Land Rover

PILANESBURG GAME RESERVE, South Africa -- There were no fireworks but lots of action on New Year's Eve in this ancient valley.Before dawn, the hippos could be heard snorting and grunting as they grazed in the darkness. When the blazing sun comes, they will return to their watering holes for protection.A francolin, a partridge-type bird, squawks furiously in the distance, and every 30 seconds a jackal squeals. Our guide says the jackal was summoning friends to feed on something, maybe an unfortunate little antelope.

All the presents have been opened; wrapping paper is strewn all over the house. The dog is wearing a large shiny bow, courtesy of the kids; while the cat has one end of a piece of curling ribbon hanging out of her mouth and the other end hanging out her … elsewhere. The joyful voices of happy children emanate from the next room. They're arguing over whose turn it is to play the new video game or hollering, "Quit it! Give me back my new (fill in the blank) or I'm gonna tell!" Good times.

Police Blotter is a sampling of crimes from police reports in Baltimore and Baltimore County. Baltimore Southeastern Robbery try/cutting -- Police were seeking a man armed with a knife who attempted to rob another man in the 200 block of Spring Court about 3:30 a.m. Sunday and cut him during a struggle. The victim was walking down the street when he was stopped by the other man who said, "What do you have in your pocket?" Rather than give up his property, the victim struggled and was cut on the left hand, chin and the top of his head.

Tea Party 20 Themed Tea Parties With Recipes for Every Occasion Picnics By Hilary Heminway and Alex Heminway Gibbs Smith / 2007 / $19.95 When the weather warms, fans of alfresco dining start thinking of which restaurants have patios, of dusting off their deck furniture, of dragging a friend and a picnic basket to some picturesque spot. I hoped this book would offer advice on planning a picnic -- what's portable, what holds up well in a basket, what won't give you food poisoning. It doesn't.

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia -- "Oh, they're going around the world, too, are they?" says Peter Crichton when he hears about the Germans. "I saw their Citroen out in the car park."Round-the-world adventurers were practically tripping over each other the other day in this remote finger of Russia.Peter and Eileen Crichton, a middle-aged British couple, had driven across Eurasia from Saudi Arabia in a Land Rover Discovery.The two Germans had crossed Russia in a 1963 Citroen 2 CV, a car so ugly and undersized that it makes the old Volkswagen Bug look stylish and roomy.

LONDON -- Inspector Morse tooled around Oxford in a Mark II. James Bond's arch-enemy Zao drove an XKR roadster, with an optional Gatling gun mounted behind the seats. When former Prime Minister Tony Blair pulled for the last time out of Downing Street last year, it was - how else? - in the back seat of a Jaguar. There have been Lotuses and Triumphs, Aston Martins and MGs, but no vehicle has epitomized the once-legendary British motor industry like that most English of cars, the powerful, sultry Jaguar.

Maryland new-car dealers ended a three-month sales slump by posting a 2.6 percent jump in deliveries during August, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration reported yesterday.Though modest, the boost in showroom activity during August was more than double the gain of national sales.For the industry as a whole, U.S. sales of new cars and light trucks were up 1.1 percent compared with August 1996.Based on its revised figures, the MVA said consumers bought 30,221 new vehicles in August, compared with 29,459 in the same period last year.

Russian gold Most people keep their eggs in the refrigerator, but the Riverfront Arts Center in Wilmington, Del., is keeping theirs under lock and key. That's because the eggs are made by Peter Carl Faberge, and they'll be on display beginning Sept. 9. The exhibition is being billed as the largest ever of works by the famous Russian goldsmith and jeweler. More than 1,000 masterpieces on loan from museums and private collections from around the world will be shown. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Faberge created intricate, ornate gifts for European royalty.

The producers of The Sopranos were denied a permit to film in Bloomfield, N.J., because the mayor and some City Council members say the acclaimed HBO series negatively depicts Italian-Americans. Permits were approved last week. But after complaints, the council voted again and rejected them. Officials have agreed to reconsider the issue next week. Mayor Raymond McCarthy, whose wife is Italian, said he plans to oppose filming again. "What the rest of the council does, that's their choice.

In 1994, Matt Doud launched Planit marketing communications firm with his longtime friend Ed Callahan in a room in a basement. Today, the agency's clients include Chevy Chase Bank, Walters Art Museum, Under Armour and the City of Baltimore. Doud lives in Roland Park with his wife, Sylvia, and sons, Henry and Charlie. 1 A great pair (or two) of sunglasses: Before getting Lasik, I was very limited in my choices for sunglasses, since they had to be prescription. But now that I have limitless options, I can't seem to find a pair I really like.