A Wildflower Morning

Ever since I first met the wild orchids that grow on Guam, I've been wanting to paint some.  I knew it would be a challenge, because they are not as straight forward as a daisy or Camas Lilies.  Also, in our apartment, I didn't have a good set up for painting.  There were no normal sized chairs in the place.  The table is extra tall, as are the chairs, and I am not extra tall, so they aren't comfortable for me.  The only available table that isn't tall is the coffee table.  Hey!  That might work.  There are a couple stools here.  The set up isn't perfect, but I am making it work.  I used it last night to paint my orchids.

Chickens run everywhere here.  And yes, they are always crossing the road.  They must be pretty smart about it though, because I haven't seen one dead by the road yet.   There is no use complaining about your neighbor's rooster crowing.  It seems like every neighbor has not just one rooster, but a half dozen crowing day . . . and all night.  They are two breeds here, descendants of Pacific Jungle fowl, and more recently Game fowl were added.  They really are beautiful birds, especially the roosters, with long iridescent tails.  I hear that the rooster population goes up, until cock fighting season.  When William was out searching for photos in the back yard, he found this mama hen sitting in a drain ditch, sheltered in by vines and flowers.  It really was a good hiding place, I thought.  I could just see her from the back balcony, and wondered how soon I would see her leading little cheeps around the yard.  But Sunday ni...

See Robin up there on the rock?  I wonder what she can see? One of my favorite places on the east side of the island of Guam is Inarajan Pools.  This area has a rich history with the Spanish and WWII, and some notable people have lived in this area.  Read more about it here .  The natural pools are protected by a limestone breakwater.  Tropical fish swim in the clear, shallow waters, making it a fun place for snorkelling.  A gentle current flows in, keeping the pools clean, and entertaining boys like a water slide There are pavilions available for shade and picnics.  Long ago someone put in a diving platform, but its use doesn't seem very advisable now, as the ladder is half missing, and does anyone know if the water is deep enough in this place for diving? The view from the big rock on the right gives you a good look at the pools, and at the ocean surf.  One thing to note, there was a rest room on site, but it was locked....

 Right after our snorkel at Piti Bomb Hole, we got in the truck and set out to take the Froelichs on a trip around the southern end of the island of Guam.  Our family had gone before, but we were sure we would see some new things, and have a grand adventure with our friends.  The photo above is of Sella Bay from above.  You saw it in a previous blog post from water level.  It was the photo that had a Spanish bridge right by the water, surrounded by coconut palms.  We were so glad that our friends could come visit us here, way out in the Pacific.  We had such a nice time with them.  Every day was fun.   We let the kids ride in the back of the pickup.  It is legal here.  And it made it possible for us to go in one vehicle, and for the kids to endlessly sing at the top of their lungs, without bothering the parents much. In the upper left side of the photo is a dry, seasonal waterfall.  Th...

There is a lot of life swimming around at Piti Bomb Hole.  It is a great place to go snorkelling.  William keeps trying out the little underwater camera we have.  It is really hard to get an unblurred shot when both you and the fish are moving.  But just so you know a little of what it is like, here is the best of the shots from one outing.  The Froelichs were with us, and Rob took the day off.   Wish you could see what it was really like in these pretty blue waters. Kid with the underwater camera.  (Click on the photos to see a larger image.)  Morish Idols.  These were really amazing, beautiful fish.  They usually were found at the base of the supports of the walkway going over the water.  Snowflake moray eel.  Coral head full of fish of all colors and sizes. Picasa Trigger fish, with trumpet fish in the background. Divers feeding fish

 My last post, about Tarzan Falls Waterhole, was very long, so I saved photos of the beauty I saw along the way for a second post, which will also be very long. An unusual seed pod, spiralling around a stem. A very dry, brittle fern with fingers branching off. I believe each branch divided in two directions.  It reminded me of a cross between a sword fern, a deer fern, and a maidenhair fern. This flower was about as big as my pinky nail.  I would not have seen it, except we had to wait at the trail head for another car load of people to arrive, and I almost sat on it.  It has six petals. If my memory is accurate for another time and place, this might be called Rat's Tail. In one cut made by the jeeps and erosion, there were green stripes down the banks wall, contrasting beautifully with the red clay. The hills were mostly covered with open fields of grasses. The grasses were abundantly sprinkled with wild orchid...