18
Aug
Posts Tagged ‘nature’
18
Aug
a mountain view
18
Aug
mountain stream
18
Aug
a mountain butterfly
6
Jan
great black wasp
There was a great black wasp in my house. Of course ten minutes ago I could not have told you that it was a great black wasp. But as I was watching him fly across my bedroom, land on my bedside table, the leg of the table (actually a stool), and then the floor, I carefully contemplated his size and shape and color. Then the mighty, marvelous internet provided me pictures and descriptions, and this was a great black wasp.
I say was because he is now dead, killed ever so carefully with a flip flop (managed to save the The Garden of Good and Evil from this task) and he is now flushed down the toilet. You see, I do not believe in putting stinging things in trash cans. I also do not believe in simply letting them sit in my toilet bowl because the completely irrational part of my brain says that he might come back to life. And, if he came back to life, he could sting my ass. Literally. I like to think of myself as a fairly rational person, but flying creatures that sting steal my rational brain and I have to force myself to think, to process, and to act. All of this stems from memories of the extreme size to which stung body parts of mine will painfully swell complements of such creatures placing their stinger in my skin. I do not want that. Not again. Not ever.
My rational brain is returning and I wonder if this is worth posting. But then, maybe you have something that makes your rational brain disappear and you will enjoy knowing you are not alone.
Tags: nature
26
Oct
photo of the day
26
Jan
mikumi safari
It is the little things in life, the things that could go unnoticed or fade into the background, that are often the sweetest things in life. They are the spices that make the ordinary into the exotic.
Yesterday morning as I was lounging in my parent’s bedroom shortly after waking, a monkey was spotted out the window. There was a thud and a scampering as he ran across the roof and jumped to the next tree. Then he was on his way as he walked the power lines away from he house.
Swimming the ocean later in the morning I decided to swim parallel to the shore as there were rumors of portuguese man-off-wars being sited further out. So, instead, I ended up seeing three small jellyfish, all below the surface and seemingly without tentacles. Given their lack of tentacles, I was able to enjoy the grace of their movement in the water.
In the past I have sometimes swum in a pool that was divided between lap lanes and free swim areas. On more than one occasion I have run into a pool toy (think swimming noodle or beach ball) that had drifted into my lane. Yesterday I nearly ran into a coconut innocently bobbing in the water.
Last night I rode home from the embassy with dad. This meant I was on the back of his scooter as we drove along the beach and the sun began to set. A glorious few moments. Later in the evening we went out again and stars were visible in the night sky as we zipped through the cool night air.
It is the little things in life.
12
Jun
bees — 12 june
About 30 minutes before coming home from mass yesterday, a baobab tree fell down near my house (these are much smaller than their cousins in East Africa). Praise be to God that it did not hit a house, or the children who had been playing there only five minutes before. However, the reason that it fell—its innards largely hollowed out–made for a less enjoyable afternoon. It was full of bees. We were told to stay away for a while, then spent much of the afternoon inside, windows shut. Men worked to cut it open to get the honey last night (supposedly the bees are more tranquil at night), and were to burn the part with the bees. So, our windows were shut last night. Thankfully, it was a cool night, although sleeping in my underwear was justified. Seems they never got to the burning process though, so we might have a repeat of that tonight. I have no desire to be in much pain and swell up like a pumpkin because angry bees decide to rest on my mosquito net or in my house.