Fresh Eggs

At the new teamhouse, near Los Anonos, we have a chicken coop. While they were building it, we held the chickens at our house. We'll keep some, but most of the hens are going to be at the teamhouse to provide the mission teams with fresh eggs!! Just four weeks until they'll start laying.

Update: Feb 13th, we have our first two eggs!

Tepezquintle - It's What's for Dinner

Tepzsquintle, originally uploaded by goodgollycr.

Some dear friends brought us some Tepezquintle to try. Apparently the foot is left on because it is an expensive cut of meat and some markets may try to sell you some fake stuff. We did marinate it and grill it up. It was good. Just could have done without seeing the foot.

Another Snake Sighting

I've got to learn to be more prepared when Seth wants me to come look at something in his room. This little bugger was on the floor, right next to where they were playing Legos. He looks quite a bit different than the others we have been finding in the house lately. Also, this one is still alive, whereas most of the other were dead. He has more of a pattern and his body seems to be wide and flat.

Some pictures of the scales underneath reveal a spotty-striped pattern (how's that for scientific?). (Just ignore the dust on his head, apparently he has been hanging out under the bed.) Below is another belly shot, but you can also see how wide his body is compared to his tail.

For now, he is in a little plastic cage, waiting for dad to come home and share all of his snake wisdom with us. I wish we had found him a week ago so we could take him to the World of Snakes and get a professional opinion. Off to google...(but there doesn't seem to be many sites for 'what the heck kind of snake did I just find under my bed?')

Impromptu Field Trip

We decided to take a 'quick' little field trip to Mundo de Las Serpientes today. We read a lot about snakes last week and Spencer found the site when he was trying to figure out what kind of snake it was that we kept finding in the house.

The boys each got to hold a milksnake. (Alix was not interested.)

Seth noticed how the snake was 'smelling' him with his tongue. Then we remembered that he will use his Jacobson's Organ to analyze the information he brings in with his tongue.

Nathan is our animal lover. Spencer was suggesting to Nathan that he might be a Vet or scientist when he gets older. Christopher suggested a herpetologist. :o)

We think someone's lunch has escaped.
(Photo of Seth and Bunny by Alix)

On the way we had taken 'the scenic route', and it was raining when we got there...but all in all it was a beautiful and fun day.

Photohunt: View

This is the recent view out of our stairwell window. The pictures are a little blury as this little guy was busy spinning his web. It was neat to see him in action!

Photohunt

Yet Another Pet

Introducing Checho, our Green Iguana.

Hanging out with Nathan doing school work.

His cage that Spencer helped to build.

Weird Snake Phenomenon

Two mornings this week I have discovered two dead baby snakes near my bathroom. The first time we thought the cat must have dragged it in, but the second night, the cat was out all night and the door was closed.

Then, last night in the middle of the night, Spencer found one downstairs, under the kitchen table. This one was still alive. They are all about 3 inches long.

I sure hope this does not mean that mama snake is sleeping under my bed. This is so weird...

UPDATE: I think this is is a Worm Snake, or a Brohminy Blind Snake. We are up to 6 found in the house.

PhotoHunt: Water

We recently visited La Paz Waterfall Gardens. These pictures are just a sampling of some things we saw that day.

Owl Butterfly

Hercules Beetle

A Boy and His Dog

Simon?

So it turns out that Simon is Simone. And this sheds a little light on why Alvin and Theodore have been fighting. (according to Seth, with whom I happen to agree :o)

The kids have had fun watching Mama take care of her two babies. At first they were concerned because she kept sitting on them, until Seth (again) came to the conclusion that that is where the 'milk holes' are.

Smart kid!

A friend gave me this link. Very informative!

Manuel Antonio

We had a couple weeks between teams, so we took a couple days to spend time together. We went to Manuel Antonio National Park and saw lots of great wild life.

Hey mom, come see what I found...

"I found a crab!" Seth calls as we are walking the path in Manuel Antonio..
"Oh, cool, where?"
"Right here!"

"Don't you see it?"
"Oh my!" What an observant little guy!

Spiny Green Lizard

We kept this guy captive for just a couple days. We decided to let him go before he went the way of the tarantula and the scorpion. (insert sad funeral music here...or maybe not)

Our New Pets

A sweet friend of mine, one I would not offend for the world, gifted us with this Amazon Parrot. We named him Dave, after another good friend. We are working on training him to speak. It is interesting to learn about Parrots, and as they can live for 50 years, we have plenty of time.

Another interesting pet we picked up just today. No name as of yet, but my vote is for Creepy. The boys are fascinated! I feel a study on scorpions coming on.

More Butterflies

Crimson Patched Longwing Helaconius erato

Passionflower Helaconius hecale

Julia Dryas julia

Gray Cracker Hamadryas februa

Owl Butterfly Caligo

~Owl photos taken by Alexis Boulter~

Great Southern White Ascia monuste

Morpho Morpho peleides