I couldn't resist another addition to the sunset collection!
Day Two Hundred and Ten - Moon at Sunset
The moon is starting to feature regularly now (in life, and on the blog). For a change, a wider angle; the moon in the evening sky.
Day Two Hundred and Nine - A boy's best friend
I think it was an early desire of mine to have a parrot as a pet. This parrot is clearly the pet of Raul, pictured here. The only problem is that the parrot listens to Raul being called, and scolded, by his mother all day. So most of the time the parrot just calls 'Raul, Raul, Raaaaaul!' and then sometimes, in that despairing voice which only mothers (and parrots) can do 'Rauuuuuuuul!'. Despite this, Raul still loves his pet parrot.
Day Two Hundred and Eight - Dragonfly
Very similar to a picture I posted about two months ago, but the exposure is slightly better on this one. Sadly, the depth of field isn't quite there. I'd prefer full clarity along the length of the wings. Maybe it will be third time lucky!
Day Two Hundred and Seven - Tree Play
It really seems to be the season for children to head up the nearest tree when they have some spare time. Maybe its cooler up there, but I'm sure the ants must be a problem.
Day Two Hundred and Six - Roof Building
A new building with an ite leaf roof being built in a local village.
Day Two Hundred and Five - Creek Crossing
There are no ways round these creeks which cross the savannah and surround every village. To get through, just cycle until you sink, hop off and wade, and then tip out your wellies at the other side.
Day Two Hundred and Four - Bush Farm
We are still in the growing season for the small farms tucked into local areas of forest. These areas are cleared and farmed for a short period before being allowed to grow back naturally, ensuring that the forest gets a chance to recover and fresh land is available for farming.
Day Two Hundred and Three - Cassava Peeling
It's a long process to grow the cassava and then convert it into an edible form of food.
Day One Hundred and Ninety Nine - Zenith
On this day the sun passed from its season in the North, heading for the equator and a season in the south. At exactly 11.52 it was directly overhead. Looking down our local well, the sun does not cast a shadow on the walls, lighting the pool of water at the bottom perfectly.
Day One Hundred and Ninety Eight - Tree Climbing
On her way home from primary school, a girl stops off at the 'whitey tree' to climb and pick some fruit. The tree came into fruit just in time for the beginning of the new term. Within a week it has been picked bare!
Day One Hundred and Ninety Seven - Bulldozers
A deeper sleep than just dozing! An ambitious plan was made a decade or two ago to build a really big runway for Aishalton, and the South Rupununi. Bulldozers, tractors, and a road layer were brought by the Guyana Aviation Authority. They must have worked for a long time, moving a lot of earth, before they discovered a seam of hard rock running accross the middle of their intended runway. Faced with the decision of what to do about the rock - either blast it all away with dynamite, or build up the runway higher on each side - they retired to think about it.
The bulldozers are gradually rusting into the ground. They will not move earth again.
Day One Hundred and Ninety Six - Sunday Outing
A family out on horseback. Look carefully at the item carried by the small girl! (Image quality on Picasa/blogger might not be up to a very close inspection!)
Day One Hundred and Ninety Five - Storage Pot
It could be an ancient storage pot, left behind by some prehistoric civilisation, but in fact, it is a tiny nest built by a marabunta wasp for its young egg. It builds the pot from sand, grit and spit, lays an egg in it, and then places a grub inside (after parlysing it with a sting). When the egg hatches, it has a meal ready before it has to leave home!
See Photo of the Day - Day 73 for a picture of the marabunta!
Day One Hundred and Ninety Four - Dancing in Evening Light
This may come as a surprise to those who are used my self-critisism, however; I'm actually quite happy with this image! The evening light gives a lovely glow to the man's face, but there was a price to pay, with a very strong shadow running just above the hairband. I had to wait until the dancer ducked his head, to make sure the shadow wasn't over his face - but the light was low enough to require a slow shutter speed - so I couldn't get away with much movement. I could have used more flash, but that would have blown the evening colours. So, considering the conditions, I think I managed to get an acceptable result.
Day One Hundred and Ninety Three - Steering the Ox
Small lady, big oxen, but it was clear who was in charge!
Day One Hundred and Ninety - From Small Mangos
...grow big ones! The mango trees have both large ripe fruit and small buds which will grow into full size mangos for the second crop - ready sometime in November or December.
Day One Hundred and Eighty Eight - Last of the Summer Sun
Not that the Autumn sun or the winter sun is likely to look any different! I think that the sun is nearly at the point where it passes directly overhead at mid-day. If anyone wants to work out the exact day when this occurs, we are 2 degrees north of the equator!
Day One Hundred and Eighty Seven - Butterfly
Different angle for a change - I keep returning to a patch of flowers at the convent which attracts a whole range of different butterflies.
Day One Hundred and Eighty Six - Rock Carvings
I cycled to the rock carvings for the rise of the full moon, but when I got there I found that the rock faces the wrong way to get the carvings and the moon in shot, and even worse, the area was full of rubish. Someone has driven there for a picnic and left empty drink cans and polystrene food containers. It's hard to believe, so far from the nearest fast food vendor, that this could happen. I guess it's the same with beauty spots the world over - people go to admire the scenery, and then do their little bit to destroy it.The setting sun filtering across the carved rockface was a small consolation.
Day One Hundred and Eighty Five - Butterfly
The seasons have changed, the humidity has dropped, the heat has increased, and suddenly we are surrounded by butterflies - big ones, small ones, red ones, yellow ones... This one has more subtle colours, but the contrast with the flower, I think, works better.
Day One Hundred and Eighty Four - Amerindian Dancers
Two local dancers, proud of their Amerindian culture. A great sight to see.
Day One Hundred and Eighty Three - Chainsaw
I've seen plenty chainsaws used for cutting down trees, but its quite impressive to see one being used to plane warped planks...
Day One Hundred and Eighty - Hummingbird Chick
Back to the hummingbird nest - sadly I wasn't there long enough to get the hummingbird feeding the chicks.
Day One Hundred and Seventy Seven - Savannah
I've been taking a few journeys over the savannah this week - not rich pickings, but occasionaly something stands out...
Day One Hundred and Seventy Five - Wedding
The wedding of the year - and here are the happy couple! Sunday was a busy day taking wedding pictures, but at least I didn't have to stand in the baking heat, with the setting sun on my face, lifting my new wife, while someone took photos of me!
For those who like wedding photos, there's a folder on Picasa!
Day One Hundred and Seventy Four - Girl and Feathered Hair
We went back to the 'Deep South Games' for the final day - which included all the local traditional Amerindian activities, such as tree climbing, basket weaving, cotton spinning, speed drinking, arrow making, archery, vegetable speed grating, and fire making. Hard to choose between that selection, so here is a spectator relaxing! For photos of the activities have a look at the album on Picasa.
Day One Hundred and Seventy Three - Cow Ride
Everyone seems to be travelling at the moment. It's the season for people to be away at their farms. The villages are virtually deserted. The farms are small areas within the forests which are cleared to plant food. The farms move around to let the forest recover, and to move onto fresh land. Whenever I ask anyone where their farm is, I get a vague wave in a general direction. 'Out there.' is as specific as it gets!
Day One Hundred and Seventy Two - Last Cart Home
I hadn't realised that one of the main benefits of an ox cart, and the fact it travels at walking speed, is that you don't have to wait for your passengers to be ready in order to set off! You just go, and if they want a lift, they will catch up and jump on...
Day One Hundred and Seventy One - Moth Wing
A close-up photo of the colour and texture on the wing of a moth.
Day One Hundred and Sixty Nine - Face Painting
A good combination of traditional and new provides materials for face painting. The paint is ground seeds, the 'brush' is a plastic lollipop stick! Tough choice between a few options today - the opening performance, and some action pictures of the first day of cricket and volleyball.
Day One Hundred and Sixty Eight - Travelling to the Games
The Deep South Games are the Wapishana version of the Olympics. People will walk, cycle, travel by horse or cow, or get a ride in the village tractor to attend. A difficult choice between some alternatives today. See here for the horse and cow option!
Day One Hundred and Sixty Seven - Firework Flower
These small blue wildflowers look like an explosion in slow motion. They are one of the few things to regularly catch the little morning dew that there is here.
Day One Hundred and Sixty Six - Firefly
I've been planning to go out chasing fireflies for a while. The only problem is that they come out at the same time as the mosquitos. So when one flew into our house it was a perfect opportunity to get a photo of the day, without going out!
Day One Hundred and Sixty Five - Beef
Three villagers take a break during the slaughter of a cow. They will soon carry the four quarters to a nearby tree where they can be hung, weighed, and sold. The head is already reserved. The intestines and tripe are collected by local women, and the hide is stretched out to dry in the sun. The vultures, waiting nearby, hopefully, are left with nothing but blood stains in the sandy soil.
Day One Hundred and Sixty Three - Dadanawa River Crossing
When the river is too high to drive through, jeeps are driven onto a wooden pontoon, with oil drum floats, to be swum over the river. When the flow is strong, a motorboat joins in to help push. An runner up for today shows the motorboat on an alternative mission.
Day One Hundred and Sixty Two - Hummingbird Nest
A tiny nest, made from cotton, containing two equally tiny eggs. The parents are taking turns to sit and guard the nest.
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