The Bush Master (Lachesis muta)

I had to post this as I remember as a child, my father had a scar on his leg and he said he was bitten by a bushmaster...of course he probably embellished his story somewhat, being a good "gaff" man lol...He said this snake could slide through the grass faster than a man could run and was often heard to chase its prey if these hapless people accidentally stumbled across one in Guyana's interior!!

 

August 9, 2009 | By KNews 

The Bush Master (Lachesis muta) is a venomous pit viper species found in South America. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Adults grow to an average of 2 to 2.5 metres (m), although 3m is not too unusual. The largest recorded specimen was almost 3.65m long, making this the largest of all pit vipers and the longest venomous snake in the western hemisphere.
The head is broad and very distinct from the narrow neck. The snout is broadly rounded. There is no canthus. A pair of small internasals is present, separated by small scales. The supraoculars are narrow. Other parts of the crown are covered with very small scales. Laterally, the second supralabial forms the anterior border of the loreal pit, while the third is very large. The eye is separated from the supralabials by 4-5 rows of small scales.
The body is cylindrical, tapered and moderately stout. Mid-body there are 31-37 nonoblique rows of dorsal scales which are heavily keeled with bulbous tubercles and feebly imbricate. There are 200-230 ventral scales. The tail is short with 32-50 mainly paired subcaudals, followed by 13-17 rows of small spines and a terminal spine.

A bushmaster secluded in its habitat

The colour pattern consists of a yellowish, reddish or grey-brown ground colour, overlaid with a series of dark brown or black dorsal blotches that form lateral inverted triangles of the same colour. The lateral pattern may be precisely or indistinctly defined, normally pale at the centre.
Lachesis is one of the three Fates in Greek mythology and was supposed to assign to man his term of life — something this species is certainly capable of doing. The species is similar in appearance to rattlesnakes and vibrates its tail vigorously when alarmed, but has no rattle and was therefore called mutus (later muta), which is Latin for dumb or mute. However, when in the undergrowth, the tail actually makes quite a loud rustling noise.
Found in South America in the equatorial forests east of the Andes: Colombia, eastern Ecuador, Peru, northern Bolivia, eastern and southern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and much of northern Brazil. The species is also found in Trinidad.
They are found in primary and secondary forests; adjacent fields and cleared areas. In Trinidad it tends to prefer hilly and mountainous regions.
Some reports suggest that this species produces a large amount of venom that is weak compared to some other vipers. Others, however, suggest that such conclusions may not be accurate. These animals are badly affected by stress and often do not last long in captivity. This makes it difficult to obtain “good, healthy” venom for study purposes.
For example, Bolaños (1972) observed that venom yield from his specimens fell from 233 mg to 64 mg while they remained in his care. As the stress of being milked regularly has this effect on venom yield, it is reasoned that it may also affect venom toxicity. This may explain the disparity described by Hardy and Haad (1998) of the low laboratory toxicity versus the high mortality rate of bite victims.[11]
The most famous of the vipers in Guyana is the Bushmaster (Lachesis muta). This snake is aptly named in English and particularly in Latin – as the “silent bringer of death.” The bushmaster, known as the surucucu in Brazil, and the shushupe in other countries, is the largest venomous snake in the New World. These snakes can regularly exceed 2,000 millimetres in length (6.5 ft.), and one of the largest recorded was 4,267 mm (14 ft.).
Like the rattlesnake, it has a prominent dorsal ridge, and the head is broad with an upturned snout. The bushmaster is a nocturnal snake, and reported as extremely aggressive, although scientists believe this to be an exaggeration.
(Source – Wikipedia: The Free Online Encyclopedia)

Santa Rosa Church - Moruca, Guyana

it seems this little project is haunting me so here we go again.  I have been corresponding with Fr. Wilian - I was brave enough to tell him to email in Spanish and so between some friends of friends and Google translate ....lol...I have managed to communicate not too bad!!

Bit and pieces are pouring in to help with the renovation but it's only a drop in the bucket - nevertheless we press on - it will get done.  Thanks to all the people who are helping financially.  so far we have:

CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS THE SANTA ROSA CHURCH RENOVATION

TO DATE: (August 5, 2011)

Basil & Dolly Rodrigues                             5 bags of cement
Bev Vasconcellos                                      1 bag of cement      
Kay Rodrigues                                          1 bag of cement
Ovid Williams                                            G$50,000 cash
Jean (Regina) Rodrigues)
Stephanie Walls               )                       Cad $450.00 (G$91,410) 
Samantha King                 )                       (equiv 50 bags of cement)                
Margaret Hazlewood Clark                        1 bag of cement.   
(Maggie also contributed to the 2nd Annual Toy Drive for the children of Moruca.  Thank you Maggie.  We appreciate your always willing generosity.)    
Kathleen Joseph                                        US$100.00  (equiv 10 bags of cement) 
Vaulda Maria Rodriguez will be in Moruca later this month and she has a whole agenda set up for fund-raising all by herself.   Well done Vaulda!! - but take some time off to relax and dance a banchikilli  ..ok?

     Father Wilian has asked for help with the renovations of the Santa Rosa Church from the community and the ex-Morucans in any way they can possibly help. Cash donations can easily be sent via Western Union directly to Father Wilian (full name Wilian Montalvo Tello) and he can then go to Charity to collect.  Please note his e-mail address (wilianmontalvo@ive.org) as you will have to notify him if you are sending a contribution and you MUST  provide him with the code number from Western Union in order for him to uplift the money.  Also, it sure will be easier for him if you write in Spanish  Father speaks Spanish and is now learning to speak English. .  Fr. Wilian thanks everyone for their contributions. One bag of cement costs approximately Guy $1,800.00 (or $10.00 Canadian) and the only other cost would be the Western Union fee (which varies depending on the amount – could be C$8.00 and up).

     Father has said that the people from Moruca are helping with the sand (and rocks) and various wood that will be used during the reconstruction. Approximately 200 different sizes of wood will be used.   This Tuesday August 9th they will have  the second lot of wood that was purchased at Parika.  Father said he needs 375 bags of cement in total – to date he has 7 bags.   He believes in 2 weeks they will purchase the roofing and the nails.  Father is also asking  for many prayers as the original estimate will not be enough for the entire work as the contractor and his workers will require $20,000 US for the remodelling and reconstruction for the 3 months of work.

     As you can see, we have an uphill battle - hopefully next time I post, I will have some more news.

     Stay tuned..........

Uncle Basil yearns for Banchikili revival

While being cognisant of the loss of the Arawak culture, Basil Rodrigues believes that if interventions are made, the spiral can be stymied so that this culture can be passed on to youths.
Rodrigues known as ‘Uncle Basil’ is a resident of Santa Rosa; a community found within the Moruca Sub-Region, Region One and has lived a life devoted to teaching and guitar music. He was born on June 13, 1932 at Bullet Tree, Waini River before moving in 1940 to Santa Rosa to attend primary school.

Basil Rodrigues

“Banjo music had me interested and I wanted to know how to play,” he said. This early love for music grew from listening to Hurrup and Banchikili  (Spanish Arawak music), which was played frequently in the community. He recalled how he and other boys would peep at “dances” from the trees since they were not allowed to go in. At other times, he and his friends would paddle two or three miles down the Moruca River singing western songs particularly those of Hank Williams, who hits included “Your Cheating Heart” and “Hey Good Looking”. A Roman Catholic nun, Sister Teresa, did not like that since she thought they were drinking, but he said that was not so; they just loved the music.
He was 19 years on in 1951, when his mother’s permission was sought for him to go teach at a school in Karaudarnaua, Deep South Rupununi. While he took with him his love for guitar playing, adjusting to a different environment where little English was used was difficult. He said he was often lonely and found that he could not fit in.
However, in 1954, he moved to Shea, another community in the Deep South, as head teacher with the aim of opening a primary school. He remembers climbing Shea Rock and using that time to reflect on life. “The geography of the land presented an ideal place to learn, reminisce and discover,” he said. It was while there that he realised that he could compose songs on life of the people in the Rupununi, their heritage, beliefs and the tough life they lived.
Therefore after work, he would try to fit his compositions to Samba, a music form which was often played there. “I found as a teacher, the children used to be more interested in this new form of music and it helped because I could not get them to understand how I operated as a teacher,” he said.
He wrote songs, skits and dances that the smallest child could join in and perform. Even though the Wapishana language was difficult for him, he was determined to learn it and managed to write many of his skits in this language.

Rodrigues and wife Dolly at the National Cultural Centre after he received the Medal of Service in 1991

“I spent almost a lifetime at Shea; almost 25 years, with breaks of course, because I had to attend the teachers training college during that time, and after I completed that I went back to teach in the Rupununi.” A few years later, he moved to Aishalton, another village in the Deep South, and spent the next eleven years teaching there. He said Aishalton was different from Shea in that the people were harder working, independent and wanted to do things.
He said that he was encouraged by former Toshao Henry Winter to settle there. However, when the plane service to the area was discontinued in the 1980s, articles in the stores got expensive. At that point, he was no longer a teacher and owned of a herd of cattle which he tried to increase in number so as to sustain his family. However, two things happened which changed the course of his life.
Firstly, his health began to deteriorate amidst the lack of proper medical facilities and secondly people started to get into the habit of cattle rustling. These two factors led to his decision to return to Moruca.
In 1992, he returned to Santa Rosa and rekindled his love for music especially the Banchikili which was the main form of musical entertainment there.  But Amerindian culture there was different from how he had left it. “I found that the culture was rapidly dying out, the youths had left the culture by itself because they were ashamed to dance and play their music, and were more interested in modern music.”
He added that a famous violinist, who was well respected in the community, Aloysius La Rose called ‘Uncle Bull’ conceptualised the idea of forming a band along with Frank Hernandez who played the fiddle. He said he decided to part of the band because of his love for playing the guitar. They named the band, the Mariaba String Band. He said the name “Mariaba” was the original name of Santa Rosa.

Basil Rodrigues and members of the Mariaba String Band

The band played the banchikili music which was passed down from Spanish Arawaks who came from Venezuela in 1817 and settled in the Moruca area. Rodrigues said the band performed at several functions up until the late 1990s. Unfortunately, in 1996 he suffered a heart attack which resulted in him losing energy. As a result of his poor health, he could not move about much and as such lost interest in the band. During the course of that year, the band also lost two other members.
Rodrigues was also the recipient of two national awards namely the Medal of Service given to him in 1991 for his community work in the Rupununi. While the other, the Arrow of Achievement was bestowed on him in 1998 for his teaching and musical endeavours.
Currently, while the band is still in existence, “it is barely surviving”, he said, since its two members have limited knowledge of the banchikili music. He said he is very sad about that, but there is little he can do. When the band was at its optimum, it had recorded several tapes of its music; Rodrigues is hoping that he can acquire some of these tapes to keep as a memoir of the fading music.
He bemoaned the fact that the culture was not passed on after the elders died. “Why couldn’t I get our boys to pass it on?” He hopes that one day he can write about life at Moruca especially on “what happened to the original teachers who left Moruca for the South Rupununi for places like Achiwib, Awaruranawa, Mararuranawa and Sand Creek.” He added that the communities all had teachers from Moruca who later settled there. “Moruca is really the backbone of education there.”
Now, at age 78 Uncle Basil spends his time engrossed in reading and gardening. However, he identifies himself also as a poet of over 60 works on Moruca, Kanima and “jumbies”. He no longer performs but is ever-willing to assist school children with bits of advice and poetry.
While he may be removed from the physical aspects of culture, the worry of loss of culture and language is never far from his mind. “Sadly, culture is not popular here [Santa Rosa], we don’t know our language and the youths are not interested. We are forgetting our dances; it has become a laughing matter now because they make so many mistakes.”
Uncle Basil believes that not enough is being done to engage youths in their culture. He is of the opinion that schools can play a greater role in curbing this cultural loss with the addition of music teachers. Further, he said that a “meaningful” committee with determined people can be set up to revive the Arawak culture.
“We could make an impression; it doesn’t mean anything if we only want to do culture when September comes,” he remarked.
While there has been a loss in Arawak culture, he still hopes it can be halted by capitalising on the existing knowledge possessed by the community’s elders.  While he no longer performs, he stands out as a man of knowledge about music and the Amerindian way of life in Santa Rosa.

Before the computer age...

An APPLICATION was for employment.
A PROGRAMME was a television show.
WINDOWS were something you hated to clean.
A KEYBOARD was a piano.
MEMORY was something you lost with age.
A CD was a bank account.
COMPRESS was something you did to garbage.
LOG ON was adding wood to a fire.
A HARD DRIVE was a long trip on the road.
A MOUSE PAD was where a mouse lived.
CUT you did with scissors.
PASTE you did with glue.
A WEB was a spider's home.
And a VIRUS was a flu !!!!!

and I really do remember the days when paste was done only with glue!!  I am very happy to say that I jumped on the tekkie boat as soon as I could and never regretted it!!

Somedays I find....

that I have nothing to blog about...lol...which brings up the question...why do we blog?  who cares if we blog? well maybe we do lol..we like to tell the world something and hope that one person out there is listening and moreso..cares?  Anyhow, somedays I find that I can write about lots of stuff and other times, nothing so I mostly fill in the space with bits of this and that.  Lately I'm finding I have nothing to blog about..sigh
Summer weather is finally here - with a bit of rain but that's ok.  I have finally packed away my sweatshirts and spring jackets and looking forward to some good days of camping.
I have been busy with my new project - well, it's done now except for a few other steps...chronicling the artwork of my very talented niece (I won't mention a name lol) - all is set and I'm going to surprise her with a bound copy of all her work.  I say "surprise" yes as I know for sure she won't see this page - she is a self-admitted technophobe - but I'm working on it...wait till she sees her brand new website lol!  She reads her email and that is that!!
Oh, I just got an idea for my next blog..yayy!!
stay tuned...

Remembering the Arawak teachers..by Guy Marco

I came across this article by Guy Marco and thought it fitting to post...thank you Mr. Marco!!
Not mentioned here is my mother, Martina Rodrigues who was posted at Achawib Village under  Father McKenna.  My Dad was the carpenter and he travelled with Father to various schools,  building desks or benches  as required.  He was also the lay doctor/dentist having done a crash course or two at the Red Cross!!  He had one black bag with items that could cure various ailments and many a time, my mother was called upon to deliver a baby or my father would whip out some concoction to dress a large knife or axe wound, cure a snakebite, broken arm, malaria, dysentery and even pulled out an achy tooth from the smaller children as required.  Here's to those stalwart Arawaks!!

Saturday, 27 de September de 2008

Dear Editor, In 2001, I received a wonderful token from Mr Basil Cuthbert Rodrigues MS, AA, from Moruka, North West District, Guyana. He had sent me his book entitled Uncle Basil – An Arawak Biography which was transcribed, annotated and introduced by one Justin Green-Roesel (1998). It is about his teaching experiences in the South Rupununi and in his home town of Moruka, among other things, and indirectly about Father Bernard McKenna, an educationist priest of the Catholic Church who played a major role in the setting up schools for the Wapishana children. According to Uncle Basil Father McKenna came to Guyana after the Second World War. The book  also contains some of Uncle Basil’s songs and poems which became very popular during Guyfesta in the 1970s when people from all districts of the Rupununi used to gather at Lethem to compete in various areas of the arts. It is great reading material, because even though it focuses on Uncle Basil’s experiences, it also captures a span of time (mid ’40s – early ’90s) in the South Rupununi. Uncle Basil, according to his biography, arrived in the Rupununi in 1951. He first landed at Wichibai where the plane (a WWII Dakota piloted by Art Williams) let off some cargo and teachers before it headed to Lumidpau not too far from Karaudanau village. It was there that Uncle Basil met his counterparts – the Wapishanas – for the first time and his school’s headmaster, Alex Atkinson, his village man, whom he had known before. It was at Karaudanau that Uncle Basil as a teenager (18) began his long and dedicated teaching service (40 yrs) to the children of the Wapishana people. It was there also he realized that he should have taken education more seriously at Santa Rosa Primary School, Moruka. Fortunately for him Fr McKenna tutored him for the Pupil Teachers’ Examination, which gave access to the teacher training college. Father Mc Kenna moved around the South Rupununi with his bullock-drawn cart doing his church services and at the same time tutoring ‘his’ teachers. Later on Uncle Basil met many of his own villagers who had gone there before him as well as those who would later come after him. They were teachers who took up the challenges of teaching in the South Rupununi which called for lots of sacrifices in term of adapting themselves to an environment and people very different from their home inMoruka/North West. Despite the obstacles they endured and dedicated their services to the children. As time went on many other teachers from Moruka went to teach in the South Rupununi. There were also coastland teachers who joined the Arawaks and contributed later to the education of the Amerindian children in the South Rupununi. These two groups of teachers not only focused on the teaching alone but they formed a branch of the Guyana Teachers’ Association. Being united they did community service − building bridges, for example, and other projects by means of self-help. On behalf of the Wapishana and Macushi people, I say thank you very much for all the sacrifices you (Morukans and Coastlanders) have made for our benefit. Yours faithfully, Guy Marco

It's been a while

How time flies...as the old soap opera used to say " like sands through the hour glass..." or some such wise saying.  I have this calendar on my Blog to remind me to Blog daily but obviously it doesn't work lol.  No matter, I have been busy with other stuff - documenting some artwork for my niece in England who does the most amazing embroidery.  I can't say much as she is somewhat "internet " shy - but she has had her embroidery published as a book cover or two and that makes her pretty talented in my eyes.    Anhow, once I convince her to let me put it on the web for all to see, well that would be a major accomplishment for me lol.

It's been rainy and damp all week and part of last weekend - isn't it supposed to be spring ? At this rate, we may well head into winter without seeing summer...yikes!!!

I love the kneeling buses in Toronto - this is so the elderly or disabled can get on or off the bus without difficulty.  Yesterday I was at my doctor's appointment and the location is now in the CNIB building (Canadian Institute for the Blind) - so new location for me and getting on the bus at Davisville, I asked the bus driver if the bus went to the CNIB Building - he peered at me closely and with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes, he said don't worry I'll let you know.  I sat down and after a while he called out "CNIB" and I got up - he lowered the bus for me to get off - guess he assumed I didn't have 20-20 vision!!   He all but got up from his seat to help me down lol.  That was so sweet - makes me glad to live in this fair city.  I didn't have the heart to tell him I was only going to see my endocrinologist!!  Anyhow, when I take the bus around my area, the driver always lowers the bus for me which is great as with my gimpy knee, well Steph you know how that goes!! hahah ...Remember Guyana and the milk crate you guys got for me to stand on to get into Trev's truck ?  LOL oh it's embarassing that dang knee - example, the boat captain at Charity wanted to lift me and walk with me over the rickety stelling into the boat !! yikesss and the guy at the Savannah Inn, Lethem  - remember the chair he brought for me to step on to get into the van ?? LOL    anyhow no more is to be said about that !! lol

Stay tuned....

Tweeting

ok so I've joined the bandwagon - I had my Twitter account ages ago, just never used it.  Recently, since I have some time (after retirement) I decided to activate my account.  So I pulled it out of the drawer, blew the dust off of it and decided to see what the fuss was about.  There are Twitter rules I found out -  there is no law for how many people one can follow but they do monitor for aggressively following and "follow churn".  Follow churn is following and unfollowing a large number of users.  hmmmm aggressively following...this means don't stand too close behind the user lol...
".....In addition, every user can follow 2000 people total. Once you’ve followed 2000 users, there are limits to the number of additional users you can follow: this limit is different for every user and is based on your ratio of followers to following. When you hit this limit, we’ll tell you by showing an error message in your browser. You’ll need to wait until you have more followers in order to follow more users—basically, you can't follow 10,000 people if only 100 people follow you. When you reach a daily or total limit and we show you an error message, you've hit a technical limit imposed to limit egregious behavior by spam accounts and to prevent strain on the site. These are just the technical limits for your account; in addition, you are prohibited from aggressive following behaviors. These behaviors may result in account suspension, regardless of your account's technical ratio."
eeeks...all these rules...oh well since I have only 9 followers and follow 31, I think I am ok seeing that 9 is a long way off from 2000 lol...I will just plod along hopefully not breaking any rules...apparently excessive tweeting is "annoying" and "boring" and so I will try to limit to one tweet a day haha...oh please I practically have to make up stuff to tweet once a day LOL...well maybe I will get in the Twitter groove one day.  I would be just as happy reading the Tweets and not tweeting at all!!
Sometimes when I don't get my Baseball game cos I don't have Sportsnet-1,  I can read the comments on Twitter and the comments are so up-to-date, I feel as if I'm practically looking at the game on TV.  However, nothing is better than watching the game on TV or live for that matter...which reminds me, I am yet to book some Rogers Centre dates...
Stay tuned....

T.G.I.Friday's

In Rochester this past weekend, we visited TGIFriday and they had the most amazing meal which I have to Blog about..lol -their entire menu looked appetizing but unfortunately we only had two days to enjoy their menu!!
So here it is....
Japanese Hibachi Skewers - seasoned and marinated in their signature garlic sauce & black pepper soy sauce, grilled and basted with a wasabi-miso glaze and garnished with sesame seeds.  Served with jasmine rice pilaf, vegetable medley and grilled pita.  Served with either Grilled Chicken or Black Angus Sirloin.

Rodeo - Lethem, Rupununi, Guyana

yes it's a big weekend for the folks in Lethem, Rupununi - the annual Rodeo is on.  Too bad our visit did not coincide with this event - would have been something.

Bob Marley

I just found this pic in my plethora of pics - and thought I would share..to all who admired him

Happy Birthday!!

Happy birthday to our friend Vel who celebrated the big one yesterday!!

"always making noise
 just like a baby
 Don't know what to do..."

lolol

Camping at Elora

no ballgame on today....sigh...

anyhow, I am reminding myself that it's almost camping time - I like to go at least once a year - this was taken at Elora, Ontario last summer.  It's a fun weekend when you sleep on the hard ground, get bitten by moquitoes, take a shower for a quarter or if you are a slow bather, perhaps 50 cents.  I am normally out of there with change to spare from my first quarter LOL.  Dinner is always something to look forward to as somehow, one's taste buds are sharpened to appreciate the finely seasoned steak on the little propane BBQ. 
At least under the dining tent, we get to sit and enjoy our meal free from bugs and flies...Dogs were welcomed at the camp site and you can see Mitchie sunbathing on his blanket lol.   Not sure if he enjoyed the weekend but we did!!  We did a little tour of the town - all I can remember is that it was probably one of the hottest days I can remember!!  A fun weekend...see you this year, guys!!

Nice weather eh?

This is how Canadians start a conversation in an elevator or just about anywhere, in the line at Walmart or Metro or Shoppers....gotta love the Canucks..lol....Well today it's really nice weather ..high of 10 degrees I believe.  Looks nice and sunny outside.  I have been indoors doing stuff...clearing away junk or what I term "junk"!!  and looking at taxes.  I feel tired and it's only noon lol.  My brain isn't as perky as it was last year when I worked!!  I'm already daydreaming about springcleaning...hmmmmm

Arawak dictionary

Look what I discovered...

I didn't even know there was an Eagle Clan  and that there is a title called Fifth Hereditary Paramount Chief!!  I will look into this!!

The Amerindian way by Annette Arjoon-Martins

This a reminder, sort of a bookmark, that on my next trip to Guyana, I would remember to get a copy of this.  I had the opportunity to meet Annette in 2008 when she visited Moruca.   Known as ‘The Mangrove Champion’ or even  ‘Turtle Lady’, she is a very engaging personality who is passionate about all things Amerindian.  Annette Arjoon-Martins is Chairman of the Mangrove Action Committee (MAC) and a nationally and internationally acclaimed conservationist; a successful commercial eco-tourism operator; a mother of two; and a qualified airplane pilot with a refreshingly down-to-earth personality.  In 2000, in keeping with her love for the animals and her obsession with their conservation, she established the Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society (GMTCS), subsequently hailed as the first and most successful conservation non-government organization (NGO) established in Guyana.  Her advise to young women is: “We can do anything that our male counterparts can do, and sometimes better. Don’t fall into that glass ceiling syndrome.”

Bunya nest

One of the many birds seen in Moruca, Guyana.  This hanging next belongs to the Bunya bird, a black forest-bird with yellow beak and bright yellow tail.  This bird can exceed 12 inches in length and is known for its long hanging nest.  It has a very loud call which can wake a person up from the deepest sleep early in the morning...very similar to a very loud alarm clock!!

Rainy Monday..

for those who work, it's a wet crappy day.   For the rest of us, who cares lol...Actually, the sun is trying to peek out..yayy!!!  On the weekend we went to the Horton Tree Farm Maple festival.  Something to do on a Saturday, the weather was nice and bright but a bit on the chilly side.  A good time was had by all.    I was taking refuge by the boiling kettles where it was toasty warm.  I found me a nice log and sat down to contemplate the forthcoming pancake breakfast, which was delicious!!

Pic is of maple sap dripping out of the tree - there is something about that phrase "slower than molasses"....heheh...the liquid was actually quite clear, looked like water.  We were offered samples to taste, tasted "woodsy"...

This is what the process looked like when it was done in the old days by the Indians - I think the guide said that heated stones were dropped into the syrup.  There is more to the process but unfortunately I missed it, I must have wandered off to warm myself by the kettles lol

I've been on FB browsing but after looking at pictures of familiar names and seeing a caption "Me and my mom" or sometimes, no caption at all, I gave up.  Actually I'm not sure which is the worst sin lol.  Then I am forced (so I'm nosy) to say, who is "me"....only time you're allowed to use this phrase..hehe.... and "who is Mom"...a tad frustrating - there should be a FB law...No caption, no picture!! lol wouldn't that be sweet?    well, off to have some lunch.  I have a busy week ahead with some Doc's appointments...groannnn.

Isn't he luverly?

This guy kept on coming closer to inspect us.  His name is Dennis and I hear he is the proverbial old bird, supposedly about 30 years old...who knows?  He wasn't telling lol....he lives at the Presbytery at Santa Rosa, (Moruca, Guyana) and seems to be quite tame.  Very curious though, he was sneaking up behind me and when I turned around, he pretended he was sleeping lol.  I guess he would be a red-bellied macaw but how he got to be the Preacher's pet ,well, he may very well be the Teacher's pet as well, no one can say.  I have to dig into his history on my next visit.  I am sure he will still be there.

Lusaka, Zambia, Africa

I thought I'd go way back - 1974 actually - this is the group of secretaries (or stenographers) who left Guyana for a 3 year contract with the Zambian government.  Yes, I was one of the 30 - we left in groups of 15.  That's me on the extreme right, landing in Lusaka.  Fred Wills was the High Commissioner in those days and had come to the airport to meet us.  I don't think lots of us knew each other then but in the three years we spent in Zambia, we got to know each other fairly well. 
Actually there was a reunion in 2007 (30 year reuion) which I was unable to attend - I think about 16 members of the original group attended - what an amazing reunion that would have been for me!!.
The "Zambian" group of girls have done pretty well for themselves, it seems, and are now scattered between Canada and the U.S.   One member has even written and published her book on the Zambia experience!! I am happy to say I am still in contact with two of the original "Zambian" members!!