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On Monday I went to CRES to rendezvous with Sergio Hidalgo. Joris and Maria had friends coming in from the States for a long weekend and being convenient to return with Sergio on the 28th, I had planned to be gone for a whole week. Since my first visit, I had kept in touch with Sergio and knew that the rains had started in Angostura and that the bugging had definitely improved. I was looking forward to a replay of my first visit but in a different season. As before, Sergio had planned the week to be part vacation and had been very busy cranking out the souvenirs to be ahead of the game.
Viviana had accompanied him this morning—Sergio’s partner Luis not coming since they did not have deliveries to make. Still, there was business to conduct and when it was all done, Sergio had purchased more than 1500 pupae from various breeders.
We then headed to San Ramon where we would spend the rest of the day. I had not been able to get on line to send a Journal entry before leaving La Guacima so they dropped me off at a Cyber Cafe to send files. After I had finished, we had an enjoyable lunch with Sergio’s mother and grandmother. After he had a short nap, Sergio and Viviana headed back out to do the sundry errands of a day off. As before, Sergio had school that evening.
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I spent much of the afternoon working on the Journal in Viviana’s home. After Sergio headed off to school, his mother, Haydee (right) and a friend, Lourdes (center) came over to make bread. Viviana’s mother, Marta provides the kitchen each week, and a spare bedroom to me for my evenings there. I learned these four women get together for a baking session twice weekly. Haydee sells the bread and cookies in her pulperia (small home-front grocery store). When Viviana told them they could see photos on my computer minutes after taking them, they eagerly let me fire away.
After school was out at 10:00, Sergio and I headed out to Angostura, leaving the women baking—until 1:00am I later learned.
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In the morning it was very easy to see that things were different here. It was definitely much greener! There was a flush of new growth on all the trees and the pasture grass was now green. The sound of cicadas filled the air. |
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Tuesday was to be a workday since there were so many pupae to hang for emergence. The pupa room was already pretty full and as is always the case, there were many freshly emerged butterflies, patiently waiting for light to stimulate their activity. The oven to dry spread butterflies was already full in this time of high production. I helped out by carefully inserting a pin in the silk attached to the cremaster (part of the pupa that hooks into the silk spun by the larva). I discovered this activity is harder on the back than sitting at a computer all day. |
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When I needed a break, I would step into the vivero to see what was happening. Finally, I was able to get a shot of a Morpho as it basked on a bench. I also wanted a shot of a coveted wasp nest hanging from the ceiling and some images of his esperanza. When I was done, the pupae were hung in the emergence room, now the fullest it had ever been. |
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Jatropha multifida |
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After the hard day working, we set up lights to attract nocturnal insects and looked forward to a much better showing than in March. Click here to see what came in.
Next page
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