I took the narrow-gauge railroad up the river to the steel walkway out to El Diablo Falls.
The elevated walkway is shown in red.
It was 1100 meters along the walkway that spanned the river between little islands along the way. Saw an alligator about 10 ft. long lying in the warm, shallow water.
Also came across the old walkway that was washed away by flooding about 10 years ago. It took a different route than the current walkway but was built of concrete. Whereas the current walkway was steel mesh through which the water could flow and not provide as much an impedance for the rising water.
Finally, through the hot sun and additional humidity I arrived at El Diablo.
On the return walk I met this stunning Brazilian Jay.
Monday, December 29, 2008
El Diablo--Iguazu
Iguazu Falls, Argentina
Iguazu Falls is located in the extreme northeast tip of Argentina on a little spur of land that extends between Brazil and Paraguay.
It's about 1000 km from Buenas Aires. I flew in the afternoon of Dec. 28 and stayed at a hostel in Iguazu Falls city.
I took the local bus out to Iguazu Natl. Park the next morning.
Walking from the parking lot where the bus dropped us off to the edge of the canyon rim I saw a couple of guinea pigs grazing along the Green path (see map). I wondered if they would be one of the local's dinner later that day.
Walking along the brick-paved path I came across a coati, which is essentially a Latin American raccoon. There was a whole herd? pack? tribe? of them with their young. The little ones were so cute scurrying through the brush with their tails held erect but curved backward at the tip. There must have been a dozen youngster with half a dozen adults.
Not sure if there are several females and one alpha male or if they were made up of several family groups. A couple of them, like this guy, stopped to beg but with signs all around telling people not to feed the animals, they didn't have much chance of getting any people food. Never did get any good pictures of the group as they rummaged through the underbrush.
Iguazu Falls is laid out as two areas, the upper falls(orange path) and the lower falls (blue path). The path to El Diablo falls is marked in red, for reasons that will become obvious.
Of course, I explored the upper falls first and left the lower falls until the afternoon, and hence a long hike up out of the canyon in the extreme heat and humidity--98F and 95%.
Here's an example of a small finger of water that would tumble over the cliff and form a magnificent little waterfall.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Here I am in Iguazu, Argentina. On a map it's in the very north of Argentina on a little pennisula I finally found some dark-skinned people--they were begging on the street. A man was selling what could only be termed as trinkets to tourists. I'm told by the woman who owns the hotel that rhere are reservations set aside for "indigenous" people but they don´t stay on the reservations. They come to places like this to beg or sell handcrafts, gamble in the casinos, etc. There is a question whether they are indeed indigenous. There doesn´t seem to be full-blooded anything in Argentina, except way up in the mountains of Patagonia. And these are people who are trying to keep their culture alive, unlike the folks around this part of Argentina.
It´s really hot here--34 (multiply by 2, subtract 10% and add 32) That comes to over 93 and it´s humid. I´ll be glad to get on the ship and head SOUTH.
Tomorrow I go to the Falls and spend all day. I will take lots of photos. The place I´m staying in Iguazu has a place for me to upload my photos. So I will do that later tonight when it cools off. Now I´m heading for the pool . . .
After breakfast at the hostel this morning I made my way to the bus depot and bought a ticket for Iguazu Falls. Boy, is it hot already and it's only 8:30. It's only about 1/2 hr. to the Falls. Argentinians can get in for about one quarter what I had to pay; I don't mind cause their taxes pay for this park.
Here's a typical path on the upper part of the Park before decending into the chasm. Much cooler in the shade of the trees but still very humid; wonder what it will be like in the canyon?
QUOTE
To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury; and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable; and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasion, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony.
-William Ellery Channing
Lower Falls
After a bite to eat I descended to the bottom of the canyon, taking many stairs and few paths. It was then I realized I should have visited the lower falls earlier in the day when I was not tired, as the further I descended, the further I would have to climb out.
I thought climbing out of the canyon that I would die--no, honestly! I thought they'd have to bring in a helicopter to the bottom of the canyon. Then when I got about half-way out I was dreaming of an ambulance. Drank a pint of water coming out of the "hole" then poured another pint over my head and body (as I started to feel chilled but my skin was dry--bad sign--I had heat prostration!) and sat in the shade. About 300 meters from the canyon rim was the first restaurant where I adjusted 5 seating cubes into a cross shape and lay down under an overhead fan. Took close to an hour lying there with people staring to cool down. Drank a GatorAid and felt a bit better for the 700 meter walk to the bus stop to get back to town. Just wasn't thinking about the extremes in the Argentine jungle. But I would return in a heart-beat--just drink more water along the way and rest more often.
All and all, it was the best day and the worst day of my trip so far.
I took a cab on the way to the airport to the confluence of the Paraguay River and the Iguazu Superior River. From here I could see Paraguay on the left, Argentina in the foreground and Brazil on the right.(lost the photo in the computer crash) Even more impressive than 4 Corners in the States.
The cab driver asked if I was a Christian and I replied, "Yes, I'm a Mormon". He exclaimed that his wife's brother was the Stake President for that area or the Mission President, but he wasn't sure which. Then without telling me of his surprise, he drove me past the local chapel.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Old church in BA
This church was build between 1905 and 1908. From the outside it isn't as spectacular as others I've seen. But don't judge a church or a Latin American house by what you see from the street.
Photo of the stained glass in the church foyer. Not sure of the identity of the three military men.
The chapel was quite long and wide with multiple side chapels.
Here's a side chapel. The figure is life size.
This is a black & white photo of another side chapel--it was enormous! The color photo didn't show much detail.
This lectern is SILVER and very beautiful!
Examples of the beautiful tile floor of this church
This morning there was a brief shower, which cooled things off a bit, but when the sun came out the temperature was hotter and the air much more humid. So much for the rain . . .
About 2 I went for comida, figuring here they actually eat at a reasonable time for my tummy. Yup! Had a chicken cutlet covered in ham and cheese--quite yummy. Walked around this neighborhood of Recoleta for about an hour until I was dripping a trail of sweat. Back to the B&B for reading under the fan.
Don´t come to BA in Dec. or Jan. I noticed that the hotels, B&Bs and apartments for rent are completely booked for Feb and March. I will be glad to get aboard the ship and head for cooler temps.
About 7 I went for dinner, hoping the place I had in mind would be open then. It was--I had a 12 oz. steak, oven roasted potates, a nice salad, a soda to drink and a lovely dessert--all for about $8US. The meat here is sooooo good, especially after Mexican beef which is not aged more than a few hours, is tough and has little flavor. Evidently, Argentines have found that half rotten meat is WONDERFUL!
Some observations--
1--The clerks in the large grocery stores sit on stools to process your order--smart stores!
2--Fresh milk comes in quart bags not cartons. Carton milk is shelf stable (I think it´s irradiated)
3--This neighborhood is primarily made up of large apartment buildings. The entrances to these buildings are secure, usually with a doorman and a single driveway for the tenant parking behind or underground. Each apartment appears to have a balcony, with the first floor balconies having wire mesh for security. And the windows facing the street all have roll-up metal shades, evidently for additional security. I have not seen this in Guadalajara, but perhaps I haven´t been to the right areas.
4--The door keys resemble our old skeleton keys. Even shop keys and locks are of this type. I haven't seen keys in use like this since I was a kid. From left to right is the key for the safe in my room, my room key and the front door of the B&B key.
5--For those of you in Mexico--the banks here have coin counting machines that roll coins in wrappers same as the States. For those of you in the US, Mexican banks don´t seem to use coin wrappers, unless you count cellophane tape around ten coins. I´m not joking, and these coins are carried from the store office to the register in plastic bags.
6--I´ve seen very few armed guards with AK-47s. There are a few security guards looking for shoplifters, but not heavily armed guards just inside a store entrance or on the sidewalk, as in Mexico.
Flying to Iguazu Falls on the Brasil, Paraguay and Argentina border tomorrow morning. Iguazu is taller and 3 times as big as Niagra Falls and should be quite spectacular.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Finally, Argentina!!!
After boarding the plane in Guad at 2 pm and trying to read(a euphemism for sleep sitting up)most of the way to Panama, I finally gave in and laid my tired body across three seats between Panama and Buenos Aires. My lumpy, midget bed was OK for drifting but not for real sleep.
I didn´t see any cows, but maybe they were all at the slaughterhouse preparing for my dinner.
My taxi driver said that there are many folks from Italy that arrived here over the last 100 years and have left a mark on the country. His grandparents were from Italy; his Spanish had a lovely Italian sing-song lilt that was very easy on the ears.
It´s hot (over 90) and humid here. Most of the streets are very clean although my neighborhood could do with more folks actually hitting the readily available basura cans. My B&B is very nice with a fruit, yogurt and sweet bread breakfast which I ate with gusto at 9AM. The place also comes with it´s own mamacita, Maria. Where would I be wihtout a mamacita to replace my Juanita at home?? Then off to bed where I drifted until around 11 when I finally broke down an took a half dose of sleeping pills. The overhead fan kept me quite comfortable while I slept until about 5 pm. Took a much needed shower (in my separate but private bathroom across the hall) and headed out for dinner.
Sidewalks in BA are different from Mexico and radically so from the US. This is a typical BA sidewalk with repairs--it looks as if the concrete was dumped and never really smoothed out. Then before it was set the neighborhood walked by.
Typically latin countries eat dinner quite late, like 9 or 10 PM, but I couldn't wait. I found a COTO, which is a supermarket with a deli, the likes of which I´ve never seen. Maybe somewhere in the States, but certinly nowhere I´ve seen in Mexico, does a deli like this exist. It was more like a cafeteria with everything you could possibly want, but it was all take-out. And cheap! Then upstairs was a cafeteria-type restaurant with the same food but one could eat in the HUGE dining area of the food court.
I got a lovely hunk of roast beef, some roasted potatoes, Waldorf salad and a huge bottle of water for less than $5US. This place is a non-cooker´s dream and I wanna move here!!!
The native people here are much like cosomopolitian Mexicans in that most are light-skinned but with all variation of pigmentation. Like Guadalajara, it would be difficult to tell if someone where from Europe or Mexico or Argentina without hearing them speak their native language. All the other guests in this B&B are from Europe; Germany, the Netherlands and England. And they all speak English AND Spanish.
So far, I´m loving Argentina. Tomorrow I will take Tango lessons here at the B&B for free. Boy, are the Argentines serious about Tango. Even though the women partner has a more physical part, with all the deep knee bends, it´s the men who have the most difficult job in the Tango. They must lead their partner without pushing her around the floor. He must be very sensitive to her body and lead with his chest but remain quite erect.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Well, here it is, Christmas morning . . . I"m just not with it this year. I haven't seen any posadas or nacimientos (living nativity scenes), no decorating at home, or Christmas eve party with my friends or planning Christmas Day dinner. But, surprisingly, unside my head and heart I still remember the "reason for the season". And that's the more important thing.
The owners of my house got here yesterday about 11 AM and we chatted for several hours while I continued with my "get ready for THE trip" chores. They shopped for groceries while I bathed the dogs and myself. Hair all over the bathroom! Got that cleaned up and drove around until we found something open for dinner. El Serape has pretty traditional Mexican food, which is somewhat difficult to find here at a sit-down restaurant. We enjoyed the meal very much.
I have a medium suitcase inside my giant suitcase and trying to limit it to 50 lbs. I can take two bags of this weight but I was only 6 lbs over; it doesn't make sense to split the stuff between two bags so I stuck some stuff in my carry-on. It's supposed to only be 22lbs but I'll bet it is 40. I will ask about an upgrade to 1st class. If I get it, the whole thing will be moot as I can then have 70 lbs.
Doing the last wash now and will iron one shirt when it comes out and I THINK I'm done! Yeah, right . . .
Next stop--Buenos Aires!!!!!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
I took my housekeeper (to my mind "maid " is a derogatory term) home sick today, after she insisted on washing the dishes. She really dislikes being at home when she can be out and about. She is one of those people, for whom home is a place to eat and sleep--her life lies outside in the "marketplace". Some people come alive at home and only endure the "marketplace" as a means to be able to keep that home going.
Soooo, besides trying to get started packing I must now clean the house ( with a lick and a promise, as my mother used to say), do a last laundry and ironing, get to the pharmacy for a last minute stock-up, bathe the dogs (oh, joy!) and decorate a bit for Christmas for my landlords, who will be staying here for the month that I'm gone. I had a feeling last week when I was sick and unable to do much, that time would creep up on me and then hit me over the head. Sure enough--I'm psychic!!!
So instead of getting in gear, I'm writing in my blog--go figure! Sometimes I'm so lame . . .
It's a romantic full moon, when Pedro said, "Hey, mamacita, let's do Weeweechu."
"Oh no, not now, let's look at the moon!" said Rosita.
"Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I do Weeweechu. I love you and it's the perfect time," Pedro begged.
"But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon." replied Rosita.
"Please, corazoncita, just once, do Weeweechu with me."
Rosita looked at Pedro and said, "OK, one time, we'll do Weeweechu."
Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang.....
"Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year."
Feliz Navidad!!!!!
I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas . . .the only white I will see this year will be in the Andes--hohoho! to you in the norte.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Christmas Gift
Please, click on photos for a closeup!
I got a most wonderful Christmas gift today!. One of my dear, sweet friends gave me a lap quilt saying, "This will keep you warm from your toes to your nose!" She hand-appliqued the Mexican figures out of many pieces of fabric (even lace for the senora's mantilla) and either painted the faces of some, or used an iron-on transfer. She took so much time to put this together; then sent it to Mexico City where a woman quilted it using a long-arm sewing machine. I am soooo grateful for this lovely gift and somehow don't feel deserving that so much thought and energy should be put into a gift for someone such as I.
As I type those words I realize it's the same way I feel about the gift the Son of God gave to me--his life that I may live again. And his Atonement that will make up the difference between "the best I can do" and the perfection I need to once again enter the presence of God. One so undeserving as I--both the spiritual and physical gifts make my heart weep. One so undeserving . . .
Preparing for THE TRIP
I've been trying to get some projects done before I take off for my big trip to South America. But having a wretched cold last week, which incidently, kept me from singing the last Cantantes concert (oh poopies), has kept my pace down to that of a snail. I've managed to get presents wrapped except for one, and will deliver them today or tomorrow.
I start packing in earnest tomorrow. Packing for Buenos Aires where it's 90 and humid (remember this is their summer) and for shore excursions from the ship in the wilds of Tierra del Fuego where it's maybe, if we're lucky, 55- 60 and windy, I have a real chore ahead. Rather than buy clothing for the cold that I would never wear here at home, I opted for silk long johns and layering. I'm borrowing a polar fleece vest but only taking my raincoat with hood and hope I'm OK on shore. I did buy a pair of closed-toe shoes in a size too big in order to accomodate my heavy socks. The rest of the time I will wear my Chaco sandals, with or without socks. My feet are still so weird that shoes and socks cause burning in my toes, but it's either that or burning from frostbite!
The owners of my house are coming from Canada and will stay here the whole time I'm gone. So I'll put up some little Christmas stuff for them. Otherwise, I have no time or interest this year. I have been playing Christmas music and that always puts me in the mood. I'm paying no rent or utilities while the owners are here and they will care for the critters. I offered the use of my car but they prefer the bus. So virtually no expenses for the next month, if you don't count being in Argentina and Chile!! Everything's all paid for by credit card and the card balance is zero, so with no debt hanging over my head, it's almost like having a free trip cause the money's spent and gone.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Click HERE for a little, silly Christmas green . . .
Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad!!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
This is what Christmas COULD mean . . .
I've been perusing a few Mormon blogs recently. And came across a really wonderful blog about one woman's feelings about Christmas. She said much better what I have been feeling. So with her permission I lifted it in it's entirety from her family blog: http://davesagegallagher.blogspot.com
I pray that this woman's sentiments will be mine for the coming year.
Each Christmas I try to resist focusing only on gifts for my family and myself (yes, I buy gifts for myself from “Santa”). This year I am thinking of the stark differences between the lives of us first-worlders and the rest of the world. As an average American have you ever had to struggle to meet your physical needs? Maybe you struggle to pay your credit card bills on time, or keep within your budget, or lose a few pounds, or find a better job? Or be on time to work? Or keep your home clean? Or be a better mother and wife? Or perhaps you struggle with depression or health problems? These are all valid, but have you ever had to struggle for water to drink and food to eat and clothes to wear? Too many of God’s children struggle with these basic needs every day.It is my belief that God put each of us where we are for a reason. But that reason may not just be that you deserved it. I think He wants us to reach out beyond ourselves, losing ourselves in the service of others.
We can find plenty of opportunities to do this if we look for them.I want to share a few scenes from my experience as a missionary in Peru from 1988-1990. For a few months I lived in a small mountain town called Huánuco that housed the poorest people up on the hills, the better-off people down in the valley. One day we met a small boy who looked about three years old struggling to carry a bucket full of water up the hill. He wore no shoes and his clothes were torn and dirty. We offered to help him. We followed him home, which required a climb up a ladder and scaling steep paths in the dusty mountainside all while carrying the bucket. I wondered how this little guy did this chore on his own.At the very top of the line of huts, we met his mother. She was humble and grateful for our assistance. She offered us a drink made from this precious liquid so carefully hauled up the mountain. We chatted with her about our work as missionaries as she boiled the water and prepared what appeared to be hot chocolate from the label on the can. Unfortunately, it was coffee and as Mormons we don’t drink coffee. I felt so bad that she had gone to so much work and we had to refuse her service to us. I think she quickly made us some chamomile tea, probably saving the coffee for later. My only consolation was to tell her that her beautiful view of the mountains would only be enjoyed by the wealthiest people in the United States. She seemed to like that idea.
Another scene in Lima, Peru near the Santa Anita neighborhood, involves a little boy in a light blue shirt and a big grin. I believe we met his family while we were walking in their dusty neighborhood. His mother was interested in talking to us. She lived in a tent-like structure inside a large enclosure where trucks were stored for repairs (I think). Even in that make-shift space, she kept things tidy and organized. She had one especially troubling problem. Her son did not have a birth certificate so the schools would not allow him to attend. She did not have enough money to buy the school supplies and uniform to send her ten-year old son to school, even if he did have the necessary papers. He did not know how to read. As missionaries, we’d been given a manual from the church on how to teach reading and writing and I had received some training. We had time to teach him for a month or so. He was a smart boy and tried hard to learn quickly. He signed my book of “recuerdos” (memory book) just before I went home. “Carlos ama Hermana Draper.” Carlos loves Sister Draper. He struggled to learn the letters and the sounds, but he mastered them well enough to write that sweet message to me.
American-style struggles don’t usually involve the basic needs of life. We struggle not to have too much clutter from our constant purchases, we struggle not to eat so much of the bounteous food available to us that we become obese, we struggle to find meaning in our lives—kind of opposite problems most people struggle with in the rest of the world. Our struggles seem mainly psychological or emotional in nature.
What a perfect match! If we could give more to help people struggling with physical needs, I think our emotional struggles would gain some healing. What do you think? We would have less to spend on clutter and overeating. We would feel a greater sense of purpose as we connect with those whose struggles are for basic needs.The people I met in Peru were not unhappy. I’m sure they struggled with similar things all humans do about their identities and such, but they seemed happier than many in our prosperous nation. I learned a great lesson as I served among the poor in Peru. Happiness doesn’t come from things, but from humility and gratitude.
I remember one family in particular that demonstrated great joy in their lives, even though they were very poor and lived in a grass-thatched hut in a “barrio joven,” (meaning “young neighborhood,” a euphemistic term for slum) where there was about one pipe of water where kids would take turns filling up their buckets and one hole for human waste (inside a hut for privacy) in the middle of hundreds of people. The husband was the mission leader for the ward (area) we worked in as missionaries. When we came to their home, they fed us a refreshing yogurt shake and rice and beans. I remember the wife cheerfully singing as she fixed some of their meager food for us. The sincere smile on her face still echoes beautifully in my memory.
Having such personal access to the lives of the poor changed me. I can’t live an American-style consumer-centric life knowing how many of God’s children struggle for basic needs in faraway places (and some closer to home too). I want to encourage all of us, as Americans, who may be struggling financially in an economic downturn, but continue to have our basic needs met above and beyond measure, to give of ourselves, even if it hurts a little. I told my husband I don’t want to get any presents this year (he was a little disappointed, but I told him he could buy me the stuff I need, like new gloves and phones to replace our broken ones). What I want is for other people to have more of their basic needs met.
What can we do? We can buy less of what we don’t really need this Christmas and help others who need the necessities of life. Donate to organizations that strike at the root of poverty, such as:
http://www.grameenfoundation.org
http://www.heifer.org
http://www.christianchildrensfund.org.
The Sounds of Mexico
I just now heard the knife sharpener's whistle from somewhere down the street. It's a distinctive sound--2 tones descend one quick step at a time, the third step is held, then a "whew" jumping back up to the first tone. There are several men in the area who sharpen knives and support their familes doing so. They charge $1 per knive or scissors. They walk all over town carrying over their shoulder a fine stone wheel cranked by hand, that is fastened to a very small stool-looking device. The sharpener kneels astride the stool, turns the crank for the grinding wheel and works away on the edge of your knife. Some of the sharpeners are better than others; I wish I knew who the good ones were.
The other distinctive sound heard all over Mexico is the propane truck. There is no natural gas in Mexico, that I'm aware of, so everyone uses propane tanks. In the village, but not so much out here in the 'burbs, each gas company has a different "calling" card. One sounds like "Charge" being played by a very loud bugle. Another is a recorded voice screaming, "Esta GAAAAAAASSSSSS". Can you imagine driving a truck all day long, up and down the same streets over and over, with a screaming bullhorn attached to the roof? I'd be crazy the first hour driving a gas truck. The trucks are either filled with propane bottles which are swapped with one that is empty, or a large tank of gas from which they fill the tank sitting beside each house, or in some cases, a tank that sits on the roof. Imagine the traffic holdups when the driver stops in the middle of a narrow street, has to get his ladder out and haul the gas hose up on the roof. Fortunately, Mexicans and retired gringos are fairly patient in this regard. (I'm sure at some point I will write about impatient Mexican drivers I have encountered) Although the gas trucks are usually very loud so people have time to erupt from their houses and flag down the truck, the ones I appreciate the most have a quiet sort of "tinkle". But if I needed gas and couldn't hear the "tinkle" truck as he went by, I'd buy from the truck that had the loudest "calling" card.
Here in Chula Vista, I phone the gas man when I need a delivery. He's usually here within an hour. His name is Jose (of course), is my age, cute and polite. And for good measure his gas is the cheapest.
One more sound that most of you would abhor is the rooster next door. He crows day or night--maybe he's blind. Where I lived before there were chickens down the street and horses/cows a couple of blocks away. Just the sound of the guy herding his cows from the field by my house to his house to milk them was such a distinct difference from the sounds in my US neighborhood. I found the animal sounds quite peaceful somehow. So I was overjoyed when the neighbor got his rooster. I'm more comfortable now that the rooster and the dogs in the area make noise all the time. Weird, eh!
No matter where I've lived at Lakeside I can hear church bells at different times of the day. Usually at 30 minutes before each mass the bell tolls 3 times then maybe 20 rings then 3 distinct rings; then fifteen minutes before mass the bell tolls twice, 20 rings then 2 distinct rings. And finally, just before mass the bell tolls once then multiple times then one time again. When someone dies, day or night, the bell tolls very rapidly for about 5 minutes. There are other signals given out by the bells, but I haven't mastered them yet.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Stellar Snowflake Cluster
At this time of year, this photo seems particularly appropriate. It's amazing that not only did God send us his Son, but the stars in the heavens as well! God is good!!!
Newborn stars, hidden behind thick dust, are revealed in this image of a section of the Christmas Tree Cluster from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The newly revealed infant stars appear as pink and red specks toward the center and appear to have formed in regularly spaced intervals along linear structures in a configuration that resembles the spokes of a wheel or the pattern of a snowflake. Hence, astronomers have nicknamed this the "Snowflake Cluster."
Star-forming clouds like this one are dynamic and evolving structures. Since the stars trace the straight line pattern of spokes of a wheel, scientists believe that these are newborn stars, or "protostars." At a mere 100,000 years old, these infant structures have yet to "crawl" away from their location of birth. Over time, the natural drifting motions of each star will break this order, and the snowflake design will be no more.
While most of the visible-light stars that give the Christmas Tree Cluster its name and triangular shape do not shine brightly in Spitzer's infrared eyes, all of the stars forming from this dusty cloud are considered part of the cluster.
Like a dusty cosmic finger pointing up to the newborn clusters, Spitzer also illuminates the optically dark and dense Cone Nebula, the tip of which can be seen towards the bottom left corner of the image.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/P.S. Teixeira (Center for Astrophysics)
Critters
I keep getting requests to post pictures of my dogs--well, actually, two requests from one person . . .
Here's Mate--pronounced "MA tae". She's Lab and some terrier. So she looks like a miniature Black Lab, if there were such a thing, with a slight curl to the hair on her back. She weighs about 25 lbs. I found her at a gas station 3 years and she got her first bath in the town of Matehuala--hence her name.
And here's Gamina--the world's ugliest dog. She's miniature Schnauzer and some thin-bodied dog. She has Schnauzer hair, long, skinny back legs and weighs about 23 lbs. I went to an Italian restaurant a couple of years ago and came home with a dog. Sometimes that's the way it happens . . . 
And finally, Princesa, who's real name is Natasha. My housekeeper calls her "Princesa" because she acts like she rules the house. And she does--with an clawed paw. Don't know how much she weighs but she's BIG. She doesn't like to be petted, touched or held. The only time she wants to be stroked is when she's sucking on the bathroom rug or eating her kibble. Evidently, she was taken away from her mother too soon so still has a sucking complex. I kept her for 3 months when my girlfriend went north for the summer. When my friend returned, she decided that I'd had Princesa longer than she had and since Princesa kept the dogs in line, I could have her. So . . . I have a "ratter".
All three critters follow me everywhere. Right now the dogs are on the bed and the cat is curled up on the rug by the bed. If I retired to the bathroom, all three will follow me (I don't need any help, but evidently they don't know that). And into the kitchen it's jumping and meowing . . .
Later I will post a video of the critters that allow me to live at their house.
Monday, December 15, 2008
My New Treasures
I went to the Ajijic Society of Artists fair in the plaza this weekend. There were also 8 artisans from Michoacan. Let me show you what I found. Click on any photo to see a close-up version in a new window.
These two prints are by a wonderful local young woman artist by the name of Luz Preciado (Precious Light). The single woman is mixed media of pastel for the face and shawl, acrylic for her dress and oil paint for the surrounding geometric shapes. The mother and child is charcoal. I loved both of them so much, I just couldn't decide which one to buy--so I picked . . . 
The Michoacan artisans included Phillipe Horta, whose uncle was a Maestro (Master) of Mexico and included in the book of the same name. Phillipe, like most of his extended family, are mask carvers. The masks that I bought from him are very old, but in good condition. I have no idea where he found them or who carved them, but older masks are difficult to find so I grabbed these two before another savvy shopper spotted them. The green one is a man's face, although somewhat scary, not as scary as some I've seen. 
The other mask is of a pig, even though it looks somewhat like a dog. It has leather ears and a long snout.
The last photo is of my "Mask Wall". Although it is a modest collection, the addition of these two older masks are a welcome addition. I hope to acquire more older masks in the future, although they are very difficult to find. I have tried to include masks from different regions, differing materials and different uses or meanings. Each one just "hit" me and I had to have it no matter how strange it looks. You may click on the photos for closeups. 
