Various Varmints and Double Dentists.

May 16^th Huan’s life is temporarily back to normal, no more studying, driving lessons haven’t started yet, just hulusi twice a week, Tuesday afternoons and Friday mornings. That meant that this morning a short walk together was on the cards. I was the lucky one today, I saw the lizard first, and its reflection.

The poor thing was frightened and trying to find some way to escape from all of the passing humans. I tried to catch it, unsuccessfully. This was one time we had to walk away.

From a frightened lizard we moved to an upside down dragonfly. I turned it the right way up but it still seemed to have a lot of trouble flying.

Huan got busy with her phone, taking far too many photos, as always.

And here are two of mine.

From fauna we move to flora. We both argued about what this was, it was only later in the afternoon that I surmised it was an areca nut pod, (betel nuts).

That was enough for the morning. After lunch, and a solo OAP nap for me, it was time for Huan to go to school and for me to go for another walk. After dropping Huan off I went back up the main street to pass the bap market for the riverside. At the entrance to said market I was lucky yet again today and spotted another lizard. I couldn’t get very close to this one but it was close enough. It’s amazing how they watch you.

On reaching the river, I decided to go down to the bank today and walk there.

With the work going on in the river, ‘tidying up’ seems to have taken a back seat.

Not only did I find another lizard this afternoon, but also another dragonfly, this one more alive.

And again from fauna to flora.

Eventually my luck ran out, they had removed the walkway in front of me and I had to retrace my steps. Luckily it wasn’t too far.

Most of you will know that when it rains snails appear. However, do you know that they often appear in pairs? Here is a pair of pairs.

On my way home I had to buy chips for tonight’s dinner, I was cooking chicken burgers, and I also made a detour to stock up on ice cream. As a result, the landlady beat me home again, only by a few minutes though, I didn’t get into trouble!

What a day, the total distance walked today was 15.88km. At least I stayed awake long enough to cook dinner and bring the Blog up to date.

May 17^th I had the pleasure of the luscious lovely lady’s company again today, I will have to make the most of it until her driving lessons start in earnest. Today was the landfill route, the normal way, but going through the future M.O.T. site on the way. Instead of photos of the new site, we have photos on the way there: -

and on the way to the landfill road.

Unusually on this road, and giving Huan great pleasure, she found her first lizard of the week!

For a change we headed through the woods on the wrong side of the highway, it used to be a lovely walk. It still started off the same way but then we came to an obstacle, one that we could not get through so had to climb over another one a little further on.

Today was one of those days when I really felt my age. Huan says it is because I walked so much yesterday. I prefer to think it was because of the hills and the sun!

Back in town, and filled with cool, clear water, we decided to take a walk by the river just add a little distance for the day. We found a bird which unfortunately flew to a more distant tree before I could snap a photo off. In its new tree I only had a rough idea where it was, but it would appear as though it knew exactly where we were!

Staying with fauna, does this look like a bee to you? Not to me either but it would appear to be a tropical carpenter bee https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylocopa_latipes

Well Lordy, Lordy me, Huan only went and found yet another lizard. This one was much harder to get a decent photograph of but you can at least see its tail and its left eye here.

And that was enough for me! Arriving home we had covered another twelve kilometres, and once I was suitably refreshed, it was straight to bed for a nap with no lunch for me.

May 18^th Huan had a plan for this morning. It was to take a bus, #1 or #5, and then walk back from road #4 through the mountains, where she tried to get rid of me last week! Unfortunately, for her, she failed to be ready early enough so her plan was not acted upon. Instead we headed through Luobote village and into the countryside where Huan found her first subject. She thought it looked like birds, I thought it looked like fireworks. What do you think?

The next one is also something we don’t know. Huan thought it might be a firefly because it was ‘glinting’ but I think that was because of the sun. I also thought fireflies only glowed in the dark.

Lots of photos were taken today so we had to make a few collages. The first one concerns two different families, of the same species, chickens.

My bovine buddies were in residence so Huan found some greenery for me to feed them with.

The next two though deserved to stay in their individual photos, partly because they were miles apart and partly because of their beauty.

Back to chickens again now; take a close look at the first photo, the middle chicken is keeping the one nearest the camera away from the one furthest away. In the second photo they are indulging in a spot of fisticuffs.

I had to include this one, the director insisted.

Our terminus today, or our turn back point was down at the riverside. When we walk this way Huan usually wants to go down to the bank, sometimes I complain because it means I have to walk back ‘up’ again. Today I was amenable.

As I had to be put on display so shall the boss be the same. Of course she is wearing her hat, (I forgot mine again), and her mask so you only have my word that it really is her!

Yet another collage of two more chickens, possibly related to each other. The first one had a beady eye on me and was ready to move at a moment’s notice.

This collage is to show you that even when the subject cannot be seen, and turns into a silhouette, you can rescue something on the computer.

This one is just because Huan took too many again.

What did my latest model look like? Why leggy and beautiful of course.

Our last one of the day comes from Huan’s phone. While I was busy undoing my bootlaces before going indoors, she spotted something on our car. It is definitely a spider eating something, but what that something is we’re not sure.

May 19^th Hulusi classes for Huan and a sandal stroll for me. The first photo comes from the grounds of where Huan’s class was. When I showed her she was not really sure what it was to start with. She won’t wear her glasses you know! If she had been with me she would probably have mused out loud whether or not she could eat it. Looking at it I suspect not. Bright colours, more often that not, mean ‘poison, don’t touch’!

Next I headed for the same tree at the bap market where I had seen the lizard on Tuesday, just on the off chance that I would spot him again. I did, he was on the same tree but a bit further up. Today I found a way to get closer.

While I was clambering all over the walls to try and get the lizard photo I thought I might as well snap these lovely ladies at the same time.

In the morning Huan had received a call from the dentist, my tooth had arrived. Of course she had to take a photo of it!

She also took photos of me in the dentist’s chair again but I thought you would probably not want to see that yet again. Instead, here is Huan in his chair. Yes, she decided that I had chosen a good dentist this time and that she would have some work done too.

Huan’s teeth were in just as bad a state as mine. She avoids the dentist because it costs money, I avoid them for the same reason and also because I get terribly nervous. Where I had one cast made Huan had to have three!

Dentist done we did our shopping for the weekend’s dinner and then took a leisurely walk home. On the way we spotted this, I have to say I was rather taken by the English name.

May 20^th Market day again but no reason to go there. One of Huan’s banks was the first port of call, where I talked to the fish again.

From there it was a trip to the ISP to pay our yearly bill, ¥600.00 for 100MB. That’s enough for us, and I guess it is also cheap enough. After that was done we headed for the ‘last bridge’ on the way upriver to turn around and walk home back through the market. Huan thought this ‘flower in a tree’ looked pretty; I thought it was a starfish that had lost its way.

One of our little friends was on the wall as we neared home but I decided not to disturb it today. Huan made me take a picture of course.

May 21^st Huan’s choice of route today, using her bus pass. Well, it was a half and half choice; I asked her if we could go to the #1 bus turnaround spot, either using either a #1 or a #5. I wanted to do this to show her the right way to cross the mountains from the fourth road to the third road and not the way she tried to do me in last time! Hopping off the bus and heading through the housing complex we found a charging point with a very effective sun shade.

Almost to the park Huan found a lizard. There seem to have been a lot this week.

We went through the park via a slightly different route today and had to pass the guard at the gate on the way. They were all very reticent!

Because we were on a different path I could see into the building and spotted someone I knew. Mind you, she seemed to have lost a few companions.

I’m not quite sure who this one is supposed to be, he doesn’t look much like Kung Fu Panda. After all KFP has a big white belly and this one doesn’t. After a Google search it would appear that he is in fact Japanese and his name is ‘Kumamon’. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumamon.

On our way to the top we passed this tree with beautiful red flowers and strange bean like pods. The nearby farmer had no idea what it was. Even after a long Google image search I am still not so sure. It doesn’t seem to be a Chinese flame tree, the flowers look different. The onlt one that matches is Brachychiton acerifolius, also known as the flame bottle tree. Unfortunately, the only information I can find says that it is endemic to the North East coast of Australia with no mention of it being anywhere else in Asia at all.

Soon we came to the gate that doesn’t open and, despite my vociferous objections, Huan went crazy with her phone again. The first photo is mine, the second is hers.

I warned her that I would get my revenge but I didn’t really. I only took a couple of photos, nowhere near enough to make a gif.

Back to flora and this time a sort of before and after. The left photo is pre-flowering and the right is after. Both look quite beautiful.

Soon we reached the spot where I listened to the boss last time. Today I explained that if we went to the left of the tree on the left it would be the right way, if we went up the track on the right it would be the wrong way. I got her to agree!

After walking through a fairly new betel nut plantation, within minutes, less than three in fact, we were looking out over the destination valley. Point proved.

Huan decided to make a video, of my backside again, maybe she was hoping I would fall over. All I could do was pull off the odd screenshot. This looks rather like an illustration from a book, about some famous explorer, (not Dora!)

I was in fact treading very warily because the slope was quite steep as well as being dry and dusty. I was fine, but watching the video Her Maj almost came a cropper while she was filming it. At the bottom, looking over the rest of the valley, a panorama was called for.

We took the right fork and although the path is now overgrown and we can’t see out over the valley as we used to, it is still a very pleasant walk, not too hot.

Pretty soon we found other people on the path too.

Huan tried another video, I had to extract screenshots again, this was the only man working.

This was one of the women. The women told Huan that the rest of the men folk were all at home ill. I told Huan that they more than likely just had hangovers!

Shortly after this they all packed up for lunch so Huan walked back to the village with them while I strode out up ahead. I did stop now and then to snap a piccie, this one is another of our ‘des res’ photos. Mind you, while I could live there Huan definitely couldn’t!

Less than twenty minutes after explaining to Huan the right way to go I was sat glugging a nice cool bottle of water outside the village shop when she turned op with the ‘gang’.

Not too long after that, heading back into town we found a new outdoor gymnasium. It is a long time since I have lived in the UK, I have never seen anything similar there in my time. Maybe one of you dear readers can tell me if they have them now. They are very popular here, the only reason this one was not in use was the time of day, nearly half past eleven and lunch time.

Well, after twelve and a half kilometres we were both pleasantly worn out, also happy that we had found the correct route this time. Let’s hope we don’t forget in the future! Home beckoned us with sandwiches followed by naps and then sheer relaxation.

May 22^nd Monday is not normally a walking day, it is reserved for shopping. However, I decided I needed a little extra exercise this week so headed out after lunch. First I wanted to take a photo of the ‘frame’ they have put over our island bridge entrance.

Starting from the top it says May 19, China Tourist Day, Huan tells me that the ‘event’ will last until the end of the month. Then on the left we have three direction signs, turn right to relax, turn left for food trucks and turn right for football. Finally, on the top right we have something that translates as “summer fireworks, the island enjoys the coolness”. It’s obviously not 100% correct but we get the idea of the island being cool in very hot weather. Walking over the bridge I came upon another sign, this one says ‘grocery store’.

Caterpillars come next, or one does anyway. Do you think they rear up like this to make themselves look bigger? I won’t touch them anyway, their fuzzy hair (setae) is toxic.

We often tell you how safe we are here, almost as much as we tell you that Huan has to be prevented from nibbling wild fruits. On the other hand there are occasionally some fruits that she can eat if she so desires, the wax apple being one of them.

Notwithstanding the fact that they are edible they are highly dangerous for another reason. Can you guess what it is? I may exaggerate just a little but they have been known to come screeching out of the sky and land on one’s noggin. Granted, a coconut would do a great deal more harm but just look how many of these come down! If you look closely you might spot the second danger which is slipping on one and going head over heels.

On my way around, just to cheese Huan off, I found another little bird in a tree.

After dinner, SWMBO decided that we would walk again, primarily to check on the little island event. That didn’t start until eight so we had to waste time walking first. I did that by walking behind the hoarding on the bridge, Huan disowned me.

On our way we found another fuel filler cap for your fulfilment, this one merely says ‘please add diesel’. Is he wearing a hat because he’s a working man?

Arriving on our island just after eight we decided that we would have to return another day to take photos for you. As is normal, the starting times of events like this means you are better off arriving late. One day this week we will skip dinner and have a very late one on the island, maybe we’ll get some pictures then.

So we come to the end of another week in paradise, well maybe not quite paradise but it really is a nice place to live. Remember to click on the photos to enlarge them; to share the post with your friends and family; and to give us a like or a comment if you wish. We’ll be back once more this month, see you then!