An inquisitive old fart with a camera
General observations, generally during dog walks
I’m not sure what left this trail, but I get a kick out of the little loop-de-loop lower left. Maybe the whatever-little-critter version of turning around as you head out the front door because you forgot the car key, only to realize it’s in your hand.
Ever since The Matrix was released in 1999, more and more attention has been given to the thought that maybe we live in a simulation. Search for simulation hypothesis and you’ll potentially be busy for a while. Then there’s the idea of the reincarnation trap, the idea that we are fooled into reincarnating by the Archons so they can harvest fear energy, and we remain trapped in devastations and wars of this simulation again and again. Essentially, the advice of going toward the light is a huge spiritual deception. When you check out of the body, you should go away from the light. Nota bena, Shirley MacLaine.
I woke up early this morning and, not wanting to get out of bed, lay there thinking and dozing. I thought about this light thing, wondering what it would look like, and then I was in a dream, in black space, seeing it. Aha! I turned away and found myself face to face with a large bright television-like screen. I started to look at it, then abruptly shifted my focus back – they’re trying to block the exits! So I decided to simply go around it, and I don’t know what more happened, but then I was awake again.
I went downstairs to a remarkable sight. My office window was open more than I would have left it – nod to a certain dog here – with screen removed, as it often is. In the downstairs bathroom I saw this:
A huge black moth on the ceiling, exactly centered on the window.
I have seen moths a few times in Uruguay, but not many, and never huge (this one is about 5 inches/12.7 cm across). And never black.
So I gently opened the window, carefully removed my homemade screen, closed the bathroom door, turned off the ceiling light (just in case), and gently touched the moth with a piece of newspaper. It was gone in a second, fluttering out the window…
…and into the light.
This from yesterday. As last time, almost off the trail. Definitely alive, but very sluggish — I gently nudged it with a stick. Syd yelled at his dogs to keep them away from it. Happily, none really noticed snake nor yelling. And regardless, managed not to step on it.
Here’s the last one (30 September) — different coloration:
And this from November 2016 — Falsa Crucera de Hocico Respingado – Lystrophis dorbignyi (the tail is a giveaway):
And this from last November — Falsa Coral – Oxyrhopus rhombifer rhombifer (?):
I’m not particularly into snakes, but it presents an interesting challenge to figure out “who’s who” in the local snake world.
Though a week ago Saturday was the first public blueberry harvest, we didn’t get notice in time. I went yesterday. The number of bushes is down radically from a year ago, but fruit is abundant and I managed to pick 2.5 kilos fairly efficiently.
The price has gone from (pesos) $180 to $250 per kilo, or +39%. One dollar buys about 14% more pesos than a year ago, so in dollar terms the price has increased 22%, double the rate of inflation (that I assume). So, bottom line, USD 3.44 per pound. Most places in the US I found online are under $3 per pound. So, like most things in Uruguay other than property tax and medical coverage, not cheap.
But delicious!
And then, consider what they cost at the supermarket. Over USD 2 for a small fraction of a kilo. These plastic containers are about 3 x 3 inches. I eat that many when I pass by the bowl on the kitchen counter!
If you’re in the area and want instructions to get there, let me know. I’m guessing this will be on for three more weekends.
A little background: blueberries (arandanos, the same word used for cranberries, which are not available here) seemed to become trendy around the time we got here (late 2009). But unlike other kinds of fruits, blueberries are only good for a very short period of time. They can be frozen, but when thawed these have a mushy texture and much less taste. Given the short time window, commercial buyers can basically pay whatever they want. Or worse. The first year Pilar (the owner) had a harvest, an Argentine buyer took the whole crop. Literally. Didn’t pay a dime.
We were remarking on the extraordinary new growth on the pine trees a few days ago, when I spotted this, a pine whose new growth looks like an upside-down office chair.
I’ve been watching a couple days now for another example, but haven’t seen one.
What do you suppose “inspired” it?
Coming from a different direction, the “boo” tree offered a dazzling display of color, pattern, and texture, again set against a beautiful clear blue sky.
I blogged about the last avocado on the “big” tree a short while ago. Seeing the new red leaves sprouting, we both got the feeling that the “little” tree was ready to be fully harvested, so today I scampered up the ladder and removed the last dozen or so,none of which is particularly visually appealing.
And I find this quite interesting: the last avocado (because I left it there) has been eaten on the limb, the first time (happily) we’ve seen this.
Likewise, as with almost every day the past few weeks, there was another half-eaten on the ground. I left that in place as well, for the critter/s to continue their end-of-season feast.
Returning from our walk today I noticed the tethered horse and her colt, looking great in the late daylight. I put Choco Mocha Latte the dog in the car, returned to take a great photo, and, um, no. Colt decided it was time to lie down now that three humans and six dogs had safely passed by. The light would have been better rendered by a real camera, which I don’t carry anymore.
There was no chance for a photo earlier, when the colt was happily running in circles. That got the dogs rather excited.
Who does the horse belong to? Who knows…. It appears tied in various places within a few blocks of Syd and Gundy’s house.
Also chickens wander around from time to time, but disappear quickly when they see the dogs. For some reason.
At least for paltas (avocados) in 2018. I took the last three off the “big” tree, including one that managed to remain hidden and is undoubtedly the record-holder for this year’s crop:
858 grams, or for those of you in Myanmar, Liberia, and the Untied Snakes:
1.892 pounds. Or 1 pound 14.271999979939547 ounces. Or if you want full ‘Murkan, 1 pound 14+34/125th ounces.
6-1/2 x 4.25 inches / 16.5 x 10.8 cm.
I decided that the overgrown nature of our yard needs to be addressed, and in doing so discovered the extent of the comedreja’s (possum’s) raids.
The tree above this pile still has 30+ smaller avocados. It’s fun to remember two years ago, when our total harvest was 30+ avocados, and the comedreja getting one was devastating! This year we (and friends) have had avocados for almost seven months!
Meanwhile, both small orange trees are laden with flowers. Not very many bees, but some, and doing their job. Hopefully we get more than three oranges next year.
I’ve walked by this many times, but this day it caught my attention: burned-out (from the fire that deforested our dog-walk area) trunk of a pine tree. Charred outer bark, and inside the wood is disintegrating in rectilinear chunks. Huh?
Then, a snake. OK, just a snake – but no, the air was quite cool; the sun was quite hot, and the sky was blue dotted with puffy clouds, and it was lying still, almost into the sandy trail. We tried to keep the dogs from noticing it – and they didn’t – but because Syd and I stopped to look at it, three dogs came back, curious about the unusual human behavior. One almost danced on top of it, but amazingly none stepped on it. And still it didn’t move.
My best guess is it got to the side of the trail in lovely radiant heat from the sun, but when a cloud blocked the sun the cool air took over, its energy went away. I am not a biologist, much less a herpetologist. If you know more, I’d be interested to hear if I’ve got a handle on this.
It appears to be Lystrophis dorbignyi, or South American hognose snake.