Tag Archives: hammocks

More Hammock Adventures

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Guess who finally found time to swing in the hammock again and guess what she found????

You guessed it, another caterpillar spinning its cocoon in the blanket I pulled out of the  chest to throw over me! (You may recall my first encounter I describe HERE.)  Forgottenman just had to try to determine what kind of caterpillar it was, with no success. I then was driven to trying the same and the closest I could get to a possible solution was a silkworm.  At one stage, their cocoon looks like this, only white. But the caterpillars look a bit alike and many years ago Neill James did import mulberry trees and started a silk industry here. I don’t believe it has survived, but perhaps one of the moths did!  Forgottenman thinks I’m wrong and he’s probably right. Nonetheless, here is a silkworm photo I found online:

And a silkworm.

Here is an excerpt from THIS story about Neill James, an American expat who came to Ajijic in 1943 and who had a huge influence here.

A Strange Occurrence

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It is getting dark now and cool, so I got a blanket out of the metal chest I keep in the hammock gazebo for this very purpose.

I climbed into the hammock and of course Coco jumped up as well.  Once I managed to wrestle the blanket out from under him, I tried to open it up but it stubbornly refused to be unfolded!  I pulled and pulled and finally was able to pull it apart. It was as though something was gluing it together.  I investigated and found a thick glob which I pulled off the part of the blanket it still clung to and this is what I found:

A huge caterpillar had woven its cocoon into the fabric of the blanket!!!

I again tugged very hard to get it to release its hold, photographed it and thew it onto the lawn. Then I tossed the blanket out to cover my legs and feet, but alas, It again would not fully unfold itself.  So I investigated and found a second cocoon!  Here it is.

Now I am comfortably covered against the air getting ever cooler but alas, the mosquitos have arrived and in spite of Coco’s ever vigilant snapping to capture them,  in this Dengue area, I’ve decided it is time to go up to the house.

UPDATE: I found another one!

Rest, Don’t Quit! for Lens-Artists Challenge 283, Jan 20, 2024

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“When you are tired, learn to rest. Don’t quit.”
Click on photos to enlarge.

For Lens-Artists Challenge we were to Illustrate a quote or poem.

Lazy Day, Well-earned

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Click on photos to enlarge.

Life has been crazy lately, but yesterday, finally, was a day of complete relaxation. Hammocks certainly help to encourage that. And HERE is an earlier post on the same topic. Penned during the Covid year, I believe.

Mmmmmm, Hammocks!!! for the M&M Challenge.

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Because he is such a wonderful friend and hammock buddy.
Because it is my favorite view!!!
Because it reminds me why I couldn’t resist bringing her home from the beachside restaurant where she first curled up on my lap and won my heart.

Click on Photos to Enlarge

For the CMMC Challenge: Two M’s

At Rest

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For the One Word Sunday Challenge: Rest

Reality Check

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Reality Check

I’m  withdrawing from the argument. I have no more opinions.
I abstain from giving voice to what I think to my few minions.
Thoughts fly swift and easy lately on the internet.
They are so filled with hate. How much more rancorous could they get?
Our fearful hateful leader might hem and haw and hem,
but the problem with such enemies is, they turn us into them!

My grass is fresh and verdant. Fresh flowers bloom every day.
I’ll watch them from my hammock and put politics away.
From the troubles of the world, I need a short vacation.
My back yard is so lovely, and nature an education
to stop and rest and notice all the pleasures of this life.
We need to take in all of it, not just the pain and strife.

I contemplate the garden, suspended in my nest.
Morrie jumps up to join me—an uninvited guest.
Suspended in my private world, I find no rancor there.
Just mariposas fluttering, suspended in the air
above the tabachine blossoms—a sort of meditation
better for my blood pressure than any medication.

I fall asleep and doze for hours. Awakening from my nap,
I try to rise and gently spill the small dog from my lap.
It’s feeding time for animals. I go to find the cats.
They swarm around my ankles, both for sustenance and pats.
It’s when I find the hummingbird they’ve left me like a treasure
that I’m reminded that all nature is a blend of pain and pleasure.

 

The prompt words today were abstain, verdant and swift. Here are the links:

https://fivedotoh.com/2018/09/15/fowc-with-fandango-abstain/
https://wo/rdofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2018/09/15/verdant/
https://dailyaddictions542855004.wordpress.com/2018/09/09/daily-addictions-2018-week-36/swift

Wednesday in the Hammock with Morrie

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There is a commentary that goes with these photos.  To see it and to enlarge them all, click on the first photo. The arrow on the right of the photo will take you to the next photo.  Have fun! Morrie and I want to share our afternoon with you. He’s narrating.

She enjoyed looking at the lawn Pasiano had just mowed that morning. I tried to help by nipping at his heels, but he got a bit testy, so I retired to my bed in the doggie domain.
She then saw Ganesha staring at her from across the way. He’s the patron of writers, which reminded her she had a book to read.
So she read a few lines before. . . .
In spite of Diego’s best efforts to win me away from Morrie, Morrie had the advantage of being small enough to lie in the hammock with me. Once he tried to jump up with us, which created a lot of excitement.
For once, although he is twice my size, I have the upper hand. I taunt him with my smile!
Once we are settled, mom gives up trying to read and we have another look around.
We see a little sprout growing from the tarred area where the men cut off the big limb when they cut back the pistachio tree.
Some of the foliage is starting to come back
One of the limbs had a little decoration hanging from it, so they left just enough of it to support the wire it was hanging from. Mom kind of had a laugh at that.
We could see the birds and butterflies still alighting in the tabachine tree.
A cardinal perched on the top of a cactus for such a short time that Mom couldn’t focus fast enough, so she didn’t get a very good shot.
Mom had a massage today and I saw him rubbing her feet.
But she didn’t get the hint.
So I settled back to take it easty.