over, you are both tired. You agree that there's something about being outdoors in the fresh air that makes you feel rather spent. By the mid afternoon you are quite sure you will sleep well. Tonight. As you return to the car park you think happily about driving back with the windows down and then relaxing at home later on you and your friend have planned to cook dinner together. You're making something light that will be the perfect finish to a wonderful day. Later when you're drifting off to sleep with your windows open to the cool night air, you will listen to sounds of nature a little differently and in your imagination you'll see the animals of the wildlife preserve going about their own nighttime lives. Some will be awake, some will be asleep, but they will all be amazing in their own unique ways. Sam. Sa.
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