The here and now... and what and why

Complacency is a trap. At least that’s what I was thinking when I up and left the comfort of a Yankee prep school gig, where I taught music, amongst other things, for 28 years. There was also that life long career as a composer, musician and artist.

First, it was a year in St. Thomas, USVI, working as a reporter and shooting photography and then, a year in San Agustin Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Time passed.
More time passed and a year back in the Athens of America followed by a hasty return to Oaxaca where it is all happening.
A couple of years in San Sebastian Etla and now, just down the road in San Pablo Etla. Life is good.

Click on an image to see it larger.
For additional photography please visit my flickr page.
You can find my music on Jango (World & latin - Worldbeat) and at iTunes and most online stores.
¡Soy consciente de todas las tradiciones del Internet!
If you are coming to Oaxaca, please contact me for tours or advice.

Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo
The view from Corazon del Pueblo

The hereafter re me

My photo
Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
Musician, photographer, videographer, reporter, ex-officio teacher, now attempting to be a world traveler

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Holiday decorations?

Festive colors, but with a nasty bite.  While pruning the banana trees, I bumped into one of these beauties and got a nice sting through my shirt.  Well, hello!  Looks like garlands.
They feast on the leaves and soon will turn into the most beautiful blue butterflies.... I think. 
I feel lucky to have them here even if the sting was a bit painful.  Look, but do not touch.

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3 comments:

Clever Monkey said...

Very festive! But I was sure right away that is wasn't likely a butterfly as generally their caterpillars are hairless.
What you have is some variety of Io moth (or two) Here's a page showing the Io caterpillars,- they start out small and red and become large and green. And yes they DO sting and you were lucky it was through your clothes.
https://tinyurl.com/y3wlensv

Adult moth wingspans are an impressive 2-3.3 inches, and have a large IO mark on their under-wings. The thing is, most articles have their distribution involving the eastern half of the US and part of eastern Mexico. Oaxaca??? Did you import him on your last trip up north? Just kidding. Distribution info seems to be based on a 1996 study - guess they're on the move.
Diane

December 11, 2020 at 1:40 PM
Christopher Stowens said...

I have had them before. Two years ago there were quite a few. This year only three that I've seen. They are voracious eaters... an entire banana leaf in one day!

December 11, 2020 at 1:50 PM
Mark Conner said...

Once again, a keen eye uncovers a remarkable synthesis of holiday and color and shape in the natural world. Oh, to be so alive as to discover.

I just read a sentence from Rebecca West in Survivors in Mexico that I absolutely must share: “What are the characteristics of Mexico? The sound of brooms sweeping courtyards and pavements in the early morning; cotton-wooly tortillas stuffed with the clotted heaven of avocado-pear puree; gesticulating cactus; flowers so bright that they seem to be audible; people who walk silently; and this historic oddity of insurrections by a subject people on the side of stability and tradition.”

December 11, 2020 at 10:36 PM

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