I’ve started exploring
the stretch of property between the house and the dirt road that seems to go on
forever. Well, it really does go on forever, and it aptly translates Road of the Hills. You’ll find me out there for hours, a gray bump in a sea of green. While
the Handlers have mentioned before that I have enjoyed more than a dozen fine
meals consisting of “capybaras”, it was clarified recently that if there are
capybaras on the farm, they would be at the other end of the property where it
meets a stream and I’d have to swim for it. Capybaras are aquatic animals. I
hate water. So take that off the menu. What I’ve been consuming is a member of
the rodent family, Ctenomys validus, or tuco-tuco robusto. Delightfully yummy, but mind the claws on the face (my face!).
While on the topic of
native wildlife, let me share what Female Handler (FH) has been so spooked about. Yesterday on her way
home from the weekly visit to the milking shed up the road, she was about to
turn into the driveway, but ended up catching sight of a rather large red tegu
(
Tupinambis Rufescens) on the edge of the driveway. She had seen one
earlier near the barn, but considerably smaller. This one was about 3 ½ feet
long. It wasn’t in any hurry to move. Scooting as far to the left as she could,
she drove on to the house where she immediately got Male Handler (MH) and they both
went in search of it. They didn't find it. MH actually thinks FH is slightly delirious in her
observations, and surely this is no more than a regular lizard. FH is just
waiting for the day that MH encounters one. She anticipates soiled skivvies after
that…
Chochi’s offspring are
out-of-control. They are now three weeks old.
My days are spent watching them
intently. The handlers finally gave the kids their respective names, slightly
more individualized than what MH had been calling them which
was “Chicos!” Yes, usually with the
exclamation mark.
The boy who is very
quickly approaching sexual maturity (yeah, no kidding!) is now “Tontin” and the
girl is “Timida”. If you are aware of the Spanish version of Snow White and the
7 Dwarfs, “Tontin” translates to “Dopey” and “Timida” is Bashful.
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| Left to right, Tontin, Timida, and me. |
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| Goats love to climb, and they especially love the challenge of staying on ! |
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| Timida showing off while I play it cool in a chair. |
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| Timida has decided she would like to join me in my chair...Dudette, get your own chair! |
The handlers had to
think of whether they could justify keeping Tontin, because essentially male
goats stink, and all they want is to have sex and eat. Usually…they become
dinner for a family that has not become emotionally sucked in by cuteness. Yes, you guessed it, Tontin’s cuteness won him
his life. And the sex part will be curtailed when his …you knows…are attended
to in the next couple of weeks. We’re all hoping the stinky part is associated with
the sex part.
Female handler washed the windows and now the birds are crashing into them because they just can’t see the glass. How good can life get?!?! Here’s a picture of a hummingbird who had to rest a spell after he kissed the window. Don’t worry…he survived and is still out there taunting me with his vibrant colors and flybys.
But seriously, every
day is an adventure. We’ve been here in Uruguay 7
months, but it feels much MUCH longer than that, in a totally good way.
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| The climbing rose and entrance into the garden |
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| The sunset reflected on the windows... |
