There is no trash collection service out in the country, so consequently the Handlers review their purchases carefully, even thinking through what they will use the packaging for afterwards. The idea of taking trash into town or to the landfill to dispose of is just a ridiculous thought. They even re-purpose plastic bags into multicolored patchwork covers for their various mounds of compost. You can imagine the surprise, then, when yesterday the Handlers ended up bringing home what others would have called "trash"!
The Handlers had gone into town to do their twice-monthly shopping. Female Handler (FH) spotted a large plastic bag of vegetable waste in the produce section of one of the local markets. Peering into the bag, she noted that the waste was truly a smorgasbord of fairly recent vegetable and fruit trimmings.
After asking three employees what became of such waste, she was led to the store manager, whom she asked whether she could take the scraps. Understandably, the manager immediately said "it is not permitted." Once FH explained that she's got goats and this would be a feast for them, and truly what a shame to waste this...the manager consented, and a very satisfied FH walked out with a large bag of produce scraps.
Once they got home, there was much work in separating the spoiled portions of the produce from the good and cleaning the latter. The good portions were then offered to Chochi during the Handlers' milking of her last night as well as this morning. No complaints from her. Heck, she even rewarded the Handlers by relinquishing a third more milk than normal this morning. Kudos, FH, kudos. I clap my paws to you.
The bagworm in Uruguay is worth studying. It constructs its so-called bag out of twigs and leaves that often come from the very tree on which it will camp out for a spell. It suspends itself from the tree like a Christmas ornament and occasionally crawls to another part of the tree in order to suspend itself from there. Eventually, it will attach itself for good in one spot and pupate within its bag, beginning its transformation into a small moth. Until that day, however, when it settles down to take its first step to adulthood, it is free to roam this immense world and hang its hat, er, bag, where it wishes. I should add that one of the beauties of its mobile home is that, well, it's mobile! Don't like the neighbors? Unhasp yourself and move! Now, if only "pulling up stakes" could be so easy for me and my handlers ...
This afternoon, I watched a bagworm scale a granite wall. Not having the ability to see far, he just started climbing up the face, pulling his home along with him. This was no easy task, as the slightest breeze could slam his home against the face of the rock.
Little by little.....he made his way up the face of the rock....
Once at the summit, this bagworm noticed that there was a quartz face to also climb.
There is no rest for the weary.
Finally, this bagworm made it to the quartz summit!
But...now what?
I guess the real estate wasn't a lot to write home about...so he decided to come down.
Sonny and I lost interest. The excitement was overwhelming....
Really, all I ask for is a lazy day. Or even a dull day. They just don't happen here.
1. Carnaval in Uruguay
It's the longest in the world. They make it last over a month, and it starts right here in Colonia with Las Llamadas (the calling of the candombe groups from around the region). It started on the weekend that mini-Female Handler (m-FH) came over for her birthday with the intention of relaxing (January 12), but instead the Handlers took her to watch the procession down the center of Colonia on Avenida General Flores.
For three hours.
Late into the night.
And they only saw 7 groups.
More were lined up at the water's edge getting ready to beat their drums, among other things. Here's a sampling of one of the groups. Note the ogling boys in the lower left. They were doing a "study" of the dancers, obviously...
The finale of Carnaval is tomorrow night (Fat Tuesday).
2. Chinese New Year
Yesterday began the Year of the Snake on the Chinese calendar. The Sunday before, Female Handler (FH) was in Buenos Aires visiting m-FH. They were in Chinatown to pick up supplies.
Something fishy about that sauce...
What they didn't expect was to be accosted by a dragon dancing in the street thanks to the Taiwanese Association of Argentina.
3. Parched Soil
Until yesterday, it hadn't rained since sometime in December. The ground had been parched. The almond harvest started a week earlier this year than last, and the only positive outcome is that the almonds are dry at picking (and will not need to be further sun-dried). In spite of the dryness, a flower still manages to bloom in the orchard.
And because of the sparse pickings, Tontin likes to wander a bit into the sorghum field next door to eat the green leaves. BAD BOY!
But yesterday, what was forecast to be a sprinkle ended up being a capricious downpour lasting about 20 minutes with some marble-sized hail thrown in for good measure.
4. Gourmet Coffee
The Handlers are getting the hang of making gourmet coffee (the "t" in "gourmet" would not, in this case, be silent). They make it with what they have. No fancy equipment. Just Uruguayan coffee (which hardly deserves the name "coffee") and a lactating goat.
How they do it is pretty simple, but if I shared the secret, they'd have my hide (which is now clean from the downpour).
5. Skinning
On the subject of hides, Male Handler (MH) is focused on a new obsession idea: lizards! As in the baby one that I killed two days ago that MH confiscated from me and put in the refrigerator with the intention of skinning it at his earliest convenience (its entire body wasn't even as long as the mere tail of the adult shown in the photo below). The skinning took place today. The exposed flesh of the subject was translucent and white--like raw shrimp. And, interestingly enough, it smelled like raw shrimp! MH thinks that when he cooks it (and he will!), it will taste like cooked shrimp. If he is correct, then he will call the result camaron de campo. (By the way, CW, this could be a new menu offering)!
More than once today did he walk into FH's office to show her a skinned lizard, and the length of the tongue...and the mouth. A fishy smell permeates from his clothes. Rather than being absorbed with the smell, he is consumed with the joy of discovering something new and ...using FH's sewing pins to flatten out the skin. The skin in the above photo is only the upper half of the tail of another baby lizard that I had caught earlier and, in this case, eaten (all but the tail and hind legs).
6. A last note on smells
Sonny, the youngest of the goat herd, has been incessant on humping MH's leg. Sonny does not do this with FH at all. When Sonny is out of his pen, which is often at this early stage of life, he is invariably looking for MH. And then... yeah. And of course MH is pushing him away. But a push doesn't hinder a goat as pushing is just what they do. Finally FH suggested that he give up those pants that he's been wearing over a month. Once he did that, Sonny was a tad mellower.
Just an example of what I would not include on a lazy or dull day.
